JT1101

Cunard is doing just fine. Like all the lines they got stiffed badly in the shutdowns (they had to completely shut down and unlike the airlines the cruise lines got no government compensation). As a result they came back with not only needing to recruit their crews back but also low cash reserves. So some types of cutbacks were inevitable until they rebuild the cash reserves - and at that they have cut less than others have. 

If they can be faulted for anything it would be transferring experienced staff from the three queens to QA to start her off. All it did was take the usual new ship hiccups and instead make them a fleet wide phenomenon. But even that is largely settled down now. 

I'll be aboard in December and look forward to it!

The Cunard hot cocoa offering is indeed a treat! 

Packages? I only mentioned packages as an example. I was talking about non-alcoholic options. 

I've done the QM2 Transatlantic 4 times and in December will be back again for time number 5. Seeing the threads on here about drink packages, Pol Acker and such made me think about what it is like being a teetotaler on Cunard. Is it good? Bad? 

Well to me it is pretty cool!

Coffees are ALL good. Of course the custom blends and specialty coffees are top grade but even the regular coffee on tap in Kings Court and in Britannia is good. 

Likewise all the teas are tasty. Even the regular tea is a good one (IIRC it is a Twinnings custom blend for Cunard) and the infusions likewise are excellent.

Hot Chocolates (aka Cocoa) are also really good. They taste like a good hot cocoa should, as in made with milk not instant mix in water. 

Then we come to the mocktails and non-alcoholic options. The Sommelier at dinner can get these for you and to me they are great. 

Any others here who either are teetotalers or just like some times not to have alcohol? 

I generally tip my steward at the end of the voyage in cash but elsewhere remember Cunard ships are cashless. 

8 hours ago, ExArkie said:

I did have Clear for a short time, when the total cost for me and my wife was covered by a credit card perk. We both had TSA Pre-Check before signing up for Clear (and still have Pre-) as a benefit of Global Entry. 
 

Unless the program has changed in the past couple of years, Clear doesn’t include Pre-Check, but is sold as a substitute for it. The functionality of Clear is that one can skip the line where the TSA agent checks your identification. If you have Pre-Check, you go to the front of that line for security. If not, you go to the front of the “ordinary humans” line for security. 
 

One of the ancillary functions of Clear during the days following the COVID shutdown was that it would consolidate your vaccination records and communicate those to various agencies. That was beneficial in dealing with the Hawaii entry requirements in the early months of post-shutdown travel. It was of no benefit whatever to some other locations. 

As I mentioned, the Clear program may have changed, as I have not kept up with Clear since dropping it. Edited to add: Just checked the Clear Web site. Looks like they will bundle it with Pre-Check as an option, but do not automatically include it.
 

We found Clear to be beneficial once, when we could avoid slightly longer Pre-Check lines at LAX. Otherwise, it offered little to no advantage, as the identification lines for Pre-Check have not proved to be inconvenient at the variety of airports we traverse. To me, as a Global Entry/Pre-Check member, the benefits of Clear do not justify its cost, particularly since the credit card no longer pays the full amount. 
 

Thanks for the insight. I was going to mention that CLEAR is not government but rather a private security firm that is trusted and vouches for you. 

Another Travel Agent benefit - free CLEAR (which for US citizens includes TSA Pre). FYI this is CLEAR: 

https://www.clearme.com/clear-plus?utm_source=website&utm_medium=nav

Does anyone else here have CLEAR? If yes is it worthwhile?

We even discussed this in the past:
 

1 hour ago, NE John said:

In June 2023, while driving from Bath to S’hampton we when past Stonehenge to our left and the miles of traffic northbound was intense. It was the day of the Solstice so that was a factor. We oddly enough had no traffic going south. It was cool seeing the site so close. 
I took @exlondoner’s advice and arrived the day before the TA to avoid this traffic situation. 

And I will be there the day before embarkation likewise. My major "watch the clock" is the need to be in Southampton, check into hotel and clean up and change and get to The Grapes on time in the evening for the friends meet. Since we'll be driving away from Heathrow by 7am I think there s sufficient time.

