Club class experience Island Princess Jan 4 Panama

[GUT2407]

Yeah I think it's only the Aussie section that's allowed go off topic (and boy do some threads go off once business is done).

 

The lovely Mrs Gut says it's only half a wit, well I think that's what she means anyway:D.

 

Always listen to the lovely MRS. Gut as she keeps you on track...well kind of!!:D:D:D

 

Two short rebuttals

 

1. Yes she can be trying at times

 

2. She didn't do too well keeping me on track on our little road trip last week, about 100 kms out of our way on winding pot holed roads. (don't tell her for goodness sake, but a good thing I love her so much or I might have got me cranky pants on over that one).

[Reader0108598]

Two short rebuttals

 

1. Yes she can be trying at times

 

2. She didn't do too well keeping me on track on our little road trip last week, about 100 kms out of our way on winding pot holed roads. (don't tell her for goodness sake, but a good thing I love her so much or I might have got me cranky pants on over that one).

 

Short rebuttal also 1.:rolleyes:

 

2. :D:D

 

Waiting for hand slap, for hijacking thread! ...My first :)

Edited January 8, 2017 by Reader0108598

[jagsfan]

I remember when we were treated to tableside pasta as a petit entree every night on Princess in the MDR. It was fun, and I'm sorry we don't have it any more.

I don't care if someone who pays more gets to enjoy food prepared tableside, but I'd rather not be made aware of it.

We're retired and living on a fixed income. I'm thrilled to still be able to cruise, so I consider us among the lucky ones.

I just don't want to start feeling like the haves and the havenots when I cruise.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[Reader0108598]

I remember when we were treated to tableside pasta as a petit entree every night on Princess in the MDR. It was fun, and I'm sorry we don't have it any more.

I don't care if someone who pays more gets to enjoy food prepared tableside, but I'd rather not be made aware of it.

We're retired and living on a fixed income. I'm thrilled to still be able to cruise, so I consider us among the lucky ones.

I just don't want to start feeling like the haves and the havenots when I cruise.

 

 

 

Great post, and I agree... however the cruise line wants you to be aware of the difference, so you will

upgrade.:( Your last sentence is priceless...I for one will not do it, if it comes to that!

 

I will spend my hard earned vacation money, and time elsewhere.

Edited January 8, 2017 by Reader0108598

[TriumphGuy]

We're retired and living on a fixed income. I'm thrilled to still be able to cruise, so I consider us among the lucky ones.

I just don't want to start feeling like the haves and the havenots when I cruise.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

Well said, jagsfan.

[masterty]

With all due respect ...If I go to Denny's I expect to be treated like any other customer. If I go to Ruth's Chris I expect to be treated like any other customer( Regardless of what I order, either place.) When I step on a cruise ship I expect to be treated like any other customer.

 

Dennys does not offer separate class accommodations. Ruth's Chris does not offer separate class accommodations. Hotels, airplanes, cruise ships, do. You will be treated nicely for the class of room, cabin, seat, table, cabana you purchase.

[Reader0108598]

Dennys does not offer separate class accommodations. Ruth's Chris does not offer separate class accommodations. Hotels, airplanes, cruise ships, do. You will be treated nicely for the class of room, cabin, seat, table, cabana you purchase.

 

Correct, I was responding to a poster who brought those business up.

 

When I step on a cruise ship, I should not be treated any different ,if I am in an inside or a suite...when I am in a public space, anyway.

 

Other wise they should advertise the fact, that you will be treated differently, depending on how much money you spend.

 

Point being, they are now making these points, obvious, in public areas once used by all.

Edited January 8, 2017 by Reader0108598

[JF - retired RRT]

I heard more no's for reasonable requests my last cruise...but then again I was in an inside.

 

When you get a "no" ask for the head waiter.

DH requested the spaghetti and meatballs from the kids menu at lunch one day and the waiter said "no" (not once but twice). Told the head waiter later and he said "ALWAYS ask for me if that happens".

The waiter who said "no" was at the station next to our assigned table at dinner and he went out of his way for the next 2 weeks or so (it was a long cruise) to say hello whenever he saw us and several times he literally ran to our table to fill our water glasses...did I mention it wasn't his table :D

[Reader0108598]

When you get a "no" ask for the head waiter.

DH requested the spaghetti and meatballs from the kids menu at lunch one day and the waiter said "no" (not once but twice). Told the head waiter later and he said "ALWAYS ask for me if that happens".

