ew101

What an excellent review. The best part was the price you got. When I think of other cruise lines- I think of all you give up.

I go back and forth on the sheltered balcony idea. Maybe it is like flavors of ice cream- keep trying until you decide.

Emily Post question- do you call the MDR to say you are missing your assigned dinner slot? They usually have a paper waiting list. It was interesting the MDR leadership recently on QM2 vs QV seemed to be focused on the whole guest seating issue vs visiting tables- but our service was flawless so did not need supervision. And they did remember our preferences on large window tables for breakfast.

I think drink prices- beer in particular- are in line with other ocean front five star facilities. The charging for tonic by itself seemed strange. (Steerage passenger alert) I might wish for a cheap house red and white - they could buy it by the tanker load- but we can pretend we are in Italy or Greece where the house wine is usually lovely.

I spoke with a very senior hotel officer aboard roughly 8/30/18- he said "six weeks trial- back to the old (French) menu after that - the concept may re-appear at some point in the future"

It was interesting at a Q&A on the NCL Breakaway a while back the Executive Chef was asked what the most popular dish was aboard- he said "steak"

So the idea of a popular alternative dining choice might be steak. Aboard, a British couple loved the steak menu and ate there twice- a couple from Houston Texas were not impressed

The way to arrange early MDR seating if it is utterly sold out is to wait a day, then ask kindly for the dining room leadership to sort out a temporary place. The no-show rate is significant for assigned dinner places.

What exactly does that mean? I thought if you chose your time slot that would be the time you would get a table for your evening meal or is it like P&O where you arrive at that time and if there’s no tables available they provide you with a pager?

You know there might be an idea here. If they put a tablet on the wall outside of the MDR and you could enter your barcode number and "release" your table space if you are going to the buffet. Otherwise the manager has to roll the dice and hope you don't show up if they give away your assigned space that evening. I wonder if they do this in the system if you make an alternative dining room reservation? Or maybe you can call in.

Concerning the internet at sea. This venture is such a cash cow for all the cruise lines as folks burn through their minutes seeking to find the internet, send an email and such while at the same time the connections keep breaking and one must begin again and again and again. Why would you ever fix that money maker when there is no alternative for the passengers and by the time they return they have like child birth forgotten the pain of last time.

I did a little math here- let's say internet packages bring in $40,000 per 7 day voyage. Indeed each additional package sold is all profit - as the running costs are fixed. The passengers do have a clear alternative- RCCL and other lines with better internet. (The state of the art on ships is you can stay connected all day for like $15.95- no logout.com- so your emails and Facebook flows in, and you pay extra to stream movies). It takes just 20 passengers to take their cruise business elsewhere for the next cruise to remove $40,000 to Cunard. This is not the wedding dress business- loyal repeat customers are a key revenue stream. If internet is critical to my life I don't buy more minutes I would book a different line. I personally overheard five formal complaints made to the line on this topic during our trip. I think of all the effort it takes for an outstanding guest experience- 21 flawless meals, tidy staterooms, well mixed drinks - this has to be a fly in the customer service ointment.

Hi- it was stateroom 5092- quiet, and nicely situated by the B stair tower. Plus if Nancy is still there you are in luck also.

In late 2018 we waited to find another amazing bargain on an off-season Med trip on the Queen Victoria. Given the increased demand for cruises, this was not to be. The backup plan was to re-create the original idea for our honeymoon over 30 years ago, a transatlantic cruise. Prices were decent on Queen Mary 2 crossings and frequent flyer miles /points could be used for flights and a Manhattan hotel as the school holidays were mostly over.

Cunard requires or at least celebrates formal attire and dressing up, so for that one needs baggage. The New York yellow cabs in the form of small Nissan vans are ideal for jumbo suitcases. The cab to the Holiday Inn Flatiron from LGA was around $50 and the same from the hotel to the ship. After reading many postings online, we jumped in the cab right after hotel check-out at 11 and arrived at the Red Hook Cruise Terminal at noon. We were aboard and unpacking our checked luggage in our stateroom by 12:45. I tracked down several senior hotel officers at the welcome reception and thanked them personally for this amazing effort. The secret on the speedy luggage delivery was later revealed by one of the waiters – a draft of crew from other departments helps to expedite the ship turnaround and bag delivery.

