"Club" Dining---Pure snobbery or a good idea?

[land lover]

Isnt there a system like this on Cunard Line,dining due to cabin option.

 

Anyways the roped section,will soon be replaced with a cage.

 

Anyone who thinks there isn't an elitism system on-board already is blind.

 

Sometime soon they will have their own ship to frollick around on.

 

Interesting we met a aus/chinese couple who refused to wear their elite card,and wore an old blue one,what a wonderful,interesting couple they were,and they got snobbed by their fellow eletists. Quite frankly it dosent take long for the real people to gravitate towards the real people,that is one of the best things about cruising.:):)

 

How inconvenient that must of been to wear an old blue card and why? to prove a point. How did you find out they did it, cuz they told you...sorry I find that whole exercise ridiculous...but I do find your last sentence so very true.

 

And when it comes to these so-called snobs,we just laugh at them,so i guess who cares.

 

 

How inconvenient that must of been to wear an old blue card and why? to prove a point. How did you find out they did it, cuz they told you...sorry I find that whole exercise ridiculous...don't wear a card at all then you keep everyone guessing. But I do find your 2nd to last sentence so very true. Enjoy....

Edited May 24, 2016 by land lover

[mrs and mrs]

i found out by them,showing me their elite card which they kept in their back-pocket and their blue card on their lanyard was as old as noah.

And they talked about things,things like how they came out with nothing,and made their way,and their money,and how they shunned the now we can accept you because you have money.They didnt forget their roots.Thats how i know.

Edited May 24, 2016 by mrs and mrs

[CruisingObsessed]

I was initially intrigued by the Club Class option and thought we might try it now and then. We enjoy cruising in every cabin catagory, yet we often cruise in a mini suite. We expect to get more when we pay more and get less when we pay less. While many of the benefits of Club Class overlap with elite, the idea of dining in a smaller venue was tempting. Then I learned that it would not be a separate venue, but part of the main dining room and I lost all interest in Club Class. I do not want any envy directed at me if I am in Club Class. Also I do not want others to feel left out or bad in any way because of what I am eating within their view. And if I am not in Club Class, I do not want to smell and see food that I can't eat.

 

Shreddie is right about this. It can change to tone of the cruise. There have been recent studies showing that when distinctions in service are made clearly obvious, such as airline first and coach class, a number of people in each class will exhibit contemptuous behavior towards those in the other class. It may be that a minority of people are very concerned with hierarchy. Thus some people receiving superior service will feel entitlement and disdain for those apparently beneath them. Similarly, a number of those receiving lesser service will feel humiliation and envy. Even if we are only talking about a few people, it can change the tone of the cruise.

 

I experienced this unfortunate phenomenon as a "segmenter" on a segment of a world cruise on the Pacific Princess. A very small number of the world cruisers treated the segmenters extremely poorly. Some segmenters took it harder than others. I interact with people from all walks of life and truly all socioeconomic brackets and have never experienced anything like this before. It certainly won't stop me from taking another world cruise segment, but it is unfortunate. And it changed the feel of the cruise.

 

I doubt we will ever book Club Class as it is currently described. If we experience long wait times for anytime dining and decreasing service and food options, we will need to rethink how we travel and vacation. Additionally, I enjoy the table side preparations currently offered to everyone, such as cherries jubilee and penne aribiata. If I can see and smell these things, but no longer taste them without being in Club Class then I think I would try Celebrity.

 

So few people eat in Sabatini's that Princess could easily use this room for Club Class. If Princess needs to make money from specialty dining, people can still pay to eat at Crown Grill and Salty Dog.

 

This was my thought too. We have stayed in everything from inside to full suite, I don't think I would like it on either side. But mostly I worry as you say that it would change the tone of the cruise, working to create a "class" system that could degrade the usually overall friendly nature of a cruise. This is why I don't sail Cunard; and will probably rethink cruising for my vacation if it bleeds into mass market. There are other ways to reward your suite guests.

[Ron the Rev]

One issue I'd raise is that a Mini is useless to me, unless I can get a HC one, which is almost impossible, as I can't book that for out, (if they even have any in the M1 category) so I am excluded.

 

And if they do as, I at least, expect and downgrade the general food I'm excluded.:mad:.

