Open Dining is back

[exlondoner]

10 hours ago, gentlemancruiser said:

I believe the late seating is no longer a fixed seating.   

That is not what my email said.

[babs135]

Just checked on My Cunard.  We sail on the 11th October and as yet do not have an allocated cabin.  Under the Dining Tab all it says is Saver and underneath Main Dining Room.  No time is shown.  Presumably once we have a cabin number they will then give us a time/or choice.

[majortom10]

12 hours ago, Se1lad said:

You also get the benefit of afternoon tea in the Grills Lounge and ability to to order off the PG menu fir delivery to your stateroom.  I agree with MajorTom though that the marketing description of the enhanced BC dining does appear to significantly narrow the gap between BC and PG.

Maybe Cunard will start to offer all Grills passengers a complimentary drinks package - they already offer it on some booking made in America already.

I personally don't think afternoon tea in PG in PG restaurant on QV/QE is any great bonus and taken on Queens Room is a far better experience.

[DaisyDancer]

I'm sailing on 10 December on the QM2. My Cunard gives three dinner options in Britannia - late fixed, early fixed and open.

[baw53]

1 hour ago, babs135 said:

Just checked on My Cunard.  We sail on the 11th October and as yet do not have an allocated cabin.  Under the Dining Tab all it says is Saver and underneath Main Dining Room.  No time is shown.  Presumably once we have a cabin number they will then give us a time/or choice.

We are on the QV Dec11th too.I chose the cabin when I booked and at that time it was showing Early  or Late as the only options …I chose early ‘ table for 2’ …yesterday the options shown are ‘ Anytime…Early …Late ‘ …I changed to the Anytime option .

 

 

 

[Bell Boy]

21 hours ago, exlondoner said:

I doubt it.

 

Enjoy more choice than ever before with our elevated Britannia Club experience. Look forward to an enhanced menu and special, theatrical table side service celebrating some of our feature dishes, all of which you can enjoy from your own private, reserved table. The luxury continues in your stateroom with brand new complimentary mineral water, your own espresso coffee machine, sumptuous bathrobes, and other amenities.

I do have to smile at this, The so called 'New' enhancements are no different to the product several months ago ( Feb & June 2022) when I last travelled Club dining .

I'm back onboard Club Dining 30th October , I'll offer feedback if anything 'New'

[Bell Boy]

21 hours ago, Gomac said:

it’s nice to see open dining in addition to early and late, should please everyone now.
 

What are the enhancements to Btit Club?

 

Also I notice on the new sample menu for Britannia it now has only two options for start and main, will this really be the case?

No, what we have seen printed is only a 'Sample' of two dishes that we could expect on the evening menu. The evening menu will be more extensive. 

[Host Hattie]

We're currently on Queen Victoria in Britannia, there are 4 starters, 2 salads, 2 soups and 6 main courses on the dinner menus 

 

[Electra 7]

On 9/29/2022 at 8:37 AM, babs135 said:

Just checked on My Cunard.  We sail on the 11th October and as yet do not have an allocated cabin.  Under the Dining Tab all it says is Saver and underneath Main Dining Room.  No time is shown.  Presumably once we have a cabin number they will then give us a time/or choice.

what ship are you on Queen Victoria changes dining arrangements on 23rd October

[babs135]

46 minutes ago, Electra 7 said:

what ship are you on Queen Victoria changes dining arrangements on 23rd October

We sail on the Victoria on the 11th October.

[Minnie29]

So how will the new open dining work?

we are on QV in December and opted for open dining. 
Will one tier of the Britannia restaurant be kept for the traditional dining early and late seating and then the other tier for those on open dining?

[carlmm]

There seem to be some inconsistencies and confusion.

While some of you report here about both fixed and open seating as options, a table mate, who stayed on board for the QE cruise starting yesterday, was told everything would be open seating only.

To the dismay of both passenger and waiters.

Maybe we will get to know how it actually is handled from a current cruiser.

