In the rarefied world of luxury cruising, few experiences carry the gravitas of Cunard’s Grills. These exclusive sanctuaries, reserved for the line’s top-tier suite guests, represent more than just fine dining at sea – they embody over a century of maritime tradition, elevating ocean travel from mere transportation to an art form.
Yet in today’s increasingly competitive luxury cruise market, where ultra-premium lines like Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Crystal, Silversea, and newcomer Explora Journeys offer comprehensive all-inclusive experiences, one must ask: do Cunard’s Grills still represent the pinnacle of value in luxury cruising?
A tradition born from gilded age innovation
Understanding the Grills requires delving into their storied past. The concept traces its roots to 1901, inspired by the Deutschland’s exclusive Grill restaurant, which served premium grilled steaks for an additional fee. Cunard adapted this idea in 1914 aboard the Aquitania, creating an intimate first-class dining venue that was more exclusive than the grand main dining room – but crucially, at no extra charge.
The true genesis of the modern Grills experience came in 1936 with the Queen Mary’s legendary Verandah Grill. This 80-seat restaurant featured panoramic stern windows, theatrical murals by artist Doris Zinkeisen, and a circular dance floor that transformed the space into the glamorous Starlight Club after dinner. It became the place to see and be seen, with celebrities booking tables months in advance despite the additional dining tariff.
Today’s Grills restaurants – the Princess Grill and Queens Grill – carry forward this legacy of exclusivity and refinement, serving guests who stay in the corresponding suite categories across Cunard’s fleet of four Queens.
Two tiers of excellence: Princess vs Queens Grill
Cunard’s Grills operate on a two-tiered system that determines both your accommodation and dining venue.
Princess Grill represents the entry point into Cunard’s first-class experience. Guests staying in Princess Grill suites – spacious accommodations ranging from 302 to 513 square feet with private balconies – dine exclusively in the Princess Grill restaurant. The experience includes a reserved table for the duration of your voyage, with service available whenever you choose between breakfast at 7:30 AM and dinner’s close at 9:00 PM.
The Princess Grill restaurant exudes understated elegance, with its intimate atmosphere reminiscent of a refined private club. The menu showcases imaginative cooking with classical taste pairings, creatively reimagined. Guests enjoy à la carte dining with tableside service that brings theatre to each meal – think sole meunière prepared beside your table or duck à l’orange carved with ceremonial flourish.
Queens Grill elevates the experience further, serving guests who stay in the largest and most luxurious suites aboard each ship. These accommodations range from the 506-square-foot Queens Suite to the magnificent 2,249-square-foot Grand Duplex suites on Queen Mary 2, which feature two levels, private dining areas for eight guests, and their own fitness equipment.
The Queens Grill restaurant offers the pinnacle of Cunard’s culinary program. With a wine list that reads like a sommelier’s dream and a menu that can accommodate virtually any request – guests have been known to enjoy lobster thermidor daily or châteaubriand for breakfast – the Queens Grill represents uncompromising luxury dining.
The sanctuary within: exclusive spaces and their boundaries
Central to the Grills experience are the ship’s most coveted spaces – areas that create a literal ship-within-a-ship for premium guests. The Grills Lounge serves as the social heart of this exclusive world, an elegant retreat where afternoon tea is served on fine china and conversations unfold over premium spirits. Adjacent outdoor spaces – the Grills Terrace on all ships, plus the special Grills Courtyard on Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth – provide serene al fresco environments away from the crowds.
These spaces represent more than mere amenities; they’re sanctuaries where the Grills experience achieves its full expression. Here, staff know guests by name, preferences are remembered without asking, and the pace remains unhurried and refined. The exclusivity is tangible – Britannia guests simply cannot access these areas, creating an invisible but impermeable boundary that defines the Grills hierarchy.
Yet this exclusivity creates an interesting paradox that seasoned Cunard passengers understand well: the magic tends to dissipate the moment you leave these rarefied spaces. Step outside the Grills Lounge onto the main decks, and you’re immediately reminded that you’re sharing the ship with 2,000 other passengers. The bespoke attention vanishes, replaced by the realities of mass-market cruising – queues at the buffet, crowded pool areas, and staff who no longer know your face among the multitude.
This jarring transition represents perhaps the most significant criticism of the Grills experience. Unlike ultra-luxury lines where the entire ship maintains consistent service standards, Cunard’s class system creates stark divisions. The elegant dining and attentive service you enjoy in your private restaurant doesn’t extend to the ship’s other venues, where you’ll find yourself competing for attention alongside every other passenger.
What the Grills experience includes (and notably excludes)
The Grills experience encompasses far more than exceptional dining. Princess Grill guests receive:
- Spacious suites with private balconies
- Reserved table in the Princess Grill restaurant for all meals
- Exclusive access to the Grills Lounge and Terrace
- Priority embarkation and disembarkation
- Concierge service for reservations and shore excursions
- In-suite dining from the Princess Grill menu
- Welcome champagne and luxury amenities
- Suite steward service with twice-daily turndown
Queens Grill guests enjoy all Princess Grill amenities plus:
- Personal butler service
- Complimentary in-suite bar with choice of spirits
- Daily pre-dinner canapés and fresh fruit
- Priority tender service in ports
- Access to the most prestigious suite locations
- Enhanced bathroom amenities from Penhaligon’s
However, what’s notably absent – and sets Cunard apart from its ultra-luxury competitors – is comprehensive beverage inclusion. Beyond the welcome champagne and Queens Grill’s in-suite bar, alcoholic beverages, specialty coffees, and even basic gratuities are additional charges. This represents a significant philosophical departure from the all-inclusive model embraced by most luxury cruise lines today.