 

Ditto GUT2407 We have 2 cruises on the Crown and 1 on the Pacific booked in HC minis for 2017. As yet there are no club class HC mini cabins available on those 2 ships. I have taken it up with USA Princess.Awaiting the outcome and will post as soon as I get a reply. Might have to consider another cruise line if the food choice in the main dining rooms lessons even more than it has over the last few years. :( It' a matter of you only get what you pay for.

[TracieABD]

Ditto GUT2407 We have 2 cruises on the Crown and 1 on the Pacific booked in HC minis for 2017. As yet there are no club class HC mini cabins available on those 2 ships. I have taken it up with USA Princess.Awaiting the outcome and will post as soon as I get a reply. Might have to consider another cruise line if the food choice in the main dining rooms lessons even more than it has over the last few years. :( It' a matter of you only get what you pay for.

 

I would think it would be adventagous for a cruiseline to offer accessable options for all cabin types. I really hope that as Princess is rolling out this feature, they take this under consideration. For some, not having an accessable cabin is a cruising deal breaking. Good luck and keep us posted.

[deise17311]

i found out by them,showing me their elite card which they kept in their back-pocket and their blue card on their lanyard was as old as noah.

And they talked about things,things like how they came out with nothing,and made their way,and their money,and how they shunned the now we can accept you because you have money.They didnt forget their roots.Thats how i know.

 

Whether its a blue or black card - anyone who wears their card on a lanyard is no one I'm interested in talking with - typical tourist

[deise17311]

This is the most bizarre thread - honestly when I am on vacation I am with my friends or family - I could not tell you who is in what cabin or what CC level nor do I care - basically I do not even see other passengers because I am engaged with those around me - I feel sad for those of you who are so concerned with all this ridiculousness - basically, get a life!

[deise17311]

I couldn't care less about who gets what based on the amount they paid, it was their choice to take advantage of an offer as they saw a value in said offer.

 

It isn't as if the offer is exclusive to them; anyone can get the offer if they want to spend the loot.

 

Typically there are always things we are looking to do and MDR just "eats up" (no pun intended) so much time, that honestly we're as apt to hit the Lido to eat what we want in the time frame we have/want than spend the 75 to 90 mins in the MDR.

 

Your thoughts are too rational...

[mrs and mrs]

Whether its a blue or black card - anyone who wears their card on a lanyard is no one I'm interested in talking with - typical tourist

 

WOW,i think im reading that right,imagine a tourist on a cruise ship,totally outrageous:confused::confused:.

[EZ2CY]

Whether its a blue or black card - anyone who wears their card on a lanyard is no one I'm interested in talking with - typical tourist

 

I haven't been on these boards long enough to know whether or not that's a joke. Heck, I was under the impression that anyone who was traveling, i.e. not working, on a ship was a tourist. Silly me.

 

I've only been on a half dozen cruises so far. The "normal" vacation for DH and I is to fly to Milan, or Frankfurt or Barcelona then rent a car and drive around for 1 or two weeks. I've been to a lot of interesting places and seen some amazing things. But apparently, since I wear my ship card on a lanyard (a really pretty one with rhinestones by the way) because the pockets in my capris are too darned shallow, I'm being judged by some like this poster as not interesting enough to talk to. Hey, that's ok. Darn sure I wouldn't want to talk to someone this shallow either!!!

 

(Ok for the moderators to zap that. I just needed to vent a little. :rolleyes:)

[flamomo]

Whether its a blue or black card - anyone who wears their card on a lanyard is no one I'm interested in talking with - typical tourist

 

 

Wow! Now that comment is genuine example of snobbery!! :eek:

Glad that when you see my black cruise card dangling from a Princess lanyard around my neck, you won't bother speaking to lowly me.

 

I wear my card on a lanyard because for me it's a matter of convenience. If that classifies me a "TT (typical tourist), then I am a happy tourist (with 38 Princess cruises to my credit), because I am where I love to be .... on a Princess ship!

[Loreni]

WOW,i think im reading that right,imagine a tourist on a cruise ship,totally outrageous:confused::confused:.

 

What is more outrageous, or maybe just sad, is that someone thinks a typical tourist in someone unworthy of conversation.

