Princess Suite Complimentary Specialty Restaurant Dinner on Embarkation

[chamonix1962]

My question is about the Princess Cruise suite benefit "Complimentary dinner in a specialty restaurant on embarkation day". We're departing Seattle on the Ruby Princess next month.

1:00pm - Caribe & Plaza Decks - Cabins on these decks begin with C & P

 

 

1:30pm - Baja & Lido Decks - Cabins on these decks begin with B & L

 

 

2:00pm - Dolphin & Emerald Decks - Cabins on these decks begin with D & E

 

 

2:30pm - Aloha & Riviera Deck - Cabins on this deck begin with A & R

 

 

I'm in the last group to board, since our family's suite is on the Riviera deck.If I can't reserve that night's seating until I board, how can I use this suite benefit? It is important to my family that we eat in the Crown Grill, not Share, and that we don't eat at 9 pm or later. (My two sons want steak, not 7 courses.)

Thank you much for your help.

[Melba51]

Maybe you qualify for priority boarding...

https://www.princess.com/ships-and-experience/ships/products/staterooms/default-suite.html

 

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[Sox Fan Cruiser]

They reserve many tables for suites for the first night. And someone calls your room to find out if you want to attend a speciality restaurant the first night. There are only so many suites. It’s not like the number of elites that can vary fro cruise to cruise.

 

You will be fine.

 

Oh, and the staggered boarding is only a suggestion. You are in a suite. Show up when you want to. I have never paid attention to that and been greeted with smiles when I show up.

[moki'smommy]

Since you are in a suite, you have priority check in and boarding. In addition, the boarding times are not enforced for anyone. When you get to the terminal, you show them your boarding passes, which will indicate the suite. You'll be directed to the priority line and from there onto the ship.

 

There is supposed to be a letter in your suite indicating your dining time, but you can call or go to the restaurant and change it. If no one answers at the DINE line and there is no one at the Crown Grill (as happened to us), go to Passenger Services and they will take care of it.

 

As noted, there are a very limited number of suites on each ship, and they do reserve spots for those people.

 

Other things to consider--you'll get a mini bar which you can trade for two coffee packages. Know which cards you want to put the coffee packages on. If you keep the mini bar, trade the water for something like cokes. You'll get one bottle of water for each person each night (or at least we did in April). Actually, if there were full bottles on the counter, he didn't leave more, but there were three bottles on the counter each evening--if we had used them, they were replaced.

 

The free laundry was a super perk, but Club Class dining was the very best.

[chamonix1962]

Thank you everyone for your assurances. I was hoping to take my boys to a steak dinner, and can now relax about it. (Share sounds delicious to me, but not to my 20 and 24 year old sons; they would have bailed at the thought of 7 courses.)

 

I appreciate your advice.

Chamonix

[Coffeeluvr05]

I didn’t read all of the replies, but you can board when you get to the port. You have priority boarding. You can call the dine line as soon as you board and set your reservation. Enjoy!

 

 

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[tv24]

Don't stress. The specialty resto is reserved for only suite guests on the first night. You will be solicited by either your steward or the concierge to make a reservation right after you board. They will be able to fit your needs. We've sailed in a suite twice and dined at 8:00 each time in restaurants that were only half-full. No worries.

[moki'smommy]

Don't stress. The specialty resto is reserved for only suite guests on the first night. Y No worries.

If this were true, the inclusion of the BOGO coupon in the TA's coupon book would be pointless.

[IECalCruiser]

Those boarding times are just suggestions and do not apply to passengers with priority boarding such as full suite passengers. Boarding should start no later than noon with full suite passengers boarding with or just after elite passengers. Plan to get to the dock around 11:00 to be able to check in before boarding.

 

 

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[suekel]

How flexible is Princess for letting you change the night? I get a free suite dinner the first night and I am also getting a coupon book. I'd love to use the coupon the first night and then use the free dinner another night. Is it up to the Maitre D?

[jasbo49]

How flexible is Princess for letting you change the night? I get a free suite dinner the first night and I am also getting a coupon book. I'd love to use the coupon the first night and then use the free dinner another night. Is it up to the Maitre D?

We had a suite on the Crown in April and were NOT permitted to pick another night. The complimentary specialty dinner was good only for the first night.

 

Jim

[suekel]

Thanks. Figured as much but it never hurts to ask!

[RSF Cruiser]

Even if they do not have a table available at the time you want, don/t be concerned. Go down to the specialty restaurant when you want to eat, and they probably will seat you. That was the advice given to us when the time we wanted wasn't available. We were told to show up, and they sat us.

[moki'smommy]

How flexible is Princess for letting you change the night? I get a free suite dinner the first night and I am also getting a coupon book. I'd love to use the coupon the first night and then use the free dinner another night. Is it up to the Maitre D?

It seems to be a matter of who you talk to. My suggestion is to ask--the worst thing they can do is to say "no."

[XBGuy]

Thanks. Figured as much but it never hurts to ask!

 

Do not rely on one Cruise Critic experience. As has already been suggested, go ahead and ask for yourself when you are on board. Princess is notoriously inconsistent in many of their policies. It can vary between ships, and, even on a given ship, it can change with a management change.

[justafem]

Our last cruise we had the complimentary specialty dining the first night for being in a suite.

 

Our next 7 day, we have the complimentary first night and a second one through our TA. 2 specialty dinings in such a short cruise is going to spoil us. Add that to CC dining and they're going to have to roll me off the ship.

 

We've found you can show up at any time and board with whatever group you qualify for. We're eager beavers and want our vacation to start as soon as possible, so get there about 10:30 and are on the ship by 11:30. So the boarding times are "suggested".

[kenexx]

How flexible is Princess for letting you change the night? I get a free suite dinner the first night and I am also getting a coupon book. I'd love to use the coupon the first night and then use the free dinner another night. Is it up to the Maitre D?

 

I’ve been in a suite on the Diamond and no problem to change to another night.

[Eagle_and_hawk]

How flexible is Princess for letting you change the night? I get a free suite dinner the first night and I am also getting a coupon book. I'd love to use the coupon the first night and then use the free dinner another night. Is it up to the Maitre D?

 

We have been in two suites on the Coral, could change it one time but not the other. Also on the Emerald, and said no & same on Caribbean. So, one out of four for us on three different ships. The only one we really, really wanted to change it on was SB Alaska on the Coral as left Whittier around 8:30PM, and way too late for us to be eating dinner, plus wanted to be up top for sail away.

[JF - retired RRT]

Suites and Elites are by definition "early boarding".

The SUGGESTED boarding times are just that. They aren't mandatory.

I joined CC before my first cruise and already knew that the email with boarding times was safe to ignore...so I did.

I've arrived at the port by 10 or 10:30 for every cruise I've taken (23 and counting).

The nice thing about boarding early is you can go to your cabin (usually as soon as you board), drop off your carry-on and go to the main dining room for lunch (much nicer than the zoo in the buffet)...usually deck 6 mid-ship.

[caribill]

The nice thing about boarding early is you can go to your cabin (usually as soon as you board), drop off your carry-on and go to the main dining room for lunch (much nicer than the zoo in the buffet)...usually deck 6 mid-ship.

 

That is changing. On other threads it appears that fleetwide Princess is saying cabins will not be ready until 1 PM and has doors closed on some ships to block access to cabins before then.