Reserve Collection Dining

[Roberto256]

On 12/14/2023 at 4:55 PM, Thrak said:

"Reserve Collection" is just a "new and improved" name for what has been, in the past, known as "Club Class". Princess wanted it to sound more hoity toity.

Maybe the global experience innovators came up with the name...

[AZjohn]

2 hours ago, dixiejen said:

AZjohn, we have never sailed on Princess so we haven’t experienced RC. I have no idea how large the seating area is or how many 2-tops they have, window seats or otherwise. We have always done traditional late dining, with an assigned table, so this is a new experience for us — thus the genuine question as to the likelihood of our preferred (not mandatory) seating.  
 

But I’ll answer your questions. Our preferred dining (one “n”) time is generally 7:45-8:15. How long do I think it’s fair to hold that table from all the other guests (plural)…?   “…that table”?? Really? Is there only one 2-top near a window in the whole RC section?  Obviously, I don’t expect them to hold a table - ANY table - for us from 5:00-10:00 pm, which would be the time frame to encompass ALL other guests for that section per evening. That’s also why I said, “…at a specific time” vs. just walking in any old time and expecting the same table. 
 

Anyhoooo….thanks, I guess. Cheers back at you.

 

Memoak — We WILL be happy with whatever table we get and look forward to the experience. I was just trying to get a feel for what we might expect. Thanks!

 

 

 

@dixiejen, I hope you both have a wonderful time on your first Princess cruise. If you have only done traditional style dining then you would understand that the first set dining time your table was being used before the 2nd set dining time (your table wasn’t sitting there empty because you had it 2nd dinning time).

 

Princess instead offers “dine anytime” which is opposite of traditional dining time.

 

Why I asked what time you dined, if you said 5:00 every evening (when they open), then I would say possibly you might ask and get that two-topper by the window every evening.

 

Because the table by the window is in a prime position, they are not going to tell other passengers dining in the in reserve collection earlier that evening they can’t sit there (like at 5:30 or 6:00). There are no assigned tables or assigned times at reserve collection and anyone can ask to be sat at any empty table they see open.
 

They simply don’t have enough tables to use them only once per night (just think of a normal restaurant on land that is first come, first serve).

 

Saying all that, since you will be eating later (7:45 to 8:15) it just might work out that you can get that prime location table after the first couple is done dinning at that specific table, just won’t know until you show up?

 

Hope Im explaining it correctly.

 

Cheers

Edited December 17, 2023 by AZjohn

[Womble99]

Can anyone tell me where the RC dining room is on the Diamond? We haven't been on it yet but it seems to have two separate dining rooms on deck 6 instead of the single like the other Grand class ships we have been on?

[JF - retired RRT]

17 hours ago, cruisinsince75 said:

Thanks!  That is what I assumed was the case.

They could always order dinner (for 4) to be delivered to their suite.

Not the same experience, but you could all eat together.

UBD is an option as well.

[dixiejen]

5 hours ago, AZjohn said:

Because the table by the window is in a prime position, they are not going to tell other passengers dining in the in reserve collection earlier that evening they can’t sit there (like at 5:30 or 6:00).

Understood, AZjohn. I do hope you understand I would never expect them to hold a specific table open all evening for us and we would even be willing to wait a bit until another couple finished if we just really loved that table and specific waitstaff, but thank you for trying to clarify. Cheers to you, and happy holidays!

[AZjohn]

28 minutes ago, dixiejen said:

Understood, AZjohn. I do hope you understand I would never expect them to hold a specific table open all evening for us and we would even be willing to wait a bit until another couple finished if we just really loved that table and specific waitstaff, but thank you for trying to clarify. Cheers to you, and happy holidays!

Happy Holidays right back at you😊.

 

Requesting and getting the same wait staff every night is very easy to obtain (we do this). Getting the exact same table every night doesn’t always happen, mostly at window tables. But, they will sit you close to the table you like so you can get the same wait staff (which is more important to us once we find the A+ team😊).

 

Cheers and have a fantastic cruise and New years🎉🥳

[dides]

8 hours ago, Womble99 said:

Can anyone tell me where the RC dining room is on the Diamond? We haven't been on it yet but it seems to have two separate dining rooms on deck 6 instead of the single like the other Grand class ships we have been on?

Reserve Class dining is in the Santa Fe Dining Room - Deck 6 Midship - for Diamond Princess as per Ken's live from thread earlier this year. Same for her sister ship,  Sapphire Princess when we were on her.

 

Edited December 17, 2023 by dides

[Crashe]

On 12/16/2023 at 3:39 PM, cruisinsince75 said:

We are traveling with friends that are in a full suite that gets reserve class.  We are not.  What happens if they want us to dine with them?

Depending on availability, they may be able to get you in.  Just talk to them the first day.  We have done it on several cruises.  What better way to introduce folks to club class/reserve?  Love making friends there!

[memoak]

5 minutes ago, Crashe said:

Depending on availability, they may be able to get you in.  Just talk to them the first day.  We have done it on several cruises.  What better way to introduce folks to club class/reserve?  Love making friends there!

