Do you regard the Brittania Restaurant as 2nd class?

[dtwtraveler]

I think that these discussions about class are the very reason that Cunard maintains the "classes". A segment of the population appreciates feeling superior to others and enjoys flaunting it. Oh, those of so little self-worth must flaunt their self-perceived self-importance! They also flourish on land!

[Skippyyyy]

....... and trying to move to the class above can get you shot!

 

Peter

 

Love it!!!!!

 

Next, Cunarders will be 'blamed' for having (nonexistant) First Class lifeboats.

 

Oops.... Did I use capitals F & C.

[DocM3]

There is nothing "second class" about the Brittania dining room.

[SSNORWAY]

I must admit that the fear of this class myth stopped me and my family trying the QE2 until I got a weeks' cruise a couple of years ago for £299 and thought I would brave it out. I absolutely loved it except I packed very badly and had to wear my dinner suit every day, the only difference between informal and formal was whether I wore a tie or bow tie!! wish i had known about CC then!!

 

The food and service in the Brittania / Mauritania is fabulous and streets ahead of my experience on any other line, especially Celebrity, it was a real pleasure to have tried QG recently but to be very honest, as lovely as it was I prefer the larger restaurants, they are much more spacious, I love the buzz of chatter (New Years Eve was absolutely crazy, i loved it but there were a few miseries around with faces like slapped botties, which made it even more fun helping to push the decibels up a notch or two), we had lobster four or five times, and the new years eve menu was as if I had written it myself, all my favourite dishes at the same time, the waiter was very willing to have delivered all of them to me if I had agreed, but my trousers seemed to be shrinking alarmingly by that point and I stuck to one (individual beef wellington), also the rolls each night were home made, lots of variety and absolutely scrummy (QG on QE2 they were very dull ones like you buy in the supermarket:eek: )

 

I agree with everyone else (regarding aircraft travel etc) we paid well over £ 15.000 (not far off $30.000) to be on the Millenium this year, we had a lovely suite (and i'm not a snob) but it seemed rediculous that everyone should eat in the same dining room, I can't imagine why anyone would disagree with that.... but some I offended on the NCL board do :o

 

Anyway I will be roughing it in style in future, that way I can get a few more cruises in for the same money.

[travel-to-go]

Peter I think you described it so well. I am not sure why Malcolm is so insistent that someone like me is a third class passenger because I happen to be in the Britannia Restaurant. Maybe I'm thin skinned and just not taking his comments the way he meant it to be but I felt a little insulted by those comments more so than those from outsiders. Its not Cunard trying to blur the class distinction at all but rather Cunard trying to make the Grill passengers feel a little more superior by focusing all their advertising on about 10% of the passengers. I mean all those brochures are definitely aimed at the high life and focus on pictures of people in suites and eating in the Grill restaurants which is not the norm. People who eat in the Britannia Restuarant may not get the intimate dining experience but are on ship for much of the same reasons seeking a high quality cruise. I have no problem at all with people who choose to spend their money on the Grill life because if I could I probably also would be in the Grill accomodations. Its just not worth the extra money to me and I'd be doing a lot less cruises if I did.

 

People in an inside cabin on the lowest level of the ship uses the same bars, pools, shops and planetarium as someone in a Royal Suite. That would never have happened in the old days of the class system.

The last thing I want to do is start any war with any Cunarder less than three months from my cruise as I am feeling so fine about many of you and eagerly anticipating the experience. Now is not the time to ruin it!

 

David

Who probably is a bit thin-skinned but rather remain on good terms with everyone

 

Okay- I know you are all dying to hear my opinions. (not!)

Here they are.

When someone posted the Grill menus last night, I took a gander. I recognized some of the exact same foods, with seemingly the exact same preparations I had over the last four days (Labor Day to Halifax, Britannia Dining) It appears there might have been one extra entree and one extra appetizer. I happened to ask our waiter one night out of curiosity about caviar and off-menu ordering. He said there is now ALWAYS a charge for caviar. He seemed to indicate, unless I misunderstood, that this included Grill passengers.

 

As to the "class" of passengers, Our CC group was wide and varied (some of us were wider than others! <G>) It was impossible to tell which of our companions were grill, which were balcony, outside, or inside, upper or lower decks, unless you asked. One of my favorite people for hanging with in the Commodore club this trip (While his wife gambles away their money in the casino <G>) was in grill, which I kept forgetting. another friend had been upgraded to grill, a matter of great disappointment to me, as we would not be able to see her at dinner. I asked where her table was, only to remember, oh yeah, She wasn't entitled to eat with us. I saw it as her loss not to be able to join us, instead of her "fortune" to be "grill class" Likewise, I had no idea one of our dearest companions was in an inside cabin until I asked on the last day. None of this affected my affection for any of these people in any way, shape or form. Indeed, the one I felt sorry for was the one we would not be able to see at dinner.

