seasickphil

We have disembarked in Barcelona a few times before but always at a leisurely pace. Cunard can only offer us flights back to the UK at 18.20hrs but we don't want to wait around all day before flying home and then having a 3hr drive home. We can get a flight at 10.50am, so if we self disembark do you think this would be achievable. Queen Elizabeth is due to dock at 07.00am ( we believe ) and not having any experience of getting off the ship early we really would appreciate other peoples views on this. Yes we know there are always things that can and do go wrong but would love your thoughts on this please and maybe some of you have actually made flights this early which could help with our decision. Also if you self disembark do you all just make your way to the gangway and wait, or do people in the grills get priority like they do when embarking. Thanks.

4 hours ago, phil1107 said:

I am very partial to Scotch and bourbon and port - and tequila in warmer weather.

Whatever drinks you prefer just ask Regent if they they will be stocked on your cruise. If they are not available then you can ask Regent if they can provide them on your cruise. Availability to source and the cost of the product will determine whether Regent can/will provide the drinks you most want.

2 minutes ago, mnocket said:

Hoping something doesn't happen is quite a bit different than thinking something won't happen. Wouldn't you agree?

Certainly i agree but i believe it is wishful thinking to assume luxury cruise lines would be any different to mainline line cruises when it comes to cutting costs, especially after what has happened to the cruise industry since the pandemic.

On 3/1/2023 at 2:19 PM, toolworker said:

That's the way it was in Rio too.

Can i ask what hotel did Regent use please. 

1 hour ago, Pcardad said:

Why do you think they killed the Pool Deck Grill for dinner? To save money.

My point was to mnocket when he said:

I'm hoping that the cost cutting that has become very apparent on the mainstream lines (e.g. Celebrity, et. al.) doesn't start to rear its head on the luxury lines.  Those cost cutting measures are what has driven me to RSSC. 

I was asking him why he thought luxury cruise lines would be exempt from any cost cutting measures.

On 2/28/2023 at 8:21 PM, mnocket said:

I'm hoping that the cost cutting that has become very apparent on the mainstream lines (e.g. Celebrity, et. al.) doesn't start to rear its head on the luxury lines.  Those cost cutting measures are what has driven me to RSSC. 

 

It's notable that the areas that were singled out for driving expenses up were fuel, food & labor.  These are exactly the areas that we are seeing increased customer complaints on the mainstream lines - shorter port stops, decreasing food quality and declining service due to understaffing.  I hope there's a firewall that will prevent these cutbacks from impacting RSSC, but who knows?

How or why do you think luxury lines will escape any cost cutting measures?

I don't have any dealings with Regent regarding flights. ( 2 previous cruises, both concierge so just went along with flights provided ) Have just booked a cruise on Splendor in July with flights from Heathrow included with Regent, with the cruise finishing in Southampton it made transfers more difficult for us. So a phone call too our TA at the weekend regarding getting flights out of our local airport, on Tuesday afternoon i got a phone call from him telling me that Regent can arrange flights from our local airport for a very small supplement. New flights arranged from different airport than originally given and 148 day's before departure, no problem.

34 minutes ago, Crown Vic said:

On one QM2 transAtlantic crossing, men entered the dining room wearing a jacket but were not stopped from removing the jacket and placing it on the back of the chair. 

I admit it was a while ago ( pre covid ) but one evening when onboard Queen Victoria while having pre dinner drinks in the Queens Room a gentleman, who was dancing, removed his jacket and rested it on the back of his chair, a senior officer came over, smiling he removed the jacket from the chair and told him what a lovely jacket it was, then saying to him that he was sure it would look much better on him rather than on the back of the chair, this was while he was holding the jacket up for him to insert his arms into, the man smiled and obliged. Alas i think those times have now gone.

3 hours ago, majortom10 said:

That is just splitting hairs. I was talking generally there is always somewhere to go if you don't want to adhere to the dress codes Andrew that has always been the case. I was talking about the official Cunard dress code where they have changed to Smart Attire and jackets are not required where in the past jackets were required every night if eating in MDR.

 

Maybe i was ( although not intending to ) but not everyone know the dress code that's why the op asked a question. So many threads on Cunards dress code proves that not everyone know them, i was just giving  places where they could go if not wishing to dress up. I have no intention of starting an argument on the subject, after all we know there has been a great many of those over the years on here. 

1 hour ago, majortom10 said:

Doesn't matter where you are in the world the dress code for Cunard now is black tie with dinner suit or dark suit and tie on formal nights. The rest is classed as smart attire where collared shirt and trousers and no jacket is required.

That is not strictly true, you can of course avoid this if you just wish to go in the Lido/ Golden Lion/ Cafe Carinthia/ Casino or the Casino. Of course, why you would want to do that when sailing on Cunard i don't know but that option is available.

Obviously not everyone sailing on Regent feels the same about the included excursions being poor, if they did then some of the tours that we would like to go on whilst aboard Splendor in July would not be showing as unavailable. 

If you are sailing in warmer times then Queen Victoria /Queen Elizabeth have a lovely little area called The Courtyard in the grills where you can dine al fresco.

Duplicate Post.