The waiter who said "no" was at the station next to our assigned table at dinner and he went out of his way for the next 2 weeks or so (it was a long cruise) to say hello whenever he saw us and several times he literally ran to our table to fill our water glasses...did I mention it wasn't his table :D

 

Aww Thanks JF - retired RRT

 

It was lots of silly things like asking for a vodka and tomato with ...bloody Mary garnish...Sorry no can do ! Really!! The bartender tried to make me take the mix and told me he had no olives????What that had to do with the Vodka and tomato I asked for, I do not know .

Ran out of popcorn for Muts?

 

Lots of foolish things on Royal in November. Did complain nicely was given chocolate strawberry's ..umm no thanks!

 

Also met a great crew member who was trying to get off of Royal and back on Coral!! Hope he made it :)

Edited January 8, 2017 by Reader0108598

[Colo Cruiser]

Aww Thanks JF - retired RRT

 

It was lots of silly things like asking for a vodka and tomato with ...bloody Mary garnish...Sorry no can do ! Really!! The bartender tried to make me take the mix and told me he had no olives????What that had to do with the Vodka and tomato I asked for, I do not know .

Ran out of popcorn for Muts?

 

Lots of foolish things on Royal in November. Did complain nicely was given chocolate strawberry's ..umm no thanks!

 

Also met a great crew member who was trying to get off of Royal and back on Coral!! Hope he made it :)

 

 

 

Wow this was Club Class?

[Reader0108598]

Wow this was Club Class?

 

lol...No it was my first elite cruise on princess! 27th cruise over all . Cabin stewards were wonderful!

I should say there were a few crew who stood out and I did mention them on the survey.

 

This was my second time on that ship and they had big problems this cruise.( first cruise was great)

I was also told that a lot of crew left the ship recently (Holiday)...lots of new crew!

Weather that was true or not, I do not know, I am not that chummy with the crew ,just a nice fellow who I hope is back on the Coral!

Edited January 8, 2017 by Reader0108598

[JimmyVWine]

Sorry folks, but the First Class airline ticket analogy doesn't work because Princess had a single class system and then moved to a dual class system whereas American Airlines has had first class cabin for as long as I can remember. AA can give first class people Champagne, caviar and bon bons and none of that matters as long as the coach class experience does not change. Instead, consider this analogy. Southwest provides "X" inches of legroom at all rows. Let's call it 29 inches. It decides to introduce a first class cabin and reconfigures its planes. First class pays more and gets 35 inches of legroom and coach class remains at the same price and retains the same 29 inches of legroom. No problem and no basis to complain. Now assume that first class pays more and gets 35 inches of legroom and coach class gets reduced to 26 inches with no reduction in fare. You pay the same but get less. Big problem.

 

The OP hints at the fact that only those who pay a "substantial sum" now get special requests granted, or that paying a "substantial sum" naturally entitles one to having special requests granted, whereas a month ago, anyone could have special requests attended to.** If there is in fact a change (lowering) of the standard of service provided without a concomitant decrease in fare, that is a problem. I don't care how high the level of service is in CLCL as long as my level of service does not suffer.

 

**I remain convinced that the anecdotal observation is unreliable since there was no way to compare a "control" group of non-CLCL people to see how their requests were treated. It is also possible as others pointed out that the OP was referring only to their comfort level in making a request. But even that would be troubling. My Mid-Forward Mini Suite is still priced at a "substantial sum". However, I consider that irrelevant. If I am ever seated at a table where I ask for a salad with extra lettuce and another diner at the table sailing in a less expensive cabin makes the same request, and a third diner at the table sailing on a full Suite makes the same request, we had all better be treated equally or things will get ugly.

Edited January 8, 2017 by JimmyVWine

[Reader0108598]

QUOTE=JimmyVWine;51936306]

 

However, I consider that irrelevant. If I am ever seated at a table where I ask for a salad with extra lettuce and another diner at the table sailing in a less expensive cabin makes the same request, and a third diner at the table sailing on a full Suite makes the same request, we had all better be treated equally or things will get ugly.

 

 

For those that hate when we quote the whole post!

 

:D:D:D:D

I loved the whole Post :)

Edited January 8, 2017 by Reader0108598

[gkbiiii]

Correct, I was responding to a poster who brought those business up.

 

When I step on a cruise ship, I should not be treated any different ,if I am in an inside or a suite...when I am in a public space, anyway.

 

Other wise they should advertise the fact, that you will be treated differently, depending on how much money you spend.

 

Point being, they are now making these points, obvious, in public areas once used by all.

 

On cruise ships this is unrealistic, for example on Royal Caribbean: mini-suite passengers get a Silver Card/Full Suites/Pinnacle get Gold, and your Crown & Anchor Status is in BIG letters, on the bottom of your card.