As if everyone did that there would be no from for people who are paying for the privilege. If I saw that I would be making a complaint or just invite a bunch of random people to prove my point

[memoak]

37 minutes ago, Crashe said:

Depending on availability, they may be able to get you in.  Just talk to them the first day.  We have done it on several cruises.  What better way to introduce folks to club class/reserve?  Love making friends there!

I have seen people with 1,000 days pressure loyalty managers to invite people they have just met to the MTG lunch. I was sitting next to people who were on their first Princess cruise. Since only 40 people are invited that meant that someone who should have been there was left out. People who pay for reserve class dining should never have to wait because entitled people think they can bring in whoever they want

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

There is a benefit to Princess to allow non-reserve collection passengers in with reserve collection passengers for RC dining once. It gives them the reserve collection experience which they might then consider on their next cruise and I would not be against that. But I don't think it right for non-reserve collection passengers to be permitted to dine in the RC area every night. It isn't fair on those that have paid the extra.

 

I realise my objections may not go down with the "anyone should be able to do anything" brigade (of which there seems to be quite a few here) but the cost difference is significant. and when non-RC passengers dine in the RC area it increases the crew workload and potentially reduces the service level for everyone else.

[memoak]

5 minutes ago, Snaxmuppet said:

There is a benefit to Princess to allow non-reserve collection passengers in with reserve collection passengers for RC dining once. It gives them the reserve collection experience which they might then consider on their next cruise and I would not be against that. But I don't think it right for non-reserve collection passengers to be permitted to dine in the RC area every night. It isn't fair on those that have paid the extra.

 

I realise my objections may not go down with the "anyone should be able to do anything" brigade (of which there seems to be quite a few here) but the cost difference is significant. and when non-RC passengers dine in the RC area it increases the crew workload and potentially reduces the service level for everyone else.

But even once if 20 reserve class people invite someone it encourages others to try to get in. They did so why not me

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

20 minutes ago, memoak said:

But even once if 20 reserve class people invite someone it encourages others to try to get in. They did so why not me

Agreed. 

 

Perhaps a way around it is to have a designated evening when it was permitted for RC passengers to take in non-RC companions/friends. Just one evening on the cruise. By making if official they then have more authority to say no on the remaining nights.

 

Just a thought 🙂 

Edited December 18, 2023 by Snaxmuppet

[tml1230]

Following up on above  thoughts..... would the " one time guest"in Reserve class pay a fee for the experience? If not ,i dont think  that is fair to the folks that purchased the package.

 

If I book the enclave or the sanctuary for the week  should I be able to bring a one time guest?

 

Most of the reserve class rooms we have booked ,or been on the last few years, have been wait listed.  I am pretty sure thats a result of  the popularity of RC. Filling those RC mini suites doesn't seem be much a problem for princess.

 

 

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

1 hour ago, tml1230 said:

Following up on above  thoughts..... would the " one time guest"in Reserve class pay a fee for the experience? If not ,i dont think  that is fair to the folks that purchased the package.

 

If I book the enclave or the sanctuary for the week  should I be able to bring a one time guest?

 

Most of the reserve class rooms we have booked ,or been on the last few years, have been wait listed.  I am pretty sure thats a result of  the popularity of RC. Filling those RC mini suites doesn't seem be much a problem for princess.

 

 

Yes, I agree... charging for the one-off experience makes a lot of sense to me 🙂 

[AZjohn]

Or, just keep it as it is now and don't allow any guest in period. Just the passengers who paid for the upgrade allowed in.

 

There is no reason to try "selling" the idea to someone the benefits of Reserve Class dinning (it's filled up as is). All they need to know is it's an upgrade in dinning and then make the financial decision for themselves next cruise.

 

We never had a meal there before deciding we wanted to upgrade for it.

Just saying 🙂 

 

Cheers

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

33 minutes ago, AZjohn said:

Or, just keep it as it is now and don't allow any guest in period. Just the passengers who paid for the upgrade allowed in.

 

There is no reason to try "selling" the idea to someone the benefits of Reserve Class dinning (it's filled up as is). All they need to know is it's an upgrade in dinning and then make the financial decision for themselves next cruise.

 

We never had a meal there before deciding we wanted to upgrade for it.

Just saying 🙂 

 

Cheers

Nor did we but had we realised about it before we might have upgraded sooner 🙂

Also RC dining is a great perk of a suite so it was one of the incentives to go for a full suite this time.

 

Just saying 🙂 🙂 

[JGmf]

My own humble reality check...all this talk about Reserve Collection dining being something worth 'experiencing', that others who don't have it should at least try it as if it's that mind-blowing.....um, no.

 

To those who haven't done it, it's not going to change your life.  It's OK.

 

Yes, you likely don't need to wait for a table; yes, you have an extra entree to choose from (if it's something you like, which isn't always the case), and yes, the staff learn/remember your names and preferences. 

