The email finally arrived.
You know the one. The “Princess Upgrade – Stay Your Way” email that shows up once your cruise gets close enough for the upgrade bidding process to begin. Princess Cruises, like several other cruise lines, uses Plusgrade to let passengers place paid bids on higher-category staterooms. You pick the amount you are willing to pay, cross your fingers, and wait to see if the upgrade fairy sprinkles a little magic on your booking.
Or, more accurately, waits to see if the cruise line can squeeze a few extra dollars out of unsold inventory.
For my upcoming August sailing on Regal Princess out of Fort Lauderdale, I am currently booked in a regular Mini-Suite. According to the upgrade offer, my current stateroom is already approximately 299 to 329 square feet including the balcony, with the separate sitting area, sofa bed, and two flat-panel televisions that make Princess Mini-Suites a nice step up from a regular balcony cabin.
But once the bidding window opened, Princess dangled a few options in front of me, including upgrades to Premium Suites, Penthouse Suites, and two different versions of Reserve Collection Mini-Suites. Since I am already in a Mini-Suite, the first question that came to mind was pretty obvious: is it actually worth bidding on a Reserve Collection Mini-Suite?
After looking at the numbers, the perks, and what you actually get, my answer is: probably not. At least not for me. And maybe not for you either.
Keep in mind as you read this article, this is based on Regal Princess and staterooms and suites may vary from ship to ship. Always check to see what the ship you’re sailing on offers and compare wisely.
What Is a Reserve Collection Mini-Suite on Princess?
Reserve Collection Mini-Suites are Princess’s Mini-Suites that come with added perks.
You are not moving into a larger suite. You are still in a Mini-Suite.
The actual room layout is basically the same as a regular Mini-Suite. You still get the sitting area. You still get the balcony. You still get the extra square footage compared to a standard balcony cabin. But unless your new cabin happens to have a slightly larger or angled balcony, the stateroom itself is not different.
What Reserve Collection does give you are extra perks. Princess describes Reserve Collection Mini-Suites as premium Mini-Suites in better locations, with Reserve Dining, expedited seating, additional menu options, dedicated waitstaff, tableside preparations, priority disembarkation, and a complimentary one-time wine setup. The offer for my sailing listed the Reserve Collection Mini-Suite at approximately 314 square feet including balcony, while the forward-facing version was listed at approximately 340 square feet including balcony.
That sounds nice. But “nice” and “worth hundreds of extra dollars” are two very different things.
What Do You Actually Get With Reserve Collection?
Here is what Reserve Collection Mini-Suite guests typically receive over a regular Mini-Suite: a premium location, a complimentary bottle of wine in the stateroom on embarkation day, access to Reserve Dining, priority specialty dining reservations, evening canapés upon request, upgraded bathrobes, and priority embarkation and disembarkation.
The biggest perk is Reserve Dining. This gives guests access to a dedicated area in the main dining room with a private entrance, expedited seating, dining on your schedule, no reservations needed, dedicated waitstaff, and some additional menu options, including a daily chef’s special.
Depending on how you cruise, that list might sound valuable. For someone who eats in the main dining room every night, likes having the same waitstaff, enjoys a quieter dining setup, and puts a high value on priority boarding and disembarkation, Reserve Collection could absolutely be appealing.
But for me? Let’s take a little stroll through the perks.
The Wine Is Nice, But Let’s Not Get Carried Away
A complimentary bottle of wine in the stateroom is a nice touch. But let’s call it what it is: a bottle of wine.
I would put the real-world value of that somewhere around $22. Maybe a little more if we are using cruise ship math.
Still, a bottle of wine is not moving the needle much when the upgrade bid starts climbing into the hundreds of dollars. Nice? Sure. A reason to bid big? Not unless that bottle was harvested from a vineyard guarded by dragons.
Premium Location Does Not Matter to Everyone
Princess says Reserve Collection Mini-Suites are in premium locations. On Regal Princess, many of the standard Reserve Collection Mini-Suites are located midship, which a lot of cruisers prefer.
Midship cabins can be more convenient. They can also have less motion than cabins far forward or far aft. On some ships, certain Reserve Collection Mini-Suites also have angled balconies, which can give you a bit more usable balcony space.
That is all good. But location is one of those things that is either important to you or it is not.
Personally, I do not care that much about being midship. I do not need to be five steps from the elevator. I do not pick cabins based on whether I can shave 13 seconds off my walk to dinner. I am perfectly capable of walking from one end of the ship to the other, especially since most cruises involve enough eating to require some additional steps anyway.
So for me, “premium location” has limited value. For someone who has mobility issues, gets seasick easily, or simply wants to be in the most convenient part of the ship, this perk may matter more.
Reserve Dining Is Probably the Biggest Perk
The real headline benefit of Reserve Collection is the dining. Reserve Dining gives guests access to a dedicated section of the main dining room, with the idea being that you get quicker seating, more flexibility, dedicated service, and some extra menu touches, much like Holland America’s Club Orange.
This is probably the one perk that could make Reserve Collection worth it for certain cruisers. If you are someone who loves the main dining room and wants a smoother, more personalized dinner experience, Reserve Dining has value. Not having to deal with long waits, reservation times, or the usual “everyone decided to eat at the exact same time” chaos can be a big plus.
But here is where this perk has no value for me: I rarely eat in the main dining room on any cruise line.
I am usually in specialty dining, so giving me a special section of the main dining room is a little like giving me priority access to a gym. I appreciate the thought, but let’s not pretend it is going to get used often.
