3rdGenCunarder

I feel sorry for the ship security people. They must be so tired of having to ask passengers if their phones are in their pockets.

I think all of my embarkations in Southampton have followed the QG, PG, Diamond, Platinum (and Club in there somewhere). Brooklyn sometimes does, but often when they call the first group, everyone gets up and joins the queue. In Vancouver this summer, there was priority embarkation, but it was based on arrival time in the pre-boarding waiting area (actual time, not assigned). They seated us in rows as we arrived and then called us to board by row. They seemed to be seating the non-priority passengers in rows as they reached the waiting area, but I didn't see how they called people to board. Thank you for your earlier comments about security. Perhaps excitement about the voyage makes people deaf? As I waited to board QA, I heard repeated announcements about taking off jackets, removing loose change and keys from pockets, etc. How anyone could get to the security point and not know this is beyond me.

I'm glad you enjoyed your time on QV. I love the idea of four queens for four decades. How will you top that for five decades? The two vistas are my favorites. For me, they're the right size, good layout. I agree that you shouldn't compare decor from ship to ship. Each has its own look. The thermal suites on QV and QE are the best of any ship I've been on, both Cunard and all the different classes of HAL ships. I haven't had a chance to try Riviera, but if you ever do a northern cruise, try the Nordlys popup. I don't know what it is about Yacht Club, but its use and energy level always vary during a cruise. What areas did you think were underutilized?

On HAL's Pinnacles, they provide popcorn for movie nights. I don't know about blankets, as the cruises I took on Koningsdam were in the Caribbean. For this ships that don't have the poolside screen, I think they offer popcorn at the indoor movie venues.

Seeing the price of a rental from the local men's shop, DH ended up buying a tux from them for less than the rental. One of his first questions when I would suggest a cruise was "Is this one where I will wear the tux?"

If you want to be adventurous, ebay has lots of brightly colored tie/cummerbund sets. Or look for a waistcoat instead of a cummerbund. DH had a beautiful silk waistcoat.

I did see an inside cabin when we did the cabin crawl in May, but I don't recall the bathroom. My PG bathroom was smaller than a PG bathroom on QM2--I don't think it was larger than a standard balcony bathroom--but it had adequate wall shelves and a shelf under the sink. The sink was a vessel sink, which I worried would be splashy, but it was okay. And yes, it was centered, but the space was so small that I don't think moving it to the side would make much difference. Balcony tables are always small. I haven't been in QG, but balcony or PG, little tables are on QM2 and the Vista ships, too. And on HAL unless you're in a Neptune Suite (comparable to QG). I haven't sailed on a lot of different lines, but I haven't seen a shelf over the bed. I don't think that's a good idea. It requires standing on the bed to get to it, or if it's low enough to reach without that, there's the risk of bumping one's head. And there's the risk of rough weather causing items to fall off the shelf and hit you while you sleep. I don't remember the lighting near the sofa--I think there was a floor lamp--but there were little high-intensity lights for reading in bed. I agree that storage is too limited. I was fine as a solo for two weeks. But a couple on a longer cruise would have trouble stowing all their clothes (or perhaps they could bring less clothing and visit the launderette often). People have said they were bringing magnetic wall hooks to hold some of their clothing. The Queens Room has been discussed extensively, but what's wrong with the Pavillion?

I agree. I think I read somewhere in the "fine print" that Diamond boarding priority depends on the port, with only Southampton and NY definitely honoring that. Going back to QE2, in Southampton our Gold travel companions were able to check in and board with us--the woman who let us all through was amazed that I thought they might not. In NY, they were told no. (so we waited with them)

That was my experience for my past three check-ins at Southampton (except I don't remember the assigned times). I usually arrive around 11:30 and Diamond gets me straight to check-in, whether I've been in Britannia or PG.

On the Pinnacle ships, HAL is putting all their entertainment budget down in the music walk. it's one of the reasons it would take a really special itinerary to get me on a Pinnacle again.

It is hard to draw a line about what kind of sandal/flipflop is okay. But yeah, dollar store flip flops aren't a good idea. I had to wear flip flops on formal nights on Cunard when I broke my small toe. I couldn't bear to put my sore foot into my usual dressy heels, so I found black flipflops with beading on the straps. Nobody tsk'd at me, even at the captain's party.

That was our experience, too.

Do people listen, or talk over the music? I've given up on music while dining in NYC. People just talk louder to be heard over the music. We used to go to a jazz brunch in the city, and for many years, people listened. But then more and more people talked instead. Same thing with the blues musicians who used to play in a New Orleans-style bar. We would ask to be seated near the musicians so we could hear them.

Look at how thick the letters are. They probably couldn't produce the detail of the globe. And it looks like they didn't leave room for the crown. Some people describe the lion with a globe as a monkey holding a nut.

