Britannia table on QM2

[Norfolk Brit]

We have requested a table for 8 in Britannia. Do any of you helpful experienced people know if the 'better' tables are allocated by cabin type (for example, are the A category cabins likely to get a better table)?

 

Just curious.

[phileas]

We have requested a table for 8 in Britannia. Do any of you helpful experienced people know if the 'better' tables are allocated by cabin type (for example, are the A category cabins likely to get a better table)?

 

Just curious.

 

As everyone will have a different opinion as to where a "better" table is positioned, the simple answer is no. If you have a special table position in mind, it is best to try to arrange something through your TA. This can be done, although many deny it!

 

Phileas

Who doesn't worry too much where the table is, as long as the food and comany are great!;)

[mufi]

It's a good idea to go to the Britannia as soon as you board (check what time the M D will be there) You can then confirm where the allocated table is, have a look at it and possibly get it changed if you wish. We have always found them to be helpful.

 

David.

[crispycritter]

I would call Cunard and your agent to verify the arrangements. Even with a verbal agreement, I would still check when I board the ship.

 

Go right away after boarding the ship.

 

Our travel agent had requested that our large group spread amongst 3 tables be "linked" - that is next to eachother but that did not happen. Two tables were upstairs- each on a different tier and our table was downstairs. We did not find this out until dinner seating time. We asked for a switch but with it being seating time and the ship sold out it was impossible to do. Had we discovered it first thing, there would have been a better possibility of a change.

 

The larger tables (8-10) were in the middle of the room and smaller tables (2-6)were nicely arranged with more privacy and some with window views.

[LM1]

TA's can't help with table arrangements once you are onboard. It's up to the M. D. once on board and he/she will get you whatever you want for the right price/smile etc.

[bobby1119]

We had a great table for 8 on Queen Mary 2 last spring on a NY-Caribbean roundtrip. We had an in-hull/in-hell cabin which did not seem to be a factor in getting the table. When I checked out the original table assigned, which was really fine, I asked the maitre d' for something better. (His first name was Generoso and he was a transfer from Princess). As I am very charming and do not practice the "in your face" attitude, he told me to pick out whatever I liked. And I did without having to grease his palm. On a previous voyage, I had a wonderful deuce on the first level in the open pit area - magnificent. If only the food and service could match.

 

moral: be nice to the maitre d'... get there early and be gracious. And do try Todd English, at least for lunch, as well as Fish & Chips in the Golden Lion - alot of fun.

 

Good Luck & Enjoy.

[Norfolk Brit]

My thanks to you all for quick helpful replies. My experience of Cunard's call centre has been less than impressive so far (they seem to guess answers to simple questions rather than check), so I'm afraid I may have some more daft questions. My best experience was when I rang to make the initial enquiry and wanted to check which A2 cabins portside forward were available (pretty precise requirements, I would have thought); the young lady very reluctantly said she could just give me 2 cabin numbers. When I asked if they were rationed, she agreed. I know when I'm beaten, so rang back later and was given a selection of about eight cabins by a very much more helpful operative.

 

Oh dear.....

[bobby1119]

Cunard reservations are handled by Princess staff who do not know the ships. In fact, none of the phone res agents "know" the ships. I am fortunate in that my agent in NYC worked 17 years for Cunard NY when Cunard was really Cunard. She knows the ships intimately, particularly QE2, right down to cabin locations, cabin configs, where dining room tables are located, and, most importantly, all the senior officers. She always emails them with specific requests for her passengers whose requests are always honored. If you can find someone who "knows" the ships, then you'll get a straight answer. The telephone res agents know nothing. I enquired 2 months ago about the specific cabin I reserved for the world cruise. I knew from the ship's original deck plans what the cabin config was. When I asked her, she gave a standard answer... one porthole, one bed, closet, bathroom, etc. According to the plans, I knew the cabin had 2 portholes, bed & sofa bed, and 2 large closets. When I was on QE2 with my agent to visit the ship on the day the world cruise left NY, we had a look at the cabin and it was exactly as it appeared in my plans and not as the res agent described it. Agent was clearly reading a generic statement about the cabin grade to which this cabin belonged. I feel Cunard has been degraded even further by Princess. You are on the right track... make several calls and put all the info from the calls together... you'll have a more comprehensive answer to your question that way.

 

Good luck & enjoy the ship!

[travel-to-go]

Agent was clearly reading a generic statement about the cabin grade to which this cabin belonged.

