DaisyUK

Yes, it was all good. Funny how little things can be an irritation, but that's all it was (ref the toiletries). Looking on the bright side, the missed ports give us an excuse to go back again! Mixed feelings on the all inclusive issue. On the one hand, it was nice to have the freedom to drink whatever cocktails and wines we wanted and pay only for them, and the same with excursions (if we had managed to go on any!) On the other hand, it did feel a bit strange having to pay for wifi, a cup of coffee and laundry etc and to have to dig around for our room card every time we wanted something which was not included. Also to receive a relatively large bill at the end. However, the cruise was substantially less expensive to book in the first place. On balance, I think we preferred it not to be all-inclusive. Back to the wines - it was another advantage with Cunard that whenever we bought a bottle of wine and didn't finish it, it was vacuum sealed and waiting for us - at our table - the following evening. Whilst we can do that on Regent also, our experience has been that it would take about half an hour to find the elusive bottle of wine we didn't finish the previous evening (at a different restaurant) by which time we were suffering a little alcohol deprivation syndrome and becoming somewhat ratty. Especially as the service is very quick on Regent (it has to be because they have another reservation after ours) so often we would be half way through our appetiser before a glass of wine appeared.

Not sure whether this will be of any help, but thought I’d post a few thoughts on our recent QE sailing. More than happy to answer any questions. This was our 2nd Cunard cruise, the first being a 4-night taster on the QM2. We were originally planning a 1-week Barcelona round trip, but on hearing that Alfie Boe was performing the previous week decided to add this sailing also for a total of 14 nights. Prior to Cunard, we have sailed Oceania, Crystal and Regent, with Regent being our current ‘go to’ cruise line. Cunard is obviously very different to these 3 lines and we found pluses and minuses in the differences. On the positive side, we found the service in QG beyond anything we have experienced on any of the 3 lines mentioned above, most particularly in the restaurant. It really was on a different level. Having ‘our’ table available to us for each meal at any time, for however long, felt like a huge luxury. Our wait staff were amazing – friendly, efficient, helpful – nothing was too much trouble. The food was very good to excellent on the whole. In terms of the actual food quality and menu choices, we both thought Regent has the edge but you can’t have everything! We ate in the buffet a few times and found the selections to be generally good and enjoyable. It was a bit of a zoo though – very difficult to get a table at peak times and some less-than-polite behaviour at the buffet itself, so this was a bit of a negative. Entertainment was also good. We booked one of the boxes for the Alfie Boe performances which made them seem that much more special. A half bottle of champagne and petit fours went down well also. Excursions were a non-event. We had 2 ports cancelled due to high seas which was disappointing but couldn’t be helped, and we were unwell for a couple of days so had to cancel our plans then also. We were in a Q2 mid-ship and it was very comfortable. We were struck by how stable and quiet the suite was – we had no noise from neighbouring rooms, and no squeaking and rattling in high seas (which we did get on Regent). The bed was comfortable and the linens excellent. The suite was a little dated in décor when compared with a comparable Regent suite, but we were generally happy with it. One minor irritation was that I had to ask for shampoo, conditioner, bar soap and bath gel as well as cotton buds and cotton pads and when they did arrive, they were less than impressive. I had to ask for additional sets as I didn’t want to have to move them from shower to bath to sink etc. Also, as mentioned in another thread, all of the above were watered down. I really felt it was a cheap trick and false economy on Cunard’s part. All in all, we had a delightful cruise and I am sure we will sail with Cunard again.

I know this subject has been done to death, but... There is absolutely no doubt that our Penhaligon's toiletries were watered down on our recent QE sailing. I use these products all the time, so am very familiar with them.

I received a survey after our recent QE cruise. It came from the email address noreply@qemailserver.com

Would be interested to read your thoughts. We used to sail Crystal but moved over to Regent and I don't think we'd go back to Crystal for the same reasons you cite, unless there was a very compelling reason to do so. We've also tried a couple of Cunard QG cruises this year. I'm curious about Silversea so will look up your blog. I'm sure you'll enjoy Regent; we were in a GS earlier this year on Explorer and enjoyed it very much.

Enjoying your notes - hope you continue to have a great time and that the various wrinkles get ironed out!

I agree that Alfie's show was much more Vegas than West End. Very high energy and very well done I thought, but I was a bit disappointed that there were so few operatic and musical songs. What a voice though

We're on the QE in the Med right now and we bought the premium package. Previously, a few months ago on a short QM2 sailing we bought the standard. In my opinion, there's no comparison. The premium is much, much better. I don't know whether it's the difference in ship or the difference in internet package though.

Thanks Victoria2. We're onboard at the moment, so will meet with the Cruise Consultant and find out what we can.

Thank you for all the great advice!

Thanks Host Hattie - I did see that on Cunard’s website. I should have worded my question differently, ie any additional benefits. Other lines I’m looking at include such benefits as included laundry or additional land tours or shipboard credit etc. I assume Cunard does not, but wanted to check I wasn’t missing anything.

Hi, we're considering a world cruise and wondered whether Cunard offer any special perks for their world cruises? Have had a look at the website, but don't see any mentioned..

Hi, I have heard that Alfie Boe is to perform on this cruise. There is no mention of it on the Cunard website, and I called Cunard yesterday to try and find out but Customer Services could not find any reference to him, so I guess it isn't happening. However, if I google Alfie Boe and Cunard it comes up and also it was mentioned on a Cunard facebook page last month. As fans of Alfie, we would love to do this cruise if he is indeed performing. Any ideas as to how I could find out ?

Hi, am booked in suite 9080 but have noticed that 10004 has become available (same category). Any opinions as to which might be the best option?