Whitemarsh

Enjoy your cruise Marie. :)

I thinks it's around 3:54 am in London at the moment, only about 10 hours until they all start boarding.

"Snow" in the Grand Lobby

 

I love the confetti, wish that was still part of a sail away.

Iko (sp?) Pranic is wonderful.

He was my maitre d' two Januarys ago in the QG on QE.

Looking forward to your impressions of the QE which I found to be quite pleasant.

 

That's a nice recommendation. It's good when you have a nice maitre d, it makes a difference. That's one thing I noticed about the Britannia Restaurant, I never had any interaction with the maitre d, but in the Grills you do. Patu (btw) is very good.

 

I'm looking forward to my impressions of QE too! That probably doesn't make any sense, but yes, I am sure I will very much enjoy QE. My only concern is having a cabin way up the back. Don't get me wrong, I love the location, but I am slightly apprehensive about the movement.

What's Pranic like as a maitre d?

By champagne do you mean actual champagne or Pol Acker?

 

A trip report - hmm, I guess I'll have to write one since you've already built up an expectation!

 

Yeah but this time don't leave it for months on end. ;)

I will be enjoying my first Curnard cruise in a few weeks and can not wait. It has been on my bucket list since I started cruising and the reason is because of the dress code. I can not understand how people book with curnard and then complain due to the fact they can not wear tatty jeans etc in the dining room.

I have been more concerned with my packing that I have packed the correct clothes for each night as I do not want to offend anyone...especially Whitemarsh(lol) as they will be on the same cruise as me!. I am so looking forward to dressing up as I never really dress to the extent that I will be on the cruise. I even went out and purchased some gowns for formal nights as I NEVER wear dresses these days...lol

 

I so look forward to meeting whitemarsh and I also look forward to sitting back and people watching what everyone is wearing.

In short....I CAN NOT WAIT...:D

 

Chez

 

Your post inspired me to get my packing done and I am pleased to say that I am all finished (well 99% finished).

 

Seeing everyone (well nearly everyone) so beautifully dressed is one of the pleasures of a Cunard cruise, in my opinion, and I'm sure you're going to look fantastic. A bit of advice, don't be disheartened if some people look a bit shambolic on the first night, that happened on my last voyage but it picked up after that.

 

Looking forward to meeting you too, this is going to be a great cruise.

Tongue in cheek people, tongue in cheek.

 

Obviously, we all knew that. :)

 

Speaking for myself, it's tough being flawed what with so many paragons of virtue around here. :rolleyes:

Since the latest change was announced I was firmly in the "this is a downgrading/dumbing down of the dress code" camp. However, having now taken my first cruise under the new regimen I have come to the conclusion that it could equally be seen as an upgrade to the dress code. Whereas the "jacket & tie" nights have been replaced with a minimum of "jacket required", so too have the first night/last night/evening in port casual nights.

 

The combined effect of these is that, in practice, very little has changed. I would estimate that on an informal evening approximately half the men were wearing either a suit or a jacket and tie (maybe a little under 50% on an in-port evening, maybe a little over 50% on an at-sea evening).

 

I'm really keen to see for myself what the changes have wrought. These will be the first world voyage since the new dress code. I haven't considered that the changes might have in fact been an improvement, I'd just been thankful that standards hadn't dropped off the cliff. That's a good way of looking at it.

 

As I mentioned before, I too was in the "the sky is falling" camp regarding the dress code changes, funny how such a big topic not six months ago has become less important that the size of the complimentary chocolates left on the beds (I mention those because they're trending right now as an issue on here).

 

As always there are the one or two who stand out. On the first evening, in the theatre, I had just commented my surprise at the standard of dress (this would have been a casual/jacket-not-required night until recently) when in came a couple in T-shirts and what appeared to be worn and tatty jeans. They were followed by two men in dinner suits, one in a kilt and three ladies in evening dresses! It takes all sorts.

 

Were they in their mid to late fifties, both reasonably fit and with brown hair? A couple of years ago a couple would dress for dinner in the PG but then change into jeans and sneakers for dancing in the Queens Room and or attending the Royal Court Theatre. Then they'd go and smoke cigars.

