When booking a Cunard cruise, you’ve the choice of a regular Britannia stateroom or you can treat yourself to more sumptuous accommodations by upgrading to a suite in the Grills.
There are two broad categories – Queens Grill and Princess Grill – each offering fantastic features and a host of perks.
But which is better (you can probably guess from the name), and what do you get with each?
On my recent cruise on Queen Mary 2, I was given a peek into the Grill Suites and the exclusive areas for Grills guests. So let’s take a look.
Cunard Grill Suites Explained
Cunard calls its suite classes the Cunard Grills – a name that’s stuck since the early 1900s when Cunard offered grilled meats as a perk to first-class customers.
The Princess Grill Suites covers the entry-level suites – a significant upgrade over the Britannia staterooms, but not quite as luxurious as the Queens Grill, which houses the very best suites across the fleet.
List of Queens Grill and Princess Grill Suites
The Princess Grill Suites are simply named Princess Suites, and they can be found on all four ships in the Cunard fleet – Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Victoria and the new Queen Anne.
There are several types of Queens Grill suites, and not all are available fleet-wide. Here’s a breakdown of the different suite options across the fleet:
| Queens Grill Suite Type | Queen Mary 2 | Queen Elizabeth | Queen Victoria | Queen Anne |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Suite | No | YES | YES | YES |
| Master Suite | No | YES | YES | YES |
| Grand Duplex Suite | YES | No | No | No |
| Duplex Suite | YES | No | No | No |
| Royal Suite | YES | No | No | No |
| Penthouse Suite | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Queen Suite | YES | YES | YES | YES |
Cunard Grill Suite Sizes
One of the main differences between Princess Grill and Queens Grill suites are the sizes – choosing a Queens Grill class of suite means you’ll get much more space to relax and enjoy.
Here’s a comparison of the different suite sizes:
| Suite | Suite Size (square feet) | Balcony Size (square feet) |
|---|---|---|
| QG – Grand Suite | 1240 to 2130 | 205 to 970 |
| QG – Master Suite | 850 to 870 | 140 to 220 |
| QG – Grand Duplex Suite | 1600 | 645 |
| QG – Duplex Suite | 1345 | 220 |
| QG – Royal Suite | 800 | N/A |
| QG – Penthouse Suite | 370 to 680 | 135 to 175 |
| QG – Queen Suite | 350 to 770 | 125 to 350 |
| PG – Princess Suite | 245 to 420 | 50 to 100 |
| B – Britannia Club Balcony | 180 to 250 | 50 to 80 |
Princess Suites are always larger than a Britannia Club Balcony, though not by huge sums – the balconies can be similar sizes, and you may only get around 60 square feet of extra space in the room.
As you progress further up the tiers of Queens Grill suites, you’ll get much more space including suites with separate dining rooms and lounge spaces for hosting guests, expansive balconies and walk-in wardrobes.
Princess Grill Benefits
Guests staying in a Princess Grill suite get to enjoy a host of additional perks compared to guests staying in a Britannia Club Balcony stateroom or lower.
- A reserved table for you each night in the Princess Grill restaurant
- A bottle of sparkling wine and luxury chocolates to enjoy on arrival
- A pillow menu to help you get the best sleep
- Speciality tea- and coffee-making facilities in your room
- Complimentary bottled spring water in your suite, replenished throughout your cruise
- A selection of fresh fruits delivered each day
- Complimentary room service, 24 hours per day
- An enhanced Grills Afternoon Tea service, offered in the Grills Lounge
- The option to dine in your suite, ordering from the Princess Grill restaurant menu
- Access to the Grills Lounge and Grills Terrace
- Access to the Grills Courtyard on Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth
- A special Grills Concierge Service
- Priority embarkation and disembarkation
A few of these are worth explaining in more detail.
Princess Grill Restaurant
Cunard has distinctive restaurants for all its guests, so if you stay in a Princess Grill suite, you’ll dine at the Princess Grill restaurant.
You get your own table, reserved for the duration of the cruise, and you’ll enjoy lavish dining with improved options compared to the Britannia restaurant onboard.
Exclusive Grills Areas
Each ship has a Grills Lounge and Grills Terrace, only accessible to the guests in Grills Suites. The Grills Lounge is the perfect place to grab a drink in a quiet corner, or just read a book as your ship sails.
Meanwhile, the Grills Terrace is your outdoor sundeck, where you won’t ever have trouble finding a luxurious sun lounger.
Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth also have the Grills Courtyard, an alfresco dining terrace with beautiful decor including ornate lamposts.
Enhanced Afternoon Tea
Afternoon tea is a popular event on Cunard ships, but choosing a Princess Grills suite means you enjoy an even more refined service in the luxurious surrounds of the Grills Lounge.
Grills Concierge
Grills Suite guests have access to a special Concierge service that can help you onboard your ship, including making reservations at other speciality restaurants or booking your shore excursions on your behalf.
Queens Grill Benefits
If you stay in the Queens Grill suites with Cunard, you get all the benefits of the Princess Grill suites, but with some more luxurious touches to enhance your cruise further:
- A reserved table in the Queens Grill restaurant
- Fresh flowers in your suite
- A set of binoculars and a world atlas to use during your cruise
- A complimentary mini-bar in your suite, stocked with two bottles of wine or spirits of your choice and a range of soft drinks
- Pre-dinner canapes delivered to your suite each night
- A bottle of Champagne and a box of luxury chocolates on arrival
- The option to dine in your suite, ordering from the Queens Grill restaurant menu
- A dedicated butler and room steward
- Priority tender services (select suites only)
- An iPad to use during the cruise (select suites only)
The butler and room steward are dedicated to your suite, meaning they will do everything they can to make sure your accommodations are just to your liking during the day.
The butler can handle a range of tasks, including laundry services or shoe-shining. At night, they are available to help you host a party in your suite if you wish to, serving canapes and helping to serve drinks.
Is Upgrading to Queens Grill Worth It?
It’s not always clear whether it’s worth upgrading to the Queens Grill, or if a Princess Grill suite is sufficient if you want the Cunard suite experience.
It’s clear that staying in a Queens Grill suite gets you a lot more space in your suite, and a long list of additional benefits. But you need to consider how much you’d make use of those benefits – is a complimentary bar and a butler enough to make you want to pay for the upgrade?
The food options between the Princess Grills and Queens Grills restaurants aren’t very different either – you might get a couple of extra options at the Queens Grill but otherwise the menu is similar.
You might pay an additional 25% cruise fare just to move to a Queens Suite, while the very top suites are typically more than twice the price of a Princess Grills Suite.
So it will ultimately come down to personal preference. Many reviews on cruise forums say that Princess Grill Suites are more preferable because of the relaxed atmosphere of the restaurant, but if you like the idea of a butler or just want the most luxurious Cunard experience possible, then a Queens Grill Suite will likely be worth it to you.
Cunard Suite Deals
I recommend booking with luxury specialists Panache Cruises for the best service.
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