Club Class Dining Questions for those who've experienced it

[cpsfolks]

Booked a suite and Traditional Dining.

We will not visit the dining room on the night of embarkation but will take advantage of the Suite-Specialty Dining perk, that's a given.

Is Club Class Dining really a worthwhile perk?

Can you utilize Club Class Dining any night you want (switch between CC and TD)?

or do you

have to switch to Club Class Dining for the duration of the cruise? Thanks in advance

[moki'smommy]

You are either in Club Class ( any time) or in TD. However, you can go to CC the same time each night and you'll be seated in basically the same area (depends a little on which tables are open.)

 

Since you are in a suite, I don't understand why you wouldn't want to eat in CC, unless maybe you are traveling with other, non-suite or non-CC guests. The service was excellent. The menu is the same as the MDR, but there are typically 2 items each dinner and one item each lunch that is not on the menu. One is an entree, sometimes made tableside and other times made in the dining room but not on the menu for those who don't have CC. The other item at dinner is either an appetizer or a desert. We tried several of the "special" items and found most to be very good.

 

CC is included in your suite, so it is not costing you anything extra. Therefore, go for it! It was the best dining experience we've had on a ship in many years. The service was great and the food was very good. I guess I haven't thought about how much extra I'd be willing to pay for it, as we also had it as a suite perk. But we will certainly be enjoying it again on our next cruise (already booked). We also enjoyed the club class lunch--again, great service. The extra item was usually an appetizer at lunch. We did Sabatini's breakfast, so I can't comment on CC breakfast except on the last day...it was a typical last day breakfast.

 

The most we waited to be seated was about 5-8 minutes ONE time only. We actually offered to come back in a few minutes and they suggested that we not do that as it would only be a few minutes. Bottom line, I have no complaints about CC dining at all.

 

 

I really don't know why you'd want to bounce between TD and CC or if that is allowed We did CC for the 10 nights, except for the embarkation night.

[dforeigner]

Booked a suite and Traditional Dining.

We will not visit the dining room on the night of embarkation but will take advantage of the Suite-Specialty Dining perk, that's a given.

Is Club Class Dining really a worthwhile perk?

Can you utilize Club Class Dining any night you want (switch between CC and TD)?

or do you

have to switch to Club Class Dining for the duration of the cruise? Thanks in advance

 

Club class dinning is only available (unless they have changed it recently) in the any time dinning rooms. If you have chosen traditional dining, then this perk will not be available.

 

The menu is the same. Club Class Dining is suppose to have some additional dishes that are not available to regular dinners. They have a separate entrance and cordoned area in the restaurant for Club Class dinners to use.

[Roses2]

After two experiences in club class dinning we have opted out on later cruises. We find it a step down rather than an improvement. It is crowded and noisy with the tables so close there is no privacy.

 

This is just our opinion. Others may like it.

 

P&J.

[WarEagle76]

After two experiences with Club Class dining (most recently last month), we won’t be cruising on Princess without it. It’s nice that there are choices for everyone.

[pwake]

We’ve only sailed on Princess 4 times. We did the cruises between February 2017 and January 2018 - New Zealand (Emerald) British Isles (Caribbean) Tasmania (Diamond) and a full Panama Canal transit (Pacific). All in suites. Our only dining experience on Princess is in Club Class. I have no idea what traditional dining is like on Princess, but there is no way it can be better than Club Class. We found it quiet, attentive and an overall superior dining experience. We sat at the same 2 tops with the same servers on each cruise and by the 3rd night, they knew exactly what we liked. It’s the thing that has hooked us on Princess!

 

 

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[moki'smommy]

After two experiences in club class dinning we have opted out on later cruises. We find it a step down rather than an improvement. It is crowded and noisy with the tables so close there is no privacy.

 

This is just our opinion. Others may like it.

 

P&J.

This was not our experience at all. The tables were much closer on our previous TD dining arrangements. It wasn't "quiet," but I can't remember any quiet dining on any ship except in the specialty dining rooms. It was truly fun. In fact, we had a friend who had never cruised before with us. Her comment was that she didn't expect the dining to be so much of a high point. It may differ on different ships, different head servers, etc.

[Jezabel2924]

We have had Club Class dining once and are booked again in Club Class for our next cruise. We loved it and will opt for it when my Husband and I are traveling alone. It has the same feel as TD and all of the advantages of Anytime. The Surf & Turf was one of the "extras"....that was the best steak I have had in any ship venue!

[Kartgv]

After two experiences in club class dinning we have opted out on later cruises. We find it a step down rather than an improvement. It is crowded and noisy with the tables so close there is no privacy.

 

This is just our opinion. Others may like it.

 

P&J.

