3rdGenCunarder

Fortunately, they still have Assam, which I like, but I do miss the Darjeeling. HAL used to have a nice Darjeeling as their "house brand" tea, but that's been gone for years. The Fever Tree seems to be gone, and on QV last fall, I couldn't find any ginger ale. Ginger beer is not the same thing.

I do not understand the lack of ginger ale. Doesn't anyone want that as a mixer any more? It's about the only soda/pop/soft drink I like. And if I'm feeling a bit of mal de mer, that's what I want (and NOT diet, feh!) I think a quick run to ASDA in Southampton is in my future...

That's what they call it. Gravy of any sort at breakfast does not appeal to me. Your definitions of gravy and sauce match mine. A Jersey Girl grows up knowing this!

Thanks! Looks similar to HAL's Navigator, which works well when it's in a good mood. I like being able to check menus and the daily programme.

What information will it provide once I'm onboard?

Does it have any more information or functions than I can see on my computer at home? Like see menus or daily programs?

The HAL Pinnacles have a jogging track on the top deck. It's around the Pavillion roof. But on QA, there isn't a clear way around because of the Wellness Studio.

That will be annoying. I didn't pay all that money to lounge in a thoroughfare. That covered area looks nicer than the Grills Terrace. I've seen fleeting close-ups of that furniture but didn't know where it is. I suppose I'll have to get up at 5 AM to "claim a seat...

It's a lot of years since I was in PG on QM2, but now I remember it. Rather a sad space.

I would say tea in the Queens Room, although it is likely to be crowded. It's more of an "experience" than the Grills Lounge. Get there early to beat the crowd! Isn't the concierge in the Grills Lounge on 7 on QM2?

It looks like you'll have to go down to 9 and then up again.

Translation for US readers, think Dairy Queen.

I don't think it will help much. The space is awfully narrow, so the strollers will still have to squish against a wall to get out of the way. Perhaps the narrowness of it will drive the runners to the machinery in the exercise area. The pictures of QA's "promenade" deck look worse than I remember Koningsdam being. I wonder if the extra length has made the narrowest parts longer.

Ooh! Thanks for the heads-up!! I will definitely enquire about that. I loved the tour on QM2.

One of the reasons I booked PG is that the renderings made the shaded area seem larger and most other space looked uncovered. I want fresh air but I don't want to bake. Are there any loungers under that little covered area?

Good news that the theater is better "in person."

Actually, he was unusual in that he was satisfied if I gave him a small smile.

I had a bottle of Italian sparkling wine on QE in Alaska right after the restart, when they somehow couldn't get Pol Acker. I liked it, and was disappointed on my next cruise on QM2, when the dreaded PA had returned.

Something to look forward to! I wonder if it's the same prosecco they serve at the bars? I like it better than their posh fizz (Perrier Jouet?). Bring back the Veuve Cliquot!!!

We asked to be moved in one of the PG restaurants on QE2 because we were at the edge of the "smoking section" (no divider, just an imaginary boundary). Several heavy smokers made it a miserable dinner. One couple smoked constantly. I don't know how they managed to get in a meal, too. And to go back to the banquette discussion, didn't one of the PG restaurants on QEs have a row of banquettes? I have a vague memory of that being the smoking area.

I once assigned the class clown to a seat in the back row so his antics (generally mimed, not vocal) distracted only me, but not the other students.

It is, but you're given a table, not just told to sit anywhere. I think people are assigned a table from the computer, so that waiter stations can be balanced to avoid overloading. (Or am I remembering that from HAL?) One of the instances quoted above was dinner. With some tables being open seating, people may assume that being seated somewhere doesn't mean they have to stay there. But even so, it's rude and entitled. Who does that in a shoreside restaurant where they're shown to a table?

Or get a seat in the back row to avoid being called up. Shows like that can be funny or cringe-worthy, and it's a fine line.

How rude!!! I've had my table hijacked in the buffet, but never the dining room. If someone has a fixed dining table assigned and someone else just sits there, the waiter should say "Pardon me, but are you sure you're at the right table?" (Well, really, the waiter should say "This is NOT YOUR TABLE. Sit where you're supposed to be." But they have to be polite.) I suppose early on in the cruise, the waiters don't know their assigned customers yet, but supervisors need to tell them to "defend" their tables.

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