/quote]

 

One thing I really always hated, when you go to the photos available on web sites, or even the books. If someone has an oddly configured cabin,. such as the far forward ones where you are in the curve of the bow, or practically anything on the QEII <G> all you get are those generic pics. And there are twenty pics of the Queens Grill salons , which few will actually book, but 1 or 2 at most of lower grade cabins. While I realize most ships today try to make all cabins as alike as pssible (too bad for the exciting indivuality) it would be nice (and a service to their customers) to see what the view is like from an in-hull balcony or a balcony in front of a lifeboat. Would'nt you rather let people see in advance than to get them on board under false pretenses, sort of, and have a very disgruntled passenger? And while it's not a good advertising ploy to show your worst cabins, it is possible that someone seeing an honest view of an in-hull or obstructed view might decide to upgrade on that basis! Others may find it perfectly acceptible.

 

Karie, Who is grateful to those on this board who showed personal pics of what her cabin would look like (and made a personal visit to peek! thank you) on an earllier cruise.

[Norfolk Brit]

<quote>If someone has an oddly configured cabin,. such as the far forward ones where you are in the curve of the bow<quote>

 

Morning, Karie

 

Excuse my complete ignorance, but in what way is a cabin 'oddly configured' in the bow? Does this apply to the QM2 (I am in a forward cabin, deck 11). Thought I had done all my homework, but this is a new and interesting development.

 

V. much enjoy your posts, incidentally, and much of what I know now has been learned from them.

 

Regards,

Mary

[2moose]

<quote>If someone has an oddly configured cabin,. such as the far forward ones where you are in the curve of the bow<quote>

 

Morning, Karie

 

Excuse my complete ignorance, but in what way is a cabin 'oddly configured' in the bow? Does this apply to the QM2 (I am in a forward cabin, deck 11). Thought I had done all my homework, but this is a new and interesting development.

 

V. much enjoy your posts, incidentally, and much of what I know now has been learned from them.

 

Regards,

Mary

on the lower levels( only )as you walk to the bow the floor area of the hall way will rise and in some of the lower level rooms(bow) on the qe2 the walls have angles as well. these rooms are used mostly by some quasi crew members i.e dance hosts and art dealers , photogs etc

[travel-to-go]

in what way is a cabin 'oddly configured' in the bow?

Regards,

Mary

 

Mary,

You wouldn't necessarily know this unless you had sailed in one, as I have.

As you go farther forward,, of course, the hull curves inward to come to a point. Depending on the ship, and the deck, and how far forward the passenger cabins go, in order to get full use of the space, a cabin may be wider from side to side to make up for the fact it is not as long (with length being the distance from the hallway to the hull or window or balcony, at least to my way of thinking) So sometimes, a far forward cabin will actually be roomier due to its "odd" configuration. My very first cruise was in such a cabin. It was on two deck forward on the Crown Jewel, a small (approx 800 passenger) ship Cunard ran in conjunction with Commodore Cruises back in the early to mid 90's. Our room was wider, and we had two portholes (as compared to either 1 on lower decks, or on higher decks a full size window) Because the porthole was set into the hull, (the thickness of the hull down low, nearer to the waterline.) It kind of created a shelf from the inside of the porthole to the outside of the hull, which is thicker towards the bow (I believe.) So it gave us more storage space- like a bookshelf sort of. (Or where I could put the Crown Jewel Teddy Bear my sweetie bought me!) I loved sitting up in bed at night(well, kneeling actually), looking out the porthole at the water going by- It was sort of an irridescent green with the foam (the breaking water being pushed away from the bow of the ship) and the ship's lights which shine down onto the water's surface. It was very romantic and special for our very first cruise!

 

On 11 deck, it is not an issue. but if you look at the ship's layout on 4, 5 and 6 decks, you will see that the first couple of cabins are stepped in as you go forward. In fact, if you look at the balcony cabins all the way forward on 6 deck, they are almost square. These are wheelchair accessible cabins, so it is imprtant to have that extra width. It looks to me that they have made good use of that principal in order to give wheelchair passengers room to maneuver.

 

 

Karie,

who is waxing nostalgic about her first cruise way back when. And one should always keep thier nostalgia well waxed to protect if from dust over the years.

[Norfolk Brit]

Many thanks for two helpful replies; as you need a Hubble telescope to see the deck plans, and I'm still saving up, they are a bit of a mystery to my gently maturing eyesight.

 

Regards,

Mary