Anyone on Ruby now

[abbydancer2003]

I am on board Ruby right now as we sit at anchorage in Cabo. Those of you reading this thread may not be interested in this, as you all sound like you are going to do club class at some point, but I am an elite level princess frequent cruiser and have always enjoyed embarkation day lunch in the main dining room. Only one MDR is open, as you know, on embarkation day and for Ruby, that is Da Vinci.

 

Well, I boarded 3 days ago and imagine my chagrin when the staff guards at the main dining room turned us and everyone else away as Club Class is now the only way to dine in the MDR for lunch on embarkation day. They were so helpful, telling us that we could dine in buffet upstairs with the entire rest of the ship crowded in there.

 

Needless to say, I am not impressed, Princess.

 

We were on last week and ate in the MDR on embarkcation day.

[seafish]

We may be getting ahead of ourselves on exactly how CC dining works and/or new Princess dining practices. So far we have received no feed-back from Club Class passengers with actual 1st hand done that experience aboard 12/10 Ruby or 12/12 Emerald. At this point it's all conjecture. Hopefully we will get some 1st hand info soon.

[IECalCruiser]

We were on last week and ate in the MDR on embarkcation day.

You were on the first cruise with Club Class on the Ruby while the recent post was from the second cruise. Things might be changing [emoji849] We need more first hand reports [emoji848]

 

 

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[Nashna]

It's been awhile since I sailed on Princess, so please forgive my question. Prior to Club Class were all passengers able to dine in the MDR on embarkation day?

[seafish]

It's been awhile since I sailed on Princess, so please forgive my question. Prior to Club Class were all passengers able to dine in the MDR on embarkation day?

 

Yes - but so far no concrete indication that with the introduction of CC anything has changed that policy fleet-wide.

[abbydancer2003]

It's been awhile since I sailed on Princess, so please forgive my question. Prior to Club Class were all passengers able to dine in the MDR on embarkation day?

 

In my experience, the MDR isn't always open. It may have to do with the Bon Voyage Experience, but that's a guess. In general, if open, the answer has been yes

[konatyme]

We've always eaten lunch in an MDR on embarkation day. It will be very disappointing if we are unable to do so on our upcoming January cruise on the Ruby!

[IECalCruiser]

In my experience, the MDR isn't always open. It may have to do with the Bon Voyage Experience, but that's a guess. In general, if open, the answer has been yes

Poster indicated that only Club Class passengers (and I assume full suite passengers) were allowed to eat in the MDR on embarkation day. A BVE conflict should have applied to all.

 

 

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[caribill]

 

Well, I boarded 3 days ago and imagine my chagrin when the staff guards at the main dining room turned us and everyone else away as Club Class is now the only way to dine in the MDR for lunch on embarkation day. They were so helpful, telling us that we could dine in buffet upstairs with the entire rest of the ship crowded in there.

 

Needless to say, I am not impressed, Princess.

 

The map of the ship they handout at check-in usually says you are welcome to have lunch in a dining room. Did your map say that?

 

Also, what did the embarkation day Patter say on the back (dining) page about lunch that day?

[Retiring cajun]

caribill, what was name of that dining room? We're going in feb. club class mini

 

 

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[SheriffJoe]

We are in Club Class on Crown next year and usually dine in MDR on embarkation day. However I certainly would not expect to do so at the expense of other passengers and would certainly make that known to Maitre D or Hotel Manager. From previous experience the MDR is never full at this time.

 

Like he/she would care, I'm sure they will point you to the buffet should you so desire.....

[crows nest club]

Like he/she would care, I'm sure they will point you to the buffet should you so desire.....

 

With respect, it seems a shame that contributors to this website cannot make genuine comments in answers to previous posts, without avsarcastic comment being thrown back at them.

 

Incidentally, I do care if Princess implements new procedures to the detriment of others and would have no hesitation in trying to address it if at all possble whilst on board.

 

By the way I am a she.

