Should We Give Up an Evening in QG for Dinner at the Verandah?

[ClefsDor]

We have included as part of our package a dinner at Verandah and just wondering if on an 8 night cruise we should give up a night in the QG?

[Tonopah]

Yes.

[Victoria2]

No

[Covepointcruiser]

I would say no.   Whatever is on the menu in the Veranda you can get in the QG.    Would they give you an OBC instead?

[BklynBoy8]

As Diamond Member we enjoyed the Lunch they offered us.

 

A very nice experience for a Lunch.

[sullaRaffaello]

No. Is the Verandah open at lunch?

[david,Mississauga]

I will not say yes or no, but I will tell you my experience. Our travel agent had given us a gift of a Verandah dinner on the QM2 so we graciously accepted it. I'm glad I hadn't paid for it. It was good, but I wasn't overwhelmed and thought the QG was much better. My reasons: the extensive QG menu plus à la carte options, flambée items and the lack of a trolley of raw meat being shown to us.

 

[ClefsDor]

Thanks for all your responses. I think we'll give it a miss this time round, especially as was pointed out we can order anything from the Verandah menu to be prepared for us - the seafood platter would be something I would enjoy! Perhaps if we are ever on a longer cruise I might reconsider. 

[BklynBoy8]

3 hours ago, sullaRaffaello said:

No. Is the Verandah open at lunch?

 

Yes, we had were in it during a sea day. We felt more laverish treatment then in the Princess Grill.

 

And the food was very well prepared. We should have had another meal there. Next we will.

[Host Hattie]

5 hours ago, sullaRaffaello said:

No. Is the Verandah open at lunch?

Yes, but there's a much smaller menu

[Victoria2]

4 hours ago, ClefsDor said:

Thanks for all your responses. I think we'll give it a miss this time round, especially as was pointed out we can order anything from the Verandah menu to be prepared for us - the seafood platter would be something I would enjoy! Perhaps if we are ever on a longer cruise I might reconsider. 

Not having asked for a Verandah offering, in the QG restaurant, I would work on 'most' rather than 'anything', but using the old 'if you don’t ask, you don’t get' phrase, it’s worth asking. You might not get exactly the same but pretty near it.

[exlondoner]

And after a couple of days you will have a warm relationship with your serving staff in QG. Never felt any warmth in Verandah.

[david,Mississauga]

Although the question was about QG, I should add that we have appreciated the Verandah more when we have been travelling in Britannia than the Grills. 

 

We have had the occasional free lunch from the CWC on both the QM2 and the QE, but lately we haven't bothered.  That is no reflection on the meals there, but mainly because we are trying to cut down on weight gain. Lunch is one meal we can sacrifice.

 

The last time we had  dinner (a gift to us from a friend) in the Verandah on the QM2 it was less enjoyable because of the adjacent open deck which is a designated smoking area. Despite a sign at the entrance to the restaurant asking people not to use it as a passageway to the outer deck many people did. There was no equivalent notice on the door leading from the deck to the restaurant, but it wouldn't have mattered. 

 

It was a cold and rainy night so those dining in the Verandah were treated to the sight of a long row of smokers huddled up against the glass. I suppose there were no curtains or else they were not being used. Frequently someone would enter the Verandah from outside, causing a blast of cold air and tobacco odour to enter the room. The Verandah on the smaller Queens is located in a more tranquil part of the ship.

[exlondoner]

8 hours ago, Victoria2 said:

Not having asked for a Verandah offering, in the QG restaurant, I would work on 'most' rather than 'anything', but using the old 'if you don’t ask, you don’t get' phrase, it’s worth asking. You might not get exactly the same but pretty near it.

The fact that the Verandah has much of what you can get anyway in the QG makes it less worth bothering. But on nights when there is a dull menu of the day in the QG (this is usually rather different from the Brit menu), knowing that both alcs swill  be there tomorrow, I have been more than happy to go for a (free) meal in La Piazza or one of the other pop-ups.

[Victoria2]

As I usually look at the following day's menu, the night before, I know when nothing floats my boat and pre order.

 

The only time we use the Diamond vouchers is if we dine with friends and although I might not have experience of Verandah meals in QG, I do of Bamboo.

 

I pre order either Mandarin chilli beef or Mandarin sticky chicken depending what's on the menu, I'm easy either way as both yummy. Just like the duck and pancakes, the Head Waiter tells me which night the Bamboo meal will be served to me.

