Windsurfboy

I love a teacake (exactly as pictued) but only if still warm. Prefer to scones for afternoon tea but never seen them on Cunard. Now that will be something worth ordering off menu in QG. My understanding of what the Americans call an English muffin , ie what they use as base for eggs Benedict, is not a crumpet or a tea cake, it's something I've never seen in UK except in this .

I think the code does actually say dress shirt

By water in tins do people mean cans like coke , if not Can someone post a picture of the water in tins.

I have no choice, made the mistake of booking a suite on first cruise so that's what expected. I obey! But that doesn't stop insides being fantastic value for money.

No one can argue that a inside guarantee with P&O is anything but fantastic value for money. A balcony cabin on the bigger P&O ship is similiary very good value for money. But no-one should expect luxury or fine dining , you get what you pay for. but you can make it more luxurious with speciality dining. If you want Michelin dining and luxury then pay £1000 a night for one of the luxury cruise lines.

Saw some very good deals advertised in paper January fly cruise 7 days balcony on Azura plus 3 hotel nights Tenerife under £1000, up to £1100 in March. By the way , Saga cruisers aren't all on Zimmers. 20 passengers (out of 500 passengers) entered 10k charity race for Ukraine on our Black sea replacement cruise. Doubt if you'd get same % ie 200 out of 5000 on Iona. Hotel general Manager (not included in 20) won and was only one to break hour. But quite a few passengers were well under 1.30hr. None were spring chickens, only one under 70. I was second youngest, and second passenger.

Firstly, let's not compare any cruise ship with Premier inn, but with holiday or resort hotels. In both you will get bargins if you look at quiet times , although last few years UK "staycations" have been rip off. But in 2023 sure there will be bargins around on land and sea out of peak season . Especially for those that cater for families, who are more likely to be struggling with cost of living and mortgages. So bargins in big hotels and big ships Pound for pound, land holidays will offer bigger rooms than ships. Whether they offer better service will vary. So an inside guarantee cabin will offer better service than a similarly priced 3 star all inclusive med holiday. But on the same ship a bigger cabin doesn't equate to better service, so for a select balcony cabin , looking at a much better hotel with perhaps better service than P&O. Once you get to suite prices hotels offer more space and service However hotels don't take you to a new place every night.

We are waitlisted for well over a year for our return from Capetown in April for QG. I've been checking Cunard website. QGs have come up which have all been portside, which we didn't want as Starboard gets morning sun, so stuck to our PG. However our wait list request was any QG which have been available , but not a dickybird from Cunard, so relying on waitlist waste of time. Just keep checking website.

Yes but the view of the petrol station over the road let's it down

I think on big ships have mix of cabins wrong. Very few suites less than 1% , all sold out. Standard cabins and insides not selling in relation to number of cabins (2475)

Without tablecloths tables , chairs , table mats etc need to be chosen very carefully , and kept immaculate. If done properly look superb. However hard to keep up standards. A clean white tablecloth can hide a lot of sins

No one is going to Russia. No cruise line is planning to go to Russia. It's either a very lazy company who haven't updated since February , or a scam

No one is going to Russia, EU , UK and USA sanctions !

Jackets are optional. Wear one if you want to but feel no pressure to wear one if you don't.

We are ignoring the real problem , the non existent controls for covid when boarding, testing thats not checked supervised . Before we board we will keep away from people for a week and test, therefore can be pretty sure we will board covid free. We will only catch it if others bring it on board. However Cunards policy is basically a free for all, unsupervised tests and self validate questionaire. If they would keep Covid off th3 ship. Then no need at all for isolation and peoples holidays (or xmas) ruined. But they don't and won't. Keeping covid off yhe ship can only be done by supervised test before boarding and the knowledge that everyone will be tested 3 days after boarding. This is the only way to encourage people be very careful before cruising. Of course this is impossible for anyone working or with children, and would put many off cruising. Thus Cunard doesn't do it, aim is to maximise number of passengers, covid positive or negative doesn't matter. They encourage laxity and dishonesty . Clearly they don't want/expect people with mild symptoms to come forward to be tested on board. Everything e.g passing the buck to insurance is to discourage you from testing.

I thought this was a cruise out of UK to Europe. So follow UK EU guidelines which are no different on land or sea. NB cruise lines association guidelines are their own policies not health authorities.

We are talking about two viruses that are now equal in their impact on individuals and mortality. I never heard in past of people being put into isolation for Flu, it was up to people to make sensible choices, which is normally a few days in bed, but you were free to get up and leave once you felt up to it and you wanted to. That is why there have never been FCC for Flu. However when a cruise line, puts you into isolation and keeps you there even once you feel better, "voluntary or perhaps involuntary imprisonment" , then that is different. Telling you its your responsibility to claim on insurance is passing the buck. Isolation is a cruise line policy , not a legal requirement.

Logically yes

What you do is a personal choice but also depends on time of year. In summer or warm climate. One can eat in cabin, but then sit outside on deck , or walk around outside at port. It has been shown risk of transmission outside especially on sunny days is absolutely negligible, ie so small you don't have to worry about it. Stuck inside in European winter cruise is another scenario, but one we never will face. Before judging the morality of the decisions of others, what if Cunard made it easier for people to do what you call the right thing, by offering better service to those in isolation and automatic FCC, for the time in isolation, or the full cruise if majority spent in isolation.

now you mention Saga , a couple we got to know well on our Eastern Mediterranean cruise, caught covid. Only she had it, mildly, but he also went into isolation with her. Never asked about what compensation hey got. But treatment was completely different. The doctor or nurse popped in every day to check on them, management also rang every day . They said food was hot, and they could choose from any menu in any restaurant what ever they fancied they got. Even offered to set up mini bar with whatever they wanted. Of course all cabins are decent sized balcony cabins , and it was 30 degrees. Luckily out after 5 nights, 6 days. Only similarity, seems to be that cabin stewards on both lines were great, difference was in the ships management who seemed to care, and fact the Saga ship had plenty of staff to spare.

Applies to us all oldies to some extent, never know what comes next.

Google searches are not completely foolproof. It is possible to miss something. However I think onus should be on Cunard to tell you they are withdrawing one of the advertised facilities and offer you a change or refund. Of course they should never withdraw advertised facilities.

It's so sad that Baw53 has been put off cruising ever again , but understandable. The draconian treatment of covid cases on ships compared to land, will make people think twice or even three times, before being honest and turning up for a test. A less honest person would have had a day or two in cabin, then got on with enjoying holiday.

Didn't realise it was a weight watchers cruise

How would you find out that a group had booked unless there was a mention on Cunard website. Perhaps a Google search by cruise number may find group's website but not certain. Completely agree if Cunard didn't offer facilities advertised this could well break British law, but would be a fight via small claims court to get refund. Would certainly break advertising standards authority code of practice, but they can only censure Cunard not award compensation.