Is Reserve Collection / Club similar to Celebrity Aqua class & Blu restaurant? (Japan, Diamond Princess)

[zitsky]

I’m considering a 9 day circle tour of Japan on Diamond Princess in a mini suite with Princess Premier.  I have sailed on Celebrity in their Aqua class and Retreat.  I’ve been through the forum but I still have some questions.

 

Is Reserve or Club collection similar to Celebrity Aqua class?  From what I see a mini suite doesn’t have the perks of a suite and is just a larger cabin?  Is the Sanctuary the adult only space?  Is it a lounge only or is there a pool or hot tub?  This is not the same as the new Sanctuary Collection space which looks like the Celebrity Retreat?

 

The restaurant appears to be carved out of the MDR.  How early do they serve breakfast on sea and port days?  Do you find yourself going to the coffee shop instead if you have an early excursion?

 

I see that spa passes are usually under $200 pp which is a lot cheaper than Celebrity.  Spa access is included in their Aqua class.

 

Does Princess book business class airfare or economy only?  I usually book separately but would combine if I could get a good deal.  Do you get any flexibility on when you fly or how many connections or do they just tell you what it is?

Does Princess Premier give any expedited boarding?  If not what is the boarding and return process like for Princess?  What is embark and disembark like?

 

Thank you for any advice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[skynight]

22 minutes ago, zitsky said:

Is Reserve or Club collection similar to Celebrity Aqua class?  From what I see a mini suite doesn’t have the perks of a suite and is just a larger cabin?

Yes, larger cabin. Reserve Class basically means that you can dine in the Reserve Class Dining room. This is a walk in DR with prompt seating and upgraded service.

 Is the Sanctuary the adult only space?  Is it a lounge only or is there a pool or hot tub?  This is not the same as the new Sanctuary Collection space which looks like the Celebrity Retreat?

Yes, Adult Only. The sanctuary has to be reserved and is an extra cost. On the Diamond it is an outdoor lounge only. One deck down is the Lotus Pool. On some ships this pool is for sanctuary guests only. On other it is open to all adults. 

The restaurant appears to be carved out of the MDR.  How early do they serve breakfast on sea and port days?  Do you find yourself going to the coffee shop instead if you have an early excursion?

DRs - 7:30 to 9:30 on sea days, 7:00 to 9:00 on port days.  Remember it's table service which is slower than a quick pick up. The International cafe is open 24/7 and is a good option any day for a quick continental breakfast. Room service is also available. There is a door hanger tag that you can fill out the evening before, or you can call room service, or order through the App. The buffet opens as early as 5:00am

I see that spa passes are usually under $200 pp which is a lot cheaper than Celebrity.  Spa access is included in their Aqua class.

No information

Does Princess book business class airfare or economy only?  I usually book separately but would combine if I could get a good deal.  Do you get any flexibility on when you fly or how many connections or do they just tell you what it is?

Princess has EZ Air. You book yourself in EZ Air. Princess does not book air. Once you book your cruise you have the choice to go into the EZ Air site and select your airline, flights and seat class. Business class is available. Some airlines allow you to select your seats when booked, other do not. If you go to the Princess.com website and select your cruise, you will see an option to view available flights and costs in EZ Air. No obligation, just view. Of course, you have to be inside the 330 day airline booking window. You can then see costs and compare. EZ has restricted and non-restricted fares. Payment for the air is due at the time of final cruise payment. 

Does Princess Premier give any expedited boarding?  If not what is the boarding and return process like for Princess?  What is embark and disembark like?

Not that I am aware. I don't know about the boarding process in Japan. I assume it is very similar to that in the U.S. and Europe. There are no assigned boarding times. There is a boarding window, example 11am until 3pm. It depends on when the ship is sailing. You choose when you arrive at the port. If you have your medallion you are green line. Once through security green line passengers go directly to the boarding area. If you do not have your medallion you are blue line. Blue line passengers make a short detour to pick up their medallion and then proceed to the boarding area. Once boarding begins priority boarders go first. Boarding goes quickly. There isn't much of a wait.

Disembarkation. You may be assigned a disembarkation time. If it does not fit your preference, just visit passenger services and request the time you wish. 

 

Thank you for any advice.

 

See comments in your posting. Hope this helps some.

[Wishing on a star]

I try to be helpful, but would not be an 'expert'!   I will give you some info and hope it helps.

 

Reserve dining means that you have access to 'walk-in' dining in a separate part of a Main Dining Room.  Some upgraded menu options available.  You will see that Filet or Lobster tail from Crown Grill will always be an extra charge.

 

Sanctuary is reservation, by the day or for the whole cruise.  