[Loreni]

I wear my ship card on a lanyard (a really pretty one with rhinestones by the way) because the pockets in my capris are too darned shallow

 

That seems like a good reason to wear a lanyard. I do too. I never carry a purse unless I need to due to severe back pain.

 

However, it looks like we should start tucking our cruise cards inside our bras instead.

 

I would hate to be mistaken for a crass "tourist" by someone who is looking for conversation with a sophisticated "traveler."

[Sunviking]

This was my thought too. We have stayed in everything from inside to full suite, I don't think I would like it on either side. But mostly I worry as you say that it would change the tone of the cruise, working to create a "class" system that could degrade the usually overall friendly nature of a cruise. This is why I don't sail Cunard; and will probably rethink cruising for my vacation if it bleeds into mass market. There are other ways to reward your suite guests.

 

I'm curious as to what ways you think those might be that would not cause the same kind of discussion as the Club Class dining has. I recall that when suite passengers had unlimited internet and then lost it, people on this board (many of whom had never sailed in a suite) said it was justified to take it away because people in suites stayed logged in all the time and/or let their friends use the internet. Likewise there have been numerous occasions where people have groused about suite passengers being able to have exclusive use of the Sabatinis breakfasts. On other boards people complain about the separate facilities available to suite passengers. I don't think I've seen much on this board about the suite lounge on the Royal and Regal, perhaps because they really don't sound like they offer much and are tucked away (kind of out of sight, out of mind). I personally find it perfectly reasonable that people who choose to pay more to sail in a suite get some additional amenities, whatever they might be. On land we have the opportunity to stay in different hotels based on our vacation budgets and know that we will have different amenities depending on the place we choose. If you think about it, a mainstream cruise line is really quite egalitarian. While it offers accommodations in many price ranges, most of the amenities remain the same regardless of the choice one has made. To fill up the most expensive ones (which by the way are rarely discounted or put on sale) the cruise line offers some perks which are not very different from those offered to their most loyal passengers. Frankly, the suite benefits have become so minimal that people willing to pay for a suite on Princess may do as well to look at fares on luxury lines.

[cruisin froggy]

Our first cruise was in a balcony. Then we graduated to a mini. Now we have graduated to a suite. We are hardly snobs though. The balcony showers are so small and the minis are bath tub shower combos. The suites have a separate shower which is something I personally need because of an injury I had to my leg and getting in and out of a tub is incredibly difficult. We love breakfast at Sabitinis. My husband would probably pay extra for a suite just for that. I didn't realize people walking by thought those of us in there were snobs. Our room steward in our last suite said people who spend little time in their cabins except to sleep and bathe have smaller cabins and those who spend more time in their cabins get minis and suites. That's us. I bring my paints and spend time doing that in our larger cabin. We are getting close to that time in our lives when cruising will be difficult as will most other things in life, so we decided to enjoy things like suites on cruises etc. Forgive us for taking advantage of and enjoying the pleasures of suites and the perks associated with them. We don't feel the need to tell others we are in a suite and are happy to mingle with everyone regardless of where they sleep. As for AT dining, that is what we do and lots of times we want to be at a table by ourselves. We found by calling and making a reservation and even requesting a specific table, worked just fine. I think we will probably continue this and not go to roped off areas unless our "special" table was within that area. BTW, we are only Platinum level and we keep our cards in our pockets. ;)

[EZ2CY]

We love breakfast at Sabatinis. My husband would probably pay extra for a suite just for that. I didn't realize people walking by thought those of us in there were snobs.

 

Many of us aren't thinking that and really don't begrudge you or anyone else any of those perks. I hope you continue to enjoy the "suite life" for as long as possible!!!

 

Seems like the threads regarding the new Cabin Class minis have morphed into something akin to "only snobs stay in suites" and that's just not the case at all and certainly NOT my thinking. When I traveled with both my mom and sister, we chose a mini suite for the extra room. On my last cruise, DH and I stayed in a balcony room. It's all good.

 

At this point, I'm going to simply take a "wait and see" attitude on what the Cabin Class dining will mean for other diners in the MDR. The main thing is simply being fortunate enough to be able to cruise, and for that I'm very grateful. :)

[RetiredNTraveling]

Whether its a blue or black card - anyone who wears their card on a lanyard is no one I'm interested in talking with - typical tourist

 

Oh really! Talk about snobbery!

