Questions Regarding Wine Service in Britannia Class

[tmee]

I have a few questions regarding the alternate dining, open dining and lunch in Britannia Class.   

 

If one has open bottles of wine from the previous evening's dinner will they find one again the following night, or at lunch or in another venue?
I know with traditional dining it was not an issue, but I wasn't sure how that would work with open dining.
Also if you have brought special bottle of wine or Champagne that should be chilled how soon or when do you bring it to dining room?
How has the wine service in general with advent of open seating?
I may more questions... but those are the ones that come to mind at the moment 🙂

 

Thank you,

 

tmee
 

[Bell Boy]

I've never booked the open dining concept for a variety of reasons , one of which you have just mentioned. 

Speaking with friends I understand the wine service can be a bit of a hassle , trying to flag down a sommelier and then the long wait while they go off hunting for the bottle. 

 

Much prefer fixed dining, dedicated wait staff who I've built up a relationship with,  who use my name and remember my preferences,  and a sommelier who is one step ahead and has the wine chilling in an ice bucket nearby the table. 

[WoorimBeachLady]

I was amazed how quickly they found the previous night’s bottle tbh. They do ask “red or white”?

 

There must be some cataloging system by cabin number.

[Host Hattie]

We had fixed dining but our neighbours were open and most seemed pleased with the speed of their wine delivery. 

[Bell Boy]

4 hours ago, WoorimBeachLady said:

I was amazed how quickly they found the previous night’s bottle tbh. They do ask “red or white”?

 

There must be some cataloging system by cabin number.

Pleased that your wine was eventually brought to you , however, I don't want to be bothered having to explain if red or white , I just want the Sommelier to reach into the bucket and Pour.😉 lol  

[tmee]

Thank you, for the information.  Now I am even more nervous about not having  fixed seating 🙂  I thought I would try something different...

 

I was worried early seating would be too early. Because I know late seating going to be too late for this itinerary. 

 

Does anyone know what time early dining is on the QE in Alaska?

 

tmee

 

 

 

 

[Ciadan]

You lost me at "open bottles of wine from the previous evening's dinner". 😉😂

 

Like @tmee, we've chosen open dining for our cruise next year.   Felt early was a little too early and late may be too late.  It's our first Cunard cruise so we're hedging our bets!

Edited July 6, 2023 by Ciadan

[exlondoner]

23 hours ago, Bell Boy said:

Pleased that your wine was eventually brought to you , however, I don't want to be bothered having to explain if red or white , I just want the Sommelier to reach into the bucket and Pour.😉 lol  

Do they really do that? It all sounds rather rushed and impatient. I would expect to be asked whether I want to carry on with the same wine, or start something else. And, quite often, we have more than one bottle on the go, so they would ask which we wanted to start with. And if we both wanted it.

[Bell Boy]

3 hours ago, exlondoner said:

Do they really do that? It all sounds rather rushed and impatient. I would expect to be asked whether I want to carry on with the same wine, or start something else. And, quite often, we have more than one bottle on the go, so they would ask which we wanted to start with. And if we both wanted it.

 I was referring to those  bottles of wine that have been held back from guests on ' Open Dining',when a sommelier has to go hunting for either Red or White

I don't experience that being on fixed dining , Red is already on my table and the white is close by in the bucket .

 

  I'll probably always start with the white, as I may not have had an alcoholic drink before arriving into the restaurant ( unless it's a formal evening) due to pre dinner dancing in the Queens Room, so I just want to get stuck right in 😉

  

I build up a good relationship with my wait staff and the sommelier , they know my preferences even before I ask. Much easier on fixed dining than on open .

Edited July 6, 2023 by Bell Boy

[Desert Cruisers]

9 hours ago, tmee said:

Thank you, for the information.  Now I am even more nervous about not having  fixed seating 🙂  I thought I would try something different...

 

I was worried early seating would be too early. Because I know late seating going to be too late for this itinerary. 

 

Does anyone know what time early dining is on the QE in Alaska?

 

tmee

 

 

 

 

Someone recently posted the daily programme from the QE in Alaska.  Fixed seating is 5:30 and 7:45. This is consistent with our experience back in 2019.

[rakkor]

We haven't done Open dining in Britannia since taking one of the 2021 cruises to nowhere, and that experience coloured my view of it. The inconsistency of service, caused by having a different set of waiters every night, along with our wine not arriving until well after our starters put me off doing it again.

[PORT ROYAL]

On 7/5/2023 at 1:18 AM, tmee said:

I have a few questions regarding the alternate dining, open dining and lunch in Britannia Class.   

 

If one has open bottles of wine from the previous evening's dinner will they find one again the following night, or at lunch or in another venue?
I know with traditional dining it was not an issue, but I wasn't sure how that would work with open dining.
Also if you have brought special bottle of wine or Champagne that should be chilled how soon or when do you bring it to dining room?
How has the wine service in general with advent of open seating?
I may more questions... but those are the ones that come to mind at the moment 🙂

 

Thank you,

 

tmee
 

One will answer the care of wines question.  
One has all special bottles collected from stateroom.  The Sommelier then correctly stores.  Wines are selected on sight of the following day’s menu and decanted (red).   Never had a  condition problem, as Sommeliers are “Masters of Wine”.

[tmee]

Thank you all again for the information.  This is truly helpful.   I am still nervous I about the open seating... but the early is just too early for the ports on this sailing... and I know I will fall asleep with the time change with the late seating... I will be optimistic about my experiences, and I will report back. 

 

I do have some alternate dining booked so maybe that will help.

 

I think I will miss the interaction with "my" 🙂 sommelier, but this will be a different type of cruise with a different type of travel companion... so I will embrace the difference and try not to compare everything to the "last time I sailed on Cunard"... it will be difficult....😉

 

Thank you @PORT ROYAL for the information regarding the wine collection.  I honestly never had thought to do that. 

 

tmee

[PORT ROYAL]

33 minutes ago, tmee said:

Thank you all again for the information.  This is truly helpful.   I am still nervous I about the open seating... but the early is just too early for the ports on this sailing... and I know I will fall asleep with the time change with the late seating... I will be optimistic about my experiences, and I will report back. 

 

I do have some alternate dining booked so maybe that will help.

 

I think I will miss the interaction with "my" 🙂 sommelier, but this will be a different type of cruise with a different type of travel companion... so I will embrace the difference and try not to compare everything to the "last time I sailed on Cunard"... it will be difficult....😉

 

Thank you @PORT ROYAL for the information regarding the wine collection.  I honestly never had thought to do that. 

 

tmee

Remember “Bin End” selections are available (reduced in price) from Wine List, but the Sommelier may also have a list for some very special bottles being the final ends of Bin End

With the assistance from one’s Sommelier, we have savoured some excellent Bin End wines.

[david,Mississauga]

On 7/6/2023 at 2:39 PM, Desert Cruisers said:

Someone recently posted the daily programme from the QE in Alaska.  Fixed seating is 5:30 and 7:45. This is consistent with our experience back in 2019.

 

My programmes for last month's cruise add "last orders 6:00 p.m." for first sitting and "last orders 8:15 p.m." for second sitting.