Wine Package Research with 2022 Prices

[cedricandsophie]

Wait... if you buy a package, you get the pick which individual bottles you want? I figured they'd be selected by DCL.

We buy the oackAge every cruise. For a7 night cruise we would probably order the 5 bottle package. There’s a list of wines, you pick what you want from the list. We always do the classic package and we only do red wines. I’m glad someone has done the research but we may still buy the package just because it’s easier and my husband has a bad emotional response to the price of individual bottles! For him it’s just simpler to order the package so he doesn’t have to calculate what the wine that costs $15 at home costs on the ship and then be crabby . We don’t drink a whole bottle most nights. We’ve gotten the rest the next night and then ordered another bottle. We’ve also ordered from our wine package in Palo.

 

[calvinoeh]

Thanks for the extensive research! I'm booked on a NYE cruise and have been going back and forth on whether to buy the package or not.

Where can I find the 2022 wine list pricing?

 

[JonMcIntosh]

Wait... if you buy a package, you get the pick which individual bottles you want? I figured they'd be selected by DCL.

Here are the wine package wine lists with current packages prices when you purchase them on ship which is a little more than the pre-purchased prices I provided above: https://disneycruiselineblog.com/menus/wine-dine-packages/

 

[JonMcIntosh]

We buy the oackAge every cruise. For a7 night cruise we would probably order the 5 bottle package. There’s a list of wines, you pick what you want from the list. We always do the classic package and we only do red wines. I’m glad someone has done the research but we may still buy the package just because it’s easier and my husband has a bad emotional response to the price of individual bottles! For him it’s just simpler to order the package so he doesn’t have to calculate what the wine that costs $15 at home costs on the ship and then be crabby . We don’t drink a whole bottle most nights. We’ve gotten the rest the next night and then ordered another bottle. We’ve also ordered from our wine package in Palo.

Love this. Often there is more than just "cost" to consider... it's the emotional cost of pre-buying your wine and knowing its taken care of, much like the Disney Dining Plan in the parks. Thanks for sharing, @cedricandsophie .

 

[JonMcIntosh]

Thanks for the extensive research! I'm booked on a NYE cruise and have been going back and forth on whether to buy the package or not.

Where can I find the 2022 wine list pricing?

Hi @calvinoeh, here is a wine list from the Fantasy from 2019. These prices seem off by a $1, meaning add a $1 to everything you see here: https://disneycruiselineblog.com/menus/main-dining-room-wine-menu/#jp-carousel-36449

 

[malba2366]

It is worth it if you want to drink the bottles at dinner. They charge $25 a bottle if you take your own bottle into the dining room.

 

[JonMcIntosh]

It is worth it if you want to drink the bottles at dinner. They charge $25 a bottle if you take your own bottle into the dining room.

Well, @malba2366, you can also just order a bottle from the extensive wine list. My point is that often the price per bottle is actually better than buying the package.

 

[elsawasajedi]

if that same saint emilion is the one i just had in aug on the wish that sells for 13.75 a glass it's very very good. if you got a package with 6 of those you take the house.

 

[JonMcIntosh]

if that same saint emilion is the one i just had in aug on the wish that sells for 13.75 a glass it's very very good. if you got a package with 6 of those you take the house.

Good to know!

 

[calvinoeh]

That's the same grandCru that retails for $12?

 

[JonMcIntosh]

That's the same grandCru that retails for $12?

I went back and did more research on the Château Peymouten Saint-Emilion Grand Cru and I actually can't find a good retail price estimate. One place said $12, but others said much higher. Also, keep in mind that you're going to pay restaurant markup on DCL. Lastly, I'll say that I have not yet tried this wine. I think I wrote it off too quickly. The 2020 recently received 93 points from James Suckling.

Regardless of what you can buy it for on land, DCL sells it for $65 in its restaurants, so to @elsawasajedi 's point, it actually would make a very smart choice if you purchased the Premium wine package.

 

[JoeFromSeoul]

Thanks for the research. We have always ordered a wine package that matches our nights on-board. I don’t do it as a money saver, more as a convenience. Probably not fiscally responsible…but I am on vacation. My wife and I split a bottle with dinner, taking any left-over with us to enjoy as we wander the ship. Next time our daughter will be 21, so there won’t likely be any extra.

