QE2 - Caronia Restaurant

[Bramcruiser]

Yes, I finally broke down and just put down a deposit today on a QE2 cruise for the summer of 2007. Like everyone else, I wanted to experience this little piece of sea history before I lose the chance to do so. I figured I might as well go for broke while trying to keep this trip on a tight budget (already on the QM2 on a 7 day trip in December) but I did went for Caronia class. Honestly, from the pics I've seen the Caronia Restaurant looks gorgeous and it seems to get good reviews from those who have sailed on the ship.

 

Now to my question? I keep reading how many patrons love the single-seating in the Caronia as opposed to the traditional set times in the Mauretania. While I do see it has advantages - especially for those at tables for two - how advantageous is it for a larger table? With set times you get to arrive around the same time as your table mates and eat together. I see single seating as everyone arriving at their own desire and thus people would be arriving and departing dinner at various stages of dining. Wouldn't this be more confusing?

 

Just a question. I'm just happy to have a broom closet of a room on this ship!:)

[dougnewmanatsea]

Single seating works well enough at a large table as generally you will arrange with your dining companions to all arrive at an agreed-upon time. The difference is that with single-seating, you get to choose the time rather than being told!

 

Actually, for dinner, I have no problem with second seating in a two-seating arrangement. The real reason I like single seating is that since you "own" your table, you get your normal table, dining companions, and stewards at breakfast and lunch too. To me, this is a fairly large advantage, particularly on a crossing. (On a port-intensive cruise one is more likely to be in a rush and eat breakfast in the Lido on port days, and maybe not even be aboard at lunchtime.)

 

As to the room... Well, each to his or her own! Everyone either loves or hates the decor of this room. I am firmly in the latter category; it ranks as one of my least-favorite rooms aboard. The awful faux-Edwardian kitsch is distinctly out of place aboadr a ship that was designed to be modern and exciting! Up until 1999 it was in roughly its original form (it was practically untouched until 1997, and a lot of it survived another two years) which was much more distinctive. I am afraid the present decor is a preview of what we will be seeing aboard QUEEN VICTORIA :( . It seems that original design doesn't cut it any more for Cunard; now it's all got to be "retro" pastiche!

 

That said, there are plenty of people who like this particular space so don't let me tell you what to think of it! I will say that it is a very spacious room with lots of room in between the tables. The cheaper Mauretania Restaurant is in my opinion better-decorated (also bland, but in a less offensively retro fashion) but it is much more crowded and I believe it also has a lower ceiling. But really they are both fine, and the food and service should be at most marginally different. (At one time there was a big difference but this is no more.) What you are really getting with Caronia is the single seating, and (usually) a bigger and nicer cabin. If single-seating dining and the size of the cabin don't matter to you, then quite honestly I'd save the money and go with Mauretania (unless it is a very small price difference).

 

Either way, congratulations on your booking - she is a wonderful ship and we should savor her while we can!

[Bramcruiser]

As to the room... Well, each to his or her own! Everyone either loves or hates the decor of this room. I am firmly in the latter category; it ranks as one of my least-favorite rooms aboard. The awful faux-Edwardian kitsch is distinctly out of place aboadr a ship that was designed to be modern and exciting! Up until 1999 it was in roughly its original form (it was practically untouched until 1997, and a lot of it survived another two years) which was much more distinctive. I am afraid the present decor is a preview of what we will be seeing aboard QUEEN VICTORIA :( . It seems that original design doesn't cut it any more for Cunard; now it's all got to be "retro" pastiche!

 

Either way, congratulations on your booking - she is a wonderful ship and we should savor her while we can!

 

Thanks Doug. Actually, as you said - to each his own. Now, I only know what I know from seeing pics on the web and from hearing reviews. Thus you are right in that only I will be able to determine if I love it or hate it in the end. I have to say I like the pics of it better than what I've seen of the Mauretania but how often do things look so differently when you see it in real life. Some things look much better and some things look not as spectacular as you thought. I'm willing to keep an open mind. I don't believe there is much difference in menus between the two restuarants but I like what I've seen of the Caronia and am curious about the single seating. We tend to eat all our meals in the main dining room on our cruises - we only did the Lido once on our last trip. We did to like to not rush our meals and yes, we'll get up at a god awful early hour to do it. :) So keeping the same table for the entire voyage is a great idea for us. Do we get to keep the table as a souvenir? LOL! Only kidding on that last one.

