NEW Cabin Class Category: Club Class Mini-Suite

[floridalover5623]

Why would 'all you have to go on' be the negative reports. Why not go on some of the positive reports too, otherwise you will see the negative in everything?! I am capable of looking and judging independantly from wherever I sit, and it certainly seemed OK. You never know, it might just turn out all OK!

 

Simply because the negative reports were from people actually standing in longer lines then they even have on previous cruises.

The positive reports all seem to be from people who dined in Club Class and couldn't/didn't see the waits that the AT diners were going through.

Just because there wasn't any line forming in the hallway isn't a true indication of dining wait time.

I seriously doubt if any of those positive reporting CC diners took the time to ask the hostess on the way out just how long the wait time was.

It could have been 5 minutes or 50 minutes.

[Salidaboy209]

There has always been periods of wait times with anytime dining since it's inception. It just depends on when you go to dinner. A cruise is for relaxing and enjoying yourself folks so don't get stressed out over a short wait time for dinner. Ever go to dinner at Outback, Texas Roadhouse, Red Lobster, etc. and had to wait for a table? Another solution is to choose traditional dining and sit and chat with your shipmates. You will eat at the same time every evening, guaranteed. Cheers!

 

 

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[floridalover5623]

There has always been periods of wait times with anytime dining since it's inception. It just depends on when you go to dinner. A cruise is for relaxing and enjoying yourself folks so don't get stressed out over a short wait time for dinner. Ever go to dinner at Outback, Texas Roadhouse, Red Lobster, etc. and had to wait for a table? Another solution is to choose traditional dining and sit and chat with your shipmates. You will eat at the same time every evening, guaranteed. Cheers!

 

 

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Actually we don't. Being retired and in Florida we have learned to avoid the busy times sine we can go whenever the mood strikes us.

As for eating in traditional we always dine at a table for 2 whenever possible. The last thing we want to the chit chat over dinner.

[ian441672]

Simply because the negative reports were from people actually standing in longer lines then they even have on previous cruises.

 

The positive reports all seem to be from people who dined in Club Class and couldn't/didn't see the waits that the AT diners were going through.

 

Just because there wasn't any line forming in the hallway isn't a true indication of dining wait time.

 

I seriously doubt if any of those positive reporting CC diners took the time to ask the hostess on the way out just how long the wait time was.

 

It could have been 5 minutes or 50 minutes.

 

 

I sat watching the lines whilst having dinner and there was no longer a wait than normal, as I have said many times. You seem determined not to like it before trying it. I cannot recall seeing many non CC line wait complaints on this forum, perhaps as there are not many! I did ask the hostess and she replied more than one occasion that waiting times are low tonight, at most 10 minutes, which can be standard.

 

 

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[floridalover5623]

I sat watching the lines whilst having dinner and there was no longer a wait than normal, as I have said many times. You seem determined not to like it before trying it. I cannot recall seeing many non CC line wait complaints on this forum, perhaps as there are not many! I did ask the hostess and she replied more than one occasion that waiting times are low tonight, at most 10 minutes, which can be standard.

 

 

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In that case all is fine.

[masterty]

I would pay $80 extra per cabin per night to have CC breakfast, lunch, and dinner as long as I get to do it from an I or O category. The S, M, and B categories do not offer my DW and I any value. The best spaces with the best views offering the most entertainment are not found within a cabin of any category. I will be forced to continue TD along with the IC and grill food for backup. No, none, zip, zero desire to step foot into a buffet. Meh, to each their own.

[KruzeKrazy!]

We've decided to pack a case of Power Bars and thus avoid all dining hassles altogether...

 

Just kidding, of course! [emoji4]

[dizlove]

We will be a party of two. Eating around 7/7:30. Will be wait long with ATD? Do they give you a pager so you don't actually have to stand in line?

 

 

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[NavyVeteran]

We will be a party of two. Eating around 7/7:30. Will be wait long with ATD? Do they give you a pager so you don't actually have to stand in line?

 

 

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They do give you a pager if you have to wait very long. I have not minded waiting while sitting at Vines with a glass of wine.

