Club class impact

[XBGuy]

OK, I'm puzzled.

 

Sure, eating in the dining room of a cruise ship is an exercise in mass feeding and I think Princess manages it rather well. But unless the Club Class section is curtained off, you'll be eating in the same dining room with the same X hundred pax, ordering off more or less the same menu. You get the same waitstaff every night...same as with TD. (I've even managed it with ATD.) You get a table on the edge of the dining room, but you can request that with TD, too. You get tableside preparation, but - at least here in San Francisco - there are few hot dining establishments that feature that; sounds more like a Classy Italian Restaurant from the 1950s. Even that loud drunk woman at the next table who bothered you three cruises ago might well be there in Club Class. Essentially, it's a whole lot like Traditional Dining, but you get to choose your seating time and don't have to enter with the hoi polloi. But once you're seated, you're "dining" pretty much like the rabble in the rest of the Da Vinci, though maybe with a bit more bowing and scraping. You're still at a banquet, only at the Big Spenders' table down front.

 

So what salient differences, really, are you talking about?

 

Shepp, I agree that that the Princess dining rooms are well run. I also think that you are asking some reasonable questions.

 

Since the first announcement of Club Class, there are has been mountains of speculation here on Cruise Critic regarding the implementation. In the past few days there have been reports from three different correspondents who actually experienced Club Class on recent cruises. All three of these people reported excellent dining experiences. The one that I quoted characterized the typical dining room experience as a "maelstrom," which indicated to me a similar impression to mine.

 

Now, how do I know that these people have the same exalted level of taste (hyperbole intended) that I have?

 

I don't.

 

However, I have to give more credence to reporters who have actually experience Club Class dining than to the mass of Cruise Critic participants who are speculating.

 

If these reports are correct, then how Princess offers a superior dining experience with the same personnel on the same floorspace is moot.

 

If I do try it, and I find that the conclusions of the three posters that I mentioned are all incorrect, I'll just go back to my previous mode of dining. Like multiple people have indicated, I'm on a cruise. I will find a way to enjoy myself.

 

:)

[shredie]

Some people believe Princess is setting aside a seat for everyone using Club Class dining just in case they show up all at the same time. I hope you are not suggesting that Princess is staffing Club Class Dining with enough staff in case everyone shows up at the same time.

 

And if everyone does show up at the same time? I can envision circumstances where that could happen: a show or event most passengers attend ends and all go off to dinner, a late boarding time after a port, etc. Princess has promised them no waiting, so a table had better be there waiting for them. Of course Princess is setting aside a seat for everyone who buys Club Class. It would be interesting if someone could physically count the seats and then report back. (LOL. What we need is a Club Class spy!)

[elliair]

Of course they are since most everything they provide with CC is already provided with Elite status. How many Elites would waste money on such an upgrade? LOL :D

 

Certainly not me. I guess we have the Captains party all to ourselves or is that included in the CC perk too? If not, they may as well **** that perk too, along with a special seating section and special treats to eat, and upgraded booze. :D

[lstone19]

And if everyone does show up at the same time? I can envision circumstances where that could happen: a show or event most passengers attend ends and all go off to dinner, a late boarding time after a port, etc. Princess has promised them no waiting, so a table had better be there waiting for them. Of course Princess is setting aside a seat for everyone who buys Club Class.

 

Why is this somehow different than making an airline reservation or something similar (heck, even a cruise ship booking - see below)? Airlines (disclaimer: I work for an airline and while I'm not in inventory management, I have co-workers who have worked there and we do talk about this issue; also my undergraduate major was industrial engineering where the inventory carrying cost vs. running out cost is a classic problem) routinely overbook yet are promising they will have a seat. Why? Because they know they can expect a certain percentage to not show up. But sometimes, everyone or almost everyone does show up so offers are made to get people to take a later flight or alternate routing (same thing with cruise bookings - that's where move-over and downgrade offers come from). But they overbook anyway because it's all about balancing the cost of empty seats (lost revenue is the "cost" here) vs. the cost of dealing with the overbookings (the move overs and downgrades).

