Club Class upgrade worth it?

[Colorado Coasty]

6 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

Might just be terminology for new bookings?

In keeping with Disney-like wokeness, the word "class" is going away.

[PacnGoNow]

5 minutes ago, Colorado Coasty said:

In keeping with Disney-like wokeness, the word "class" is going away.

This is not Disney World.  But at times it can feel like it. 🤐

[Sea Hag]

16 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

Might just be terminology for new bookings?

Could very well be. Just bringing language into alignment.

[jeromep]

4 hours ago, lhsail said:

Realizing this is an opinion question, we are able to bid for an upgrade to Club Class for our upcoming Enchanted Princess cruise. The price is $165pp for 10 days. Is it worth the upgrade?  Right now the cruise does not show any CC cabins available, so unlikely we would be upgraded anyway. Any downside to CC, especially given our cabin would be assigned without choice?  Thank you. 

I like doing math every now and then.  So, assuming that you are double occupancy, that is an increase of $33/day for a CC mini-suite, above what you have already paid.  You'll get two half bottles of wine, in your cabin, one white, one red, more advantageous cabin locations, generally amidships, but the real star of CC is the CC dining area in the MDR.  In my experience, no waiting to be seated, generally an interesting additional menu selection or selections in CC, generally a faster paced meal.  This means more flexibility in terms of what you do with the rest of your evening.  If you dine early, you'll be able to get to the early show, with plenty of time to spare, if that is your thing, because your meal won't take 2 hours.  I'm hearing of very long meal times in the MDR for some reason, with people commenting that once seated dinner is often 2 hours with lots of dead time between different courses being brought out.

 

I think you have found a good deal.  I'd take it.

[Rick&Jeannie]

3 hours ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

Now, if they sold CC dining benefits with inside through balcony staterooms…THAT would be well worth it to me.  

I tried to broach this topic a few months ago here on CC.  I was basically "tarred and feathered" for my "blasphemy"! 😄

[lhsail]

1 hour ago, jeromep said:

I like doing math every now and then.  So, assuming that you are double occupancy, that is an increase of $33/day for a CC mini-suite, above what you have already paid.  You'll get two half bottles of wine, in your cabin, one white, one red, more advantageous cabin locations, generally amidships, but the real star of CC is the CC dining area in the MDR.  In my experience, no waiting to be seated, generally an interesting additional menu selection or selections in CC, generally a faster paced meal.  This means more flexibility in terms of what you do with the rest of your evening.  If you dine early, you'll be able to get to the early show, with plenty of time to spare, if that is your thing, because your meal won't take 2 hours.  I'm hearing of very long meal times in the MDR for some reason, with people commenting that once seated dinner is often 2 hours with lots of dead time between different courses being brought out.

 

I think you have found a good deal.  I'd take it.

We actually booked this trip including the Plus package on bonus FCC from a big trip in March and April of 2020 that never happened. So that math impacts my thinking as well. 

[Ken the cruiser]

In a nutshell, yes, it's worth it. Put in for the upgrade. You will be glad you did if you are lucky enough to get it. The "stress free" feeling of going to dinner and not having to wait to be seated is awesome! 😉

[PescadoAmarillo]

42 minutes ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

I tried to broach this topic a few months ago here on CC.  I was basically "tarred and feathered" for my "blasphemy"! 😄

It makes sense to me. Princess seems intent on bestowing benefits that provide a more personal experience on their increasing bigger ships to just premium stateroom categories, but MSC offers the Yacht Club experience to some inside cabins. It’s not a radical idea. 

[jeromep]

40 minutes ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

I tried to broach this topic a few months ago here on CC.  I was basically "tarred and feathered" for my "blasphemy"! 😄

I think that offering CC or Reserve Collection, or whatever they want to call it, as an a la carte "upgrade" to all cabin classes would be a nice idea, however I think that would create an issue with all the benefits of CC dining over regular MDR service.  I suspect that demand for CC dining if CC were opened up as an any-cabin upgrade option would outstrip the dining rooms ability to service that many cruisers in the same manner as they want to.  Depending on demand, the only response I could think of would be to take a whole dining room and dedicate it to CC dining.  With Dine My Way replacing the old traditional and anytime dining, that dining room at the rear of most ships on the low deck that you can only get to through an elevator lobby, and used to be used for traditional dining, could become the new CC dining room.

