Reserve Collection-worth the added cost?

[Mermaid792]

We are on the 31 day San Francisco to Sydney on the Crown this September.  We are considering changing our standard mini-suite to a reserve collection mini-suite. Is it worth the extra cost?  Can you get a table for two in the reserve section of the MDR?  Does priority line work for ports or just embark and disembark?  Thanks for your help. 

[LACruiser88]

For us, the Reserve Collection Dining is well worth the extra cost.  And yes, you can certainly have a table for two.

[Ken the cruiser]

From what I can tell, you have 18 sea days and one transition day in LA to be treated like royalty at breakfast, lunch and dinner by the same top quality servers on each occasion. Anyway, that’s how we feel when we dine in the Reserve Collection “anytime” dining area. We seldom ever need to go to a specialty restaurant because we would miss an evening dining there and all the tasty food they serve. I know I sound a little over top in my description, but that’s how we feel every time we show up to dine there. In fact we won’t book any cabin that’s not at least a RC mini-suite.

 

I just checked and the daily per person rate for a RC mini-suite on the cruise you’re referring to is $168, which is a pretty decent rate. Add the Princess Plus package for an additional $60 pp/day and it’s still a pretty good deal for this awesome cruise! 😁

 

As far as the priority line goes, it's only applicable on embarkation and disembarkation day.

 

Edited June 14 by Ken the cruiser

[Cajuntraveler]

I agree with LaCruiser - the dining experience is worth the extra expense.

We always have the same table for 2 in the Reserve dining room (same wait staff also) and have never had to wait for a table.   We also like the location of the Reserve collection cabins.  I don't remember any priority lines for ports. 

[memoak]

There is never an issue getting a table for 2 in reserve at 

[Jakdgr]

I echo what @Ken the cruiser said - we sailed suites and have been in RC mini suites and really enjoy it - the staff always efficient and we never had a wait of more than a minute even at busy times.

[TAW1963]

We just experienced the Reserve dining room about a month ago on our 7-day Alaska cruise on the Majestic Princess.  We absolutely loved the Reserve dining room.  There were only 2-3 waiters and 2-3 junior waiters and we got to know all of them early on in the cruise for we ate all three meals there.  It was so nice knowing that you could go when you wanted and not have to wait in a line.  We have found that we really enjoy the M6, Forward-Facing Reserve Collection Mini Suites on the Royal class ships.  The extra we pay for Reserve Collection is worth it for the cabin alone, let alone the Reserve dining room.  All of our booked cruises in the next 2-2.5 years are now in these cabins.

[FLAlaska]

For me, its worth it. I usually sail solo and love the smaller area, they always managed to sit me in a small table next to window and felt a lot "cozier"for me than the MDR.  Never had to wait, service was quick and friendly. 

[tml1230]

Since trying reserve class 3 cruises ago, it is ALL we will book now....the immediate seating at our table for 2  is at the top of my list. The staff on all 3 off reserve class experiences has been above outstanding.Little things, like having a bottle of Texas Pete hot sauce waiting for you on the table every meal, makes it special....

 

We are bringing our 10 year grand daughter along  next week on a reserve class cruise.  Our son is very concerned that his first born  will assume all future cruise experiences (which they pay for!) are going to be similar to this ....and they won't be!

 

also be aware a few of your shipmates ,as they stand in line waiting for a table, will give you the "stink eye" as you walk right in!    I have learned to live with it!

Have a great cruise...

[pompeii]

Regarding the priority tendering, I've never sailed in reserve collection but when we were on the Sapphire in January we made some travel buddies who used priority tendering at every tender port.  They were not elite.  So on that ship at least, the reserve collection priority tendering was for all ports.  I was surprised because I had never heard that priority tendering was included as a perk with reserve.

 

I just looked at the fact sheet on the website and it does say that it's for embarkation and disembarkation only, so maybe the Sapphire just did things differently.  

Edited June 14 by pompeii

[NavyVeteran]

"Priority Disembarkation at tender ports" is definitely not listed for Reserve Collection Mini-Suites. "Priority embarkation & disembarkation at beginning and end of cruise" is the only priority disembarkation listed.

 

"Priority Disembarkation at tender ports" is clearly listed for Suites and "priority ship-to-shore water shuttle embarkation" is clearly listed for Elite passengers.

[Ken the cruiser]

1 hour ago, pompeii said:

Regarding the priority tendering, I've never sailed in reserve collection but when we were on the Sapphire in January we made some travel buddies who used priority tendering at every tender port.  They were not elite.  So on that ship at least, the reserve collection priority tendering was for all ports.  I was surprised because I had never heard that priority tendering was included as a perk with reserve.

 

I just looked at the fact sheet on the website and it does say that it's for embarkation and disembarkation only, so maybe the Sapphire just did things differently.  

We were also on the Sapphire on a 30-day B2B starting in late January, and I remember reading that the Reserve Collection mini-suite passengers received priority tendering and thought that was odd, as we had never seen that before. We were in a Suite and had PCL excursions booked at every tender port, so it was no big deal for us. But I also remember there was a large group of guests from Chile dining in the Reserve Dining area on the 2nd leg, so I figured the Captain was just extending a good will gesture to them. But that was just me trying to rationalize the "why".

 

Unfortunately, there were no tender ports on our recent Alaska B3B on the Grand. So no help there to confirm if this "one time" inclusion on the Sapphire was a one and done thing, or if it is possibly a new RC mini suite perk. I guess only time will tell.