 

As for David's comments on who the advertising is aimed at, I have always thought it quite commical how homogenous those people in the ads are. they are, "the beautiful people" Eventually, instead of only young-looking" people, they started posting photos of "silver haired gents" always with a seemingly younger (maybe even middle aged) companion, always white, and never EVER two gents or two ladies. No little old ladies dining together, no priests, no singles, and SURELY <gasp> no fat people! No odd-looking folks, and later, we paid attention to the token black or person (always elegantly attired and in perfect LOOKING physical condition) in a wheelchair. Never a continental Indian, RARELY an Asian, No one with any kind of physical deformity, such as an amputee or perhaps a survivor of cancer celebrating her last chemo! (Like, No one who had grace, dignity, and a hell of a sense of life and living on our cruise!) What a celebration of life and surviving Miss Maria is. Yet, you would never see someone like her in one of those phony brochure pictures. Nope! No "real" people need apply! I used to rail at the pics, HEY! Are Fat People allowed on your cruise line?

 

And as for your "class wars," David, THAT'S IT! I AM NOT SPEAKING TO YOU! Oh yeah, that's right. We don't speak now! I don't even have your phone number! This is a WRITTEN forum!

 

I find that most people who like to make the class distinction like to do so to seemingly agrandize themselves, (or even ASPIRE to it some day) or somehow want to feel superior to others, whether it be the class of passenger, or that Cunard is somehow higher class than HAL, for instance (who, BTW, has the "Concierge Class" or

Suite Class" Deluxe Verandah Suites.) I have stayed in them, had NO idea how to use the "extra services" and in fact, thought our service from our steward, through no fault of his own, due to being assigned WAY too many cabins, was not as good as that from our "mere" balcony cabin steward Manny this past week.

 

So much for the "class" system!

 

Karie,

who welcomes David to share any class I am in, remedial or advanced placement!

[travel-to-go]

I must admit that the fear of this class myth stopped me and my family trying the QE2 until I got a weeks' cruise a couple of years ago for £299 and thought I would brave it out. I absolutely loved it except I packed very badly and had to wear my dinner suit every day, the only difference between informal and formal was whether I wore a tie or bow tie!! wish i had known about CC then!!

 

Agreed. I turned down a chance at the QE2...TWICE due to my fear of the class system. It seems mostly a marketing ploy by Cunard to upsell you. After all, who wants to be labelled "an M class" passenger to those in the know! the cognoscenti. Now I rue the loss of those past opportunities.

 

I must say, I have always felt sorry for the grill class passengers on QM2 vis a vis dining venues. I thought, how bland and pedestrian the grill space seems, compared to the grand and elegant Brittania. Too bad those people are confined to that narrow, boring, dark, dreary space, while we have this elegant and celebrated tiered room with the grande mural (which I LOVE) and the smoked glass ceiling of two and a half stories height! How dreary and arcane for them. (Tant pis)

 

And as for airline first class? Ever try to use the "First class lavatory"? You can damn well go *** in the aisle before they would let you use the one in first class! God forbid you had an emergency! Even if the cart was in the way of the plebian class toilet!

 

Karie,

who thinks hers stinks as much as the next person's! Or doesn't, as the case may be!

[SSNORWAY]

 

Karie,

who thinks hers stinks as much as the next person's! Or doesn't, as the case may be!

 

 

Hi Karie

 

You shock me, I thought your's would smell like roses, just like mine :rolleyes:

 

Mark x

[jp2001]

IMHO, Brittania is the MAIN class and the ship is desinged/built for them and PG and QG are more of a VIP class on this already great ship.

 

If it was a 1st, 2nd and 3rd class thing, the ship would be designed/built for 1st class passengers and 2nd or 3rd class would only be needed to fill up the empty space without disturbing the 1st class, but I don't think it's the case on Cunard anymore.

 

Obviously, if you have to rank them, Brittania comes in 3rd rank but it's not the same thing IMHO as third class.

[Bramcruiser]

Agreed. I turned down a chance at the QE2...TWICE due to my fear of the class system.

 

Karie, what's stopping you now? Oh wait, the QE2 hardly is ever on this side of the ocean anymore. Flying is the pits these days but I'm braving it as I'm about to embark on the "other queen" next year after our now infamous Dec 2 QM2 sailing. With Penny and the others we're going to have to give your Labour Day cruise a run for your money.

 

JP2001 said it best. There is the main group and then a VIP lounge for a few who decide to pay more for a bigger cabin and a cozier dining atmosphere. There is really no class system. I think most of us really have decided on that a long time ago but I find that much of the attacks come from perceptions formed by others who sail other lines and have never tried Cunard. They still look at travelling on one of the Queens as if its the days of the Titanic.

 

Would I try one of the Grills? If I could I might? It may be nice to try once or so in my life but I figure I can survive because the food is the same and I see everything else on the ship. In the end I probably have more money to waste on more trivial things while on the cruise.