 

This makes a BIG difference in how your treated (rightly or wrongly) as it does with the airlines & Hotels (Class of Service/Room type & Loyalty Tier Level).

 

An example: American Airlines Executive Platinum/Concierge-Key Status. These two top levels get you the same type of VIP benefitts (in the air & on ground) that Royal's C&A Diamond, Diamond Plus, & Pinnacle receive.

 

The same is true with Hilton: HHonors Gold and Diamond get Lounge access and free breakfast and a host of other benefits.

 

Even car rental companies, such as National: As a former, Top Level in their program, Executive Elite, I never paid for the car level booked and normally was upgraded to whatever I wanted.

 

The basic public has to pay, for what the expect. Loyalty, shown by frequent guests/passengers/renters are rewarded by extra privileges, etc., that cost the general public money.

 

Now truthfully, if it were not that I am, near Diamond Plus Level with Royal, I would stop cruising with them. This is the same thought that many frequent travelers seem to share on flyertalk.com and other sites.

 

True equality can been seen in the Luxury lines and through different forms of travel: rail, land tours, private escorted tours, Disney vacations, etc.

Edited January 8, 2017 by gkbiiii

[caribill]

So with this new class system does it mean that in case of an emergency we wait til the "upper class" are evacuated?

 

Club Class passengers will have no wait for life jackets.

[Reader0108598]

Club Class passengers will have no wait for life jackets.

 

 

Yep....:D

[bl413]

Thanks so much for your CC info -- would love to hear more from others who were CC.

Can't wait

[jagoffee]

I will be very brief as I did not purchase internet and have only 20% power left on this tiny little iPhone. But I've read all the posts regarding Club Class in anticipation of this cruise where it is being offered.

We are in a full suite, so we have our choice of dining traditional (our usual preference is early) or anytime.

If you are club class mini or full suite anytime dining means you get to use the Bordeaux dining room CC area. There is no waiting and you go whenever you wish while they are open. This is for breakfast and dinner everyday and lunch on sea days only. It is the identical menu as MDR. There is a table side presentation for each meal. At breakfast they had crepes tableside one day and at dinner so far the tableside has been a carving station for the featured meat. Lamb one night and chateaubriand last night (omg it was perfect.... tender and perfectly cooked). We've only had one lunch in CC and tableside was veal tortilini (excellent).

 

Sanatini's is still superior for breakfast if you are a full suite passenger.

 

Here's what I love about CC. Everyone in CC has paid a substantial amount to be there (presumably ...we did for our suite and when I've priced the CC minis)special requests are greeted with a smile and "of course". I mean down to the smallest detail. For ex... a salad with lots of lettuce and a variety of veggies cakes, carrots, tomatoes, grilled chicken avocado. ..... I know it's fine to request things off menu in MDR but in CC I feel better about being " Sally" as in "When Harry Met Sally"

There is a low ratio of waitstaff to diners so the service is impeccable.

Also we left after dinner to catch the show and then returned for dessert. Lovely.

Love that we can eat at 7 give or take without reservations or waiting.

Okay battery is dead.over and out.

 

OP, thank you very much for taking time away from your cruise vacation to share your Club Dining experience. It is much appreciated and requested on this forum because it is new.

 

Please do not be discouraged from providing additional feedback.

 

Unfortunately it seems like every sharing of experiences related to the Club Dining turns into rerun of the bickering. Too bad those comments could not be isolated to an appropriate thread.

 

Thanks, again. Enjoy your experience. It sounds wonderful.

[TracieABD]

I will share this post that I wrote on another thread- it applies here, too...

 

What makes me a little sad here is that people on the boards (myself included) have been begging for a review of CC from someone who has experienced it. So a cruiser in CC uses their internet minutes and cruise time to post their impressions- and then it is a big old pile-on over one sentence in the review. Just a a reminder- a review is an individual's personal perspective. You can like it or not- it is still their perspective.

 

Personally, I am very, very grateful that the OP took the time to post. Thank you for your impressions.

__________________

[CruzinNoony]

Thank you for giving us a review of the new CC. Do you happen to know if the MDR is open for lunch on embarkation day to everyone or just the CC folks?:rolleyes:

[chamima]

I am on the Ruby on embarkation Day of our 10-Day Mexico cruise.

Lunch in the MDR is open to EVERYONE. It was in Da Vinci.

 

When I mentioned to the staff that there were rumors about Day 1 lunch being only available to Club Class, they gave me a strange look as if asking what the heck I was talking about. According to them, lunch in the MDR on embarkation day has always been available to everyone.

