QM Grills Access from Stairway C?

[MarkBearSF]

I just booked our first Princess Grill cabins for a 2020 crossing on the QM2. We enjoy meeting friends in the Chart Room for pre-dinner cocktails and I'm curious if there's access to the Grills Lounge or the restaurants from the C elevators at dinner. On our last crossing, we enjoyed an alternative dining dinner at the Kings Court and heard the Maitre d' direct people headed to the buffet to use the B stairs rather than walking through and disturbing the seated diners.

Is there access to the grills from C - or must we navigate to the D elevators to get there? (My husband has some difficulty walking and dealing with stairs, so using the 3L corridor isn't great).

Edited December 4, 2018 by MarkBearSF

[david,Mississauga]

In my experience, at dinner the door is closed at the aft end of the Kings Court extension which, of course, is at the D lift/stairway area.  At other times the door is open and people can go anywhere on the port side.

 

If the weather is fine you can walk down either side of the promenade deck.

[BigMac1953]

David, isn't the port side used for "speciality dining"?, but you can skirt round the starboard side then cross to port at the back. There might be taped off barriers, but nobody has ever sent us back.

Stewart

[david,Mississauga]

4 hours ago, BigMac1953 said:

David, isn't the port side used for "speciality dining"?, but you can skirt round the starboard side then cross to port at the back. There might be taped off barriers, but nobody has ever sent us back.

Stewart

Yes, it is because of specialty dining that the aft end of the narrow Kings Court extention is closed off during evenings.

 

I'm not sure I understand what you mean about the starboard side. It is not possible to get from "C" to "D" on that side because of the service area of the Grills Lounge. Of course, you can always do so on the open deck.

[Bigmike911]

As an alternative you could walk (or take the lift) one deck up or one deck down and walk the the D stairs along the corridors, then up or down as appropriate to Deck seven. In the event the weather is not amenable to walking along the deck. 

[MarkBearSF]

4 hours ago, Bigmike911 said:

As an alternative you could walk (or take the lift) one deck up or one deck down and walk the the D stairs along the corridors, then up or down as appropriate to Deck seven. In the event the weather is not amenable to walking along the deck. 

 

Yeah, that looks like what we'll do. Probably elevate to Deck 5 or so and then walk down to D and then continue up to Deck 7.

It would've made it so much easier if there was an entrance to the Grills Lounge on either end.
Oh well, if that's the only thing I have to gripe about, I am a VERY lucky man!

 

Edited December 6, 2018 by MarkBearSF

[Underwatr]

You can walk also through the art gallery on 3L without climbing stairs, it just involves the short lift near the back exit from the Golden Lion and again near the D lift lobby/entrance to the Queens room. (But on second thought it's pretty inconvenient to get to 3L from the Chart Room).

 

When DW was having health/mobility issues she wasn't shy about using any and all available lifts.

[CateW]

We are just back from the Caribbean sailing on QM2.  The way that they have the alternative dining set up now you can't walk through to the Grills dining room or lounge because they have it roped off.  IMO, the area that they have for alternative dining is far too big, the two times that we were there, there were never more than 6 couples dining there.  I liked the smaller set up that they had a few years ago where the are was small and it felt more special.  The way it is set up now, I kind of felt like I was eating in a fish bowl, and yes, there some people walking through anyway and honestly, I don't blame them, the set-up is wrong.  I don't think it is right to tell someone to go back and go up or down to get to where they need to go.   

[MarkBearSF]

I have no issue with going up or down a deck (assuming elevators are available for my husband)
Having started cruising over 30 years ago, including four trips on our beloved QE2, we're accustomed to having to plan our path to avoid dead-ends. (Although I wish it were not necessary)

..which is why I asked - to be prepared, and avoid the problem.  Thanks all - and happy holidays!

Edited December 11, 2018 by MarkBearSF

[tv24]

Mark:  Yes, this is a big awkward, but now you are forewarned and can plan accordingly.  We always forget that the specialty dining area causes the passage to be closed off, so we often end up wandering about before we find our way to the Grills Lounge and dining area.  Extra exercise for me, which is a good thing.  Have a great time!