Goodbye to Dining Room Embarkation Lunch?

[cruzysuzy]

If I am reading the posts correctly, then by April 2017 the dining room embarkation lunch will only be available to the Club Class and the BVE.

 

This was one of my favorite perks and I sense that Princess is inching toward a 'class' model of sailing somewhat akin to Celebrity. And there is not enough in the Club Class offerings to tempt me to pony up for it.

[antsp]

The Ruby sails tomorrow Dec 30th so hopefully some news from that sailing on the dining room situation. I am on the Ruby on the 7 th so will try and update as well

[shredie]

If I am reading the posts correctly, then by April 2017 the dining room embarkation lunch will only be available to the Club Class and the BVE.

 

Where did you see the date April 2017?

[riclop]

If it's true no big thing.

[pris993]

if true ... they got to do something different to sell Club class... since we are seniors... don't eat much, so this will be matter to us... rather save my appetite for the Crown Grill and dinner.

[stoneharborlady]

If it's true no big thing.

 

Maybe not to you, but to many here, the embarkation lunch in the dining room IS a big thing. A lot of folks dont like to set foot in Horizon Court, most especially after boarding when it is a madhouse. For me, I was happy as a clam getting a sandwich and pastry from the IC, but that gets plenty crowded too.

[cruzysuzy]

Where did you see the date April 2017?

 

I picked up that date from the final roll out of the Club Class on the April 11, 2917 sailing of the Star Princess. Someone mentioned that on a recent Ruby Princess cruise someone was checking names on a clipboard at the entrance to the dining room for the embarkation lunch.

[geduffer]

I actually do lunch in the buffet on embarkation day. I don't think I've ever done lunch in the MDR. Still, the whole class thing kind of bugs me.

 

 

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[tonit964]

I picked up that date from the final roll out of the Club Class on the April 11, 2917 sailing of the Star Princess. Someone mentioned that on a recent Ruby Princess cruise someone was checking names on a clipboard at the entrance to the dining room for the embarkation lunch.

 

I wonder what cruising will look like then.

[flirteur]

I have over 400 days with Princess, but have to admit that I don't know what Club class is. Please enlighten me.

 

 

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[cactusrose]

I have over 400 days with Princess, but have to admit that I don't know what Club class is. Please enlighten me.

 

 

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It's a new mini suite class. Here's a link to everything you every wanted to know about Club Class.

 

http://www.princess.com/learn/ships/staterooms/club-class/

[Colo Cruiser]

I have over 400 days with Princess, but have to admit that I don't know what Club class is. Please enlighten me.

 

 

If you do a search on Club Class there are numerous threads on it and its on the Princess website.

 

Here is one....

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2372679&highlight=club+class

Edited December 30, 2016 by Colo Cruiser

[easyboy]

Maybe Club Class should just be assigned an MDR separate from the regular embarkation MDR.

 

 

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[shepp]

I have over 400 days with Princess, but have to admit that I don't know what Club class is. Please enlighten me.

 

New upcharge for booking mid-ship minisuites which endows perks, some of which overlap Captain's Circle rewards. There's also a reserved Club-Class-only section of an anytime dining room, which will make the wait longer for the rest of us, even if a good proportion of those tables stand empty.

[Colo Cruiser]

Maybe Club Class should just be assigned an MDR separate from the regular embarkation MDR.

 

Then there would have to be mid and upper Class within that dining room.:rolleyes:

[cactusrose]

A bit more info on Club Class Benefits. I do wish Princess would put everything on one place.

http://www.princess.com/ships-and-experience/food-and-dining/club-class-dining/

[Woobstr112G]

Then there would have to be mid and upper Class within that dining room.:rolleyes:

 

Shades of Oliver Twist.....:D:D:D

 

Bob

[fishywood]

It's a new mini suite class. Here's a link to everything you every wanted to know about Club Class.

 

http://www.princess.com/learn/ships/staterooms/club-class/

 

Actually 'Club Class Dining' is a benefit extended to both Full Suites and Club Class Mini-Suites (those with cabin code M1), though the superior full suite dining perks do render moot some of the Club Class benefits.

