Cunard Introduces A La Carte Pricing For Diners

[Cruachan]

What's not to like? More choice for passengers - you can skip a starter, or not have dessert if you are full - unlike the current flat fee in Todd English. I wish the venture well - and whether its a success or not will depend on the quality of the food, not griping on a cruise board......:rolleyes:

 

Peter,

 

not that it will affect me one way or the other as I have no intention of setting foot in the place, but your point is an excellent one and well made.

 

J

[Joserus]

I think a few of these replies are missing the point of my original post. The issue here is not that there is an extra fee as in a cover charge, the point is A LA CARTE pricing at this restaurant as in being at a land based restaurant and paying for EACH ITEM SEPARATELY which is priced a la carte on the menu.

I was curious to see how people feel about this type of pricing.

[Bigmike911]

Apparently this will be the alternative restaurant to TE on the Elizabeth. Over all the difference in the top prices for the most expensive dinner $32, is $2 over TE.

 

I have traveled 12 times with Cunard, in the Grills and have rarely been tempted to venture somewhere else to eat, except when some friends traveling in Britannia wanted to dine with us, and then we chose TE. The food was at the same level of quality as the Grills and certainly no better.

 

In order for the extra cost restaurant venues to be successful, they will have to be significantly better that the customer's usual venue. That does not appear to be the case so far.

 

Finally to comment on the 'new' revenue attitude on Cunard, I must say I am finding it more difficult to spend $1,200, to $1,800 per day to travel in a Grill accomodation and get nickeled to dimed elsewhere. Cunard would be wise to make certain they are not as the say " penny wise, and pound foolish".

 

Mike

[BigMac1953]

Did your Scottish regiment march on Porridge and Haggis?

 

Must have created a terrible mess.

 

How on earth did you keep your boots clean and shiny?

 

It doesn't bear thinking about, especially in kilts. The stuff would be everywhere. Going commando? you'd need diapers.

 

Stewart

[guernseyguy]

The food was at the same level of quality as the Grills and certainly no better.

 

I would agree - but it is a touch above Britannia - and at about the cost of three cocktails is roundings in the grand scheme of things.....

[Cruachan]

I think a few of these replies are missing the point of my original post.

 

Perhaps so, but I feel that the "point of [your] original post" was somewhat obscured by the fact that the title, and the text itself gave the distinct impression that Cunard were introducing a la carte pricing across the board rather than in a single, specialty restaurant.

 

Had that, in fact, been the case, then I think you would have received a much greater and overwhelmingly negative response. As it is I believe that the replies you have received gived a true impression of how people feel about specialty restaurants in general.

 

 

The issue here is not that there is an extra fee as in a cover charge, the point is A LA CARTE pricing at this restaurant as in being at a land based restaurant and paying for EACH ITEM SEPARATELY which is priced a la carte on the menu.

 

There is no need to shout. If you wish to add emphasis to a post then the text editor gives you several acceptable options, such as "bold", "italic" or "underscore" or any permutation or combination of the three.

 

J

[Jimsgirl]

I assume that you will receive a bill listing the items chosen, sign it and the amount will go on you OBA.

 

The pricing of items per dish does not make it clear if one is supposed to chose a complete 3-4 course meal, or if you can go in and just have an entree. Very often in Britannia I skip one or two courses, but experience in shore based establishments have been that one is expected to order 3-4 courses.

 

Have only dined once in TE, (and only use Kings Court when the Britannia is "closed"as on embarkation days ) so am not an expert on alternative dining

 

Also will the alternative (reservations required areas) of the Kings Court also carry a charge, or will they remain a "serve yourself buffet "?

[Ray66]

Also will the alternative (reservations required areas) of the Kings Court also carry a charge, or will they remain a "serve yourself buffet "?

 

One (or sometimes two) area(s) will remain a "free" buffet and the alternatives will carry a charge.

[Ray66]

According to the following website, the surcharge for the Lido speciality dining is to be $10.

