Club Class Dining vs. Celebrity Luminae Dining

[sarasotascott]

We are considering booking a Club Class mini-suite on the Regal Princess.  We have not cruised Princess since 2015 on the Royal.  We are regular Celebrity cruisers and book mostly suites that have a private dining area for all suite guests.  We would like some feedback comparing the Club Class dining to Luminae on Celebrity.  

 

Thanks

 

 

[memoak]

Club class is not in a totally separate dining room but in a designated area of one of the MDR (midship). It uses the same menu as the MDR with usually one extra entree. No need for reservations just show up and be seated. Lunch is not served every day. I believe only sea days. Great service excellent food

[Mike45LC]

I would compare Club Class dining maybe to Aqua/Blu, but not to Luminae.  

 

Blu is a separate restaurant, with its own menu (supposedly healthier selections, spa-type cuisine).   Club Class is a roped off area of a regular Main Dining Room, with the identical menu as the Main Dining Room, except there will be a special additional item -- pre-Covid, the additional item would often be prepared tableside.  

 

Club Class, like Blu, has a dedicated host/hostess who will get to know the guests very quickly and who greets the guests warmly.  There is a dedicated wait-staff.  There is no need for reservations, and there is rarely any wait.  

 

[robthens]

Recently on the Discovery.  First time to do Club Class. 

With all the changes in the MDR, we were so thrilled we chose Club Class.

Advantages:

No reservations needed

Eat any time

No waiting to be seated

Same wait staff every night

Excellent service

Preferences remembered after the first night

Yes, MDR menu but, additional items are outstanding

On the Discovery, Club Class had a separate entrance and separate from MDR

Dining is important to us.  Club Class was worth every penny!

 

[GOARMY]

robthens:  

 

Your Post is appreciated.  Our great TA obtained a Club Class situation (at the last moment) incident to securing a Mini Suite for our August 21-28 Discovery Alaskan cruise.  

 

Has been 21 years since last on Princess.  Cuisine with related ambience is important.  That was a primary reason for gravitating to the smaller (490-900 passenger capacity) cruise ships during our 26+years while cruising the World.  

 

Will be with family on this one.  And local, as we have resided at Redmond, WA since 1987. 

 

GOARMY!

 

 

[reedprincess]

Yeah, no comparison. 

Maybe, maybe to Blu, maybe - but even then, not really.. 

 

Cc is a portion of the MDR. It's not divided or separated any way. It is a "dedicated" entrance, so to speak, although guests from the other section of the dining room can and do go back and forth for restroom access or leaving the dining room, heading to their table when they already know where it is from night before,  etc.   

CC has different linens, a different menu cover and flowers than the other tables in the MDR.  And one additional dish that changes each night, may be an app, may be a main, may be a dessert - sometimes there may be two items. No rhyme or reason - up to the chef and what they have to work with, or use up... 

 

Lumiere and Blue are totally separate dining rooms respectively,  completely different decor, menus, ambience, etc. No other guests strolling through or such...  

 

We have enjoyed CC when we've had it but we wouldn't go out of our way or pay extra for a CC mini (we experience CC when we book suites)..  while it's lovely to not wait - we don't anyways in the MDR as we don't dine at peak times. And we've always had lovely interaction with our wait staff, CC or not (both pre and post Covid).  

 

YMMV - but yeah, they're not comparable! (Neither are suite perks for that matter - and keep in mind, mini-suites on Princess, including CC ones, do not have any perks to speak of - a welcome glass is sparkling blech aka wine for a mini, and two half splits of wine for CC do not really suite perks make - it's very much a misnomer for what amounts to a larger room).

 

Enjoy...

[stevenr597]

Club Class is similar to Aqua Class on Celebrity.  Just completed a 7 day on Discovery Princess and the Club Class dining privileges was excellent.  Worth the cost. 

[robthens]

I know this thread is about Club Class but since suite perks were mentioned I would like to address it.

I have cruised inside cabin (on original love boat) ,balcony cabins, mini suites and the last cruise splurged for the Presidential suite.  If you want a place to sleep, pick any cabin.  If you want more of a cabin experience, spend as much as your budget will afford

First of all the residential is quite large,  We were 3 people so the separate rooms were really nice.

The bathroom is amazing.  All the linens are upgraded.  Service was outstanding. Laundry was picked up in the morning and returned that evening. Beautiful flowers and fruit basket.   We were ship aft and had an enormous wraparound balcony.

I would also like to say that port tours are not as important as they once were so spending time on the ship is not a top priority.

Lastly, any cabin you pick is great.  Just cruising is great!

Looking forward to next cruise in March back on the Discovery in the Owners Suite.