 

[elsawasajedi]

That's the same grandCru that retails for $12?

notwithstanding the follow up you already have about this - e.g. no definite price and ratings...to me none of that matters

I found a 13 dollar bottle of chianti (and we dont usually like italian wines) earlier this year that was amazing and we buy a ton of now. when I drink wine I look for value. I've had 500 dollar bottles of wine that are just ok.

same with ratings. I've had a literal 100 point wine that was just ok. and unrated wines that will knock your socks off. I think schramsberg is overrated and there are sparkling wines made in Virginia and South Africa at 40 dollars a bottle that punch above their weight to an 80 dollar champagne.

wine is personal and it's more about calculated decisions based on your historic preferences. I didn't know anything about the st. emilion when I ordered a glass of it. just that historically Medocs and I get along real well and st. emilions aren't a far cry from that so as a result I tend to fare pretty well there too. turned out to be a good gamble.

I'm handed the wine list by my husband, by my friends, and by my boss and coworkers when we go out. so choosing wine is lol I guess a thing I do. I read the table, the tables preferences, the food menu and *then* the wine menu. my biggest misses by far are with pinot noir. unless I'm ordering something I have 100% had before several times, there's always someone it won't work for because wine is so personal and pinot can be so variable. burgundies less so, but I digress.

in fact I would say the worst priced wine on the ships is the Skywalker pinot noir. horrid value. they charge 31 dollars a glass for that on the wish and I think 150 a bottle. I wouldn't pay 31 dollars for two glasses.

 

[elsawasajedi]

in terms of what we order - it truly depends. we don't do packages and some nites we are in more of a cocktail (or rarely beer) mood and don't want to feel like we have to drink wine. or don't feel like drinking.

what we do do 100% is bring on 4 bottles of sparkling wine. we don't pay a corkage fee because we drink them out on the verandah and keep it in the immensely unhelpful fridge. I have a standing order for a bucket of ice every night to be brought at 6pm and sometimes we throw the bottle in there sometimes it gets used for other things in the morning. but when we use it to watch a sunrise or the stars I get two cheese plates from room service brought up. on the wish we also grabbed some meats from the buffet.

sparkling wine and cheese on your verandah is high satisfaction factor. we started it on our first cruise on the fantasy by accident last Dec and that was with ordering glasses of champagne - this time around on the wish we just brought all 4 bottles sparkling wine ourselves.

 

[JonMcIntosh]

in terms of what we order - it truly depends. we don't do packages and some nites we are in more of a cocktail (or rarely beer) mood and don't want to feel like we have to drink wine. or don't feel like drinking.

what we do do 100% is bring on 4 bottles of sparkling wine. we don't pay a corkage fee because we drink them out on the verandah and keep it in the immensely unhelpful fridge. I have a standing order for a bucket of ice every night to be brought at 6pm and sometimes we throw the bottle in there sometimes it gets used for other things in the morning. but when we use it to watch a sunrise or the stars I get two cheese plates from room service brought up. on the wish we also grabbed some meats from the buffet.

sparkling wine and cheese on your verandah is high satisfaction factor. we started it on our first cruise on the fantasy by accident last Dec and that was with ordering glasses of champagne - this time around on the wish we just brought all 4 bottles sparkling wine ourselves.

Love this. Thanks, @elsawasajedi .

 

[calvinoeh]

Thanks elsawasajedi, jon ! I was initially leaning towards getting the premium win package but will probably skip it now for the convenience and flexibility drinking some cocktails vs wine especially when the savings aren't that huge..

I'm stuck with a inside stateroom this time round so don't think enjoying champagne/sparkling wine in the stateroom will be as fun

 

[Sherrilatte]

I saw a vlogger couple who uncorked in their room, brought the bottle with them to dinner and gave the server $25 tip. Is this done often too?

 

[JonMcIntosh]

I saw a vlogger couple who uncorked in their room, brought the bottle with them to dinner and gave the server $25 tip. Is this done often too?

You can do this but the $26 is the corkage fee, not a tip. From DCL: "Guests wishing to consume wine or champagne that they have brought on board in one of the dining rooms will be charged a corking fee of $26.00 per bottle."

 

[JonMcIntosh]

One additional note: the prices in the original post are for purchasing the packages in advance via the website. According to this menu, if you wait till you're onboard to purchase, each package is $3-$4 more: https://disneycruiselineblog.com/menus/wine-dine-packages/#jp-carousel-55338
Both add an 18% gratuity.

 

[Mahusky]

Just an fyi they charge a corking fee so that Robert Mondave cab was actually $80. Not sure if they charge this when you get the package. We wound up getting wine in port opening it in our room carried the entire bottle to dinner the servers poured it for us and did charge a corking fee.

Wait..... have I missed this for years. . They charge a corking fee to open their wines? I thought the corking fee applied to wines that you brought on board to dinner?