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Food upon Embarkation..


crusader

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If you will be on the Queen Mary 2, the King's Court with its many buffet areas will be open. If you will be on the Queen Victoria, the large Lido area will have plenty of selections. Boarding generally begins about noon so, if you should arrive a bit before that, you will be have time to check in and be ready to board when they start calling passengers.

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My husband and I are new to Cunard. If we arrive about noon to board do they have an open buffet or area for a bite to eat. We are coming a long way.

 

Thanks

 

Hi Crusader. As previous experienced Cunaders have written, it depends on the ship, the category you booked and your port of departure.

 

My personal preference (on QM2 departing from the Red Hook Terminal, Britannia Category booking), is to arrive between 2 and 3pm. I'm not a fan of buffets, so I order a snack (usually fruit and chesse platter) from room service after 3pm. I unpack, snack and then go to muster drill.

 

Hint: the in cabin refigeration will keep fruit/cheese platter chilled at the proper temperature for a few hours. I would not keep anything that requires refigeration (such as milk, cream or :)properly chilled champagne) for any extended period in the refigerator.

 

Regards,

Salacia

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Well, I wasn't hiding it, and wasn't challenged. As to whether it is allowed or not, I can't honestly comment.

 

But a couple of packs of sandwiches isn't really that outrageous.

 

And it was Southampton.

 

 

Oh it was Southampton. No worries then.

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It has to against the Geneva or some other Convention to deprive US citizens from direct access to either a hot dog or a hamburger. It always shocks me that is no vendor in the boarding hall. Maybe it is all to come. And best of all will be the Halal hot dog.

 

Capn' are you at sea or ashore at the moment? It seems a remarkably long time since your last voyage.

 

J

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If you have a balcony, and the weather that is appropriate, bring something with you. Especially good for single travellers, as the cafeteria (On QM2) is not designed for singles.

 

Why do you say it is not for singles? I am going to be a single on the QM2 and would like to have options for breakfast and lunch....I can't imagine bringing my own food on board.

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Why do you say it is not for singles? I am going to be a single on the QM2 and would like to have options for breakfast and lunch....I can't imagine bringing my own food on board.

 

This is a slight mis-statement, on day 1 at around 1.30p im the KC on Deck 7 becomes very crowded and finding a vacant table which will not be immediately cleaned and grabbed by someon else is tricky, not impossible. I would suggest an earlier arrival and then wander around and fill your tray. sit, eat and if you need to replenish speak to your now new table mates or a waiter and inform them that you will be back. For the rest of your trip it works well as solo although in the main Britannia you can share tables and actually speak to he other passengers.

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As a solo passenger, I confess I hate the Buffet.

 

True on embarkation being one of the "plebs" I have no choice if I wish to eat, but the Capnpugwash is correct, the buffet is not Solofriendly.

 

You have to get your meal, not easy to find your way around, then carrying a tray search for a table. (do not expect friendly smiles from two people sitting at a table for four). Having found a table, do not suddenly decide you wish for something else to eat or drink, if you leave the table -even if you leave a book or similar on it, by the time you get back, the items will be on the floor and a couple will be sitting smugly where once you sat - and they will not move . Yes they put your item on the floor, but are quite un repententant.

 

I wish I could get Mr. Shanks to experience the frustration and stress he causes by not allowing the Britannia to be open for lunch on embarkation day.- and sometimes it is even closed on "port days" ! It is frustrating for those of us who remain on board.

 

Oh and while we are at it he should try breakfast on disembarkation day in the Britannia, so many things that were available the day before suddenly overnight become "not available" even though they are on the menu. WHY?

 

I love Cunard, but sometimes the administration forget that they are actually there to serve the passengers, and that means catering to their wishes.

 

If a passenger wants Eggs Benedict or poached eggs, or whatever if it is opn the menu they should get these regardless of which day it is.

 

Passengers should be able to eat in the dining room for any meal on any day, it should not depend on which grade of cabin they have booked.

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Oh and while we are at it he should try breakfast on disembarkation day in the Britannia, so many things that were available the day before suddenly overnight become "not available" even though they are on the menu. WHY?

 

Theoretically because that breakfast is the busiest aboard with all the other food outlets shut and the least time to serve it. My feeling is that, if they employed a few more staff then every meal should run smoothly and there would be enough people to serve breakfast properly on that last day!

 

(Thinking back to a time on the QE2 when The Lido was just an area around an outdoor pool and not the motorway cafeteria it became breakfast in the Restaurant was served in two sittings - Just like dinner in Britannia is today.)

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My husband and I are new to Cunard. If we arrive about noon to board do they have an open buffet or area for a bite to eat. We are coming a long way.

You could always avoid the buffet areas and enjoy the nice relaxing Afternoon tea in the Queens Room on embarkation day. Im surprised no one mentioned this, They do still serve Afternoon tea on embarkation day?

 

Personally a buffet isnt my idea of fun on any sailing day but the famed Afternoon tea service is a nice gentle way to be edged into the Cunard service.

 

I did once have the misfortune to pass the Kings Court on an embarkation day in Southampton and thought the world had gone mad, there seemed to be a mass frenzy of feeding those who hadnt seen any type of food in several days.

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You could always avoid the buffet areas and enjoy the nice relaxing Afternoon tea in the Queens Room on embarkation day. Im surprised no one mentioned this, They do still serve Afternoon tea on embarkation day?

 

 

On my six QM2 voyages, Afternoon Tea was not served in the Queens Room on embarkation day. :(

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You could always avoid the buffet areas and enjoy the nice relaxing Afternoon tea in the Queens Room on embarkation day. Im surprised no one mentioned this, They do still serve Afternoon tea on embarkation day?

 

Personally a buffet isnt my idea of fun on any sailing day but the famed Afternoon tea service is a nice gentle way to be edged into the Cunard service.

 

I did once have the misfortune to pass the Kings Court on an embarkation day in Southampton and thought the world had gone mad, there seemed to be a mass frenzy of feeding those who hadnt seen any type of food in several days.

 

If they do serve Afternoon Tea on embarkation day that is where I will eat. I much prefer that over lunch on any day!! Thanks for the tip!!

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What, NO afternoon tea on sailing day:(, What on earth are Cunard playing at... is there no end to the cutbacks...Surely they havent stopped this wonderful tradition.

 

Having experienced the joys of checkin, l used to look forward to my cup of Earl grey with a sponge finger or tartlet, more than often than not, both..:o

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What, NO afternoon tea on sailing day:(, What on earth are Cunard playing at... is there no end to the cutbacks...Surely they havent stopped this wonderful tradition.

 

Having experienced the joys of checkin, l used to look forward to my cup of Earl grey with a sponge finger or tartlet, more than often than not, both..:o

 

Say that it's not true :( The first afternoon tea was the only one where you could manage to eat a lot ;) I'm not quite as modest as Myles - after a great heap of sandwiched I'd probably get through about 4 (ish) cakes :o

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You could always avoid the buffet areas and enjoy the nice relaxing Afternoon tea in the Queens Room on embarkation day. Im surprised no one mentioned this, They do still serve Afternoon tea on embarkation day?

 

That was something else that ended on 27 November 2008.

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