QM2 - to Grill or not to Grill that is the question...

[Down The Shore Guy]

We have a category A (balcony) cabin currently held for us for the August 31, 2007 sailing on Queen Mary 2. It's a short cruise, only 4 nights, round trip from New York to Canada and back. Is it worth upgrading to a Princess Grill or even Queen's Grill suite?

 

We have numerous cruises under our belts, and, have never booked less than a balcony cabin. This will be our first time on a Cunard ship.

 

I've been told often people in Princess and Queen's dining rooms would actually prefer to be in Britannia, have any of you found this to be true?

 

Please share your thoughts and recommendations. Price isn't really a concern, so, all comments, experiences, and thoughts are welcomed.

 

Thank you.

 

Eddie

[2moose]

We have a category A (balcony) cabin currently held for us for the August 31, 2007 sailing on Queen Mary 2. It's a short cruise, only 4 nights, round trip from New York to Canada and back. Is it worth upgrading to a Princess Grill or even Queen's Grill suite?

 

We have numerous cruises under our belts, and, have never booked less than a balcony cabin. This will be our first time on a Cunard ship.

 

I've been told often people in Princess and Queen's dining rooms would actually prefer to be in Britannia, have any of you found this to be true?

 

Please share your thoughts and recommendations. Price isn't really a concern, so, all comments, experiences, and thoughts are welcomed.

 

Thank you.

 

Eddie

 

 

the britannia is beautfull !!!Truly a dining room from the past luxury liners more so then the grill resturants!! My wife and I prefer the grills because we believe dining with 200 people versus 1,000 people is a quieter more intimate setting. we also prefer the liberty of coming and going with only one seating.. the service is better and the grills will make any dish you could think of as long as they have the ingredients.. the service is suberb and we truly enjoy the quiet queens lounge as opposed to the noisy and smokey other lounges., we also prefer a larger room etc. so there you have one opinion from a couple that has four sailings 2 on the qe2 and in december will be our 2nd sailing on the qm-2. on our very 1st sailing we were upgraded to a p-2 and now we are spoiled. However the qm2 is magnificent no matter what cabin you have go and enjoy! Bon voyage jim from new jersey (almost as nice as the irish riviera) ps( since you booked an A balcony chance i think are very good for you to recieve an upgrade to a p-grill cat)

[pisces1]

I had the opportunity to go one way in QG and then another in Britannia. Yes the Britannia is a beautiful space, and our servers were gracious and accommodating. The Queen's Grill was special because of the treatment you received. It may not have had the glamour and the vastness of the other dining room, but the service was outstanding. You really feel the intimacy and the effort to make your experience unforgettable. You are treated like royalty. My husband and I are very social people but we enjoyed the "table for two" dining experience and the lack of a timetable.

 

We also relished the suite and the balcony. I much preferred sitting on my spacious private deck than trying to get a lounge chair by the pool or other public areas. The spacious bathroom and the vanity area made life a breeze especially when getting ready for formal evenings. I guess we go against the tide when it comes to cruise ship cabins....we do care about their size and what they look like, because we like to have the extra room and the privacy it provides.

[wynkys]

For a short cruise such as you are contemplating, I would pick the Britannia as it appears to be a great room to experience. I have only experienced the Princess Grill and although the service was fine, it lacked any real atmosphere. For four days just how important is cabin size?

 

Wayne

[JGR01]

While the food and service issue in PG and QG can be 'different' (will not make a judgement) there are other issues to consider with Grill accomodations.

 

Separate checkin (normally far faster).

Concierge Lounge and service of dedicated Concierge (vs standing in the Purser line) and also a Concierge level shore excursions person.

Access to Queens Lounge for drinks and tea.

QG pax have access to a nice small deck area aft on Deck 11 that is private and has its own hot tub.

 

Some levels within QG have priority tendering service also which may or may not be a factor.

 

One of the GREAT features of QG suites are their size. HUGE closet .. full living room .. and I know a HUGE bathtub in my Q5 suite (vs just a shower).