 

CC dining should be no different. You don't set aside 100% seats for the worst case; rather, when too many show up, you offer compensation for failing to live up to the promise. The compensation could be a bottle of wine, a complimentary specialty dining (perhaps immediately if they know there's room), perhaps a choice given that different people are motivated by different things. Do it right but infrequently enough and everyone ends up happy.

 

And think about your own restaurant experience. It's not that uncommon to show up with a reservation only to be told there will be a short delay due to a party taking longer than expected. We accept it there, why wouldn't we accept something similar with CC dining?

[shepp]

S All three of these people reported excellent dining experiences. The one that I quoted characterized the typical dining room experience as a "maelstrom," which indicated to me a similar impression to mine.

 

Sure, if people are happy, people are happy. And more power to them. (And, as I've said, if it boosts the CCL stock price, I'm happy too.)

 

I was going to add "especially if they paid a lot," but I tried a couple of dummy bookings. For a cruise from Japan, the CC cabins were a hefty $80 a day more than the next minis down. But for a 10-day Alaska cruise I was looking at, booking the midship CC cost a meagre $18 a day more than the next category down, which is to say that the CC premium is next to nothing. Odd, but that's the usual "dynamic pricing," I guess.

 

I honestly wouldn't call my MDR experiences "maelstroms." Sure, being seated on the first night of traditional dining is always a mess. And if I were the sort that chose to eat at ATD at 5:30, waiting in queue would be a drag. But once I'm ushered to a table, assuming that the servers are good, it's always been kinda non-maelstom-y to me. Maelstrom is when you show up at the Horizon Court an hour before the ship gets into a port and try and battle your way to breakfast, then try to find a table.

 

Particularly if I were a relatively newbie who didn't already have priority boarding and free booze, eighteen bucks a day (on top of the portion of my fare which, let's not forget, has already paid for dinner in the MDR) would seem reasonable for not having to call ahead for a reservation at ATD and having somebody preparing pasta table side. And for feeling, you know, special. But at $80 per diem, we're looking at being able to eat at a specialty restaurant every night, with enough left over for a daily coffee card. As I recall, that was approximately what I paid for the Wine Maker's Dinner on the Royal, which truly was an excellent dining experience. It's approaching the cost of the memorable Chef's Table, which gives you a lot more than one bonus entree and being able to enter the MDR through a magic door. (AND you get a free cookbook.) For eighty bucks, I could even go to a trendy mid-price restaurant here in pricey San Francisco and have a really nice dinner (as long as I didn't splurge on dessert).

 

So what, specifically, about your MDR experiences is similar to being sucked into a whirlpool?

Edited January 2, 2017 by shepp

[Colorado Coasty]

This thread is getting ridiculous. I have never seen, with a few exceptions, so many self proclaimed smart people say so many dumb things. I would consider paying extra just to read this.

[jagoffee]

And if everyone does show up at the same time? I can envision circumstances where that could happen: a show or event most passengers attend ends and all go off to dinner, a late boarding time after a port, etc. Princess has promised them no waiting, so a table had better be there waiting for them. Of course Princess is setting aside a seat for everyone who buys Club Class. It would be interesting if someone could physically count the seats and then report back. (LOL. What we need is a Club Class spy!)

 

If we do not find out sooner I will let you know in October. You are dealing in theory and I am very confident that your statement -"Of course Princess is setting aside a seat for everyone who buys Clun Class" is not correct. I would say of course not.

 

We will know if you are correct after it is implemented on all ships and running for a while. For now we can just agree to disagree.

[shredie]

This thread is getting ridiculous. I have never seen, with a few exceptions, so many self proclaimed smart people say so many dumb things. I would consider paying extra just to read this.

I'll send you my address and you can put the check in the mail. :D

[shredie]

We will know if you are correct after it is implemented on all ships and running for a while. For now we can just agree to disagree.

 

It's quite true that we really know very little at this point. I look forward to your review.