 

A step down from what??? The tables are significantly further apart than in traditional dining or anytime dining. It's no noisier than the others, so again, compared to what? If you're comparing it to Crown Grill or Sabatini's, then it's a fair comment. We thoroughly enjoyed Club Class and will definitely do it again if the price is within reason.

[MontanaMike65]

We’re in a CC mini-suite on a Baltic cruise next month. I know we will eat in the CC DR each evening, but how about breakfast and lunch? I want to take full advantage of the perk, but only if the service is fast. Don’t care about fast for dinner, but did you find breakfast and lunch service to be fast?

 

 

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[moki'smommy]

We’re in a CC mini-suite on a Baltic cruise next month. I know we will eat in the CC DR each evening, but how about breakfast and lunch? I want to take full advantage of the perk, but only if the service is fast. Don’t care about fast for dinner, but did you find breakfast and lunch service to be fast?

 

 

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Breakfast and lunch are as fast as you want them to be, and faster than the MDRs. We were always seated immediately, and our order for everything we wanted was taken at the same time (no menu back again for desert). The additional appetizer was brought to our table after our orders were taken. You could certainly sit and chill out if you wished, but we typically got in and out quickly.

[Murphey]

After two experiences in club class dinning we have opted out on later cruises. We find it a step down rather than an improvement. It is crowded and noisy with the tables so close there is no privacy.

 

This is just our opinion. Others may like it.

 

P&J.

 

I will also ask the same question. A step down from what??? Crowded? Are you talking about Club Class?

[justafem]

We've booked CC a couple of times. Amazing service, attentive, personal and inviting, unlike the main dining room. To be fair, we've never done traditional dining.

 

I don't think you can switch between traditional and CC, it's either or. And I understand that. Why would the dining rooms hold 2 tables for you? I'd personally chose CC as it is absolutely ANYTIME dining.

 

After our first dinner in CC, the hostess, servers and matrade knew us by name, by the third dinner, they knew our preferences. My grown daughter and the assistant waiter had a drink of the night experience, where he'd surprise her with a different drink every night. She thoroughly enjoyed that.

 

There is at least one off the menu special every night that you can't get in traditional or anytime. Normally an upgraded version of the most "expensive" entree. Regularly an upgraded appetizer or fancy salad. We ordered them often and enjoyed it all.

 

One night one of the specials was to be sea bass, which we all ordered. Matrade came to the table and explained the fish wasn't up to his standards and he was substituting another, which we changed to. Then the matrade again came to the table and said the second fish wasn't up to standard and it would be salmon. As California dwellers, salmon isn't our thing, as it's so common, but it was still delicious.

 

We didn't go to breakfast or lunch as we had the suite breakfast and really don't eat lunch. We did have breakfast on disimbarkment morning and it was fine. Many non-CC pax attempted to enter, but all were politely rebutted, other than one, who insisted because she was platnum, she was able to enter. I think security was called.

 

We have another CC suite booked in Sept of this year and in Sept of 2019. Not that we are suite people, just cheaper to have 4 in a window suite rather than 2 insides!

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[sewgood]

We will be on our second CC experience in September.

Friends of ours booked the same cruise after we did and as such we will now be doing TD with them.

We plan on doing CC for breakfast and lunch and will find out if it is possible to ditch our friends for one night and do CC dining. :D We will find out in September if this is possible.

Having done CC and TD before we found that CC dining was so much better than TD in terms of service this includes the fact that the staff are not rushed and have time to learn your name and your preferences. I am sure that the staff is hand picked for this area.

I think that the crowed area that Roses2 refers to is the social area in CC. Where two tops are close together with a padded bench on one side (Emerald Princess) and you are placed there IF you you want to be in the social area of CC. We sat there lots of times and it was so much fun. We have cruised in the suite restaurant on the Celebrity Solitice and found it to be a bit lonely as we like to socialize on cruises. Though we found the food to be better (just our opinion) in the suite retaurant on Celebrity and the service to be the same on both we found the Princess product to be more enjoyable.

Anyway OP please do try out CC dining at breakfast or lunch and make up your own mind if CC is worth it.

You can also choose to sit in the quieter area of CC where the tables are far apart if you want to just have a meal with the family.

[skynight]

Booked a suite and Traditional Dining.

We will not visit the dining room on the night of embarkation but will take advantage of the Suite-Specialty Dining perk, that's a given.

Is Club Class Dining really a worthwhile perk?

Can you utilize Club Class Dining any night you want (switch between CC and TD)?

or do you

have to switch to Club Class Dining for the duration of the cruise? Thanks in advance

If you are in a full suite you are allowed into the exclusive Club Class Dining area. There is no reason and no advantage in using TD, unless you wish to dine with a group whose members are not permitted in the Club Class dining area. With Club Class walk in anytime and you will be seated. The dinner menu is the same as TD, but there will be a few additions. You will have much improved service. Club Class is also open for lunch on sea days. Even though Club Class is open for breakfast, as a full suite passenger you should take advantage of the special full suite breakfast which is either at Sabatini's or the Crown Grill depending on the ship. You should go into your cruise personlizer and change your dining from fixed seating to anytime. Enjoy Club Class, dine when you want to fit your evening plans and not visa versa.