[billthecat]

Can't speak about the grill from experience {we were cruise-virgins){just back from NY - Halifax} but our waiter {"GIn"} at tables 84, 85 & 82 central at foot of main stairs, told us that for servers Britannia is the upgrade. Better money, prestiege etc.{maybe better treatment by the commonfolk as opposed to those snooty Grill people}. Anyway, he moved UP from the grill to Britannia. Now about the cabin -- like they say- how much time do you spend there and what are you doing there. On such a short cruise with one formal night and one day ashore, the answer was "Not much". So, I would save my money and hope for an upgrade. We went from D7 to D2 inside on deck 12 {I know, it was the same size cabin and futher to go to eat -- but -- the prestiege!!!}

[nuekruizer]

Dear down the shore guy:HI! (I have a place in Avalon,NJ) I just returned from my FIRST cruise which was 4 days NY to Halifax. I booked a A deluxe balcony because I wanted a full glass balcony. When I got onboard I was upgraded to a Junior suite with Princess Grill. I couldnt believe the difference! The glass balcony is HUGE and views are spectacular. The ship was fully booked and crowded, but the princess grill was quiet, understated with extremely prompt service and dinner anytime you want to walk in from 6:30 to 9:00. This helped us to get to shows on time and have more freedom in selecting showtimes. The Britannia is a more beautiful room but was crowded and noisy compared to the quiet luxury and attentiveness in the princess grill. Also we couldnt even get into the queens room for tea with the long lines, however you can enter the queens grill for tea WITH a string quartet and the people were not uppity. Also you get tickets placed out for the planetarium in the concierge lounge without having to trudge down to the planetarium at 9:00 am and hope there are any tickets left. PLEASE go for the Princess grill if you have the opportunity to do so. I promise that you will have a better overall experience.

[pisces1]

I don't understand why people can't comment on suite cabins without resorting to typecasting people. Funny, how I never heard a Grill passenger talk about the down trodden "Britannia folks". Come on. The poster asked a genuine question as it relates to the grill services and accommodations. Besides, if you haven't traveled in Princess or Queen's how can you make a valid comparison?

[2moose]

I don't understand why people can't comment on suite cabins without resorting to typecasting people. Funny, how I never heard a Grill passenger talk about the down trodden "Britannia folks". Come on. The poster asked a genuine question as it relates to the grill services and accommodations. Besides, if you haven't traveled in Princess or Queen's how can you make a valid comparison?

 

 

exactly and also i think you will find that more than half the people in th grill cat are just hard working everyday people that saved for that special holiday best regards to all

[flag fan]

Does one have access to the Queens Grill for tea if one has a Princess Grill room? I assumed that only Queens Grill had access to that room.

[DocM3]

I wonder, who cares? When I'm aboard the QE or QM I think of how wonderful this experience is - NOT where I'm staying overnight - the whole experience is to be treasured. Book what you can afford - enjoy it all, and don't ever feel that you are less or more than others -that feeling that you project will tell it all.

[pb82]

Does one have access to the Queens Grill for tea if one has a Princess Grill room? I assumed that only Queens Grill had access to that room.

 

No, but both PG and QG may use the Queens Grill Lounge which is great for tea, cocktails, and it's a WiFi hotspot.

 

Paul

[flag fan]

Thanks for the info on the Queens Grill Lounge; its good to know.

[jerseyk]

Dear down the shore guy:HI! (I have a place in Avalon,NJ) I just returned from my FIRST cruise which was 4 days NY to Halifax. I booked a A deluxe balcony because I wanted a full glass balcony. When I got onboard I was upgraded to a Junior suite with Princess Grill. I couldnt believe the difference! The glass balcony is HUGE and views are spectacular. The ship was fully booked and crowded, but the princess grill was quiet, understated with extremely prompt service and dinner anytime you want to walk in from 6:30 to 9:00. This helped us to get to shows on time and have more freedom in selecting showtimes. The Britannia is a more beautiful room but was crowded and noisy compared to the quiet luxury and attentiveness in the princess grill. Also we couldnt even get into the queens room for tea with the long lines, however you can enter the queens grill for tea WITH a string quartet and the people were not uppity. Also you get tickets placed out for the planetarium in the concierge lounge without having to trudge down to the planetarium at 9:00 am and hope there are any tickets left. PLEASE go for the Princess grill if you have the opportunity to do so. I promise that you will have a better overall experience.

Hello

Question please. How flexable is the Princess grill with ordering something not on the menu? We have been on QM2 3 times but always in the Britannia. Next year we are in a suite.

Thanks

Walter

[nuekruizer]

They give you an alternate alacart menu which is permanent. So if you do not like the nights menu, you can order from it. Rack of Lamb, Chateaubriand, shrimp cocktail for example is on alacart menu.

