Origin of Grill??

[Kindlychap]

The Savoy Grill are less demanding on dress code. Pity.

 

It is, in my view, not a patch on the Queens Grill on QE2. Very pretentious.

 

It's not somewhere I'd be rushing back to for its own sake, although my wife and I first went there on the night I proposed to her.

 

Having said that, QE2 is far more significant to us. Even though we didn't go on the ship for our honeymoon, and I didn't propose on it!

[Freckles67]

If I post a link, it goes directly into my Kodak account. I tried it by sending myself an email with a link. Kodak Gallery is weird that way. I don't want to post a link to my Kodak account, with editing privileges etc, but I can send individual invitations to email addresses. In the email is a button to click on that takes you to my album, but not my account. Waaaay too complicated... maybe I should repost the pix to Snapfish or Webshots. But since I own a Kodak digital, I use the Kodak website.... Anyway, I have two albums of QM1 photos, lots of shots of little details of the ship. Also several albums from my cruises with Richard Simmons, in case anyone is interested.... what a hoot they are!!!! So email me if you want to see any of my albums... meezer67 at aol dot com (Someone told me to post my email that way so spammers won't steal my address.)

[pnhmrk]

The Savoy Grill are less demanding on dress code. Pity.

 

It is, in my view, not a patch on the Queens Grill on QE2.

 

It's a long time since I've eaten in the QG, but the Savoy Grill BR (Before Ramsey) was certainly better than either the Princess or Britannia Grills.

 

Having said that, QE2 is far more significant to us. Even though we didn't go on the ship for our honeymoon, and I didn't propose on it!

 

I agree about the significance of the QE2 - although we did propose (kind of) on board and we are having our honeymoon there:)

[dougnewmanatsea]

I am curious.... what is the origin of the term GRILL as in Queen and Princess Grill?

Originally it started with the Verandah Grill aboard the original QUEEN MARY. This was an extra-cost restaurant for cabin-class passengers. Originally she had three classes: cabin, second, and third.

 

After World War II, the three classes were renamed first, cabin and tourist. The Verandah Grill continued to be an extra-tariff restaurant (today we would call it an "alternative restaurant") for first-class passengers. QUEEN ELIZABETH (the first one) also entered service with one.

 

The original QUEENs were retired in 1967 (MARY) and 1968 (ELIZABETH). QE2 entered service in 1969 with only two classes: first and "Transatlantic" (the combined replacement for cabin- and tourist-classes).

 

The Verandah Grill tradiiton was carried on aboard QE2 by the Grill Room, again an extra-tariff restaurant for first-class passengers. (Today, this room is the Princess Grill).

 

Later, the Queens Grill was added, and the Grill Room became the Princess Grill. The Queens Grill and Princess Grill became the restaurants for higher-category first-class passengers, while the other first-class passengers ate in the Columbia Restaurant (now the Caronia Restaurant).

 

In 1994, Grill Class officially became a separate class, with First Class (non-Grill) becoming Deluxe Class (eating in the Caronia Restaurant) and Transatlantic Class becoming Premium Class (eating in the Mauretania Restaurant).

 

In 1996, the classes were officially eliminated, but the restaurant assignments continued aboard QE2.

 

When QM2 was introduced, the Caronia Restaurant (the middle grade) was eliminated but the Queens and Princess Grills remained along with the main Britannia Restaurant (the equivalent of the Mauretania Restaurant aboard QE2 - the biggest restaurant where most passengers dine).

 

I remember tourist class, and first class (Peter Fonda was in first class on this crossing) but I can't remember the name of the middle class, maybe it was excursion?

FRANCE was only a two-class ship... First-class and tourist-class.

 

Tourist-class was officially called Rive Gauche (Left Bank); like Cunard with QE2, the name "tourist-class" was discontinued when French Line went from a three-class to a two-class operation.

