Club class dining

[Debbdo]

We are booked in a suite on our Alaskan cruise next week (Emerald Princess). I am confused about the dining options. We are currently booked into traditional, but since we are in a suite and able to get Club Class I am thinking out why not do CC. Two of our excursions will have us back later than our 6:00 TD time. We enjoy meeting new people when we cruise, so we don't want a table for two. Can someone explain to me exactly what CC dining is? I have read many posts on here, but am still not clear. Thanks in advance!

[moki'smommy]

Club Class is in a roped off area of one of the main dining rooms. In our experience, it has had a separate entrance on the starboard side of the deck 6 dining room (this on two different ships). For breakfast, there is a slightly better menu than the MDR, but you'll likely do the mimosa suite breakfast in one of the specialty restaurants.

For lunch on sea days, there is usually one additional item available, typically an appetizer.

At dinner, there are one or two extra dishes available each night. One will be an entree, the other either an appetizer or a dessert. The rest of the menu is the same as in the regular section.

 

It is any time dining with basically no waiting. The longest we ever waited was about 7 or 8 minutes, and they were very apologetic. Normally there is no wait at all. Table sizes were 2-8, but there was no sharing. Sometimes we were close enough that we chatted with people at the next table. The biggest difference was the service--it was totally super. The servers were personable, funny, and did a great job.

 

I'd do it in a heartbeat when in a suite. I'm not sure I'd pay an upcharge for it if it weren't included.

[CATGUY7]

Club Class allows you to walk into the designated Club Class dining room, get a table without waiting, whenever you want within the dining room hours. It’s very nice, and the waiters are very attentive. I loved it.

[famski740]

I cannot speak for the Emerald but on the Royal, a separate area of the traditional dinning room was set aside with special table cloths and additional waiters to serve the Club Class quests. Even at a table for two we could talk with couples on each side of us. The menu is pretty much the same as the normal dining room but each evening a special dish was prepared right in the dining area and our waiter always brought a serving to us and placed it so we could share it. We always sat with the same waiter.

 

You do not have a special time to eat and in that sense it is Anytime Dinning for which we never had to wait. There was a special entrance for the Club Class guests to enter through. This set up was also available for breakfast and lunch.

[stevenr597]

We had recently been on Regal Princess, and had Club Class Dining.

 

You can dine anytime the main dining room is open. That includes breakfast, lunch on sea days, and dinner. On the Regal I believe it was open until 9:30 P.M.

 

You enter the dining room through a separate restaurant, where you ar greeted by the maintre’d and waiters you usually know you by name. In addition, there is usually no wait.

 

In most cases, the section reserved for club class was fairly empty, and we usually had the pick of the dining area. We were a party of three, no problem.

 

On most nights the maintre’d would be making a “special dish” though not at your table, and we usually had this for an entree.

 

On several nights we first saw the show, then went to the dining room.. No wait...no problem.

 

Club Class is not yet up to the level of Aqua Class and Blue Dining Room. But it is a welcome addition.

 

It really made our dining experience and cruise special. Highly recommend it.

[jennybenny]

We are booked in a suite on our Alaskan cruise next week (Emerald Princess). I am confused about the dining options. We are currently booked into traditional, but since we are in a suite and able to get Club Class I am thinking out why not do CC. Two of our excursions will have us back later than our 6:00 TD time. We enjoy meeting new people when we cruise, so we don't want a table for two. Can someone explain to me exactly what CC dining is? I have read many posts on here, but am still not clear. Thanks in advance!

 

You can choose your dining option. Traditional or Club Class. If you are in a suite or a club class mini suite it will appear in your dining options on the personalizer.

I would switch to Club Class, but you like to dine with a pre set group of people on your cruises Traditional might work better. The only way to eat with others in Club Class is to make friends with someone else who has it and then choose to dine together. Otherwise, they have plenty of seats for 2.

 

With Club Class you can eat whenever you want. At least that was our experience with it in March. I loved it. I was not tied down to a specific time. I despise the wait of Anytime dining. After a couple of years doing it we've switched back to traditional, but when provided with an option, I would pick Club Class. :)

 

Good luck deciding what works best for you!

[OCruisers]

Club Class Dining is a good choice! (y)

[Thrak]

I would love the convenience of CC dining but am too cheap to pay for it. ;p

[Colo Cruiser]

If you want CC then you pick anytime dining.

We just got off our cruise Sat and had CC. It was excellen:D

[caribill]

The only real drawback to Club Class dining is that if you want to dine with friends, they cannot join you in Club Class unless they are also in a Club Class cabin. But you can join them in another dining area.

[Turk1]

So, just to be sure, if we are booked in a Club Class Mini Suite and in our Personalizer it says Traditional Dining ( which has always been our norm) we should select Club Class Dining option to take advantage of this?

[Debbdo]

Just checked my cruise personalizer and CC is not an option, only TD & Anytime. Do I need to contact Princess or can I just change it once on board? Or does checking anytime include CC? Thanks again..I love all the quick responses and great recommendations I get from here.

[Colo Cruiser]

Just checked my cruise personalizer and CC is not an option, only TD & Anytime. Do I need to contact Princess or can I just change it once on board? Or does checking anytime include CC? Thanks again..I love all the quick responses and great recommendations I get from here.

 

 

Other than having anytime as your choice on the booking........There is no need to do anything else.

Our bookings usually reflect anytime.

We just show up at CC dining. They will have a list of eligible passengers at the door.

