Reserve dining with the highest category mini-suite

[Traderboy]

This used to be called a Club Class mini-suite.

 

Now the word used is 'Reserve'.

 

We very much like the arrangement on Sky Princess. We know where these cabins are and where the assigned dining space is.

 

But what about on  all the other Princess ships?

How can we know what we are getting with a 'reserve' mini-suite, say on Sapphire Princess?

 

How will the recent changes to assigned dining affect the reserve dining, if at all?

 

I  would love to know what others think....

 

 

[latebloomer56]

Following, first time for us with Reserved dining.

[skynight]

Reserve class dining on other Princess ships is in a section of one of the MDR's. For example, on the Ruby it was in the DaVinci DR, deck 6 mid ship, starboard side entrance. There will be a notice in your cabin. 

[Gail & Dan]

5 minutes ago, skynight said:

Reserve class dining on other Princess ships is in a section of one of the MDR's. For example, on the Ruby it was in the DaVinci DR, deck 6 mid ship, starboard side entrance. There will be a notice in your cabin. 

That’s bang for you buck 😂 wow 

[Mike A]

On the Royal Class Ships (which Sky Princess is a part of), the Reserve Class Dining Rooms have been on Deck 6 Mid Ship with a Port Side entrance. For example, on the Majestic Princess they are using Concerto with a Port Side entrance.

[cr8tiv1]

Dining for Reserve Collection mini-suites is a designated dining area within the Main Dining Room.  Most often, it is on deck 6.  Grand/GEM Class ships starboard side.  From what I have experienced, it will remain as a walk in anytime dining time.  

 

i have almost always been able to get my same table if I am one of the first into the dining room at a few minutes before 5.  At least my same wait staff (even in a different location/special circumstance).  If I want “my” same table later in the evening, I had to allow about 75 minutes between seatings.  Example….check in around 6:15.  I do have a favorite table.  
 

IF not concerned about table location or wait staff, there usually is no wait.  On longer cruises, the entire crew will get to know you.  They help each other out.

[LACruiser88]

5 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Dining for Reserve Collection mini-suites is a designated dining area within the Main Dining Room.  Most often, it is on deck 6.  Grand/GEM Class ships starboard side.  From what I have experienced, it will remain as a walk in anytime dining time.  

 

i have almost always been able to get my same table

We usually go to dinner around 7:30 and have had no problems having the same table in the Reserve Collection Dining Room with no wait.  Happy campers here with this dining option!  😊

[SCX22]

Reserve Collection Dining is a promised perk that is included with Reserve Collection Mini-Suites, which helps justify the extra cost.  Otherwise, the perks of Reserve Collection Mini-Suites is pretty much reduced to location (mid-ship, except for the forward ones on Deck 15 and 16).  Yes, there are the canapes and bottle of wine, but those aren't really worth very much.

 

We've been upgraded to full Suites a few times from guaranteed bookings and have made use of  RCD.  RCD is nice because there are extra options and you're seated right away.  Do I think it's worth the extra cost?  Nope.  We tend to eat late anyway so getting a table in the regular dining room isn't as big of a problem.  Well, technically with RCD, you are in the regular dining room on Princess' ships prior to the Sphere Class, just in an isolated part of it.

[memoak]

We sail in suites and since the restart reserve/club class dining has always been deck 6 mid ship. Grand/Gem class entrance on the left side on Royal class right side. There will be a large sign RESERVE DINING at the entrance they will check you in the first night with your medallion after that they will recognize you

[Ken the cruiser]

OTOH we are low stress cruisers and definitely think it’s worth the additional cost to be treated extra special in the Reserve Collection dining area. As we are there a little after 5 pm every evening, we usually have no issues getting our same non-window table every time. We also enjoy being served by the same high quality servers every day, which are usually handpicked to work in the Reserve Collection dining area. 

[Kay S]

I found Reserve class dining to have the best service I ever got on a Princess ship.  People with Reserve are the only ones not currently having major issues with the new reservations system.

[latebloomer56]

37 minutes ago, Kay S said:

I found Reserve class dining to have the best service I ever got on a Princess ship.  People with Reserve are the only ones not currently having major issues with the new reservations system.

We have reserve dining this next cruise, do we need to do anything in the web for dining? Not booking specialty dining we have the first night so will call dine line when we board.

Thanks, a first for us.

[LACruiser88]

23 minutes ago, latebloomer56 said:

We have reserve dining this next cruise, do we need to do anything in the web for dining? Not booking specialty dining we have the first night so will call dine line when we board.

Thanks, a first for us.

No, just show up for dinner whenever you like.  Enjoy!

