WantedOnVoyage

We most recently (October 2019) felt that with Dubrovnik... alas my first (and will be last) visit to what was once a charming idyll of a place. No more. I've been in less crowded (and more polite) baseball stadiums on opening day. Never again. Cruising will eventually kill itself off in the next two decades at this rate.... so many of these places, even cities like Venice and Barcelona simply are no longer enjoyable with an extra 15,000 people dumped in the centre from 0900-1400 all intent on seeing the same thing at the same time. I can appreciate why the locals and many muncipalities have begun to say "enough." But yes, best to pick and choose... did not Cunard coin "Getting There is Half the Fun"? Now even more a selling point.

So never got a reply from my e-mail so called Cunard today and was told absolutely, positively that the Grill Drinks Package is identical to the one sold aboard for $70 a day with a $13.50 limit per drink.

I am so glad I got to visit most of these places 30 plus years ago when cruising was still special.... first visit to Santorini being aboard UGANDA and the most recent (!) CANBERRA... when we shared that wonderful caldera port with STELLA SOLARIS. We'll be there in QUEEN VICTORIA on 10 October when I see there will be one huge MSC ship, one Costa vessel and a Seven Seas ship. I guess that counts as a "light" day. 8,000 in May sounds... horrid. I'd rather enjoy the views and the quiet aboard ship than be among the milling mobs. And the sunset over the caldera is special... we'll have to grab a prime Commodore Club seat for sailing.

That was June.... this is September and now the paid for drinks package limit is $13.50 and the drinks prices have all been increased accordingly. $12 is going to get you... squat. I think there's one martini left at $11.90 (!) and every one else is more. Not sure what other cocktails like a Negroni costs now, I doubt it's under $12. I would assume for the sanity of the bar staff, on board accounting etc. Cunard would not actually operate two parallel drink packages... but assume and Cunard are best not employed in the same sentence. Anyway, if they bother to reply to my query, I'll post it.

I am still waiting for a reply from my query to Cunard if the U.S. Grills drink package is indeed the same as the paid for one aboard ship viz a viz the now higher drinks prices, the higher included limit and if the old $12 limit still applies... if it does, it's now a much diminished benefit. Much. This is a pretty dysfunctional organisation... what they tell you in the US often has no relation to what goes aboard ship. I know the pursers office and the poor wine stewards and bar stewards are driven to distraction by all this. Many to the point of gaming the system in your favour... and that's fine by me!

When it's "free" (we get a free lunch as Diamond level whatevers) and I think a free dinner from our agent, it's certainly "worth it"! We think the Veranda on QV, like most else, is the best in the fleet and even travelling Princess Grill, it made a nice change especially since we felt some cutbacks there and a bit of coasting overall on our May Baltic Cruise. I'd certainly recommend it for luncheon. The "pop ups" don't appeal to us... they are still "lido" despite all best efforts and although the Indian varient appeals, my wife just can't do Indian food.

Pleased you were pleased.... The beer prices are cheaper than most "happy hours" in the U.S. Nothing beats a San Miguel in the Commodore Club sailing out of Stockholm through the archipelago. And unlike the Grills Lounge, the crisps are not stale shards. Me... I just like to see another Expos fan .. like QE2, they date from 1969!

A big thumbs down to any... of any sort, at any volume, canned "musak" on decks, in dining rooms... anywhere. I was delighted on QV in May to the Baltic, it was mercifully absent around the midships pool where it has been an annoyance on past cruises. Hurray!! I just hope it stays turned off. It was a major turn off on QM2 around the aft pool and I just pity those occupying those very expensive duplex QG suites aft who are forced to listen to that audio garbage on their "private" verandas. There are zillions of ways nowadays to listen to YOUR music. No one should be forced to listen to someone else's. The original Veranda on QM2 actually had a wonderful 1950s West End menu, all in French of course, that was quite distinctive. Alas, too much so for folks who cannot conceive of "fine dining" without "a steak knife" the size of a Lee-Enfield bayonet. The present Veranda actually thinks it's "de luxe" to choose your bayonet from a large canteen of them.

Sounds like the classic line from the Viet Nam war... "we had to destroy the village in order to save it..."

Frankly, rather than the pins, the pat on the head cocktail parties, even the discounts, I'd rather be appreciated as a regular Cunarder (going back to 1977) by valuing what makes me sail with them rather than feel the company is all about changing what I like to attract folks who haven't spent a penny with the company. Loyality seems to engender a degree of contempt with most companies now... they think you're just not hip enough and can't wait to thrust you into the brave new world of "silent disco" and dressing for dinner like it's the 19th hole. That neither rewards loyality nor inspires future patronage.

