exlondoner

Not in England.

I’ll try and find it.

What are the access arrangements to the Grills? Do you still have to put your card in the hole in the lift or is there a tap on arrangement? And what about the terraces?

Probably on the other phone.

Some of you may remember a review, where someone’s cruise was pretty much ruined by disorderly non-matching cruets. I imagine they will happy with the ship at least. 😀

So do I.

That’s nice. Perhaps they will still be on Cunard when they are 80. 😀

So is there anything that isn’t dreadful?

Poor you. I suppose it was good it was the last day, and I hope you are not feeling too wretched now you are home. As a lot of crew have been transferred to the new ship from QV and the others, have you noticed lots of new staff?

Can you imagine the outrage if they hadn’t had a QR? 😀 Quite honestly, given what people are like, lots will complain over everything that is different from any of the other ships, and lots more over anything that is the same. I hate to think of the comments there would have been if social media had existed when the first QM replaced the Mauritania, though even then there would have been others complaining she was old fashioned compared to the Normandie (which she was). Despite everything, I am still looking forward to embarking on Friday…I think.

If that is the case, they will have to do something about the itineraries. At present QA is the only ship doing frequent European cruises from Southampton, something many current passengers value.

I think it said it was in the PG restaurant. I certainly hope so.

Just out of interest, how is it going to take you nearly two days to get to Lisbon?

Never went in PG on QE2, but I’ll tell you one place that did have banquettes, which was the estimable M. Roux’s Le Gavroche, though the ones there enabled both of you to face the room. Maybe it is his fault.

Well, I have asked to be moved, particularly in the days of smoking, but that is rather different.

I’m sure you were like me and always homed in on the pupils sitting at the back. 😀

I thought it was random seating at breakfast.

Sounds as if it is well worth avoiding. 😀

Yes, I had assumed the same, but pointing to the lift is not unhelpful. Has the ship felt steady so far?

You must have imagined the word only. 😀

Of course you do, like I really need nice white wine on Friday nights or I become fretful.

How many people really ever need to get from A to B? They want to, and, given that most of Ryanair’s flights are in Europe, very often there is another option anyway, called the train. The reason they choose Ryanair is perceived, though sometimes illusory, cheapness. But as we learnt in Covid, nobody actually needs a holiday abroad, any more than they need a cruise.

I am not sure that can be entirely right or nobody would choose to fly Ryanair, yet many people do, even though, as comparison after comparison shows, they are not always the cheapest. Lots of people seem to hate them but fly on them and stump up for the extras.

Isn’t that their job, just as the job of companies is to make a profit for their shareholders, if possible? And one can see that having shelled out nearly £500m for a new ship, Cunard might be keen to get their cash back. Is that wrong?

Always look on the bright side, I say. Actually, what is a bean counter?