LibertyBella

Trying to compare cruise ship dining is rather silly, because overall they are more similar than different, no matter how many entrees are offered. 

On my honeymoon we stayed in French Relais & Chateaux. There are fifty diners max in the room. Dining is an ART.  Food is matched and prepared exquisitely.  Meals last for hours.

The chefs value those star ratings and monitor every tiny detail.  No cruise ship will ever match that experience, no matter how good they promote themselves to be.  Dining will never be my first priority on any cruise.

Ha-ha, I like reading about all those who mainly focus on food on cruise ships. When I was a little girl I took my first cruise for two weeks in the Med and the Black Sea (1973!), and I was a VERY picky eater. I would only order soup and canned fruit cocktail for dessert.  Yes, for two weeks EVERY night. No baked Alaska, cherries jubilee, etc.--just canned fruit cocktail.  Blessed was my waiter for taking caring of me.

I am among the few that actually enjoy losing weight on my cruises!

I like fine dining, but I never stuff myself.  I actually feel very guilty wasting all the food.

At home when I dine out I can bring home the leftovers.

I like cruise ship dining, but overall the ships are serving thousands, so they will never be quite as elite as a special on-land restaurant that serves less than a hundred at a time.

In any case most of the cruise ship food is quite healthy, and since I eat three good meals a day and monitor my portions, I am quite happy.  I also like running around the ship and visiting many great ports. I feel relaxed and I am exercising.  I have never ended a cruise unable to fit into my clothes, like so many others.

Less than a month before my QM2 voyage, and I am looking through my gowns to see which I want to wear!  And most definitely, husband will have his tux.  We LOVE the formality of Cunard because it takes us back to the original days of grand cruising.

When I was in high school I decided to never miss a day, so at the end of four years I could receive a tiny pin that said "perfect attendance".  I was very proud on the school awards day to wear that little pin. Now it is in a drawer somewhere.

I have many of those little cruise pins from various lines and I hardly care anymore. I am honestly not even sure of my status level on some of the lines. I travel where and when I want on whichever cruise line I choose at the moment.  Husband would rather be on a ski trip somewhere in the cold mountains any day over a cruise, so I have to push for my ship time.   I choose Cunard often because I really do love to dress up!  (I have a closet filled with fancy gowns.)

I am still in very good health, so I do not need to get on or off the ship faster than anybody else, I do not really drink that much even though I get invited to many cocktail parties, and after Covid  began to retract I received more great cruise offers than I could digest.  I think that the status is a bit of an incentive gimmick, similar to TripAdvisor that tells me I have earned another badge when I review a new hotel. Buying status is not the same as earning status, as many, many years of work and education have made me fully understand!

Why is Cunard thought about as some corporate entity floating above us that makes supreme decisions, whether good or bad?

Cunard has been in business for centuries, and I have been cruising with them for decades, so I have faith that the staff are trying to do their best, even in difficult circumstances.

Cunard is a company composed of individual people who are only human, and can quite easily make mistakes. Covid has stressed many of us over the past few years, and the world is still NOT back to normal,  especially including cruise travel.  Many travel staff are overwhelmed as they try to manage and merge old processes with new requirements.

When the bank teller hands me an extra bill, or counts wrong and puts the incorrect balance amount in the computer, I will first inform her of the error, and then perhaps a higher up, but I would never write a review in the BBB about my bank!  A long time ago I was a bank teller, so I completely understand that mistakes do and will happen.  

 I never leave the ship without checking my final invoice, and if incorrect charges do pop up, I would certainly contact the company various ways immediately to resolve the issue, and document the process.

I would probably be annoyed, but I would also try to be patient and kind, because that person's error could mean a negative mark on their employee review. Or, perhaps there is an employee with criminal intent, and thus the supervisors  need to be informed so they can address the problem.  In any case, because I am a persistent person, the issue would soon be resolved, and then I could move forward to planning my next cruise!