[Lady Meer]

Have recently been on Regent - not impressed with their so-called ‘6 star’ service. The service on our last 4 Princess cruises in Reserve has been far superior!

[memoak]

20 hours ago, latebloomer56 said:

We have reserve dining this next cruise, do we need to do anything in the web for dining? Not booking specialty dining we have the first night so will call dine line when we board.

Thanks, a first for us.

For a full suite you are set   

[OzKiwiJJ]

On 7/4/2024 at 5:22 PM, Lady Meer said:

Have recently been on Regent - not impressed with their so-called ‘6 star’ service. The service on our last 4 Princess cruises in Reserve has been far superior!

The regular service in Princess MDRs is usually better than Regent!

[Lady Meer]

1 hour ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

The regular service in Princess MDRs is usually better than Regent!

I agree but was trying to be kind! On our first morning on Regent we went to the dining room for breakfast and waited 90 minutes for 2 teas, 2 juices, 2 poached eggs on brown toast (for me) and eggs, bacon and hash browns for DH. The first delivery was eggs Benedict (for me) and a massive ‘all you can eat’ for DH. They were sent back but this was just the start of the chaos. In the evening, the wine service was dreadful. The wine waiters couldn't remember which wines anyone was drinking. Needless to say we won’t be returning to Regent.

[stevenr597]

We had booked a Reserve Collection,  Trans-Atlantic on Regal Princess.  

The staff always tried to have us served by a specific waitress who knew us by name.  

At times, when the Reserve Collection area of the Restaurant was crowded, to avoid us having to wait, they would extend the Reserve Collection area to the immediate area adjacent in the main dining room.  We still had excellent service and of course, added items on the menu. 
 

Well worth the price. 

[kiwimum]

On the Sapphire it was in the Santa Fe dining room.

[LACruiser88]

Fyi, the servers in the Reserve Collection Dining Room wear different uniforms and this indicates to other servers that they have priority in the kitchen to pick-up dishes.  Hence, a faster service for their diners.

[OzKiwiJJ]

7 hours ago, Lady Meer said:

I agree but was trying to be kind! On our first morning on Regent we went to the dining room for breakfast and waited 90 minutes for 2 teas, 2 juices, 2 poached eggs on brown toast (for me) and eggs, bacon and hash browns for DH. The first delivery was eggs Benedict (for me) and a massive ‘all you can eat’ for DH. They were sent back but this was just the start of the chaos. In the evening, the wine service was dreadful. The wine waiters couldn't remember which wines anyone was drinking. Needless to say we won’t be returning to Regent.

We had a similar issue one morning on  our Regent cruise last year. 

 

We also will not cruise Regent again.

[loge23]

Just off the Emerald in Reserve class. 

Reserve was on 6 (DiVinci) starboard and was wonderful. As my friends LACruisers88 say: It's the only way to go on Princess!

Shout out to HW Pablo for all those delicious pasta dishes and conversation, Antonella, Ryan, Chetan, Katherine, and others - excellent service all! Hostess Marcela was welcoming and warm and everybody pitched in and worked together well.

[CruisingFox27]

On 7/3/2024 at 7:50 PM, latebloomer56 said:

We have reserve dining this next cruise, do we need to do anything in the web for dining? Not booking specialty dining we have the first night so will call dine line when we board.

Thanks, a first for us.

 

On 7/3/2024 at 8:13 PM, LACruiser88 said:

No, just show up for dinner whenever you like.  Enjoy!

Thank you for asking the question and the reply. We're on our first Princess cruise soon and have reserve dining, specifically because we don't decide what time we'll be eating until we're ready to go and not need to be ready at a fixed time. I keep receiving emails regarding adding my dining time to the app. Delighted to have it confirmed nothing has changed with the new dining policy. 

[peety3]

Adding a little factual context for anyone who stumbles into this thread: a couple of details around RC dining.

RC dining is available at any meal that the MDR(s) are serving. That'd be breakfast daily, lunch on sea days, and dinner daily. Check in once and they'll know you from that point forward.

RC dining is ONLY available to those in RC-level mini-suites (usually the most midship of the mini-suites) and full suite passengers. You cannot "pull" your traveling companions in with you.

If you're in a full suite, yes you qualify for RC dining at breakfast, but you really should head to the suite-only breakfast on the days it's offered (usually daily except for disembarkation day).

If you're in a full suite, while you can't "pull" your traveling companions into RC dining with you (if they're staying in anything lower than an RC mini), at least for dinner you should be able to make dinner reservations with a magic wand and pull in your traveling companions with you for dinner.

[opa&oma]

Is there plenty of two top tables available in RC dining?