[pb82]

In addition to the PG a la carte menu (available for dinner only), you have a good chance of getting anything else you want, as long as you ask for it politely a day ahead. Simple things are no problem; for example, one day all I really wanted for dessert was a scoop of chocolate ice cream (not on that day's menu). The waiter said, "We don't have that now, but I think I can get some from the Kings Court." And two minutes later, he had.

 

Bon appetit (where ever your vittles originate),

Paul

[jerseyk]

Thanks folks. That information is very helpful.

Walter

:)

[2moose]

Can't speak about the grill from experience {we were cruise-virgins){just back from NY - Halifax} but our waiter {"GIn"} at tables 84, 85 & 82 central at foot of main stairs, told us that for servers Britannia is the upgrade. Better money, prestiege etc.{maybe better treatment by the commonfolk as opposed to those snooty Grill people}. Anyway, he moved UP from the grill to Britannia. Now about the cabin -- like they say- how much time do you spend there and what are you doing there. On such a short cruise with one formal night and one day ashore, the answer was "Not much". So, I would save my money and hope for an upgrade. We went from D7 to D2 inside on deck 12 {I know, it was the same size cabin and futher to go to eat -- but -- the prestiege!!!}

 

Dear billthecat:

 

if you believe that story from the waiter(GIN) i would like to speak with you about a bridge i have for sale in brooklyn!!!!!

[SKYPAP]

Hi there!

 

Last Christmas I travelled on QM2 in Britannia and thought it was a fabulous room in terms of its impressive size and general atmosphere. The service was very good (apart from the wine waiter - and I won't go into that now!)

 

Last month me and my partner took a 5 night cruise on QE2 in Queen's Grill and had a wonderful time. It was an ideal opportunity to try the Grill experience and draw comparisons.

 

I would definately consider upgrading for your voyage with it being a short trip, what is there to lose?

 

For info, a friend of ours who travelled in Queen's Grill was able (by request) to dine one evening in Princess Grill to try that out too!

 

Hope this helps...

 

Olly

[SeaFlint]

Try it both ways.

 

Book your grill stateroom and go to the Princess or Queen's Grill. Your first day on board, go talk to the Maitre d' in Britiannia ("Osman", I think) about having dinner there and I am SURE he will accomodate you. Once, twice or however many times.

 

In fact, since you can pre-select your tables for dinner, you may want to request a seating in Britania before you even get on board.

 

My experience on board is that they will do anything reasonable to accomodate you. Even if that means holding your waiter at the same table for 24 days, even though he is supposed to rotate "upstairs" to the Carvery for a break. :)

 

Good luck. And enjoy! I'm sure you'll love them both.

[pnhmrk]

Try it both ways.

 

You can, if you're booked into a grill cabin (as you say). Booking a Britannia Cabin and trying to get into one of the grills would get you short shrift!

[Therapst]

You can, if you're booked into a grill cabin (as you say). Booking a Britannia Cabin and trying to get into one of the grills would get you short shrift!

 

Is that anything like short ribs? :D

[travel-to-go]

Dear billthecat:

 

if you believe that story from the waiter(GIN) i would like to speak with you about a bridge i have for sale in brooklyn!!!!!

 

Hey! Is that yours? I saw that bridge last week!!

 

Karie,

who like to know how much. It looked pretty nice!

[2moose]

Hey! Is that yours? I saw that bridge last week!!

 

Karie,

who like to know how much. It looked pretty nice!

 

 

karie to be perfectly honest with you I dont own the bridge but as a real estate broker iI do have the listing and I would be glad to make an appointment with you for a showing!!!!! best regards

[2moose]

Try it both ways.

 

Book your grill stateroom and go to the Princess or Queen's Grill. Your first day on board, go talk to the Maitre d' in Britiannia ("Osman", I think) about having dinner there and I am SURE he will accomodate you. Once, twice or however many times.

 

In fact, since you can pre-select your tables for dinner, you may want to request a seating in Britania before you even get on board.

 

My experience on board is that they will do anything reasonable to accomodate you. Even if that means holding your waiter at the same table for 24 days, even though he is supposed to rotate "upstairs" to the Carvery for a break. :)

 

Good luck. And enjoy! I'm sure you'll love them both.

 

 

Osman was the maitre'd in the princess grill last year and his wife Oya was the bartender in the queens lounge and casino bar> A great couple eager to please and very professional