Actually most of it overlooks "the ashtray"... the outside smoking area!! But you nailed it, it's like the waiting room of a colonscopy clinic in atmosphere. The service is forced, phony and as they say in show business, the smaller the house, the greater the effort. I think there six other diners when we had dinner. Personally, I wish they would convert it into the Grill Lounge. But as you say, this space has been numbing the skulls of Cunard management for too long. Odd, as the veranda restaurants in QE and QV are quite pleasant and busier for it, too. We'd the de luxe afternoon tea, brunch and luncheon in them on various cruises and all have been very satisfying.

Got it, too. It's North American market only or at least asks for "state" or "province". I was interested in one of the "what I want out of a cruise" being something like "eat in the same restaurant and dress formally in an elegant group experience".... the day when that's a "negotiable" or an "option,"... forget it!! Well at least it received one "Strongly Agree". Odd it never had a "Have a functional website for World Club members" option, though!! I guess they've given up the entire idea...

"Katie McAlister, President of Cunard...." Who's she??? So the Aussie bloke lasted about eight months?? Art might last forever (although in this case one might wish not), but Cunard "presidents" have the careers of whole milk in August.

When we were last aboard QM2 in January 2022 for 26 days, it was so deserted you could have had the whole place to yourself. We tried it once for dinner... not impressed on any level. But, the Verandah about QV this May for luncheon was superb. We were travelling PG, too, and found it really exemplary. But can't imagine you cannot get a table to yourself. Group table.. I would suspect not.

Well, we were on our honeymoon this very week 30 years ago.... aboard RMS QUEEN ELIZABETH 2, Southampton to New York back when... it was a proper five day crossing. Britannia Grill. Dennis Dawson as deck steward. And one of those enormous First Class staterooms with the trunk room and two portholes. I don't we've aged as much as steamship travel has in those three decades since.... well I wouldn't admit it anyway.

Well sigh.... looks like it's going to be Fred. Olsen for us for the second cruise for 2025... they have some wonderful itineraries I must say but it's going to be a bit of shock not "going Grill". I have not been on Fred. Olsen since the enchanting BLACK PRINCE so maybe time for a change and see what they have to offer. I was amused, too... their dress code is no different than the "new" Cunard and... no "theme" nights!! Hurray! Thanks SO much for posting these btw... a lot of work that's most appreciated.

One way to kill off Roaring Twenties night is to be entirely authentic and prohibit the sale and consumption of alcohol for the evening. BTW, as we all should know, "tuxedo" is derived from Tuxedo Park, Orange County, NY, were the short evening jacket for gentlemen was first introduced in the US by a local socialite who himself was made aware of it by HRH Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII. So in the US, it has always been referred to as a... tuxedo.

Odd that a "British" ship should be "celebrating" the so-called Roaring Twenties anyway... they weren't so in Britain. Maybe everyone can dress up as a General Striker or unemployed serviceman or shipyard worker. Time to put these "themed" evenings to bed. If you haven't the courage to just call them Formal Nights... Dress as grown up Ladies and Gentlemen aboard a Cunarder, please... then just go to "smart casual" and be done with it. I'd rather look at another sea of "khakis" and "polos" than inflatable guns and silly hats.

I guess we will be looking elsewere for our second cruise in 2025 (we are booked on QM2's long West Indies Cruise in January). We prefer QV and are not interested in "fly cruises" especially in or out of Barcelona and being hosed with their outrageous "GST" add on to all on board purchases. I am not sure if the Italians are in on this scam, though and it applies to sailings originating from there, too. We have zero interest in QUEEN ANNE on any level. Cunard doesn't have much confidence in her either if they resort to making her "the" Southampton ship to the exclusion of everything else. We might take another look at Fred. Olsen at this point.

Hard to believe it was almost 101 years ago that RMS LACONIA was the first Cunarder to transit the Panama Canal (29 November 1922) and then the largest ship yet to use the canal. Cunard paid a $13,237.50 toll.

Maybe it's time to revive....

Not in North America you cannot. There is NO interface with the Cunard loyalty programme. And has not been for five years.

What precisely is wrong with Cunard "loyalty" programme anyway? It's been five or more years since the website even existed or worked for this... it used to show all your past voyages, days aboard etc.and one could get nostalgic seeing QUEEN ELIZABETH 2, CARONIA etc. But Cunard has "IT issues" with this and other former functioning parts of their website that have outlasted three Prime Ministers and counting.

Or at least be honest. And respectful and fly the correct Red Ensign for Bermuda. A ship registered in Bermuda should NOT be flying a non defaced or plain Red Ensign. But this

Curious on most ships today where the staff are better dressed than most of the passengers. "Khakis" and "polo shirt" was what deck stewards wore on Oceania.... when we found 80 percent of the passengers were wearing the same at dinner (and more than a few with ball cap to boot), we stopped sailing with them after many trips. Khaki and polo shirt is fine if you're playing golf. But wearing in the evening to a fine restaurant or bar... you disrespect the venue if nothing else.