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Grills Afternoon Tea - in the Lounge or the Restaurant?


Pegase90
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The standard of service of afternoon tea in the Grills Lounge has been gradually getting lower - honest! We've had to wait for ages to get our hot drink/s, and also we've sometimes been provided with our hot drink/s in various stages, and then the drinks have gone cold by the time a waiter bothers to actually stop and serve food. The much celebrated clotted cream is served in a tiny china pot, and is in all truth about a level dessertspoon between two people, and if you want butter or spread that's a proper performance to get.

 

On other cruise lines like Celebrity, at least you get your tea etc brought direct to your suite, so that you have all the comestibles at the right temperature at the same time. We'll give QV one chance, and if the standard is poor, we'll do our own thing. I'd love them to get it right - but I'm not holding my breath.

 

In the past on QV only the late arrivals for afternoon tea have been directed to the PG restaurant.

 

Well all I can say the service and experience was spot on when we cruised on QE in Oct/Nov in PG.. You were taken to a table and then withing seconds a waiter was there asking what tea you wanted and then another waiter followed with a 3 tier cake stand with sandwiches, cakes and scones on and jam/clotted cream and on occasions the harpist played.

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The standard of service of afternoon tea in the Grills Lounge has been gradually getting lower - honest! We've had to wait for ages to get our hot drink/s, and also we've sometimes been provided with our hot drink/s in various stages, and then the drinks have gone cold by the time a waiter bothers to actually stop and serve food. The much celebrated clotted cream is served in a tiny china pot, and is in all truth about a level dessertspoon between two people, and if you want butter or spread that's a proper performance to get.

 

On other cruise lines like Celebrity, at least you get your tea etc brought direct to your suite, so that you have all the comestibles at the right temperature at the same time. We'll give QV one chance, and if the standard is poor, we'll do our own thing. I'd love them to get it right - but I'm not holding my breath.

 

In the past on QV only the late arrivals for afternoon tea have been directed to the PG restaurant.

 

You can get afternoon tea delivered to your suite if you so desire, just give them a little notice and it will be there on time or arrange it with your butler.

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In the past we've either been told that the butler service is too busy and to try and go to the Grills Lounge, or when it has been delivered it's been a real let-down. If I'm not going up to the Lounge, I'll get my own - perfectly capable and I see no shame in not wasting time and not getting messed around.

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I enjoyed prompt, faultless service in the Queens Grill Lounge on Queen Mary 2 exactly a year ago.

The tea and food served was equally superb.

 

Nothing to complain about from me :)

 

My next afternoon teas with Cunard will be on Queen Elizabeth in February & March in the Queens Room.

Very much looking forward to them...

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Ok, I'll wind my neck in - maybe we've just been extremely unlucky, and had several Cunard sailings with disappointments; but it's not simply been a case of what happens (or doesn't) with afternoon tea.

 

So, it's fingers crossed then! Trying to be optimistic, but not holding our breath.:)

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We really need our next Cunard sailing to be a success - otherwise we might just be moving our loyalty elsewhere; so we'd like to not be given a 3 tier cake stand with a selection made by staff - we'd like what WE want, afterall, that was what we understood would be the situation when we booked and paid for our next sailing.

 

I understood that the service in the Grills Lounge would be 'as normal' with waiters offering us a selection at our table. A pre-selected 3 tier cake stand would leave us with very little choice and a load of waste - and most importantly a waste of our time.

 

So, we'll give it one chance, and then if that's no good we'll diy it; at least then we won't be let down and our time won't be wasted.

 

We've never been in PG, and then only times we've been in the Queen's Room is either waiting to go off on an excursion or for a 'drinks and nibbles' affair. Whilst I think that the musical accompaniment would be lovely, I suspect that there might be just a bit too much background noise in there for us.

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We've never been in PG, and then only times we've been in the Queen's Room is either waiting to go off on an excursion or for a 'drinks and nibbles' affair. Whilst I think that the musical accompaniment would be lovely, I suspect that there might be just a bit too much background noise in there for us.

 

Tea in the Grills Lounge on the QM2 and the QE (we haven't yet cruised on the QV) is very quiet. We wouldn't go to the Queen's Room when there is a tea dance because it is indeed too noisy for us. I have checked that at the doorway. When either the harpist or string quartet or pianist is playing, the noise level in the Queen's Room is low. Whether we are in the Grills or Britannia it is our preferred location for tea.

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We really need our next Cunard sailing to be a success - otherwise we might just be moving our loyalty elsewhere; so we'd like to not be given a 3 tier cake stand with a selection made by staff - we'd like what WE want, afterall, that was what we understood would be the situation when we booked and paid for our next sailing.