 

Are you willing to share or do you want a table for two? The wait may be longer if you are waiting for a table for two.

 

You didn't mention which ship so this comment may not exactly match your ship. Princess generally has three main dining rooms - one aft with traditional early and late seatings, one midship with anytime dining, and one midship with traditional early dining followed by anytime dining. If the first seating is 5:30 pm, then they are generally ready to open for anytime dining around 7:30 pm.

 

If you are eating around 7:30 pm when the second anytime dining room opens, you generally won't have to wait very long. If you want to eat around 6:30 pm when there is only one anytime dining room, you will probably have to wait - once the dining room fills up (starting around 5:30 pm), they can't seat anyone else until the first people leave. This would generally be around 7:00 pm.

 

I don't believe the small number of tables in Club Class changes this very much. The problem is that more people want to eat early than the dining rooms can handle. It doesn't matter whether the early diner is in traditional early dining, in anytime dining eating early, holding a table in Club Class, or holding a reservation in anytime dining - all of these people compete for the same limited number of early tables.

 

After 7:30 pm, you shouldn't have a problem.

[dizlove]

Thanks for the info. I don't mind waiting with a pager. We can wander and check out the shops. We will be on the Regal and we like to have a table for two because we order several courses and like to take out time. Prob will plan to eat at 7:30. What time does the first show end, if go to that first?

 

 

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[OCruisers]

More of a problem than CC Dining are people who are booked in Traditional Dining and are allowed to go to Anytime Dining if they wish.:rolleyes:

[IECalCruiser]

Club Class diners wouldn't see lines because Club Class appears to be in the early TD/late ATD dining room and there wouldn't be lines until after 7:30 and by that time with 2 ATD dining rooms open lines are rarely an issue.

 

 

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[IECalCruiser]

More of a problem than CC Dining are people who are booked in Traditional Dining and are allowed to go to Anytime Dining if they wish.:rolleyes:

I really think the problem is that 2/3's or more of the passengers on cruises out of FLL or San Pedro want to eat between 5:30 and 6:30 and some people will need to wait for space to open up. On our Baltic cruise on the Emerald and Med cruise on the Regal we could walk in to ATD almost any time without a wait.

 

 

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[Salidaboy209]

I have booked a club class mini suite on the Grand. Can I select Traditional Dining and still do Club Class Anytime Dining if necessary? We enjoy meeting people and chatting with our shipmates over dinner. But, there may be times when we miss Traditional Dining time.

 

 

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[KruzeKrazy!]

I have booked a club class mini suite on the Grand. Can I select Traditional Dining and still do Club Class Anytime Dining if necessary? We enjoy meeting people and chatting with our shipmates over dinner. But, there may be times when we miss Traditional Dining time.

 

 

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We're in a full suite on a ship with Club Class and traveling with our two adult children and their spouses who are not in a suite nor Club Class and are wondering the same thing - can we do TD and dine with them.

 

Our reservations are linked and we all have the same TD time so it would seem so but...

[NavyVeteran]

We're in a full suite on a ship with Club Class and traveling with our two adult children and their spouses who are not in a suite nor Club Class and are wondering the same thing - can we do TD and dine with them.

 

Our reservations are linked and we all have the same TD time so it would seem so but...

 

 

Princess answers this question in the Club Class FAQs:

• 
  
  • 
    
    • Exclusive Club Class Dining is only available for the guests booked within a Club Class Mini-Suite or Full Suite. Guests who wish to dine with friends, family and other cruisers not booked in a Club Class Mini-Suite or Full Suite are welcome to do so during our Anytime Dining hours in the Main Dining Room. Guests who would like to book a Club Class Mini-Suite, but would prefer to dine in Traditional Dining can request this change by calling Princess or your travel consultant.
      

I would interpret this as follows: If you have Club Class and you are booked in anytime dining, you can switch back and forth between the Club Class dining and the MDR anytime dining. However, if you prefer Traditional Dining, then you no longer have Club Class dining.

