ccruzer123

We have sailed 2 cruises in Club Class, an 18 day on Pacific Princess and 15 day on Coral Princess. We enjoyed Club Class dining very much on both cruises and in fact, have booked our next cruise which will include Club Class dining.

We are Elites and a majority of our cruises have been booked in mini-suites. Since we get all the Elite perks, for us the benefit of Club Class is the dining and location of the room. The cost is not that much more than what was charged for mid-ship locations in mini-suites before Club Class.

We have had some of the best dining experiences and service while in Club Class. That being said, room steward in Club Class on Coral Princess was well below par, so don't expect better service in this area.

I'm sure not all ships are the same in regards to Club Class, but so far our experiences has been very positive.

Wineglass,

Your response really helped, thanks. We have been on enough cruises (50+) to know a cruise is what you make of it. We have been on ships that are in great shape and others that you just pray the toilet flushes. But when I read so many negative comment on recent cruises, we began to think maybe we should look at another cruise line for that itinerary.

We will be looking forward to the reviews on the Sapphire Princess after her dry dock is completed.

Quote: "Club class will have the same menu with the exception of one special pasta dish".

We did Club Class on Coral in December and our extra dishes included things like Steak Diane, Lobster Thermidor, additional surf & turf, several dishes with scallops or shrimp, a couple of flaming desserts besides some pasta dishes (the asian pasta dish was really good), to name a few. A lot of the dishes where prepared in Club Class area.

The real advantage of Club Class is the availability to dine immediately, no waiting, separate entrance with hostess. Most tables are 2 tops but close enough to other tables to socialize if you wish. Staff is excellent with a higher number per diner.

Corp came on the ship just prior to our cruise, reviewed and made some changes to Club Class on Coral. Peres was added (he is good) to Club Class, review of Club Class with the Chef and Coral came more in line with the Club Class concept.

We are booked on a Baltic cruise on the Sapphire Princess in 2018 but have become very concerned regarding the ships condition. The reviews on the Sapphire Princess for November 2017 are not very good and in fact pretty bad. I've checked online and it seems that the Sapphire will be in dry dock in March 2018 for 12 days. I can't find anything about what they plan on doing on the inside of the ship which is in desperate need of help (plumbing, theater, beds, furniture, etc.).

I'm going to assume they will change out the staff with the change out of Asia to Europe which should take care of the language problems.

Does anyone have any information they can share on what will take place in dry dock?

We are seriously thinking of switching to another line for the cruise because of the recent reviews.

Sabatini's became Alfredo's Pizza (think that's the name) on some of the sea days. We ate there on the first day at sea before everyone else found it. Good pizzas, better than upstairs. The Bayou does a Pub lunch a couple of times during the trip.

One has to look at the restaurant schedule/hours on the last page of the Platter to see if it is available on sea days.

Just got off Coral Princess, 15 day from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale through Panama Canal. Nice trip. We stayed on the ship for the 15 days because we have been to the ports several times. We basically took the cruise for the canal which is one of our favorite cruises.

The show Encore is definitely worth seeing. Lunch at Alfredo's on sea days is good. The comedian and magician/comedian were good.

We had Club Class dining which was excellent. Service was excellent and we had an extra item to select from every evening, mostly cooked in Club Class area.

Weather was warm with humidity, but we don't mind it. Nice place to hang out is the promenade deck or the enclosed pool area.

Ship is really showing her age, exterior balconies need cleaning and paint. Inside ship was in good shape.

Have fun.

We are also sorry that Explorer did not rectify the situation. We truly were hoping to have a positive experience so as to make Regent our new "go to" cruise line.

Just so you understand what we were dealing with, here are 3 examples:

Ordered eggs "over easy", they were delivered "over hard" so we nicely stated that there was a mistake that we ordered "over easy". They apologized, took the eggs back to be replaced. A while later they deliver the new eggs, they were "over hard". As we explained to the wait staff that we had ordered "over easy" the maitre'd stopped by, we explain what was happening and he said he would personally make sure we got the eggs "over easy".