Wow, what a lot of discussion about dancing on this cruise forum!

 I am also a serious recreational dancer--in fact, I have  formally taken eight different kinds of dance lessons throughout my life, including ballroom.  The others are ballet (my second favorite), tap, modern jazz, flamenco (my favorite), hula (Hawaii),  belly dancing, and Bollywood (India). I certainly agree that experienced ballroom dancers can intimidate newbies, due to the exacting moves and intricacies of certain steps, and the fact that good dancers have a flair and a style that could appear like one is showing off a bit.

I also think that Cunard should not just have ballroom dancing--they should encourage more diverse types of dancing as well, because dance can represent culture,  opportunities for free dancing allow everyone to join in and do their own thing, and access to formal ballroom lessons is very limited in many parts of the world.  Additionally many young people think that ballroom represents an older generation. I, personally, would never want to go on a cruise and just do ballroom dancing, unless the cruise specifically stated that this is a ballroom dance only cruise. 

Throughout the decades many different types of dance have sprung up --  rock dances like the twist, couples dances in disco, the fun moves of hip hop, and now modern Tik-Tok dances, all of which should be recognized to have as much equal value as ballroom, because they are all enjoyable to watch and do!!

Yes, ballroom should always have an important place, but it cannot monopolize the dance floor. Cunard probably thinks about this as they consider growing the customer base. Hopefully there can be some kind of compromise, so all feel welcome and all can participate in the joy of dance!

Ahh well, nostalgia--the package on the QE we took years ago was sail one way and fly FREE the other--or pay an additional $500.00 each to take the Concorde home.  I was just too cheap to do it at the time, because we were staying in Britain two weeks and driving all over and enjoying historic hotels.  Now I regret having missed that experience.

Nowadays I usually prefer to do my own air, because I want nonstop direct flights from my home city, but I sometimes check out what the cruise lines offer.  However, I had a bad experience with BA a few years ago (pilot walk-outs), and I am a loyal American frequent flyer, so I also ensure my airline of choice is booked.

There are five other threads about this topic on this Cunard board.  Most likely the issue is cabin location or cabin type. (Another passenger who was cancelled stated they only book accessible rooms.)   If a traveler is not flexible about being moved, or must have a certain type of cabin, they are more susceptible to change in this day and age. Some of the cruise ship areas are being designated as quarantine cabin floors, and additionally for the staffing challenges, Cunard probably looked at numbers and distance, and tried to calculate how many cabins staff could reasonably be responsible for based on location.

Should they have contacted you and asked if you were willing to move?  Yes.  They probably should have done it by seniority--whoever booked first, rather than loyalty or cabin cost--that would be the most fair.

But if it was a blanket decision like all balcony cabins on the third floor, they were just doing it in a computer mandated way and probably did not look at individual travelers. They were also probably too overwhelmed with the concept of trying to potentially rebook or move hundreds of travelers.

Don't bring in so much emotion to this issue, because it will only upset you more.  You want a response based on a human approach, but the decisions were made much more like a computer logic system (yes/no).

My recommendation is to take the full refund, use it to go somewhere else equally as enjoyable, and also start planning a future Cunard cruise with the FCC.  

Yes, sometimes the cruise lines contact their passengers before they send notice to the agent.  That happened to me just this year when one of my cruises was cancelled (also by short email) because the entire ship was chartered by a single group. Lucky for me I had not yet booked my air, so I just had to move the cruise and dates. I actually called the agent and notified them so they could move my travel insurance.

I have been a traveler my whole life and even worked in the industry when I was much, much younger.  We are still in the covid and post-covid stages and travel is NOT back to normal.  Traveling now means anticipating change and having patience and flexibility. Travel insurance is a MUST if one cannot afford the loss of funds or the inconvenience of rescheduling.  

Thinking about trying to create some kind of legal action for a situation in which nobody is really responsible, and nobody is really suffering any significant loss, is almost a waste of time and effort.  Of course with cruises, ports and itineraries are ALWAYS subject to change, and sometimes ships as well!

