Sitting together at dinner but on different bookings, advice needed (please :) )

[Frontera2]

My wife and I are travelling on QM2 cruise M335A leaving Southampton 18 November, TA to New York then down to the Caribbean before returning to NYC. 

 

A friend has booked separately but for the Transatlantic leg only. We're all in Britannia and have requested early sitting dinner. We've contacted Cunard who say that because we're on different itineraries, they can't "link" the bookings and should do this onboard.

 

Is this likely to be difficult to do? we're really keen on keeping our request for the early dinning and want to have the same table each night (we deplore the "open dining) concept but accept some people love it. 

 

Thanks in advance for any help! 

[Winifred 22]

Are you sure she leaving on 18th. I am the previous sailing and don’t get back until 19th? 

[Frontera2]

Sorry you're right, I mean the 18th - we're staying in Southampton overnight on the 18th. 

[david,Mississauga]

Do you have different booking numbers for the transatlantic and the cruise?  If so, there should be no problem linking the crossing with your friend's crossing. 

 

But even if they can't be linked, I know from experience that special requests can be noted on each party's file. If you have booked through a travel agent get that person to make the request.  

 

If that doesn't work, requesting changes on board from the maître d' should work. I have found them to be helpful.

[sfred]

1 hour ago, Frontera2 said:

A friend has booked separately but for the Transatlantic leg only. We're all in Britannia and have requested early sitting dinner. We've contacted Cunard who say that because we're on different itineraries, they can't "link" the bookings and should do this onboard.

 

Is this likely to be difficult to do?

 

The advice you've received from Cunard is correct.  Unfortunately, they are unable to link bookings on different itineraries.  With your mates doing the TA only, you are onboard for different durations.  We encountered this when doing a long weekend from Melbourne to Brisbane on QE.  Friends were doing Melbourne to Sydney only, so we couldn't link the bookings.

 

We each selected tables for 2 in our bookings, and then a request to the maitre d' on embarkation got us a very nice table for four. 

 

Even if tables for four are all allocated, an alternative would be adjacent tables for 2.  Most are close enough to enable dining conversation.  You could also push the tables together.

Edited July 23, 2023 by sfred

[57eric]

Not so many years ago you would request a "Travel With ID" from Cunard.  You would then tell the other party to request that this ID be added to their record.  It was not a link between reservations but was used strictly for dining room seat assignments.

 

Is this no longer the case?

[Patria21]

We're traveling with friends in January who are on different segments of the world cruise. We were all given a "Travel With ID.' So they are still being provided. We'll see if they work. I love Cunard - but I find I often have to go to the restaurant on embarkation day to fix some table problem that I had tried to fix in advance. Not always - but more often than I'd like.