[cr8tiv1]

@robthensWhich cruise line has a Presidential Suite?  Would it be comparable to the Owner's Suite or the new Sky Suite?

 

I agree with you:  Lastly, any cabin you pick is great.  Just cruising is great!

[Lady Arwen]

15 hours ago, reedprincess said:

Yeah, no comparison. 

Maybe, maybe to Blu, maybe - but even then, not really.. 

 

Cc is a portion of the MDR. It's not divided or separated any way. It is a "dedicated" entrance, so to speak, although guests from the other section of the dining room can and do go back and forth for restroom access or leaving the dining room, heading to their table when they already know where it is from night before,  etc.   

CC has different linens, a different menu cover and flowers than the other tables in the MDR.  And one additional dish that changes each night, may be an app, may be a main, may be a dessert - sometimes there may be two items. No rhyme or reason - up to the chef and what they have to work with, or use up... 

 

Lumiere and Blue are totally separate dining rooms respectively,  completely different decor, menus, ambience, etc. No other guests strolling through or such...  

 

We have enjoyed CC when we've had it but we wouldn't go out of our way or pay extra for a CC mini (we experience CC when we book suites)..  while it's lovely to not wait - we don't anyways in the MDR as we don't dine at peak times. And we've always had lovely interaction with our wait staff, CC or not (both pre and post Covid).  

 

YMMV - but yeah, they're not comparable! (Neither are suite perks for that matter - and keep in mind, mini-suites on Princess, including CC ones, do not have any perks to speak of - a welcome glass is sparkling blech aka wine for a mini, and two half splits of wine for CC do not really suite perks make - it's very much a misnomer for what amounts to a larger room).

 

Enjoy...

Exactly!  There is no comparison at all.  CC is merely a step up from the MDR and it’s a small step.  The food in Blu or Luminae is far superior.  You don’t need a reservation, either.  Separate restaurants from the MDR with very upscale service and ambiance.  Celebrity takes the win.

[Dunk]

On 7/28/2022 at 9:46 AM, Lady Arwen said:

Exactly!  There is no comparison at all.  CC is merely a step up from the MDR and it’s a small step.  The food in Blu or Luminae is far superior.  You don’t need a reservation, either.  Separate restaurants from the MDR with very upscale service and ambiance.  Celebrity takes the win.

It should be noted though, that Celebrity full suites typically come at a substantially higher cost than those on Princess. 

[deliver42]

You don't need a full suite on Celebrity. A sky suite also enables you to have dinner in Luminae, but no breakfast or lunch. Aqua class gets you into Blu, also superior to Club Class on Princess. Aqua also gives you unlimited access to the thermal suite.

[robthens]

Correction on my previous post.  We were in the Penthouse Suite not "'presidential" suite

Guess I thought I was "'royalty"' when I was posting   lol

[Lady Arwen]

1 hour ago, Dunk said:

It should be noted though, that Celebrity full suites typically come at a substantially higher cost than those on Princess. 

Actually, not true.  You do not need to be in a full suite.  Yes, Celebrity suites, S class and Edge class, are more expensive.  However, there is a very big difference between the two.  Celebrity has far better staterooms in every category, including interiors.  Suites are exceptional.

[sarasotascott]

Thanks to everyone for the feedback.  We decided to pass on the Club Class upgrade and do 3-4 nights of specialty dining.

 

[prmssk]

17 hours ago, deliver42 said:

You don't need a full suite on Celebrity. A sky suite also enables you to have dinner in Luminae, but no breakfast or lunch. Aqua class gets you into Blu, also superior to Club Class on Princess. Aqua also gives you unlimited access to the thermal suite.

Sky Suites (like all suites on Celebrity) have full access to Luminae including breakfast, lunch on sea days, and dinner.

 

Maybe you are thinking of Royal Caribbean where Junior Suites only get access to Coastal Kitchen for dinner.

[Phantom of the Seas]

Can’t compare Princess with Celebrity because have never cruised Celebrity....but Cruised Grand Princess in a window suite before the pandemic with Club Class & was the best Cruise experience ever...food, staff, xtra dish were outstanding.....

[Phantom of the Seas]

Club Class vs MDR...........Club Class......won’t be disappointed.......

[Lady Arwen]

45 minutes ago, Phantom of the Seas said:

Club Class vs MDR...........Club Class......won’t be disappointed.......

The OP has posted that they will not be dining Club Class now, but will do Specialty Restaurants instead.

[Phantom of the Seas]

Still would go Club Class.....breakfast/lunch/dinner.....

[californiagirl]

On 7/27/2022 at 6:40 PM, GOARMY said:

Will be with family on this one.  

Please note that to eat in club class you must be booked in a club class cabin or suite.  One may not join a family member in the CC dining room if in any other cabin.