Dining & Alcohol Questions

Hi all,

I have travelled on QM2 from NYC to Southampton and on this occasion we took the Cunard Fare and purchased all wine on-board. We opted for late dinner sitting and preferred this.

However, this time my wife and I are going with our parents. We chose the early saver as this really did make economic sense... I have selected our dining preferences for both bookings and told they are linked. I am hoping that the 4 of us will be on the same table, in a late sitting, on a table for 10.

When I called Cunard, they advised this is all best effort and even as a family we could be split. I was also advised that as early savers there is no way we can be moved. However, I believe this to be inaccurate. I'm sure they would accommodate if availability permits. I also would imagine many folks prefer the earlier sitting so swapping may be possible. Any thoughts???

Moving onto the Alcohol policy; it is my intention to bring 12 bottles of wine for 4 passengers (3 each) but Cunard say one per person. Apparently this has recently changed. For 12 nights this seems a little restrictive and I don't think 3 bottles per person is unreasonable. I would like to point out that I do intend to pay to corkage in the restaurant, although they may not even notice given that some of the wine I am bringing is the same as on their wine list but up to 75% cheaper when purchased from my local merchant. When I can drink a £100 bottle of wine for £25 + corkage fee, this makes sense, especially with the sterling being so weak.

Any thoughts from the more experienced Cunard cruisers?

Bring your wine - it will be no problem. Cunard has the official one-bottle policy but they say that they don't enforce it as a rule. If it had changed people here would be talking about it.

I don't know the ins and outs of Saver fares.

Since you want the late sitting, all four of you will likely be seated together if your bookings are linked. They cannot commit to that as their publicly stated policy for your fare is that dining preference will be noted and confirmed once on board. If for some reason you are not seated together go to the Maitre D'. They really do want to give passengers their preferred seating. Your chances are far better than if you had booked a late Saver and wanted first sitting.

 

Moving onto the Alcohol policy; it is my intention to bring 12 bottles of wine for 4 passengers (3 each) but Cunard say one per person. Apparently this has recently changed. For 12 nights this seems a little restrictive and I don't think 3 bottles per person is unreasonable. I would like to point out that I do intend to pay to corkage in the restaurant, although they may not even notice given that some of the wine I am bringing is the same as on their wine list but up to 75% cheaper when purchased from my local merchant. When I can drink a £100 bottle of wine for £25 + corkage fee, this makes sense, especially with the sterling being so weak.

 

Any thoughts from the more experienced Cunard cruisers?

There should be no problem bringing on a case of wine. It is the custom/practise to bring your wine into the restaurant and hand it to the wine waiter so I think they will notice but the decision to charge corkage is his - I have had them charge and not charge. If you intend to bring wine in regularly during the voyage I think you will find they will definitely charge you.

Thanks all... I suspected a late sitting would not be most people's preference and therefore we would get what we asked for.

On the wine, I don't mind paying the corkage fee... How does it work? Did you hand it to the sommelier on arrival? In many cases I will likely open it and decant myself... I remember being looked at aghast when I asked them to decant wine that I purchased from them (which clearly had sediment) before.

On the wine, I don't mind paying the corkage fee... How does it work? Did you hand it to the sommelier on arrival? In many cases I will likely open it and decant myself...

Yes, you can hand it to the sommelier on arrival for dinner, or, maybe better, you bring it the night before or at lunch time to the dining room. This way your sommelier can keep it cool or bring it to temperature or decant it or whatever is appropriate.

Your sommelier will open the bottle and pour the wine.

I am hoping that the 4 of us will be on the same table, in a late sitting, on a table for 10.

 

When I called Cunard, they advised this is all best effort and even as a family we could be split.

I assume then that you booked 2 booking instead of a single one ? I'm sure if you had booked it as single booking they could hardly then split you up.

Thanks all for the comments thus far... We booked together and the bookings are linked so fingers crossed.

