How can I get early dining while being waitlisted?

[newbie202020]

Please help! I just repriced for a sale which required cancellation of old booking and getting a new booking at the new rate. Unfortunately, my travel agent failed to inform me that we may lose our early dining spot. So, now I'm wait listed for early dining but my parents are senior and eat at 5pm. I don't know what to do as they won't be able to eat late.

 

I feel awful as this would ruin the trip for them. Any tips to get early dining would help - should I call Cunard directly? I don't want to risk waiting until I board and talking to maitre d' as they may be all full! Please provide any advice. Thanks

[Pushpit]

If all else fails, move to Open Dining? I doubt that is wait-listed. It's not a 5pm start though, it's around 6 pm / 5:45 pm, for both the First siting and Open.

[newbie202020]

Thanks @Pushpit. Am I not defaulted to open dining while on the wait list? Otherwise, how do I know when to go to the dining room? Sorry, I am new to Cunard.

 

Thanks for advising about the start times.

[Pushpit]

I assumed you were defaulted to the Late sitting but yes it's probably Open. With Open you just go to Britannia whenever you are ready. If you go when doors open at around 6pm there may be a few minutes of queuing, so I would always go later, but if your parents are somewhat set in their ways you can certainly go at that time. Or any time until around 9pm. There are minor time changes between the vessels, it could be 15 minutes before then. 

 

You will get a card giving a suggested time for you to go to Britannia with Open, but you can safely ignore that, the front desk is totally relaxed about that.

[newbie202020]

Thanks very much for the advice. If we have food allergies, how would they accommodate that if we have open sitting? I thought we would order our food the day before with allergies?

[bluemarble]

41 minutes ago, newbie202020 said:

Thanks very much for the advice. If we have food allergies, how would they accommodate that if we have open sitting? I thought we would order our food the day before with allergies?

 

They can accommodate your food allergies with open dining. You still indicate choices for the next day on the menu you'll be provided each evening. Your cabin number will be noted on the menu you fill out. The next day you tell your servers when you are first seated that you have already filled out a menu for the evening and you tell them your cabin number. They will chase down the menu you filled out using your cabin number. It adds a few minutes to the process with open dining and you may end up repeating your allergy information to your new set of servers but it can be done. We've done it several times with food allergies and open dining on QM2. They may even volunteer to assign you a specific table (or general area with the same set of servers) even though you are on open dining to help facilitate the process with your food allergies, especially if you indicate you want to dine at the same time each evening.

Edited February 11 by bluemarble

[rog747]

Top Tip -
if you cannot get Cunard to confirm an early sitting for you and your parents prior to sailing. 

On embarkation day go straight to the MDR podium and see the Maitre D before 3pm and ask for a table on first sitting. 
You may not get one on the first evening, but they will do all they can to get you seated for the rest of the cruise.
I recommend that you do this rather than have the stress for your parents of not knowing their own table or at a set time, or not having the same waiters know about any food allergies. 

Edited February 11 by rog747

[Host Hattie]

But just to note you won't be eating at 5pm even with confirmed early dining. 

[Pushpit]

Indeed, and the Lidos / Kings Court open for evening meal at the same time as First Sitting too, so around 6pm. There is room service, but otherwise eating at 5pm isn't straightforward. My logic brain then says "ah yes but you're probably going through several time-zones so it's very relative", but I know how seniors can get hopelessly stuck in their ways since I am one myself. I guess with Afternoon Tea at about 3pm to 4:30pm (the time varies by vessel) then that's one usually effective tactic to fill 'em up and perhaps persuade them to go a little later.

[newbie202020]

Thanks very much everyone for your advice.

 

Where is the maitre d' located on the QE? I will head straight there when I embark. 

 

I guess calling Cunard directly once in a while to check up on the request to move to early dining won't help?

 

Thanks

[Bell Boy]

9 minutes ago, newbie202020 said:

Thanks very much everyone for your advice.

 

Where is the maitre d' located on the QE? I will head straight there when I embark. 

 

I guess calling Cunard directly once in a while to check up on the request to move to early dining won't help?

 

Thanks

In the Main Britannia Dining Room at his Lectern as you enter, the first person you will come in contact with .

The duty Maitre 'd is usually available for 'dining queries on Embarkation Day at approx 2pm' ( not too sure what port you are embarking - Southampton/Brooklyn does not offer lunch on embarkation day in Britannia )

May I just add, I feel you are stressing out too much about your parents dining arrangements , rest assured the MD and his team will ensure everything will be sorted . Just to confirm what has already been mentioned, the earliest one can dine in the 'main dining room' is 6pm.   

