Britannia Club ?

[Host Hattie]

4 hours ago, LewiLewi said:

We found that the Brittania Club dining room on the QM was dark and tucked away behind the MDR, difficult to get to. The Brittania Club dining room on the QV was beautiful, bright and easily accessible. The only problem with the QV and the QE Brittania Club dining was the location of the balcony cabins. All were underneath the Lido deck, making location not ideal, ie. noise from above. We have been very happy with the Brittania regular dining room and are looking forward to our next cruise in July.

There are 4 Britannia Club cabins on Deck 7 on QE & QV and some of those on Deck 8 are under the spa area rather than the open deck. Those aren't too noisy.

[BklynBoy8]

6 hours ago, LewiLewi said:

We found that the Brittania Club dining room on the QM was dark and tucked away behind the MDR, difficult to get to. The Brittania Club dining room on the QV was beautiful, bright and easily accessible. The only problem with the QV and the QE Brittania Club dining was the location of the balcony cabins. All were underneath the Lido deck, making location not ideal, ie. noise from above. We have been very happy with the Brittania regular dining room and are looking forward to our next cruise in July.

We did not mind the CB atmosphere which can match many restaurants in Manhattan and here in Brooklyn with controllable lighting. The morning and lunches do have wide windows to draw in light.

 

And as mentioned in the past, with the right route to Staircase/Elevator D to Deck 2 is that bad. Especially if you are having cocktails or pre dinner drinks already on the lower deck lounges.

[Opiniaster]

We have just booked Britannia Club on Queen Anne for the March 2024 Canaries cruise.  The difference was about £35/night pp and we have a midships cabling on deck 6.  The differentials on QV can be eye watering..

[gfs1ram]

As the OP for this thread I thought I would post an update / my findings as during the last month we have undertaken two cruises on the QV, the latter being in Britannia Club.

Firstly we enjoyed both cruises immensely ( Norway & Western Isles).

 

Focusing on the differences we found with Club I can now be specific.

Regarding the Cabin.Deck 8. - Identical layout to an ordinary Balcony cabin.

Additions - Two foot stools on the balcony.

                     Coffee machine provided in addition to a kettle. (We did not use it)

                     Bottle of still water provided each day. (Providing you use it)

                     Large bottle of Pol Acker provided. ( half bottle in standard balcony cabin)

                     Dressing gowns a softer, heavier material. (But no slippers)

That's it regarding the cabin.

 

We have now completed 26 Cunard cruises so we were aware that the 'big' attraction was always said to be the dining experience.

The dining room was very nice, clean, bright and attractive.

The 'anytime' dining was very convenient and 7.30 meant no rushing for the 10pm show.

Additional "A La Carte" menu provided that little extra to choose from.

 

Now for the experience - and WHAT A LET DOWN !!

 

Firstly very surprised that the evening dress code was not adhered to with several men wearing open necked polo shirts and no jackets. Not looking smart at all. 

 

The food was very good but no better than what we have regularly received in the Britannia Restaurant.

BUT the service - oh dear! It was so disappointing.

The Waiters were pleasant but the Assistant Waiter in particular was obviously struggling to cope.

It is all very well having 'anytime dining' but then on one night having to apologise the fact that 'a lot of people had all arrived at 7.15/30 !! 

It still did not stop the table next to us arriving 30 minutes after us but getting their 'mains' served first??

 

It was however the lack of etiquette that was most noticeable and to me disappointing.

Call me old fashioned but in my experience the Ladies are always given the menu's and served first - but not with our Assistant Waiter!!  We have never experienced that at all in the Britannia Restaurant.

The anticipated 'Five Star Service' was just missing!

 

So there we are. I know that Britannia Club is very popular and must be so for a reason especially noting the premiums paid so I guess we were just unlucky but that is how it was.

 

Thankfully our dining experience did not spoil the cruise and we will most certainly travel with Cunard again - just not in Club.

 

 

 

 

[carlmm]

44 minutes ago, gfs1ram said:

As the OP for this thread I thought I would post an update / my findings as during the last month we have undertaken two cruises on the QV, the latter being in Britannia Club.

Firstly we enjoyed both cruises immensely ( Norway & Western Isles).

 

Focusing on the differences we found with Club I can now be specific.

Regarding the Cabin.Deck 8. - Identical layout to an ordinary Balcony cabin.

Additions - Two foot stools on the balcony.