[Colorado Coasty]

I'll send you my address and you can put the check in the mail. :D

Your check may just well be the biggest.;)

[Candycrusher]

We are doing club class on the Regal on the 1-22 sailing, and will give a review on CC.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[XBGuy]

Sure, if people are happy, people are happy. And more power to them. (And, as I've said, if it boosts the CCL stock price, I'm happy too.)

 

I was going to add "especially if they paid a lot," but I tried a couple of dummy bookings. For a cruise from Japan, the CC cabins were a hefty $80 a day more than the next minis down. But for a 10-day Alaska cruise I was looking at, booking the midship CC cost a meagre $18 a day more than the next category down, which is to say that the CC premium is next to nothing. Odd, but that's the usual "dynamic pricing," I guess.

 

I honestly wouldn't call my MDR experiences "maelstroms." Sure, being seated on the first night of traditional dining is always a mess. And if I were the sort that chose to eat at ATD at 5:30, waiting in queue would be a drag. But once I'm ushered to a table, assuming that the servers are good, it's always been kinda non-maelstom-y to me. Maelstrom is when you show up at the Horizon Court an hour before the ship gets into a port and try and battle your way to breakfast, then try to find a table.

 

Particularly if I were a relatively newbie who didn't already have priority boarding and free booze, eighteen bucks a day (on top of the portion of my fare which, let's not forget, has already paid for dinner in the MDR) would seem reasonable for not having to call ahead for a reservation at ATD and having somebody preparing pasta table side. And for feeling, you know, special. But at $80 per diem, we're looking at being able to eat at a specialty restaurant every night, with enough left over for a daily coffee card. As I recall, that was approximately what I paid for the Wine Maker's Dinner on the Royal, which truly was an excellent dining experience. It's approaching the cost of the memorableChef's Table, which gives you a lot more than one bonus entree and being able to enter the MDR through a magic door. (AND you get a free cookbook.) For eighty bucks, I could even go to a trendy mid-price restaurant here in San Francisco and have a really nice dinner (as long as I didn't splurge on dessert).

 

So what, specifically, about your MDR experiences is similar to being sucked into a whirlpool?

 

I really would not dispute much of what you are saying, Shepp.

 

Again, my opinion was formed on the basis of the three reports from people who had sailed Club Class. I give their opinions more weight than those of people who want to speculate, but have not tried it. I too, have not tried Club Class. All I said was that the three reports that I read were very positive.

 

Regarding your last question, as I said, previously, we find the dining room experience more comparable to a banquet than fine dining. Our experience is that dinner is more a production environment that an enjoyable meal. The tempo is faster than we enjoy. Runners are carrying trays from/to the kitchen with covered dishes stacked three or four high. Courses are presented a bit too fast for us. Guests in adjoining tables seem to be hurrying to get in and out as quickly as possible. It just does not seem like an environment for us to sit down, eat slowly, sip wine, linger and enjoy the experience. So, as often as not, we dine in the specialty restaurants. We enjoy the pace better in the specialty restaurants. We have tried the Chef's Table, but what we really like is the Ultimate Balcony Dinner. Now, everything in this paragraph is opinion based on my experience. If anybody disagrees, that is perfectly understandable, but it is nothing worth arguing. You asked. I answered.

 

Whether or not an expenditure is "worth it," is purely a personal, and, more often than not, a subjective assessment. "The numbers pencil out," is one way of making a buying decision. "I just want it," is another way. I've used both.

 

;)

[Aussieflyer]

I think Princess has a problem with CC as when they were setting it up it seems there was no dedicated space they could use for dining. Celebrity Aqua and Suite passengers have dedicated dining rooms (have used Blu several times as an Aqua class passenger). It works really well IMO but it is not like Princess where they have sufficient tables for all to eat when they wish. It is anytime but if the restaurant is full you will be asked to go to the nearby bar and they will collect you. You are given a time frame for this - we have only waited maybe 15 minutes in the past. Having a roped off area of a MDR does not make it worth while for me. I would rather pay for specially restaurants every night, especially as DH does not like the MDR at all.