He returned shortly later and placed the eggs on our table, they were not only "over hard" they were "extremely over hard". The maitre'd asked if they were okay, my husband looked at him surprisingly and stated "No, does this look like 'over easy' and did you look at the eggs before you delivered them?" My husband showed him the extremely cooked yolks. The maitre'd looked stunned then took his plate and said he would get a new order. At this point we just said forget it that we would go to the cafe for a pastry and we left breakfast.

This not only happened in buffet but it also happened in the Compass Rose. In the Compass Rose, I ordered an egg "over easy", bacon on the soft side and toast on the light side. They delivered my egg "over hard", my bacon crisp and my toast was nearly burnt. The waiter, who did not deliver the meal, was really upset. He showed the maitre'd his order slip showing that he had submitted the meal the way I had requested it, which was not what I received. They apologized and reordered my meal which came out with an egg "over hard", crisp bacon and toast a little better. The waiter was now furious as was the maitre'd who said he would personally take care of it. I told him to forget it and just bring me a waffle.

Even once in the buffet we had our omelet ordered delivered then snatched away from us just we started to eat and given to another table, where they told the wait staff that it wasn't their order. The wait staff then returned to our table and just dropped the plates on our table again, walked away abruptly without saying a word.

This gives you just a small taste of what we experienced. We tried to not let these things bother us that much but by the end of the second week it was difficult.

Travelcat2,

Yes, we did fill out the mid cruise forms and mention our observations. We were on a 2 week cruise and filled out 3 of the 4 forms given to us. We did not fill out the last one because we did not see any point since we saw no improvement and it would have simply been a repeat of previous forms submitted.

We were contacted numerous times while on board, they seemed very concerned, we were also given several possible reasons for the existing problems. We tried to be understanding but errors just kept happening.

We were not the only ones who mentioned the problems, besides hearing others talk about it we actually observed passengers discussing some of these problems with maitre'd and management.

We cruise a lot and know that cruises are not going to be perfect all the time. But when you pay 5 star prices you just expect more than what we received.

As I stated before, the Explorer is a beautiful ship. I really wish our experience had been more positive because I would love to sail on her again.

I was on the Coral Princess last week and had Club Class Dining. I was very disappointed in it. The only difference from MDR was the color of the table cloth and the napkins had CC on them. The service was poor. There was not anything actually different than what is on the menu. A couple of nights the headwaiter made a menu item, several other nights a Caesar salad , others nothing special. I had Club Class earlier on the Grand Princess and it was nice. The service was excellent and the headwaiter made something very special every night. After this experience I won't book Club Class again.

How disappointing, we will be on the Coral Princess in December and booked in Club Class. We did Club Class on Pacific Princess and really had a wonderful experience, that is the reason for us booking it again this upcoming cruise.

We were told every breakfast, lunch and dinner about the extra addition to the MDR menu, sometimes an appetizer, entree, salad or dessert. 70% of the time it was cooked by the Maitre'd in view of the diners. The Maitre'd also visited everyones table every evening, the waiters were excellent and worked as a team. Since we know what Club Class dining should be like, I will definitely speak up if it doesn't match our previous experience.

Thanks for the heads up on your experience so we can be prepared. Will report our experience on Coral.

Quote: "We eventually began to understand that we became our own victims while thinking this was the best. Since we untethered ourselves, we discovered there were other worlds of cruising out there that didn't require overpaying for our perceived luxury".

Agree, we made the same mistake. Maybe this is why we were somewhat disappointed with some things on the Explorer. The ship itself did not disappoint, nor Regent Air and tours, but we really expected more regarding service... it was so inconsistent as was the food.

I read pretty much everything I could find on the Explorer and because of those reviews developed an expectation that was not met. Guess it was my fault for expecting too much.

We really wanted Regent to become our new go to ships but at this time just can't see paying 5 star prices for 3 star service and 4 star food.