                     Coffee machine provided in addition to a kettle. (We did not use it)

                     Bottle of still water provided each day. (Providing you use it)

                     Large bottle of Pol Acker provided. ( half bottle in standard balcony cabin)

                     Dressing gowns a softer, heavier material. (But no slippers)

That's it regarding the cabin.

 

We have now completed 26 Cunard cruises so we were aware that the 'big' attraction was always said to be the dining experience.

The dining room was very nice, clean, bright and attractive.

The 'anytime' dining was very convenient and 7.30 meant no rushing for the 10pm show.

Additional "A La Carte" menu provided that little extra to choose from.

 

Now for the experience - and WHAT A LET DOWN !!

 

Firstly very surprised that the evening dress code was not adhered to with several men wearing open necked polo shirts and no jackets. Not looking smart at all. 

 

The food was very good but no better than what we have regularly received in the Britannia Restaurant.

BUT the service - oh dear! It was so disappointing.

The Waiters were pleasant but the Assistant Waiter in particular was obviously struggling to cope.

It is all very well having 'anytime dining' but then on one night having to apologise the fact that 'a lot of people had all arrived at 7.15/30 !! 

It still did not stop the table next to us arriving 30 minutes after us but getting their 'mains' served first??

 

It was however the lack of etiquette that was most noticeable and to me disappointing.

Call me old fashioned but in my experience the Ladies are always given the menu's and served first - but not with our Assistant Waiter!!  We have never experienced that at all in the Britannia Restaurant.

The anticipated 'Five Star Service' was just missing!

 

So there we are. I know that Britannia Club is very popular and must be so for a reason especially noting the premiums paid so I guess we were just unlucky but that is how it was.

 

Thankfully our dining experience did not spoil the cruise and we will most certainly travel with Cunard again - just not in Club.

 

 

 

 

How disappointing.

Unfortunately this is so much in line with other reports about declining standards.

[Windsurfboy]

On 4/11/2022 at 11:40 AM, Se1lad said:

I just looked at a 7 cruise on QE Autumn next year and regular Balcony Is £1000, BC £1700 and PG £2400 pp.  So £100 extra pp per night for BC and then another £100 for PG. I’d argue that the £100 difference between BC and PG is better value than the £100 difference between Britannia Balcony and BC.

 

I agree with your analysis.  You pay a big premium for BC over Brittania,  basically for the single seating restaurant and nothing else, same sized cabin as Brittania . With PG you get a larger cabin, an even more extensive menu and access to Grills Deck . 

 

If you look at Cunards premium offerings, BC seems the worst value,  whilst PG has been described as the value sweet spot .  Not to say that QG is not a very sweet spot but it's the space,  service and food sweet spot

Edited August 16, 2022 by Windsurfboy

[D&N]

@gfs1ram Did you get any benefit from priority boarding?

 

We had either not noticed it applied to Club or forgotten, but when joining a short queue that split to where a mass of folk were in snaking queues for Britannia on right, the notice stating Britannia Club (amongst others) priority to left was most welcome.

[richard_london]

The Britannia Club on the QV is beautiful.  As it was retrofitted in the 2017 refit it is a different style to the rest of the ship and compared to the QE.  I much prefer the QV's BC over the QE but that is down to personal taste. 

 

The first two photos (the decor is blacks/golds/mirrors) is the QV, the other two are the QE.

[gfs1ram]

7 hours ago, D&N said:

@gfs1ram Did you get any benefit from priority boarding?

 

We had either not noticed it applied to Club or forgotten, but when joining a short queue that split to where a mass of folk were in snaking queues for Britannia on right, the notice stating Britannia Club (amongst others) priority to left was most welcome.

Hi. We were delayed by accidents on the M40 and A34 so when we arrived about 2.30 we walked straight on as priority but as Diamond members I must admit I did not notice any sign regarding Britannia Club priority.

[Cjohns16]

We are now using Cunard for our world  cruises  which we define ad 100+ days. Having done a few shorter 35 days in Britannia club and now in the Britannia club on Queen  Mary 2, world cruise,  we are going to down grade to open dining on Queen  Anne for our 2025 and 2026  world cruises in Britannia.  Yes I will miss cabin 13030 on qm2, it had a private helicopter  pad which is not used by many passengers at 8.00 in the mornings. 

The cabins as far as I can seen are virtually identical,  the only different seems to be that I  will need to collect  fresh water ourselves, instead of our Steward delivering them.

[mahasamatman]

26 minutes ago, Cjohns16 said:

I will need to collect fresh water ourselves, instead of our Steward delivering them.

 

Bottled water is not really fresh water (and is also wasteful). Fresh water is delivered every day to your washroom sink.

