Traveling with my parents who are Elite

Hi everyone...I've never traveled on Princess before and I'm a bit confused about what is/isn't included for non-elite folks. My parents have traveled on dozens of cruises and have had elite status for so long, they are not sure what is or isn't included for non-elite cruisers. My hubbie and I are joining them on a cruise and have booked our own mini-suite but there aren't any club class mini suites available.

So..what I'm really not sure about is the dining situation. We won't be 'club class' so does that mean we can't eat together? I don't understand the difference between club class dining and anytime dining.

Talk to the Maitre De on day one - he usually meets in the unused dining room about 1;30 - I am sure he will accomodate you

Elite has absolutely nothing to do with Club Class dining. Club Class dining is for those who paid extra for that "amenity" I take it your folks have a Club Class Mini? Then you do have a dilema. Other cruisers who have faced this scenario may have more info for you.

Tigerbon...Welcome to Cruise Critic! :)

Your parents Elite level has no dining room benefits however if they're in Club Class here's a statement from their webpage.

Can a Club Class guest invite their friends to exclusive dining under their reservation?

Exclusive Club Class Dining is only available for the guests booked within a Club Class Mini-Suite or Full Suite. Guests who wish to dine with friends, family and other cruisers not booked in a Club Class Mini-Suite or Full Suite are welcome to do so during our Anytime Dining hours in the Main Dining Room. Guests who would like to book a Club Class Mini-Suite, but would prefer to dine in Traditional Dining can request this change by calling Princess or your travel consultant.

If your parents have a full suite or a club class mini suite then only they can eat in the club class dining room. Unfortunately if your don't have either of these, then I am afraid you cannot join them. However, they can join you in the Anytime dining in the MDR or traditional dining if you all so wish. We were in club class dining in May and the hostess on the door of the club class entrance has a list of passengers eligible and they were very strict on who entered.

Sorry cannot be more helpful.

Welcome to Cruise Critic! :D

Are your parents in either a Club Class Mini Suite or Full Suite?

Otherwise being Elite won't matter as far a dining goes.

Welcome to Cruise Critic. :)

Thanks for all the welcome notes. Yes, my parents are in a full suite so it sounds like a bit of mess....ugh.

Have your parents talk to the matire de the first day when you get on the ship. Friends were in a full suite and were able to take their children who were not.

Thanks for all the welcome notes. Yes, my parents are in a full suite so it sounds like a bit of mess....ugh.

Your parents can order from the MDR menu for delivery to their cabin. If they order for all of you, no one will question it.

The only bad part about ordering that way is everything arrives at the same time. No spacing out of the courses.

Basically you will not be able to dine in Club Class dining nor participate in the full suite mimosa breakfast. Club Class dining is for those passengers that paid for Club Class and the mimosa breakfast is for full suites passengers only. Your parents can join you in anytime dining or in traditional fixed seat dining. These dining options have nothing to do with being Elite.

You can join them for the Elite happy hour (not free drinks). Of course you can drink their mini bar set ups.

Have your parents talk to the matire de the first day when you get on the ship. Friends were in a full suite and were able to take their children who were not.

I've never seen it happen and I've sailed in a number of full suites with my daughters in an inside and they wouldn't let them into Sabbatinis for breakfast. As a married adult daughter, I wouldn't expect them to make your case a special exception. I'd not count on it and then be pleasantly surprised if the Maitre d' does allow it.

If it's important for you to dine in Club Class dining, get on the wait list for a Club Class Mini suite.

People have to cancel cruises for many reasons, and you could have the opportunity come up.

We did this once and got the upsell offer eventually. We did not take it because we were on a different cruise when we got the upsell and missed it.

Otherwise, I would talk talk to the Maitre D' and ask for a traditional seating table for your party, or when your parents want to with you, you can all go to anytime dining.

good luck!

The best scenario is your parents can relinquish their Club Class spot and dine with you both in the regular section of the dining room, Or you can all dine in specialty restaurants together or your parents can order dinner in their full suite every night and you can join them there, too.

Club Class on Princess is structured like Aqua Class on Celebrity, and no exceptions are ever made for non AQ to dine in their designated dining place for those who haven't paid for AQ. Unfortunately, this is due to having the special dining in a small area vs a huge venue. In Club Class, the smaller area is a dedicated section of the main dining room. In Aqua on Celebrity, the venue is a dedicated restaurant that accommodates approximately 100 people, unlike the main dining roomwhich can accommodate hundreds.

Hopefully you can get Club Class to resolve your issue. [emoji4]

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Hi everyone...I've never traveled on Princess before and I'm a bit confused about what is/isn't included for non-elite folks. My parents have traveled on dozens of cruises and have had elite status for so long, they are not sure what is or isn't included for non-elite cruisers. My hubbie and I are joining them on a cruise and have booked our own mini-suite but there aren't any club class mini suites available.