Being upset is understandable, but don't burn yourself out on issues that have no real solution. 

The cruise industry is struggling--Carnival has been sending me offers for FREE cruises almost monthly (they just want bodies on the ship who will buy SOMETHING!). Cunard does not want to lose passengers, but obviously there are significant issues so they had to take this serious step.

Also, travel insurance filing requires careful paperwork and accurate representation of real financial loss--if everything can just be rebooked (and you receive a full refund AND FCC) the only real loss is the disappointment of not going on the originally planned trip.

Best wishes for future travel adventures.

 I doubt very much there is any focus on individuals or their cruise costs. Some cruisers demand certain cabins and will not allow any changes.  That may have been fine in the past, but when the ship needs to make large scale decisions (e.g. all deck 5 reserved for covid quarantine), if you are a passenger who is not flexible and cannot be moved, or by bad luck your cabin is part of the quarantine area, then yes, cancellations become the final decisions.  

The Covid challenges are continuing and cruise lines are attempting to navigate risky travel times.  They, more than any of us travelers, wish times would get back to normal! 

In these days of constant change, if one trip gets cancelled, I just book something else and put my cancelled trip on the future travel bucket list.  So far the list includes China (yes, my tour was booked, some money still with tour company), Mexico cruise (booked and refunded), my brother's Baltic cruise (refunded), my other brother's eastern European tour (booked and company has money) Iceland (also booked and refunded), Viking cruise (also booked and I have a lot of cruise credit).  

What have I learned?  Do not plan too far in advance, be very flexible, patient and calm, go with the flow, don't extend too much money out if the trip is shaky, and enjoy my travels wherever I end up going!!

I am on the New England cruise in July and I am sorry you will miss it.  Did Cunard cancel both of your cruises? I am guessing you would not wish to fly internationally to pick up the U.S. component, which could still be an option.

Unfortunately, I do not think the cruise lines were necessarily expecting the ongoing covid infection rates and the high need for isolation rooms when they created all these itineraries.  Naturally they would prefer paying customers, but they also do not want to have the ships denied entry if they do not take every precaution.

Cruising is still a somewhat precarious endeavor to undertake, due to ongoing cancellations, itinerary changes, infection rates, etc., etc.  The Cunard line is one of the few that offers the regular transatlantic crossings, and I am not sure if that would make it  more difficult to deal with Covid issues/severe illnesses, as the only medical services offered would be what is available on the ship.

I certainly understand the additional challenges of physical limitations, as my mother is in a similar position. Perhaps this is a silver lining in the gray cloud--plan a cruise or tour that has a more local itinerary, and then consider international cruising in the future when things are more normal.  At least, that is what I have been doing--I have pets at home and I cannot risk a quarantine in a foreign country, so these past two years I have been traveling domestically only.

Best wishes for future travel adventures!

I would be cautious about your cruise.  Perhaps Cunard will cancel and you will receive a voucher--or even better, a refund...  My brother was booked on a Baltic cruise for this summer on a different line and the cruise was cancelled.  NCL, Princess and MSC have cancelled the majority of their Baltic cruises.  Viking has significantly changed its itinerary. I believe these decisions are mainly due to Russia's attack on Ukraine, and its threats to other Baltic countries.  So sorry, you could not pay me to travel to the Baltic this Summer...

Yes, a lot of great historical memories!  We did the QE2 crossing years after you and ALMOST booked the Concorde,  but Cunard wanted to charge us $500.00 pp extra for the Concorde, or we could fly back or the regular flights for free.  To this day my husband still says he wishes we would have flown supersonic.

I am sure you will be doing a few more cruises to add to your collection!