We recently travelled with a friend with separate bookings. Our TA arranged for us to be assigned to the same table (Britannia Club) and this was done.

Cunard is most civilised about bringing alcohol on board. Not only can this be done at the port of embarkation, but also at ports of call. We were able to bring Champagne on the QM2 at the four Canadian ports. (The £ is not the only currency to drop in relation to the US $.:() Some cruise lines will confiscate alcohol brought on board at intermediate ports and some will not give it back to you at the end of the cruise. I appreciate this is not relevant to the OP who is taking a crossing, but it may be of interest to others reading this thread.

The corkage fee of $20 was shown as $15 plus $5 gratuity.

We booked 3 cabins on late savers previously and were assigned (as requested) a table for 5 on the second sitting.

I can't imagine that you won't be successful in your request. Fingers crossed.

Not sure if they have more tables for 8s or 10s.....

Per your seating: The late seating is way, way less popular, so if you are not initially placed together, you should meet with the maitre'd soon after you board, and you will have a good chance of being accommodated.

Per the wine: No, you will not be able to open and decant your wine yourself.

We have on occasion taken a favourite bottle of wine to the MDR, We have always paid corkage. My husband usually pops it down to Britannia at lunchtime, gives it to the maitre'd who marks it with our table number. It is waiting for us at our table that evening. In the unlikely event of the bottle not being finished that evening it is brought back the following evening. :-)

I always carry my chosen bottle to dinner. No bothering with choosing my dinner wine before lunch.

Taking a bottle to the dining room wouldn't work for us as we generally go directly to eat after aperitifs in Commodore. Couldn't be bothered to pop back to stateroom to pick up wine and certainly wouldn't want warm S.B.:)

I've never really understood the concept of taking your own wine into a restaurant that sells wine.

Surely it's akin to going into a pub and getting your own bottle or can out ?

Or going into a restaurant, looking at the menu and saying to the waiter "I don't fancy anything you have to offer, but not to worry as I've brought my own food from home".

Hmmm, so often you hear of people who opt for the "Saver Fare", for economic reasons - good luck to them and they then spend their time trying to change the conditions attached to the Saver Fare and want the benefits of the Cunard Fare. Would you call this "Having their cake and eating it?".......

Hmmm, so often you hear of people who opt for the "Saver Fare", for economic reasons - good luck to them and they then spend their time trying to change the conditions attached to the Saver Fare and want the benefits of the Cunard Fare. Would you call this "Having their cake and eating it?".......

I recently booked a cruise on the QV a few weeks ago and we are going with another 2 other couples. So we all booked The Cunard Fare because then it's guaranteed we get the sitting we want and all sit together.

 

Surely it's akin to going into a pub and getting your own bottle or can out ?

 

l".

I once saw a guy thrown out of a pub for trying that one.

David.

I once saw a guy thrown out of a pub for trying that one.

 

David.

How about this one then:

Near to me there's a pub and within 25 yards there's an off-licence. I once saw a chap leave the pub with his glass in his hand, walk into the offie, buy 1 can of lager. Then pour it into his glass and walk back into the pub !

I've never really understood the concept of taking your own wine into a restaurant that sells wine.

 

Surely it's akin to going into a pub and getting your own bottle or can out ?

 

Or going into a restaurant, looking at the menu and saying to the waiter "I don't fancy anything you have to offer, but not to worry as I've brought my own food from home".

For us the benefit of selecting and bringing our own wine is a wider selection of wines that I've had a chance to research. Even with a current wine list its hard to find ratings for the specific vintages offered onboard so all you have is what you can discern from the description.

Admittedly, price plays a part as well but for ~$50 plus the ship's fee of $20 I generally can have a wine that is a better wine than most of the wines in the ship's cellar at any price.

I'm not a big wine drinker and probably 75% of my annual wine budget is spent on cruises.

When I brought some wine onboard I asked one of the Cunard people on the entry if there was any restriction and he said " as long as you can carry it...you can bring it " !!!