 

Incidentally, while on the subject of "grills", I should point out that "grill" has a different meaning in the UK from the US. The American equivalent of the British "grill" would be "broil". In American English, "grill" means what would be called "barbecue" in British English. (In the US, "barbecue" is technically something slightly different, done in a pit, not a grill.)

[Vic The Parrot]

QE2 entered service in 1969 with only two classes: first and "Transatlantic" (the combined replacement for cabin- and tourist-classes).

 

 

 

 

 

Hey there Doug

 

 

Sorry, but I beg to differ. My copy of QE2s info booklet for 1970 states "first class and tourist class" ... Transatlantic class didn't appear til after the Falklands Crisis.

 

 

:cool:

[dougnewmanatsea]

Sorry, but I beg to differ. My copy of QE2s info booklet for 1970 states "first class and tourist class" ... Transatlantic class didn't appear til after the Falklands Crisis.

Why apologise?

 

Of course, "Transatlantic Class" was a later invention - what was I thinking :o ?

[Calliope]

Transatlantic Class might have been a later marketing invention, but during 1980 I was most assuredly in a Transatlantic Class stateroom. The Falklands War was spring 1982, so Transatlantic Class predates the Falklands War.

 

There were two classes during 1980, First Class and Transatlantic Class. First Class was divided into the Queens Grill, Princess Grill and Columbia Restaurant. Any of these three restaurants would provide orders off of the menu, and Kosher meals were available in the Columbia Restaurant. The kitchen for both the Queens Grill and Princess Grill was the same. Also formal attire was expected nightly in these venues. In Transatlantic Class meals were taken in The Tables of the World Restaurant. There were two seatings for breakfast, lunch, and dinner here. Gentlemen were requested to wear a jacket and tie for dinner at this venue, and not necessarily a tux or dark suit. Also in the daily QE2 Times passengers were, "requested to remain in the areas of the class in which they are booked."

[dougnewmanatsea]

The kitchen for both the Queens Grill and Princess Grill was the same.

Are you sure? This sounds odd given that they're nowhere near each other.

 

You mean they did not get the PG food from the Columbia galley right "next door" on Quarter Deck but grought it all the way down from the QG galley on Boat Deck?

 

Very odd - but then, it does sound like something Cunard would do ;) ...

 

As for dress codes, different dress codes for different restaurants were listed in Cunard brochures as late as the 1990s when "classes" had officially been abolished. Basically, it seemed that the Mauretania dress code was informal all the time whereas the others had formal nights. (I don't think this is how it was worded, but that was the essence of it.)

[wripro]

I sailed in QG twice and was under the impression that QG had its own kitchen. As Host Doug says Princess and Brittania Grills were so far away it would be very difficult to be serviced from the same kitchen.

[Calliope]

On page 8 of the QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 and Europe 1980 brochure it reads, "The Princess Grill. The same superb food as the Queen's (sic.) Grill, but in a setting that's a bit different. More traditional. More intimate. Just a bit more conducive, perhaps, to those who prefer an extra dash of romance. Both the Princess Grill and the Queen's Grill feature side-of-the-table food preparation, making the entire dining experience just that much more appetizing."

 

My guess is that it was brought down from the kitchen by dumb waiter and then finished off in a near by pantry or table side by the waiter. I don't know for sure though as I wasn't anywhere near the Princess Grill during the crossing. A twenty year old passengers with a denim sport coat would have been a bit obvious as not belonging in a first class area less alone a grill room.

[dougnewmanatsea]

Well... The same food doesn't necessarily mean the same galley; it could just as well mean that the menus and ingredients are the same.

[pnhmrk]

My guess is that it was brought down from the kitchen by dumb waiter and then finished off in a near by pantry or table side by the waiter. I don't know for sure though as I wasn't anywhere near the Princess Grill during the crossing.

 

I can't go back as far as 1980, but in 1995 the food for PGs port and starboard was cooked in the Caronia's kitchen. We were shown round the kitchens that year and were told which area was used for what.

[Vic The Parrot]

I stand corrected .... thanks Calliope

 

;)