I have been cruising for many, many decades and for a while I was even in the travel business (pre-Internet!).  Cruise prices constantly fluctuate depending upon destination, time of year, itinerary, ship, line, demand, and so forth. Nothing has really changed, except immediately after cruising restarted this past year after the virus, I was getting ridiculously cheap offers to sail soon.   Also a lot more people cruise now than in the past. And yes, many folks are holding vouchers they need to use up in a few years, myself included (for Viking--my mother's choice). 

I have never "overpaid" for a cruise, in my opinion. Overall I find cruises excellent value for the money. The cabin, food, entertainment, ports of call, starry nights, and ocean air are all provided!

I am not a Cunard-only cruiser, but I certainly do enjoy the formal and elegant atmosphere, the intellectual focus,  the historical heritage, and so forth.  Every line has something different and unique to offer, and one is not necessarily better than another.  Sometimes it just depends on what mood one might be in for a particular type of travel.  

 I do many other types of travel, including all inclusive tropical resorts and diverse ski vacations with my husband, where hotels and restaurants are outrageously expensive just because they have a captive audience in the mountains.  The only travel that really ranks above cruising for me is staying in castle hotels (because who doesn't like a castle?).

 I am comfortable compromising, and I would never refuse to cruise on Cunard for a dining time reason.

I have a longer response in the original posting of this topic on the other thread.

Okay, I always used to select fixed second seating on all my cruises.  Husband and I stay up late and enjoy the night life, we eat late at home (7:00 pm or later), and I lived for a while in Spain where dinner usually begins at 10:00 PM.  

However, I have started selecting the early seating fixed dining because-- we often have to get up early to go on busy shore excursions, the dinner is a long drawn-out multi-hour affair, so it is not like I am eating at 6:00 PM anyway, and it is healthier for food to have more time to digest in one's stomach before sleeping.

I do find the majority of people in my family and friends circle (except the very senior) do prefer anytime dining.  They like the flexibility, the opportunity to sit in different places and meet new people, and are more comfortable not being rigidly "stuck" in a dining pattern. Also yes, many seniors and young families in our area do eat dinner as early as 4:00 PM!

Husband and I do prefer fixed seating because it is easier for us to keep to the schedule--sometimes we have great table-mates, sometimes so-so, and a few times we have had a table for two. So, I am comfortable compromising, and I would never refuse to cruise on Cunard for a dining time reason.  And every once in a while I will even go on a NCL cruise with certain family members and force myself to do anytime time dining in a lot of different restaurants--and I survive and even enjoy it!

I am booked on this cruise because: the ship is splendid, the departure requires no airline travel (for me), the itinerary is mainly domestic so no fear of quarantine or potential covid medical issues in a foreign country, and finally, the price is great! 

No, this is not a foliage cruise because it is the height of the summer---this cruise allows for fantastic fireworks viewing instead! 

I also think this cruise will be somewhat relaxing, as we have two and a half sea days, and the port excursions are not too strenuous.  I just mainly want to dress up, savor fine dining, and enjoy some quality Cunard experiences (British ambience, tea, fencing, planetarium, etc.).

I have called Cunard several times in the past few months and yes, I had rather long waits.  Sometimes the robot voice told me my wait would be ten minutes, and instead I was on hold for more than a half hour. 

HOWEVER, whenever I reached an agent that person was extremely helpful and spent an exceptional amount of time helping me and answering questions, and providing wonderful instant solutions.  I can see why other people must wait because when the agent talks with you, you become the complete priority.

Yes, of course I would like faster service (yesterday I was on hold for an hour and a half with my airline program to reinstate some miles), but the expert service I have been receiving means that I just make time for these important calls and I have patience.

These customer service folks also probably undergo significant training to be able to deal with the many issues they encounter, so it is not a job that lots of new hires can easily jump into.  I choose Cunard because of the lovely cruise experience--I will continue to have patience with phone calls because I value quality over instant responses that lack expertise.

We enjoyed every port on our Baltic cruise (Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm, Helsinki,  Tallinn, Gdansk, St. Petersburg) and saw a lot--we have also been to these countries on land tours, but there is something special about being on the sea, as it recalls the time of the Vikings and exploration by water. 

