Love RCCL; hate their wine tastings

One of the onboard activities that my wife and I always do on our RCCL
cruises (and we're about to do our tenth) is the wine tasting. We like
tasting different wines and it's free to Crown & Anchor members at our
level.

However, every single RCCL wine tasting we've been to shares many
characteristics that indicate they simply do not know how to do a wine
tasting. There's no dump bucket provided (though we seldom use one :-)
), and no water to cleanse between tasting wines.

But the biggest offense of all is that little plastic cup they expect
you to taste from. Let's get this straight .. no one in their right
mind drinks wine from plastic. It significantly alters the taste.
Also, there are little bumps in the bottom that retain wine to spoil
the next glass.

Usually, we demand a wine glass from which to taste. The last cruise I
suggested to my wife that we just go with the flow and drink from the
little toy cup. But then all the others at our table demanded glasses,
and to my dismay, received a very much more generous pour of each wine
than we.

I've spoken to the staff, and they say "We know this is a lousy wine
tasting experience, but corporate sets the rules. They want it to be a
Disney-esque experience and the little pretend sommelier cup is part
of that."

Any suggestions on how to best handle this for our next RCCL cruise
next month? Is there anyone at "corporate" that might be interested in
my complaint?

Up until the middle of last year they used real glasses.
What they do now is an insult.
If they think they are now providing "the Disney experience", then the
dumb asses at RCCL corporate have never been to a wine tasting on a
Disney cruise. They are spectacular! Have you ever seen someone open a
champaign bottle using a knife? They do on Disney and you won't believe
how they do it. It's quite the show.

You're complaining about a free wine tasting?

Even if it wasn't free, it's only what, $10?

"Kevin" wrote in message
...
One of the onboard activities that my wife and I always do on our RCCL
cruises (and we're about to do our tenth) is the wine tasting. We like
tasting different wines and it's free to Crown & Anchor members at our
level.

However, every single RCCL wine tasting we've been to shares many
characteristics that indicate they simply do not know how to do a wine
tasting. There's no dump bucket provided (though we seldom use one :-)
), and no water to cleanse between tasting wines.

But the biggest offense of all is that little plastic cup they expect
you to taste from. Let's get this straight .. no one in their right
mind drinks wine from plastic. It significantly alters the taste.
Also, there are little bumps in the bottom that retain wine to spoil
the next glass.

Usually, we demand a wine glass from which to taste. The last cruise I
suggested to my wife that we just go with the flow and drink from the
little toy cup. But then all the others at our table demanded glasses,
and to my dismay, received a very much more generous pour of each wine
than we.

I've spoken to the staff, and they say "We know this is a lousy wine
tasting experience, but corporate sets the rules. They want it to be a
Disney-esque experience and the little pretend sommelier cup is part
of that."

Any suggestions on how to best handle this for our next RCCL cruise
next month? Is there anyone at "corporate" that might be interested in
my complaint?

Embarkation, dinner, entertainment, snacks, the pool, a walk through
the promenade .. they are all "free" as well, yet if not done
satisfactorily, are fair game for comment, I think.

Again, I've cruised RCCL ten times now and have almost nothing to
complain about, but their so-called wine tasting leaves something to
be desired.

And I'm not just complaining. I'm looking for an approach to solve
this problem that 1) provides a decent wine-tasting experience (at
least for my wife and I), and 2) does so without "starting something"
at the wine tasting itself.

"Willy Nilly" wrote:

You're complaining about a free wine tasting?

Even if it wasn't free, it's only what, $10?

"Kevin" wrote in message
.. .
One of the onboard activities that my wife and I always do on our RCCL
cruises (and we're about to do our tenth) is the wine tasting. We like
tasting different wines and it's free to Crown & Anchor members at our
level.

However, every single RCCL wine tasting we've been to shares many
characteristics that indicate they simply do not know how to do a wine
tasting. There's no dump bucket provided (though we seldom use one :-)
), and no water to cleanse between tasting wines.

But the biggest offense of all is that little plastic cup they expect
you to taste from. Let's get this straight .. no one in their right
mind drinks wine from plastic. It significantly alters the taste.
Also, there are little bumps in the bottom that retain wine to spoil
the next glass.

Usually, we demand a wine glass from which to taste. The last cruise I
suggested to my wife that we just go with the flow and drink from the
little toy cup. But then all the others at our table demanded glasses,
and to my dismay, received a very much more generous pour of each wine
than we.

I've spoken to the staff, and they say "We know this is a lousy wine
tasting experience, but corporate sets the rules. They want it to be a
Disney-esque experience and the little pretend sommelier cup is part
of that."

Any suggestions on how to best handle this for our next RCCL cruise
next month? Is there anyone at "corporate" that might be interested in
my complaint?

