Does Queens Grill chain you to the same dining table?

We are Cunard 'newbies' considering our first booking on the Queen Victoria.

Most of our cruising to date has been with Seabourn, and we really like their open dining model where you can choose not just when to dine and if you just want to have a table for two or if you feel like being sociable and joining a shared table that evening. It's a great way to meet a range of people on board.

As far as I can tell with Cunard in the Queens Grill you can pick what time you want to dine but your table, and therefore your dining companions, are pre-selected for you for the duration of the cruise. If that is the case, then my question is how hard and fast is the fixed table allocation thing in the Queens Grill? Is there any flexibility on where you can sit each evening, or is it all a very fixed regime of dining table allocation?

Thanks in anticipation.

Most tables are for two, but are close to the table next to it, offering the opportunity to be sociable or not, depending how you feel. Your table is yours for each and every meal, during restaurant opening hours, so I am not sure how flexible this would be if you want to swap around. There are some larger tables however, but they are also filled with the same guests for the duration.

We are Cunard 'newbies' considering our first booking on the Queen Victoria.

 

Most of our cruising to date has been with Seabourn, and we really like their open dining model where you can choose not just when to dine and if you just want to have a table for two or if you feel like being sociable and joining a shared table that evening. It's a great way to meet a range of people on board.

 

As far as I can tell with Cunard in the Queens Grill you can pick what time you want to dine but your table, and therefore your dining companions, are pre-selected for you for the duration of the cruise. If that is the case, then my question is how hard and fast is the fixed table allocation thing in the Queens Grill? Is there any flexibility on where you can sit each evening, or is it all a very fixed regime of dining table allocation?

 

Thanks in anticipation.

Given your choice of words - "chain" and "very fixed regime" - Cunard's traditional fixed dining system is not for you. Fixed dining is the norm in Grill accommodations as well as Britannia Club. Many prefer the fixed dining on Cunard as way to establish a camaraderie among dining companions during a voyage - but you're not one of them.

Although the Queen Victoria is not as formal as the Queen Mary 2 nonetheless Cunard ships are more formal than most others. If you prefer to have company or not to have company according to your mood each day then you might also prefer the atmosphere of a more casual ship.

Since you compared Cunard to Seabourn in such strong negatives, you probably would not enjoy sailing on Queen Victoria.

Being able to find out things like this makes these boards so valuable. I didn't book a Regent voyage after finding out that their seating is open like Seabourn's. As a solo sailor the Cunard system works much better for me.

From my experience the Grills are always full. Unsold staterooms are usually filled with generous upgrades. So the ability to switch tables on a daily basis is simply not going to happen.

After the first day there are usually several people requesting a table change for various reasons. The maître d' will try to please everyone and usually everyone is happy. By the second night everyone is settled and further changes would be difficult.

On one voyage there was a couple at our table for six who occasionally got a table for two when the occupants of that table informed the staff that they would not be coming to dinner on a particular night.

I would also add that table selection or the better tables generally go according to cabin grade. So the better the grade the better table, not always but generally a rule of thumb. You can eat at the time you want like SB, but in lots of ways Cunard is more formal, dress codes for starters.

You might be happier with a cruise line which has Anytime Dining, or whatever each line names it. When we were on Celebrity and chose anytime dining, you could choose what size table you wanted to sit at each night. Also you could pre book times before the cruise. We just pre-booked a couple as we didn't know what time we would want to eat. Princess has Anytime dining too, and both Celebrity and Princess you don't have to pay extra for it. Also now on some Princess ships, suites and a more expensive class of Mini Suites, called Club Class, have a separate dining area in the main anytime dining room, with a couple more dining perks like extra menu items. You can choose table size there too, different each night if you wish as set tables aren't yours for the cruise duration.

I too think that while you will have the freedom to eat (breakfast/lunch/dinner) any time the Grill restaurant is open, it will always be at the same table and the chances of flexibility are very small. How important such flexibility is to you, only you can decide.

I would also add that table selection or the better tables generally go according to cabin grade. So the better the grade the better table, not always but generally a rule of thumb. You can eat at the time you want like SB, but in lots of ways Cunard is more formal, dress codes for starters.