 

Also in the Garden Lounge on select days at sea, there will be a Champagne afternoon tea service, featuring Veuve Clicquot Champagne, for a surcharge of $25 per person.

 

http://cruisett.com/content.php?154-Details-of-Restaurants-And-Bars-Aboard-the-New-Queen-Elizabeth&

[Savoia]

 

 

THANK YOU! It is a brillant idea to revive the concept of the "Verandah Grill" but the concept P&O/Princess proposes for Cunard looks to be starting off on such a mediochore note. The directive is in all likelyhood based in the various issues P&O/Princess has had with the Todd English concept. However, I wouldn't be at all surprised if this was simply economics. Since Mr. Shanks took the reigns of the Cunard brand there is a very visible push to charge as much the brand can. And a P&O/Princess operated and controlled facility is far more profitable than tennant agreement they have with Todd English.

 

It is human nature to rebel against paying for what was once, and for decades before, a free option included in one's fair. And as Peter pointed out the overall cost isn't that much more than a couple of rounds of cocktails. It appears though some of the resistance is the total cost is weighed against what one gets in the end. The Cunard brand is not a premium concept, it is a mass market brand and it appears Mr. Shanks is stretching and testing those boundaries. And looking at the various threads on the board there is room for P&O/Princess to step up their operation of Cunard if the directive (wether it be P&O or Carnival) is to charge as much as they can.

 

The Vernadah concept has such possibilities but in the end it appears to be applied as filler for another concept that simply isn't as profitable. So many of the Carnival companies and the Cunard brand have such history that could be applied to modern day operations, profitably. Such a shame the elements that made these companies and brands so attractive to acquire are slowly being down away with. Or in the case of the VG, done with the intent of charging more to a client base questioning wether the experience is worth it.

 

It would be interesting to compare the cost of the top tire experience P&O has created for Cunard vs lets say Silversea or Oceania.

[keithm]

Apparently this will be the alternative restaurant to TE on the Elizabeth. Over all the difference in the top prices for the most expensive dinner $32, is $2 over TE.

 

I have traveled 12 times with Cunard, in the Grills and have rarely been tempted to venture somewhere else to eat, except when some friends traveling in Britannia wanted to dine with us, and then we chose TE. The food was at the same level of quality as the Grills and certainly no better.

 

In order for the extra cost restaurant venues to be successful, they will have to be significantly better that the customer's usual venue. That does not appear to be the case so far.

 

Finally to comment on the 'new' revenue attitude on Cunard, I must say I am finding it more difficult to spend $1,200, to $1,800 per day to travel in a Grill accomodation and get nickeled to dimed elsewhere. Cunard would be wise to make certain they are not as the say " penny wise, and pound foolish".

 

Mike

True, there seems to be a lot of people who recommend SilverSea to us. I just find there cabins quite small for the price paid.

[The Real PM]

According to the following website, the surcharge for the Lido speciality dining is to be $10.

 

Also in the Garden Lounge on select days at sea, there will be a Champagne afternoon tea service, featuring Veuve Clicquot Champagne, for a surcharge of $25 per person.

 

http://cruisett.com/content.php?154-Details-of-Restaurants-And-Bars-Aboard-the-New-Queen-Elizabeth&

Well, the concept of paying at King's Court is not a new one. We paid fifteen dollars to dine at Chef's Galley in 2008. We paid and never thought anything more about it because it offered something a little different.

 

I really believe if the area offers something special or out of the ordinary, for instance the Champagne afternoon tea service, that some passengers may enjoy, I don't see a problem with it.

[north east girl]

I think to have the opportunity to dine elsewhere is not a bad thing. If it is a special occasion it would be nice to somewhere more intimate.

 

Have not tried Todd English, we have 12 days on QM2 this time on a table for 6. Will have to try if for myself, I've read good and bad reports.