 

My DW wears her card on a lanyard because most often she doesn't have pocket. (Like so many ladies.) :D She particularly likes the lanyard when she goes to the casino. This helps her to remember to remove her card from the "one armed bandits". Also when she go back to the room, she doesn't have to dig around to find that darn card! :eek:

 

I am sorry for your loss by never having the opportunity to meet my wonderful wife as it is your loss! Keep cruising and enjoy your status! :p

 

Just Mike

[RetiredNTraveling]

Our first cruise was in a balcony. Then we graduated to a mini. Now we have graduated to a suite. We are hardly snobs though. The balcony showers are so small and the minis are bath tub shower combos. The suites have a separate shower which is something I personally need because of an injury I had to my leg and getting in and out of a tub is incredibly difficult. We love breakfast at Sabitinis. My husband would probably pay extra for a suite just for that. I didn't realize people walking by thought those of us in there were snobs. Our room steward in our last suite said people who spend little time in their cabins except to sleep and bathe have smaller cabins and those who spend more time in their cabins get minis and suites. That's us. I bring my paints and spend time doing that in our larger cabin. We are getting close to that time in our lives when cruising will be difficult as will most other things in life, so we decided to enjoy things like suites on cruises etc. Forgive us for taking advantage of and enjoying the pleasures of suites and the perks associated with them. We don't feel the need to tell others we are in a suite and are happy to mingle with everyone regardless of where they sleep. As for AT dining, that is what we do and lots of times we want to be at a table by ourselves. We found by calling and making a reservation and even requesting a specific table, worked just fine. I think we will probably continue this and not go to roped off areas unless our "special" table was within that area. BTW, we are only Platinum level and we keep our cards in our pockets. ;)

 

You have stated our position quite well. We have never had issues with AT Dining as we are never in a big hurry to eat and we are willing to share a table with other diners.

 

Our 1st cruise was a balcony and we had a ball, all except when I had a Crohn's flareup and was confined to bed for two days. That told us quickly that we needed at least a Mini! We booked Mini's on each of the next 4 cruises! And we probably would have loved them except that we were offered upsells on each of those cruises and gladly paid the small amount extra to partake of the Suite Life! :D

 

We do not cruise as often as many others due to the fact that I have never seen a cruise ship sail up the Arkansas River to the port of Catoosa!:eek: We have to fly since we live in Oklahoma, (by choice) so we have begun to limit our cruises to 15 day or longer. Also we only cruise once every 18 to 28 months.

 

Our next cruise is the first one on which we will cruise by officially booking a Suite at the start. Our age is also beginning to creep up on us and cruising may one day cease to be our preferred vacations.

 

Just Mike

[CI66774]

I wear a lanyard because I don't like carrying anything while on the ship. I've left my purse accidentally before so a lanyard is a sure way to know where it is without losing it. I can't imagine anyone wearing a lanyard as a "status" symbol. That's so funny and so ridiculous!

[shredie]

Whether its a blue or black card - anyone who wears their card on a lanyard is no one I'm interested in talking with - typical tourist

 

I feel sad for those of you who are so concerned with all this ridiculousness - basically, get a life!

 

So "getting a life" means being a snob about lanyards?

[bassmaster150]

I am appalled at the "Club Class" dining idea. Not only is it a recipe to make anytime dining even more messed up than it already is; but is creating a caste system on a ship that has mass market appeal such a good idea?

 

Am I wrong? Do people think they need this for the extra money spent on suites and minis? Obviously Princess's motivation is cash...

 

ummmmm....Princess is kind of a business, and their responsibility is to their shareholders. They are also not the only cruise line that does this (Celebrity with Aqua Class). We looked into it, and to be honest, I didn't see the value in the upcharge so we opted against it. remember, just because Princess decides to add some new "pay for" feature, doesn't mean that you have to participate in it.

[dtb55]

 

...At this point, I'm going to simply take a "wait and see" attitude on what the Cabin Class dining will mean for other diners in the MDR. The main thing is simply being fortunate enough to be able to cruise, and for that I'm very grateful. :)

 

 

This is the smartest comment I've read on the topic so far. I will never understand why people get so worked up over something that most probably won't affect them.