[KruzeKrazy!]

XBGuy -

 

We agree with your MDR being more analogous to banquet than fine dining. At least on some other lines the MDR has a sense of grandeur making it little more special than a banquet space - but then again that also brings more noise...

[caribill]

 

And think about your own restaurant experience. It's not that uncommon to show up with a reservation only to be told there will be a short delay due to a party taking longer than expected. We accept it there, why wouldn't we accept something similar with CC dining?

 

What is different is that for a Club Class cabin you are paying hundreds of $$$ more for the perks, the main one being immediate seating when you go to dinner.

 

You are not paying extra for a reservation at your local restaurant.

[Sam.Seattle]

What is different is that for a Club Class cabin you are paying hundreds of $$$ more for the perks, the main one being immediate seating when you go to dinner.

 

You are not paying extra for a reservation at your local restaurant.

The expanded menu, wine and upgraded bedding get my attention... as the main attraction.

 

http://www.princess.com/learn/ships/staterooms/club-class/

Edited January 3, 2017 by Sam.Seattle

[caribill]

Some people believe Princess is setting aside a seat for everyone using Club Class dining just in case they show up all at the same time. I hope you are not suggesting that Princess is staffing Club Class Dining with enough staff in case everyone shows up at the same time.

 

 

Not suggesting that at all.

 

I was just pointing out that posters who have experienced Club Class dining have said many of the tables in that area were not occupied while they were there.

 

Thus staff for those tables just waiting for potential passengers to arrive.

[caribill]

We are Elite / full suite on Regal for this Sundays Caribbean Cruise.

 

I wonder though, will I also get the CC 'one time wine set up' as well as my mini bar set up (and being on a B2B cruise of 2x7 days, and being suite/Elite, that is four mini bar set-up's!)? Looking forward to that part :)

 

You should as the Club Class benefits for full-suite passengers are supposed to be in addition to the benefits you already receive.

[likeadisguise]

You should as the Club Class benefits for full-suite passengers are supposed to be in addition to the benefits you already receive.

The PDF at http://www.princess.com/learn/ships/staterooms/club-class/ says the wine is for mini-suites only, as full suites already have the complimentary mini-bar.

[KruzeKrazy!]

The PDF at http://www.princess.com/learn/ships/staterooms/club-class/ says the wine is for mini-suites only, as full suites already have the complimentary mini-bar.

You should be able to swap your mini-bar for other options - wine, beer, soda, coffee card. Just ask your room steward or call room service and ask them. It may take a bit as everyone is quite busy on embarkation day but we've done so multiple times.

[jeromep]

I've tried to follow this thread, but it is massive.

 

Pure observation from my meager experience with AT MDR dining. First, if you show up before either of the AT MDRs open you are standing with a group and will certainly have to wait at least your place in line until you can be seated in the "first wave". And yes, the pacing of dinner does feel a little bit faster than I'd like when you are in the first herd to get into the MDR for AT dining. I learned some time back that if you can eat later at night for AT dining, the dining room is a lot less crowded and the pace of dinner seems to fit your own preferences a little better. Logically, this is because there isn't a line at the door trying to get in and a maitre d isn't playing air traffic controller doing his best to push tin. If there are empty tables and no line waiting then there is no pressure to keep the pace of a meal going so that a table leaves and new folks can be sat.

 

Second, it sure seems to me that Club Class is about providing some suite perks to those mini "suites". We booked a mini a number of years back, loved the room, but felt that the term mini "suite" was a little deceptive. It would have been better to name it a "superior balcony stateroom". Compared to some of the cabin offerings over at RCL, where they have smaller suites and non-suite staterooms that get extra perks, Princess has been a little lacking in that department. Sure, Club Class is all about making money, but it is also about competing with the other lines.

 

The CC perks that are more valuable to me include priority embarkation, the welcome 1/2 bottles of wine (hopefully not Carlo Rossi, haha), the better beds. I'm not so sure that the whole "special area" and marginally different menu for the MDR is such an appealing part of the upgrade. I'd rather see some comped dinners in specialty restaurants.