I always root for wilder seas. In 2018 we got them - it was the December TA where Captain Hashmi had to steer us south then north then south again to avoid the worst of it. 

Not yet. Don’t know where I will be on the run so harder to predict. 

27 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

Customs is very unlikely to hold you up, immigration might, as you are arriving at such a busy time. I think the order is Avebury, Stonehenge, Salisbury, Southampton.

Yes that’s the correct order.

7 hours ago, Winifred 22 said:

Are you that all in one day ? How are you getting between places ? 

Well I will be wheels down at Heathrow at 5:55am. figure an hour to get through customs. I'm being picked up at the airport by someone and then we're off to the races. The nice part is Stonehenge, Avebury and Salisbury are in a line and Solent Sky is right close to my hotel. All I really need to do at the hotel is a fast freshen up and drop my bags then head to The Grapes. 

Got my tickets from English Heritage for my sightseeing places! As I am a member tickets are free. My planned itinerary is Stonehenge, Avebury, Salisbury then in Southampton Solent Sky. As I have to be at The Grapes in the evening to meet friends I will need to watch the time. 

Agree on whales. If you look at other close by ships they likewise are slowed down. 

Strange, I never got lost in Kings Court. 

3 hours ago, reeves35 said:

Is it expected that, as the older Cunard fleet members cycle through drydocks and updates, they Lido (Vistas) and Kings Court (QM2) buffets will be remodelled and rebranded as Artisan Food Halls?  The traditional buffet as seen on the older ships is pretty old-hat these days with most modern ships being launched with a food-court type arrangement which is both better for passenger flow and more hygienic with minimal touching of utensils by passengers.

 

I believe QV is due for a remodelling around late 2025 so maybe we will know more then.

 

 

Both of the Vistas will likely see their Lidos remodeled simply because they are too cramped. King's Court was just remodeled in 2016 and the result was a model for efficient space usage and easy flow of people. King's Court is also part of the identity of Queen Mary 2 so I doubt it is going to be rebranded into generic cruise ship nonsense. 

I would get a roomette

I would be taking either the Lake Shore or the Cardinal to do it. 

Nicely done Pushpit. 

I will say the King's Court coffee is also kept fresh during the day. I've been in there at odd hours and knocked back a cup and it was fresh and good. 

Excellent. I was also considering using Amtrak to head for home. 

5 minutes ago, moses0 said:

What has the state of the seas been like in your experience in December?

The seas can be energetic and the temps will be in the 40s (Fahrenheit). It can be windy. Generally a good water resistant jacket and cap will do for it. 

And...the TA strikes again! I asked her about these drinks packages and added I was a teetotaler so at the current price none of them made sense unless I proposed to drink Hot Chocolate and mocktails nonstop every day. She agreed and said let her see what she can do. So I let her.

She got back to me today. She was able to get me the PREMIUM NON-ALCOHOLIC OPTION for about 70% of its normal cost (I don't want to know how). At that price I could justify it on the theory that a mocktail every dinner and coffees and teas earlier create a breakeven. At that level it seemed worthwhile. 

Or.....just name the ship Queen! Have informative murals and such talking about Live Aid and bronze statues of everyone centered by Freddie Mercury in the Grand Lobby...😉

3 minutes ago, Pushpit said:

That's where Cruise Critic comes in! But yes I think it's part of Cunard's cunning plan not to be too overt on pricing so that people buy a drinks package out of convenience or thinking they will be charged for coffee at breakfast. Currently a big range of soft drinks, teas, coffees, hot chocolate are in the $4.50 to $6 area after including the 15% service charge, with a pint of soda water at under $5. Mocktails are more varied but $9 including the service fee is a good baseline.

So about where they were last time I sailed. Cool. I already knew coffee and such are free in both Britannia and King's Court. I was thinking about stuff like the decadent Hot Chocolates in Sir Samuel's and the mocktails at dinner.