I had such a lovely weekend as it was my dear old mothers 50^thBirthday.  I decided I wanted to do something really nice just the two of us and after researching and asking friends it was suggested that Afternoon tea at the Hotel Du Vin in Birmingham was defiantly worth a try.  I brought my mom a traditional cake stand with a little message explaining our afternoon and wrapped it up for her. She was over the moon and very excited for our little date on Saturday afternoon.  Well we were not disappointed. On arrival we were directed to the Bistro where we were shown to a lovely little table in the corner.  The room was elegantly decorated and we were very pleased with it all.  We were shown a tea menu and offered a range of different teas (no PG or Tetley’s on offer) so I opted for the orange and Lemon Tea.  As it was my mom’s birthday I had booked the Bubbly afternoon tea which also came with a glass of champagne so this was a nice little treat for us on arrival. After we had settled in the Tea and little stand with all the little delicate delights were brought out to us and are wish list of cucumber , egg,  salmon and cream cheese were present along with homemade scones , clotted cream and Jam to top the whole thing off.  It was such a lovely thing to do and my mom and I spent a lovely afternoon nibbling and chatting and celebrating in style.  We were very impressed as we ordered another glass of champagne (it would be rude not to) and the waiter brought it over with compliments of the house to wish my mom a happy Birthday – fantastic service and finished the tea of beautifully.

This isn’t the first Afternoon Tea that I have had as I was very lucky to experience afternoon tea on board the Crystal Serenity last year.  This was amazing and highly recommendable if you are cruising with them or any other line that offers this.  They had the ambience just right on the Serenity as upon arrival there was a string quartet playing and tea being served by the waiters in full Black Tux and white gloves attire.

If you like me love afternoon tea and would love to try it on board your next cruise then look at my guide below to see who does what.

Celebrity – Champagne High Tea- Dapper wait staff serve a selection of premium Champagnes; tea from Tea Forte; coffee, espresso, lattes, and cappuccino from Lavazza; savory sandwiches; and desserts, including pastries, scones, truffles and pate de fruit.

P&O – caters mainly to British clientele, so it’s no wonder that you can get a fine cup of tea aboard any of its ships. Afternoon tea has become an art on these vessels, and it’s offered daily (with the exception of embarkation day) at 4 p.m. in the main dining room. Tables are each topped with white linens, china and a silver cake stand.