Second sitting Britannia Dining Room QM2

[lissie]

BTW this may not be a permanent change to later dining. I notice that my first cruise in July - has the open dining from 7:45pm - but my 2nd cruise in October has a fixed later dining time at 8pm. Both are QE 

[Mareblu]

Well, there you are:  it may be a storm in a teacup

[navybankerteacher]

On 3/23/2022 at 5:24 PM, foodsvcmgr said:

Are Carlmm and I the only ones who see the needless aggravation of all this new and “improved”?

Is eating an hour earlier for those who wish to do so really worth the trade off?

Why is “eating an hour earlier” such a problem?  Anyone who ever travels East or west more than 1000 miles from home (or who goes through daylight saving time changes) is able to adjust his/her belly clock.

[ackcruiser]

On 3/21/2022 at 11:03 PM, deck chair said:

Hello:

 

I have travelled routinely as a solo passenger on all of my 40+ voyages on the Queen Mary 2, 15 voyages on QE2 and 2-3 voyages each on QV and QE.  My last voyage was on the QM2's interrupted 2020 world cruise.  Cunard handled that situation very well.  No line could have done better.

 

There appears to be much uncertainty regarding dining times for second sitting in the Britannia Dining room.  From reports I have read second sitting is now actually OPEN dining with a start time at 7:45 with last orders at 9.  No one seems to know for sure if this scheme will remain in place going forward.

 

I would be very surprised if most Cunard passengers who book second sitting are aware of this.  All they may see is SECOND SITTING CONFIRMED.  Will they be in for an unsettling surprise!

 

Sorry Cunard, there is no way I am sailing again on QM2 or any other Cunard ship if you don't return to the second sitting that has long been practiced.  My decision will be made the day before final payment is due.  My next boked sailing is January 3, 2023, from New York to Sydney.  68 days.

 

I am not going to spend one minute worrying about where I am sitting day to day, the hassle of making daily reservations, who my waiters will be, who will be my table companions will be and who will show up night to night.  Sure, you can get the same table for 8 by a window every night but there is no guarantee you will not be alone.  Or perhaps you show up at 8:30 and find that your table companions are halfway done as they arrived at 7:45. Or you may find that during the course of the sitting your table companions are arriving at a variety of times withing the window.  It will not make for a fabulous experience.  I feel sorry for the waiters who will be forced to deal with this chaos.

 

What about the World Club parties and the captain's welcome reception for second sitting passengers which in the past has ended at 8:30 to coincide with the beginning of the second sitting?  Of course, Cunard may end the evening parties all together and have them in the afternoon.  Don't put it past them. For the last few years, the Senior Officers party has been held in the afternoon no doubt to save money as fewer passengers attend.

 

It is not just solo passengers who are concerned.  I know of several families and couples who are upset about this.  To them having the same table, time, same waiters and same table companions adds to the dining experience. 

 

I recommend every Cunard passenger alarmed by this is to pass the word, raise alarm and contact Cunard management and express displeasure. It's not too late. Be well.

 

Deck chair.

Hello deck chair

     Maybe Cunard could do what other cruise lines have done IE Holland America, and use the upper Britannia restaurant for fixed dining early and late seating and use the lower Britannia for flexible seating? I'm sure that all the flexible seating people don't want to have to do late seating only. We have always done fixed early seating and have no desire to wait in line for a table every night or make reservations.

[foodsvcmgr]

Lissie - potential good news there!

ackcruiser - agreed, with two level MDR should be simple to accommodate both fixed and open preferences thus alienating no one.

Time will tell.

[exlondoner]

42 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

Why is “eating an hour earlier” such a problem?  Anyone who ever travels East or west more than 1000 miles from home (or who goes through daylight saving time changes) is able to adjust his/her belly clock.

 

I think it is not eating an hour earlied as such: it is where it is in the context of the ship's day. It might be inconvenient if one wants to enjoy tea or watch a sailaway or go on a trip that gets back quite late.

[rakkor]

Or just have a  quiet drink in the Commodore Club at 17:00

[navybankerteacher]

2 hours ago, rakkor said:

Or just have a  quiet drink in the Commodore Club at 17:00

All you have to do is tell a little white lie to your belly - state that 16:00 IS 17:00 -  you ought to be able to get away with it;  unless, of course, your belly is smarter than your brain.

[rakkor]

6 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

All you have to do is tell a little white lie to your belly - state that 16:00 IS 17:00 -  you ought to be able to get away with it;  unless, of course, your belly is smarter than your brain.

 

Can't ,we're at the Afternoon Trivia at 16:15

[navybankerteacher]

1 hour ago, rakkor said:

 

Can't ,we're at the Afternoon Trivia at 16:15

A totally different problem:  a conflict is a conflict, regardless of time zone.

[lissie]

9 hours ago, exlondoner said:

 

I think it is not eating an hour earlied as such: it is where it is in the context of the ship's day. It might be inconvenient if one wants to enjoy tea or watch a sailaway or go on a trip that gets back quite late.