John,

On Queen Elizabeth Q331B 

10th Oct is Red and Gold

13th Oct is Roaring Twenties

With it being Friday 13th hope everyone on board avoid any unwanted mishaps.🤣

3 hours ago, mrlevin said:

Kirkwall I would book a private tour of Highland Park Distillery.  In Belfast I would go to the Guinness Experience tour; fantastic.  Edinburgh if you are there in August definitely go to Tattoo.  Otherwise, Edinburgh Castle and also Royal Mile and Holyrood House and Britannia.  In Waterford take the choice excursion to the Waterford Factory.  

 

I am not a fan of the "small group" as it usually means "small bus."

Is the Guinness experience tour also held in Belfast?,i know and have visited the one in Dublin not sure there is one in Belfast.

46 minutes ago, mrstanley said:

The problem is very few passengers want to sit in the sun. The loungers in the sun are often unoccupied. 

That depends what waters you are sailing in, if you are in Scandinavia/ Baltics than a lounger in the sun would be most welcome, if not essential, as it would be some what chilly to say the least to sit in the shade.

Dress standards have changed on cruises and not just on Cunard, some people are against them, some not. Before Covid when we were on Queen Victoria a gentleman removed his jacket at dinner and placed it on the back of his chair, a bit later the Maitre D came round and he complemented the man on having a wonderful jacket, then saying that it would look much better on him rather than on the chair. He removed the jacket from the chair held it up for the man to slip on, he then brushed the mans shoulders with his hands remarking how lovely it looked on him he then turned away and carried on with his duties, job accomplished. It is now no longer required to wear a jacket in the evenings so it's peoples choice whether they do or don't.

We were on a Regent cruise earlier this year where the dress code is classed as elegant casual but even so i would estimate that 80/90% of men chose to wear a jacket at dinner. How you dress is what it is, some people (like us) like to dress up other people may wish not too, it is and rightly so everybody's right to dress how and what they feel comfortable in. (as long as it is within the cruise companies guidelines)

In life people have choices to make, some indeed are more serious than what you should or should not wear while on a cruise but at the end of the day it is entirely up too the individual on how they wish to dress. As for me i just wear what my wife tells me.😉

1 hour ago, Solent Richard said:

First with QUEEN Victoria news again Bell Boy.

 

Here’s the Captain’s letter….

You would at least hope the Captain would know which year we are in.

It often makes no difference which bar/lounge you are in, as it all depends on which bar tender is working the said bar, when we were on Elizabeth earlier this year, my wife and Sil, who like a cocktail or two, loved the cocktails made by a certain bar tender but he was not always in the same bar/time every night. So if you find a guy that make cocktails you particularly like, it might be best to search him/her out rather than a particular bar.

3 hours ago, papaflamingo said:

I NEVER once suggested that damage was intentional.  What an absurd allegation.  Damage does happen, but it would be very hard to prove intention.  And to accuse someone of criminal conduct with nothing more than "gee I didn't tip so they purposely damaged my luggage" is pretty arrogant. 

But if you're worried about it I suggest you hand carry all your luggage yourself.  For me, I want porters so I don;'t have to hand carry mine. I'm on vacation and don't want to have to work any harder than I need to. 

 

papaflamingo 

I apologise, it was wcsdkqh who suggested this could happen in post 37.

2 hours ago, papaflamingo said:

Yes, most cruise traffic in Miami IS on Sat. and Sun.  The porters agree to work on weekends because it's. profitable. It's profitable and worth their time so they "signed up" to work weekends.  It's profitable and worth their time because of tips.  Take away the tips and you'll see fewer and fewer porters giving up their weekends.  I have been to ports where there is only a couple of porters. It results in a long wait to get luggage both collected for boarding or assistance for going home. 

And since this was a discussion begun early, why do you think my response isn't pertinent?  I didn't start it, I simply comment on a number of comments.  

If the Miami porters partake in criminal damage if they don't get a big enough tip, then i would not care if there were no porters at all. I do realise that some people rely on assistance with luggage etc but i would rather look after my luggage myself instead of giving someone the chance of deliberately trashing it. I have never sailed out of Miami but judging on what has been said here i don't think i am missing much.

5 hours ago, wcsdkqh said:

Consider yourself fortunate.

Are you seriously saying that the Miami porters/baggage staff would purposely damage your luggage if you didn't give them money, surely that happened back in the Al Capone days, wasn't it called protection money then, not a tip.

Tips are normally given to the guides if you go on any included shore excursions.

1 hour ago, Kristal Blade said:

I was hoping there would be one waiting for us. 
thanks for that insider info, Kwaj girl.

1982CruzStart, I prefer to wait till I have unpacked before I have my first glass, I would put things all over the place if I was under the influence! But a glass during the re pack is a must!

There will be a bottle of Monopole Blue Top on ice, waiting for you when you first enter your suite. 

1 hour ago, exlondoner said:

And even worse in a way is seeming to say that you’ve got lots of dosh so you expect to be treated better than your fellow passengers. Actually this applies at all levels. I would not expect a passenger in a Q1 to be treated with greater courtesy and helpfulness than those in an inside cabin, and I don’t think they are.

I totally agree but if was in a Q1 and found out that i had lost my table to someone who had given a hefty or even a small tip/bribe then i would certainly be a bit miffed and would definitely let my displeasure be known to the hotel manager.