TessV Posted October 11, 2021 Report Share Posted October 11, 2021 Some things we want to share from our last two cruises (Ovation 9/3/21 & Oasis 10/3/21): 1. C&A Diamond awards 4 drinks daily; they can be redeemed at any bar on the ship, as they do not want you to congregate at the Diamond lounge from 5-8 pm (post-COVID precaution). That being said, there was no reason for us to go to the Diamond Lounge other than the espresso machine; they never seemed to have any snacks like they used to ...beyond a few cookies, nor were there other members with whom to visit. 2. We were Star class on Oasis last week which included the drink package. Two drawbacks here: a. We were in the casino getting some nice wine when the bartender commented that it was better that he used our Prime casino status rather than charge us the extra amount over the $13 beverage package limit (Star Class w/ free bev pack). b. We ate at the Chef's Table (traditionally anywhere from $55-$95 pp, depending on the ship, for BOTH the meal & the wine pairings). The Chef's Table was stated as free with Star Class, HOWEVER, this turned out to be just for the food....they charged us $88 extra for the drink, as they said the wine pairing was not included in OUR Chef's Table, and the beverage package only allowed up to the $13 per glass of wine & desert martini...interesting. Now we just stop at the casino on the way to dinner to avoid the ">$13" fee for anything suspected as pricey or considered special and order standard drinks anywhere else on the ship under the Diamond drinks option. This seems to take care of our needs on the cruises from now on! CruisingOz 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted October 11, 2021 Report Share Posted October 11, 2021 11 minutes ago, TessV said: b. We ate at the Chef's Table (traditionally anywhere from $55-$95 pp, depending on the ship, for BOTH the meal & the wine pairings). The Chef's Table was stated as free with Star Class, HOWEVER, this turned out to be just for the food....they charged us $88 extra for the drink, as they said the wine pairing was not included in OUR Chef's Table, and the beverage package only allowed up to the $13 per glass of wine & desert martini...interesting. Wow ! $88 ? Was that total, or per person ? The last time we were SC and had the Chefs Table we were charged $25 PP (which I thought was outrageous !). No way would I pay $88 or even $44 for the wine at CT. Neither of us even really drinks wine. I usually take a little sip and leave the rest. In all of the SC cruises we have taken I can only remember being charged for an over-the-limit drink once (and that on time WAS an expensive wine (Caymus, I think) at Vintages). They normally just let it go. Either they are just VERY strict on Ovation or the program has had some big changes. It seems so petty that they would micro-manage the drink consumption and completely ignore the elements of the Unlimited Dining Package. Interesting that the casino seems to be exempt from the excess charges rule. Who would have guessed ? CruisingOz 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TessV Posted October 11, 2021 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2021 I should have clarified, 3 of us, I believe it was $25+18% grat = $88 ....but still, I too was stunned. If I had known, we would have passed, as my husband and his mother do not drink wine but enjoyed a few sips with the food. The Genie on Oasis said this was normal. Neither me or my husband have had a problem in the casino, they get us anything without issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted October 12, 2021 Report Share Posted October 12, 2021 2 hours ago, TessV said: I should have clarified, 3 of us, I believe it was $25+18% grat = $88 ....but still, I too was stunned. If I had known, we would have passed, as my husband and his mother do not drink wine but enjoyed a few sips with the food. The Genie on Oasis said this was normal. Neither me or my husband have had a problem in the casino, they get us anything without issue. Whew ! Glad to know the price hasn’t gone up on the CT. I don’t recall the 18% being tacked on but it probably was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregD Posted October 12, 2021 Report Share Posted October 12, 2021 Just for fun, I looked up the chefs table wine pairings and after going through the wines, the $25 doesn't seem that bad. The $25 basically covers the upcharge on glasses that would be over $13. The pinot grigio in the first course, I couldn't find on the menu in vintages on the app, so I'm going to assume normally is $13 or less. The Conundrum in course 2 is $16 in vintages The Peter Yealands Marlborough is sold by the bottle for $50 in vintages, and others in that range go for $15 a glass Chablis Premier Cru in course 4 is $21 a glass The 50th anniversary Robert Mondavi is $105 a bottle in vintages, so $26ish a glass by other comparisons. Add up the differences over the $13 that the delux beverage package gets you and those wines and you get $25 As a wine drinker myself, I'm looking forward to this in February when I'm on Oasis. KristiZ and WAAAYTOOO 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.