Speciality restaurants

[Truro001]

Spirit of Adventure - Venice and the Treasures of the Adriatic (22nts)

The Specialty restaurants are always very popular and with a full complement of passengers on this cruise it has sometimes been a challenge to make a reservation. We attribute this primarily to the lack of a clear and published policy regarding speciality restaurant reservations. When boarding we were told that due to the numbers on board we could initially only make one reservation in each of the speciality restaurants and could make further reservations after the first week of the cruise. This we felt was fair. However, we later met other passengers who were told that they could only go to each speciality restaurant once throughout the whole cruise and other passengers appear to have made numerous reservations on day one for the entire cruise.  We  also met other passengers who appeared to be able to go to the speciality restaurants on every night of the cruise! Do Saga actually have an official policy with regard to how and when passengers are able to make speciality restaurant reservations? If not, they should publish a speciality restaurant reservation system that is fair to all. Being a trite cynical I can’t help but wonder if, quoting George Orwell,  “all animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others”.

[Glenndale]

I've long suspected that suite guests get preferential treatment with regards to booking the speciality restaurants, but no proof. 

[Windsurfboy]

5 minutes ago, Glenndale said:

I've long suspected that suite guests get preferential treatment with regards to booking the speciality restaurants, but no proof. 

 

They also get larger rooms

[LondonLad60]

25 minutes ago, Truro001 said:

Spirit of Adventure - Venice and the Treasures of the Adriatic (22nts)

The Specialty restaurants are always very popular and with a full complement of passengers on this cruise it has sometimes been a challenge to make a reservation. We attribute this primarily to the lack of a clear and published policy regarding speciality restaurant reservations. When boarding we were told that due to the numbers on board we could initially only make one reservation in each of the speciality restaurants and could make further reservations after the first week of the cruise. This we felt was fair. However, we later met other passengers who were told that they could only go to each speciality restaurant once throughout the whole cruise and other passengers appear to have made numerous reservations on day one for the entire cruise.  We  also met other passengers who appeared to be able to go to the speciality restaurants on every night of the cruise! Do Saga actually have an official policy with regard to how and when passengers are able to make speciality restaurant reservations? If not, they should publish a speciality restaurant reservation system that is fair to all. Being a trite cynical I can’t help but wonder if, quoting George Orwell,  “all animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others”.

The official policy is, one booking per restaurant initially. When you have eaten in a particular restaurant, you can try booking it again. If there is availability you may get in; if not I think you can ask to be waitlisted. Passengers have been known to turn up at the desks in the evening and ask if there's any availability, which is worth doing as there may have been a last minute cancellation. Some say they are willing to share and I saw this in action on a recent cruise. We were asked if we were prepared to have someone join us, and we politely said no thank you. On a cruise on SoD last year, one particular passenger made a habit of doing this in Coast to Coast. Also, on another cruise I asked the Food and Beverages Director about the policy. He said, if you don't mind eating later, go along at about 8:00pm and ask - you may (and he stressed the word 'may') be able to get in.

[Glenndale]

7 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

They also get larger rooms

Yes, of course, and they have a butler.

They've also paid a lot more than people in the standard cabins.

I'm not saying that I disagree with them having more perks, just think it should be made clear.

One reason we have 2 Queen Anne, Queens Grill cruises booked for 2025 for around the cost of a deluxe room on Saga.

[Tothesunset]

1 minute ago, Glenndale said:

Yes, of course, and they have a butler.

They've also paid a lot more than people in the standard cabins.

I'm not saying that I disagree with them having more perks, just think it should be made clear.

One reason we have 2 Queen Anne, Queens Grill cruises booked for 2025 for around the cost of a deluxe room on Saga.

I've always thought that the prices charged for the deluxe and higher suites are a touch ambitious. 

[Medeba]

1 hour ago, Glenndale said:

One reason we have 2 Queen Anne, Queens Grill cruises booked for 2025 for around the cost of a deluxe room on Saga.

This really interests me as I've never cruised with Cunard.  When you make your cost comparison with a deluxe room on Saga, does the overall cost of your Queen Anne cruise in Queen's Grill include all the 'extras' that Saga provide eg transport, gratuities, free drinks, insurance for the same length of cruise?  If so, I think I may be looking at Cunard more closely!

[Glenndale]

For me yes, but obviously not for everyone. 