Once aboard the Golden Lion Pub did not disappoint. I am still slowly working my way down the beer list aboard, and a Jaipur IPA was a good choice. I managed over the week to try most of the excellent lunch choices. I started trying to decide between the fish and chips and the chicken tikka but ended upon the ploughman’s platter with the duck mousse, ham, chutney and an excellent soft bun.

A glance at the program for embarkation day revealed ballroom dancing with the live orchestra was at 8:30, which was also the time of our dinner seating. We are early dinner people and the reported 260 person wait list and notice in the program and signs to not try to seek early dining were not encouraging. Buffets seem unsanitary and remind me of a school cafeteria no matter how classy they are.

We are not steak people either, so Veranda was out (they had a six only week trial of a steakhouse menu) but the Italian alternative option – La Piazza -up in the buffet area ($14.50 on sale) seemed fine. They set up tablecloths and the china and the buffet wait staff did a credible job of providing fine dining for us. I had a shrimp and scallops entrée that was well prepared. The way to arrange early MDR seating if it is utterly sold out is to wait a day, then ask kindly for the dining room leadership to sort out a temporary place. The no-show rate is significant for assigned dinner places. You can also start a self-important rant as one woman we know did but that seems tacky.

The dancing was good. The dance floor seemed smaller (or perhaps wider and shorter) than the one on Queen Victoria or even the NCL Breakaway. We loved the orchestra (seven pieces and a skilled vocalist). Dances included foxtrot, waltz and rumba. They would mix in a jive and quickstep and play also recorded sequence dances on the band breaks. Note a metronome as in use by the bandleader. We were counting noses on the dance staff and came up short. There is usually a ranked dance couple aboard along with the hosts and hostesses. There was apparently last-minute incident involving the scheduled dance couple. The lead dancers from the theater filled in – the lessons were just right.

I despise in room refrigerators and the one on our deck five sheltered balcony cabin tortured me. Every 32.8 seconds it cycled, ran a bit then shut off. I called the front desk and they came out to fix it. After a new motor it now cycled every 40 seconds. Our cabin attendant, Nancy, got wind of this and agreed to have it unplugged. In the cabin you get a real teapot and plenty of outlets. The drawer pulls are pretty but useless as reported.They had a blissful limit to piped in music and announcements broadcast over the PA- even on the morning of departure.

Britannia dining was hit and miss. Several of us mentioned looking at the main dining room menus and the published-online “French” one for Verandah and being baffled as to what some of it was. The idea of mixing salads and starters on the menu was unusual. One of our table mates was surprised to see the fish course was fried with chips. It got better over the week- for those wanting lobster tails at no extra charge those were served the last formal night. The service was flawless.

We had a lovely discussion over breakfast on Morocco with our fellow passengers (a trip on my bucket list) which is a feature of Cunard. The morning breakfast large tables never failed to produce fascinating conversation. The lectures were interesting- I am a bit of a cruise ship/liner historian and one of the retired staff – Maureen Ryan (who is a rock star brand ambassador) - from the Queen Mary and QE2 gave a stirring several first person account of life aboard.

The idea of second seating dining continued to bother me untilit was pointed out that the clocks were to be set on hour later five timesduring the cruise at noon. So, after awhile, late seating got earlier and earlier by our body clocks. And the band started at 9:45 after the firstdays. The only line all week was to enter the teadance, which was well executed.

We peeked in at one show – it was dancing – but a bitstylized for us.

Cunard has on board boxing rings- the guest laundries. If you chose to join the fray, don’t wander off after your washing is done as there is keen competition for washers and dryers. On the other hand, lost socks were politely placed in the basket.

We had lovely mild weather all week- calm seas and Force 2-3 winds. This is apparently more common in summer – and Force 10 winds and matching storm driven waves are not unheard of in January as an example. The aft pool is a must have feature. There was still a bit of grousing about the cost of single cabins aboard- they at least have some. There were reportedly more than 300 single passengers aboard.

The new spaces post dry dock are attractive – I would have found a way to make the Britannia dining room and the dance floor larger, the rest of the ship layout seems sensible. There was not a trace of smoke from the modest casino or anyplace else on board, except, sensibly, the after outside teak deck, downwind. Several of the public rooms, such as the disco (G32) were quite stunning. And of course, the best feature, the wrap around promenade desk, was in constant use.

