Exploring ashore as a family
Family cruising with Cunard
Family dining on a Cunard Queen
On a Cunard cruise, you’ll find a number of different dining options in addition to the main restaurant that’s paired with your accommodation type. From the wealth of choices at the buffet, to the classic pub fare at the Golden Lion, you’ll find plenty of dishes to suit all tastes – and ages.
3 min
15 Jul 2024
Main dining rooms
There are four main restaurants on board, each designated to a different type of accommodation. These are the Britannia, Britannia Club, Princess Grill, and Queens Grill restaurants. In each of these you’ll find a main menu that changes daily, which children can order from, and a menu specifically designed for younger guests. This features dishes like spaghetti bolognaise, pizzas, and sausages and mashed potato. If they like, children can pick and choose dishes from both menus. So, if a smoked salmon starter appeals, but so does a hot dog and chips for a main course, then that's absolutely fine.
Your White Star-trained staff will make sure all the little details are taken care of, from bringing a cushion to lift your child to the height of the table, to sourcing high chairs and children’s cutlery if needs be.
If you are travelling in a Britannia Inside, Oceanview or Balcony stateroom, your main dining room will be the Britannia Restaurant, and you will be able to choose your dining time in My Cunard before you sail. The choices are:
- Early sitting (usually 5.30pm or 6.00pm). You will have the same table reserved throughout your voyage.
- Late sitting (usually 8.30pm). You will have the same table reserved throughout your voyage.
- Open dining (any time between 6.00pm and 9.00pm). You will need to book a table each night on board.
If you are travelling in Britannia Club, Princess Grill or Queens Grill, your table will be reserved for you every night. You may dine any time between 6.00pm and 9.00pm. There is no need to book.
Buffet restaurants
Each Cunard Queen has a buffet-style restaurant on board, which can be popular among families whose members have varying tastes. On Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth, it’s The Lido, on Queen Mary 2 it’s Kings Court, and on Queen Anne it’s Artisans’ Foodhall.
Each of these brings the chance to explore something new, without committing to a plateful. Maybe your son or daughter likes the look of sushi, but you’ve never been brave enough to order it for them in the past. Or perhaps you’d like them to broaden their preferences when it comes to vegetables. Dining at the buffet means they can plate up as much or as little as they like of each different food – or you can on their behalf. It also means you don’t need to compromise on your own dining experience, as there’s plenty to choose from that’ll appeal to a more mature palette too.
Alternative dining venues
Other dining options on board include the Golden Lion Pub, where you’ll find a lunchtime menu of popular pub fare including things like toasties, fish and chips, pies, and Ploughman’s. Each ship also has a pool grill, where unfussy food like burgers, hot dogs and nachos are served during the day. Most food in these venues is included in your fare.
For a special occasion on board, Steakhouse at The Verandah is perfect. Here the menu is dominated by steak and seafood along with smaller plate starters.
For something a little different, why not choose Dinner at the Lido, or Kings Court on Queen Mary 2? Each evening, an area of the buffet becomes a fine dining venue serving delicious cuisine from around the globe. This will change during your voyage and could feature Asian, Indian, Italian, Mediterranean, Scandinavian or even Alaskan specialities, depending on where in the world you are sailing.
On Queen Anne there are four dedicated alternative dining venues. Aji Wa offers exquisite Japanese cuisine, Aranya is Indian-inspired, Tramonto is Mediterranean, and Sir Samuel's offers superb steak, fish and seafood.
All alternative dining venues incur an additional charge aside from certain items on the Golden Lion Pub food menu, which are included in your fare.
Room service
On each Cunard Queen, a generous room service menu is available round-the-clock. What’s more, most of it is included in your cruise fare. When it comes to keeping the little ones happy, this can be really useful – especially if you’ll be sailing in different time zones. If jet lag kicks in, and your children are hungry at the ‘wrong time’, simply pick up the phone in your suite or stateroom and you can have something delivered before you know it. Whether it’s a full meal, or maybe just a portion of chips to tide them over, knowing you have room service available at the tap of a button can be a real saving grace.
Afternoon Tea
Afternoon Tea on a Cunard Queen is served every day in the Queens Room (occasionally in the Britannia Restaurant), and children are welcome to join. Find your seats and watch as a procession of white-gloved waiters descend onto the ballroom floor, before serving tea, finger sandwiches, cakes, and freshly baked, buttery scones.
This quintessentially British event is a highlight for many guests, and is a lovely, elegant affair to look forward to with children. A more relaxed Afternoon Tea is also served in the buffet on all ships.
When you sail as a family with Cunard, you’ll always be able to choose from a broad range of dishes, whether at your main restaurant, the buffet, room service, or in an alternative dining venue. This means no appetite will go unsatisfied, and no member of the family will have to compromise.
