'Upgrading' - a few questions

[Arizona Wildcat]

14 minutes ago, Muffinz said:

Thanks for the replies… I’ve just gone into Princess site to do a booking- to see how much a mini suite would be and the website says mini suite all sold out (as well as interior/ ocean view/ reserve mini suite) so that’s bizarre…..

maybe Princess are holding back some staterooms to offer to some people to upgrade??

There are likely some mini suites held in TA inventories.  They can be released back to.Princess until about 30 days before the cruise.  People also have various reasons to cancel a cruise - some literally a day before; so you never know what can become available

[Muffinz]

Ok so I've discussed it with my dear wife and she is keen to bid on a reserve mini suite

 

can someone who has stayed in one please tell me exactly what you get included?

this is what it says on the upgrade screen.

 

plus premier dining benefits and luxurious perks. Each night, enjoy Club Class Dining, an exclusive dining area featuring expedited seating with no wait, additional menu options, dedicated wait staff and tableside preparations. Other amenities include priority embarkation and disembarkation, a complimentary one-time wine set-up and so much more!

 

Ok so some more questions

We will be picking our medallions up at the port so how does priority boarding work if you don't yet have your medallion?

 

what exactly is the 'one time wine set up'? do they bring a bottle of wine / glases / wine cooler with ice to your stateroom?

 

The exclusive dining area - I believe this is an area of Divinci's MDR (excuse spelling) that's for reserve suite guests?

 

I'm keen to know what the 'so much more' is they refer to - can someone please enlighten me what else is included?

 

One last thing - I moved the slider to where the bid offer was 'good' but at the bottom of the screen it said 'review and pay' - does this mean you have to pay once you submit your bid?

I would have thought you's only have to pay once your bid was accepted - can someone confirm?

 

It's a fair bit of money to upgrade to a Reserve mini suite, so I want to make sure it's worth putting a bid in for it.

 

thanks again

[SCX22]

1 hour ago, Muffinz said:

what exactly is the 'one time wine set up'? do they bring a bottle of wine / glases / wine cooler with ice to your stateroom?

 

 

Wouldn't get too excited about this because it's a half bottle of some cheap wine that's left in your cabin on embarkation day.

 

1 hour ago, Muffinz said:

I'm keen to know what the 'so much more' is they refer to - can someone please enlighten me what else is included?

You each get a flute of cheap champagne.  Sometimes the steward chases after you.  Sometimes the flutes will be left in your mini fridge.  Most times the champagne is flat because they've been hanging around.

 

IMO, you're paying for the Reserve Class Dining with Reserve Collection.  All of the Reserve Collection Cabins are midship, so if you wanted that, just reserve an MA mini-suite.  Priority boarding is a bit of a misnomer because the ship will start boarding shortly after they get to a zero count of disembarking passengers, so unless you get to the port super early like before 10:00 am, priority boarding is a moot point.

[BamaVol]

8 hours ago, 1KBAP said:

I already bid about double the minimum.

Could be nearly full. Might just be a game. Hard to tell. 

[WisCruiser2]

@Muffinz, you asked, "We will be picking our medallions up at the port so how does priority boarding work if you don't yet have your medallion?" You get the medallion before entering the boarding area. So if you get to the terminal and go through security and pick up your medallions before boarding begins, you should be shown to a special waiting area and allowed to be in the first group boarding. Not sure if you get to jump the boarding line if you arrive after it's begun, others would know better than I do.

[peety3]

Reserve Collection dining is that "slice" of an MDR, usually starboard side by the windows. It's essentially "Anytime Dining" but with better capacity. Ordinarily, Anytime Dining can end up full by 5:45 and you're stuck waiting until 6:45. RC dining has enough tables that only in the most extreme situations would they run out of tables, so you're near guaranteed quick seating. Note that RC dining is open for any meal that an MDR is serving, so you get that premium service every dinner, every breakfast, and on sea days it's open for lunch as well. At dinner, there's usually one special RC dish available that the rest of the MDRs don't have. Also, the wait staff wear a different color uniform and have "front of the line" privileges in the galley so if the dish you chose has a long wait, the RC waitstaff can jump to the front and "steal" the first available.

[reedprincess]

5 hours ago, Muffinz said:

?

 

One last thing - I moved the slider to where the bid offer was 'good' but at the bottom of the screen it said 'review and pay' - does this mean you have to pay once you submit your bid?

I would have thought you's only have to pay once your bid was accepted - can someone confirm?

 

 

thanks again

You're reviewing and giving authorization to pay, should your bid be accepted. You won't pay anything at all if your bid isn't accepted.  

 

You're not charged immediately and then refunded if your bid isn't accepted...