Nick&Simon

My view would be Queen's Grill is better for food, Seabourn is better for service.

I find main dining on Seabourn disappointing both in quality and atmosphere, but the fact drinks are included (no till just pour) and the much smaller number of guests leads to better service and a quieter atmosphere.

I know this will be contentious, but I generally find the guests in Queens Grill more interesting, on Seabourn it always seems to be a competition about who has the most successful childred ("my daughter is a medical doctor", "my son is a brain surgeon", "my daughter is an astronaut at NASA" ).

If you like excursion intensive I think Seabourn is great, if you don't it can be very dull in the day.

Daytime deck food, Seabourn blows Cunard away (Grills or not).

I think the Grill’s Terrace works very well, much better than the Vista class vessels. But with the entrance locks access to Cabana is a pain.

I only have two issues with Anne: the drains in 1840 can get very smelly and the door to the disabled toilet behind Sky Bar is a nightmare to work (or not work).

5 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

In that case, for my convenience in order to avoid the garlic clouds, should all meals containing garlic be confined to the kitchen?

 

No. I wouldn't dream of depriving fellow passengers of their table-side preparations just because I dislike [intensely] clouds of garlic. Maybe I'm just more accommodating of others enjoyment.

I believe there is a difference between something which is disliked and something which is a genuine inconvenience.

 To give you some clarity, the last time I was unhappy about tableside cooking was a passengers insisting their Indian meal be cooked entirely tableside. The Maitre’d advised against it but they insisted. Post cooking the Maitre’d has the good grace to apologise to me and offered for Cunard to pay for laundry. That was at his behest without comment from me.

@Victoria2 I am interested how you feel about this: I would hope you would agree that it is one of the perks as a QG guest to sit in the QG Lounge and have a conversation - laugh even - with other guests/crew. Does that extend to when the harpist is playing and my conversation may inhibit other guests enjoyment?

For clarity, you have not found anyone who does take it as read that fellow diners have a prerogative to choose to have food cooked table side. That is explicitly not what I said. But I do think it certain circumstances - which I have outlined - it is ill mannered, in the same way as disturbing other passengers by talking during a musical recital.

I disagree, it certainly is an inconvenience when the aroma is so strong that it clings to your suit and you need to incur the time and expense of having in laundered in order to wear it again.

What I agree with is a QG passenger can certainly have aromatic dishes cooked table side, but I reserve the right too ask people not to if it inconveniences me, and they have the right to be good mannered or not.

I have nothing against 95% of the dishes cooked table side, but I do have an issue with for example Indian style curries which are particularly pungent. I love the food and simply ask for it to be cooked in the kitchen.

Thank you for your advice on not booking if its bothersome, I will give that due consideration.

In reply to #4

Tableside may be available, it doesn’t mean it’s good manners to inconvenience other people though. 

We have ordered off menu Chinese "take away", Indian, Singaporean, Thai and numerous others, generally cooked to a very high standard and ample for a table for eight, yet alone one or two. We have had Singapore Chilli Prawn, but I am sure crab could have been arranged.

Earlier this week we had the old favourite of Seafood Risotto off-menu and it was as usual exceptional.

I can give you my tips on how to get a really good off menu meal in my experience. 
 

• Try not to arrive at peak times, later when it is quieter really improves things.
• When you order give them a rough time you will be arriving.
• Order the day before if you can.
• Try and order something with a base that is being used on that days regular menu, so if you see there is a prawn curry on the menu, asking for another derivative of prawns ie. Chinese Crispy Prawns seems the help.
• If you are going to want some additional or unusual condiments with your off menu dish, it speeds things along if you let the waiters know at lunch. 

and please, please, please, if you are ordering anything very aromatic, ask for in to be cooked non-table side. There is nothing worse than being on the table next to someone having their off menu Indian curry cooked table side next to you and walking out of the restaurant with the stench in your dinner suit.

3 hours ago, JT1101 said:

My TA just processed my last payment for my December trip on QM2 and my CC transaction shows they sent it direct to Cunard. That is what a TA is supposed to do. 

Not it it’s a net fare. We do not know if it is a net fare or not.

Obviously the TA will have much more influence with Cunard. A couple of questions to try and help:

1. When did you connect the TA about the issue?

2. My assumption is that this was part of a package including something other than the cruise (air; hotel; transfers; tours)?

As an aside, the question to ask your TA is "is this a net rate booking?" that meaning you are paying the fare to the TA and not direct to the cruise line. 

@57eric Did you bookings enjoy OBC in the same way a booking made with a FCD would?

It seems pretty obvious that the TA failed to remit the payment to Cunard on time or in an appropriate manner and therefore Cunard cancelled the booking. The TA has said as much in stating a new software glitch and not pointing the finger of blame at Cunard.

The TA has a number of weeks to work on getting a stateroom. Which experience tells most of us I think is highly possible, especially if the TA works proactively with Cunard. I think encouraging that is the approach @Nm hehappysailing should be pushing their TA to take rather that seeking to allocate blame or threatening legal action is the way to go. Escalate through the TA, ask them what they are actually doing? Who are they speaking to at Cunard to get you bumped up that waitlist? Where are you on the waitlist? How often are the TA checking availability? Have they asked Cunard for multijurisdictional inventory? What classes of cabins have they waitlisted you for? 

