Staffing, service and quality changes?

[WestonOne]

I have seen a number of comments about reduced staffing and service of late.  I am sure this is true of all lines following the covid problems, but it led me to look at things like menus.  Here is a Queens Grill men pre-covid:



and this is a current sample menu on Cunard's site:


So previously 8 suggested Entree's, and now 4.  And previously you could order from 4 things the day before, and now 2.

I am sure the 'off-menu' ordering is still possible, though since that is, necessarily, limited by what is available, it could also be reduced.

But it is not a good sign, I fear.

[Host Hattie]

Do you have a link to the reduced menu ? It's much smaller than the ones shown here (from the Cunard website this morning) and recent passengers haven't mentioned a reduction.

 

QEQV_QGrill_Dinner.pdf QM2_QGrill_Dinner.pdf

[WestonOne]

Queens Grill sample menus (cunard.com)

 

[Host Hattie]

Interesting, I wonder if it's just a website error ? Hopefully someone who has travelled in Queens Grill recently can confirm what is on offer.

[WestonOne]

Ah, I have just noticed that at the bottom is says 'Sample menu showing a reduced selection of dishes'.

Quite why anyone should write a sample menu suggesting you have less choice is beyond me, but I have never worked in marketing!

[Host Hattie]

Maybe so they can exceed expectations but yes it does seem very odd.

Undoubtedly there are some changes as a result of shortages of staff or products but hopefully this isn't one of them.

[PORT ROYAL]

As a point of view of an now interested party.

What is one paying for in Grills? -

A drastically reduced standard menu? -

A drastically reduced list of ingredients available for off Menu?

Reduced Staff/Service Levels?

Current Grill prices a above pre COVID levels, so it would appear Grills are paying even more for much less. This is not being fair and wrong on so many levels.

 

[WestonOne]

I would agree, Port Royal.   If the link I gave is the current offering, it is within touching distance of the much mocked airline food choice of 'beef or chicken?'    That would not be acceptable at all to me in any restaurant, but certainly not in Grills.  It would/will be enough to take Cunard off my list of lines to travel with.   I will find out in less than 3 weeks now!

[ballroom-cruisers]

We live in a new world where some foods are harder to source and that will apply to QG as well as Britannia dining room. Getting to full staff complement is tougher too, so we have to enjoy what we can within the available resources. I have to say that currently on board QM2 we have not had any cause for complaint, even if figs are not available for breakfast. There are plenty of other nice foods to enjoy instead.

[WestonOne]

I am not sure, ballroom-cruisers.  It comes down, as Port Royal says, to what extra are you actually getting by paying more for a QG?  I can be sympathetic to the difficulties all restaurants and cruise lines are going through without paying thousands on top of the price of a more modest cabin.
 

[ballroom-cruisers]

You certainly enjoy generally higher quality meals in the grills. But the additional room comfort, the additional staff services, access to the grills lounge and deck are all additional comforts and facilities you pay for aside from the food. In the end each decides if what they pay for in the grills is worth the higher cost.

[Victoria2]

2 hours ago, PORT ROYAL said:

As a point of view of an now interested party.

What is one paying for in Grills? -

A drastically reduced standard menu? -

A drastically reduced list of ingredients available for off Menu?

Reduced Staff/Service Levels?

Current Grill prices a above pre COVID levels, so it would appear Grills are paying even more for much less. This is not being fair and wrong on so many levels.

 

 I am a die hard Cunard passenger with hundreds of nights in QG and one who only travels in QG so I admit to complete bias here. We love the product, know what to expect and get it but will still understand any constraints around at the moment and are prepared to go with the flow. Now I know you have a ? mark after your comments  but isn't all this  hearsay?

 

Is it true? I can't comment on price structure as I never bother to compare but I have yet to hear of reduced service/reduced menus/reduced availability of off menu ordering.

 

I will find out soon and  even though biased, I WILL be objective in my post cruise comments as they will be useless if my bias taints the truth, but I will not prejudge the experience, before I've experienced it or read definitive comments from those whose opinions  I value. 

 

Speaking of whom,  I hope exlondoner will offer some insight into any 'reduced' QG experience.

Edited July 23, 2022 by Victoria2
rogue 'I'. in wrong place

[david,Mississauga]

We were in PG on the QE last month. The menus we had were similar to the pre-COVID menu in QG that was shown above.

 

We didn't see the QG menus but it is a reasonable assumption they would have been even more substantial than the ones in PG. The QG passengers we spoke to briefly in the lounge had no complaints.

[WestonOne]

That is good to hear, david.   It does raise the question why there is that much reduced one on the Cunard website, but I certainly hope it is some marketeer having a moment of madness, rather than reflecting reality.

As I say, I will be in QG in a few weeks and will get a copy of the breakfast menu (have haddock, kedgeree and lamb chops really disappeared from the standard menu as the link above suggests?) and, while comparing the dinner menus is trickier I will at least count the number of choices offered as suggestions and see whether it is around 8 each time, with 4 'order at lunchtime' options.  (That's my maths background coming out: I always prefer measurements to subjective judgements!)

Assessing 'off menu' choices is almost impossible:  whether they do or do not have your particular request tells you very little about any changes there have been, so I will ignore that side of things.

Edited July 23, 2022 by WestonOne

[Victoria2]

8 minutes ago, WestonOne said:

That is good to hear, david.   It does raise the question why there is that much reduced one on the Cunard website, but I certainly hope it is some marketeer having a moment of madness, rather than reflecting reality.