 

I understood that the service in the Grills Lounge would be 'as normal' with waiters offering us a selection at our table. A pre-selected 3 tier cake stand would leave us with very little choice and a load of waste - and most importantly a waste of our time.

 

So, we'll give it one chance, and then if that's no good we'll diy it; at least then we won't be let down and our time won't be wasted.

 

We've never been in PG, and then only times we've been in the Queen's Room is either waiting to go off on an excursion or for a 'drinks and nibbles' affair. Whilst I think that the musical accompaniment would be lovely, I suspect that there might be just a bit too much background noise in there for us.

 

Well, best of luck with your next Cunard trip - let us know how get on. We too have watched the gradual erosion of the QV experience (not just QG), so we'll probably go straight to a different supplier. We work hard to make the money for our QG level holidays, and we're unwilling to risk it on yet more service pruning - and inaccurate advertising!

 

 

None of this is in any way a criticism of the on board staff, who have always been Cunard's best advert.

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Well, best of luck with your next Cunard trip - let us know how get on. We too have watched the gradual erosion of the QV experience (not just QG), so we'll probably go straight to a different supplier. We work hard to make the money for our QG level holidays, and we're unwilling to risk it on yet more service pruning - and inaccurate advertising!

 

 

None of this is in any way a criticism of the on board staff, who have always been Cunard's best advert.

 

What different "supplier" are you thinking of as there are complaints on all cruise ship forums that all companies have lowered there standards.

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I am confidently expecting that all we will need to do to get suitable (vegetarian) sandwiches is ask on the day - and hopefully just the first day with our preference being remembered thereafter.

This is exactly what happened (only went in once so don't know about the last bit). Served in PG restaurant only. As well as stand, there was a tray to pick your sandwich/roll from and people were asking for different cakes - we were happy with ours. Service was perfect.

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The latest CUNARDER (December 2017) on page 19 spells out Cunard's plans and the bottom right hand corner ( Grills Afternoon Teas) implies that afternoon tea is likely to be available in both Princess AND Queens Grill dining rooms!! Has anyone seen this yet?

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The latest CUNARDER (December 2017) on page 19 spells out Cunard's plans and the bottom right hand corner ( Grills Afternoon Teas) implies that afternoon tea is likely to be available in both Princess AND Queens Grill dining rooms!! Has anyone seen this yet?

 

Yes on QE in Oct/Nov cruise but was only available in Princess Grill.

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Ok, so we have now tried the afternoon tea in PG, and that's the only venue they open up. They don't like criticism, and insisted on trying to make us use actual loose leaf tea, but we had to make a fuss and then got tea bags. Otherwise they would have poured straight from a ready made pot of tea, and we don't like that. You get a cake stand with scones, cream and jam, a couple of random cakes and then between two people it's a couple of various finger sandwiches and a couple of random very small rolls. Exactly the same stuff was on offer in the Lido ; which made me think what the heck is the point of paying more?

Won't bother with the afternoon tea again, it's a blatant reminder of how things used to be.

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Some good -- some bad...... on QM2/ NOV B2b, T/A crossing we were DELIGHTED with the afternoon tea in the Queens room on the days the harpist played.

 

B U T -- get your NOISE reducing headphones out..... some days there was a L O U D band and one day a SCREECHING "singer" and on those 2 occasions it was impossible to converse. We could not believe anyone would consider this a restful and refined " British" afternoon tea scenario.

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Oh wonderful.:( We are taking our first cruise with Cunard next year in the QG, and all I've been reading on forums and groups is how standards have dropped and nothing is as it used to be.

You'll read of the experiences, good and bad of the few on CC and not the vast number of Cunard passengers who are repeaters who don't post on or read CC and other boards.

 

People will always have problems and not everything will be perfect and maybe things aren't what they used to be for those who cruised Cunard years and years ago but I'm pretty picky and I think QG is great.

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Some good -- some bad...... on QM2/ NOV B2b, T/A crossing we were DELIGHTED with the afternoon tea in the Queens room on the days the harpist played.

 

B U T -- get your NOISE reducing headphones out..... some days there was a L O U D band and one day a SCREECHING "singer" and on those 2 occasions it was impossible to converse. We could not believe anyone would consider this a restful and refined " British" afternoon tea scenario.

 

I hope this "screeching singer" was a one-off. As I said earlier, I avoid the Queen's Room on the one day a week they have the tea dance. On our cruise last year the harpist sang occasionally. We didn't care for that, but admittedly she wasn't too loud. On our B2B voyages this year we were pleased that Fiona McGee was back as harpist. Fiona doesn't sing along with her delightful music.