 

I remember them because the woman always looked very smart in the PG, which was such a contrast to the remainder of the evening. Seems such an effort to dress for dinner and then go back to your cabin to scrub off the make up and get into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

 

It's quite a while since I heard of someone being refused entry to the restaurant for non-compliance (on Cunard. I've seen it quite frequently on Fred Olsen) but while waiting for a taxi upon disembarcation the man behind us in the queue commented that he had been repeatedly turned away. (He wasn't really complaining, which surprised me as I was expecting a rant, just commenting that he found it surprising!) It turns out his daughter packed his case for him and he hadn't told her he would need a jacket/suit for dinner.

 

Regards, Colin.

 

It's good to hear that Cunard is refusing entry to the dining rooms to non-compliant guests, but I'm yet to hear of anyone being asked to leave a public area (outside of the main dining rooms) that isn't adhering to the dress code on formal nights, despite what the FAQ says. I don't suppose they ever will, the dining rooms are obviously their chosen front line.

Gosh! I didn't know we had to wear uniforms!

 

Didn't you get the memo?

 

If we do have to start wearing uniforms then my vote is for this inspiring look for the ladies. At least we'd all get a giggle.

 

Britannia to Queens Grill from left to right.

 

 

Whitemarsh you obviously missed a running thread about dressing up - so you started your own here !:)

 

Pretty well negates the comment about how good it is that we don't have one, doesn't it ?

 

Rob

 

I didn't say it's good that we don't have one. My point was that we haven't had any for a while and possibly that's due to the change in the dress code itself. A change which resulted in a lot of hand wringing on this board (myself included) but when the dust settled it turns out that everything really is okay.

 

In any case, I'm pretty sure that no thread on the Cunard board is officially a dress code thread until someone posts a "sob story" about why they can't adhere to the dress code and someone calls someone else a snob. I believe those are the rules. :)

I'm always astounded how people seem to have the ability to take multiple suitcases containing their entire lives, but no room apparently for a tux.

 

Same here, I never really quite believed that excuse, especially the variation of "We're travelling through Europe before we meet the ship, so we won't have any closed shoes with us as they're too heavy".

 

The solution was always pretty simple:

 

Step 1) Remove from your suitcase one of the fifteen tracksuits you've packed and one of the five pairs of sneakers.

Step 2) Replace with a tux, a white shirt and black shoes.

Step 3) Add a bow tie - yes it will fit, they are not heavy or extremely large.

 

The fact that people on Cunard ships value the cache of dressing up for dinner is one of the things that endears me to the line. I really enjoyed formal nights on QM2 during the 2012 Christmas cruise as everyone looked so smart and elegant.

 

I feel the same way, and plus it's fun. I can eat dinner in shorts and a t-shirt any old time. Holidays are supposed to take you out of your every day life and offer you different experiences. It would be so uninteresting to eat dinner on a cruise ship dressed in the same old shorts and t-shirts I wear at home.

 

After my recent cruise with Princess I hanker for a Cunard voyage - so I now have two planned in the coming 6 months. Although semi-formal no longer appears on the dress code, even smart casual on Cunard is superior to formal night on Princess, where many passengers wore jeans (some with holes), and an alarming number wore thongs (flip flops) and even singlets (wifebeaters)!

 

If Cunard play their cards right they'll have you as a repeat customer for life. I mean, where else are you going to go for the particular on board ambiance that Cunard offers? I'll tell you - nowhere.

 

In my view, if you are going to dress like you're eating fast food in the comfort of your living room, you might as well save the fare and stay at home! There is something special about taking a cruise / voyage, especially on elegant ships like the three Cunard Queens. It really doesn't take much effort to dress the part and nobody can say they look terrible in formal wear.

 

And it would be such a shame to despoil the beautiful surroundings of these marvellous interiors with thongs and singlets at night. Obviously, during the day, it's right that people wear whatever they like (within reason of course, private parts should be covered) but the evening meal is different. The Britannia Restaurant is such a magnificent space, it deserves the dress code that Cunard has in place.

 

Well, except the man I saw on the Jan 2013 TA crossing wearing an all red tux with plaid bowtie. That was just all kinds of wrong.

 

I don't mind the eccentrics, as long as it's in the spirt of things. They make it interesting. :)

Thanks Don,

 

I think you've hit the nail on the head with your observation regarding the differences between the topics of conversation on the Cunard board and that of other cruise lines.