We'd not  do early  dining because we dance - we prefer to dance before eating not after.  So  on shore are used to eating at 9:30 or so at a ball or dance. Plus if you're in port  - you may not even be  back on board until 5-6pm - then you need to shower, change, drink  whatever - not rush to sit down for 90 min or so for dinner 

[Craigrlewis]

I find it funny that when Im at home of I don’t eat by 6pm then I don’t want to.

Dont ask me why its just I think my entire life thats been my thing.

However onboard we have always done the late sitting on every cruise we have taken and it doesn’t bother me to eat that late

 

I find myself saying when we are at a sailaway and see people dressed for dinner already “Yessh I wouldn't  want to eat That early”

 

Ackcruiser has a good suggestion with upper and lower levels being different

Edited March 26, 2022 by Craigrlewis
Typo

[delgirl]

We are on qm2 in August this year saying in cruise planner that 2nd seating is freedom dining between 7.45 and 9.00 o'clock.

[bluemarble]

41 minutes ago, delgirl said:

We are on qm2 in August this year saying in cruise planner that 2nd seating is freedom dining between 7.45 and 9.00 o'clock.

 

My Cunard for our August/September QM2 voyage also shows the second seating option as "Dine any time from 7.45pm, with last orders at 9.00pm. Reservations can be made daily on board."

 

However @lissie has reported her October cruise on QE is showing an 8pm fixed dining time for second seating.

 

Perhaps we can try to narrow down a date for a possible switch back to fixed second seating time for each ship, if that is indeed going to happen.

 

If you are on a voyage departing September 2022 or later, please post which ship you are on, your departure date, and what My Cunard is showing for your second seating option. That information can be found under "Booking Summary", "Your Dining Choice".

 

Of course there's no guarantee what My Cunard shows is gospel, but it might give us an indication of what Cunard is planning.

[2Oldpeopleinlove]

We are on the western Med Barcelona to Barcelona on QE beginning October 3, and ours says anytime second seating, 7:45 on with last orders at 9.

[Abril222]

35 minutes ago, bluemarble said:

 

My Cunard for our August/September QM2 voyage also shows the second seating option as "Dine any time from 7.45pm, with last orders at 9.00pm. Reservations can be made daily on board."

 

However @lissie has reported her October cruise on QE is showing an 8pm fixed dining time for second seating.

 

Perhaps we can try to narrow down a date for a possible switch back to fixed second seating time for each ship, if that is indeed going to happen.

 

If you are on a voyage departing September 2022 or later, please post which ship you are on, your departure date, and what My Cunard is showing for your second seating option. That information can be found under "Booking Summary", "Your Dining Choice".

 

Of course there's no guarantee what My Cunard shows is gospel, but it might give us an indication of what Cunard is planning.

Hi All,

My October 25th TA on the QM2 does not show my choice even though I have chosen second seating. Maybe they are rethinking options…

[bluemarble]

15 minutes ago, 2Oldpeopleinlove said:

We are on the western Med Barcelona to Barcelona on QE beginning October 3, and ours says anytime second seating, 7:45 on with last orders at 9.

 

Thanks. That would seem to narrow down the possible switchover date for QE since I believe @lissie has mentioned they are on QE's subsequent October 10 repositioning departure from Barcelona.

[delgirl]

2 hours ago, bluemarble said:

 

My Cunard for our August/September QM2 voyage also shows the second seating option as "Dine any time from 7.45pm, with last orders at 9.00pm. Reservations can be made daily on board."

 

However @lissie has reported her October cruise on QE is showing an 8pm fixed dining time for second seating.

 

Perhaps we can try to narrow down a date for a possible switch back to fixed second seating time for each ship, if that is indeed going to happen.

 

If you are on a voyage departing September 2022 or later, please post which ship you are on, your departure date, and what My Cunard is showing for your second seating option. That information can be found under "Booking Summary", "Your Dining Choice".

 

Of course there's no guarantee what My Cunard shows is gospel, but it might give us an indication of what Cunard is planning.

That's what I meant. When I booked last October I am sure  second seating was as normal but it changed at a later date.

[bluemarble]

46 minutes ago, delgirl said:

That's what I meant. When I booked last October I am sure  second seating was as normal but it changed at a later date.

 

Understood. Just trying to determine if Cunard might be planning to switch back to the regular fixed time dining for second seating later this year. We have some evidence they might be planning to switch back with the October 10 departure on QE. I'm curious if others are now also seeing indications of fixed second seating in My Cunard for their voyages departing around October or later on any of the ships.

 

Of course the other possible interpretation might be that they just haven't yet switched those later voyages to any time dining in My Cunard if they are currently showing fixed time dining for second seating. Still curious to know what those on later voyages are seeing for second seating timings in My Cunard anyway.

Edited March 26, 2022 by bluemarble