To visit a place with a tourist perspective is only a single dimension of travel.  From my point of view, it is critical to know about the history, the culture, the people, the geography and all other components that create a society or civilization.  A Baltic cruise allows the visitor to briefly learn about many countries that have been associated with both Nordic and Baltic traditions. Russia is a unique country because it touches both Europe and Asia.

We Americans (and others) do not truly have a full understanding of the Russian experience, mindset or way of life.  

I visited Odessa as a cruise port of call back in 1974 as a young girl. Yes, the city was still part of the USSR.  I had seen the famous movie Potemekin, and it was very moving to be in a city where so many people had fought and died over time.   In those days life was much more basic.  The Ukrainian people are trying to create a future but are still struggling against a bloody past.

St. Petersburg as a port of call is a jewel in a crown to visit-- palaces, museums, churches-- the list goes on.  Yet I was very touched to see all the tombs of the czars honored and preserved, especially Nicholas and Alexandra,  after such a fierce revolution.

Of course that city is a highlight of a Baltic cruise, but every city and every country has MUCH to offer the visitor who arrives curious and eager to gain knowledge.

WHY oh why do people always think the ship tours are so "overly" expensive and they can do everything better and cheaper independently?  Why do you think you can just get off and walk to town--do you even know what you would see or do there?

The ship tours have been developed to focus on the port highlights--the ship hires experienced companies and guides--usually the tours can enter the sights more quickly and efficiently than any independent person, and the ship will wait for tours to return (what if your independent tour guide gets a flat tire on the side of the road somewhere?).

I have traveled over the world and I am multilingual, but when I cruise I usually book the ship tours, especially in a must-see place like St. Petersburg!  Why scrimp when I paid all the money to fly over there and book the cruise?  I took two full-day ship tours in St. P and saw a LOT of wondrous places (including two palaces), but when we ran through the Hermitage I was overwhelmed at the size of the institution and the crowds, and so happy to be with an expert tour guide.

Also, why book a cruise and not do some of your own research on the ports?  Everywhere I go I know what I want to see and do far in advance. Sometimes I choose a ship only for the itinerary. Each person's tastes and interests are different.  By the way, I love Copenhagen. Tivoli Gardens at night is so pretty and precious.

Well, I was in Egypt as a poor independent traveler a few decades ago and I really enjoyed scrambling all over the ruins, but it can be very, very hot and dry.  An hour for a refreshing lunch break does not sound like a great loss of time as compared to the extremely long and tiresome bus drive you will undertake. And yes, I was very young and athletic then (not too bad now), but I would not skip a drink and meal because touring can be exhausting.

Usually photo stops let everybody off the bus for ten minutes or so.  Asking the tour guide to bend the rules for you may also make him/her uncomfortable, and may put his job in jeopardy and your safety at risk. Your trip is on a tight schedule, and you could potentially get lost or have a problem and then what would everyone do?

I actually took the train from Cairo to Luxor, and was able to spend a few days exploring.  In those times we rented a taxi driver for the day, but we started quite early.  I, personally, enjoyed Karnak the most. Valley of the Kings is spread out and the main attraction is Tut's tomb (small). Hatshepsut's temple is also a great site to see.  Don't try to see or do too much, or you may become lost in the quantity over the quality.  

So being overly generous is somehow wrong because it means that we may help lift some people out of poverty?   HA-HA!

Not sure I could ever share those values, especially while I am sitting on a cruise ship being waited on with such kindness, professionalism and politeness.

I have traveled all over the world and I have no problem with tipping.  And yes, I certainly do understand the different cultures and try to adapt as appropriate. Maybe Americans do get the reputation of being able to part with their money too easily, but our country is wealthy and those of us who can travel well should remember the concept of "noblesse oblige."  Global wealth inequity is a sad reality for the human race.