 

Like others have said, Princess can't pull off the fully separate dining room for suite/CC passengers because they haven't designed their ships for that purpose, but I'm not sure how successful they will be with Club Class dining until they do dining room redesigns on ships when they go into dry dock.

 

Here is my suspicion. This is a proof of concept test. It is super easy to designate a select group of mini-suites to be Club Class. Make the minor changes in those rooms to upgrade them to Club Class, and then cordon off some tables in an MDR to provide the Club Class dining. A lot of the rest of the perks are modeled after full suites and aren't costing Princess a thing to offer. Priority embarkation lines and desks are almost always no-wait and effectively underutilized, running 10, 15, 20 cabins more passengers through those lines isn't an issue and will not negatively effect existing priority embarkation eligible passengers. And priority disembarkation is a no-brainer for the cruise line because the sooner a passenger is off the ship at the end of the cruise the sooner they can turn that room for the next passenger.

 

And here is another observation from captain obvious; if the whole CC dining area is putting a crimp in getting thousands of other passengers fed in a timely manner and raising the ire of pax that are waiting in line when they can see open tables, Princess will be either seeking out another perk to replace the CC dining area, or presuming that CC pencils out, they will be working toward a separate venue on board for CC dining that will not impact the MDR and begin putting it on board ships during dry docks.

 

If CC bombs and they can't sell the cabins, you can bet they will step away from this, regroup, and take what has been successful, apply it where applicable and scrap what didn't work.

[shredie]

The PDF at http://www.princess.com/learn/ships/staterooms/club-class/ says the wine is for mini-suites only, as full suites already have the complimentary mini-bar.

 

If the passenger in the CC mini suite is Elite, he gets both the wine AND his Elite mini bar set up. Being in a suite has nothing to do with it.

[TNTLAMB]

I'm having some real trouble understanding any of this. The price of cruising has continued to drop over the last 25 years or so we have been cruising. Its been 40 years or so since I went to business school so basic economics may have changed in that time BUT it it still makes sense to me if you pay less you get less, if you pay more you get more. If you pay more for CC you should get more.

 

I would think if cruise fares had continued to rise from what they were 25 years ago to maintain pace with todays costs, there would be a lot more reason to be upset if what is supplied was less than what was supplied then.

[floridalover5623]

I'm having some real trouble understanding any of this. The price of cruising has continued to drop over the last 25 years or so we have been cruising. Its been 40 years or so since I went to business school so basic economics may have changed in that time BUT it it still makes sense to me if you pay less you get less, if you pay more you get more. If you pay more for CC you should get more.

 

I would think if cruise fares had continued to rise from what they were 25 years ago to maintain pace with todays costs, there would be a lot more reason to be upset if what is supplied was less than what was supplied then.

 

Oh, I don't think anyone has a problem with the people that choose to pay more in order to get what they're selling. It the fact that the rest of us are paying the price of being inconvenienced since they be especially attended to. If it means that the ship hires extra wait staff to service these people or had a separate dining area then it's great but we all know that won't happen.

[TNTLAMB]

Oh, I don't think anyone has a problem with the people that choose to pay more in order to get what they're selling. It the fact that the rest of us are paying the price of being inconvenienced since they be especially attended to. If it means that the ship hires extra wait staff to service these people or had a separate dining area then it's great but we all know that won't happen.

 

It would only happen IF "the rest of us" were paying more for a cruise rather than what is happening now which is we are paying less. It appears to me there are now three choices:

 

• TD to make sure you have a dining time to depend on each evening
  
• CC to eat anytime you want in the MMDR
  
• ATD to eat anytime you want outside of peak dining time and the opportunity to be seated during peak dining time on first come first served basis
  

 

There are other possibilities such as eliminating ATD completley and serve mor in CC or TD or raising cruise prices to add more seating at peak dining times.... They could (as other lines are moving towards) have a simple choice of all dining rooms being "specialty dining" at a charge or the buffet.