In my experience in Queen's Grill on Elizabeth and Victoria, the well known frequent passengers generally get the table they ask for on cruises, apart from the World Cruise when segment'eers sometimes have to wait for their particular choice to become available when present table occupiers disembark.

We cruise Q2/3, have a favourite table and have shared with Q1s to 6's including those who have been given upgrades. When arranging the seating, the Maitre 'd goes first of all by the table size preference shown on the booking and yes, it would be strange if the 1's and 2's didn't get the 'choice' table but names which are known i.e. are frequent passengers and are known to have a particular favourite are generally accommodated unless there's a bun fight for the same table and then it was inferred 'seniority of history' weighs in as a factor.

We have made good and lasting friendships from other travelers seated at the next or nearby tables in QG. There are other options for eating if you choose.

You can go to the specialty restaurants sometime at not additional charge, other times a charge. The Pub makes excellent Fish and Chips as well as Bangers and Mash. Sir Samuels has lovely pastries in the morning and sandwiches for lunch.

As other have noted Cunard is a bit more formal, but I would say at the same time not at all stuffy.

I must complain that I find that the chains feel more clanky than they were before the refit.

But nothing compares to the 60s styled leg shackles on the QE2. ;)

-Mark

In Queens Grill you are not limited to a table for 2. There are a few tables for 6 or 8 (definitely 6, maybe 8), so you could have the chance to meet some other folks over a meal. But you are stuck with the table you have been assigned, and that applies to all of the dining rooms and classes. You can request a change if things don't work out, but then you are stuck again. At lunch time in the Britannia, you can sit informally at a large table and meet whomever shows up. We've traveled a lot on Cunard and have 68 days on Seabourn. The casual dinner experience on Seabourn is lovely and is just plain not available on Cunard. Sorry. It's just different.

In my experience in Queen's Grill on Elizabeth and Victoria, the well known frequent passengers generally get the table they ask for on cruises, apart from the World Cruise when segment'eers sometimes have to wait for their particular choice to become available when present table occupiers disembark.

 

We cruise Q2/3, have a favourite table and have shared with Q1s to 6's including those who have been given upgrades. When arranging the seating, the Maitre 'd goes first of all by the table size preference shown on the booking and yes, it would be strange if the 1's and 2's didn't get the 'choice' table but names which are known i.e. are frequent passengers and are known to have a particular favourite are generally accommodated unless there's a bun fight for the same table and then it was inferred 'seniority of history' weighs in as a factor.

When sailing Grills I have my favourite table on Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria.

My wife and I do prefer a table for 6 on all three Queens and the position of the table is also very important to us. In general terms I always choose the furthest ends of each Grill. The views from those tables when on either Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria are outstanding.

I would frankly hate to sit on one of those 'eights' in the central positions on Queen Elizabeth or Queen Victoria and always find some means of relaying my preferences onboard before embarkation.

On my last Queen Mary 2 Voyage across the Atlantic I was most grateful to Bell Boy who passed my preferences to 'Osman' ahead of our embarkation. We shared our table for 6 with one couple who were occupying a duplex and we thoroughly enjoyed their company. All six of us had military connections which really lightened the conversation.

Given your choice of words - "chain" and "very fixed regime" - Cunard's traditional fixed dining system is not for you. Fixed dining is the norm in Grill accommodations as well as Britannia Club. Many prefer the fixed dining on Cunard as way to establish a camaraderie among dining companions during a voyage - but you're not one of them.

 

 

Although the Queen Victoria is not as formal as the Queen Mary 2 nonetheless Cunard ships are more formal than most others. If you prefer to have company or not to have company according to your mood each day then you might also prefer the atmosphere of a more casual ship.

 

Since you compared Cunard to Seabourn in such strong negatives, you probably would not enjoy sailing on Queen Victoria.

 

 

Being able to find out things like this makes these boards so valuable. I didn't book a Regent voyage after finding out that their seating is open like Seabourn's. As a solo sailor the Cunard system works much better for me.

