Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

Club Class Dining

stevenr597

By stevenr597,
in Princess Cruises

 Share

Recommended Posts

tsg

tsg

Posted
Posted
Will Club Class passengers have a separate section for Breakfast?

 

We are just off a week on the Ruby Princess and the Club Class section of the dining room was open for lunch/brunch. We did not try to eat breakfast there, but I believe it was open for breakfast as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
sptrout

sptrout

Posted
Posted

We had a Club Class cabin in the Regal during our cruise a couple weeks ago. We only ate breakfast once (unfortunately as it turned out) and that was the last morning before disembarkation.

 

To answer your question, yes CC has its own breakfast area. The only reason that I mentioned above that we only had breakfast the last day was because it was in a different dining room than all the other CC meals, and there was no mention of this in any documentation. We had to ask our cabin attendant where CC breakfast was; she did not know (not too surprising), so she called her supervisor to find out for us. I do not know if this change was for the last day only, or SOP for the entire week.

 

BTW - - I mentioned unfortunately because it was very good and very peaceful even though it was disembarkation day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
NavyVeteran

NavyVeteran

Posted
Posted
We had a Club Class cabin in the Regal during our cruise a couple weeks ago. We only ate breakfast once (unfortunately as it turned out) and that was the last morning before disembarkation.

 

To answer your question, yes CC has its own breakfast area. The only reason that I mentioned above that we only had breakfast the last day was because it was in a different dining room than all the other CC meals, and there was no mention of this in any documentation. We had to ask our cabin attendant where CC breakfast was; she did not know (not too surprising), so she called her supervisor to find out for us. I do not know if this change was for the last day only, or SOP for the entire week.

 

BTW - - I mentioned unfortunately because it was very good and very peaceful even though it was disembarkation day.

 

The following comments are about disembarkation breakfast in the main dining room. They predate Club Class, but I don't know Club Class would be any different.

 

Normally breakfast is served in one of the midship dining rooms. However on disembarkation day, they may use that dining room as a meeting space for some of the disembarkation groups. Therefore they use the aft dining room for breakfast. The aft dining room is not suitable as a disembarkation meeting space, because of the difficulty of getting from there to the gangways - up to deck 7 and then back down again.

 

I have usually seen the disembarkation meal schedule listed in the disembarkation instruction sheet that is delivered to the cabins with the listing of meeting places and times for disembarkation groups.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
NavyVeteran

NavyVeteran

Posted
Posted
Will Club Class passengers have a separate section for Breakfast?

 

According to the Princess Club Class Benefits PDF, "Club Class Dining is available for dinner each night as well as breakfast and lunch on sea days."

 

You will probably find Club Class Dining less crowded for breakfast than for lunch and dinner, because most of the suite passengers will be taking advantage of "Complimentary specialty dining mimosa breakfast (Daily)" in Sabatini's or the Crown Grill instead of the Club Class Dining breakfast.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
stevenr597 Great Review Rare

stevenr597

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Thanks for the information. We are currently booked to do a Trans-Atlantic (we had done one previously on the MS Equinox). We have booked MiniSuite Club Class and we are looking forward to compare with with Celebrity.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
sptrout

sptrout

Posted
Posted
For the Club class dining at dinner, it is only opening seating, or can you get an assigned table as well with the standard dinner times?

 

It is open seating only based on our experience a couple weeks ago on the Regal. We arrived within 5 minutes of "doors open" for five nights (the other two nights we went to the SRs), and we had three different tables and waiters. The hostess seemed to make sure that we did NOT have the same table or waiter every night even though she could have easily given us the same table/waiter (wide open selection when we arrived). Not necessarily a bad thing since by moving us around we did get a window table 2 or 3 nights.

 

I do not think assigned tables or standard dinner times would work well in the very small CC dining section.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
msmoger

msmoger

Posted
Posted
Club class can't work on the pacific princess.

long cruiser

 

Just curious, why do you say that? I thought I had read previously that they were just going to setup a section of the Club Dinning Room for Club Class (I could be wrong ;))

Link to comment
Share on other sites
sptrout

sptrout

Posted
Posted (edited)
How does the club class dining, food and overall experience, compare to anytime dinner dining?

 

Very similar. Some differences based on our 7-night Regal cruise a couple weeks ago:

1. Most tables are for two people and it is assumed that a couple will want to sit at one.

2. The menu is the same as the MDR's menu with one or two unwritten CC only "specials" each evening. These specials can be as simple as a special sauce for a steak, to off menu main entree items. During our cruise a couple weeks ago, the off menu specials included tuna steak, Osso buco, and and upgraded "surf & turf", which was the replacement of smaller prawns on the MDR's plate with larger prawns in CC.

3. Although tableside cooking is advertised, this is basically false. There is Head Waiter with a small cooking table in the CC Section, but he (in our case) never moved from that spot. So unless you just happened to have a table located near the spot, no tableside preparations.

4. We always found the food, at most, warm never hot. Even food cooked nearby by the Head Waiter.

5. Service is good, but I do not know that it is better than the MDR.

6. There was an obvious effort to make sure that we never had the same waiter or table more than twice. In five nights (we went to the SRs both formal nights), we had three tables and three waiters. This was the case even though we arrived early when the CC dining section was still wide open and we could have easily been seated at the same table. We did not object to be moved around so I do not know if you can make an issue of this.