[junglejane]

We were on the Dec. 17 sailing of the Ruby and can confirm that lunch in the MDR on embarkation day was limited to Club Class. There were signs all over the entrance to the DaVinci dining room and a Princess staff person at the doorway with a clipboard checking cabins numbers as people tried to enter. :( It was the same type of procedure used for breakfast at Sabatini's for suites passengers.

Edited December 23, 2016 by junglejane

[OCruisers]

We were on the Dec. 17 sailing of the Ruby and can confirm that lunch in the MDR on embarkation day was limited to Club Class. There were signs all over the entrance to the DaVinci dining room and a Princess staff person at the doorway with a clipboard checking cabins numbers as people tried to enter. :( It was the same type of procedure used for breakfast at Sabatini's for suites passengers.

 

How about on At Sea days?

Was lunch in the MDR on At Sea days also limited to those with Club Class?

[junglejane]

How about on At Sea days?

Was lunch in the MDR on At Sea days also limited to those with Club Class?

 

The MDR was open for all passengers on sea days. It was even open when we were in Cabo (probably because the arrival and departure times were right around noon.

[OCruisers]

Thanks! That's good to know!

Now wondering what they'll do about In Transit folks who aren't Club Class on their "turnaround" day?

[Aussie Gal]

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[laughing husky]

This doesn't relate to club class, but I would like to interject on the dining questions an interesting dining experience for me on NCL. I am elite on Princess, and have sailed numerous other lines....anyway, I haven't been on NCL in years....quit going when the line started to cheapen what they had...and I did love the old Norway....but I saw where they offered a cruise on the Pearl which had an interesting 10 day itinerary hitting some ports that I did not ever sail...decided to bite the bullet....I have to say, the food was excellent, never had to wait for a table....most of the time by the window....wait staff was professional.....and I was totally shocked.....One day I had pasta, and I felt it was a bit overcooked...(my Mother was Italian, so I am fussy about Pasta)....I just wrote it in a comment card....The head chef called me, The Captain sent a handwritten note to me, I had fresh canapes delivered, and a verbal and written apology.....All I said was that the pasta was a bit over cooked and it was not al dente....Nothing more....I have to admit, if I complained about something on Princess it fell on deaf ears....Most of all, I was impressed with the quality and innovated preparation of the food served....The tables were also far enough away, you could not hear another conversation....THAT was nice.....:) Maybe I will go back and try it one more time...

[KBS1607]

I hate to hear that about the MDR on embarkation days. That was a nice Princess touch.

[Aussie Gal]

This doesn't relate to club class, but I would like to interject on the dining questions an interesting dining experience for me on NCL. Most of all, I was impressed with the quality and innovated preparation of the food served....The tables were also far enough away, you could not hear another conversation....THAT was nice.....:) Maybe I will go back and try it one more time...

 

Our daughter and our granddaughter have had two cruises on Norwegian and in January they joined us on the Golden Princess. All we heard most of the time was how wonderful the food was on Norwegian and how you could eat anywhere at anytime. We are Elite on Princess and are very loyal and we thought that they were exaggerating! Then our brother in law who mainly travels on Norwegian has just returned from a cruise on HAL and said it was "awful". So perhaps Norwegian have lifted their game and are now a cruise line to be reckoned with. :)

 

Jennie

[bigenna]

So disappointing about embarkation day dining.

We so enjoyed arriving by noon, dropping our carry ons in our room, and starting our cruise with the one peaceful meal we got in the MDR.

Any other time it is so full of noise and hustle bustle.

[likeadisguise]

I'm pretty sure there was a large corporate event on Ruby on Dec 17, so it's possible that was a one time thing, not a permanent policy.

[Oh2B@C]

I'm pretty sure there was a large corporate event on Ruby on Dec 17, so it's possible that was a one time thing, not a permanent policy.

 

Fingers crossed for my Jan 7 sailing on the Ruby. I am Elite on Princess but starting to look at NCL very seriously.:(

[likeadisguise]

Good luck! Let us know what happens!

[antsp]

I'm sailing Jan 7th willl let you know