If I can do that from Bamboo, then the other pop ups will be accommodated. Hopefully, Verandah will be too although I'm not sure of the items which are an additional charge to the set price.

 

We need a brave bunny to test the system. I'm willing to volunteer my services to the cause but that won't be until next year. Sadly.

[BklynBoy8]

8 hours ago, exlondoner said:

And after a couple of days you will have a warm relationship with your serving staff in QG. Never felt any warmth in Verandah.

 

Beg to differ...

[BklynBoy8]

2 hours ago, david,Mississauga said:

Although the question was about QG, I should add that we have appreciated the Verandah more when we have been travelling in Britannia than the Grills. 

 

We have had the occasional free lunch from the CWC on both the QM2 and the QE, but lately we haven't bothered.  That is no reflection on the meals there, but mainly because we are trying to cut down on weight gain. Lunch is one meal we can sacrifice.

 

The last time we had  dinner (a gift to us from a friend) in the Verandah on the QM2 it was less enjoyable because of the adjacent open deck which is a designated smoking area. Despite a sign at the entrance to the restaurant asking people not to use it as a passageway to the outer deck many people did. There was no equivalent notice on the door leading from the deck to the restaurant, but it wouldn't have mattered. 

 

It was a cold and rainy night so those dining in the Verandah were treated to the sight of a long row of smokers huddled up against the glass. I suppose there were no curtains or else they were not being used. Frequently someone would enter the Verandah from outside, causing a blast of cold air and tobacco odour to enter the room. The Verandah on the smaller Queens is located in a more tranquil part of the ship.

 

We were on your portion and did not experience any of that.

[tv24]

You may be sailing with the package deal where you and your mate can get one free dinner at the Verandah or 2 free dinners at the pop-up restaurants in Kings Chaos (Bamboo, Coriander, etc.).  If you crave something truly different that Queens Grill, I would suggest the pop-ups.  The Verandah menu is quite close to what is available in QG.  I generally do not recommend paying for dinner in the Verandah, if you are dining in the Grills...unless you are blessed with OBC that you have no use for.

[ClefsDor]

Thanks for the suggestion of the pop ups. Once again we will probably try that on a longer cruise. Just wondering in regard to the pop ups such as Bamboo, Coriander etc that take place in the Lido - is the area spruced up in any way to make it feel different in the evenings? Tablecloths, mood lighting on tables etc? 

 

I will now also have to add duck pancakes on my list of special orders to consider 🙂 

[Victoria2]

Crispy/Peking Duck with pancakes and all the trimmings needs to be ordered  three days in advance [shoot it, hang it, roast it etc  🙂 ] and has nothing to do with any pop up in case it might be thought a Bamboo offering.  We don't cruise for less than ten/twelve days now so I usually order it three or four days into the itinerary.

The pop ups are sectioned off in the evening and an effort is made to make it a pleasant experience with the table settings. ambiance  etc. Definitely not Lido buffet style.

[ClefsDor]

3 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

Crispy/Peking Duck with pancakes and all the trimmings needs to be ordered  three days in advance [shoot it, hang it, roast it etc 

Good to know - we'll get our order in by day 2.

[BklynBoy8]

So glad we are free to make our own choices with what Alternate Choice we may get as a gratitis.

 

But we enjoyed the Alternates we are treated to, Our Grill Seated Restaurant, Our Free Choice Golden Loin Lunch Treat etc...

 

We are open to do what we want without thinking what is behind it.... Even a open choice Kings Court has choices we will not find in any of the other locations...... Choices Free as the Wind.

 

[techteach]

@Victoria2 Thanks for letting me know to order many days ahead for the Peking Duck. It is one of my favs and my mouth is watering thinking about it.

[david,Mississauga]

11 hours ago, BklynBoy8 said:

 

We were on your portion and did not experience any of that.

 

I should have said the voyage to which I was referring was a crossing a few years before the pandemic, not our recent Quebec - NY trip.

[BklynBoy8]

51 minutes ago, david,Mississauga said:

I should have said the voyage to which I was referring was a crossing a few years before the pandemic, not our recent Quebec - NY trip.

 

Actually the Lunch we had in the Steakhouse was while at sea during one of those rainy we had before Quebec. We were lucky that the MD was there was a MD when we were in BC Dining Room. That brought back good times that set the tone for the whole meal. He took VIP TLC to us.How can we compare that to QG. We must admit our serve and care in the PG was equal to QG. We didn't need the next level of Menu choices. PG was just right.