 

Catherine

[sullaRaffaello]

http://travel.usatoday.com/cruises/post/2010/07/cunard-queen-elizabeth-verandah-restaurant-qe2-mary-2-dining-/101927/1

 

.

 

In this article, the author refers to the Verandah Grill as the QE's "top" restaurant, both in the headline and in the body. Is this a mistake on the part of the author, or is Cunard giving a signal that this new restaurant is higher than the Grills? There never was any implication on the part of Cunard, that Todd English was the best restaurant on the QM2 and QV. I certainly considered TE to be far inferior to the Queens Grill on both QM2 and QV and the Princess Grill on QV. Any ideas?

[Louise D]

I think it is an error by the journalist. I read a report of the Cunard press conference when the new dining plans for QE were introduced, and it was then stated that the purpose of the Verandah Grill was to give Brittania passengers a taste of what the dining is like in the Grills, so that on their next voyage, they might be tempted to book a Grill cabin.

[Jimsgirl]

There is a big question of cost, (and dining solo) in the Grills. If it is a quality of food or choice , for many passengers it will still be booking "regular" stateroom, and the cost of one or two meals in the Verandah, as opposed to booking Grill stateroom.

 

Much as I would love the luxury of the Grills, reality is that since I only have a "pint pot" at the bank, I cannot spend a "quart"

[garigoun]

Finally to comment on the 'new' revenue attitude on Cunard, I must say I am finding it more difficult to spend $1,200, to $1,800 per day to travel in a Grill accomodation and get nickeled to dimed elsewhere. Cunard would be wise to make certain they are not as the say " penny wise, and pound foolish".

 

Mike

 

Not sure if this is relevant but today I bumped into an acquaintance I had not seen for a couple of years. Now semi-retired he is, how shall I put it, not without considerable means. After the usual pleasantries I enquired how he was passing his free time. He tells me he has become fond of cruising. ‘Who do you go with’, I asked. ‘Usually Seabourne or Silversea’ . ‘Oh’, quoth I, ‘have you tried Cunard?’ ‘Yes ONCE’ he replied. ‘ Money-grubbing, Cheapskate expletive deleted.’ ‘I paid £KXXX for one of their damn Queens Suites and they CHARGED my wife nearly £2 for a (expletive deleted) cup of coffee in one of the (EX Del.) bars.’ ‘I hope they enjoyed my money ‘cos they’ve had none since and they’ll get none again.

Gari

[Slow Foxtrot]

....Not sure if this is relevant but today I bumped into an acquaintance I had not seen for a couple of years. Now semi-retired he is, how shall I put it, not without considerable means. After the usual pleasantries I enquired how he was passing his free time. He tells me he has become fond of cruising. ‘Who do you go with’, I asked. ‘Usually Seabourne or Silversea’ . ‘Oh’, quoth I, ‘have you tried Cunard?’ ‘Yes ONCE’ he replied. ‘ Money-grubbing, Cheapskate expletive deleted.’ ‘I paid £KXXX for one of their damn Queens Suites and they CHARGED my wife nearly £2 for a (expletive deleted) cup of coffee in one of the (EX Del.) bars.’ ‘I hope they enjoyed my money ‘cos they’ve had none since and they’ll get none again....

 

(expletive deleted) hilarious!

 

Foxy

[heywood]

Not sure if this is relevant but today I bumped into an acquaintance I had not seen for a couple of years. Now semi-retired he is, how shall I put it, not without considerable means. After the usual pleasantries I enquired how he was passing his free time. He tells me he has become fond of cruising. ‘Who do you go with’, I asked. ‘Usually Seabourne or Silversea’ . ‘Oh’, quoth I, ‘have you tried Cunard?’ ‘Yes ONCE’ he replied. ‘ Money-grubbing, Cheapskate expletive deleted.’ ‘I paid £KXXX for one of their damn Queens Suites and they CHARGED my wife nearly £2 for a (expletive deleted) cup of coffee in one of the (EX Del.) bars.’ ‘I hope they enjoyed my money ‘cos they’ve had none since and they’ll get none again.

