Princess Grill vs. Britannea

[MollyBrown]

I had thought of trying Princess Grill one of these days, but I get the impression one might have a better chance of meeting new people in Britannea. In the latter, I always ask for a large table.

 

Is Princess Grill sociable that way, or more "cliquish"? Do people generally sit at large tables with strangers, or do they tend to sit with people they know?

 

Although Princess and Queens Grill may have more amenities than Britannea, I'm not sure exactly what they are. Otherwise, Britannea seems to be so much bigger and therefore more condusive to meeting new people.

[elaine61]

Hi

 

A few years back we did a cruise on the QE2 around the Med. We did a late booking and managed to get a princess grill accommodation cabin for a very good price. As we are not that familiar with the cunard product we were not quite sure how it would turn out. We were pleased to know that we could go to dinner anytime between 7 and 9pm (from memory!). We always like to eat fairly lateish so we liked that idea. We found out though that we would be sharing the table with another couple. My husband and I are in our 40's and the couple we sat with (English couple like ourselves) were quite a lot older. I remember to this day going to dinner. Ted was very quiet and Eileen quite chatty. They ate early and we ate later, so we first said to them that it wasn't anything personal we just don't eat that early and would they mind if we came in a little later. It worked out really handy because they were generally on there dessert when we arrived and we could have a really good chat before they left. There was also an American couple on the table next to us and they were very friendly too. I don't recall seeing many large tables in the grill restaurant like the big 8/10 people tables in the main restaurant. I do remember the food being good in as far as you could just about ask for anything. Asked for beef wellington one night for the next evening and beef wellington we got!! So from my experience of the grill restaurant, I would say they are just as friendly, but the tables are smaller. Like I say that's was just my experience on QE2 around the med.

 

Elaine

[MollyBrown]

The fact that Britannea does have larger tables and many more people is the reason why I will probably continue to travel in Britannea when I travel on my own. I've met all kinds of people in Britannea, and it has always been great fun.

 

There must be more reasons than priority check-in (which one is supposed to have as platinum members anyway) to induce me to travel in the Grill classes.

 

I suppose they are pleasant if one is traveling as a group, or simply not particularly interested in meeting people.

[rjms74]

Hi,

 

Whilst I cannot comment on travelling on QM2, 4 out of 5 cruises on QE2 I've spent in the Queens Grill Rest / Cabin and I travel alone & I must say that as I usually ask to sit a table for 4/6 people I have met some very interesting people with whom I have usually spent quite a bit of time with throughout the cruise. So I would say that you could certainly meet people just as easily in one of the Grills as opposed to the larger Restaurants. I have also dined on the other trip on QE2 in the Caronia Rest and once again met some very nice people.

 

Kind Regards,

 

RJMS74

[TJL]

I've dined in both the aforementioned QE2 grills and I much preferred the Princess. It's got a much more cosy, welcoming atmosphere than the Britannia and from what I observed, the diners on the 6-8 seat tables all seemed to be getting on really well!

[kevinsac]

As a kid, I travelled on numerous QE2 World Cruises and we took many Trans-Atlantic cruises as well. We were booked in both QG and PG cabins, and Mother always thought that the service in the PG was much better (more attentive, a bit less stuffy) than the QG. I can think of several cruises on which we were booked in a QG suite, but asked to be seated in the PG.

 

I can remember that several times in the 70s and 80s, the PG was ranked as one of the world's best restaurants (I don't remember which company, Zagat or Michelin or similar) and the QG was not.

 

Maybe it's just my fond childhood memories (I'm now mid-40s), but I have a similar sentiment to the QM2. I've been on board three times; once in the QG and twice in the PG. I like the feeling of the PG best.

 

Just MHO.

[wripro]

kevinsac,

 

i agree completely. i did two crossings on QM2 last year, both in PG and loved it. we had friends in QG and visited them to compare. service was better in PG, the feeling less oppressive ( i prefer the silver decor to the gold in QG....or as Arjan, the maitre'd, called it....platinum) and there were fewer people, 180 as opposed to 230 i think. on my several QE2 crossings i was always in QG so never got to try PG there but ive heard it was superior. i know i preferred the atmosphere. the QG on QE2 is a dull, uninteresting room.

[Jane Pond]

HI Wripro!

 

I traveled as a single on the QM2, Princess grill, had a large table of unrelated cruisers and we had a wonderful time, even though we didn't all eat at the same time. I liked the Grill Lounge for tea and cocktails.

 

Jane in PHL

[dtwtraveler]

My husband asked for and received broiled salmon every evening on the QE2 in the Mauretania dining room. May you order off the menu in Britannia?

[wripro]

hi jane pond,

 

i too loved the queens grill lounge for tea and cocktails. it was never crowded and a lovely place to just sit and read during the day when the rest of the ship was overrun with people. my only complaint about the lounge was the lack of a pianist or other music during tea and drinks. in fact, during one of my crossings we hit such big waves that the unused harp fell over. why they had that harp there when no one ever played it remains a mystery to me.

[Jane Pond]

Gee, we hd music several times, both at tea time and cocktail hour. Perhaps it has to do with the onboard talent? We had a harpist at tea, I remember. I think perhaps one of the most memorable music moments was one afternoon when I was reading in those seats at the game tables by the showroom. A passenger had a small harp and he sat down and played hymns and songs for a few hours. It was so wonderful.

 

I bet we liked the aforementioned aspects of the QM2 because they are similar to the Seabourn experiences.

 

Jane in PHL

[wripro]

jane,

 

i was in the queens grill lounge for tea every day of both crossings and never once was there music. i heard they did have music inthe queen's room tho. and you're right, the food, service and atmosphere in the PG, the QG lounge reminded me of seabourn or silversea. those were the ony rooms on the ship that did.