Yes. Just don’t get caught dead wearing them after 6PM or the fashion police onboard will hunt you down. Enjoy your first Regent cruise.

Z and TB

 

We didn't see the "Fashion Police" out on this last cruise with Explorer. Most cruisers did follow the dress code after 6 pm but there were some who did not. We were surprised to see several individuals in the casino, theater, and around the ship in shorts and sandals after 6 pm. Also saw some women & one man wearing designer jeans in the evening.

Explorer does on the evening before disembarkation have a relaxed dress code. Though most cruisers still followed the dress code after 6 pm on that evening, we did see some individuals enter and be seated while wearing jeans, shorts, t-shirts and even a baseball hat.

WOW - we will be on Explorer next July and reading this surprises me. Never on my 10+ cruises ( all with larger lines) have I or anyone in my party had these kinds of experiences. Food and service can be spotty at times, people are human. However, multiple times on a luxury line like Regent truly shocks me. I hope someone from Regent is taking notes and it is addressed sooner rather than later.

I wouldn't worry too much, I'm sure things will be fine. Regent is aware of the problems, they searched us out to apologize and discuss it. They truly seemed to be concerned so hopefully things will improve.

Have talked at the airport with other Regent cruisers we saw, one said they had a wonderful cruise with only minor problems while another cruiser said the first week was better than the second week.

Again, the ship is beautiful and I'm sure you will enjoy. Maybe we just had an off cruise, for some reason.

Just got off the Explorer today, totally agree with M&PGermany.

The ship is absolutely beautiful and our stateroom wonderful but the service and food was inconsistent. The staff was nice and overall friendly but service varied from excellent to poor, even on the same day. I know we were not the only ones to notice the problems because we heard many others talking.

Most the problems had to do with food preparation and service. Order medium rare meat and get it well done, order over easy eggs and get them over hard (numerous times), wrong food delivered, mix up on food orders, ordered food not delivered, no drink orders taken throughout an entire meal, & plates stacking up on tables.

The onboard shows were very good, tours enjoyable and ship extremely clean.

Room attendants did a good job, except they kept delivering other peoples laundry and letters to our room. Got tired of calling room steward to correct mistakes and just ended up delivering the wrongly delivered items to the correct cabins myself.

We are not demanding individuals, we really try to be friendly, considerate and nice to staff and servers. So when we get to the point where we just say service was inconsistent then it really was.

Regent really needs to correct these problems because if you are going to advertise as a 5 or 6 star cruise then it needs to be more than just a beautiful ship.

Many thanks for your review. On most Princess ships "Club Class" unfortunately, is denied us poor mortals who have to have a wheelchair accessible cabin, including on the Pacific. We managed to avail ourselves of this delightful experience on the Crown last month as we were in a full suite. We "do" the Pacific Princess in a couple of weeks time in an accessible non club class mini. Envy Envy. :) Carry on cruising.

There was a motorized wheelchair in Club Class on the July 9th sailing of Pacific Princess. The individual with the motorized wheelchair stayed in a handicap room in the Club Class section of the ship (mid-8th deck) and had no problem dining in Club Class area each evening.

We switched from a forward mini-suite to a CC mini-suite for our June cruise. The difference in cost was $100. per person for the whole 18 day cruise. Well worth it, we were mid-ship in some very rough seas and the Club Class dining was excellent.

Waiter told us each lunch and dinner what the extra meal item was for that seating, it was not listed on the menu. A majority of the time the item was cooked in CC section. He also made the items to our requests, which was nice. We really enjoyed Club Class and will book it whenever possible.

Just did Club Class on Pacific Princess. We really liked it and will most likely only book Club Class in future. Every night (and most lunches) we had something added to the menu. It could be an entree, salad, desert, or appetizer. Most times it was made in Club Class section, but a few times made in kitchen. We really enjoyed watching them prepare the extra items, you could smell it before it arrived which added to the experience. We selected the additional menu item many times and they were very good.