Embarkation, dinner, entertainment, snacks, the pool, a walk through
the promenade .. they are all "free" as well, yet if not done
satisfactorily, are fair game for comment, I think.

Again, I've cruised RCCL ten times now and have almost nothing to
complain about, but their so-called wine tasting leaves something to
be desired.

And I'm not just complaining. I'm looking for an approach to solve
this problem that 1) provides a decent wine-tasting experience (at
least for my wife and I), and 2) does so without "starting something"
at the wine tasting itself.

"Willy Nilly" wrote:

You're complaining about a free wine tasting?

Even if it wasn't free, it's only what, $10?

"Kevin" wrote in message
.. .
One of the onboard activities that my wife and I always do on our RCCL
cruises (and we're about to do our tenth) is the wine tasting. We like
tasting different wines and it's free to Crown & Anchor members at our
level.

However, every single RCCL wine tasting we've been to shares many
characteristics that indicate they simply do not know how to do a wine
tasting. There's no dump bucket provided (though we seldom use one :-)
), and no water to cleanse between tasting wines.

But the biggest offense of all is that little plastic cup they expect
you to taste from. Let's get this straight .. no one in their right
mind drinks wine from plastic. It significantly alters the taste.
Also, there are little bumps in the bottom that retain wine to spoil
the next glass.

Usually, we demand a wine glass from which to taste. The last cruise I
suggested to my wife that we just go with the flow and drink from the
little toy cup. But then all the others at our table demanded glasses,
and to my dismay, received a very much more generous pour of each wine
than we.

I've spoken to the staff, and they say "We know this is a lousy wine
tasting experience, but corporate sets the rules. They want it to be a
Disney-esque experience and the little pretend sommelier cup is part
of that."

Any suggestions on how to best handle this for our next RCCL cruise
next month? Is there anyone at "corporate" that might be interested in
my complaint?

In article , Kevin
wrote:

And I'm not just complaining. I'm looking for an approach to solve
this problem that 1) provides a decent wine-tasting experience (at
least for my wife and I), and 2) does so without "starting something"
at the wine tasting itself.

Most "wine tastings" on ships are not true wine tastings. They are
sales pitches to get you to buy a bottle. Sounds like the RCI "tasting"
has really gotten cheap though. I think a letter of complaint to RCI HQ
should be your method of expressing displeasure.

--
Charles

We even walked out on the last wine tasting. They sampled the worse wines
on the ship. Well over 100 of us left the Mariner tasting that week.

"Stuck in Central Florida" wrote in message
...
We even walked out on the last wine tasting. They sampled the worse wines
on the ship. Well over 100 of us left the Mariner tasting that week.



Did they sample the champagne that they give away for the game prizes? We
won a bottle of some unheard of winery and tried to take it to the dining
room - they were going to charge us the $10 corking fee! When we showed him
the bottle, the wine steward cringed, and when we told him we won it on
board he went totally straight-faced and then never spoke to us the rest of
the cruise!

Chris

Subject: Love RCCL; hate their wine tastings

It's the same on Celebrity!!!!

Babette

On our last RCCL cruise, the sommelier realized very early on that my husand
and I were fairly knowledgeable about wine. He invited us to participate in
the wine tasting. The first thing my husband asked him was to see the list
of the wines that would be sampled, and when we saw the list we politely
declined because we felt that it would be a very mediocre experience. None
of the wines being offered were of really excellent quality, and frankly, we
felt that anyone who truly is passionate about wines and learning about new
wines would find their offerings to be completely unappealing. However, I
would say that for people who are novices about wine, it could be a very
nice and interesting introduction. And I, too, agree with you. No plastic
cups--ever!

Karen
Owings Mills, MD


"Kevin" wrote in message
...
One of the onboard activities that my wife and I always do on our RCCL
cruises (and we're about to do our tenth) is the wine tasting. We like
tasting different wines and it's free to Crown & Anchor members at our
level.

However, every single RCCL wine tasting we've been to shares many
characteristics that indicate they simply do not know how to do a wine
tasting. There's no dump bucket provided (though we seldom use one :-)
), and no water to cleanse between tasting wines.

But the biggest offense of all is that little plastic cup they expect
you to taste from. Let's get this straight .. no one in their right
mind drinks wine from plastic. It significantly alters the taste.
Also, there are little bumps in the bottom that retain wine to spoil
the next glass.

Usually, we demand a wine glass from which to taste. The last cruise I
suggested to my wife that we just go with the flow and drink from the
little toy cup. But then all the others at our table demanded glasses,
and to my dismay, received a very much more generous pour of each wine
than we.

I've spoken to the staff, and they say "We know this is a lousy wine
tasting experience, but corporate sets the rules. They want it to be a
Disney-esque experience and the little pretend sommelier cup is part
of that."

Any suggestions on how to best handle this for our next RCCL cruise
next month? Is there anyone at "corporate" that might be interested in
my complaint?