Gari

 

I am glad that he has chosen not to sail Cunard if he uses language like that. Queens Grill - You don't get that in steerage ... we know how to behave.:rolleyes:

[hansol1966]

I would ony book Cunard if they had a great offer posted as we have peviously but are looking at trying different cruise companies and have booked a mini cruise (4 days) with MSC ...Fly to Hamburg to ship 4 nights..Copenhagen..Zeebrugge..Southampton..£219 each a great offer.

Fred.

[patwell]

Not sure if this is relevant but today I bumped into an acquaintance I had not seen for a couple of years. Now semi-retired he is, how shall I put it, not without considerable means. After the usual pleasantries I enquired how he was passing his free time. He tells me he has become fond of cruising. ‘Who do you go with’, I asked. ‘Usually Seabourne or Silversea’ . ‘Oh’, quoth I, ‘have you tried Cunard?’ ‘Yes ONCE’ he replied. ‘ Money-grubbing, Cheapskate expletive deleted.’ ‘I paid £KXXX for one of their damn Queens Suites and they CHARGED my wife nearly £2 for a (expletive deleted) cup of coffee in one of the (EX Del.) bars.’ ‘I hope they enjoyed my money ‘cos they’ve had none since and they’ll get none again.

Gari

 

And that is why we are seriously looking into Silverseas...all inclusive, including air, is mighty appealing...not to mention I hear from friends the food and service are exceptional, and well above Cunard standards. When you start adding up things like air from here to over there, the bar bills at the end of the trip etc, it's getting much easier to rationalize.

 

Cheers, Penny

Penny’s Affair to Remember QM2 Review

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=471053

November 10,2007...the “Affair” continued...did it ever!

 

October 16,2008...the “Affair” goes transatlantic as we sail in tandem with the grand QE2 on her final transatlantic voyage...what a thrill!

 

December 9, 2008....the “Affair” resumes again....Life is good!

 

July 30, 2009....transatlantic again...some “Affairs” just get better

 

August 7, 2009....the “Affair” goes on...this time “home” to Norway

 

Feb. 7, 2010....the “Affair” takes a sunny detour when Penny meets a Princess

 

Aug 14, 2010....the “Affair” returns to Norway, all the way to the top!

[Thames476]

I think it is an error by the journalist. I read a report of the Cunard press conference when the new dining plans for QE were introduced, and it was then stated that the purpose of the Verandah Grill was to give Brittania passengers a taste of what the dining is like in the Grills, so that on their next voyage, they might be tempted to book a Grill cabin.

 

In the war of Man v. Food I must say that the food in Brittania is slightly edged out by TE. However the Grills trump all!! By far there is no comparison between TE and the Grill . So if this is the purpose then I'm sorry for Cunard and those who pony up the x -tra $$$ for the life in the Grills...... Nuff said

[southwestie]

Has anyone worked out yet, that other more expensive lines are all inc, because they charge more, maybe an idea that Cunard could do, charge more and become all inc.

 

at least we have the choice to dine at a small cost or not, our choice, and paying all inc is no good if all your do is drink water or juice in the bars, again the choice on cunard if you want wine you pay, if you want juice or water you dont.

 

I like Brittania, but I also dont mind the small fee in TE and the Italian is great, this year we also tried the chefs galley and id be happy to pay a little extra, again we have the choice, silversea, well you have paid anyway even if you dont use it

[southwestie]

I am glad that he has chosen not to sail Cunard if he uses language like that. Queens Grill - You don't get that in steerage ... we know how to behave.:rolleyes:

 

 

what can I say,im sure you always know how to behave:)

[JPH814]

Dumb idea.

Why complicate things and invite exactly the same kind of criticism they are getting. The cheapest options would be $28. The most expensive options would be $32. Why change from the concept of a $30 surcharge. I don't get it.