What do you get in the Grills to make it worth the price?

[Lanky Lad]

I was looking at the QV fjords trip in May 2016 and the cheapest cabin is £899 this most expensive is £5849. Is it really worth almost £5000 more for the Queens Grill?

Edited July 17, 2015 by Lanky Lad

[Host Hattie]

The Q1s on QV are pretty amazing, I'm not sure I could bring myself to spend that much on a 7 day trip but nice for the people who can.

[rolfecms]

It's what is termed 'aspirational' pricing by the marketing department. The cabin class everyone can desire and dream about - while at the same time feeling both lucky to travel on the same ship as those fabulous few and enjoying the great deal on the cost of their inside cabin.

 

I must admit I'm one of those aspirationalists.

[Lakesregion]

Almost ten years ago while on a cabin tour, I happened to catch the Queens grill Maitre'd' alone and I asked a rather blunt question about the passenger mix in the grills from his prospective. The question was approximately Are most of the Grill passengers sailing in that category because that is how they live at home and have the income to back it up or are they "to use the phrase from the other poster here - Aspirational" booking Queens Grill to rub shoulders with those who always travel that way. His answer from almost ten years ago on the QE2 - Most Grill Passengers come from the "aspirational" set and end up looking at most of the same type passenger. Few really live like that full time at home. Therefore, fast forward almost ten years and the level of aspirational marketing Cunard does for the Grills and I am betting 95% of the passenger mix can be found at home not in Tiffany's and Armani's but in Sears and Tessier etc. So other than the food, an extra $5,000 pounds seems rather steep for that choice.

[cruiseluvva]

It depends what you want out of a holiday.

 

We want something better than we have at home, food wise certainly, and because we spend time in our cabin, we like space. So yes, we book larger, more comfortable cabins, but to do this, and because we don't have a bottomless money pit, we travel less often. Our choice and not necessarily the choice everyone would make - but it works for us.

[commodoredave]

I have not experienced QG, but from my one voyage in Princess Grill I would never pay that much of a difference. We loved the separate dining room and better quality cuisine and service, but the larger room was of limited value to us. So while the Grills are certainly worth a premium, I would not pay more than another US$1,000 per week over Britannia club for an upgrade.

[Classiccruiser777]

We travel steerage but on a crossing our muster station was in the Queen's Grill. On the way way out I mentioned to my wife that this was the closest we'd ever get to traveling in "the grills." A staff member overheard my comment and, in a hushed tone, said "it's the same thing."

 

We don't spend much time in the cabin so we don't care about plush accommodations. For the money Oceania has much better food, too.

[bananavan]

We travelled in PG last year for the 28 day Norwegian fiord voyage. It was wonderful and the dining experience is one of the best at sea. You also feel like you are sailing on a small ship as you have the benefit of the special lounge for afternoon tea and pre and post dinner enjoyment.

I got a great deal as we paid for Britannia Club and were upgraded (as part of the promotion) to Princess Grill.

That being said, I have booked one of the larger Oceanviews for next year's transatlantic.

There is basically nothing to see on a crossing and the cabin has the equivalent space of the balcony in the sheltered balcony.

I decided that the price differential will more than pay for dining in the specialty restaurant every night.

Yes, I can certainly afford the PG and understand the principle of aspirational marketing, but I protect my assets as much as I can.

it is a personal choice.

[keithm]

I was looking at the QV fjords trip in May 2016 and the cheapest cabin is £899 this most expensive is £5849. Is it really worth almost £5000 more for the Queens Grill?

We did a PG-1 & a QG-6. After that we did Britannia again. We were offered a PG-1 on the QV for about $2000 total. This would have made our fee about $2875PP. We had been in a handicap room(just was avaiable,I guess)It was almost 400Sq.ft. V/S the PG-1 at about 333sq.ft. When I look back we did sacrifice a lot of fine food & ambience for not going with the upgrade. We met a couple on an excursion & he told me he had paid over 5KPP. It was their first sailing on Cunard & they got really socked in my opinion. They did,however really love their trip even at that price.

[tv24]

We love the QMII and will continue to enjoy crossings. We are intrigued by the Grills, have toured the staterooms, and had the pleasure of enjoying a cocktail hour in a Queens Grill suite with friends who had invited us. We have poured over the menus comparing them to Britannia. Still on the whole we have decided that the Grills are not a good buy, that if one is truly looking for luxury, one should go to Seabourn or Crystal or one of the other luxury lines and get way more for the money (all-inclusive, etc). We recently enjoyed Britannia Club on the QMII and liked the intermediate experience and would do that again. I would love a free upgrade to a Grill suite, and maybe someday would book one just for the experience. But as of today, I remain convinced that they are not worth the extra money. Again, if you can indulge at that level, look to the true luxury lines. You get way more for your money.