For the right cruiser, Reserve Dining is the star of the show. For me, it is mostly a benefit I would be paying for and then ignoring.
Priority Specialty Dining Reservations Sound Better Than They Are
Reserve Collection also includes priority specialty dining reservations. This sounds useful until you ask one important question: have you actually had trouble getting specialty dining reservations?
I have sailed a lot of cruises across a lot of cruise lines, including Princess, and I have almost never had a major issue getting into a specialty restaurant. Sometimes you may need to be flexible. Sometimes you may not get the exact time you want on the exact night you want. But in most cases, it is not some impossible task.
This is especially true if you plan ahead, book early, or have even the tiniest bit of flexibility. So while priority specialty dining reservations sound like a perk, they do not have much cash value to me. It is nice to have. It is not something I would throw hundreds of dollars at.
Evening Canapés Upon Request
Evening canapés are one of those cruise perks that sound fancy until you realize there is usually a catch. In this case, they are available upon request.
That means you have to ask for them, which immediately turns a perk into homework.
I am sure some people love this. And I am not saying I would turn down a little plate of snacks if it magically appeared. But if I have to remember to request canapés every night, there is a very good chance I will forget by night two and then complain internally that I paid for a perk I am not using.
Also, let’s be honest. There is food everywhere on a cruise ship. If I want a snack, I can usually find one without involving a formal canapé request process.
Upgraded Bathrobes?
The value here is roughly zero. I am sure they are nicer. I am sure someone out there has very strong opinions on cruise ship bathrobe quality. Somewhere on the internet, there is probably a 47-comment thread about robe texture, sleeve length, and whether the belt loop placement has gone downhill since the pandemic.
If a bathrobe is the thing that makes or breaks your cruise experience, I respect your journey. It is not mine.
Priority Embarkation and Disembarkation
Priority embarkation and disembarkation can sound valuable, especially if you hate lines. But again, this depends on the port, the ship, your status, your arrival time, and how much you actually care about being one of the first people onboard.
On embarkation day, I usually do not need to be onboard at the earliest possible second. And on disembarkation day, I am generally not trying to win a race to customs. For those with flights to catch, this may be beneficial, but there are many more ways to be the first off the ship without having to pay a penny to do so.
So for me, priority boarding and priority disembarkation are nice-to-have perks, not major selling points. They have convenience value. They do not have “let me toss another $760 at this booking” value.
The Forward-Facing Reserve Mini-Suite Problem
Now let’s talk about the forward-facing Reserve Collection Mini-Suites.
These are the ones at the very front of the ship overlooking the bow. In photos, they can look fantastic with the massive balconies and amazing views.
But there is a major catch: wind. A lot of wind.
Princess even describes these forward-facing Reserve Collection Mini-Suites in the upgrade offer as facing forward “for strong breezes on your balcony for days at sea.” That is a very polite way of saying, “Enjoy your balcony, assuming you are properly secured.”
Forward-facing balconies can be incredible while the ship is in port or moving slowly. But when the ship is at sea, especially on sea days, they can be extremely windy. In some cases, they can be so windy that actually sitting outside and enjoying the balcony becomes impossible.
Spend enough time in cruise forums and Facebook groups and you will find plenty of people talking about this exact issue. Some love those balconies. Others feel like they paid for a private wind tunnel.
So yes, the forward-facing Reserve Mini-Suites may offer more space and a unique view. But they also come with a big asterisk. If your dream is to sit outside with coffee, a book, and a peaceful ocean breeze, just remember that “peaceful ocean breeze” can become “30 knot winds in your face” once the ship is underway.
The Math: My Bid Would Be $760
Here is where the whole thing really comes into focus.
For my sailing, the Reserve Collection Mini-Suite bid went up to $380 per person. Since I am sailing solo, Princess still charges based on double occupancy for the bid.
That means a full bid would cost me $380 x 2, or $760.
That is the number that matters. Not “would this be nice?” Not “would this be a little better?” Not “would I enjoy a bottle of wine and a robe that feels slightly more luxurious?”
The question is whether the upgrade is worth $760. For me, the answer is no.
When Reserve Collection Might Be Worth It
Now, this does not mean Reserve Collection is never worth it.
It could be worth bidding on if you love the main dining room and plan to use Reserve Dining every night. It could be worth it if you really care about cabin location. It could be worth it if the bid amount is low enough that the perks feel like a nice little splurge.
It could also be worth it if you are in a lower category and moving up to Reserve Collection gives you not only the perks, but also a substantially better stateroom experience.
But if you are already in a regular Mini-Suite, the upgrade is much harder to justify. You are not moving from an interior cabin to a balcony. You are not moving from a balcony to a full suite. You are not suddenly getting a dramatically larger room. You are moving from a Mini-Suite to a Mini-Suite with a few perks.
That can be valuable. But it is not automatically worth hundreds of dollars.
For my Regal Princess cruise, I do not think bidding on a Reserve Collection Mini-Suite makes sense.
The perks are nice, but for the way I cruise, most of them do not carry much value. If you eat in the main dining room every night, value priority treatment, and want the best Mini-Suite location possible, then sure, Reserve Collection may be worth a bid, especially at the lower end of the scale.
But if you are already booked in a Mini-Suite and you are mostly looking at what you are actually getting for the money, this upgrade is not worth it. $760 buys a lot of specialty dining, drinks, excursions, or casino money.
So unless the price is right, I will happily stay in my regular Mini-Suite and use that money somewhere else.