[RDC1]

This is the smartest comment I've read on the topic so far. I will never understand why people get so worked up over something that most probably won't affect them.

 

That is the question, if it will or will not impact them. If Princess implements it like Celebrity did, then there will be an impact. Reason why is more space per person and higher ratio of number of chairs to number of those people in the special category. That means remaining dining space tables are closer together, fewer traditional tables available, and longer ATD wait times for those not in the special category. Result a less attractive MDR experience.

 

Unlikely that Princess can implement without some impact, the question is how much. Princess has said zero or minimal wait time. If they expect to accomplish that they also must have a higher seat to member of category ratio then the remaining portion of the dining rooms where they do not provide such a promise.

 

The one factor which is limited and is a zero sum game on a cruise ship is space. If some is taken out of the public pool and moved into a private category, then the amount of remaining public space must decrease and the ratio of passengers to public space increase.

Edited May 24, 2016 by RDC1

[Astro Flyer]

Snob is defined by Merriam-Webster as "someone who tends to criticize, reject, or ignore people who come from a lower social class, have less education, etc".

 

Based on the definition, to me Club Class is not snobbery but instead it's a willingness to spend more for extra benefits. I prefer sailing more days in a less expensive cabin than fewer days in more expensive cabins or to pay for extra benefits. It's good to have choices & neither of these ways of cruising are the best option for everyone.

 

In dozens of cruises (mostly on Princess) we've met so many friendly & interesting passengers and have found no correlation based on their cabin booked nor on their Captain's Circle level (it's not a CC status to me). No matter how a passenger decides to carry their card, it does not necessarily reflect their outlook about being superior to anyone else.

 

During 20 cruises at the elite level, I've only seen one passenger waving their black card like a magic wand attempting to go to the front of a tender line despite it clearly being stated on every cruise that the benefit is to merely join the back of the line. When passengers inconsiderately block hallways or are chair hogs, I doubt if there's any correlation to their accommodations nor their cruise history. Instead it's such people who feel they are superior to other passengers & they are entitled to act that way.

 

I will be upset if the dining experience is further diminished due to Club Class but wouldn't consider passengers wiling to pay more to necessarily be snobbish. What each of us decides to pay for a cruise is not the definition of being a snob which is determined by ones overinflated ego about their own importance.

 

Princess needs to be careful to not evolve into a 2-class experience & to overall remain an egalitarian cruise experience. With the first ships not implementing Club Class until December the program could be modified before implementation & for me it's much too early to decide if it's a good idea but I do not see it as snobbery.

[TracieABD]

Snob is defined by Merriam-Webster as "someone who tends to criticize, reject, or ignore people who come from a lower social class, have less education, etc".

 

Based on the definition, to me Club Class is not snobbery but instead it's a willingness to spend more for extra benefits. I prefer sailing more days in a less expensive cabin than fewer days in more expensive cabins or to pay for extra benefits. It's good to have choices & neither of these ways of cruising are the best option for everyone.

 

In dozens of cruises (mostly on Princess) we've met so many friendly & interesting passengers and have found no correlation based on their cabin booked nor on their Captain's Circle level (it's not a CC status to me). No matter how a passenger decides to carry their card, it does not necessarily reflect their outlook about being superior to anyone else.

 

During 20 cruises at the elite level, I've only seen one passenger waving their black card like a magic wand attempting to go to the front of a tender line despite it clearly being stated on every cruise that the benefit is to merely join the back of the line. When passengers inconsiderately block hallways or are chair hogs, I doubt if there's any correlation to their accommodations nor their cruise history. Instead it's such people who feel they are superior to other passengers & they are entitled to act that way.

 

I will be upset if the dining experience is further diminished due to Club Class but wouldn't consider passengers wiling to pay more to necessarily be snobbish. What each of us decides to pay for a cruise is not the definition of being a snob which is determined by ones overinflated ego about their own importance.

 

Princess needs to be careful to not evolve into a 2-class experience & to overall remain an egalitarian cruise experience. With the first ships not implementing Club Class until December the program could be modified before implementation & for me it's much too early to decide if it's a good idea but I do not see it as snobbery.

 

Aptly put, Cousin Frank!;)