 

[majortom10]

11 minutes ago, Minnie29 said:

So how will the new open dining work?

we are on QV in December and opted for open dining. 
Will one tier of the Britannia restaurant be kept for the traditional dining early and late seating and then the other tier for those on open dining?

Yes.

 

[majortom10]

4 minutes ago, carlmm said:

There seem to be some inconsistencies and confusion.

While some of you report here about both fixed and open seating as options, a table mate, who stayed on board for the QE cruise starting yesterday, was told everything would be open seating only.

To the dismay of both passenger and waiters.

Maybe we will get to know how it actually is handled from a current cruiser.

 

The new system of early/late fixed and open dining doesnt start until October.

[carlmm]

2 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

The new system of early/late fixed and open dining doesnt start until October.

Well, yesterday was 3rd October, the published starting day for th Queen Elizabeth 😉

[majortom10]

1 minute ago, carlmm said:

Well, yesterday was 3rd October, the published starting day for th Queen Elizabeth 😉

Ah OK was under the impression it wasnt until end of October.

 

[marco]

Maybe TA's are threated differently than cruises, but when we came home TA from England on the QM2 in July, there was fixed table 1st sitting (I think at 6) and "Open sitting" 7:45 to 9.  There was no fixed lated sitting. 

[Host Hattie]

15 hours ago, carlmm said:

There seem to be some inconsistencies and confusion.

While some of you report here about both fixed and open seating as options, a table mate, who stayed on board for the QE cruise starting yesterday, was told everything would be open seating only.

To the dismay of both passenger and waiters.

Maybe we will get to know how it actually is handled from a current cruiser.

 

That's not going to be very popular if it's true, I look forward to the first reports.

[exlondoner]

1 minute ago, marco said:

Maybe TA's are threated differently than cruises, but when we came home TA from England on the QM2 in July, there was fixed table 1st sitting (I think at 6) and "Open sitting" 7:45 to 9.  There was no fixed lated sitting. 

I think it has changed since then.

[IB2]

On 9/28/2022 at 4:05 PM, gentlemancruiser said:

I believe the late seating is no longer a fixed seating.   

Yes, on the current TA early sitting is allocated as before but for late sitting for the first night you get given a time but not a table, and have to queue up to be placed.  For later nights you have to book a time.  If you're in a group, or a couple wanting to dine alone, I'm sure this is more flexible, but if you're a solo or couple wanting the camaraderie than can develop if you land on a good larger table and meet the same people each night, it's a disappointment.

Edited October 8, 2022 by IB2

[2Oldpeopleinlove]

We are almost finished with our Barcelona-Barcelona in QE, and there is open seating on the lower level in Britannia all evening and fixed early and late with assigned tables on the upper level. We tried open, but we ended up preferring fixed on the upper level.

[Host Hattie]

Thanks for reporting back, can you tell how it's working? Are there queues?

[2Oldpeopleinlove]

Haven’t seen much in the way of queues, but then many have opted for fixed, and current pax load is still less than 1800. Also seeing a COVID outbreak with closed sections on our deck.

 

[carlmm]

15 hours ago, 2Oldpeopleinlove said:

We are almost finished with our Barcelona-Barcelona in QE, and there is open seating on the lower level in Britannia all evening and fixed early and late with assigned tables on the upper level. We tried open, but we ended up preferring fixed on the upper level.

Thank you for this first hand report. 

[david,Mississauga]

17 hours ago, 2Oldpeopleinlove said:

We are almost finished with our Barcelona-Barcelona in QE, and there is open seating on the lower level in Britannia all evening and fixed early and late with assigned tables on the upper level. We tried open, but we ended up preferring fixed on the upper level.

 

As I mentioned a while back that is how Holland America was dealing with it on an Alaska cruise we took about six years ago.  I found it amusing that a long queue would form outside the lower level every day about a half hour before opening time for dinner.  Several people tried the open seating but soon transferred to the second sitting upstairs.