It was almost nine months ago that we were introduced to Cellar Masters, in a big way, on the Celebrity Eclipse on a cruise across the Atlantic. Still in its embryonic stage, Cellar 
Masters was a way for passengers to buy wine a glass at a time, and at a time of their choosing…even 3 a.m.
We’d heard about Cellar Masters from a sommelier we’d befriended in April 2010, on the Celebrity Millennium. The point here is that Celebrity pioneered this concept, now being adopted by its larger sibling, Royal Caribbean, for two ships — Freedom of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas.
As we approach the day when everyone drinks wine that bubbles (that would be Saturday), Royal Caribbean has revealed this once-novel idea is taking a slightly different shape, so to speak. Called WineStation, it offers glasses from 48 bottles and is the largest of its kind at sea.
Clearly, the Cellar Masters was a test, one that would be expanded by the cruise line’s corporate parent, Royal Caribbean. If it hadn’t been successful for Celebrity, there would be no WineStation on the other two ships…and no blog about it on this page!
DAILY DEAL:
Carnival Imagination
4 nights
January 30
Miami (return): Key West, Cozumel
Inside $209
www.carnival.com