Cunard always points out the "traditional way of cruising". Reserved tables, same dining partners every evening in the Britannia Restaurant. So, as usual, we found our reservation card in the stateroom (Deck 8, balcony) and appeared at the restaurant on time, second seating. A waiter guided us towards our table, suitable for 10 guests - but: there was only ONE seat available! He seemed to be confused, we were, too. It was my mother's 78th birthday on May 11th, 2015, and we were waiting there for approximately 15 uncomfortable minutes until the waiter came back and offered us two seats at a 6-persons-table right next to the other, and very close to the rear window, too. We gladly accepted and joined the outher couple. So finally we were 4 guests at a 6-person-table and had a lot of fun. So far, nobody ever did congratulate my mother, not during check-in and even not later. Only the travel agency had places a greeting card and s nice package of sweets in our stateroom as a little surprise.

The next evening another couple joined us (what we found pretty surprising, because as far as I knew Cunard, there should not be anything like table-hopping....???). Anyway, the new company turned out to be very funny and entertaining, too and we honestly enjoyed the company. Our table of 6 was now complete. We were talking about Norway and Oslo in particular, and since I've travelled Norway many times before, I told some interesting details about the food. The others were highly interested and asked me to buy some items for them. No problem, I intended to hit the local supermarkets anyway.

The next evening my mother and I were dining at the Tood English restaurant. According to our prior experience on QM2, you'll always keep your table. As we returned to Britannia Restaurant the last night, our "new" 6-persons-table was completely occupied. Cunard had places the lecturer and his wife at our table! The lecturer was the director of the Hamburg planetarium and had held 2 lectures about the sun and the moon and some astronomical observations in the illiminations theatre. We were shocked and called for the Maitre d' who started to search around and finally offered us an empty 8-persons-table in the middle of the restaurant. I handed over the norwegian cheese and blueberry jam to our former dining partners and then we shoveled our food with only little fun, left the restaurant soon. Sorry, this should not happen! Never ever on a Cunard liner with this kind of self-commitment to traditional ocean travel values. We even had experienced two major mistakes at the Britannia restaurants. We gladly could forgive one, but sorry - not the second. Read more