Does QM2 alternative dining sell out?

[Andee]

We're booked ton the QM2 Aug 23-30, 2024 eastbound trans-Atlantic cruise.
Our Travel Agent has given us a sizeable amount of OBC. We'll use some of it for Internet, but that leaves quite a bit.
Due to health issues, we drink very little alcohol, so thought we might use some to have dinner at Coriander and Bamboo. Unfortunately, Cunard doesn't permit using OBC to pay for those reservations in advance. Is it likely that we'll be able to get reservations since we have to wait until we're onboard?
Thanks!

[MozzaG]

Yes. Do ot as soon as you get on the ship.

[Pushpit]

It's more the individual time slots that fill up, particularly once people have worked out the evening entertainment arrangements. This is from monitoring the onboard app during the December Crossing last year, and usually there were slots available the night before, but in some cases they were shoulder, late or early slots. The first day or two, plus the last night, were less popular. Note that slots offered before departure do not seem to represent the totality of available covers, more became available once on board.

 

I had one free Alternative Dining meal open to me, but it could only be reserved on board, and I distinctly recall that I had every day open to me, but not maybe every single time slot. So if you are otherwise fairly flexible I would book onboard if you have a big OBC. Note that any spare OBC can be used in the shops.

[NE John]

I assume this is a Transatlantic so no OBC for excursions?

These alt restaurants off Kings Court are not that expensive so if you really want to go at a time you like, pay for it now. You can use OBC for the spa, something in the duty free shops, or other choices that will easily gobble up your OBC. We have a fair amount of OBC and already paid $20/each to reserve Frontier at a time we want on QE for next month. We plan to use OBC to order the extra charge seafood plate. 

[QuestionEverything]

We are on the QM2 crossing to NYC end of June. We are in Britannia dining room.

We love the alternative dining in the Kings Court.

Q - where can we see the evening menus in the Britannia - so we can determine the least favorite evenings and use those dates to book in the alternative.

Does Cunard post the Britannia dining in My Cunard - I can not find it.

Thanks sooo much for your assistance!

[King Amo]

While menus will certainly follow a pattern, availability of ingredients, status of equipment, staffing levels etc. will make it likely that they aren't finalised until the day itself, so anything published already would be somewhat worthless. 

 

Generally speaking the gala evenings involve a greater level of 'pushing the boat out' with the menus, so these would be where you would find the likes of beef wellington, rack of lamb etc. This would make it a good night to be in Britannia, but on the flipside, many people like to use the alternatives when all dressed up and it feels more of an occasion. Horses for courses really. 

[Pushpit]

1 hour ago, QuestionEverything said:

We are on the QM2 crossing to NYC end of June. We are in Britannia dining room.

We love the alternative dining in the Kings Court.

Q - where can we see the evening menus in the Britannia - so we can determine the least favorite evenings and use those dates to book in the alternative.

Does Cunard post the Britannia dining in My Cunard - I can not find it.

Thanks sooo much for your assistance!

The menus go up outside Britannia on the day in question, on the left and right of the main entrance door (which is in line with the lifts), but are not published before that as far as I know. Now deck 2 has the lunch menu, showing after breakfast, but if you go up to deck 3 you will see the evening meal from early morning onwards since breakfast and lunch isn't served in deck 3 usually. You then have a few hours to get a reservation in if it's not ideal for you. The onboard app allows you to make reservations on the day, but it doesn't show the Britannia menus unfortunately.

 

In this thread I put every Britannia menu for a westbound crossing in December 2023.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2979346-qm2-voyage-m338-15-december-2023-7-nights-westbound-transatlantic-crossing-reports-onboard/

[Clewgarnet]

I have an obscure allergy, so I get given the Britannia menu the evening before and make my selection then, allowing my meal to be prepared in an allergen-free environment. (This is hopeless overkill - as long as I don't eat a big lump of it, I'm fine! But Cunard understandably hear 'allergy' and get worried.)

 

If you ask your waiter for the next day's menu, I'm sure they'll be able to provide it, and that gives you a bit more time to get your alternative booking in.

[aaaaa]

On 5/24/2024 at 3:01 AM, MozzaG said:

Yes. Do it as soon as you get on the ship.

Where on the ship?  Also, there's an app to be downloaded once on-board?  Thanks.

[Pushpit]

5 hours ago, aaaaa said:

Where on the ship?  Also, there's an app to be downloaded once on-board?  Thanks.

You can just call up using the telephone, but the other option is to go to the restaurant when it is in service, ideally avoiding a peak period, and talk to the front desk.

 

It's not actually a downloadable app, it's actually a front end to an intranet site, but mycunard on board will get you access to the booking system. Instructions are in the black binder on your desk, or go to the librarian. But the short version is link into Cunard's onboard internet on your device, then type internet.cunard.com and choose the lower option. Before you do that, make a note of the 6 small numbers under your card's barcode. The reason being is that there is one time registration process (so that your onboard cash account can be displayed) and you need that with other details to get to the "app".