[Victoria2]

We love the QMII and will continue to enjoy crossings. We are intrigued by the Grills, have toured the staterooms, and had the pleasure of enjoying a cocktail hour in a Queens Grill suite with friends who had invited us. We have poured over the menus comparing them to Britannia. Still on the whole we have decided that the Grills are not a good buy, that if one is truly looking for luxury, one should go to Seabourn or Crystal or one of the other luxury lines and get way more for the money (all-inclusive, etc). We recently enjoyed Britannia Club on the QMII and liked the intermediate experience and would do that again. I would love a free upgrade to a Grill suite, and maybe someday would book one just for the experience. But as of today, I remain convinced that they are not worth the extra money. Again, if you can indulge at that level, look to the true luxury lines. You get way more for your money.

 

No doubt about it, the recognised luxury lines will be marvellous but us aspirationalists who choose to cruise Queens Grill on Cunard do so because we always have the most wonderful time. It's not a case of more bang for your buck on other lines, it's a case of knowing what a superb experience QG is and more important, how it suits us. I know for a fact there are many like us as we see familiar faces on each cruise.

 

You haven't cruise Queens Grill but you do recommend Crystal, Seabourn or other luxury lines so I presume you have knowledge of these [i haven't] but all inclusive, drinks, possibly tours etc, is not necessarily for everyone who cruises and can I just add perusing Cunard QG menus can only be a basic guide as some passengers rarely eat anything offered as they choose to go off menu. Looking through menus and touring suites cannot give you any feeling of the ambiance or the whole experience.

 

As the saying goes, it's 'Horses for courses'. Crystal will survive without [some of] the Grillers and Cunard will survive with them. :)

[Keith1010]

We have only taken Cunard once.

 

For us what was so very special was the Queens Grill dining room. As some told us before we boarded we ended up having each and every meal there; breakfast, lunch and dinner.

 

The suite was nice too and that is always nice on a crossing which we did.

 

But what made the entire experience unique was the dining room.

 

I do want to say we loved the ship and all of the enrichment but that is not what you asked about.

 

Keith

[Chunky2219]

Well Lanky Lad, I can only say don't bother spending either the £899 or the £5k+ if you have something better to use it for. It's all down to perceived value. DW and I have only travelled QG with Cunard so my perspective is maybe a bit skewed. We book it simply for the larger cabin real estate and the vastly superior food and service. It can be as good as all but the best restaurants on land if things fall into place. Plus, we like to turn up whenever we please and take as little or as long as we like.

 

It matches what we do on land. We take good quality but infrequent meals that my wife doesn't regularly have time to knock up at home. I long since lost the ability to shovel down as much as I could stack on a carvery plate. We hotel in reasonably good facilities with a bit of nice scenery outside rather than equally adequate places next to a motorway services.

 

Forget the tosh about "aspirational" travellers. I don't care who I sit next to and have met some wonderfully normal people, just like me. I've also met some whom I'd wager were fabulously wealthy but made no effort to show it. Granted, on maybe every second or third cruise you'll spot some "look at me, but really not as rich as I'd like you to think I am" ....... types but frankly I've found many more of them in MDR on other lines.

 

I have no issue with the folks who want to take an inside cabin just for the purpose of sleeping and getting changed then they go out to find a sun lounger or a comfy seat to settle down for the rest of the day. Good on them, it just ain't for us. If funds are limited, don't bother with the Grills. If you are comfortably off and have the flexibility to take half a dozen holidays a year then maybe multiple trips in a balcony cabin are the way to go. If, like us, you are constrained by grandparent duties and family holidays then the Grills are a great way to treat yourself now and again.

 

The only way to work out if it's value for the pound in your own pocket is to give it a go. Victoria has it spot on - horses for courses but don't criticise what you've not tried.

 

p.s. By the way, the fjords are the only trip we've done twice in quick succession - that's how good they are. And there's nothing like eating dinner looking out of the window at the scenery as you sail back out of Flam fjord. Enjoy it, whatever accommodation you choose.