 

I think the decor thing actually applies to the whole ship. To me the QE2 appears to be Stanley Kubrick's 2001, the swinging 60s and British country club all rolled into one. HGTV would have a field day on the ship. Its odd but I have to admit its an original and there is definitely nothing cookie cutter about it. This is probably its charm as it is its own ship!

 

As for the price difference, well, I stayed at the low end so it wasn't a big jump from the top of the Mauretania cabins. We don't take baths - er, I should say - we take showers only anyway. A small cabin with a shower only was good enough for me and my partner.

 

Added bonus, neither one of us has been to Europe before so what better way to be there than on the QE2!

 

David

 

P.S. Also looking forward to the mega-ship QM2 in December!

[ocngypz]

Yes, I finally broke down and just put down a deposit today on a QE2 cruise for the summer of 2007. Like everyone else, I wanted to experience this little piece of sea history before I lose the chance to do so. I figured I might as well go for broke while trying to keep this trip on a tight budget (already on the QM2 on a 7 day trip in December) but I did went for Caronia class. Honestly, from the pics I've seen the Caronia Restaurant looks gorgeous and it seems to get good reviews from those who have sailed on the ship.

 

Now to my question? I keep reading how many patrons love the single-seating in the Caronia as opposed to the traditional set times in the Mauretania. While I do see it has advantages - especially for those at tables for two - how advantageous is it for a larger table? With set times you get to arrive around the same time as your table mates and eat together. I see single seating as everyone arriving at their own desire and thus people would be arriving and departing dinner at various stages of dining. Wouldn't this be more confusing?

 

Just a question. I'm just happy to have a broom closet of a room on this ship!:)

 

It depends on your table mates. I've had instances where the others preferred to eat as early as possible.. which just doesn't work for me in that at home I normally eat dinner around 9pm. Since I was sailing solo, I requested a tablechange. Another time, it worked quite well as most of us were 30-something professional singles.. and we all decided to arrrive around 730pm. Then another time while sailing with my father, we were seated with two couples who preferred to dine as late as possible. Dad preferred as early as possible and since he paid for the sailing..... I dined early. We would be finishing as the others arrived. Then on another sailing... again with Dad...it just clicked.. everyone at 730.

 

Now I am back to sailing solo.. and keeping my finger crossed I can find like-minded dining companions. Seabourn has a good remedy to singles and open dining. Hosted tables... with dinner at 730pm. Worked like a charm.

 

Catch as catch can.. as they say.

 

Note to Doug: The original QE2 dining room decor was ugly compared to those of competing ships at the time.

[rjms74]

Bramcruiser,

 

The Coronia Restaurant is a very good restaurant with unhurried service & nice surroundings - I have dined there during a 2003 Transatlantic crossing and had a nice table close to the entrance. I now dine in Queens Grill but apart from the more intimate ambience and ordereing off menu & slightly better cabin - I travel alone - there is not much in it!! esp. re the high difference in price from Caronia to QG Rest!!!! Having said this I did miss the Queens Grill Lounge bar when I was in Caronia back in 03.

 

I am next onboard this Sep in the Princess Grill - & having asked to dine there last July when I was in the Queens Grill this too is a very special & first class restaurant! I pesonally liked the decor in the Caronia Restaurant and it is well situated close to the Chart Room bar - one of my favourites!

 

I'd be pleased to send you some scanned menu samples from my 2003 trip if you advise of your email address.

 

Kind Regards,

 

 

Richard

[venicecruiser]

Richard - I would Love to see the menus as I will be in Caronia next April....Thanks so much..... cwmlbk1@comcast.net

 

 

Claudia

[thames_side]

I'm not sure I agree that an allocated table for all 3 meals is a good thing. I like to meet my other table companions every evening and discuss our day. Probably some I get on with well, some not so well. But for breakfast and lunch it is nice to have a change, meet other people or just be unsociable and grab a table for 2. So, on balance, I prefer open seating for breakfast and lunch which is the norm on other cruise lines.

[Bramcruiser]

Thanks everyone for your help. I guess there's as many theories on the popularity of the Caronia as well as the advantages of single seating dining as there are stars in the sky. I respect everyone's comments and they were helpful.

 

I guess a big table would really depend on the table mates as ocngypz said which was my concern. But hey, at least I'm with a travelling companion so won't be alone totally.

 

Richard, if the offer of the menu is still there my email is:

dkach@hotmail.com

 

Now all I have to do is wait! A long wait to August 2007!

