majortom10

It all depends on length of cruise unless P&O have changed their mind and not updated website which states what my post said earlier.

It does state on P&Os website under Dress Code that on both Iona and Arvia 7-13 nts there is one black tie evening and 14 nts two black tie evenings.

Recently first sitting has been changed to 5-45pm on QV.

Cannot help thinking due to experience of open dining on other cruise lines for few years of large queues waiting at MDR for dinner is being highly exaggerated. There might have been a few problems with the initial conception on Cunard but would be soon sorted out. In all the cruises we have done open dining we have only ever been given a pager once in all the cruises. Sorry but first sitting at 5-45pm and 8-30pm far too late and having flexibility is a great step forward.

We enjoy the flexibility of eating when we want and can vary day by day depending on whether a port day or sea day and what we have eaten at lunch time. I think the only downside for Cunard is that some that have booked BC for the flexibility of open dining might now book a balcony and eat in Britannia and lose Cunard money.

Depends on cruise line, some you can, but normally the MDR is open say for example 6 pm to 9-30pm and you turn up at anytime at your discretion. One day you could turn up at 6-30 and the next day at 8pm if that what suits you

The food in PG on QV for dinner was excellent but do think that the lunch was a lot poorer on the same cruise last year on QE. It was that poor we visited the buffet and also ate burger/chips on deck rather than eat in restaurant.

You can always have a bad experience and having done many Princess cruises where anytime dining has been available I can honestly say never had a chaotic or poor experience. I think you must have been unlucky as that is not the norm.

All cruise lines that do open dining also still do fixed at the moment and there is not a problem or drop in standards so I don't see a problem.

Only by the Peninsular Club discount if you have any. If not then no.

It is down to the individual port authorities for immigration purposes and security.

Be careful purchasing from comparison websites as there might ney a difference in the small print. I had a quote from one company via a comparison then went on their website to compare price and insurance site was more expensive. I phoned to ask why and was told not exactly same policy as the one on comparison was not as comprehensive and was adjusted just to make it come higher up in comparison sites price wise. Read the small print and buyer beware.

That is what was said when P&O introduced freedom dining and even they were late to the game after Princess. It now transpires that freedom is more popular than fixed dining.

Unfortunately the customer comes first and if that is what the customer demands then Cunard have to supply that or lose custom. I am sure Cunard sort out the problem of waiting staff as end of the day they run a cruise line to please customers and not staff at the expense of customers or if they do customers will walk and go somewhere else.

Why should it mean a poor and chaotic experience done freedom/anytime dining for a few years especially on Princess and have never had a poor or chaotic experience or any difference of food quality.

Perhaps you did but I have never known QG or PG be advertised as Early Saver.

Yes they were but they are only the same as Balcony cabins.

But staterooms in BC are exactly the same as balcony in Britannia and now you can get open dining in Britannia MDR is it worth the extra cost for the only benefit is an uplift in food.

QA doesn't start cruising until May so nothing available on April also Cunard very rarely, if at all, offer PG or QG as Early Saver.

With P&O very poor reputation of not answering phone calls or if they do being on hold for considerable amounts of time would never consider booking direct.

Just because he is not your choice of artist or his music doesn't mean he is overrated.

Having just returned from QV in PG and the new introduction of open dining as a dining option I honestly don't think it is worth the huge extra cost of PG over booking a balcony and having meals in Britannia MDR.

"Decent food" you make it sound as if you get "slops". If you compare on a level playing field of P&O and any Cunard ship in Britannia restaurant there is very little difference. Unfair to compare PG or QG with anything P&O offer because they are not comparable and are a lot more expensive.

The PG suites on QV are very poor efforts and very disappointing. Food in PG in the evenings is very good. It might be worth considering booking the suite on P&O, which are far superior to PG on QV, and having the flexibility of booking speciality restaurants on P&O i.e Epicurean and Sindhu and still save you a large amount of money. Breakfast in suites on P&O are taken in Epicurean and not MDR and are just as good as in PG on QV.

Nobody, especially me, is saying that Cunard should stop offering fixed dining just that like nearly all other cruise lines they should have it as an option because that is what many now want but obviously not all.