RESERVE bookings only refer to the above dining.  No other access to Sanctuary or Spa.   

The Sanctuary on many cruises, especially warm weather cruises, will be booked up FAST.  Your hope is to arrive at the Port early, be in the waiting area, board as early as possible, and RUN directly up to the Sanctuary to see any availability.  Those who are already onboard Back-to-Back with the previous sailing, and those who have Early Priority Boarding, will be able to reserve loungers in the Sanctuary before you.

 

As far as boarding, the Premier Package does not have any special boarding.

Special Guests, Guests in Suites, Elite, Platinum, will be called first.  Then, when that seems to be done, it is general boarding.

 

If you want a Spa Pass, yes, you will see this on your Cruise Planner/Personalizer.

You can book that if you like.  It is not included with RESERVE.

Daily Spa passes are made available day-of, depending on availability, how busy the Spa Thermal Suite is.   The per day price will be more than the length of cruise Pass that you see online.

 

Yes, go to Easy Air, like you might be booking, and see the options and fares available.

I prefer to have control over my Airline bookings.  So, I am not one to be a good source of info.  But I am sure many use Princess.

I think they still offer two options...  one that locks you in immediately, and one that is changeable.  If you are not locked in, I believe that you can, at some point, request to be 'ticketed', and instead of being penciled in, you will be issued your specific tickets, can possibly select seats, etc.

[sunviking90]

As far as dining goes, the Reserve Collection dining as you said is a section of the main dining room. We’ve sailed on Celebrity a number of times in Aqua and it’s not the same thing. It lacks the cozy intimacy of Blu and it doesn’t have an entirely different menu like Blu. 
The stateroom is a minisuite and the same size as standard minisuites. 
We love Aquaclass on Celebrity and actually only sail on Celebrity these days if we can get Aqua at a decent price. On Princess we just go standard. Many people like the Reserve Collection, but we don’t feel it offers enough for us personally to pay the up charge. 

[zitsky]

5 minutes ago, sunviking90 said:

As far as dining goes, the Reserve Collection dining as you said is a section of the main dining room. We’ve sailed on Celebrity a number of times in Aqua and it’s not the same thing. It lacks the cozy intimacy of Blu and it doesn’t have an entirely different menu like Blu. 
The stateroom is a minisuite and the same size as standard minisuites. 
We love Aquaclass on Celebrity and actually only sail on Celebrity these days if we can get Aqua at a decent price. On Princess we just go standard. Many people like the Reserve Collection, but we don’t feel it offers enough for us personally to pay the up charge. 

I’ll price again as Standard.  Is the MDR decent?  And how expensive are specialty restaurants and Chef’s Table on Princess?  
 

On Celebrity you can load the app and pick a sailing to see restaurant menus, prices, etc.  Can you do that on Princess?

 

Thanks for all the replies.

Edited Friday at 02:38 PM by zitsky

[memoak]

Reserve class mini suites are based on location not size of cabin. There are no full suite perks. The advantage to Reserve class is no reservations needed, no wait and there is usually one extra entree that is not available in the regular MDR. 
Specialty restaurants are $45 per person plus 18% tip. Casual dining venues are 14.99 plus 18%

i stopped going to Chefs dinners because it was mostly a way to huge amount of food

Edited Friday at 03:06 PM by memoak

[reedprincess]

1 hour ago, zitsky said:

I’ll price again as Standard.  Is the MDR decent?  And how expensive are specialty restaurants and Chef’s Table on Princess?  
 

On Celebrity you can load the app and pick a sailing to see restaurant menus, prices, etc.  Can you do that on Princess?

 

Thanks for all the replies.

MDR is good to very good..Same as MDR on Celebrity.

Reserve class is not like Aqua - no separate menu, dining room, no spa perks, etc.  Just better stateroom location and no reservation needed walk in dining with different linens, menu covers, flowers and an extra dish or two per night. Reserve includes priority embarkation - after suites, elite, Platinum... If minimal worth unless you arrive before boarding begins. Once boarding begins,nirs first come first serve.

 

Specialty Dining is $45 + 18% service charge.. Premier Cruise Package ($90usd per night of sailing pp) is unlimited specialty dining, unlimited drinks ($20 or less), unlimited photos, unlimited casual dining ($14.99 prix fixe or a la carte otherwise), gratuity, 4 device WiFi, reserved seating for production shows, etc.. no priority boarding or disembarkation with Premier..

 

Different pricing structure, inclusions, dining styles, etc than Celebrity. As an Elite on Princiss and Elite + on Celebrity, overall we prefer Princess when it comes to pricing and inclusions, Celebrity for food overall  - although specialty dining is ridiculously priced in venues... Staff is great on both, ships are great on both although Edge class is a whole other level, etc.  we sail by itinerary mainly now, which usually means a lot more Princess...