 

Cunard does (in my opinion) attract people who desire a particular style of service (waiters who refrain from singing & dancing) and ambiance on board etc etc. It pretty much has this particular market segment all to itself, which is why I have always thought that suggestions that Cunard should divulge itself of any differences that differentiate Cunard (dress code etc) to attract a wider market, would be, in the long run, a bad move as Cunard would be competing for the same market that RCCL and Carnival have sewn up - but with no point of difference.

 

Anecdotal evidence that the new dress code is being adhered to, with ties worn on informal nights for example, suggests to me that it's a good thing that Cunard has retained the selling points of its dress code and more formal service - there is, obviously, a market for this.

 

I hope I enjoy my upcoming voyage too. I'm pretty confident I will as I have enjoyed every other Cunard cruise I've taken. Britannia or the Grills - it's all been good in my experience.

 

But then perhaps that's a personal thing as, to quote William Blake, "Some are born to Sweet Delight, Some are born to Endless Night."

 

Have a fantastic time on your QV world voyage - you have a wonderful itinerary to look forward to. I look forward to reading your thoughts and feedback after the voyage.

I realised today that we haven't had a "dress code" thread for ages. You know, the ones were someone comes on (usually their first post) and claims that they're transporting their elephant from Dubai to Pago Pago and that's the only reason why they're travelling Cunard. Following on from this (or any other sob story) they usually ask whether exceptions be made for them with the dress code. Someone will reply no and then someone else will announce that we're all a bunch of snobs etc etc and it all ends in tears.

 

Whilst I sometimes miss the "cut & thrust" (as one of my more sympathetic correspondents once put it) of a Cunard dress code debate it would appear that the recent change to the dress code has simplified the matter for - seemingly - everyone and perhaps that's why the dress code threads died a natural death.

 

Whether of not the lack of dress code threads is good thing or not, feedback from passengers on cruises after the changes were implemented has (to my memory) been pretty positive with most stating that the (new) dress code is being nearly uniformly complied with.

 

So all in all, it's all turned out pretty good. And I think that's something worth acknowledging. :)

I like the sound of that. So there is no wait? It was quite crowded in the Queens Room when I was on board last time - I only did afternoon tea several times as a result.

 

During the start of a voyage it's usually quiet as (I imagine) new Grill guests don't know that afternoon tea is served in the QGL. Then, as the voyage progresses, it gets busier. The last couple of days are the busiest and those days are the only times I have seen it full and/or people not able to get seats.

 

So that's the 411 for longer voyages, I don't know what happens on short voyages.

 

FYI - the best seats are the sofas on the right hand side as you enter the lounge. The last lounge and the second last lounge are the best.

What additional offerings might those be?

 

Extra sweet and savoury items. I don't know what they're called.

 

Forgot to add that one of the pluses is that you don't have to line up outside as you do for the Queens Room. You can sit there prior to afternoon tea commencing and they'll just setup around you. Or just wander in whenever you like.

If afternoon tea is served then it will be available in the Queens Grill lounge for grill guests. And yes, it is different to the afternoon tea served in the Queens Room as there is a number of extra offerings that are not served in the Queens Room.

Pugwash once posted on here all the ports that they load supplies at. Apparently the reason they only have a finite number of supply ports has something to do with quality control. Sydney & Hong Kong were amongst them.

 

Having said that, I do remember seeing some sort of foodstuff being loaded at Brisbane. Not sure what it was or where it came from (could have been flown up from Sydney).

[quote name='kasius11']I've now travelled Queens Grill and Princess Grill, both TA. Aside from bigger room and nice jacuzzi tub I preferred Princess Grill dining room and Princess Grill 10th floor balcony to QG 9th floor, even though 9th floor balcony was bigger. Butler service was really no big deal and just your cabin attendant.

[COLOR="Red"]Less tables, less pretention in PG dining room (confirmed to me by waitor who served me in both). Better service, with food the same and more room between tables. [/COLOR]

Next time PG for sure.[/QUOTE]

The crowd in the Queens Grill does tend to be a tad older than the Princess Grill, which does make the QG vibe slightly less energised than the Princess Grill. Can't say I've witnessed as pretentious behaviour in the QG though, unless you count a frantic desire to socialise with the captain and arrange for people to sit at his table pretentious. That I have witnessed.

The dishes that appear on both a la carte menus are the same - the oven baked Dartmoor lamb for example - but the QG a la carte menu does have more options on it; additionally, there are dishes you can have for free such as caviar, which you can't have for free in the PG.

