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DaisyUK

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Everything posted by DaisyUK

  1. Was this a special order, or on the menu? Looks wonderful.
  2. Oh yes, it will be fine either way😊
  3. No, because there was/is no availability!
  4. We're happy with a window seat on QM2 - other than feeling a little guilty when we see runners speed past the window while we are indulging! Agree with Techteach above about the window providing a useful spot for a handbag!
  5. Interesting, I had missed those 2 posts so thanks for pointing them out. Still odd though given that there are only 2x Q1s.
  6. We've just received an offer to upgrade from a Q2 to a Q1. However, when I checked Cunard's website, the Q1s are showing sold out. This seems strange to me - anyone else have experience of this and, if so, did you make an offer which was accepted? We booked through a travel agent by the way, not direct.
  7. Thank you, sounds good. It sounds as though you have warmed to Annie. Perhaps she will become your new favourite!
  8. I am very much enjoying the live reports and thank you to all who are contributing and Victoria2 for starting this new one. Wishing you all a fabulous cruise. If you get a moment Victoria2, I'm interested to know how the QG rooms compare to those on QV/QE?
  9. We cruise with both Crystal and Regent and have been on both lines a few times since the re-start of Crystal. I agree with most of the comments above. Personally, I would set Umi Uma above Pacific Rim, but enjoy both. I think service is better on Crystal than Regent. I think the suites are better on Regent than Crystal (have only been on Explorer & Splendor, not Grandeur or any of Regent's older ships). I agree that there is perhaps more evening entertainment on Regent, but more activities during the day on Crystal. We found the quality of excursions to be pretty similar in both cases - and neither great! Completely agree with PaulMCO above - if you like Crystal, it's likely you'll enjoy Regent. Both are great lines.
  10. One of our favourites also. On our most recent Splendor saving (last month) Pacific Rim was the only restaurant where we gave every single course of every single meal more than 8/10. We ate there 4 times.
  11. I just wanted to say thank you so much for this thread which I have found very helpful when planning a cruise prior to booking.
  12. We have never stayed in Splendor Suite, but had a peep into one before disembarking last month. Absolutely beautiful.
  13. We didn't 'not like' the aft GS, but we preferred the room proportions of the mid-ship one. We booked the aft because we wanted the large balcony, which of course it does have. However, the downside - for us - was that the internal areas are smaller in the aft suites than the mid-ship suites. We didn't have the best weather on our 2 cruises in the aft suites, so the balcony was less useful than we thought it would be. Also, the solid, sloping wall meant the view was compromised and also created shadow. Had the weather been kinder, I think we would have appreciated having the large, wrap-around balcony.
  14. That's interesting and good to know. Were the 21 nights consecutive? I ask because it might explain better availability than, say, 3x 7 night cruises where they have to fit everyone in for their 3 included reservations. On our recent 11 day Splendor cruise, (a few) people we chatted to had difficulty getting a second reservation in any of the specialties.
  15. Well, first off, we loved Taormina although the excursion we had there was disappointing in itself. It was not the excursion you mention above. We actually left our guide (along with several others) and did our own thing and ended up having a very enjoyable day. To answer your question : transportation has generally been very good to excellent; no complaints there at all. Obviously, it varies by location and good quality coaches are harder to come by on some islands but I think Regent get the cream of the crop. The problem for us has been the hyperbolic way of describing excursions which raised our expectations to a level which simply were not met. Where food was provided as part of the excursion, it was disappointing in every case. Guides have been inconsistent in quality; some good, some bad, some dreadful. The problem is you just don't know until you are there. The excursion you have detailed above looks amazing and perhaps it will be. I am just very cynical these days about Regent's (or any cruise line's) ability to control quality. It seems to me that there are potentially 2 issues; one is that a great guide can make or break any excursion and the second is that some of the places are simply not that great in the first place and however good the guide is, it's impossible to overcome that. We have found that the above applies, both for paid for and included excursions. We did love Taormina though! I hope this helps and I really don't mean to be a Debbie-downer, but equally wanted to share our experiences.