7. Even though the CC section (on the Regal at least) is obviously separate from the rest of the dining room by physical barriers (part of the original design of the dining room, not added later for CC). However, there about 6 tables that are outside this area and are right next to standard MDR tables. We were seated in this area the last night; no problem for us, but I wonder how the people in the standard area felt about their neighbors getting different food some of which would be obvious.

 

I believe that CC cost us less than $100@. I feel that is about what the whole CC experience is worth (not including the prime cabin locations included with CC). If much more and you can find a suitable cabin location, I would recommend that you save your money and move to the SRs every night as we have done the two previous Princess cruises.

Edited by sptrout
Link to comment
Share on other sites
jillyfish

jillyfish

Posted
Posted
Very similar. Some differences based on our 7-night Regal cruise a couple weeks ago:

1. Most tables are for two people and it is assumed that a couple will want to sit at one.

2. The menu is the same as the MDR's menu with one or two unwritten CC only "specials" each evening. These specials can be as simple as a special sauce for a steak, to off menu main entree items. During our cruise a couple weeks ago, the off menu specials included tuna steak, Osso buco, and and upgraded "surf & turf", which was the replacement of smaller prawns on the MDR's plate with larger prawns in CC.

3. Although tableside cooking is advertised, this is basically false. There is Head Waiter with a small cooking table in the CC Section, but he (in our case) never moved from that spot. So unless you just happened to have a table located near the spot, no tableside preparations.

4. We always found the food, at most, warm never hot. Even food cooked nearby by the Head Waiter.

5. Service is good, but I do not know that it is better than the MDR.

6. There was an obvious effort to make sure that we never had the same waiter or table more than twice. In five nights (we went to the SRs both formal nights), we had three tables and three waiters. This was the case even though we arrived early when the CC dining section was still wide open and we could have easily been seated at the same table. We did not object to be moved around so I do not know if you can make an issue of this.

7. Even though the CC section (on the Regal at least) is obviously separate from the rest of the dining room by physical barriers (part of the original design of the dining room, not added later for CC). However, there about 6 tables that are outside this area and are right next to standard MDR tables. We were seated in this area the last night; no problem for us, but I wonder how the people in the standard area felt about their neighbors getting different food some of which would be obvious.

 

I believe that CC cost us less than $100@. I feel that is about what the whole CC experience is worth (not including the prime cabin locations included with CC). If much more and you can find a suitable cabin location, I would recommend that you save your money and move to the SRs every night as we have done the two previous Princess cruises.

 

sptrout ~

Thanks for the detailed reply.

You have re-enforced my thought that the extra cost, even at $100 (x3), would not be worth it for our family.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
tsg

tsg

Posted
Posted
How does the club class dining, food and overall experience, compare to anytime dinner dining?

 

As stated above, the menu is the same with a special item offered each night. On one of the formal nights, it was lobster thermidor in addition to the lobster tails on the menu. I only recall the one from that night because it was the one time I ordered the special.

 

Maybe because we had a group of 5 or maybe because we dined later - around 7:30 or 8:00, but we had the same table and the same wait staff every time we dined there for dinner.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
notentirelynormal

notentirelynormal

Posted
Posted
Club class can't work on the pacific princess.

long cruiser

 

Well, they had club class cabins on the world cruise I looked at. It was $7000 pp more for those cabins. I would like to think you get something more then a mini bar set up. The last time we sailed on her the tables were so close together that if was impossible not to hear what was going on at the next table. We were close enough to reach over and grab some extra bread from the table that was empty. (sorry Captain LOL)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
caribill

caribill

Posted
Posted
I would also like to hear how it works out on smaller ships like the Pacific Princess where there is only one restaurant and two seatings.

 

Club class can't work on the pacific princess.

long cruiser

 

We will know later this year as Club Class is coming to the Pacific Princess on June 9.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
tacrum43

tacrum43

Posted
Posted
It is open seating only based on our experience a couple weeks ago on the Regal. We arrived within 5 minutes of "doors open" for five nights (the other two nights we went to the SRs), and we had three different tables and waiters. The hostess seemed to make sure that we did NOT have the same table or waiter every night even though she could have easily given us the same table/waiter (wide open selection when we arrived). Not necessarily a bad thing since by moving us around we did get a window table 2 or 3 nights.

 

I do not think assigned tables or standard dinner times would work well in the very small CC dining section.

 

OK, thanks for the information!

 

Ted, that would defeat the purpose of Club Class dinning! Anytime, no waiting! :)

 

Well, we just enjoy sharing a table with tablemates that we get to know over the course of the cruise, and have made some good friends that way. Also enjoy having the same waiters over the course of the cruise.

 

We will have to decide if the slightly better service and few extra menu items are worth using an anytime type dining service. Personally, I'm leaning towards no. But I know many people prefer it that way.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
OCruisers

OCruisers

Posted
Posted
Looking forward to Club Class on the Grand Princess Feb. 18th ...We are looking forward to not having to make a reservation or watching the clock...because we keep changing the clock due to time changes ...lol

 

WOW! You're leaving soon!

Have a great cruise!

Please tell us how you liked CC Dining when you return.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...