Britannia Dining/Buffet

[Newleno]

Hello and good day, We have not traveled  on Cunard (we are frugal travelers with only undergraduate degrees).  I dont think Cunard passengers (during specified seating times for dinner) would be interested in conversations on how we save money by  taking the megabus instead of amtrac or how we save money by walking from penn station to the pier instead of a taxi. etc.   Frankly I think you would find us boring and possibly low class dinner companions.  So as not to bother anyone we would just eat all our meals at the buffet, breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  So my question is, is this possible?  Can we just eat all meals at the buffet by ourselves?

 

(There is a decent priced cruise from nyc to hamburg, with a stop in southhampton, we would like to go to stonehenge (southhampton), this cruise seems like a very econmical way.  I priced out hotels, airfare, etc and this cruise well the numbers seem similar (as opposed to just 3 nights in england if we flew round trip), we have been to London before and we just need a day trip to see stonhenge (heck taxes on airfare alone coming out of London is about $181, plus the trains back and forth to London,  expenses etc, well like I said this cruise may be the way to go)

 

Thank you 

[exlondoner]

You can eat everything in the buffet, if that is what you want. Or there is room service, or the café or the pub...  Or try asking for a table for two in the Britannia: they have quite a few. And you never know, your passengers may find you more interesting than you fear. I don't think you need a degree of any sort to travel Cunard.

 

Go for it. It'll be different.

[Newleno]

2 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

You can eat everything in the buffet, if that is what you want. Or there is room service, or the café or the pub...  Or try asking for a table for two in the Britannia: they have quite a few. And you never know, your passengers may find you more interesting than you fear. I don't think you need a degree of any sort to travel Cunard.

 

Go for it. It'll be different.

Thanks I really appreciate the information (see I even got the name of the class we would be in wrong, not  Britannica but Britannia, Geesh for me)

[steve1young]

10 minutes ago, Newleno said:

Hello and good day, We have not traveled  on Cunard (we are frugal travelers with only undergraduate degrees).  I dont think Cunard passengers (during specified seating times for dinner) would be interested in conversations on how we save money by  taking the megabus instead of amtrac or how we save money by walking from penn station to the pier instead of a taxi. etc.   Frankly I think you would find us boring and possibly low class dinner companions.  So as not to bother anyone we would just eat all our meals at the buffet, breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  So my question is, is this possible?  Can we just eat all meals at the buffet by ourselves?

 

(There is a decent priced cruise from nyc to hamburg, with a stop in southhampton, we would like to go to stonehenge (southhampton), this cruise seems like a very econmical way.  I priced out hotels, airfare, etc and this cruise well the numbers seem similar (as opposed to just 3 nights in england if we flew round trip), we have been to London before and we just need a day trip to see stonhenge (heck taxes on airfare alone coming out of London is about $181, plus the trains back and forth to London,  expenses etc, well like I said this cruise may be the way to go)

 

Thank you 

 

Personally, I think it would be a pleasure to share a table with you. How long do you plan on staying in Hamburg? And where?

[bluemarble]

I agree with what exlondoner and steve1young have said. Please don't sell yourself short on how interesting or "classy" you would be as dinner companions. If you opt for one of the larger tables, I suspect your other dinner companions would be quite interested to learn about your travel experiences.

[Tonopah]

Yes, you can certainly eat every meal in the buffet, but why? The dining room meals are included in your fare. It is lovely and a treat for which you have paid (even frugally). The Golden Lion pub has wonderful meals, which are included in your fare. Tea in the Queen’s Room is not to be missed. Do not limit yourself because of how you think others will see you. You will be surprised by the openness and kindness of most Cunard travelers. My husband and I are not wealthy, but we save and will be taking our second crossing on the QM2 next year. If you were to sit with us in the dining room, I’m sure we would love to hear of your money-saving escapades. 

[naturelovergirl]

The cruise is your vacation... operative word here is “your”

You can certainly eat all of your meals in the buffet... or if you like room service- that is included on Cunard too.

But

Don’t feel like you would not be comfortable there- always know that on a cruise like this, there are people from ALL walks of life. The common thread is that everyone wants to travel... 

Frankly, being budget conscious travelers is a subject so many travel-lovers identify with!

Personally in our own lives we are budget conscious and smart with spending so that we can travel... it is our priority 😊 

[newjoisey]

yes you can eat all your food needs in kings court sitting with yourselves or solo ........WARNING......you may gain weight lol 

[seacruise9]

Hi,

 

I recommend at least trying the Britannia Restaurant. This is a beautiful room and the other passengers on this ship generally are very friendly. If you limit yourself to the buffet (which can be chaotic at times), you won't experience much of what makes this ship so special. Also, be sure to try the afternoon tea in the Queens Room. The ship also offers many excellent lectures during the day on a variety of interesting topics. I recently did a transatlantic crossing on this ship (April 28 - May 5, 2019) and had a wonderful time.