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Ok folks, so just back from QV, and it's almost depressing how standards have dropped. Not all of the ship has had a facelift, and in our QG cabin there was grouting missing along the bath, and the half round mat by the patio door was curled and out of shape and a big trip hazard.

 

There was a kettle and coffee machine in the suite, but the refilling of the tea box was hit and miss; as was the refilling of the toiletries in the bathroom. Room service orders were literally dumped down on the coffee table, nothing nicely placed. The menu in the restaurant has been shortened, and as for the afternoon tea farce - I was refused a tea bag because I didn't want tea leaves. I didn't like the cake stand being filled with items which we don't want - it left us with very little choice other than going through the fuss of getting it all changed. Also the change to Café Carinthia is a big disappointment. The speakers for the talks were brilliant at boring people to sleep! Glad to be home, and glad to have cruises booked with other cruise lines.

 

It's going to be a long time before we book with Cunard again, and that's so sad.

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Just got back from QE to Canaries in a Q1.

Afternoon tea now served in Princess grills restaurant.

Served on an individual cake stand. No sandwich or roll choice given

( until asked for), then we were begrudgingly given a choice.

Scones were served cold.

Got the impression they would prefer us to go to Queens room.

Obviously they are trying to reduce service further.

Hi John ( hope it’s the right John ) here’s wishing you and Nicola a very merry Xmas and enjoy your Q.V. cruise Eleanor and norman

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Ok folks, so just back from QV, and it's almost depressing how standards have dropped. Not all of the ship has had a facelift, and in our QG cabin there was grouting missing along the bath, and the half round mat by the patio door was curled and out of shape and a big trip hazard.

 

There was a kettle and coffee machine in the suite, but the refilling of the tea box was hit and miss; as was the refilling of the toiletries in the bathroom. Room service orders were literally dumped down on the coffee table, nothing nicely placed. The menu in the restaurant has been shortened, and as for the afternoon tea farce - I was refused a tea bag because I didn't want tea leaves. I didn't like the cake stand being filled with items which we don't want - it left us with very little choice other than going through the fuss of getting it all changed. Also the change to Café Carinthia is a big disappointment. The speakers for the talks were brilliant at boring people to sleep! Glad to be home, and glad to have cruises booked with other cruise lines.

 

It's going to be a long time before we book with Cunard again, and that's so sad.

 

Think from your comments prior to the cruise you had no intention of enjoying this cruise and obviously spent the whole cruise determined not to enjoy and to find faults. I hope the other cruises you have booked that the cruise lines live up to your standards.

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Ok folks, so just back from QV, and it's almost depressing how standards have dropped. Not all of the ship has had a facelift, and in our QG cabin there was grouting missing along the bath, and the half round mat by the patio door was curled and out of shape and a big trip hazard.

 

There was a kettle and coffee machine in the suite, but the refilling of the tea box was hit and miss; as was the refilling of the toiletries in the bathroom. Room service orders were literally dumped down on the coffee table, nothing nicely placed. The menu in the restaurant has been shortened, and as for the afternoon tea farce - I was refused a tea bag because I didn't want tea leaves. I didn't like the cake stand being filled with items which we don't want - it left us with very little choice other than going through the fuss of getting it all changed. Also the change to Café Carinthia is a big disappointment. The speakers for the talks were brilliant at boring people to sleep! Glad to be home, and glad to have cruises booked with other cruise lines.

 

It's going to be a long time before we book with Cunard again, and that's so sad.

 

 

 

The QG menu has been shortened but that was reported by myself ages ago. No problem because as you know being a past passenger, you can have what you want [as long as the ingredients are on the ship] anyway so I don't see why that was a big deal for you.

 

You were unlucky with your butler weren't you. We often say, just leave the tray but no, butlers seem to love the flourish of setting the table with a pristine white cloth, sparkling cutlery, and water glasses even if it's just a cheese and tuna melt and fries, ordered through room service. Toiletries are, in our experience, always refreshed before needed and quite frankly, if the mat was dangerous, I would have asked for it be changed. Job done.Grouting? Wouldn't ruin my cruise I'm afraid. Ask for maintenance to replace it.

 

I'm with you on afternoon tea offerings. I too would have asked for a change if they weren't to my liking but unlike yourself, I can't see a problem in requesting that. Tea in an individual pot has been available when asked but then we were in the lounge rather than the PG restaurant, and as nothing is a problem, it was provided. We must have been lucky.

 

I could go on but it's obvious Cunard is not going to be your cruise line of choice and like Major Tom, I hope your next cruise proves to be more to your liking.

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