 

So..what I'm really not sure about is the dining situation. We won't be 'club class' so does that mean we can't eat together? I don't understand the difference between club class dining and anytime dining.

Club Class dining has the excellent service level which used to be in every dining room for every passenger on Princess BITD.

Now it costs extra to get that level of service. And there are not unlimited places available.

Why would you expect to get that without paying heavily for it?

Maybe a Club Class cabin will have a cancellation you can snag?

Otherwise you will have to dine in cattle class dining with your family and the rest of us plebs. Its not that bad,

Or you can always try introducing the Maitre D' to Benjamin Franklin? Might work. Might take a couple or more to be really persuasive though.

The Maitre D' can't do anything for you unless your in Club Class also.

Why don't you see if you can switch to Club Class so you can all eat together.

The Maitre D' can't do anything for you unless your in Club Class also.

Why don't you see if you can switch to Club Class so you can all eat together.

because in the original post they said

"but there aren't any club class mini suites available."

Maybe there are other full suites available?

Or share the parents' suite as 3rd and 4th passengers.

Would that get them into club class dining?

because in the original post they said

 

"but there aren't any club class mini suites available."

Sorry. I missed that part of their statement.

Another benefit they get that they may not use fully is the internet package. It's 100 minutes per passenger for a 7-day cruise. Purchasing extra time is less expensive if you're adding to the free minutes than it would be to purchase it separately. Perhaps they'd be willing to let you use some of their internet time.

Another benefit they get that they may not use fully is the internet package. It's 100 minutes per passenger for a 7-day cruise. Purchasing extra time is less expensive if you're adding to the free minutes than it would be to purchase it separately. Perhaps they'd be willing to let you use some of their internet time.

Trivial compared to the cost of a full suite, these folk must be well off and not averse to spending it, personally I have better things to do with my hard earned money than pay for a suite but its an individual choice.

I so love my inside gty cabin, the many sorts of OBC from Princess which keeps my outgoings down, and my dining with the hoi polloi.

Just as long as I'm on a ship.

Thanks for all the welcome notes. Yes, my parents are in a full suite so it sounds like a bit of mess....ugh.

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

Sorry you can not join your parents in their full suite dining amenities, unless you upgrade your mini-suite to full-suite.

Welcome to Cruise Critic. :)

Ditto!!

Tony

Club Class dining has the excellent service level which used to be in every dining room for every passenger on Princess BITD.

Now it costs extra to get that level of service. And there are not unlimited places available.

 

Why would you expect to get that without paying heavily for it?

 

Maybe a Club Class cabin will have a cancellation you can snag?

 

Otherwise you will have to dine in cattle class dining with your family and the rest of us plebs. Its not that bad,

 

Or you can always try introducing the Maitre D' to Benjamin Franklin? Might work. Might take a couple or more to be really persuasive though.

She didn't say that she EXPECTED to get Club Class treatment for free. She says that she is trying to understand the system and how it works.

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I break down the dinner options into three groups:

Full Suite can choose traditional dining or anytime dining, and whatever they request they will get. If they choose TD and others link their booking to them, they will get sat at the same table (up to the size limits on the ship). If they choose ATD, they can eat in Club Class but only with other CC-eligible passengers, or they can eat in ATD with whoever they choose that day. The suite passengers can eat suite breakfast (by themselves) in the designated spot (one of the specialty restaurants), in CC with other CC-eligible passengers, or in the MDR with anyone they choose. Similarly, they can have lunch (on the days the MDR serves lunch) in CC with other CC-eligible passengers, or in the MDR with anyone they choose.

Club Class can choose TD or ATD. If they choose ATD, they can eat in CC or general seating. If they choose TD, they've effectively given up CC for dinner (though they can still eat in CC for breakfast and lunch with other CC-eligible guests).

Everyone else can request TD or ATD as you'd expect.

Basically Club Class dining is anytime dining with immediate seating. There is also one extra item on the menu, but the menu is otherwise the same as in the regular section of the anytime dining room and traditional dining room.

As others have pointed out, you will not be able to eat in the Club Class section of the dining room, but that is not really a great loss.

So decide with your parents if they would prefer to eat with you in the regular anytime area or in traditional dining and and have your bookings so marked.

The other main food benefit of a full suite is the ability to eat breakfast in Sabatini's (or another venue if there is no Sabatini's). That is a full suite benefit only, so even if you were in a Club Class mini-suite you could not eat breakfast with them there. Of course if you wanted, the four of you could eat breakfast in the regular dining room or the buffet.