[Jezabel2924]

So, just to be sure, if we are booked in a Club Class Mini Suite and in our Personalizer it says Traditional Dining ( which has always been our norm) we should select Club Class Dining option to take advantage of this?

 

 

You need to select anytime dining for Club Class. We just got off of the Regal Princess and had Club Class. It was fabulous! Our waitstaff was the best and Gabriel the Head Waiter was awesome! (He made the best shrimp and prawn dishes for us!) By the time we sailed our Club Class mini suite was selling for $300 more than regular balcony so we think it was a good value for us and we enjoyed every minute. Breakfast and lunch in the CC was so peaceful and easy compared to the buffet. Had we has a suite we would have done the Sabatini's Breakfast. That was our favorite perk when we have had suites.

[Debbdo]

I changed my personalizer to anytime and CC shows up. Color me happy! Thank you all for your advise and sharing your knowledge!!

[Ellipooh]

I have a related question: We are traveling with my in-laws in adjacent cabins, both in Suites/CC. We plan to eat in the MDR (CC if available) for lunch on embarkation day (assuming all goes well with timing), but will be in a Specialty Restaurant for dinner and then again for breakfast. When is the best time to request a 4-top in CC? And how should i go about that?

[Poulsbo Cruisers]

I would love the convenience of CC dining but am too cheap to pay for it. ;p

 

We had CC on our 21-day cruise last year as part of a free upgrade. It was very nice, but not nice enough where we could justify paying for it.

[snowskier]

I have a related question: We are traveling with my in-laws in adjacent cabins, both in Suites/CC. We plan to eat in the MDR (CC if available) for lunch on embarkation day (assuming all goes well with timing), but will be in a Specialty Restaurant for dinner and then again for breakfast. When is the best time to request a 4-top in CC? And how should i go about that?

 

Go to the dining room when you are ready to eat and when asked how many, say 4.

[bobby3334]

We had CC on our 21-day cruise last year as part of a free upgrade. It was very nice, but not nice enough where we could justify paying for it.

 

 

 

Agree. Mike

 

 

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[moki'smommy]

Go to the dining room when you are ready to eat and when asked how many, say 4.

When you eat in CC, they have a list with cabin numbers and names. You will be seated at a table that most closely matches the number in your cabin. There is no reason to request a 4 top. If you have 3 or 4 people, you will get a 4 top. There is no table sharing in Club Class. If you have 3 in your cabin but only 2 are coming to the meal, you say "2" when you show up.

 

Bottom line--there is no need to request anything for club class unless you and another cabin have arranged in advance to sit together. Then, when you check in, give the number you'll need. Your request is made at the door when you show up for the meal. In 24 nights in Club Class, we had one wait of about 7 or 8 minutes (for which they were very apologetic) and another wait of less than 2 minutes while they re-set a table. In all other cases, we were seated immediately.

[Cruise Raider]

We had a different experience on the Grand with CC dining. Several times, we were asked if e were willing to share a table. Our wishes were always granted and we were seated quickly ... even if it meant they had to steal another adjacent table in the MDR. So, if you would like to meet others, just let th host / hostess know you would like to share and if others are also willing, you will get your wish. We did so half the time and other times, we preferred to eat by ourselves. Of course, the caveat being that the others still have to be entitled to the CC dining...,but I am sure you understood that.

Btw ... CC all the way. If I could afford it all the time, believe me, I would get it all the time! It is so nice!

[cheeseclan]

We were on the Pacific last month. On our booking it said we were in a CC cabin but that dining was set at 6:00. Once we checked in our cruise card said CC dining On it. So no worries.

 

Then at the CC entrance to dining room they asked our name and seated us. After that they knew who we were so no need to ask.

 

There were tables for 2 or 4 and one table for 8.

 

Loved CC dining and would do it again if it was another great deal. The 3 of us were traveling alone so it was great. If we had multiple family or friends and they were not also in CC I would not do it. Would eat with them instead.

[Hazegreyunderway]

We’re booked on the Grand this December and have a suite but are currently selected the 5:30 traditional dining for 2 people.

 

Can anyone give info on the expanded menu for club class?

 

I’m thinking we should switch over to anytime dining for CC.

Thanks.

 

 

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[moki'smommy]

We’re booked on the Grand this December and have a suite but are currently selected the 5:30 traditional dining for 2 people.

 

Can anyone give info on the expanded menu for club class?

 

I’m thinking we should switch over to anytime dining for CC.

Thanks.

 

 

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Yes, if you are in a suite, you'll want to switch to "anytime" dining.

 

There is no set extra menu for club class. There is one extra item each lunch and typically 2 items each dinner. One is an entree and the other either a dessert or an appetizer. We had a couple of pasta creations, a supposed filet mignon (we were told that it was a better cut than what was available from the menu), steak Diane, and a sirloin. On the nights that we had steaks as the special item, the dessert or appetizer was prepared in the area. Those items included bananas foster, a collection of various fruits in some sort of sauce, etc. Honestly, I don't think we ever ordered the special desserts last week. But we also had 2 specialty dining nights, so were only in CC on 5 of the 7 nights.

[Colo Cruiser]

We’re booked on the Grand this December and have a suite but are currently selected the 5:30 traditional dining for 2 people.

 

Can anyone give info on the expanded menu for club class?

 

I’m thinking we should switch over to anytime dining for CC.

Thanks.

 

 

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Usually an additional entree each night cooked by the HW for the CC section.

Last week we had

a Penne dish,

a shrimp dish,

Bananas Foster

spaghetti/meatballs.

Osso Buco

to name a few.