Princess Grill or Queens Grill

[Victoria2]

6 minutes ago, BigMac1953 said:

I'm going to start to tell people that it's lovely. Maybe then they'll start to drink it and finish the stuff for good.

 

Surely, it must be coming to an end soon. Please don't tell me they've made more.

To be slightly contrary, it makes a half decent Mimosa when having friends in for drinks. Other than that, it stays on the counter top, unopened.

 

[Windsurfboy]

We made a late decision to sail back from S.A. in 2022, by the time we booked QG midships was full so trying PG. As this is saving us £5k , don't worry about drinks, pol acker vs champagne,  butler etc. Just room size, which we think will be nearly as good as badly designed Q3/4 , and quality of food in restaurant vs QG. Solent Richard as someone who's been in both, apart from off nenu ordering is there any difference in quality,  as they bit come from same kitchen and menus are almost identical.  Cheers

 

Ps will use QG for med if can get big balcony on stern

[exlondoner]

36 minutes ago, BigMac1953 said:

I'm going to start to tell people that it's lovely. Maybe then they'll start to drink it and finish the stuff for good.

 

Surely, it must be coming to an end soon. Please don't tell me they've made more.

 

I think they must do. I never touch the stuff in the cabin. But the stuff one gets at parties, which I assume is PA, doesn't always taste the name, as far as I recall. Anyway, I've given that up too, and always have a gin.

Edited December 16, 2020 by exlondoner
S and P

[alc13]

This entertaining thread has veered off track into tipping and Pol Acker.  Makes me feel nostalgic for the pre-pandemic boards.  Anyone care to comment on the dress code?

Edited December 16, 2020 by alc13

[exlondoner]

Perhaps that is the problem. Perhaps PA is best drunk when unclad? 😀

[Mudhen]

I'm planning on wearing green sneakers (trainers) to formal night and if they run out of PA, I'll just bring my own  Andre, left over from New Years Eve.......(giggle!)

[buchanan101]

19 hours ago, Solent Richard said:

Aw shucks, just after I wrote that tome above. 😅 Never mind, it passed twenty minutes   before Chelsea kick off. 😅

Thank you for your tome.

 

It's not like for like in position (mid v forward, port v starboard) so that's why I am sticking with PG.

 

Now the table size is another issue... 

 

I hope it is going to the first of many voyages...have to convince the other half.

[buchanan101]

On 12/14/2020 at 11:10 PM, Mickb said:

If you have a port side P1 cabin midships, I would stick with PG. The south side of the ship is noticeably warm and brighter than the north. We found the PG experience better than the QG - the other passengers were friendlier and not bragging about how many crossings they had made. There was still the opportunity to order off menu, albeit there was a wider choice in QG. Service was very good in both grills although slightly more formal in QG.

Both are a wonderful travel experience - smooth sailing  with which ever you decide on😁

TBH, I am not sure I would know HOW to order off menu...

[exlondoner]

2 minutes ago, buchanan101 said:

TBH, I am not sure I would know HOW to order off menu...

 

I have only done so very rarely. What I do do occasionally is ask them if I can have, say, today's lunch dish tomorrow, if, say I'm going to miss lunch. Not exactly off menu, but needs arranging. Once we were next to a table of eight Thais, who had a whole sucking pig for lunch. That was pretty off menu and had presumably been arranged even before boarding. I can't imagine they would have it lying around in the cold store on the off chance.

[BigMac1953]

57 minutes ago, buchanan101 said:

TBH, I am not sure I would know HOW to order off menu...

One December, on a "Christmas Markets Cruise", we were surprised that there was never a traditional roast turkey option. Ico informed us that they only normally offer it on Christmas day.

 

He gave me a pen and paper and asked me to write a dinner menu.

 

Two days later, we had *****-a-leekie soup followed by a full turkey and trimmings dinner, rounded off with individual flaming Christmas puddings. Here comes the puddings:

 

[BigMac1953]

Just noticed they've censored my post and blotted out the name of a traditional Scottish soup (male hen).

[buchanan101]

1 minute ago, BigMac1953 said:

Just noticed they've censored my post and blotted out the name of a traditional Scottish soup (male hen).

yes that was quite funny  C O C K...

[Mudhen]

We requested a couple of things off menu in the Q's grill.....frogs legs one night and Alaskan king crab another. Both were wonderful....more crab then the "Deadliest Catch" pulls in! 

[Bigmike911]

I have a long standing tradition of asking for two lobster tails on my last night at sea, and I have been rewarded every time. I have also ordered Beef Wellington and Chateaubriand, but now that I travel solo, I don't as they are made for two. I also ask for flaming desserts with every dinner. 

 

The flaming desserts recalls an event many years ago on a Fourth of July Cruise to Halifax. We were three at table and ordered flaming desserts. I noticed a table near by that was paging through their menus. The next night, a different flaming dessert, and again much menu activity at the near by table. On the third night, we ordered Bananas Foster, and after the meal, a gentleman from the near by table came over and asked how we got the flaming desserts as they were never on the menu. I replied casually, "one asks". The next night which was our last night at sea the nearby table had Cherries Jubilee as their flaming dessert. 

[exlondoner]

Quite often, I have found they have Beef Wellington as a menu item one night near the end of a cruise, which makes it much more manageable. Otherwise the alc amount easily would feed at least three. It's very nice though.

[Solent Richard]

On 12/16/2020 at 10:52 AM, Windsurfboy said:

We made a late decision to sail back from S.A. in 2022, by the time we booked QG midships was full so trying PG. As this is saving us £5k , don't worry about drinks, pol acker vs champagne,  butler etc. Just room size, which we think will be nearly as good as badly designed Q3/4 , and quality of food in restaurant vs QG. Solent Richard as someone who's been in both, apart from off nenu ordering is there any difference in quality,  as they bit come from same kitchen and menus are almost identical.  Cheers

 

Ps will use QG for med if can get big balcony on stern

On the issue of 'Quality' there is no difference whatsoever. As you state, same galley and  same chefs.