As I say, I will be in QG in a few weeks and will get a copy of the breakfast menu (have haddock, kedgeree and lamb chops really disappeared from the standard menu as the link above suggests?) and, while comparing the dinner menus is trickier I will at least count the number of choices offered as suggestions and see whether it is around 8 each time, with 4 'order at lunchtime' options.

Assessing 'off menu' choices is almost impossible:  whether they do or do not have your particular request tells you very little about any changes their have been, so I will ignore that side of things.

I will be interested in your evaluation.

 

The lack of lamb chops etc on the breakfast menu would have zero effect on me as far as any Cunard critique is concerned as I know I could order them if I wished and if the possible  lack of a couple of entrees on the dinner menu will affect future QG bookings then maybe as you indicate, QG isn't the way forward.

 

I think it comes down the some sort of allegiance. The whole QG package suits us. t certainly doesn't suit others especially if 'you' have no particular loyalty to any one cruise line.

 

 

[Bell Boy]

Having taken Three Cunard cruises post pandemic , 2x PG -1x Britannia Club  I can't comment on the QG Menu, however, on all the three cruises I have taken recently I found the Food and the Menu selection appeared no different to pre pandemic itineraries  ( I sail Cunard up to 4 cruises/voyage per year - have done for the last 25 years .

 

Regarding a reduction in crew members -post pandemic, it has made no difference to the service delivery ( in restaurants and in public venues/bars  ) as the guest capacity has been reduced to almost 50% 

Edited July 23, 2022 by Bell Boy

[DaisyUK]

We have taken our first Cunard cruise, post-COVID in QG, and the dinner menu was as per the first menu mentioned in the original post, not the shortened menu.

[Host Hattie]

1 minute ago, DaisyUK said:

We have taken our first Cunard cruise, post-COVID in QG, and the dinner menu was as per the first menu mentioned in the original post, not the shortened menu.

Thanks for confirming 

[LadyL1]

Here is a menu from QE in March (QG) that I may have posted on a “live from” thread.

Sorry about the poor quality from reflection.

We have taken 3 post pandemic cruises, and the food was always excellent.

[Windsurfboy]

Looking at the menus posted it seems that the number of dishes has remained  constant, but some dishes have migrated to the order by lunchtime section. No real hardship as we always look at menu after breakfast before we leave.

 

If it saves waste no problem

[WestonOne]

I agree, that is no problem and if it saves waste, that is a good thing.

I notice they are almost all 'served at your table' items, so there might be a - temporary - staffing aspect to it as well.  Using the best trained and skilful servers for those dishes, for example,  rather than expecting all waiting staff to be that standard.  As a way of dealing with the staffing problems due to covid, that would be fine by me.

[Victoria2]

26 minutes ago, WestonOne said:

I agree, that is no problem and if it saves waste, that is a good thing.

I notice they are almost all 'served at your table' items, so there might be a - temporary - staffing aspect to it as well.  Using the best trained and skilful servers for those dishes, for example,  rather than expecting all waiting staff to be that standard.  As a way of dealing with the staffing problems due to covid, that would be fine by me.

If I'm missing the point here, apologies, but items requiring carving at the table for instance have always been carved by a Head Waiter and not the wait staff.

Same with any flaming of a duck or pan cooking very rare chateaubriand to a medium if two people like different levels of 'doneness'.

[LadyL1]

56 minutes ago, WestonOne said:

I agree, that is no problem and if it saves waste, that is a good thing.

I notice they are almost all 'served at your table' items, so there might be a - temporary - staffing aspect to it as well.  Using the best trained and skilful servers for those dishes, for example,  rather than expecting all waiting staff to be that standard.  As a way of dealing with the staffing problems due to covid, that would be fine by me.

You will find the protocol of “served at your table” is  an aspect of fine dinning, requiring more staff, certainly not less!

The restaurant has been on all occasions, exceptionally well staffed.

[WestonOne]

28 minutes ago, LadyL1 said:

You will find the protocol of “served at your table” is  an aspect of fine dinning, requiring more staff, certainly not less!

The restaurant has been on all occasions, exceptionally well staffed.

I agree, but that is the point.  I used the word 'served' mistakenly, but only noticed after the 'edit' option was no longer available.  The actual menu says 'carved'.

My wife started in the catering sector and is 'silver service trained'.  It is a skill, I agree, and training is needed.   Carving and ensuring excellent presentation are also skills.    All I am saying is that when you are under staffing pressures it may take time to build all the skills and so having the flexibility to use your most skilled people where that is appropriate is useful when due to covid pressure your staff may not have gone through all the training.  It is not saying you always have to move staff around.  It is that useful flexibility I am talking about.

Yes, fine dining does need more staff.   It is why the majority of  cruise lines have switched to pre-plated meals in the normal restaurants., reserving the high staffing levels for 'grills' equivalents and some speciality restaurants.  Back in the 80s when I started cruising, even the main restaurants always had silver service for every meal in the main dining rooms.   That staffing level is part of what one pays for in the Grill.   But as ballroom-cruisers said a while back "we have to enjoy what we can within the available resources."  For me, allowing Cunard the flexibility to use their best-trained staff most effectively is a perfectly acceptable part of that.

Edited July 24, 2022 by WestonOne

[alc13]

22 hours ago, LadyL1 said:

Here is a menu from QE in March (QG) that I may have posted on a “live from” thread.

Sorry about the poor quality from reflection.

We have taken 3 post pandemic cruises, and the food was always excellent.

Thank you for this.  I think I'll start with the York ham terrine, followed by the poached salmon.  And I'll have the cheese trolley for dessert.