[Cjohns16]

Based on my understanding of water purification on cruise ships I strongly  recommend  not drinking tap water.

[Victoria2]

5 hours ago, Cjohns16 said:

Based on my understanding of water purification on cruise ships I strongly  recommend  not drinking tap water.

We have been drinking ships' tap water for well over three decades.

 

We have yet to turn green or grow an extra head.

[LadyL1]

7 hours ago, Cjohns16 said:

Based on my understanding of water purification on cruise ships I strongly  recommend  not drinking tap water.

From FAQs

The tap water on our ships is drinkable. However, should you prefer we also offer a variety of bottled water for purchase on board.

 

[Smokeyham]

I know this thread is a bitt old, but the question still seems relevant.  We recently completed a Southampton to New York crossing on QM2 in Britannia Club and really enjoyed the experience and feel it was worth the extra cost.

 

Here are the upgrades that made this worthwhile to us.  Of course, we paid extra and these items might not be of value to everyone.

 

Priority embarkation in Southampton.  There was a long line to board and the sign on the priority embarkation line only mentioned the Grills passengers, but our boarding cards said "Priority" so we were allowed to bypass the line and use priority boarding.

Assigned Table.  We were able to get a table for two that was assigned to us for the crossing and there was often a line to get into Britannia restaurant, which it was nice to avoid.  Most tables in Britannia seemed to be hold more than two people so if having a table for two is important you might consider this.

 

We enjoyed the flambe dishes which (I don't believe) were available in regular Britannia.

Cabin - We were assigned a high level, midships, cabin (Deck 12) cabin which was quiet and comfortable.  Bottled waters (glass, not plastic) were provided and replenished at no cost.  The cabin layout was the same as regular Britannia cabins.  

Disembarkation - Although we were supposed to get priority disembarkation this did not happen.  If you are in Britannia Club then it is worth asking at the Purser's Desk the night before about this.

Hope this helps if you are considering Britannia Club.

 

[BklynBoy8]

On 6/8/2024 at 2:38 PM, Smokeyham said:

I know this thread is a bitt old, but the question still seems relevant.  We recently completed a Southampton to New York crossing on QM2 in Britannia Club and really enjoyed the experience and feel it was worth the extra cost.

 

Here are the upgrades that made this worthwhile to us.  Of course, we paid extra and these items might not be of value to everyone.

 

Priority embarkation in Southampton.  There was a long line to board and the sign on the priority embarkation line only mentioned the Grills passengers, but our boarding cards said "Priority" so we were allowed to bypass the line and use priority boarding.

Assigned Table.  We were able to get a table for two that was assigned to us for the crossing and there was often a line to get into Britannia restaurant, which it was nice to avoid.  Most tables in Britannia seemed to be hold more than two people so if having a table for two is important you might consider this.

 

We enjoyed the flambe dishes which (I don't believe) were available in regular Britannia.

Cabin - We were assigned a high level, midships, cabin (Deck 12) cabin which was quiet and comfortable.  Bottled waters (glass, not plastic) were provided and replenished at no cost.  The cabin layout was the same as regular Britannia cabins.  

Disembarkation - Although we were supposed to get priority disembarkation this did not happen.  If you are in Britannia Club then it is worth asking at the Purser's Desk the night before about this.

Hope this helps if you are considering Britannia Club.

 

Smokeyham,

Sounds like the typical perks attached to the bookings of Britannia Club Cabins.

 

We never paid any extra money except the fare that the sailing stated. We also never participated in these recent so called bids talked about in the forums. Not sure if you are talking about that.

 

All you stated we have experienced over the dozen times we were in the Britannia Club.

 

Priority Board Line is located in each of the embarking terminals. It is same line used for the Platinum, Diamond and Grill Passengers.

 

Assigned Table is one of the perks we know many appreciate instead of the various times Britannia Dining Room offers.

 

The Flambe Desserts are offered for personal preparation at the passengers table. Those offered in Britannia are made by the M'd to be distributed to multiple tables in quantity.

 

We always were offered Priority Disembarkation on the last day and were assigned a certain time and location we were  directed to. 

 

So we always experienced all the perks contained in the BC Class. 

 

 

[Cruisin'allovertheworld]

On 2/24/2024 at 3:44 PM, Victoria2 said:

We have been drinking ships' tap water for well over three decades.

 

We have yet to turn green or grow an extra head.

And yet every time I have drunk the tap water from any cruise line (Cunard, Royal Caribbean, Holland America) in any location (Asia, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada) I have found myself (and my digestive system) could not handle it correctly.

