Open dining

[devolve]

I have just looked at my booking for our September cruise on QV, and noticed there is an option for open dining. Is this currently available, or was it something that was offered when restrictions were more prevalent?

[Bell Boy]

Open Dining was introduced when Cunard returned back to regular service post Covid.

It is now here to stay along side the option of fixed dining . 

[exlondoner]

19 minutes ago, Bell Boy said:

Open Dining was introduced when Cunard returned back to regular service post Covid.

It is now here to stay along side the option of fixed dining . 

Sounds like the best of all possible worlds.

[Host Hattie]

There's some feedback in this thread 

 

 

 

 

[devolve]

Is it possible to change to open dining once on board?

[canoncruiser]

I am on QV right now and I switched FROM open dining to fixed. WHY? Because the ship is not full and open dining late sitting was like a wasteland. Often Britannia was sparsely filled - and sometimes tables were sparsely filled. I am now upstairs at the late sitting and it feels like a real ship’s restaurant , folks talking and laughing and filling up the room.

[elaine5]

What does “open late seating”mean? Is that you just showing up late. Did you notice how open was for earlier times? We’d dine Open at 6pm. 

Edited March 28, 2023 by elaine5

[TheOldBear]

11 minutes ago, elaine5 said:

What does “open late seating”mean? Is that you just showing up late. Did you notice how open was for earlier times? We’d dine Open at 6pm. 

On QM2 this past November first, there was a transition of the late seating from open dining to assigned tables on deck 2, and open dining on deck 3. The early seating was all assigned tables.

 

Open dining [as observed before the transition on the eastbound crossing] meant that you never knew where you would be sitting, who your wait staff would be - or how long you would wait between reception and being seated. There was a long line down the hallway from the Golden Lion to the Britannia podium area.

 

Our party had a couple of special diet needs folks, so we were able to wrangle a fixed seating assignment [table 355] for the entire sailing

[elaine5]

Thanks. We don’t care about assigned table or staff. We’re hoping if we show up at 6 it won’t be too long. We definitely do not want late dining and early could not be confirmed before onboard. So thought we’d take our chances with Open. 

Edited March 29, 2023 by elaine5

[2Oldpeopleinlove]

On 3/27/2023 at 7:24 AM, devolve said:

Is it possible to change to open dining once on board?

Yes. We switched on board QE last October. Didn’t like the constant change.

[BklynBoy8]

We like using a Grill or the Britannia Club Dining/Cabin for a consistent set timings and table assignment. 

 

We are not truly open dining passengers and appreciate set times even though it's within a time period like for dinner.

[majortom10]

We prefer to eat when it suits us and not Cunard and can vary on a day to day basis. If not in PG we would always go for Open as not bothered about using same table or waiter.

 

[canoncruiser]

There is Open Dining at Main and Late sittings. I chose fixed dining at 8:15. On board here that means I dine in Britania on Deck 3-at that time there is open dining on Deck 2.

[NE John]

If you’re on a longer voyage, having a set time and same waiter is beneficial, in my experience. 
In Britannia, a waiter who knows your likes/dislikes and even your name makes a nice difference to me. 

[exlondoner]

11 minutes ago, NE John said:

If you’re on a longer voyage, having a set time and same waiter is beneficial, in my experience. 
In Britannia, a waiter who knows your likes/dislikes and even your name makes a nice difference to me. 

I agree. It is such a relief to have to explain only once that I like to drink a lot of water, while my spouse only has half a glass. And, bless them, once told, they invariably remember.

[majortom10]

4 hours ago, canoncruiser said:

There is Open Dining at Main and Late sittings. I chose fixed dining at 8:15. On board here that means I dine in Britania on Deck 3-at that time there is open dining on Deck 2.

Somewhat confused my understanding is choice of early or late sitting or open dining which I thought was anytime the restaurant was open. Don't understand open sitting early or late sitting.

[elaine5]

Also confused. Open says anytime 6-9pm. 

[TheOldBear]

Back this November [QM2 M234A sailing] there were two seatings [early and late] 

From 25 Oct to 31Oct - the early seating was 100% assigned tables, and the late seating was 'open' [we put up a fuss and had table 355 for the week on the late seating]

 

The folks doing 'open' dining needed to queue each night, and then be shown to a table.

 

On 1 November [first Southampton turn around day] the late seating was changed to assigned tables on deck 2 and 'open' on deck 3. The early seating remained assigned tables.

 

That continued until we disembarked on 20 November. The start times for shows in the RC were adjusted a couple of times during November.

 

I don't know what other changes have been made, or what is planned for post world cruise sailings. I would just think that the voyage personalizer may may not reflect the actual implementation. I assume that things will continue to shake out and reach some final status before our planned 2024 sailing.

[elaine5]

thank you. hoping someone with more recent sailing will chime in. Open only available for late would not be acceptable for something described as any time from 6-9 pm. 

Edited March 29, 2023 by elaine5

[DaisyDancer]

We had open dining on the QM2 in December. It was any time between 6 pm and 9 pm. There was no problem making a reservation for a table for 5 every evening at 7pm. No queuing involved either.