I rarely drink alcohol, I don't use the spa, in QG speciality coffees are included in the Grills lounge.

Driving down to Southampton is around 130 miles and we leave the car with SIL in Ocean Village.

In QG drinks are provided in the room, which my partner enjoys, especially sitting on aft facing balcony.

There is OBC given which usually covers gratuities and enough for a couple of bottles of wine, plus as a shareholder I get additional cabin credit,

Saga wouldn't insure me so I bought an annual policy, which works out about the same as Saga's included insurance as we do at least 4 cruises per year.

No need for speciality restaurants as QG allows off menu ordering as long as they have the ingredients on board and you give sufficient notice.

e.g.

We have a 14  night Canary Isle cruise booked in QG for Dec. 2024 £4700 each, currently a deluxe cabin on a 14 night Saga cruise in Dec. 2024 is £5225 (35% discount). Our QG grade cabins are all sold out.

Of course it's not all about the money, we still travel with Saga and hope to book a couple of cruises with them when they release their 2025 offerings. 

It's all about personal choice and what works for you.

 

 

 

 

[Windsurfboy]

1 minute ago, Glenndale said:

Yes, of course, and they have a butler.

They've also paid a lot more than people in the standard cabins.

I'm not saying that I disagree with them having more perks, just think it should be made clear.

One reason we have 2 Queen Anne, Queens Grill cruises booked for 2025 for around the cost of a deluxe room on Saga.

 

I was slightly lounge I in cheek.

 

On our last cruise half empty,  butler got what ever we asked. Don't know about full cruise . 

 

There are 240 speciality restaurant places

 

So 1680 spaces in a week , only ONE guaranteed place per passenger with 693 spare 

 

So 3360 spaces in 2 weeks enough for THREE guaranteed places per passenger with 390 spare

 

So 5040 in  3 weeks so FOUR guaranteed places with 1080 spare , 5 guaranteed spaces possible but very tight

 

So on my 30 day cruise in 2 weeks 7200 places, enough for SIX guaranteed plaves with 1278 spare.

 

So they need a SYSTEM that  explains this and gives everyone their right number of guaranteed places depending on length of cruise. Spare places should be bookable only on night after 6pm. 

 

Giving  suites a few extra bookable slots  would come out of spare places and have very little effect overall.

 

We've just been on two Cunard QG cruises this year, yes Queens Grill restaurants are nice, but a bit monotonous unless you order off menu. Also outside of the Grills,  deck , lounge. Service and ambience is much nicer on Saga throughout the  ship. Saga is our line of choice .

[Windsurfboy]

Price wise I think a Saga suite at 30 or 35% discount,  early booking is similiar price to Cunard QG, maybe slightly more but you get more.

 

Of course once you get down to 15% discount or below Saga gets dear and a deluxe costs more, similiar then to Cunard QG

[Glenndale]

Agree service on Saga is good, but then, so is service in QG.

All very subjective though.

I prefer the smaller ships, but I am looking forward to seeing what Queen Anne has to offer.

Oceania used to be our line of choice, but as we are no longer prepared to fly with all that entails, we are limited in our choices.

[Glenndale]

2 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

Price wise I think a Saga suite at 30 or 35% discount,  early booking is similiar price to Cunard QG, maybe slightly more but you get more.

 

Of course once you get down to 15% discount or below Saga gets dear and a deluxe costs more, similiar then to Cunard QG

Did you see the price comparison to a Deluxe on our Canary cruise?

 

[Windsurfboy]

1 hour ago, Glenndale said:

Agree service on Saga is good, but then, so is service in QG.

All very subjective though.

I prefer the smaller ships, but I am looking forward to seeing what Queen Anne has to offer.

 

Agree QG service is good. Subjectively I think it's outside the Grills bubble that Saga is better/nicer.

 

 

[Windsurfboy]

1 hour ago, Glenndale said:

Did you see the price comparison to a Deluxe on our Canary cruise?

 

 

Sorry didnt read it properly. 

 

Your Queen Anne prices seem very good bargain. My recent average for Cunard on ,QV, and QM is 500ppn for a standard QG midships. 

[Glenndale]

1 hour ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

Sorry didnt read it properly. 

 

Your Queen Anne prices seem very good bargain. My recent average for Cunard on ,QV, and QM is 500ppn for a standard QG midships. 