 

Chuck

[exlondoner]

Just one more thing. It is only at dinner there are set tables in the Britannia. At breakfast and lunch you can arrive and ask to be put at a table for two.

 

[Stella1250]

I think you are selling yourself very short. We are all interesting just for the fact that we are people! All of your experiences and opinions may be quite interesting to lots of others. My husband has a GED and is a milkman. We are traveling in Queens Grill on the QV Baltic cruise in July. Just because he doesn't have an advanced degree doesn't mean he is not interesting. He has some great milkman stories! Enjoy what you are paying for and don't give another thought to not fitting in. You would be surprised at how many milkmen you may meet on Cunard LOL.

[MCC retired]

Just request a Table for 2 . Late seating better chance of getting that  .

 

 

[Newleno]

1 hour ago, steve1young said:

 

Personally, I think it would be a pleasure to share a table with you. How long do you plan on staying in Hamburg? And where?

I appreciate all your responses, thank you.  Oddly enough this cruise may be a very economical way to see stonehenge, it is a 9 day cruise out of nyc.  If we book the cruise we will probably only stay in Hamburg or Berlin for  one night. (depending on the most economical way to get back to usa)  Seasoned travelers  (we just have never seen stonehenge) but we never have traveled on Cunard.  We took a Windstar once but dress code was resort casual.

[Tonopah]

32 minutes ago, Newleno said:

I appreciate all your responses, thank you.  Oddly enough this cruise may be a very economical way to see stonehenge, it is a 9 day cruise out of nyc.  If we book the cruise we will probably only stay in Hamburg or Berlin for  one night. (depending on the most economical way to get back to usa)  Seasoned travelers  (we just have never seen stonehenge) but we never have traveled on Cunard.  We took a Windstar once but dress code was resort casual.

Don’t let the dress code put you off. My Mister bought trousers and a (not expensive) tux jacket and another jacket to match. He took a couple of different bow ties and one necktie. Two shirts (a tux type and a white button down). I took a long black skirt, black (formal) palazzo pants, a few sparkly tops, a little black dress. Mix and match. It was not difficult. A number of silky pashmina to dress up the various outfits. We are definitely not “dressy” people. I wore the same outfit more than once (gasp!) and no one noticed or, if they noticed, no one cared. We are traveling for three times as long on our next crossing and I will carry about the same as I did for 7 nights.

 

So please don’t limit yourself. Make the most of you lovely holiday. Eat in every venue. Watch the shows. Dance like there’s no tomorrow. We also took the Queen thinking we would just be transported to our final destination. Instead, she grabbed our hearts and hasn’t let go.

[Wiltonian]

Don’t put yourself down! There’s no correlation between number of degrees and interesting conversation! (I can say that with 5, and could bore you silly talking about my research.) Just ask to be on a table with 6 or 8 people, and you’ll be fine.  Incidentally, we’re hugely cost-conscious too, funding our cruises by food shopping at LIDL.

 

Stuart

Edited May 16, 2019 by Wiltonian

[showingdiva]

I found this post a bit sad.  OP, this is your holiday (possibly of a lifetime) and you're as entitled to use restaurants and public areas as everyone else.  As has been said, I have no hesitation in being sure that any other passengers should be privileged to be your dining companions if that's how and where you wish to dine.  But there is certainly no reason why - unless that is your choice - you should feel you should have to eat all your meals in Kings Court (as good as it is in there).   One of the joys of cruising on any ship is that it brings together people from all walks and stages of life and different nationalities.  

 

Most cruise passengers, including on Cunard, will be funding their holiday by some sort of cost cutting or saving.  Some choose not to admit they do, others will feel a sense of accomplishment they have found their way onto such a wonderful ship.

 

Have a fabulous time.

[BobBranst]

12 minutes ago, Wiltonian said:

Don’t put yourself down! There’s no correlation between number of degrees and interesting conversation! (I can say that with 5, and could bore you silly talking about my research.) Just ask to be on a table with 6 or 8 people, and you’ll be fine.  Incidentally, we’re hugely cost-conscious too, funding our cruises by food shopping at LIDL.

 

I agree with Stuart.  Having or not having a college degree(s) has little correlation with being friendly or having interesting  conversations in the Britannia dining room.   Cunard is truely an International line, so your table mates could be not only be from the USA or UK, but Australia, the Ukraine or any number of other countries around the world.  

 

You don't even have to be at a large table.   We usually request a table for 2, and are still close enough to the table (or tables) next to ours to carry on a conversation if we desire.  (Of course, you have the option to not engage in conversation if you wish.)   On our last crossing, we were seated next to another table for 2 with a lovely couple from the UK and had a great time conversing with them every evening.   Most of the people we have met on Cunard have been very cordial, regarless of where they call home.

