Princess Grill or Queens Grill ?

[david,Mississauga]

2 hours ago, Solent Richard said:

 

I can speak from experience as I have sailed all three current Cunard ships and TWO no longer with us.

 

The experience of course is subjective but certainly the Grills food on QE2 was superior. However, due to the ship's age I'd say the ambiance, and certainly the quality of accommodation, has improved relatively more so.

 

 

In those days even arrivals at ports were more civilised.

 

Departures were more civilised as well. Many of us will remember how quick and simple it was to board a ship - no security, no credit card to produce - just a quick passport check and the ticket was lifted and up the gangway we went.

 

P&O usually had a brass band to play on shore during departure. On our early Cunard crossings there wasn't a brass band but traditional music was played on the tannoy. These days I wouldn't go near a "sailaway" with the rarest of exceptions.

 

I enjoyed seeing another Royal Mail Ship in the photo: the RMS St. Helena.

[Solent Richard]

13 minutes ago, david,Mississauga said:

 

Departures were more civilised as well. Many of us will remember how quick and simple it was to board a ship - no security, no credit card to produce - just a quick passport check and the ticket was lifted and up the gangway we went.

 

P&O usually had a brass band to play on shore during departure. On our early Cunard crossings there wasn't a brass band but traditional music was played on the tannoy. These days I wouldn't go near a "sailaway" with the rarest of exceptions.

 

I enjoyed seeing another Royal Mail Ship in the photo: the RMS St. Helena.

 

Hi David.

 

Yes, they were the 'real' good days. I took some amazing photos of our daylight arrival at Cape Town when doing a 'Line Voyage' back in 2002. 

 

Then imagine my disappointment when this time last year while onboard Queen Victoria we arrived at Cape Town in the pre dawn darkness...

 

 

 

[Solent Richard]

On 4/10/2020 at 9:35 AM, Trevor33 said:

Yes that is very interesting and I agree that the food is good and very similar in both restaurants. The Grills are marketed very highly in the brochure as you would expect. I think the position of the Grills restaurants on Victoria and Elizabeth are better positioned as they are slightly forward of midships and on a higher deck than the Grill Restaurants on QM2. Too late now but would have been better if Grills on QM2 were not at the stern of the ship but guess they use the main Galley whereas the QV & QE have galley close to the Grills.

 

Good morning again Trevor.

 

May I take this opportunity to point out that the 'galley' that serves the  Princess and Queens Grills  is in fact positioned between  them on Deck 7 and are most definitely well separated from the Britannia 'Main' galley which is in fact on Deck 2.

 

 

[wripro]

On 4/17/2020 at 5:16 AM, exlondoner said:

 

Looking at QE2 QG menus from the 2000s, they are not so different from now. Many of the same dishes survive. Which for some may be a minus rather than a plus.😀

 

As to food quality, it is hard to say. The quality of ingredients seems much the same, while the quality of actual dishes depends on the chef. My companion had tough roast lamb for lunch for the first time ever in September, which I don't see as a sign of falling standards, merely a chef who is incompetent at cooking lamb.

QE2 used to save Beluga caviar in QG. That about says it all.

[wripro]

1 minute ago, wripro said:

QE2 used to save Beluga caviar in QG. That about says it all.

That should be serve.

[exlondoner]

10 minutes ago, wripro said:

QE2 used to save Beluga caviar in QG. That about says it all.

 

Yes, the QE2 was pretty unfriendly environmentally, but I don't think the caviar was a major aspect.😀

[Solent Richard]

14 minutes ago, wripro said:

QE2 used to save Beluga caviar in QG. That about says it all.

 

I know, we had an American lady on our table who made a point of having it every night. Rather silly I thought when so many other excellent choices available.

[Trevor33]

7 hours ago, Solent Richard said:

 

Good morning again Trevor.

 

May I take this opportunity to point out that the 'galley' that serves the  Princess and Queens Grills  is in fact positioned between  them on Deck 7 and are most definitely well separated from the Britannia 'Main' galley which is in fact on Deck 2.