I just went out to a birthday dinner (not mine) tonight at a very nice restaurant, and I added 20% without thinking.  Even our Paneras (fast food sandwich shops) now ask for tips for those who are making the sandwiches back in the kitchen.

And the nonsense about a free drink package has nothing to do with the main topic.  By the way, I, personally, rarely drink alcohol, and I would NEVER purchase a drink package (nor would I want a free one either!), but I do splurge on shore excursions because when I am on a cruise I want to see as much as possible of the places that I visit.  

Paying gratuities in advance is NOT a bribe--it just means the employees will get their fair share of a minimum amount that the ship tells them they could receive.  It also means that the wages are more or less standardized. When I talked about tightwads, I was explaining how mandatory tips came to be, because back in the late 90s to 2000+ or so, more and  people began cruising and would not voluntarily tip at all, so the staff came out short. 

No, you do not have to add anything above and beyond the included tips, but I do, because I know how hard the cruise staff work.  And if you have one staff person who does not measure up, maybe that person was having a bad day, so have some sympathy and give the person the benefit of the doubt.

I am an American who has been cruising for decades.  People always tipped in cash after a cruise, but as cruising expanded, so many cheapskates skipped out on the practice that the cruise lines were forced to institute the automatic mandatory charges.

The amount we pay per day is much less percentage-wise than I would tip in a fine restaurant or a first class hotel.  Yes, we also always provide an additional cash tip to our dining staff and room steward, etc.  Do I feel like this is awkward--absolutely not--we can afford to cruise, so we should be able to afford to tip properly.  We present the money in a discreet and elegant way in the envelopes with appreciation messages.

There are many newer cruisers who do not understand the sacrifices and lifestyles of the workers on the ship.  They toil long hours away from family for many months.  Yes, that is their choice, but sometimes there are not a lot of options available for jobs in their home countries.

Right now our U.S. service industry is somewhat chaotic, because low-paid wait staff have finally decided they no longer want to be worked to the bone for minimal wages.  I am not sure what the cruise lines would ever do if they could not hire staff from poorer countries--we might see cruise fares skyrocket if Americans and British were asked to do the same jobs, because they would never accept the low incomes.

Such a nice trip down memory lane reading this thread.

My father was a Navy man in WWII, and loved the water and ships.  

I took my first cruise as a child in 1973, and was enchanted forever.  I have now been on many different cruise lines in all parts of the world, but Cunard will always have a special place in my heart due to its more traditional and formal approach.

I have a Cunard cruise booked for this July, and I am keeping my fingers crossed everything will go well.

My bucket list for travel is also long, and I look forward to catching up soon!

Just decided to skim this thread and see what is different from our Bermuda thread.  I just booked my Viking cruise a week ago and I am traveling at the end of this month, so I had a lot to accomplish in a short time. I am also taking my 85 year old mother!  Bermuda has a lot of strict Covid requirements that  require constant testing and online entry. Those of you not traveling until August should have patience--it will all come together. 

I am actually going to Iceland for Thanksgiving on a land tour--this will be my third time in the country.  I am fascinated that it is so wild and natural.  Do not miss the waterfalls and geysers-- and perhaps a swim in the Blue lagoon.  The sheepskin rugs are fabulous.  Have a wonderful cruise!

ég elska ísland

Again, some of these virus requirements are those over which Viking has no control or ability to micro-manage.  How do they know what is available in all  50 states?  They are just sharing Bermuda requirements. 

Too many travelers are wasting their time trying to find "cheap" covid tests that they can use for travel. The majority of covid tests are still focused on the ill.

 Yet there is now an entire market out there now for covid  travel tests, and they know they have us in a tough situation of having to pay the big bucks for expediency. Easy enough to find, just not cheap or free.

From Philly airport:  

We also offer an Expedited RT-PCR - This test is a standard RT-PCR test and results will be provided within 4 hours of testing. Price for this test is: $249.99