  16. The short answer to your question, IMHO, is a resounding NO! We love Regent and have sailed with them on many occasions, but the shore excursions for us have been a universal let-down. I would say that 20% have lived up to our fairly low expectations and the rest have fallen below. It's a huge shame and I understand how difficult it is for Regent and, indeed, any cruise company, to keep standards high because so much depends upon the individual guide and the transport options available. I don't think the other lines we have sailed with (Crystal, Oceania and Cunard) have offered anything better, but neither were they worse. For the most part, we now prefer to do our own thing in port.
  17. This is why we choose the GS. Otherwise we would go for the Grandeur.
  18. Also, should say that the living room and bathrooms in the forward suites are A+ - I think! Decisions, decisions..
  19. Can’t comment on the deck 12s but we were on deck 7 and didn’t have a problem with noise, other than when going into and leaving port.
  20. I stand corrected; I just checked and we were in 902, not on deck 10. Yes, we had a round window in the bedroom and also in the main bathroom above the bath. I hadn't realised that the deck 12 GS's didn't have that sloping ceiling. I think that would be better. We've stayed in an aft GS on Explorer and Splendor. In both cases, the suite itself was smaller than the mid-ship GS's although the wrap-around balcony was very large and was usable at all times. However, there is a solid, slanting wall which blocks the view when sitting or lying down.If I remember correctly, this doesn't extend all the way around to the side balcony though. The living room was quite a bit smaller than the mid-ship GS's and the dining table was placed in front of the exit from the living room to the balcony which was a bit of a nuisance. We thought about moving it slightly but there is a light fixture above it which we would have walked into had we moved the table. We did feel a fair bit of vibration when arriving into and leaving port. I don't mean to be too negative. We enjoyed all 3 versions of the GS, but given the choice would choose the mid-ship first. For a warm climate cruise, we'd probably choose the aft GS over the forward GS because of the balcony not being as usable. Also, I felt there was a lack of privacy from the bridge in 902 when on the balcony, although my husband thought I was being paranoid!
  21. We were in one of the forward deck 10 suites last month. I’d take it over the other categories because of the specialty dining privileges but we too much prefer the mid-ship GS. We’ve also had the aft GS and didn’t love it. That said, we didn’t have a problem with movement or vibration in the forward suite and the bathrooms were great - apart from the crazy design of the bath tub in the main bathroom.
  22. There is no dress code at the ROH, unless it’s a specific gala night which would usually be BTO. Generally, though people seem to dress smart-casual. My husband would not normally wear a tie but wear smart trousers and a jacket with open neck shirt.
  23. Enjoying travelling along with you. Beautiful pics, thanks for sharing, brings back happy memories.
  24. It's obviously an emotive subject. We're relative newcomers to Cunard, having previously cruised mainly with Regent and Crystal. We've now added Cunard to our list and have enjoyed QM2, QV and QE, with further cruises booked on all 3 lines. In my opinion, Regent and Crystal are similar in their offerings. Yes, there are differences (especially in relation to the age of the ships) but in terms of size, standard of service, passenger to crew ratio, specialty dining, all-inclusiveness (to a greater or lesser degree) and room/suite choices we will go with either one dependent upon itinerary and availability and thoroughly enjoy both lines. What Cunard offers is different and it is that difference which appeals to us. Specifically, the opportunity to dress up for dinner each evening, have the luxury of 'our' table in the restaurant with the same people looking after us and knowing our likes/dislikes, being able to decide for ourselves whether we'd like the table for an entire leisurely evening or speed things up if we need to get to a show, having the luxury of being able to order off menu if we feel like it. I accept that what appeals to us does not appeal to everyone, but I fear that if Cunard becomes like all the other cruise lines, by relaxing the dress code, having multiple specialty restaurants which need to serve passengers quickly in order to maximise revenue etc, etc then it will lose that unique quality which attracts their current clientele.
  25. Really enjoyed reading of your experiences, thank you for taking the time to post. If you're still onboard I'm sure you could get a peep into some of the other cabin categories; we've done that on various lines including Cunard on disembarkation day, although I think you said you were leaving early so perhaps not.
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