The competition: how Grills compares with ultra-luxury alternatives
To properly evaluate the Grills’ value proposition, one must examine the competitive landscape of luxury cruising.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises has positioned itself as “The Most Inclusive Luxury Experience,” with fares that include unlimited premium beverages, gratuities, shore excursions, Wi-Fi, and even round-trip airfare and transfers in their Ultimate All-Inclusive fare. Their all-suite, all-balcony ships accommodate 490 to 746 guests with nearly one-to-one crew ratios. Dining venues include specialty restaurants like the Prime 7 steakhouse and Chartreuse for French cuisine, all included without additional fees.
Crystal Cruises offers what many consider the finest dining at sea, including the only Nobu restaurant on any cruise line. Their all-inclusive experience encompasses premium beverages, gratuities, Wi-Fi, and one complimentary reservation per specialty restaurant (additional reservations incur a modest USD50 fee). With guest-to-crew ratios approaching 1:1 and personal butler service for every stateroom, Crystal provides luxury comparable to the world’s finest hotels.
Silversea takes the all-inclusive concept even further, including door-to-door transfers, shore excursions, premium beverages, 24-hour gourmet dining, and butler service for every suite. Their ships, ranging from 251 to 728 guests, access remote ports unavailable to larger vessels. The dining program features destination-focused cuisine through their S.A.L.T. (Sea and Land Taste) program.
Seabourn operates intimate yacht-like ships accommodating just 264-600 guests, creating an atmosphere that rivals private yacht ownership. Their comprehensive all-inclusive experience encompasses premium beverages, open-seating dining at all venues, complimentary (expedition) shore excursions, and personal suite attendants for every accommodation. Seabourn pioneered open-seating dining in luxury cruising, allowing guests to dine whenever, wherever, and with whomever they choose. Their signature experiences, like the famous “Caviar in the Surf” beach barbecue, exemplify the line’s commitment to creating unique, inclusive luxury moments that would be impossible on larger ships.
Explora Journeys, the newest entrant in ultra-luxury cruising, positions itself as a “floating luxury resort.” Their all-inclusive experience includes premium beverages, Wi-Fi, gratuities, and dining at nine different venues. With suites starting at 377 square feet – larger than most luxury cruise accommodations – and featuring walk-in closets and marble bathrooms, Explora targets affluent cruisers who typically prefer luxury resorts to traditional cruising.
The value equation: tradition vs inclusion
When comparing costs, the Grills’ value proposition becomes complex. A seven-night transatlantic crossing in a Princess Grill suite might cost USD3,550 per person, while Queens Grill starts around USD4,475. Top-tier Grand Duplex suites command upwards of USD12,000 per person – prices that put them squarely in competition with ultra-luxury lines.
However, these base fares represent only the beginning of the financial equation. Grills guests pay extra for:
- All alcoholic beverages (except welcome champagne and Queens Grill in-suite bar)
- Specialty dining at venues like The Verandah steakhouse
- Gratuities (USD19 per person per day for Grills guests as of 2025)
- Shore excursions
- Wi-Fi
- Spa treatments
When these additional costs are calculated – easily adding USD125-250 per person per day – the total investment can exceed the fully inclusive fares offered by competitors.
Yet supporters of the Grills experience argue that direct price comparisons miss the point. Cunard offers something increasingly rare: authentic ocean-going tradition aboard purpose-built ocean liners rather than resort-style cruise ships. The Queens Grill restaurant’s wine list rivals the world’s finest establishments, while the tailored service allows for off-menu requests that would challenge even Michelin-starred restaurants.
However, this argument becomes more complex when considering the experience beyond the exclusive Grills enclaves. The inconsistency between the refined world of the Grills spaces and the general ship areas represents a fundamental challenge to Cunard’s value proposition. While competitors like Regent or Silversea maintain their luxury standards throughout the entire vessel, Grills guests experience a form of luxury whiplash – impeccable service in their private domains, followed by the reality of sharing elevators, theatres, and pool areas with the broader passenger complement.
The verdict: luxury with caveats
The Cunard Grills represent a fascinating paradox in modern luxury cruising. They offer genuinely exceptional dining, spacious accommodations, and service standards that respect maritime tradition. The Queens Grill restaurant, in particular, provides a culinary experience that arguably surpasses any other dining venue at sea.
However, the value proposition becomes questionable when additional costs are factored into the equation. Guests seeking true luxury must budget significantly beyond the advertised fare, potentially reaching total costs that exceed fully inclusive alternatives offering comparable – and in some cases superior – amenities.
The Grills experience is best suited for cruisers who place a priority on maritime heritage over comprehensive inclusion, who appreciate the subtle distinctions of traditional ocean liner travel, and who don’t mind à la carte pricing for premium experiences. For those seeking worry-free luxury where every detail is anticipated and included, competitors like Regent Seven Seas, Seabourn, Crystal, or Explora Journeys may provide superior value.
Ultimately, choosing the Grills isn’t purely about luxury accommodation or fine dining – it’s about purchasing passage aboard floating pieces of history, where ghosts of the golden age of ocean travel still whisper in the corridors. Whether that intangible heritage justifies the premium – and the additional à la carte charges – depends entirely on how much you value celebrating the legend that is Cunard’s past.
In the rapidly evolving world of luxury cruising, Cunard’s Grills remain magnificent anachronisms – beautiful, exclusive, and undeniably expensive reminders of how the other half once sailed. They represent the last word in traditional sea-going luxury, even if they’re no longer necessarily the best value in luxury cruising overall.
About the Author: Jason Kerr