 

 

I am really not sure that you read the post properly as per your last answer I am afraid. You know as well that so many say what they think which is not a problem, hope you have a very good evening and thanks for taking  the opportunity to point out ..again

[Trevor33]

1 hour ago, Solent Richard said:

 

I know, we had an American lady on our table who made a point of having it every night. Rather silly I thought when so many other excellent choices available.

It is not silly at all, the whole purpose of a holiday is to surely enjoy yourself, and if you want the same thing then enjoy it. If you cannot enjoy yourself on holiday what is the point SR ?

[exlondoner]

54 minutes ago, Trevor33 said:

It is not silly at all, the whole purpose of a holiday is to surely enjoy yourself, and if you want the same thing then enjoy it. If you cannot enjoy yourself on holiday what is the point SR ?

I wonder what she ate at home, if Csviar was the only food she enjoyed on board. Or perhaps she was just trying to get her money's worth. Again an enjoyable pastime for some.

[Victoria2]

11 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

I wonder what she ate at home, if Csviar was the only food she enjoyed on board. Or perhaps she was just trying to get her money's worth. Again an enjoyable pastime for some.

Or look at it another way. It’s  not something I’d buy at home, but I do like it as a starter when in QG, on quite a few nights. I don’t pretend to be a caviar connoisseur but I like the product dished up on Cunard and the whole point of the QG experience, is to order what you want, when you want.

[BigMac1953]

On one of our trips on QE2, in QG, we had a wonderful waiter called Soopan (not sure of the spelling).

 

Most nights, I ordered smoked salmon, which in these days, was carved at your table, I also ordered caviar on top.

 

After about a week, my wife said that she noticed that I got much more caviar than anyone else nearby, so I queried this with Soopan.

 

He told me that it was because he told the Galley that it was for three people!

 

Ah, the good old days!

[Solent Richard]

On 4/18/2020 at 8:34 PM, exlondoner said:

I wonder what she ate at home, if Csviar was the only food she enjoyed on board. Or perhaps she was just trying to get her money's worth. Again an enjoyable pastime for some.

 

On 4/18/2020 at 8:52 PM, Victoria2 said:

Or look at it another way. It’s  not something I’d buy at home, but I do like it as a starter when in QG, on quite a few nights. I don’t pretend to be a caviar connoisseur but I like the product dished up on Cunard and the whole point of the QG experience, is to order what you want, when you want.

 

Oh I'm sure she ate similarly at home, she was the wife of a most eminent American Gynacologist.

 

In those days the Caviar was a standard Grill menu item and didn't need special ordering. 

[Solent Richard]

On 4/18/2020 at 7:39 PM, Trevor33 said:

It is not silly at all, the whole purpose of a holiday is to surely enjoy yourself, and if you want the same thing then enjoy it. If you cannot enjoy yourself on holiday what is the point SR ?

Good morning again Trevor.

 

We will have to agree to disagree then because personally I take the meal as a whole and tend to balance all courses into the overall experience. Just my opinion of course but I did have a second career background in catering.

 

And on the subject of the Grills, I note on another thread that you're booked on next years Queen Victoria whole World Cruise. Nice one.

 

As you instigated this thread can we assume that you are sailing as a Grills passenger?

[Solent Richard]

On 4/9/2020 at 7:36 PM, Trevor33 said:

Apart from the obvious difference in the size of the Suite what are peoples opinion of the difference  between the Princess grill and the Queens Grill experience on board the Queens? Have people preferred the food in one restaurant than the other? Whilst the Queens Grill has a slightly different Menu and a greater choice on the a la carte do you think the quality of the food or service is any different? Personally for the difference in price I have found the food as good in the Princess Grill but would be very interested to hear what other people think. Do you think the standard of the Grills restaurants vary between the three Queens? 

 

Good morning Trevor.

 

Not sure whether you missed my review from Queen Victoria's 2019 World Cruise, a segment of which my wife and I experienced in the Princess Grill...

 

https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2019/05/06/queen-victoria-singapore-to-cape-town/

 

You may be interested as the itinerary of the 2021 World Cruise follows a similar pattern across the Indian Ocean.

 

I'm in the process of doing a review of our time in Port Elizabeth which, unlike many passengers, we enjoyed considerably.