Club Class wait Not Acceptable

[abbydancer2003]

Depends on the definition of priority for reservations.

 

a) If there is a wait list, you would go ahead of those without Club Status.

b) If some tables were being held back for Club Class, you would get one.

c) But if the restaurant is really 100% booked, they will not cancel someone else's reservation so a Club Class reservation could take its place.

 

We often see posts of people going to the specialty restaurant and finding it half empty. When you went to Share after mentioning Club Class, was the restaurant full? Or did they just put you at a table that otherwise have been left vacant and had a waiter handle an extra table?

 

Share was pretty empty, so I'm not sure why they first said it was completely sold out, and then told us we could only get something late (maybe that was why, they figured somebody would be gone by then).

 

I wouldn't expect them to cancel anyone, but I think they should hold back some tables. They could either waitlist people, or take walk ins if priority people didn't book.

 

Or, just don't promise what you can't deliver. On this trip, it was about getting a steak dinner, so Share wasn't a good option.

[Bently57]

Hmmm. On the Sapphire Princess, CC has its own dining room. I think it is the only ship like this because of the way it was designed. I'm not sure this matters, but on our recent cruise, we did NOT book CC. However, the anytime dining rooms were all full, so they took us to the CC dining room (Santa Fe). The service was noticeably better! But anyway, as we were sitting there we were wondering: "What if this one fills up fast? We really aren't supposed to be here. Someone might get mad!"

[Pierlesscruisers]

Not acceptable as the CC area of the MDR can very easily be expanded onto adjacent tables by changing the table cloths to grey. Perhaps the maitre d' needs telling.

 

And what do you then do with the people who might be scheduled for seating at those tables?

 

Tom

[Kartgv]

And what do you then do with the people who might be scheduled for seating at those tables?

 

Tom

 

On the ships we've been on using CC, the dedicated area was carved out of the Anytime Dining area, so there would not be anyone 'scheduled' for seating at particular tables.

[Pierlesscruisers]

On the ships we've been on using CC, the dedicated area was carved out of the Anytime Dining area, so there would not be anyone 'scheduled' for seating at particular tables.

 

Ah,thanks, that answers my question of curiosity! I've never had any dealings with Club Class and was wondering how they did that. Another thing I've learned today! :)

 

Tom

[voljeep]

On the ships we've been on using CC, the dedicated area was carved out of the Anytime Dining area, so there would not be anyone 'scheduled' for seating at particular tables.

 

 

is there anything that separates the CC section from the 'regular' anytime diners? - maybe a velvet rope or something ;p

 

how close are the CC tables to the regular anytime dining tables?

[cruzsnooze]

is there anything that separates the CC section from the 'regular' anytime diners? - maybe a velvet rope or something ;p

 

how close are the CC tables to the regular anytime dining tables?

There is no separation when we sailed on the Caribbean Princess recently. There was a regular ATD table of 8 that was half way into the CC section. The noise level was just awful near the dividing line off CC vs ATD and we always insisted on being as far away from them as possible for that reason. Most CC tables are 2 tops and some 4 tops. No 8 or 10 tops. Unfortunately these very large tables tend to have loud conversation probably because of the size and it noisy near the ATD side of CC. Princess hasn't made it as nice as Celebrity who has a separate dining room entirely.

But the service in CC was very good.

[abbydancer2003]

We were in CC on the Emerald recently. There was one 6 top that was right next to the regular dining area, and early in the evening it could get quite noisy.

 

However the dining room is early traditional and late anytime. By about 7:30 each night the room tended to empty and got much quieter.

[PoohUnderstands]

Haven't read the 6 pages about CC dining so don't know if the first part of OP's thread was addressed. We are going on the Caribbean Princess as a last minute decision and decided just to do traditional dining with a mini this time. Since this ship's propulsion problems have been well known for a long time by all, I "assumed"(oops) that itineraries and port times would have been adjusted to make up for the slowness of moving from island to island. Am I being an a**? for assuming Princess would have corrected the times in port to cover their "petunias?"

 

Pooh

[suekel]

You are correct. I was on her 2 weeks ago... times were adjusted and we were in port at all the posted times.

[moki'smommy]

There is no separation when we sailed on the Caribbean Princess recently. There was a regular ATD table of 8 that was half way into the CC section. The noise level was just awful near the dividing line off CC vs ATD and we always insisted on being as far away from them as possible for that reason. Most CC tables are 2 tops and some 4 tops. No 8 or 10 tops. Unfortunately these very large tables tend to have loud conversation probably because of the size and it noisy near the ATD side of CC. Princess hasn't made it as nice as Celebrity who has a separate dining room entirely.

But the service in CC was very good.

We were on the Caribbean Princess in April. The CC section was raised above the other seating areas--we had to walk up a small ramp or a single step to get to the CC area. In fact, they were always careful to warn us if we were by the step when we were leaving. This did provide separation from the regular "anytime" dining area. As noted, there were no large tables in the CC area.

[elliair]

Do not see the value in CC on either line. On princess I prefer the Crown Grill or the buffet or room service.