 

Enjoy 

[Ken the cruiser]

A couple of things come to mind in addition to what folks have said above.

 

1. Blu is never open for lunch on sea days whereas Reserve Class dining is.

 

2. When you compare cruise prices, remember in most cases Princess offers them with refundable deposits whereas Celebrity charges at 20% surcharge if you want a refundable deposit with one of their bookings.

 

3. Celebrity charges $70 pp/day for their All Included package which only includes their basic drink and internet packages whereas Princess charges $60 pp/day for the Plus package which includes higher quality drink and internet packages along with gratuities and other nominal perks or $90 pp/day for their Premium package which includes even higher quality beverage and internet packages along with gratuities, unlimited specialty dining, and other nominal perks.

 

Just saying … 😁

[zitsky]

We are spoiled by Celebrity Blu, especially for breakfast.  We don’t like buffets, waiting in line, trying to find an open table.  We do room service breakfast on Celebrity if we have an early excursion.  Or go to Blu.

 

One issue with room service on Celebrity is in some cabins they have tables that are too small.  I’ve seen a few pictures of mini suites but is it convenient to have room service in your room or on the balcony?

 

Thanks again.

[reedprincess]

18 minutes ago, zitsky said:

We are spoiled by Celebrity Blu, especially for breakfast.  We don’t like buffets, waiting in line, trying to find an open table.  We do room service breakfast on Celebrity if we have an early excursion.  Or go to Blu.

 

One issue with room service on Celebrity is in some cabins they have tables that are too small.  I’ve seen a few pictures of mini suites but is it convenient to have room service in your room or on the balcony?

 

Thanks again.

Breakfast is served daily in the MDR for everyone, whether Reserve or not. FWIW. No having to search for a table or anything.

 

The mini-suite table is okay to eat off of.. it's a smallish oval, but you can put the food tray on the counter/desk area, and eat each part of the table..or bring the table in from the balcony also ..it's a low coffee table, not a high restaurant/bistro height (in the cabin)..

[zitsky]

50 minutes ago, reedprincess said:

Breakfast is served daily in the MDR for everyone, whether Reserve or not. FWIW. No having to search for a table or anything.

 

The mini-suite table is okay to eat off of.. it's a smallish oval, but you can put the food tray on the counter/desk area, and eat each part of the table..or bring the table in from the balcony also ..it's a low coffee table, not a high restaurant/bistro height (in the cabin)..

Are crowds in the buffet a problem on Princess?  People complain in the Celebrity forums of not being able to find open tables at the buffet.  Either too crowded or people taking up tables to play board games or play cards.

[skynight]

Additional dining information which I did not see mentioned. With the premier fare package you have complimentary access to unlimited specialty and casual dining. I'm not exactly certain regarding the Diamond Princess, but here goes. Specialty dining is The Brazilian Grill and Sabatini's. Casual dining is Alfredo's and Kai Sushi. These may have changed or others may have been added. Casual dining is just walk in. Specialty dining fills up and basically requires a reservation. You can make these reservations on line in advance. When reserving I have read that your credit card is charged. I have also read that when you board you can obtain a refund at passenger services in the form of refundable OBC. Maybe someone else can comment on the exact process.  

[Ken the cruiser]

FWIW we went on a 17-day Japan B2B on the Diamond last summer, which I posted our experiences to in a Live From thread you can check out in my below signature area. The Diamond even has a Japanese bath!

[skynight]

Regarding eating breakfast in the cabin. In my opinion it's a place to just eat to fill yourself for breakfast. It's not a dining experience. There is a small low table inside and another on the balcony. Mini suite balconies are 9ft x 6ft and not covered.

The buffet does not really have a line. You just walk in to the serving area and go to the breakfast items you wish to have. For example if you wish to have fruit and a bowl of cereal then you go there, select what you wish and walk out. You can carry your food to a table or back to your cabin. Juice, tea and coffee are served at the tables. Coffee and tea are also self served anytime of the day or evening.

There are tables both in the mid and aft sections of the buffet. You can also select to eat by the indoor pool which is forward of the buffet area, or by the Terrace Pool which is aft of the buffet.

There will be a wait if you wish to have a made to order omelet. You place your order and once prepared the waiter will deliver to you. During busy periods both the port and starboard sides of the buffet are in operation. The buffet is open from 5am until late evening. It never closes during that time. I sometimes visit later in the evening for some fruit such as pineapple. 

