First Cunard cruise questions

We are taking our first Cunard cruise, other than a cruise on Caronia nearly 20 years ago. For clarification we will be on the QE and have booked a Princess Grill suite and are waitlisted for a Queens Grill one. We have cruised a lot mainly on Regent and Seabourn, and it seems Cunard is very different. We have found the Cunard website less than informative and have a host of questions some of which I list here.

Water

1. Is bottled water supplied in our suite and is it free or do we have to pay.

2. We prefer bottled water with our meals. Will we have to pay for it even in the Princess Grill.

Restaurants

1. The Veranda seems to be a paying restaurant. Is this so and is there any point in going to it since we can eat dinner in the Princess Grill.

2. We quite like buffet. Is the Lido a good option for breakfast and lunch. Is any extra payment required?

3. Can one eat outside at the Lido, weather permitting.

4. Does the Lido open for dinner and is it a good alternative.

5. Do we have to pay extra to lunch in the Golden Lion?

Royal Theatre

1. Are there shows every night and what times are the performances.

2. Does it get very crowded and so necessary to arrive early.

3. Is there any sort of priority seating for those in Grill suites.

4. What is the position re- boxes. For example, can they be booked and if so is there a charge.

We are taking our first Cunard cruise, other than a cruise on Caronia nearly 20 years ago. For clarification we will be on the QE and have booked a Princess Grill suite and are waitlisted for a Queens Grill one. We have cruised a lot mainly on Regent and Seabourn, and it seems Cunard is very different. We have found the Cunard website less than informative and have a host of questions some of which I list here.

Water

1. Is bottled water supplied in our suite and is it free or do we have to pay.

It is provided for free in the suite.

2. We prefer bottled water with our meals. Will we have to pay for it even in the Princess Grill.

Yes, unfortunately.

Restaurants

1. The Veranda seems to be a paying restaurant. Is this so and is there any point in going to it since we can eat dinner in the Princess Grill.

It depends slightly on who you ask. We find the service and food in the Grills so outstanding, that we now avoid the Veranda. When we did it last, we found the food nice but the service not up to Grills standards.

2. We quite like buffet. Is the Lido a good option for breakfast and lunch. Is any extra payment required?

I would honestly advise trying PG for your meals. Part of the magic of PG is having the same waiters for each meal, who get to know you and your individual preferences. They really will bend over backwards to make sure you have everything you want. Everything in the Grills is also cooked to order by a special team of chefs, unlike in the buffet.

3. Can one eat outside at the Lido, weather permitting.

Yes. There is also the Grills courtyard which is lovely for lunch in good weather.

4. Does the Lido open for dinner and is it a good alternative.

5. Do we have to pay extra to lunch in the Golden Lion?

No. It's free and perhaps oddly given my comments above, we do occasionally stray down to the Grills for lunch in the Golden Lion because we occasionally feel like very simple food and the service is actually very good.

Royal Theatre

1. Are there shows every night and what times are the performances.

2. Does it get very crowded and so necessary to arrive early.

3. Is there any sort of priority seating for those in Grill suites.

4. What is the position re- boxes. For example, can they be booked and if so is there a charge.

Hope this is helpful!

Can't answer all your questions, we have only had 7 nights in a P2!

There is water in the suite when you arrive, not sure about a regular supply, and we had 'normal' water at the table.

We found the Princess Grill to be fantastic, great food and service. We saw no need to dine elsewhere. The table is yours for the cruise for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and you can dine outside in the Courtyard if the weather is suitable.

Don't think there is a show every night, and we found you needed to get there in good time. No priority seating, and the boxes are free some nights and cost on others.

I have another question. The Princess suite bathrooms on the QE have a bath with shower. Is the shower head connected by a flexible hose or is it in a fixed position?