The only real gap all week was the Edwardian Internet- the Internet Centre was ground zero for angry guests and those filled with stress and worry about slowness, application access and the ancient logout.com feature not working. Cunard needs to a invest a little here in more satellite dishes- reliable Internet is as important as say tea or scones these days. On Saturday around 11 am, it took exactly 50 minutes to download a 79.2-megabyte file. This is also a crossing not a cruise and historically, captains of industry dictated memos and managed business affairs by letter (and later telephone) all along.

We took a cab to Southampton Central with our vast luggage. Note the last group leaves the ship at 10:15 (deck 3/4) so plan accordingly. We had a 10:00 train so switched to the self-directed carry departure at the last minute and were on our way by 8. There was no long line at customs at the UK end. Advance purchase rail fares can be very cheap.

The days flew by. By the time we realized this it was Friday afternoon- and there was a good trade at the on board booking office. My four novels, three movies and one (the shame of it) business book were finished. And life was good.

Just to be clear, I don't think that is a new dinner menu for the Verandah. It is identical to one I downloaded from voyage personaliser in May (prior to the recent changes to the menu for the "Steakhouse at the Verandah" introduced July 27). I don't think we know yet what Cunard's plans are for the Verandah on QM2 after the current trial period of the "Steakhouse" concept which Cunard has stated concludes on September 8.

It says it is a dinner menu. It is attached below (hopefully). But it is undated. You might be right.

The Verandah.pdf

Hattie it is a fair question. What we are leaving behind includes: Turkish kebabs. Chicken Shawarma. Seafood gumbo. Shrimp soup from Peru. Carbonara. Cheese stuffed hamburgers. Bangers and mash. The fish and chips from Portsmouth. Tapas. Paella. Anything Indian. Stuffed green peppers from Greece. Anything from a recent gastropub menu. Gnocchi. Bouillabaisse. Tamales. Deep dish pizza. Quinoa salad. Brussel sprouts.

If you have the best chefs in the world aboard, you can cook almost anything?

A menu for The Verandah is posted today on the Cunard.com site under booked guests.

 Starters 

White Crab and Sea Urchin Roe

Textures of Cauliflower, Squid Ink Cracker

Sea Scallop Ceviche Salad

Smoked Eel, Granny Smith Apple

Ravioli of Scottish Langoustine

Bottarga, Bagna Cauda, Parsley Purée

Duck Liver and Chicken Torchon

Fig Carpaccio, Espelette Chilli, Candied Hazelnuts

Frogs Legs Sucette

Crisp Shallots, Caramelised Black Garlic

Bayonne Ham

Gruyére Gourgé, Vegetable Chiffon, Olive Oil Jelly

Highland Venison Tartare

Soused Radish, Heritage Beetroot, Horseradish

Asparagus Spears

Oeuf Mollet, Pink Grapefruit, Warm Mayonnaise (v)

 Soup 

Soup of the Season

 Main Courses 

Wild Turbot en Papillote

Skate and Mussel Cannelloni, Chilli Crevett e,

Beurre Blanc

Slipper Lobster Tail, Octopus and Red Mullet

Fennel, Broad Beans, Bouillabaisse Fondue

Label Rouge Guinea Hen

Salt Baked Carrots, Morels, Dried Grapes

Liquorish Magret of Chalosse Duck

Nave and Orange Fondant,

Yorkshire Champagne Rhubarb

Loin of Gascon Black Pig

Ibérico Pork Presa, Boudin Noir, Apple Galette,

Pedro Ximénez Jus

Rack* and Shoulder of Dorset Lamb

Panisse Fritters, Niçoise Tapenade, Smoked Tomato Chutney

Galician Aged Beef Fillet

Escargots and Bone Marrow, Pont Neuf Potatoes,

Romesco, Marcona Almonds

Confit Byaldi

Piperade, Kaolin Pebbles, Goat Curds, Tomato Consommé (v)

 Desserts 

Amalfi Lemon Ile Flotante

Caramelised Sugar Crust

Poached Anjou Pear Parfait

Herb Florentine, Raspberries,

Chocolate Sauce

Chocolate Ganache and Tonka Bean Mousse

Speculaas Biscuit, Olive Oil Ice Cream

Coriander Meringue and Alphonso Mango

Pineapple Gel, Coconut Sorbet

Rum au Baba

Crème Chantilly, Demerara Rum Shot

Warm Agen Prune and Armagnac Tart

Walnut Madeleine, Clotted Cream

Hot Pistachio Soufflé

Pomegranate and Rose Scented Ice Cream

Cheese

Artisan Biscuits, Sundried Fruits

We could see nothing on it either of us would touch. Uncooked venison? It is a shame to be leaving NYC and all the lovely ethnic food choices to have this as our dining upgrade choice? The mass market lines in some cases make an effort to see what people like to eat- or even what is hip and popular.