[reedprincess]

1 hour ago, zitsky said:

Are crowds in the buffet a problem on Princess?  People complain in the Celebrity forums of not being able to find open tables at the buffet.  Either too crowded or people taking up tables to play board games or play cards.

No, crowds aren't a problem really on Princess..

One thing Princess does way, way better than Celebrity is the buffet - as far as hours go.

It is open continuously from approximately 6am to 10pm.  Unlike Celebrity, which closes in between meals. 

With it open continually - crowds spread out more and aren't bunched up in the 2 hours of breakfast or 2 hours of lunch, etc..

Breakfast will run till 11/11:30, lunch from 11:30/12 to 3, tea time with snacks and such, 3-5, dinner 5-10. 

One side or the other will close as they're transitioning between meals, but the other side will be open, and during the main hours, not sides are open..coffee, tea, water, juice blends, 24/7. 

Buffet is more similar to the set-up on Millennium class ships, not the separate stations that started with Solstice.   Each side mirrors each other, with usually the aft section being quietest - there is an fresh made to order omelette station in the morning, but no fresh made to order eggs benedict like Celebrity. 😐

 

Different lines, different policies, different setups, etc.   vastly prefer the buffet and times on Princess, given it's never closed during the 14-15 hours... 

 

 

[zitsky]

8 minutes ago, reedprincess said:

No, crowds aren't a problem really on Princess..

One thing Princess does way, way better than Celebrity is the buffet - as far as hours go.

It is open continuously from approximately 6am to 10pm.  Unlike Celebrity, which closes in between meals. 

With it open continually - crowds spread out more and aren't bunched up in the 2 hours of breakfast or 2 hours of lunch, etc..

Breakfast will run till 11/11:30, lunch from 11:30/12 to 3, tea time with snacks and such, 3-5, dinner 5-10. 

One side or the other will close as they're transitioning between meals, but the other side will be open, and during the main hours, not sides are open..coffee, tea, water, juice blends, 24/7. 

Buffet is more similar to the set-up on Millennium class ships, not the separate stations that started with Solstice.   Each side mirrors each other, with usually the aft section being quietest - there is an fresh made to order omelette station in the morning, but no fresh made to order eggs benedict like Celebrity. 😐

 

Different lines, different policies, different setups, etc.   vastly prefer the buffet and times on Princess, given it's never closed during the 14-15 hours... 

 

 

Thanks.  What about finding an empty table when you need one?  Is that problem solved by the longer hours?  That seems to be the biggest complaint on Celebrity.  Would you say the food is decent in the Princess buffet?

 

I think we will seriously consider Princess for our next cruise after our January Celebrity cruise.  The price even with all the add ons is really attractive.

 

Is there anyone here who has experience both on Celebrity Millennium and on Diamond Princess?  I have not been on the Millennium yet and we will be on it in the Retreat in January.  I already don’t like the small number of restaurants compared to the other Celebrity ships.

[peety3]

2 hours ago, zitsky said:

Are crowds in the buffet a problem on Princess?  People complain in the Celebrity forums of not being able to find open tables at the buffet.  Either too crowded or people taking up tables to play board games or play cards.

That's a big maybe. The buffet can and will run out of room at times. I can recall a time when we had I think lunch in the buffet before going into Juneau, and we ended up asking two women if we could share their table; there was nothing else visibly available for us. They were gracious enough to share.

[memoak]

11 minutes ago, zitsky said:

Thanks.  What about finding an empty table when you need one?  Is that problem solved by the longer hours?  That seems to be the biggest complaint on Celebrity.  Would you say the food is decent in the Princess buffet?

 

I think we will seriously consider Princess for our next cruise after our January Celebrity cruise.  The price even with all the add ons is really attractive.

 

Is there anyone here who has experience both on Celebrity Millennium and on Diamond Princess?  I have not been on the Millennium yet and we will be on it in the Retreat in January.  I already don’t like the small number of restaurants compared to the other Celebrity ships.

In the buffet find your table first and then go one at a time to find food. Not fun having a full plate and wandering around looking for a free table

[waltd]

Crowds are always a problem in the buffet if you go prime time.  And yes tables are at a premium unless you have good weather and like to eat out side.

If you are willing to go when the buffet first opens or after the lunch rush you will have much better luck.  And yes there are always going to be card players. 

[skynight]

2 hours ago, memoak said:

In the buffet find your table first and then go one at a time to find food. Not fun having a full plate and wandering around looking for a free table

This is solid advice when crowded. I have found on the Grand Class ships, such as the Diamond, that during crowded times tables are normally available in the aft seating areas as well as on the aft terrace by the Terrace Pool and in the indoor pool area. 