[walkingsoon]

What am I missing here? Is this question not unanswerable without knowing what the added cost actually is? Certainly most agree that RC adds value, very significant value for many. Most might reasonably feel that an additional $10 pp/day would be a great deal. But if the price added is >$60 pp/day then you might start comparing it to the cost of reserving specialty restaurants and the sanctuary every day and decide that it's not worth it. I wouldn't count the priority lines as adding any value, btw.

 

Another factor to consider is that trans-ocean cruises frequently sail emptier than other cruises. I did a trans-Pacific on a Royal class ship last year that had fewer patrons than staff. We were treated royally at our own table in the far corner of the regular MDR. Been on both sides of this fence and I appreciate some perks, but am still frequently impressed at the quality of the base product..

 

To the OP: I would (have done, in fact) wait and bid aggressively low for for upgrades to RC or even full suites when bidding opens up.

[Mermaid792]

11 minutes ago, walkingsoon said:

What am I missing here? Is this question not unanswerable without knowing what the added cost actually is? Certainly most agree that RC adds value, very significant value for many. Most might reasonably feel that an additional $10 pp/day would be a great deal. But if the price added is >$60 pp/day then you might start comparing it to the cost of reserving specialty restaurants and the sanctuary every day and decide that it's not worth it. I wouldn't count the priority lines as adding any value, btw.

 

Another factor to consider is that trans-ocean cruises frequently sail emptier than other cruises. I did a trans-Pacific on a Royal class ship last year that had fewer patrons than staff. We were treated royally at our own table in the far corner of the regular MDR. Been on both sides of this fence and I appreciate some perks, but am still frequently impressed at the quality of the base product..

 

To the OP: I would (have done, in fact) wait and bid aggressively low for for upgrades to RC or even full suites when bidding opens up.

The cost is $58 per person per day. So maybe not worth it. Thanks for the suggestion on bidding and the information on emptier trans ocean cruises. This is our first so I didn’t realize that. 

[memoak]

11 hours ago, TAW1963 said:

We just experienced the Reserve dining room about a month ago on our 7-day Alaska cruise on the Majestic Princess.  We absolutely loved the Reserve dining room.  There were only 2-3 waiters and 2-3 junior waiters and we got to know all of them early on in the cruise for we ate all three meals there.  It was so nice knowing that you could go when you wanted and not have to wait in a line.  We have found that we really enjoy the M6, Forward-Facing Reserve Collection Mini Suites on the Royal class ships.  The extra we pay for Reserve Collection is worth it for the cabin alone, let alone the Reserve dining room.  All of our booked cruises in the next 2-2.5 years are now in these cabins.

Linch is only served on sea days. If you are in port you only get breakfast and dinner

[memoak]

4 hours ago, tml1230 said:

Since trying reserve class 3 cruises ago, it is ALL we will book now....the immediate seating at our table for 2  is at the top of my list. The staff on all 3 off reserve class experiences has been above outstanding.Little things, like having a bottle of Texas Pete hot sauce waiting for you on the table every meal, makes it special....

 

We are bringing our 10 year grand daughter along  next week on a reserve class cruise.  Our son is very concerned that his first born  will assume all future cruise experiences (which they pay for!) are going to be similar to this ....and they won't be!

 

also be aware a few of your shipmates ,as they stand in line waiting for a table, will give you the "stink eye" as you walk right in!    I have learned to live with it!

Have a great cruise...

Since there are separate entrances for reserve and regular MDR’s. So who is giving you the stink eye ?

[cruzsnooze]

The menu is the same with an extra dish added in the reserve class. It's essentially a no wait immediate seating as the perk. If waiting in line at the main dining room bothers you then it's worth it not to wait in reserve. 

[cruzsnooze]

2 minutes ago, memoak said:

Since there are separate entrances for reserve and regular MDR’s. So who is giving you the stink eye ?

Not true on all ships. I recently was on the Island it was the same entrance but had divided the double doors with a sign that no one paid attention to. 

[memoak]

Just now, cruzsnooze said:

Not true on all ships. I recently was on the Island it was the same entrance but had divided the double doors with a sign that no one paid attention to. 

It and the Coral may be the only ones. All grand class and royal class ships have separate entrances

[tml1230]

21 minutes ago, memoak said:

Since there are separate entrances for reserve and regular MDR’s. So who is giving you the stink eye ?

actually your first sentence was not in any way what we experienced ... 3 cruises, 2 different princess ship classes - same entrance as regular MDR each time..simply a sign for reserve class  , ,,,prior to that club class sign.

[tml1230]

28 minutes ago, memoak said:

It and the Coral may be the only ones. All grand class and royal class ships have separate entrances

"all"? ..on "royal class "...maybe things have changed recently but that is different than our experience on the Regal princess.....

[TAW1963]

54 minutes ago, memoak said:

Linch is only served on sea days. If you are in port you only get breakfast and dinner

That is so thoughtful of you to point that out.   

[memoak]

23 minutes ago, tml1230 said:

"all"? ..on "royal class "...maybe things have changed recently but that is different than our experience on the Regal princess.....

In the last 2 years we have sailed on the Discovery, Crown, Ruby, Royal and Emerald. Every cruise had 2 entrances one starboard and one port side

[tml1230]

good to know

[Mermaid792]

3 hours ago, Mermaid792 said:

The cost is $58 per day. So maybe not worth it. Thanks for the suggestion on bidding and the information on emptier trans ocean cruises. This is our first so I didn’t realize that.