 

Me too! I can't see paying big bucks just for an extra TV, a sofa in the room, and a bath tub. We don't watch TV, we only take showers, and have no use for a sofa. We don't care anything about soft bathrobes, or two small bottles of wine. We already get the free mini bar and even with that we bring home the small bottles. I'm running out of room on my bar to put them. Next cruise we'll give them away. Waiting for dinner - may as well get a pager for the MDR and be done with it. The wait is actually entertaining, good time to people watch.

[elliair]

Hmmm. On the Sapphire Princess, CC has its own dining room. I think it is the only ship like this because of the way it was designed. I'm not sure this matters, but on our recent cruise, we did NOT book CC. However, the anytime dining rooms were all full, so they took us to the CC dining room (Santa Fe). The service was noticeably better! But anyway, as we were sitting there we were wondering: "What if this one fills up fast? We really aren't supposed to be here. Someone might get mad!"

 

How would anyone know you weren't suppose to be sitting there? If you were seated there why would anyone be mad?:rolleyes:

[NavyVeteran]

On the ships we've been on using CC, the dedicated area was carved out of the Anytime Dining area, so there would not be anyone 'scheduled' for seating at particular tables.

On the Caribbean and the Grand, CC was in the same dining room as early traditional and late anytime, so CC could not extend into the traditional dining room. I never had to wait more than a couple of minutes to be seated in CC.

[caribill]

Hmmm. On the Sapphire Princess, CC has its own dining room. I think it is the only ship like this because of the way it was designed. I'm not sure this matters, but on our recent cruise, we did NOT book CC. However, the anytime dining rooms were all full, so they took us to the CC dining room (Santa Fe). The service was noticeably better!

 

Did they let you order the "extra" items that are on the Club Class menu or, knowing you were not really a Club Class passenger, did they not offer these to you?

[Griller]

That is not the promise on the Princess web site:

"Take advantage of Club Class Dining, featuring expedited seating with no wait, special menu options, dedicated waitstaff and tableside preparations."

 

Any wait at any meal is not expected to happen.

 

Yes but the Princess brochures also show plenty of empty sunbeds around the pool, do we believe that?

[crows nest club]

We were on Sapphire in May. Santa Fe restaurant was a split between. club class dining and any time dining

To the left hand side was club. class and to the right was any time. However, on our cruise the Maitre D' opened about 12 club class tables on the right hand side using the club class waiters. Immediatey to the right as you entered, the resulting tables were left as any time dining. This meant that the original anytime waiters had considerably less covers to deal with giving a quicker service

 

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[delta_glenn]

We had CC on a 15 day to Hawaii and never had to wait for breakfast, lunch, or dinner a single time. Would do CC again b/c of the special menu selections and table side. Great experience.

[Griller]

NAH, just bigger budgets :):)

 

I wouldn't pay extra for anything on Princess, we now regard it as a cruiseline we only book if its $50 a day or so, we don't expect much and we don't complain when we don't get much.

We used to do it for the ship experience now we book it for the itinerary.

 

If we want what we used to get on Princess we now book Windstar, surprisingly on

the rates we get its not that much more sometimes. And its excellent. But of course its apples to oranges. We aren't really big ship people.

[long cruiser]

Remember if you talk to the maitre d like you would in any upscale restaurant,you would never have a problem getting a table.Talk to him on embarkation day.

long cruiser

[floridalover5623]

There's still nothing wrong with getting the basic package that Princess offers without buying any of the unneeded extras.

We haven't bought anything except the Specialty restaurants, and that's even been a while.

 

We can live quite comfortable with the standard items without wasting money for the overpriced luxury items like balcony breakfast, spa treatments, sanctuary, tours, drinks & Club Class.

[Bently57]

How would anyone know you weren't suppose to be sitting there? If you were seated there why would anyone be mad?:rolleyes:

 

Oh...they wouldn't know. I just mean mad because they weren't able to be seated immediately. Not mad at US specifically, but mad at the situation.

 

As an aside, I think CC Dining works best on the Sapphire and the Diamond, since these two ships have so many separate dining rooms, they are able to devote an entire room to CC.

[Bently57]

There's still nothing wrong with getting the basic package that Princess offers without buying any of the unneeded extras.

We haven't bought anything except the Specialty restaurants, and that's even been a while.

 

We can live quite comfortable with the standard items without wasting money for the overpriced luxury items like balcony breakfast, spa treatments, sanctuary, tours, drinks & Club Class.

 

At least on Princess...I think you're right!

[Bently57]

We were on Sapphire in May. Santa Fe restaurant was a split between. club class dining and any time dining

To the left hand side was club. class and to the right was any time. However, on our cruise the Maitre D' opened about 12 club class tables on the right hand side using the club class waiters. Immediatey to the right as you entered, the resulting tables were left as any time dining. This meant that the original anytime waiters had considerably less covers to deal with giving a quicker service

 

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Interesting. In June it was ENTIRELY Club Class. I suppose it depends on how many book CC.

[crows nest club]

Interesting. In June it was ENTIRELY Club Class. I suppose it depends on how many book CC.

As you say interesting. In May it only left about 6/8 tables free for any time dining. The entrance to CC dining was starboard side in Santa Fe, but then that entrance had a split entrance again with CC. left and any time to the right. One hostess dealt with both lines. In June did they made Santa Fe restaurant only for Club Class passengers? Generoso Maitre D seemed to be well on top of any situation.

 

 

 

 

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