I've always thought the service in the Princess Grill was excellent, as it is in the Queens Grill. Having said that there were a few hiccups in the Queens Grill which I didn't experience in the Princess Grill, such as once having to refill my wine glass myself (but I don't know if you could really call that a hiccup). The hilariously burnt crepes suzette were definitely a hiccup though, not that I minded at the time as it was the second round of crepes suzette.

The holiday cruise so exceeded my expectations that I am compelled to post a mini-review in the form of a few observations. The weather was great on the way to the Caribbean, throughout the Caribbean, and for most of the way back to New York. The ship was festively decorated, and the celebrations on Christmas and New Year's Eve were fun to be a part of. We had a perfect table for two (a banquette) directly next to the window at far end of the Princess Grill, looking out onto the aft decks. The dress code was respected in the dining room where many gentlemen, including ourselves, wore ties on informal nights, and in most of the public rooms, although Kings Court remains a different story no matter what time of day one ventures there. The service provided by our waitstaff team in the Princess Grill was superb, and the quality of the food was much improved since our last cruise in PG about a year ago. Yes, there is evidence of cut-backs just about everywhere, but this fact did not diminish our enjoyment of this very pleasant cruise.

 

Thanks for this mini-review, glad to hear that you enjoyed your cruise. The Princess Grill has been excellent every time I've been there, it really is quite special.

 

I'm getting the impression that the difference in terms of service and quality of food between the Grills and Britannia is becoming more and more apparent. (I always expected there would be a considerable difference in keeping with the difference in rates, but it seems to be more of a contrast now.) Or is it the same as it has always been?

 

What makes you think this?

I would certainly hope the QM2 could ride out a tsunami better than the "Poopsidedown" did in that lame movie!

 

Let's hope so. She is, after all, an ocean liner (despite what anyone says). :)

Is it really such a good thing that the whole room must know that you ordered the "cheapo" wine by the size of your glass?

 

Honestly, I don't think anyone cares. Which is a good thing :)

Have a good time capn, we'll be reading your blog.

 

Perhaps you might dine at the Verandah? Be keen to read your impressions this close to the game.

I noticed the size difference in glasses in the Princess Grill and was told that the more expensive wines get a bigger glass.

We have recently returned from a cruise on QE, in this grade (Christmas Markets cruise). The cabins are on deck 8, so the highest deck, but as they are midships, it was a comfortable position, although we were not tested by heavy seas, unlike the next cruise! You could hear the footfall from the deck above, which could be more noticeable in the summer. The balcony was the biggest we have had in balcony grade, really roomy. We were given a whole bottle of bubbly and some chocolates. The so called pillow menu was a choice of two, synthetic or feather. The synthetic was lovely and soft, and the pillows were huge to match the bed. We are considering ordering a Cunarder mattress when ours is a little older! The bedding is of a higher quality, so altogether this enhanced our sleep. The steward was also one of the best we have had in over a dozen cruises, so I assume they match the more experienced stewards to the cabin grade?

The restaurant is lovely, and the staff were excellent, soon remembering your little likes and dislikes. It holds about 80 pax, but as we were only numbering 24 on this particular cruise ( only 1700 out of a possible 2000 odd) the service was amazing! There is also an a la carte section to choose from. One of the best points for us was that we could arrive any time as it suited within the opening hours, so tables for two seemed sensible. And to be honest, and especially after having experienced a very "sociable" rail journey holiday the previous month, it was a lovely change just to relax and enjoy our own company for a change! Another bonus was that we could order anything from the menus to be sent up for room service, which we did on two occasions, and it was lovely. The food was also the best we have experienced across Cunard and P&O, whether this was down to being in Club, I couldn't be sure, but rather suspect, although I think the menus were the same, apart from the extra a la carte section, which included steak and flambeed cherries.

These are the only differences. Whether it is worth the extra money, and it is quite a bit, we remain in doubt. Perhaps save the extra and use the alternative dining venues?

 

I'm pretty sure the bedding is the same across all cabin grades. On my last voyage I went from Britannia to Queens Grill and couldn't tell the difference in the bedding.

I am happy to confirm that a tidal wave did not come along and capsize the ship shortly after midnight.

 

That's because Maureen McGovern didn't come on to sing

. If she ever does, make for the lifeboats.

 

Thank you for your interesting report. May I add (on behalf of all smokers) that we appreciate it greatly when cigar & pipe smokers in Churchill's don't make a big deal about people smoking cigarettes).