 

On the odd occasion we've taken a 'stern' balcony I've never really been over impressed. On one Queens Grill Mediterranean cruise onboard Queen Victoria we did make good use of the Butler...

 

 

 

[Solent Richard]

On 12/16/2020 at 7:49 PM, Bigmike911 said:

I have a long standing tradition of asking for two lobster tails on my last night at sea, and I have been rewarded every time. I have also ordered Beef Wellington and Chateaubriand, but now that I travel solo, I don't as they are made for two. I also ask for flaming desserts with every dinner. 

 

The flaming desserts recalls an event many years ago on a Fourth of July Cruise to Halifax. We were three at table and ordered flaming desserts. I noticed a table near by that was paging through their menus. The next night, a different flaming dessert, and again much menu activity at the near by table. On the third night, we ordered Bananas Foster, and after the meal, a gentleman from the near by table came over and asked how we got the flaming desserts as they were never on the menu. I replied casually, "one asks". The next night which was our last night at sea the nearby table had Cherries Jubilee as their flaming dessert. 

 

..."Chateaubriand, but now that I travel solo, I don't as they are made for two..."

 

Hi Mike, I'm sure they'd have provided what I think you guys call a 'to go bag' and we refer to as a 'doggy' bag. 😁😁

 

Sorry, I just couldn't resist that one.

[Windsurfboy]

1 hour ago, Solent Richard said:

On the issue of 'Quality' there is no difference whatsoever. As you state, same galley and  same chefs.

 

On the odd occasion we've taken a 'stern' balcony I've never really been over impressed. On one Queens Grill Mediterranean cruise onboard Queen Victoria we did make good use of the Butler...

 

 

 

 

Thanks. We have to go for midships on this journey as can get big swell from Capetown to Angola (hence great surfing on S.A. west coast) and of course Bay of Biscay and my wife is not a sailor. If we do a Cunard med cruise would look for aft balcony. We have a deck 4 PG with a deeper balcony

[Bigmike911]

13 hours ago, Solent Richard said:

 

..."Chateaubriand, but now that I travel solo, I don't as they are made for two..."

 

Hi Mike, I'm sure they'd have provided what I think you guys call a 'to go bag' and we refer to as a 'doggy' bag. 😁😁

 

Sorry, I just couldn't resist that one.

Richard "doggy bag' is pretty much a universal expression, I suspect. But what would I do with the doggy bag? 

[Windsurfboy]

Well if your on  a TA on QM , could visit kennels and pretend you had a dog

[Austcruiser84]

On 12/17/2020 at 6:49 AM, Bigmike911 said:

I have a long standing tradition of asking for two lobster tails on my last night at sea, and I have been rewarded every time. I have also ordered Beef Wellington and Chateaubriand, but now that I travel solo, I don't as they are made for two. I also ask for flaming desserts with every dinner. 

 

The flaming desserts recalls an event many years ago on a Fourth of July Cruise to Halifax. We were three at table and ordered flaming desserts. I noticed a table near by that was paging through their menus. The next night, a different flaming dessert, and again much menu activity at the near by table. On the third night, we ordered Bananas Foster, and after the meal, a gentleman from the near by table came over and asked how we got the flaming desserts as they were never on the menu. I replied casually, "one asks". The next night which was our last night at sea the nearby table had Cherries Jubilee as their flaming dessert. 

I have ordered the dishes for two people just as one serving and have never been denied. Next time I will be ordering Peking duck, but that does require at least four days’ notice. 

[Victoria2]

1 hour ago, Austcruiser84 said:

I have ordered the dishes for two people just as one serving and have never been denied. Next time I will be ordering Peking duck, but that does require at least four days’ notice. 

I  have had dishes for two, served to me as a single partaker over the years. Peking duck has never been a solo venture though as there's usually a fellow diner or three willing to help me out. That was before Covid distancing restrictions. As my husband dislikes duck, if we have to sit on a two top, I might be duckless on our next cruise. We'll see.

 

My ducks have always needed three days advance notice not four or more. The sharp shooters on the stern must be  more accurate with their aims on our cruises!😀

Edited December 31, 2020 by Victoria2

[BigMac1953]

2 hours ago, Austcruiser84 said:

I have ordered the dishes for two people just as one serving and have never been denied. Next time I will be ordering Peking duck, but that does require at least four days’ notice. 

 

A great favourite of ours!

 

A couple of years ago, when we were served the shredded duck and pancakes etc., our waiter and his assistant turned up with tongs and stood at our table. I asked them what they were doing. He replied that they were going to make up each pancake for us.

 

I had to explain that making your own and getting messy is part of the fun and asked for finger bowls instead.

[Victoria2]

1 hour ago, BigMac1953 said:

 

A great favourite of ours!

 

A couple of years ago, when we were served the shredded duck and pancakes etc., our waiter and his assistant turned up with tongs and stood at our table. I asked them what they were doing. He replied that they were going to make up each pancake for us.

 

I had to explain that making your own and getting messy is part of the fun and asked for finger bowls instead.

I agree. The only additional request I make is for julienne cucumber to add to the spring onions as the default Cunard way in my experience is  spring onion and carrot.

[Austcruiser84]

19 hours ago, Victoria2 said:

My ducks have always needed three days advance notice not four or more. The sharp shooters on the stern must be  more accurate with their aims on our cruises!😀

Someone has connections 😉