All water is not the same. If it isn't my daily water (from the tap in Perth, Australia) I need to buy bottled water or double boil it and let it cool- even for a trip within 4-5hs of my house.

Having said that at the ripe old age of 37 I find myself with a lot of unlikely (and unlikely-combined) health concerns- from birth I've been allergic to oranges and tomatoes (and sensitive to all nightshades) and it only got worse from there!

[exlondoner]

7 minutes ago, Cruisin'allovertheworld said:

And yet every time I have drunk the tap water from any cruise line (Cunard, Royal Caribbean, Holland America) in any location (Asia, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada) I have found myself (and my digestive system) could not handle it correctly.

All water is not the same. If it isn't my daily water (from the tap in Perth, Australia) I need to buy bottled water or double boil it and let it cool- even for a trip within 4-5hs of my house.

Having said that at the ripe old age of 37 I find myself with a lot of unlikely (and unlikely-combined) health concerns- from birth I've been allergic to oranges and tomatoes (and sensitive to all nightshades) and it only got worse from there!

How fortunate you are to live somewhere where the water is OK for you. Presumably bottled water is a problem too, as bottled waters also vary so much.

[Victoria2]

2 hours ago, Cruisin'allovertheworld said:

And yet every time I have drunk the tap water from any cruise line (Cunard, Royal Caribbean, Holland America) in any location (Asia, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada) I have found myself (and my digestive system) could not handle it correctly.

All water is not the same. If it isn't my daily water (from the tap in Perth, Australia) I need to buy bottled water or double boil it and let it cool- even for a trip within 4-5hs of my house.

Having said that at the ripe old age of 37 I find myself with a lot of unlikely (and unlikely-combined) health concerns- from birth I've been allergic to oranges and tomatoes (and sensitive to all nightshades) and it only got worse from there!

All water is most definitely not the same. My mother had a similar issue although she put up with any consequences when on holiday/away from home.

To slightly misuse a well known phrase, suck it and see but as to actually harmful to those with a less fragile digestion, onboard tap water is safe.

[WantedOnVoyage]

The best perk of Britannia Club, at least on QUEEN VICTORIA, is the beautifully decorated, high-ceiled restuarant which I think is, by far, the best looking room in the ship and so so much more attractive that the Princess or Queen's Grills. Even the public toilets in this area are so much nicer than elsewhere as it all dates from her big refit.  It's like being on a different ship in this little corner. 

[Cruisin'allovertheworld]

3 hours ago, exlondoner said:

How fortunate you are to live somewhere where the water is OK for you. Presumably bottled water is a problem too, as bottled waters also vary so much.

You've misunderstood.

I don't live somewhere the water is good for me- my system handles it because it is what my system is used to.

I can gradually adjust to different water (provided it is consistently the same different water) with little negative consequence if I do it over multiple stages over time (weeks, rather than days/hours).

Bottled water can be a problem for me too, yes- I have to check the label to check the source. 2 of the 4 types of bottled water don't help or prevent the situation.

 

Fortunately in these days of late-stage capitalism it is generally possible to be prepared.

Like I said- I navigate a lot of health issues.

[JimDee363636]

A quick Britannia Club question:

 

We'll be on QA in a Club cabin for the June 30-July 14 sailing. Can we expect the Club restaurant to be open for lunch on embarkation day?

 

Jim 

 

 

[BklynBoy8]

2 minutes ago, JimDee363636 said:

A quick Britannia Club question:

 

We'll be on QA in a Club cabin for the June 30-July 14 sailing. Can we expect the Club restaurant to be open for lunch on embarkation day?

 

Jim 

 

Jim,

Don't think any Britannia Club restaurants are open on any of the Cunard Ships.

 

We haven't gone since QM2 is closed.Golden Lion Pub is open for Lunch

 

All the Grills (PG & QG) are open for Lunch on Embark Day.

[exlondoner]

4 minutes ago, JimDee363636 said:

A quick Britannia Club question:

 

We'll be on QA in a Club cabin for the June 30-July 14 sailing. Can we expect the Club restaurant to be open for lunch on embarkation day?

 

Jim 

 

 

I doubt it. It was closed when we embarked on May10.

[Host Hattie]

4 minutes ago, JimDee363636 said:

A quick Britannia Club question:

 

We'll be on QA in a Club cabin for the June 30-July 14 sailing. Can we expect the Club restaurant to be open for lunch on embarkation day?

 

Jim 

 

 

No, usually only the Grills are open on embarkation day.