[PacnGoNow]

7 minutes ago, jeromep said:

I think that offering CC or Reserve Collection, or whatever they want to call it, as an a la carte "upgrade" to all cabin classes would be a nice idea, however I think that would create an issue with all the benefits of CC dining over regular MDR service.  I suspect that demand for CC dining if CC were opened up as an any-cabin upgrade option would outstrip the dining rooms ability to service that many cruisers in the same manner as they want to.  Depending on demand, the only response I could think of would be to take a whole dining room and dedicate it to CC dining.  With Dine My Way replacing the old traditional and anytime dining, that dining room at the rear of most ships on the low deck that you can only get to through an elevator lobby, and used to be used for traditional dining, could become the new CC dining room.

I don’t think this will happen.  The new concept is to separate the classes, like the word or not.

 

The new concept, seems to be to give the Signature and Reserve Collection cabins their own private dining rooms.

The rest of the cabins all in dine in the Aft with 3 floors of seating.  Wonder how the galley will handle that?  

This will be interesting.

[KLM3164]

We really enjoy CC dining and do recommend it. The only time we don’t book it is when we are sailing with others who don’t have it and then we just book a regular mini-suite. We like the flexibility of being able to walk in and be seated without making reservations. The service has always been outstanding and we like the extra meal options that are offered. 

[CeCe_]

6 hours ago, lhsail said:

Realizing this is an opinion question, we are able to bid for an upgrade to Club Class for our upcoming Enchanted Princess cruise. The price is $165pp for 10 days. Is it worth the upgrade?  Right now the cruise does not show any CC cabins available, so unlikely we would be upgraded anyway. Any downside to CC, especially given our cabin would be assigned without choice?  Thank you. 

 

Yes, definitely worth the upgrade to Club Class.  When it comes to travel though, it is "less is more" to us, which meant "less quantity / more quality".  They are not too much different in price except for a full suite.  

[memoak]

1 hour ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

I tried to broach this topic a few months ago here on CC.  I was basically "tarred and feathered" for my "blasphemy"! 😄

If anyone could pay for CC how do you handle the amount of people and keep the ambiance and service you will need to increase staffing and size of dining rooms. Then it becomes just another dining room

[Colorado Coasty]

31 minutes ago, memoak said:

If anyone could pay for CC how do you handle the amount of people and keep the ambiance and service you will need to increase staffing and size of dining rooms. Then it becomes just another dining room

In order for the concept to work, it must remain limited.

[lhsail]

Thanks to everyone for your input. I put in a minimum bid and will see what happens. The ship appears very full, so not overly hopeful and will roll with the flow. 

[CeCe_]

18 minutes ago, lhsail said:

Thanks to everyone for your input. I put in a minimum bid and will see what happens. The ship appears very full, so not overly hopeful and will roll with the flow. 

 

Also keep checking on Princess site, I was able in the past to grab a CC that suddenly popped up from nowhere.

[chanteur]

On 1/13/2023 at 8:35 AM, lhsail said:

There is actually an option to bid on these for $130pp. Motion is not an issue for us, but not being able to use the balcony due to wind would be. 

I had one of the forward mini-suites, last year in the Med on the Regal, & figured the balcony would often be unusable.  I was wrong; it was great!  Balcony was huge & the wind wasn't an issue at all!  It got overly breezy one night, during a storm, but that was the only time.  I liked it a lot &, in fact, have the same cabin booked on three other cruises.

[caribill]

On 1/13/2023 at 11:20 AM, PescadoAmarillo said:

Having never done it, I would think that CC would be worthwhile for the dining situation alone. I am beyond frustrated with DMW. However, I believe I dislike showering in the bathtub in mini suites even more. So, for us, it wouldn’t be worth it. 
 

Now, if they sold CC dining benefits with inside through balcony staterooms…THAT would be well worth it to me.  

The main benefit of Club Class is that dining works like true Anytime Dining. When you show up, you will usually be seated immediately.

 

Previous to DMW, Traditional dining meant that when you showed up at the assigned time after the first evening, you could go immediately to your table.

 

With DMW, with or without a reservation when you show up after the initial seating each evening, you are likely to wait in a long line before being seated with no assurance you will have the same waitstaff every evening.

 

So the best benefit of Club Class is that immediate seating and usually with the same waitstaff (and often the same table) each evening.

 

How much that is worth in $$$ is up to you.

[LouChamp]

Aloha. In my opinion every cruise line is establishing these separate classes similar to the longstanding Cunard Grills experience with of course some slight tweaks. I believe its a necessary evil as the ships get larger and carry more passengers. We have been blessed to sail in suites, grills, etc etc and concierge levels in hotels. We enjoy the privacy, lounge access, food offerings and the quiet relaxation to the extent they provide. Of course, cost if a factor and what you get for that money so its really case by case, ship by ship or hotel by hotel, itinerary etc etc. But the calculations by fellow cc’s I believe is much appreciated and valuable.