Each ship is different but the wait staff on Pacific was the best we have ever experienced. They really took a lot of pride in their job, really wanted to please and seem to really care about the ship (many return year after year on and by request). Hope you have as wonderful experience as we did with Club Class.

I have back problems with fusions in the lower back. I just spend 2 weeks on the new bed in Club Class and I did fine. Are they perfect for a bad back? "No" but they are definitely more comfortable than the old beds they had on the ships.

Just wondering, if Princess cannot provide an individual with a cabin on the cruise they selected do they just say "Oh, well" or do they try and work something out with them so Princess doesn't lose the revenue. We have never waitlisted before so have no idea what to expect. We did put down a deposit and have all personal information filled out online for this cruise. Have been checking daily on Princess website but nothing has opened up in the category we want.

We are waitlisted on a upcoming August cruise for a particular category. Question: Has anyone on these boards been waitlisted for a select cruise and been offered a deal to move to another cruise date in their selected category or higher?

Have the tv's been upgraded? Do they have the on-demand programming?

 

Would love to see more pictures. :)

 

Thank you.

No & No. In our mini-suite, the TV was very small, not that easy to view because of location.

There is only one entrance to the restaurant, Club Class dining is just inside on your left. They have the Club Class dining area somewhat roped off with a sign indicating Club Class.

We were told to approach the entrance through the bar area and enter left of where the entrance is located. They usually have a young lady there whom you tell you are Club Class and they direct you around the corner. It seemed awkward at first to pass up the normal dining room line and go to the front of the line but one of the perks of Club Class is immediate seating. As they told us, you paid for it.

The main room diners walk by the Club Class area and where Jocko who is usually preparing our additional item on the menu. Jocko is quite a character, happy, funny and very friendly to everyone who walked by. I'm sure many people are now considering Club Class after seeing and smelling what Jocko was cooking.

Since this was the first cruise with Club Class on Pacific Princesss, I'm sure some things will change. We did see some changes in just the 18 days were were on the ship. Plus things will change with the addition of items that did not show up in time for our cruise.

Overall, we loved the Club Class experience. Can't see not booking it in the future if the price is right.

Papa B Me,

Thank you so much for writing about your experience on this cruise. We are doing this cruise in October and you answered several questions we had, plus you gave us a better idea on what to expect. We really appreciate you taking the time to write down your thoughts. We are looking forward to this unique adventure.

Couch we had in the mini-suite was completely different than the one shown in the photo above. Our new couch was grayish, straight box shape with thick cushions, very comfortable. Also the above photo of bed/mattress doesn't do it justice, very thick mattress. Really like the new curtains in the room. Sorry I didn't take pictures.

Just got off the Pacific after her first cruise coming out of dry dock. The ship looks great, new carpet (but still needs to be tacked along walls in cabins), newly painted interior, new wood floors & curtains in buffet area, new beds, couch & curtains in cabins (at least mini-suites & suites), new decorations, new Effy store, upgraded speaker system and some new pool & patio furniture. Looked like they upgraded the Spa and gym, also.

Several things didn't get done in dry dock. They were still working on the ship as we waited to board in Fort Lauderdale, worked on it again in New York, Iceland and Dundee.

There were some minor problems with the sliding glass doors in cabins (leaking cold air/whistling sounds/cold rooms) and club class dining furniture and items had not arriving for first cruise. They duck taped the doors (room warmed up but couldn't use balcony) and finally got them fixed 2 days before we disembarked. Missing club class dining items were being loaded on ship as we disembarked.

By the way, Club Class is wonderful, both room and dining room. The new mattresses are very comfortable and the new couch in mini-suite is also comfortable. Great experience, met some wonderful fellow cruisers (very enjoyable dinner group) and superb staff.

Overall, the entertainment was very good. Singers & dancers for production shows were good, fun to watch.

Oh by the way, Iceland is very cold and wet, more than we anticipated. Brrrr.....

Favorite by far is the Pacific Princess followed by the Coral Princess. Fondest memory goes to the old Star Princess, the new Star can't compare.