 

David

[patwell]

Ah Ha David...but a MUCH shorter one to Dec 2nd!!! Cheers, Penny

[dougnewmanatsea]

I have to say I like the pics of it better than what I've seen of the Mauretania but how often do things look so differently when you see it in real life.

I think Mauretania looks better in real life than it does in photos.

 

Caronia... I don't like the way it looks in photos, or in real life!

 

I think the decor thing actually applies to the whole ship. To me the QE2 appears to be Stanley Kubrick's 2001, the swinging 60s and British country club all rolled into one.

To put it simply, it's a mess!

 

Basically her decor can be divided into three styles - the original '60s modern, faux Art Deco, and faux Edwardian. The end result is a pretty awful hodgepodge of different styles. There are some spaces that are nice on their own, but taken as a whole she is a decorator's nightmare... And has been ever since Cunard started fooling with her original decor in the '70s.

 

As for the price difference, well, I stayed at the low end so it wasn't a big jump from the top of the Mauretania cabins.

In that case, I suppose it is worth it going for Caronia. The price difference fluctuates wildly - sometimes it is negligible, sometimes it is outrageously huge.

 

Note to Doug: The original QE2 dining room decor was ugly compared to those of competing ships at the time.

As I said, each to his or her own!

 

QE2's original decor was "different"... Either you like it, or you don't. I like it. At least it was unique!

 

That said, I would not rate the Columbia (now Caronia) Restaurant as one of the best rooms aboard. Actually, I think the thing that made (and still makes) her dining rooms seem somewhat unimpressive is that they are all just one deck high, whereas many similar ships (see FRANCE) had multi-deck dining rooms that are just more impressive.

 

Today my favorite room aboard QE2 is the Princess Grill, which is almost completely original (except the chairs, which are original to the ship but not to the room - they came from the old Columbia Restaurant).

[bobby1119]

It depends on your table mates. I've had instances where the others preferred to eat as early as possible.. which just doesn't work for me in that at home I normally eat dinner around 9pm. Since I was sailing solo, I requested a tablechange. Another time, it worked quite well as most of us were 30-something professional singles.. and we all decided to arrrive around 730pm. Then another time while sailing with my father, we were seated with two couples who preferred to dine as late as possible. Dad preferred as early as possible and since he paid for the sailing..... I dined early. We would be finishing as the others arrived. Then on another sailing... again with Dad...it just clicked.. everyone at 730.

 

Now I am back to sailing solo.. and keeping my finger crossed I can find like-minded dining companions. Seabourn has a good remedy to singles and open dining. Hosted tables... with dinner at 730pm. Worked like a charm.

 

Catch as catch can.. as they say.

 

Note to Doug: The original QE2 dining room decor was ugly compared to those of competing ships at the time.

 

I am booked solo on the 2007 world cruise. The dining room situation is my only source of anxiety. At home here in NYC, I like to dine at home at 8:30 pm; in restaurants, 8:30 or 9:00. The last time I was solo on QE2 it was transatlantic and I dined alone at a table for 2. That was fine for 6 days. However, I think for the world cruise a larger table seems more in order. Any suggestions about what to do in order to enjoy dining later without infuriating the early bird crowd? Thanks, Ocngypz.

[bobby1119]

It depends on your table mates. I've had instances where the others preferred to eat as early as possible.. which just doesn't work for me in that at home I normally eat dinner around 9pm. Since I was sailing solo, I requested a tablechange. Another time, it worked quite well as most of us were 30-something professional singles.. and we all decided to arrrive around 730pm. Then another time while sailing with my father, we were seated with two couples who preferred to dine as late as possible. Dad preferred as early as possible and since he paid for the sailing..... I dined early. We would be finishing as the others arrived. Then on another sailing... again with Dad...it just clicked.. everyone at 730.

 

Now I am back to sailing solo.. and keeping my finger crossed I can find like-minded dining companions. Seabourn has a good remedy to singles and open dining. Hosted tables... with dinner at 730pm. Worked like a charm.

 

Catch as catch can.. as they say.

 

Note to Doug: The original QE2 dining room decor was ugly compared to those of competing ships at the time.

I am booked solo on the 2007 world cruise. The dining room situation is my only source of anxiety. At home here in NYC, I like to dine at home at 8:30 pm; in restaurants, 8:30 or 9:00. The last time I was solo on QE2 it was transatlantic and I dined alone at a table for 2. That was fine for 6 days. However, I think for the world cruise a larger table seems more in order. Any suggestions about what to do in order to enjoy dining later without infuriating the early bird crowd? Thanks, Ocngypz.