Britannia restaurant dining for a solo traveller

[ex-koelner]

Long time lurker here, who is new to cruising, but making my personal maiden voyage on QM2 next year. I'm wondering whether you would recommend open dining over fixed dining for a solo traveller. Generally I like the idea of sharing a table with the same group of 6 or so people that you can get to know over the course of the cruise and having dinner together. But as many others, early seating is too early and late seating is too late for me (would go for the latter if I need to pick a time). So open dining where you can show up at 7 or 7.30 pm sounds brilliant. What I want to avoid is ending up on a table where other guests are almost finished while you wait for the starter or the way round. So any insights or comments from experienced (solo) cruisers are much appreciated.

[carlmm]

14 hours ago, ex-koelner said:

Long time lurker here, who is new to cruising, but making my personal maiden voyage on QM2 next year. I'm wondering whether you would recommend open dining over fixed dining for a solo traveller. Generally I like the idea of sharing a table with the same group of 6 or so people that you can get to know over the course of the cruise and having dinner together. But as many others, early seating is too early and late seating is too late for me (would go for the latter if I need to pick a time). So open dining where you can show up at 7 or 7.30 pm sounds brilliant. What I want to avoid is ending up on a table where other guests are almost finished while you wait for the starter or the way round. So any insights or comments from experienced (solo) cruisers are much appreciated.

 

Even with open seating they seat people together roughly arriving at the same time thus the differences in serving should usually be small.

Nevertheless, having sailed many times solo on Cunard (and other) ships, I would recommend fixed dining. As you write, sharing a table with the same group of people is a great way to get to know people beyond the usual "Where are you from? What is your name? Is this your first time? What other ships have you sailed?" routine of open seating with new people all the time. One has this at breakfast and lunch anyway.

At the fixed shared dinner table usually one also finds people to share other aspects of the cruise like pre- oder after- dinner drinks, dancing or excursions, if one likes to do so.

Persönlich bevorzuge ich die späte Sitzung, die einen entspannteren Tagesablauf erlaubt, aber das hängt natürlich vom individuellen Lebensrhythmus ab. Viel Spaß 😉

 

[IB2]

On 1/13/2023 at 8:02 PM, ex-koelner said:

Long time lurker here, who is new to cruising, but making my personal maiden voyage on QM2 next year. I'm wondering whether you would recommend open dining over fixed dining for a solo traveller. Generally I like the idea of sharing a table with the same group of 6 or so people that you can get to know over the course of the cruise and having dinner together. But as many others, early seating is too early and late seating is too late for me (would go for the latter if I need to pick a time). So open dining where you can show up at 7 or 7.30 pm sounds brilliant. What I want to avoid is ending up on a table where other guests are almost finished while you wait for the starter or the way round. So any insights or comments from experienced (solo) cruisers are much appreciated.

I'd stick with the fixed dining.  I certainly didn't enjoy the flexible arrangements running for the late sitting on the QM2 in October, queing up every night not knowing where I'd be sent, and one night finding myself on a table where only one other person spoke English.

 

To be fair, the other nights all worked out fairly well, and it was quite fun meeting different people every night - and by the end of the crossing encountering a few people for a second time.  But dressing up and going to the Britannia not knowing how dinner would pan out wasn't enjoyable, particularly on formal nights.

 

The only downside of the fixed arrangement is if you land on a table you don't get on with, and in such a case it is always possible to ask for a move. 

[jimdee3636]

@ex-koelner

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

Although I'm married and usually cruise with my wife, I've cruised solo a few times when she was unable to travel or didn't care for the itinerary. I would choose the late Britannia dining, and request a table for two. Although none of my solo cruises were on Cunard, when we were on the QM2 for 21 nights in 2019 I noticed every day a fairly large group of solos who seemed to be meeting every morning for coffee. If you have a reserved table for two and meet someone compatible, you can always ask that person to join you at your table for dinner. And even if you dine alone some nights (which I often did on my solo cruises), you'll almost always strike up conversations with people sitting nearby (the tables are fairly close together in Britannia). In my experience, dining alone is vastly superior to dining with incompatible or disagreeable strangers.

 

[Solent Richard]

35 minutes ago, jimdee3636 said:

@ex-koelner

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

Although I'm married and usually cruise with my wife, I've cruised solo a few times when she was unable to travel or didn't care for the itinerary. I would choose the late Britannia dining, and request a table for two. Although none of my solo cruises were on Cunard, when we were on the QM2 for 21 nights in 2019 I noticed every day a fairly large group of solos who seemed to be meeting every morning for coffee. If you have a reserved table for two and meet someone compatible, you can always ask that person to join you at your table for dinner. And even if you dine alone some nights (which I often did on my solo cruises), you'll almost always strike up conversations with people sitting nearby (the tables are fairly close together in Britannia). In my experience, dining alone is vastly superior to dining with incompatible or disagreeable strangers.

 

 

Yes, I've cruised solo on four occasions: twice with Cunard,  though one of those was Britannia Club: I changed tables after the first night due to the table companions dining times not being compatible. 

 

It worked a treat as the Maitre d'  arranged for me to sit with one of the guest speakers, Derek Redmond...

 

 

Otherwise my advice to the OP would be to give Second Sitting a go: there usually is a system to place to sit similar guests together. My first  solo, not with Cunard, proved most interesting, was a table for 8 with just two males and six females. That's a cracking story not for publication though. 😂😈

[shippmates]

I would go with the fixed seating.  On my sailing on the QM2 in August, my first solo cruise I was at a table for 6.  It was a group of all singles in the same age range.  We all got along great and did things together during the day and after dinner.  We would meet for a pre dinner drinks.  We had a wonderful 23 days.  We are trying to plan a reunion trip.  Enjoy your crossing.

[jimdee3636]

@ex-koelner

A quick follow-up to what I wrote previously:

The informal "solo group gathering" I would see each morning on the QM2 was in the Carinthia Lounge.

Also, the Chart Room bar in the hour or so before dinner was a very lively place, with both singles and couples easily intermingling.

And finally, here on Cruise Critic, if you scroll down to "Special Interest Cruising" you'll see a section on Solo Cruising. I'm sure you'll find some helpful things there (although they won't be specific to Cunard).

Good luck!

[ex-koelner]

Thanks everybody for sharing your thoughts and experiences! Indeed I tend to go for the late fixed seating at a table of 6 or 8, I assume I can always switch to open dining or another table if it doesn't work? Anyway, there is more than 1 year left to think about it 😁