[beltsbear]

The food and atmosphere in Blu on celebrity are a cut above reserve collection on Princess. Unfortunately all in pricing with a drink package is often much higher too. So while we love aqua class and prefer it, we go Princess plus or premier at 30% less per day. Breakfast at Blu is simply my favorite breakfast on the 30+ cruises I have been on. 

[OzKiwiJJ]

We did a nine night Japan cruise on Diamond last year.

 

The MDR dinner menus included some always available Japanese dishes as well as one or two Asian mains. Reserve Collection has virtually the same menu with the addition of one or two extra off-menu items each night - I'm not sure if they included Japanese specialities though. The main advantage of Reserve Collection is the better service and that you can just turn up during the hours it's open.

 

As others have said the Sanctuary on Diamond is extra cost. It's a very peaceful place to spend sea days. The Lotus Spa pool is directly below and usually isn't crowded. If you want to use the Sanctuary you should go up there as soon you embark to book and choose your sunloungers. Bear in mind this is an open deck with very few fully shaded sunloungers, a fair number of partly shaded ones and the rest are in full sun (if the weather is good).

 

Embarkation and disembarkation was very efficient on Yokohama but get there early if you're not Princess Elite status. It was very crowded when we got there around 10:30am. As far as I know Premier doesn't give you priority embarkation. 

[CU64]

20 hours ago, sunviking90 said:

As far as dining goes, the Reserve Collection dining as you said is a section of the main dining room. We’ve sailed on Celebrity a number of times in Aqua and it’s not the same thing. It lacks the cozy intimacy of Blu and it doesn’t have an entirely different menu like Blu. 
The stateroom is a minisuite and the same size as standard minisuites. 
We love Aquaclass on Celebrity and actually only sail on Celebrity these days if we can get Aqua at a decent price. On Princess we just go standard. Many people like the Reserve Collection, but we don’t feel it offers enough for us personally to pay the up charge. 

While I am a fan of Celebrity, the mini suites on Princess are a much larger cabin, with better closets, 2 tvs and a full couch vs a balcony cabin on Celebrity. Aqua Class on Celebrity has the same basic balcony. Blu restaurant on Celebrity is way over rated for quite a larger price. While I never thought Reserve Class on Princess was worth the extra cost, we changed our mind after a 14 day Hawaii cruise. Now we book only Reserve Class.

 

[zitsky]

3 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

We did a nine night Japan cruise on Diamond last year.

 

The MDR dinner menus included some always available Japanese dishes as well as one or two Asian mains. Reserve Collection has virtually the same menu with the addition of one or two extra off-menu items each night - I'm not sure if they included Japanese specialities though. The main advantage of Reserve Collection is the better service and that you can just turn up during the hours it's open.

 

As others have said the Sanctuary on Diamond is extra cost. It's a very peaceful place to spend sea days. The Lotus Spa pool is directly below and usually isn't crowded. If you want to use the Sanctuary you should go up there as soon you embark to book and choose your sunloungers. Bear in mind this is an open deck with very few fully shaded sunloungers, a fair number of partly shaded ones and the rest are in full sun (if the weather is good).

 

Embarkation and disembarkation was very efficient on Yokohama but get there early if you're not Princess Elite status. It was very crowded when we got there around 10:30am. As far as I know Premier doesn't give you priority embarkation. 

I’ve been reading about Sanctuary.  It seems a bit crazy that you have to run up 15 decks and wait in line for the hoes of getting a lounger.  And you may not get it.

 

Are there areas of the ship either inside or outside that are quiet and out of the way?  Celebrity has a Sky Lounge.  On my first cruise it was quiet.  The next time I tried a few years later they had started hosting games with a very loud announcer.  Totally ruined the quiet mood.

 

I do not mind kids at all so it doesn’t need to be adults only.

[skynight]

Crazy or not that is the way the Sanctuary works on Grand Class ships. I have read on these boards that on some have been able to pre-book the Sanctuary on some ships using the app. Maybe someone can confirm.

On the new Sun Princess there is a selection of cabins across a number of higher level categories which are called the Sanctuary Collection. If you book one of these cabins you have access to a sanctuary plus other benefits such as special DRs.

Outdoor areas that will be fairly quiet are the Terrace Pool area, and the seating around the Lotus Spa Pool providing that it still remains open to all. Skywalker's Nightclub indoors will be very quiet during the day. It is all the way back and all the way up. There may possibly be a smoking area within this lounge. During pool weather days Crooners Bar is also quiet. Many people sit there and read. The Wheelhouse Bar will also be quiet most of the time. There may be some daytime activities scheduled there. 

The Diamond sails in Asia where culture and smoking are different than the U.S.