exlondoner

Sometimes at lunch on port days, when there are very few passengers aboard, your waiter may be having some well deserved time off.

Totally agree, except to say usually there are no customs officers at Southampton, so there is no hold up there. Over the years I have never seen one, but that is not to say they can’t suddenly appear, and, inevitably, if you are in a hurry, it is you that gets stopped. Again, immigration is invariably done on the ship, except once this summer, they had a blitz on all the ships in Southampton on a particular day. Allow longer.

I would be astonished if you didn’t get a table for two.

Just out of interest, if it’s not intrusive, have you always managed a table for two in Britannia so far? If not, how did that work?

From observation only, you get served when you arrive, as do later diners, and that is that. I bet you get your table for two though.

What would be the benefit of that?

I got distracted yesterday, but meant to comment on my admiration for your stamina. After a three course Cunard dinner, plus extras and half a bottle of wine, I can barely stagger back to the cabin. 🙂🙂

Exactly. Don’t drink nearly enough, I’m amazed to discover.

Presumably they reckon the market will stand it.

Very convenient for embarking at Southampton.

Not in this corner of Bournemouth, but I’ll have to make do. 🙂🙂

Exactly. And the staff in QG know you and care for you.

Thank you. At least he is there, it it is the wrong quote, if you see what I mean.

I really am shocked. Claude Rains doesn’t appear, unless I missed him.

As I say, I have only used the Verandah a couple of times, for free lunches and I’m not sure which ships. However, it is the only venue on Cunard where I have felt no warmth or welcome from the staff, almost as if they considered me not up to their restaurant. A complete contrast to the staff in the Lido pop ups, who have always been lovely.

There are also birds, shearwaters that live in the middle of the Atlantic, only coming to land for nesting. Why would you want to do that?

Aren’t some of those plaques behind the bridge?

Wouldn't more cabins in that space make access to the open deck even harder. I suppose not, if they left a corridor through, so that sounds a pretty good idea. I’ve never liked the Verandahs much, though I admit I’ve rarely dined in them. Live music - which invariably makes conversation difficult would certainly ensure I did not go there again. There must be other ways of making it livelier, if that is indeed desirable. Certainly more noise (sophisticated or not) would not appeal. What happens in the other ships?

No. And when I go to somewhere with music, I usually request they turn it off. If they don’t, I don’t return. Obviously this is recorded music. I would never choose to eat somewhere with live music. In the case of the Verandah, music might reduce the numbers even more. Many on QM2 are getting on, many of them have mediocre hearing. Background music has a very deleterious effect on their ability to hear their companions, but you might argue they are too old to bother about.

Well, I love Beethoven and would happily listen to most Beethoven symphonies all day, eating or not, except No. 6, which I find very irritating.

Poor Wolfgang, he deserves better, he really does.

It must be very quiet, thank goodness, because I don’t recall noticing it, certainly not this year, and I am often there when it is nearly empty at lunch time. Music is so much a matter of taste that almost any choice is bound to annoy a lot of people, whatever the volume.

I don’t think any eating place is ever improved by music, let alone dancing.

I am shocked, shocked,,,

And remember the glass is two way. Last time I was on board, one of the officers turned round and waved.