We enjoyed the free sea day lunch more than once in the pub last year on QV. Is that impacted by this change? We were impressed they had enough cooks and waiters to provide table service to everyone. Was there ever food for free there at dinner time?

Which camera and lens did you use please. These are really good.

In our experience in MDRs (and on QV in November) everyone is assigned a seat to start. Then after the first night there is a fair bit of "breakage" - people changing seatings or table mates or just eating in the buffet or pub or room service. So do ask on embarkation day, and if not wait a day and see if there are openings. And they will sometimes maintain a wait list. There are a lot of tables for two. But they are, as reported, sometimes close together.

I'm very glad they are still having some dancing - it is falling in popularity sadly. On our two Jade trips Vaughn the Bandmaster would gauge the mood and move the bands around. When there is comedy in the main show room the show band can play a jazz set. The Jade and other smaller ships are suffering from a "draft" of experienced crew to the newer larger ships. We love the old school wraparound promenade deck on the Jade. We have had great experiences aboard.

It sounds like the most recent visa dispute with Turkey is on the mend.

https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2017/12/276772.htm

Thank you !!! I see they had a country band- was anyone dancing to it?

Is there any country and or ballroom music on the Freedom? Latin is also nice to dance to.

Taxes and port fees if applicable. There are no sure things in life except death and taxes.

I have learned to wait patiently for the laws of supply and demand to take hold. Last minute prices for December QM crossings and late or early season Med voyages seem to meet our budget.

I was impressed by the beer list on QV. The mainstream US lines (NCL etc.) are I think constrained by the unlimited beverage packages. These are by some reports sold to ~40% of guests aboard. If a guest will drink 10 beers a day, they still make money serving Bud Lite @60 cents a can but would lose on some epic IPA @$1.25 a bottle if you include shipping and handling costs. I agree with much of the commentary from RobbOZ. On a long voyage one could work through the entire list and validate his research :)

Thanks. I found you can scan the pages. Then save as a .jpg

Then open Word insert the .jpg. Save as a .pdf. Upload .pdf:) to Cruise Critic. Easy :)

Was anyone dancing to the music on Atrium 3?

In early November we were in a discount balcony and were assigned a table for two in early seating. We wanted a larger table and at one nearby a couple by themselves at a table for eight were upset at the head waiter for that setup so were happy for the company. I think they give everyone a seat initially in the MDR but then people eat elsewhere.

Here is a sample QV Daily Programme from V725 9 November 2017

qv1.pdf

qv2.pdf

qv3.pdf

qv4.pdf

Glad this thread got brought to the top again as I somehow missed it first time around....

 

I love sailing with Voyages to Antiquity specifically because they offer so many ports that are not often found on the itinerary of larger ships/mass market lines. Some of the delightful ports I've visited on their ship include:

 

Croatia: Zadar

Albania: Sarande (before everyone else went there)

Greece: Ithaca, Skiathos, Monemvasia, Thessaloniki, Kavala, Thessaloniki

Turkey: Canakkale, Tasucu, Antakya, Antalya

Cyprus: Limassol

Tunisia: Tunis, Sousse

Morocco: Casablanca, Tangiers

Egypt: Safaga, Sharm-el-Sheikh

 

Unlikely to be featured again anytime soon: Beirut, Tartus and Latakia (Syria)

 

Still trying to get to: Algeria, Libya

This is a good list. Libya apparently has some excellent historic sites.

Well the best way to see the smaller ports is by sailboat. You can Med Moor in front of the little tavernas. Ferry is probably second best. The cute port towns face the water. I can recommend Corsica - we liked it. What ever happened to Cueta? It was on some nice Holland Med trips in 2016. The whole concept of visting Africa - Tangiers, etc. seems exotic. We miss Turkey - I think the danger to tourists is overblown these days compared to other places. Hvar is great. One thing- I don't mind most ports- you just need to find the right place in each. One of our best trips was Canada new England and we had microbrews in each town.

We liked the Veendam a few years back in Canada/New England and could do some ballroom dancing. It seems like there is still an Ocean Trio and dance floor in the Ocean Bar?