 

People were coming in well after 1 PM. They did not close early. Hours are the same as usual 12 to 1:30 PM. Our group finished eating at 2:15 PM and we were not rushed out the door.

 

Club Class is in Da Vinci. In fact, they have a very big sign etched into the side wall at the entrance to Club Class that looks pretty permanent to me.

 

People that went up to Club Class entrance by mistake hoping to have lunch were gently directed to the other entrance.

 

If you are facing the Da Vinci DR, Club Class is on the left, regular entrance on the right.

 

Club Class does not have any kind of special decor. There are no visible barriers separating Club Class from the rest of the DR.

 

I went to have a look at Club Class during lunch, and there were only four people eating in Club Class, two couples at tables for 2.

 

Happy to answer any other questions, depending on internet quality.

 

Regards,

Phil

 

Thank you for giving us a review of the new CC. Do you happen to know if the MDR is open for lunch on embarkation day to everyone or just the CC folks?:rolleyes:

 

From the other post about Club Class.

Edited January 8, 2017 by chamima

[Cruiserkenn]

I will share this post that I wrote on another thread- it applies here, too...

 

What makes me a little sad here is that people on the boards (myself included) have been begging for a review of CC from someone who has experienced it. So a cruiser in CC uses their internet minutes and cruise time to post their impressions- and then it is a big old pile-on over one sentence in the review. Just a a reminder- a review is an individual's personal perspective. You can like it or not- it is still their perspective.

 

Personally, I am very, very grateful that the OP took the time to post. Thank you for your impressions.

__________________

 

Yes, thanks! I too am grateful:)

[Reader0108598]

I will share this post that I wrote on another thread- it applies here, too...

 

What makes me a little sad here is that people on the boards (myself included) have been begging for a review of CC from someone who has experienced it. So a cruiser in CC uses their internet minutes and cruise time to post their impressions- and then it is a big old pile-on over one sentence in the review. Just a a reminder- a review is an individual's personal perspective. You can like it or not- it is still their perspective.

 

Personally, I am very, very grateful that the OP took the time to post. Thank you for your impressions.

__________________

 

 

I also appreciate the OP's perspective ,internet minutes, precious vacation time :)

Edited January 8, 2017 by Reader0108598

[oskidunker]

Glad they are offering it. Right now not willing to pay the price. Maybe some day will try it

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[gkbiiii]

Sorry folks, but the First Class airline ticket analogy doesn't work because Princess had a single class system and then moved to a dual class system whereas American Airlines has had first class cabin for as long as I can remember. AA can give first class people Champagne, caviar and bon bons and none of that matters as long as the coach class experience does not change. Instead, consider this analogy. Southwest provides "X" inches of legroom at all rows. Let's call it 29 inches. It decides to introduce a first class cabin and reconfigures its planes. First class pays more and gets 35 inches of legroom and coach class remains at the same price and retains the same 29 inches of legroom. No problem and no basis to complain. Now assume that first class pays more and gets 35 inches of legroom and coach class gets reduced to 26 inches with no reduction in fare. You pay the same but get less. Big problem.

 

The OP hints at the fact that only those who pay a "substantial sum" now get special requests granted, or that paying a "substantial sum" naturally entitles one to having special requests granted, whereas a month ago, anyone could have special requests attended to.** If there is in fact a change (lowering) of the standard of service provided without a concomitant decrease in fare, that is a problem. I don't care how high the level of service is in CLCL as long as my level of service does not suffer.

 

**I remain convinced that the anecdotal observation is unreliable since there was no way to compare a "control" group of non-CLCL people to see how their requests were treated. It is also possible as others pointed out that the OP was referring only to their comfort level in making a request. But even that would be troubling. My Mid-Forward Mini Suite is still priced at a "substantial sum". However, I consider that irrelevant. If I am ever seated at a table where I ask for a salad with extra lettuce and another diner at the table sailing in a less expensive cabin makes the same request, and a third diner at the table sailing on a full Suite makes the same request, we had all better be treated equally or things will get ugly.

 

 

This is actually what has happened with all the US legacy airlines: basic coach has been greatly diminished, while (Premium Economy has been recently introduced, with the US Big Three) First & Business cabins keep getting bigger and more Luxuries. Compared to the 1980's, where coach was a comfortable place, with hot meals, drinks, playing cards, movies, etc.: all this is stopped, while coach is now more like a 16th Century, Spanish Slave Galleon".

 

We are in a new era, spend the cash, or get little in return: less and less, by the year!