That’s probably why those cabins are sold out now 🙂

I love the aft facing cabins. 

Like Saga it seems that it is best to book early if you want a Grills cabin.

We’ve sailed in the Deluxe Saga cabins and they are very nice but no comparison to a QG.

Sorry to take this thread off topic. 

[Windsurfboy]

One thing we haven't mentioned is sharing in the speciality restaurants. My calculations were based on maximum capacity with maximum sharing. If on a full ship people don't want to share , then capacity is reduced so will opportunity to use speciality restaurants. With no sharing wouldn't get three  opportunities to go to speciality restaurants in a two week cruise. Thus on full ships sharing should be obligatory. 

[Medeba]

My thanks to both @Glenndale and @Windsurfboy for the QG v Saga comments.  I've found it all very informative.

[Banjo an]

On 10/27/2023 at 7:39 PM, Windsurfboy said:

One thing we haven't mentioned is sharing in the speciality restaurants. My calculations were based on maximum capacity with maximum sharing. If on a full ship people don't want to share , then capacity is reduced so will opportunity to use speciality restaurants. With no sharing wouldn't get three  opportunities to go to speciality restaurants in a two week cruise. Thus on full ships sharing should be obligatory. 

I wonder how full the ship will be when we sail next Tuesday?

[FatBoy20]

On 10/27/2023 at 5:59 PM, Windsurfboy said:

 

Sorry didnt read it properly. 

 

Your Queen Anne prices seem very good bargain. My recent average for Cunard on ,QV, and QM is 500ppn for a standard QG midships. 

My last 14 night cruise in August with Saga worked out at £210pp per night in a Standard Balcony. One heck of a difference with Cunard!.

[Windsurfboy]

On 10/27/2023 at 5:59 PM, Windsurfboy said:

 

Sorry didnt read it properly. 

 

Your Queen Anne prices seem very good bargain. My recent average for Cunard on ,QV, and QM is 500ppn for a standard QG midships. 

 

8 minutes ago, FatBoy20 said:

My last 14 night cruise in August with Saga worked out at £210pp per night in a Standard Balcony. One heck of a difference with Cunard!.

 

My prices for Cunard were for a standard QG (Queens Grill Suite) not a standard balcony,  which is similiar in size and price to a Saga mid ship Suite)

[Windsurfboy]

45 minutes ago, Banjo an said:

I wonder how full the ship will be when we sail next Tuesday?

 

Before they took it off the internet a week ago,  there were 157 standard cabins and 3 deluxe available for sale and 30 singles. This had the week before gone up from 134 to 157 Standard cabins , but all space in deluxe and suites disappeared,  so lots of lucky people got upgrades. 

 

Anyway unless there were lots of guarantee cabins awaiting allocation this points to circa 344 empty spaces. So two thirds full. Can but wait and see.

 

At two thirds full should be no trouble getting into speciality restaurants. 

[FannyLiz]

1 hour ago, Windsurfboy said:.

 

At two thirds full should be no trouble getting into speciality restaurants. 

Thank you for that analysis. I hope there’s no trouble booking the speciality restaurants. I had hoped to be quite spontaneous about it. I don’t really want to map out my evening meals before I even start the holiday.

 

Looking at Windy for the 7th I think my evening meal might be taken in my cabin….

[Banjo an]

6 minutes ago, FannyLiz said:

Thank you for that analysis. I hope there’s no trouble booking the speciality restaurants. I had hoped to be quite spontaneous about it. I don’t really want to map out my evening meals before I even start the holiday.

 

Looking at Windy for the 7th I think my evening meal might be taken in my cabin….

No, you’ll be fine. 

[Windsurfboy]

31 minutes ago, FannyLiz said:

Thank you for that analysis. I hope there’s no trouble booking the speciality restaurants. I had hoped to be quite spontaneous about it. I don’t really want to map out my evening meals before I even start the holiday.

 

Looking at Windy for the 7th I think my evening meal might be taken in my cabin….

 Looking at wave forecasts we should be fine for next Wednesday  but glad were not crossing bay of Biscay this week .FINGERS CROSSED

[NorbertsNiece]

1 hour ago, Windsurfboy said:

 Looking at wave forecasts we should be fine for next Wednesday  but glad were not crossing bay of Biscay this week .FINGERS CROSSED

BoB definitely not looking good for the next few days.....