 

Oh wait. I must admit the cardinal sin - I've booked Caronia on the QE2! May I NOT enjoy it! (Well, no, I probably will but I promise not to look down on M Class passengers. I got several M cabins next to mine and I don't want to get beaten up!):)

 

David

[travel-to-go]

Hi Karie

 

You shock me, I thought your's would smell like roses, just like mine :rolleyes:

 

Mark x

 

Well, actually, you're right. I just didn't want others to feel bad.

 

Karie.

who can't think of what else to say!

[travel-to-go]

Karie, what's stopping you now?

 

Money? And the fact that I don't particularly want to do a Mediterranean? We'll see if the April TA Westbound opens up.

 

Assuming I haven't managed to talk Marc into spending our cruise dollars on the Dec 2nd QM2

 

I would do Grill ONLY for the extra cabin space. I'd rather eat in the Brittania.... With all of my FRIENDS! (Well, the speedy embarkation wouldn't hurt either.

Oh wait. I must admit the cardinal sin - I've booked Caronia on the QE2! May I NOT enjoy it! (Well, no, I probably will but I promise not to look down on M Class passengers. I got several M cabins next to mine and I don't want to get beaten up!):) David

And you know what thugs and ruffians those "M" class types are- wearing those... whatever it is caps, and jj-j-j-je, you now, the "J" word! Tacky troglodytes!

 

Karie, who would NEVer lower herself to wallowing in the mud with such types... Well, without being invited, anyway. After all, it wouldn't be right to just crash the party! <G>

[Bramcruiser]

Oh dear Karie. Do lower yourself. I think the wild parties are in the M class (QE2) - wearing their caps and (j)ockstraps? he he - and I am sure some of the QM2's inside cabins have tales to tell.

 

So does this mean you're leaning towards Dec 2? Plenty of room. We have a balcony we're not going to sleep on so you and Marc can stay there. Its the Caribbean so its not like December in New York.

 

I agree with you on the Britannia! From the pictures alone I think this is the room to eat in. I think the Grills make more of an impact on the QE2. I think I'll put on my Captain's uniform and set at "the" table under "the" tapestry! Will anyone notice?

 

David

[travel-to-go]

Oh dear Karie. Do lower yourself. I think the wild parties are in the M class (QE2) - wearing their caps and (j)ockstraps? he he - and I am sure some of the QM2's inside cabins have tales to tell.

 

So does this mean you're leaning towards Dec 2? Plenty of room. We have a balcony we're not going to sleep on so you and Marc can stay there. Its the Caribbean so its not like December in New York.

 

I agree with you on the Britannia! From the pictures alone I think this is the room to eat in. I think the Grills make more of an impact on the QE2. I think I'll put on my Captain's uniform and set at "the" table under "the" tapestry! Will anyone notice?

 

David

 

Hmm, Post a picture of you in it, and we'll see! With the Commodore gone, no one notices who sits there anymore <yawn> <G>

 

Maybe you could borrow Maria's Fuschia trench coat with the gold braid and epaulets.

You could be Captain...Hmmm, Another name to come up with!

 

Yeah, I would love to go Dec 2nd, if only to meet all of y'all! And I have a string hammock, that will probably string up nicely ion the Balcony. They wash down the upper decks at night, and it dribbles over the sides onto the balconies, so I won't need a shower!<G>

 

This could work!

 

Karie,

who is scheming to take that Dec 2 trip!

[Bramcruiser]

Hmm, Post a picture of you in it, and we'll see! With the Commodore gone, no one notices who sits there anymore <yawn> <G>

 

Maybe you could borrow Maria's Fuschia trench coat with the gold braid and epaulets.

You could be Captain...Hmmm, Another name to come up with!

 

 

Hmmmm. Me in a uniform. I think I would be mistaken for one of the Village People!:rolleyes:

 

Still, thats famous in some ways! I'll just have to brush up on the YMCA song.

 

David

[Brad1185]

Becides the dining venues, there are lounges and private deck space the only 1st and 2nd class can use and is not available to the 3rd class on the QM2.

[Bramcruiser]

One small lounge and one small piece of a deck does not a class system make.

[Linerguy]

As mentioned earlier, there is nothing 2nd class about Britannia. I've been on the ship three times now and have had nothing but wonderful experiences. I really wish folks would stop using the terms "1st, 2nd, and 3rd class" as it simply doesn't exist. The stateroom category you book into dictates where you take your meals. If you're in Queen's Grill accommodations, you are able to visit the Queens Grill Lounge (which, BTW, is no big deal) and you can use a small section of aft deck space, I believe on deck 11 (which is even less of a big deal than the lounge). Other than these two, almost laughable "restricted areas", everyone has the run of the ship.

 

HOWEVER, Cunard is going to add a new perk for folks booked into the Britannia Club Balcony category, AA. These folks are going to have a dedicated area in Britannia and will enjoy open, single seating dining....everyone else will experience typical main and late dining times. This is going to be introduced on a trial basis. To me, this screams class distinction louder than anything relating to Princess or Queen's Grill categories,...because it will be directly "in your face". Personally, I think it's going to be a short lived experiment,...

 

Russ

-Russ