 

p. p.s. I booked our annual trip yesterday, for later this year. In a Q4. With luck, the phone will ring again and the TA will ask us if we want to spend less than the cost of an inside cabin to upgrade to a Q1. Like last time it will be a no-brainer. Here's hoping, fingers crossed.

 

 

.

Edited July 18, 2015 by Chunky2219
typo

[Victoria2]

Well said Chunky.

[Austcruiser84]

Granted, on maybe every second or third cruise you'll spot some "look at me, but really not as rich as I'd like you to think I am" ....... types but frankly I've found many more of them in MDR on other lines.

 

the Bucket (pronounced 'bouquet') residence, the lady of the house speaking...

[keithm]

We love the QMII and will continue to enjoy crossings. We are intrigued by the Grills, have toured the staterooms, and had the pleasure of enjoying a cocktail hour in a Queens Grill suite with friends who had invited us. We have poured over the menus comparing them to Britannia. Still on the whole we have decided that the Grills are not a good buy, that if one is truly looking for luxury, one should go to Seabourn or Crystal or one of the other luxury lines and get way more for the money (all-inclusive, etc). We recently enjoyed Britannia Club on the QMII and liked the intermediate experience and would do that again. I would love a free upgrade to a Grill suite, and maybe someday would book one just for the experience. But as of today, I remain convinced that they are not worth the extra money. Again, if you can indulge at that level, look to the true luxury lines. You get way more for your money.

We loved the ability to venture "off menu" in the Grills(especially Queens Grill)Osman the Maitre D in the Q-Grill(QM2)loved having us go off menu. He liked when pax would challange the kitchen.

[Tampa Girl]

I have not experienced QG, but from my one voyage in Princess Grill I would never pay that much of a difference. We loved the separate dining room and better quality cuisine and service, but the larger room was of limited value to us. So while the Grills are certainly worth a premium, I would not pay more than another US$1,000 per week over Britannia club for an upgrade.

 

Never having experienced PG or Balcony Club, why is the latter worth more than a regular Balcony?

[Host Hattie]

Never having experienced PG or Balcony Club, why is the latter worth more than a regular Balcony?

 

Single seat dining in a smaller dining room. You keep the same table for all meals, dinner is anytime between 6.30 and 9.00.

There is a small a la carte selection as well.

Edited July 19, 2015 by Host Hattie

[BigMac1953]

our very first was a P1 on QE2. That's when we got the bug and the next dozen or so have been in QG.

 

A bit like Chunky, we both run our own businesses, and whilst it's my train set, I still have to limit my time off.

 

I probably take about 8 weeks a year and for the past few years, four weeks of such have been on Cunard ships in QG.

 

We both like the extra space and large stern cabins, but the biggest attraction is the restaurant and dedicated lounge.

 

At the moment we have two booked, one for later this year and one for next year, both QG.

 

Other holidays will also be in similar type establishments ashore, like the Savoy or Waldorf.

 

We work hard and are no longer supporting the weans, so we feel entitled to pamper ourselves.

 

Stewart

Edited July 19, 2015 by BigMac1953

[Classiccruiser777]

Single seat dining in a smaller dining room. You keep the same table for all meals, dinner is anytime between 6.30 and 9.00.

There is a small a la carte selection as well.

Hattie - You just described Oceania. Also, there isn't an extra charge for the "specialty" restaurants.

[janecambridge]

We are doing a short grills trip to see if it will be worth a longer cruise in the future. There is a lot of talk about dining experiences,larger cabins etc,but are the sunloungers reserved for grills passengers,worth it? We will be on Victoria.After a bad experience of sunloungers on a recent Regent cruise,I am hoping having a separate area will be more restful.

Thank you.

[commodoredave]

Single seat dining in a smaller dining room. You keep the same table for all meals, dinner is anytime between 6.30 and 9.00.

There is a small a la carte selection as well.

 

Exactly. And we were able to order off menu several times, including some wonderful desserts.

[laktex]

We are doing a short grills trip to see if it will be worth a longer cruise in the future. There is a lot of talk about dining experiences,larger cabins etc,but are the sunloungers reserved for grills passengers,worth it? We will be on Victoria.After a bad experience of sunloungers on a recent Regent cruise,I am hoping having a separate area will be more restful.

Thank you.

In our opinion, much nicer on QV & QE than QM2.

[cruiseluvva]

And the Grills deck is better place than on QM2.

[Tampa Girl]

In our opinion, much nicer on QV & QE than QM2.

 

Can you elaborate, please?