[newbie202020]

Thanks so much for your help. You're right. I'm stressing out way too much about the dining arrangements. Unfortunately, my parents are 1) crazy picky about when to eat and 2) have some medical issues that requires frequent meals and 3) my kid has anaphylactic allergy to a certain food and I don't want to have to repeat this to every waiter at open dining. But for now, I hope that open dining works and fingers crossed we get early dining.

 

I'm embarking from Vancouver, BC to Alaska. So excited. Thanks again all.

 

[Host Hattie]

Dining times in Alaska have been earlier in previous seasons. 

[exlondoner]

3 minutes ago, newbie202020 said:

Thanks so much for your help. You're right. I'm stressing out way too much about the dining arrangements. Unfortunately, my parents are 1) crazy picky about when to eat and 2) have some medical issues that requires frequent meals and 3) my kid has anaphylactic allergy to a certain food and I don't want to have to repeat this to every waiter at open dining. But for now, I hope that open dining works and fingers crossed we get early dining.

 

I'm embarking from Vancouver, BC to Alaska. So excited. Thanks again all.

 

You have told Cunard about this serious allergy, I imagine. If so, all will be fine. If not, do so urgently.

[Bell Boy]

20 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

Dining times in Alaska have been earlier in previous seasons. 

5.30pm at the very earliest  

[NE John]

44 minutes ago, newbie202020 said:

Thanks so much for your help. You're right. I'm stressing out way too much about the dining arrangements. Unfortunately, my parents are 1) crazy picky about when to eat and 2) have some medical issues that requires frequent meals and 3) my kid has anaphylactic allergy to a certain food and I don't want to have to repeat this to every waiter at open dining. But for now, I hope that open dining works and fingers crossed we get early dining.

 

I'm embarking from Vancouver, BC to Alaska. So excited. Thanks again all.

 

Sign up for your Alaska Roll call so others can possibly help with info while onboard. 

[newbie202020]

Thanks, I told the travel agent who advised me that Cunard will contact me directly as the allergy is not common and not something they can check off on their system. I also tried looking at the on-board needs through mycunard but the form seems to focus on accessibility needs and not food allergies. I'll wait for Cunard to contact me and will call them directly if I don't hear back soon.

 

Thanks so much for everyone's support and advice. What a great community we have here!

[Pushpit]

If it's one of the Food Standards Agency core 14 allergen groups, then you will have no issue since these are Europe wide allergens and Cunard will have plenty of experience with them.

 

• celery,
• cereals containing gluten (such as wheat, barley and oats),
• crustaceans (such as prawns, crabs and lobsters),
• molluscs (such as mussels and oysters),
• eggs,
• fish,
• lupin,
• milk,
• mustard,
• peanuts,
• sesame,
• soybeans,
• sulphur dioxide and sulphites (if the sulphur dioxide and sulphites are at a concentration of more than ten parts per million) and
• tree nuts (such as almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, brazil nuts, cashews, pecans, pistachios and macadamia nuts).

Source:

https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/allergen-guidance-for-food-businesses

 

 

I would be almost 100% certain you will get Fixed first sitting dining given the circumstances. It's not a prison ship, Cunard are there to give you a good experience, and I'm sure they will. In any event it will suit Cunard to ensure you get a fixed table, however even on Open you can generally steer things to deal with the same wait staff each night, they were in a unit based on a station scattered around Britannia, so you can to some degree control this even on Open. With Fixed, no problem at all. I'm tempted to say focus on the kid, cranky parents can sort themselves out!!!

Edited February 11 by Pushpit

[bluemarble]

22 minutes ago, newbie202020 said:

Thanks, I told the travel agent who advised me that Cunard will contact me directly as the allergy is not common and not something they can check off on their system. I also tried looking at the on-board needs through mycunard but the form seems to focus on accessibility needs and not food allergies. I'll wait for Cunard to contact me and will call them directly if I don't hear back soon.

 

Thanks so much for everyone's support and advice. What a great community we have here!

 

I understand what you mean by "not something they can check off on their system". Mrs. Bluemarble has allergies to all nuts (peanuts and tree nuts) which they can check off on their system plus three other specific fruits and vegetables which they cannot. They always need to make a separate note of the allergies to those other fruits and vegetables when we call Cunard Customer Service to advise them of her food allergies prior to each voyage.

Edited February 11 by bluemarble

[tony s]

I don’t think you will have issues in getting your dining time accommodated. I have traveled most of the major cruise lines and Cunard have been the most accommodating. Any example we saw on the QE a few months back was a little girl with multiple issues involving food . The head chef and maitre d made I a pointless present her specially prepared meals even in the buffet in such a way it made her and all around her special. This took effort do I’m sure your request will be handled well.

[maggielou362]

8 hours ago, Pushpit said:

...I'm tempted to say focus on the kid, cranky parents can sort themselves out!!!