 

 

However, I certainly expect different ships to implement it differently. Some ships currently check and do not let people with Traditional Dining eat in the anytime dining rooms - others do not. It sounds like the policy is that if you want Traditional Dining, then you have that and no other MDR dining (including no Club Class dining).

 

 

There have been a lot of comments on several threads about people who book Traditional Dining and then want to eat in anytime - taking up two seats at the same time while other people are waiting.

 

 

If your reservation says TD, then you should expect to be assigned to a TD table. If your reservations are linked, then you should be assigned to the same table as your children. But don't expect to eat occasionally in Club Class.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Aussie Gal]

As I mentioned in an earlier post, when we were on the Emerald Princess last month, we didn't miss Traditional at all as we had so much interaction with our fellow Club Class passengers, it was like a social event every night. :)

 

We loved it so much that when I booked our cruise on the Diamond Princess yesterday, I booked Club Class until I got to where it says what time dining do you want. It didn't mention anytime at all. So I phoned Princess and on the Diamond, there is no anytime dining when in Japan as the Japanese prefer a regular time to dine. So there are just the two traditional times to choose from.

 

I immediately cancelled our Club Class cabin as it was costing us an extra $2000AUD per person and as we are Elite, the only advantage to us was knowing that we would have a table whatever time we went to dinner.

 

I couldn't justify paying out $4000 just to get two half bottles of wine. That is the only advantage as with Elite, we get everything else that is offered plus extras. This is a 19 day cruise hence the hefty amount of money to pay.

 

So Club Class has its advantages on certain cruises but we have found that it is not on every one. :mad:

 

Jennie

[Sam.Seattle]

I read the first few pages of this thread and the last 4-pages.

 

I did not see any reviews or comments regarding the food and service from a recent Club Class guest.

 

We were on the Ruby a couple of weeks ago and dined around 7:30pm and the Club Class was almost empty every night.

 

I think we will try out Club Class dining next month on the Grand. It would be great to hear what folks have to say about the food and service. :D

[ian441672]

I read the first few pages of this thread and the last 4-pages.

 

I did not see any reviews or comments regarding the food and service from a recent Club Class guest.

 

We were on the Ruby a couple of weeks ago and dined around 7:30pm and the Club Class was almost empty every night.

 

I think we will try out Club Class dining next month on the Grand. It would be great to hear what folks have to say about the food and service. :D

 

 

We were on the Regal in January for the 1st cruise on CC and we loved it! Service was very personable, and we usually had the same serving staff each night. They got to know us, and would always have a general chat, create rapport and enquire about your day. Even the staff we wouldn't often see were friendly and seemed happy in their work, and after a while they did not need to see our cruise card for our folio number when ordering wine, as they knew us that well and probably had it written down somewhere.

 

The Head Waiter was good and would always come by for a chat, give us a few off the record corporate tit bits, enquire after us and tell us what the 'low down was' in general; I like this sort of interaction, getting to know the staff and what goes on behind the scenes, so this was great for me, and I enjoyed our chats, sometimes 10-15 minutes long.

 

Food was impressive, especially compared to our previous Alaskan cruise last June where we were very disappointed. Here the quality had improved substantially without exception (IMHO) and the presentation, quality and size were all spot on. As a CC diner we had a daily special cooked 'table side'. Space wise this was impractical, so it was usually prepared near by, and was generally an extension to an existing menu option (and this was the only CC difference to the main menu), and the HW would generally do this as well. Lobster thermadore, steak Diane, a special scallop/king prawn dish were a few I could remember. Some appealed, some did not, but he was put to work in general!

 

Our area was never more than half full which was nice, always a table for 2 free, usually in the area we wanted. There were larger tables too, not too close together, but we felt fine in the time we spent there. Service was fun and attentive, though never intrusive, and the food was great - we would do it all again without doubt!

[Sam.Seattle]

We were on the Regal in January for the 1st cruise on CC and we loved it! Service was very personable, and we usually had the same serving staff each night. They got to know us, and would always have a general chat, create rapport and enquire about your day. Even the staff we wouldn't often see were friendly and seemed happy in their work, and after a while they did not need to see our cruise card for our folio number when ordering wine, as they knew us that well and probably had it written down somewhere.

