Columbia Restaurant

[Rob Lightbody]

The entrance to the Columbia Restaurant.  This area, in my view, should have been left alone in the refits!


114-19w by Captain Martini, on Flickr


221-01w by Captain Martini, on Flickr

[Rob Lightbody]

The restaurant itself


114-12w by Captain Martini, on Flickr


221-27w by Captain Martini, on Flickr

[Louis De Sousa]

The entrance to the Columbia Restaurant.  This area, in my view, should have been left alone in the refits!

I agree with you fully, sure the ship needed a lift up in 1994 but some original stuffed should have lived on.Those 2 photos from D Stairway entrance to the Restaurant is the before and after 1987 refit

[Louis De Sousa]

The first picture is the after Falkland refit look and the second the after 1987 refit look.Correct?

Notice on both looks you can see the famous Boston Cup

[Twynkle]

The entrance to the Columbia Restaurant.  This area, in my view, should have been left alone in the refits!

Yes, Rob.
This has got to be one of the greatest entrance spaces at sea...uncluttered and stylish.
Surely, unforgettable for anyone who has seen it as it was!
Did it need to be changed?

[ship pro]

The original design does not look 40 years old as does the queens room.

[Twynkle]

The original design does not look 40 years old as does the queens room.

It wouldn't be surprising to find it somewhere else, and described as New for the 21st Century, would it?!

[Lynda Bradford]

The photos of the Colombia restaurant in #1 give us a wonderful insight into what the restaurant looked like in earlier years.

[Adam Hodson]

I always liked the Columbia restaurant as well as D stairway outside it.


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[cunardqueen]

It was also home (for a period) to the Midnight buffet..waterfalls and all 

[Adam Hodson]

It was also home (for a period) to the Midnight buffet..waterfalls and all 

Yes I thought so. This was then moved to the Lido if I am correct.

[Cunarder Man]

My first experience of the Columbia Restaurant was at 3am when we boarded QE2 in December 1983. The ship had been delayed by its refit in Bremerhaven and she docked soon after midnight. Cunard had sent all the passengers in buses to hotels in and around Southampton for dinner and returned us all as the ship docked.
There was a welcoming buffet and as I recall, the statues which now adorn the Princess Grill were positioned at the top tables. Orange tablecloths, leather lined wall panels and those wonderful table lights lit from below.

In 1984 we dined in the Columbia Restaurant and were fortunate to be served by a true Cunarder who had served on Queen Mary. Old Bill, as he affectionately was named, looked after us like Royalty. Our son, aged 3 months, slept in his travel cot below the window whist we savoured the gastronomic delights.

We were lucky to dine in the Columbia Restaurant on a few more occasions over the years until she was renamed, Mauretania and then Caronia. I also recall midnight buffets in this restaurant in 1993 whilst on a cruise to the Fjords. I always enjoyed dining in this restaurant, and was very pleased to lunch there on a few occasions on the Panama Canal sector of the World Cruise in 2005 when they used it for open seating at lunchtime for both Mauretania and Caronia passengers.

[June Ingram]

Thank you very much for these wonderful remembrances !

[cunardqueen]

During the infamous crossing in 1987 a lot of passengers from the Mauretania were invited to dine for the homeward crossing in The Columbia, at the time the explanation made perfect sense. I was on a table to the left of the stairs with 3 others passengers who had sailed out on the 29th April.All remained great friends for many years afterwards. It was a good table, with two waiting staff who were quite new but eager to please.

There was always the thrill of D stairway and the dark carpets and entering the Columbia, being greeted and shown to your seat, knowing that you hadnt paid for it.
 
But in spite of it all, the open seating didnt (and still ) doesnt appeal to me (or the other guests on the table) There was always a lot to be said for the fixed times of Second seating. You knew where you were and when you were expected.

In later years it was quite nice to be able to dine there for a change on the inport days when they had open seating, and what always surprised me was how the "chilled soup" was presented in the Mauretania,Caronia and Britannia for lunch.Each had their own flair for presentation.
 

[cunardqueen]

Anybody else have Memories from the Columbia...