Good morning BlueRiband.

I can agree with everything you say and can add that I have also sailed with Seabourn, Silversea, Regent Seven Seas and more lately Haag-Lloyd: the latter four all operating an 'open' seating dinner experience.

I'm always happy, being a gregarious chap, to sit at the larger tables however there often comes a point on the 'open' seating ships where the conversation each evening becomes exceedingly repetitive given that one is sharing a table with different passengers each evening.

It is often an advantage to have a wide selection of tables for two in order to be able to take that break.

I agree with you that the OP would not enjoy Cunard though, as a Carnival shareholder, that is probably not the thing to say. :evilsmile::evilsmile:

Thanks for the comments and feedback everybody, it's been informative and fun reading them. I can see that my opening comment did convey a negative view of the Cunard table arrangements, but I think that was more surprise as I had assumed (clearly incorrectly) that going up to Queens Grill would somehow give more flexibility.

But hey, it would be a very dull world to go cruising in if every cruise line did everything exactly the same way!

So, undeterred, I think a request to join for a table of 6 will be the go.

Thanks again.

The Grills do have more flexibility compared to standard Britannia staterooms. In the Grills one can walk in whenever the dining room is open while standard staterooms are assigned an early or late seating time for dinner. The Grill restaurants are served by their own galley so they give far more attention to detail - and variety - than the mass catering in the main dining room. Tableside flambe entrees and deserts have all but disappeared on most ships, but this tradition continues in the higher accommodations on Cunard ships.

I'm glad to hear you will give the Queen Victoria a try. You'll board looking forward to a different adventure rather than be disappointed to find it's not what you expected.

When sailing Grills I have my favourite table on Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria.

 

My wife and I do prefer a table for 6 on all three Queens and the position of the table is also very important to us. In general terms I always choose the furthest ends of each Grill. The views from those tables when on either Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria are outstanding.

 

I would frankly hate to sit on one of those 'eights' in the central positions on Queen Elizabeth or Queen Victoria and always find some means of relaying my preferences onboard before embarkation.

 

On my last Queen Mary 2 Voyage across the Atlantic I was most grateful to Bell Boy who passed my preferences to 'Osman' ahead of our embarkation. We shared our table for 6 with one couple who were occupying a duplex and we thoroughly enjoyed their company. All six of us had military connections which really lightened the conversation.

Thanks for the information regarding the placement of larger tables in the QG on QV and QE. I was about to ask my TA to change the table for 6 booked next year for a table of 8 on QV, but it sounds like 6 is the way to go for the views.

Don't forget that for breakfast or lunch, one can leave the Grills enclave and head down to Britannia. It's only at dinner time that they will be generally unable to accommodate you.

Don't forget that for breakfast or lunch, one can leave the Grills enclave and head down to Britannia. It's only at dinner time that they will be generally unable to accommodate you.

Very good point!

Don't forget that for breakfast or lunch, one can leave the Grills enclave and head down to Britannia. It's only at dinner time that they will be generally unable to accommodate you.

Lunch at the Verandah maybe, but I'd always opt for breakfast and most lunches in the QG. The menu for breakfast is superior, although lunch is fairly ordinary in my view. Not so much of an issue on a port intensive cruise though.

What, and be chained to that table?

Thanks for the comments and feedback everybody, it's been informative and fun reading them. I can see that my opening comment did convey a negative view of the Cunard table arrangements, but I think that was more surprise as I had assumed (clearly incorrectly) that going up to Queens Grill would somehow give more flexibility.

 

But hey, it would be a very dull world to go cruising in if every cruise line did everything exactly the same way!

 

So, undeterred, I think a request to join for a table of 6 will be the go.

 

Thanks again.

Good choice.

Table for 6 in the Grills is nearly always my preference.

Manageable conversation numbers are important.

Don't forget that for breakfast or lunch, one can leave the Grills enclave and head down to Britannia. It's only at dinner time that they will be generally unable to accommodate you.

Almost Duty bound to have at least one lunch in the Golden Lion plus the 'freebie' lunch in The Veranda.