Agree, the youngster's allergies sound more critical than trying to appease fussy people regarding eating times. Surely 6:00pm is early enough for dinner, and surely there is food available pretty much any time around the clock for them to eat as frequently as they like. Also, what is your travel agent doing if you "told the travel agent who advised me that Cunard will contact me directly"? They should be following it up for you. Do as the experts here suggest: contact Cunard Customer Service yourself, advise them of your child's food requirements, speak to the maitre d' on embarkation to confirm the special dietary needs are noted and then enjoy yourself. You are on holidays too, not just your parents!

Edited February 12 by maggielou362
typo

[maggielou362]

Probably apologies due to your travel agent, I misunderstood. Looks like they actually did contact Cunard who then told them that Cunard will contact you, so his/her job done. But contact Cunard yourself, don't wait. And yes, they are a very helpful lot on this discussion board aren't they? Bon Voyage.

[rog747]

16 hours ago, newbie202020 said:

Thanks very much everyone for your advice.

 

Where is the maitre d' located on the QE? I will head straight there when I embark. 

 

I guess calling Cunard directly once in a while to check up on the request to move to early dining won't help?

 

Thanks

As fully outlined further by our kind other Posters here after my earlier post----->
 

The Maitre D will be at his podium/lectern just outside the MDR entrance doors, probably on Deck 3 (the upper tier of the MDR, but just maybe by the deck 2 entrance doors) and he will be there until around 3pm;

So, unless you do get a confirmation from your TA and Cunard that you now have First Dinner confirmed prior to sailing, then get yourself up to the MDR on embarkation day PDQ and join the line to see him. 
He will help you, and you can reconfirm the special dietary and Allergy needs,

although on the first night you may have to go 'Open seating' I have every confidence you should get a table for First seating eventually.

They will handle the food allergy needs, and ensure you also fully outline them to Cunard in advance. 
Apart from the Maitre D, you will also have your Head Waiter too who will look after you, along with your 2 waiters.

As mentioned in other posts, First Dinner on Alaska cruises (and on some others, location dependent) seems to open earlier at around 5.30/5.45pm.

If your parents need constant grub then obviously the Lido Buffet is open all day, plus there is afternoon Tea served there, and in the Queens Room, plus there is the all day room service menu.

We used to go up to the Lido Dinner Buffet as soon as they opened (before our Late Seating dinner) and grab some nice hot and cold nibbles to take back to the Cabin to have with some drinks on our Balcony, if we did not want to go to the Commodore Club for pre-dinner drinks and canapes. 

I am sure all will be OK.


 

Edited February 12 by rog747

[Pushpit]

And frankly of all the things that can or may happen on QE, going hungry isn't one of them.

 

Just to amplify one particular point: when you embark and then find your way to your stateroom, there will be just outside the door, in the public corridor, a document holder. In that you should find your room key in a small envelope. There may also be another small envelope with a card inside, with "confirmation" of your dining arrangements. If it's not in that holder it will be in the stateroom on the bed or table, very occasionally it gets delivered later in the afternoon.

 

There is a chance it will say "Fixed first sitting" and give a table number. If it does then you can go to Britannia, find your table and see if you are OK with it. What you're hoping is that they have all of you on one table, which should normally happen. Ordinarily maybe you won't have to do anything other than check - however you probably do want to make sure the allergen(s) are probably registered with the front desk. (If the card still says Open it will give a nonsensical timing to eat - that's computer generated and can be ignored).

 

On QE I think it's more likely to be Deck 3 that's the front desk rather than Deck 2, but in any event there is a stairway right by the desk to get between 2 and 3. Deck 2 is usually Open, deck 3 Fixed.

Edited February 12 by Pushpit

[exlondoner]

1 hour ago, Pushpit said:

And frankly of all the things that can or may happen on QE, going hungry isn't one of them.

 

Just to amplify one particular point: when you embark and then find your way to your stateroom, there will be just outside the door, in the public corridor, a document holder. In that you should find your room key in a small envelope. There may also be another small envelope with a card inside, with "confirmation" of your dining arrangements. If it's not in that holder it will be in the stateroom on the bed or table, very occasionally it gets delivered later in the afternoon.

 

There is a chance it will say "Fixed first sitting" and give a table number. If it does then you can go to Britannia, find your table and see if you are OK with it. What you're hoping is that they have all of you on one table, which should normally happen. Ordinarily maybe you won't have to do anything other than check - however you probably do want to make sure the allergen(s) are probably registered with the front desk. (If the card still says Open it will give a nonsensical timing to eat - that's computer generated and can be ignored).

 

On QE I think it's more likely to be Deck 3 that's the front desk rather than Deck 2, but in any event there is a stairway right by the desk to get between 2 and 3. Deck 2 is usually Open, deck 3 Fixed.

I think there is usually a note in the Daily Programme indicating where the M d’h is and exact timings.