 

As to the new embarkation lunch rules, I too vote "no big thing". There are so many reports on here--confirmed by my own experience my last two cruises out of Ft Lauderdale--of such a large percentage of passengers still waiting to board at 1:30 that I think it behooves Princess to minimize whatever priority they gave MDR lunch and redirect their resources to dealing with the peak demand in the HC and elsewhere between 1:30 to 3:00 or so.

Edited December 30, 2016 by fishywood

[seafish]

While all the new Club Class chatter centers around CC dining - Princess may be anticipating an increased sales opportunity specifically aimed at those that are not yet Platinum or Elite or Full Suite bookings. Beyond the new CC dining venue which has been reported as having the same menu as the MDR but does offer private MDR entrance, dine on your own schedule, nightly chef specials and tableside preparations - is not all that different. But the other CC perks of Priority Embarkation & Disembarkation, Full Access To The Priority Disembarkation Lounge, Complimentary One Time Wine Set-Up, Premium Evening Canape's, Upgraded Terry Shawl Bathrobes and in the case of mini-suites a larger mid-ship location covered balcony plus the CC Dining venue may appeal to a new audience looking for more upscale cruise experience from cruise #1. Time will tell.

[shredie]

So far, what we know is that someone on a Ruby sailing was denied entrance to the MDR for embarkation lunch and told it was only for Club Class. That's all we know, I think. Someone mentioned that there was big Princess Corp. thing on the Ruby that day, suggesting that maybe that was taking up the MDR at lunch, leaving only the Club Class section available. We really don't know enough yet to start panicking. :D

 

(For the "who cares" crowd, I would ask you how you would feel if Princess eliminated something you really liked. You might be disappointed, and I might say "Who cares?")

[Colo Cruiser]

So far, what we know is that someone on a Ruby sailing was denied entrance to the MDR for embarkation lunch and told it was only for Club Class. That's all we know, I think. Someone mentioned that there was big Princess Corp. thing on the Ruby that day, suggesting that maybe that was taking up the MDR at lunch, leaving only the Club Class section available. We really don't know enough yet to start panicking. :D

 

(For the "who cares" crowd, I would ask you how you would feel if Princess eliminated something you really liked. You might be disappointed, and I might say "Who cares?")

 

 

I agree on all of it. :cool:

[marne001]

Maybe not to you, but to many here, the embarkation lunch in the dining room IS a big thing. A lot of folks dont like to set foot in Horizon Court, most especially after boarding when it is a madhouse. For me, I was happy as a clam getting a sandwich and pastry from the IC, but that gets plenty crowded too.

 

 

Agree, I appreciate a non-rushed meal in an elegant setting on day one.

 

 

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[lljost]

My DH and I care a lot as to whether or not this is true about lunch in the dining room on embarkation day. While we don't always board early enough to make the dining room, we do a lot of B2B cruises and almost always plan on a nice quiet lunch in the dining room on those turnaround days. We will be embarking on the Ruby on January 17 and should be arriving early enough for lunch. I will be very disappointed with Princess if they will only be open for those in CC. I understand and appreciate they want to do something special for those in CC but denying the rest of the passengers access to something that has always been available is a very poor choice on their part.

[Griller]

So far, what we know is that someone on a Ruby sailing was denied entrance to the MDR for embarkation lunch and told it was only for Club Class. That's all we know, I think. Someone mentioned that there was big Princess Corp. thing on the Ruby that day, suggesting that maybe that was taking up the MDR at lunch, leaving only the Club Class section available. We really don't know enough yet to start panicking. :D

 

(For the "who cares" crowd, I would ask you how you would feel if Princess eliminated something you really liked. You might be disappointed, and I might say "Who cares?")

 

And this is why I only book Princess now if its really cheap as the "special" aspects of a Princess cruise are going going gone.

After 65 cruises on Princess in all sorts of staterooms I am now down to always just booking an inside GTY on a drop and go deal that nets down to less than $50 a day. Got Crown on a Transatlantic this April for just less than $19 a day each so I really won't be too picky.

Can't stay in a Super8 motel for that.

[shredie]

I agree on all of it. :cool:

 

Great minds and all that. :D I sure do wish some more people would check in with Club Class news.