 

The Head Waiter was good and would always come by for a chat, give us a few off the record corporate tit bits, enquire after us and tell us what the 'low down was' in general; I like this sort of interaction, getting to know the staff and what goes on behind the scenes, so this was great for me, and I enjoyed our chats, sometimes 10-15 minutes long.

 

Food was impressive, especially compared to our previous Alaskan cruise last June where we were very disappointed. Here the quality had improved substantially without exception (IMHO) and the presentation, quality and size were all spot on. As a CC diner we had a daily special cooked 'table side'. Space wise this was impractical, so it was usually prepared near by, and was generally an extension to an existing menu option (and this was the only CC difference to the main menu), and the HW would generally do this as well. Lobster thermadore, steak Diane, a special scallop/king prawn dish were a few I could remember. Some appealed, some did not, but he was put to work in general!

 

Our area was never more than half full which was nice, always a table for 2 free, usually in the area we wanted. There were larger tables too, not too close together, but we felt fine in the time we spent there. Service was fun and attentive, though never intrusive, and the food was great - we would do it all again without doubt!

 

 

 

THANKS Ian...

 

You sold me!

Can't think of any reason not to try it out.

[Salidaboy209]

I read the first few pages of this thread and the last 4-pages.

 

I did not see any reviews or comments regarding the food and service from a recent Club Class guest.

 

We were on the Ruby a couple of weeks ago and dined around 7:30pm and the Club Class was almost empty every night.

 

I think we will try out Club Class dining next month on the Grand. It would be great to hear what folks have to say about the food and service. :D

 

 

Please post your review of the Grand Club Class when your cruise is over.

 

 

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[OCruisers]

Ian ... Thanks so much for your report!

Makes us happy we have CC booked! :D

[geniesue]

I read the first few pages of this thread and the last 4-pages.

 

I did not see any reviews or comments regarding the food and service from a recent Club Class guest.

 

We were on the Ruby a couple of weeks ago and dined around 7:30pm and the Club Class was almost empty every night.

 

I think we will try out Club Class dining next month on the Grand. It would be great to hear what folks have to say about the food and service. :D

 

 

Hi, we just finished a cruise on the Grand in CC. We thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

There was a minimal wait a couple of evenings for table turn overs, never more than 5 minutes. Tables for 2 were often sized for 4, and always available. Sharing tables were harder to get, given the immediate seating and service.

 

The food was delicious, special dishes as listed in previous post. The head waiter also prepared omelets to order for breakfast, and fresh pasta dishes for lunch on sea days. Our next cruise is in a suite and CC is giving Sabatinis a good competition for breakfast.

 

The entire CC staff were very friendly and efficient. Service was excellen. The mini suite was wonderful with midship location.

[ian441672]

Hi, we just finished a cruise on the Grand in CC. We thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

There was a minimal wait a couple of evenings for table turn overs, never more than 5 minutes. Tables for 2 were often sized for 4, and always available. Sharing tables were harder to get, given the immediate seating and service.

 

The food was delicious, special dishes as listed in previous post. The head waiter also prepared omelets to order for breakfast, and fresh pasta dishes for lunch on sea days. Our next cruise is in a suite and CC is giving Sabatinis a good competition for breakfast.

 

The entire CC staff were very friendly and efficient. Service was excellen. The mini suite was wonderful with midship location.

 

 

We were in a full suite hence we didn't eat breakfast in the CC room and had it in Sabatini's. I think this was the better option, as good as CC was. The champagne Mimosa was a 'refreshing' start, a small private venue, a bespoke menu that you can more or less order anything you want from, all cooked fresh with very much personalised service as there are only a small amount of people there, they really know you, the way you like your coffee, what breakfast sides you like, and so on. Lovely venue and view, fantastic service and whatever you want to eat! If you have a suite, Sab's is the only way to go!

 

 

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[candide333]

Ian,

 

Thanks for the detailed review. We will be on the Regal in a CC mini in April and wondered what the table set up was. We like to sit at a table for two, but not on top of each other. Also, it would be nice to be near a window, but it has been years since we were able to get that perk.