 

[Summergee]

Please don't put yourself down. We have never had boring table companions. Every one is on holiday. To us, part of the holiday is meeting other people. Neither of us have degrees.

[Se1lad]

Don't put yourself down - I'd love to share a table with someone with a load of savvy travel tips!  On the off chance you are on a large table and you don't click with the other diners, a quiet word with the Maitre D and you could most likely sit somewhere else the following night.

 

 

[Bigmike911]

8 hours ago, Newleno said:

Hello and good day, We have not traveled  on Cunard (we are frugal travelers with only undergraduate degrees).  I dont think Cunard passengers (during specified seating times for dinner) would be interested in conversations on how we save money by  taking the megabus instead of amtrac or how we save money by walking from penn station to the pier instead of a taxi. etc.   Frankly I think you would find us boring and possibly low class dinner companions.  So as not to bother anyone we would just eat all our meals at the buffet, breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  So my question is, is this possible?  Can we just eat all meals at the buffet by ourselves?

 

(There is a decent priced cruise from nyc to hamburg, with a stop in southhampton, we would like to go to stonehenge (southhampton), this cruise seems like a very econmical way.  I priced out hotels, airfare, etc and this cruise well the numbers seem similar (as opposed to just 3 nights in england if we flew round trip), we have been to London before and we just need a day trip to see stonhenge (heck taxes on airfare alone coming out of London is about $181, plus the trains back and forth to London,  expenses etc, well like I said this cruise may be the way to go)

 

Thank you 

Stonehenge is one of the Cunard tours often offered from Southampton, but not all the time. But there are other interesting tours to the Cathedral City of Winchester, and Windsor Castle, if you have not been there that seem to appear most of the time. 

 

If the sole purpose of the crossing is a visit to Stonehenge, I would hate to see you disappointed. You can of course check with Cunard, but the experience that I and others have had with that has been less than stellar. 

 

The crossing will be great. Avail yourselves of as much of the 'Ocean Liner Grandness' as you feel comfortable with.

[2Oldpeopleinlove]

I can't imagine anyone looking down their nose at you. We, too, must be frugal to be able to do the voyage we have reserved. Meeting people different from ourselves is a large part of the pleasure of travel. I'd bet you have experiences, unrelated to your frugality even, that many would be delighted to know about. And if anyone DID get sniffy with you for not wearing a Rolex...or whatever...that's their malfunction,

[Solent Richard]

12 hours ago, Bigmike911 said:

Stonehenge is one of the Cunard tours often offered from Southampton, but not all the time. But there are other interesting tours to the Cathedral City of Winchester, and Windsor Castle, if you have not been there that seem to appear most of the time. 

 

If the sole purpose of the crossing is a visit to Stonehenge, I would hate to see you disappointed. You can of course check with Cunard, but the experience that I and others have had with that has been less than stellar. 

 

The crossing will be great. Avail yourselves of as much of the 'Ocean Liner Grandness' as you feel comfortable with.

 

I've been known to take both passengers and crew from ships calling at Southampton to Stonehenge for the day.

 

This group were all musicians who I had befriended onboard Celebrity Eclipse...

 

 

The two ladies made up the classical duo called 'String Harmony'.

 

Our day also included a stop at Salisbury Cathedral.

[fizzy1]

17 hours ago, showingdiva said:

I found this post a bit sad.  OP, this is your holiday (possibly of a lifetime) and you're as entitled to use restaurants and public areas as everyone else.  As has been said, I have no hesitation in being sure that any other passengers should be privileged to be your dining companions if that's how and where you wish to dine.  But there is certainly no reason why - unless that is your choice - you should feel you should have to eat all your meals in Kings Court (as good as it is in there).   One of the joys of cruising on any ship is that it brings together people from all walks and stages of life and different nationalities.  

 

Most cruise passengers, including on Cunard, will be funding their holiday by some sort of cost cutting or saving.  Some choose not to admit they do, others will feel a sense of accomplishment they have found their way onto such a wonderful ship.

 

Have a fabulous time.

Absolutely !! Goes on credit card ! Pay off by time next cruise the following year  . We can only afford one expensive holiday a year  

[babs135]

OP, I agree with others, don't sell yourself short. I for one would love to 'pick your brains' on any money saving ideas you have. After all, money saved means money towards another cruise, something no one would argue with on this forum 😁

[Newleno]

Really appreciate all the responses did not mean for my original post to be so morose or melancholy.  I just meant, well, you know, you go somewhere and there is a certain decorum that should be followed and then you get some joker that sais something like: "this is a free country I will do what I want"  Well I just didnt want to be that guy.  I hate to dress up and would try to bring the minimum just do get by, so I just figured I could wear khakis and a polo to the buffet and would fit right in. (I just was not sure that the buffett was open for dinner)  thanks again 

Edited May 17, 2019 by Newleno