[Eagle_and_hawk]

If you are in a full suite you are allowed into the exclusive Club Class Dining area. There is no reason and no advantage in using TD, unless you wish to dine with a group whose members are not permitted in the Club Class dining area. With Club Class walk in anytime and you will be seated. The dinner menu is the same as TD, but there will be a few additions. You will have much improved service. Club Class is also open for lunch on sea days. Even though Club Class is open for breakfast, as a full suite passenger you should take advantage of the special full suite breakfast which is either at Sabatini's or the Crown Grill depending on the ship. You should go into your cruise personlizer and change your dining from fixed seating to anytime. Enjoy Club Class, dine when you want to fit your evening plans and not visa versa.

 

Is it open for breakfast every day?

 

 

In reading the FAQ on the Princess WEB site for CC benefits, it's says open for breakfast & lunch on sea days.

[PrincessLuver]

After two experiences in club class dinning we have opted out on later cruises. We find it a step down rather than an improvement. It is crowded and noisy with the tables so close there is no privacy.

 

This is just our opinion. Others may like it.

 

P&J.

 

Our experience too....we had it for 3 weeks on the Regal and preferred ATD sharing with a table of 6....we could not for the life of us figure out what was so special about Club Class except most of the tables were or 2 and you had Grey table clothes and napkins.....service was the same as ATD....we would not pay extra for it but had it because we were in a suite....getting to eat breakfast ever morning in Sabatini's was our favorite suite perk and really worth it!!!! :)

[geoherb]

We were in a suite on the Royal last December. We gave Club Class dining a shot. The thing I missed was dining with others. They did not have shared tables in Club Class unless you showed up with others. We did make friends with a family and joined them for dinner a couple of times. And there was a couple we met at breakfast at Sabatini's whose table was right beside ours at dinner--close enough to have a conversation with.

 

We'll probably never sail in a suite again unless we get another bargain upsell offer. We had tablemates in traditional dining who were in a suite on the Caribbean Princess last summer. They said they preferred dining with us to eating by themselves in Club Class.

[memoak]

Had the club class dining last year and will not sail without it again except for very short cruises. Have a 20 day cruise in November and will have club class again. Excellent service and great dinner options you can't get in the MDR

[peety3]

We've had CC available to us twice while sailing in a full suite, and never when sailing in a mini-suite. We're good friends with one of the Maitre' D Hotels so we often get an amazing table by the window in TD, so we stick to TD to KNOW that we'll get "our" table every time. We also take advantage of the suite-specific breakfast in Crown Grill. That leaves at-sea lunches and disembarkation breakfast to CC, and it's nice, but my impression is that it's better than ATD but not as amazing as true TD.

 

 

Would I choose CC? I think the only reason I'd go for CC is if we decide on a cruise somewhat "last minute" (which is still typically 2-4 months out for us) and the only mini-suites available were CC. (We are avid photographers, and tend to cruise with a LOT of camera gear, so the extra space of a mini-suite over a balcony is essential for our cruising experience.) That said, we're slowly shifting our travel habits to full suites, so I think we'll stick with TD and enjoy CC for a few of the meals along the way.

[cclvr]

Can anyone tell me which dining room on the Regal is reserved for Club Class and also which entrance do they use, port or starboard side?

 

Thank you!

[SJCruisers]

Experienced CC dining on a family cruise in March (Crown Princess). The experience was extremely enjoyable. Well worth it. Will definitely book it again.

On the second night the staff knew all of our names, food preferences and issues (allergies). We highly recommend CC Dining.

[moki'smommy]

Can anyone tell me which dining room on the Regal is reserved for Club Class and also which entrance do they use, port or starboard side?

 

Thank you!

Have never cruised on the Regal. On two other ships, it was the dining room on the Fiesta level using the starboard entrance.

[meatloafsfan]

We loved Club Class dining on the Caribbean Princess. I wouldn't NOT use it (unlike Sabatini's for breakfast which we didn't find the whoop-de-doo that other people seem to).

 

I did a thread with the special CC dining dishes we experienced.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2575638

[moki'smommy]

We loved Club Class dining on the Caribbean Princess. I wouldn't NOT use it (unlike Sabatini's for breakfast which we didn't find the whoop-de-doo that other people seem to).

 

I did a thread with the special CC dining dishes we experienced.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2575638

We were on the Caribbean Princess 4/1-4/10. Some of our "specialty" dishes were the same as you've posted, some were different. But all were good!