My feelings are exactly opposite. When there is quality music, I don't want to listen to it through other people's conversations. If musicians are playing softly, the intent is background music. If they're giving a full-on performance, they are meant to be listened to. Perhaps that's why LC was in a performance space and not in a bar, where noise and conversation are expected. The problem with music in the MDR is that only the tables near the musicians can hear them.

"Later development" for shorter segments? I'll believe it when I see it. HAL does not make much of an effort for cruises that aren't legendary or grand. I would like to hope that my 11 day cruise on Eurodam will have good entertainment, but I have low expectations.

I think LC started on K'dam. Originally, LC had their own space in the music walk. I think it was across from Billboard and later became Rolling Stone. It was open to the walkway, which was a noise problem (more open and worse than Explorer Lounge on the other ships). It also was too small for the audiences they attracted. To solve those problems, HAL moved LC to share with BBK. That space was good, but because BBK played nearly every night, LC performances were late afternoon or early evening, awkward times conflicting with early fixed dining.

I loved the Lincoln Center groups, and that "Eleanor Rigby" was a fantastic arrangement. The variety of styles they played showed the versatility of the performers. One thing LC had that the prior Adagio lacked was chemistry. The LC groups I saw clearly loved the music they played and enjoyed playing together.

I hope for a little better than merely competent in the MDR, but I agree that it's banquet food, designed to satisfy a variety of tastes. Even most of the food in the CO restaurant comes from the main galley at dinner. (Many of the breakfast items in CO are cooked right there.) For the upcharge cost, the Pinnacle, Tamarind, and Canaletto should exceed merely competent. IMO, Tamarin and Canaletto definitely exceed. Pinnacle, sometimes.

Thank you for posting this! I've been waiting for an email from stockperks since the 11th. It didn't occur to me to check the ap. I just checked the app and saw that I was eligible to request the OBC, so I entered the booking number and now I'm waiting for the final OK.

Thanks for posting this! I'll be on Eurodam in January, and that sight of instruments in Ocean Bar gives me hope for something to listen to in the evening. But I have to say, an upright piano? They should have a stray spare now that Lincoln Center is gone. Or do they have some kind of classical duo/group now?

I have been generally happy with the food on HAL, but I'm very easy to please--I didn't have to cook it, so they're ahead right there. Reading this review, I realize that I'm a boring eater. I think there's good variety on the buffet, with an Asian station and other "distant lands," but I have the same salad lunch most days. I tell myself that the salad is a healthy option, but by the time I've enhanced it at the taco bar, I know I'm kidding myself. One thing I have found is that portion size in the MDR can vary greatly from one main course to another. I recall a huge portion of roast beef or pot roast, and the person next to me had a very small piece of salmon. I do fixed dining, so I haven't used the Navigator app for reservations, but one of the things I like about the app is seeing the menus in advance. I agree that Tamarind is worth the upsell. I ate in Canaletto on Eurodam (sister to NA), and it is well set apart from the rest of the Lido, with only one problem. There's an entrance from the general seating area that should be blocked off so that people don't wander in with their buffet food, looking for somewhere to sit. But the Canaletto food is so good that it's worth a little distraction from the people who wander in. I also agree about the smoke that comes into that section of the Lido. The double sets of doors are supposed to block that, but one set of doors is often kept open to make it easier for people to pass through. Unfortunately, that makes it easier for the smoke to come in, too. I try to remember to avoid getting a table near that door. As for the tea, I rarely drink the iced tea. And for hot tea, I travel with my own tea bags because most of HAL's tea is awful. Sometimes they have PG tips, but I don't always find it.

Yes, I think so, too. There was a whale watch in Iceland that had the non-exclusive comment. HAL's price was 30% more than booking directly with the vendor. And it was a 2-block walk to the boat, so no transportation added.

I had less than stellar excursions with shore excursions group. And don't believe that their reviews are all 5 stars. I wrote a scathing review of a very bad tour and that review never appeared. Even a 4-star review of a tour that was good in parts, but overall disorganized never got posted. @trinitygirl, check the port of call boards, too. Some of the boards have members who generously give lots of good information.

I agree with @NancyDrew1953 that tours aren't always loaded onto the website all at once. This is especially true for ports where logistics could be complicated and ports that Cunard doesn't visit often. Keep checking to see if something new pops up. Have you joined the roll call for this trip? Perhaps someone has found a small independent tour that you might join. Or you there might be someone who watches the website and alerts the group. When I did a cruise around Australia on QM2, one member of the roll call checked the Cunard website often and posted information as tours were added. (@Whitemarsh, are you still around?) I think half of the people on the flightseeing to Kakadu were from the rollcall because of his heads-up.