 

Two out of three you can recreate if your timing is right in the MDR.

 

[memoak]

11 hours ago, Snaxmuppet said:

Agreed. 

 

Perhaps a way around it is to have a designated evening when it was permitted for RC passengers to take in non-RC companions/friends. Just one evening on the cruise. By making if official they then have more authority to say no on the remaining nights.

 

Just a thought 🙂 

Then what do I do when I can’t get in for dinner because everyone has guests in. Should they be able to bring them along on other suite perks like free specialty dinner, free laundry etc ?

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

2 minutes ago, memoak said:

Then what do I do when I can’t get in for dinner because everyone has guests in. Should they be able to bring them along on other suite perks like free specialty dinner, free laundry etc ?

I agree. Yes, lets keep it to ourselves. We paid for it... they didn't. It makes it a lot simpler. If you are travelling with friends or family and they don't have RC dining then tough... go eat with them in the normal MDR and when people can't get into the normal MDR because RC guests are eating there perhaps they won't mind half as much because they paid less.

 

 

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

13 minutes ago, JGmf said:

My own humble reality check...all this talk about Reserve Collection dining being something worth 'experiencing', that others who don't have it should at least try it as if it's that mind-blowing.....um, no.

 

To those who haven't done it, it's not going to change your life.  It's OK.

 

Yes, you likely don't need to wait for a table; yes, you have an extra entree to choose from (if it's something you like, which isn't always the case), and yes, the staff learn/remember your names and preferences. 

 

Two out of three you can recreate if your timing is right in the MDR.

 

Then if it so meh why then do people pay so much for it? Sure, the RC mini-suits are in the better locations and perhaps that is what people are paying for but the RC mini-suites are always the first to sell out.

 

I can only speak for myself but the RC dining is worth having to have the better waiting crew, less crowded and no waiting (mostly). 

 

Just to be clear... I wouldn't want anyone that hadn't paid for it to use any facility of the ship and I include RC dining in that but I was trying to suggest a way that might make it viable for people that have non RC friends and family to eat in the RC dining area. That is all.

[Sox Fan Cruiser]

Just got off the Sky and while we were in a Suite our one friend was not.  We went to dinner around 8pm and there hardly anyone in the reserve section and no one came in after us.  Reserve section and regular dinning room check in was the same place.  When we walked up they were ready to seat us in the Reserve Collection area until we told them we had one companion not in a suite.  The suite host turned around immediately and pointed us to the "regular" line (we were the only ones in line.) In fact they referred to us as "Sweet, Sweet, Sour" and were told until we get rid of "Sour" we were to eat in the main part.  We laughed but it did come across as a little rude.  We never expected to sit there and were the ones that told THEM.  I still don't understand why they wouldn't let us sit there as there were plenty of tables and not one person sat down after us but I get it.  Again I didn't expect to sit there.  We even had the same waiter as the Reserve section as he was working both.  (and he wasn't that great!).

 

But to the person asking about a window seat, at least on our cruise it would not have been a problem to get a window seat every evening at time of night.

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

Taking what I said earlier... can someone please explain to me why it should be permitted for anyone who is not entitled to use the RC area to be allowed in... regardless of how busy it is?

 

Surely it is not about how busy it is but it is about what people have paid for. We don't get to use the spa or the Sanctuary unless we pay for it just because it is not busy.

[memoak]

44 minutes ago, Snaxmuppet said:

Taking what I said earlier... can someone please explain to me why it should be permitted for anyone who is not entitled to use the RC area to be allowed in... regardless of how busy it is?

 

Surely it is not about how busy it is but it is about what people have paid for. We don't get to use the spa or the Sanctuary unless we pay for it just because it is not busy.

Same with suite breakfast. Sabatini’s is a large venue and there are not so many suites but that is what makes it special 

[memoak]

1 hour ago, Sox Fan Cruiser said:

Just got off the Sky and while we were in a Suite our one friend was not.  We went to dinner around 8pm and there hardly anyone in the reserve section and no one came in after us.  Reserve section and regular dinning room check in was the same place.  When we walked up they were ready to seat us in the Reserve Collection area until we told them we had one companion not in a suite.  The suite host turned around immediately and pointed us to the "regular" line (we were the only ones in line.) In fact they referred to us as "Sweet, Sweet, Sour" and were told until we get rid of "Sour" we were to eat in the main part.  We laughed but it did come across as a little rude.  We never expected to sit there and were the ones that told THEM.  I still don't understand why they wouldn't let us sit there as there were plenty of tables and not one person sat down after us but I get it.  Again I didn't expect to sit there.  We even had the same waiter as the Reserve section as he was working both.  (and he wasn't that great!).

 

But to the person asking about a window seat, at least on our cruise it would not have been a problem to get a window seat every evening at time of night.

It all depends on the cruise we take longer cruises and eat after 7:30. Reserve section is usually over 3/4 full every night. It still for matter we always tell friends that if they want to have dinner with us they have to book at least a reserve mini. I would never think of inviting anyone else in.