I would take solace in the fact the TA has not refunded the payment and the booking remains open in their system. Signs they are working on a resolution.

As a cautionary tale, even if a card charge shows as "Cunard" I would not assume your voyage has been paid unless you get a written confirmation of final payment from Cunard. I have had an occasion where a TA allocated the payment to the wrong booking. Luckily I always check on TA bookings before the payment deadline. I go onto the Cunard site, go to Pay My Balance and enter the booking details. If it says "Fully Paid" all is good, it is says "Contract your Travel Agent" it isn't fully paid.

8.55, the maitre'd will look at us in QG Lounge bar on QM2 tap their watch. Our drinks or collected and we walk through.

We order food and wine efficiently, if we have ordered off menu they know exactly what time we are arriving.

We are never the last to leave the Dining Room, and never get the feeling that staff are hanging around because of us.

We use Air Tags in our luggage on Cunard (and any other cruise line) and it works well. Upon boarding we go to a bar and check on our bags moving around the dock and ship and then when the are all outside the stateroom go and unpack.

On one occasion a bag became detached from its labels and we were able to track it down to the Grand Lobby with no problem.

Once underway forget it, it simply doesn't work accurately.

14 hours ago, lovetoholiday said:

Ha ha, having already done a seacation with Celebrity which was wonderful, I'm now prepared for the worst with Princess on Tuesday.

Maybe things will have improved by then. Thanks for all the information.

 

We were on the first Celebrity Seacation, and service was in a different league to the shambles that was Regal Princess. On the plus side all the crew and officers we spoke to know it's a shambles, so hopefully it will improve. 

18 hours ago, voljeep said:

who are / were the servers/ bartenders / staff in Crooners 🍸 🥃 or Vines ? - In Vines could you still get tapas with a wine purchase ? 🍷

We were in Vines last night asked the very helpful waiter for some potato crisps, we were told no food in Vines. So I ordered potato crisps on the App. We got a plate of French fries about 30 minutes later "we have run out of crisps". 

1 hour ago, little britain said:

 

 

@Nick&Simon enjoy all your future cruises on Cunard: the rest of us will struggle on. 

If it saves us from this abomination we will do...

And single ply toilet tissue! 

26 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

A question for those of you sailing on the Silhouette this summer in Concierge Class cabins -- are there foot stools on your balconies?   

 

Foot stools had been removed as part of the ship's "revolution," but this was a very unpopular move and many cruisers insisted they be brought back.  I recall right before the pandemic some folks saying that some type of foot stools were finally placed on the Concierge Class balconies, but there's little data out there, given the suspension of cruising.

 

I'm hoping that those sailing in Concierge Class this summer could let us know: do you have foot stools on your balconies?  (Photos of the balcony furniture would be an added bonus.  🙂)

 

Thanks so much for any info, and enjoy your cruises!!

Foot stools are there in Concierge.

 Not sure what is going on but Eurofins have set up in The Meeting place and there is a big banner saying "welcome to your rapid Antigen test ".

On 7/4/2021 at 4:08 PM, isdoo said:

 

What have they said when you complained about the Internet and indeed the food etc? 

I think I have been unfair, hence why I paused posting. Initially I thought what I see as poor service was teething issues, but after discussing with other passengers I realise it is normal service for Celebrity. I mainly sail with Cunard and the service standards are different.

I have reset my expectations accordingly.

20 minutes ago, 38anchor said:

 

Thanks for taking time to post - hopefully Celebrity are just finding their feet and things will improve as the cruise continues. Interesting that you found everywhere full - I guess that even with reduced capacity the social distancing measures are having an impact. Can I ask if the weather has played any part ie has it been raining so everyone is staying indoors?

 

 

The weather is good this afternoon and from where I am sitting - at a bar, that rule seems to have been relaxed - there isn't a spare seat. 

I don't know if it is usual for Celebrity, but there are no bar waiters and no-one clearing tables.

I suspect - but it's just a guess - with AI the bars three outdoor bars that see open are busier than expected.

5 minutes ago, talljules1 said:

What with this and the off snacks and buns yesterday, doesn't sound as though you are having much luck!

 

Hope things improve and that you enjoy your cruise.

 

Generally things are good, service is very willing and enthusiastic. Cleanliness is excellent. Murano last night was superb. 

But there are a few issues.

I don't think they have realised that with only organised tours available, many many people have remained onboard. 

As an aside the Eurofin team that were at the port yesterday are onboard. 

By way of an update, our experience so far today has been disappointing. We wanted coffee around 11am today, the coffee bar was full all morning. There are no indoor bars open and all of the outdoor bars were washed down at the same time. There is no room at The Porch, The Mast Bar or Mast Grill. 

We ended up eating in Ocean View and in my opinion it was terrible. I started with a plate of cold meats which were put on a very hot plate, then luke warm pasta with no spoon available and no condiments such as tabasco.

 It's the worst cruise food I remember experiencing. 

I know I will get flamed for daring to say anything negative, but it is what it is.

10 hours ago, Gilllizzie said:

Delighted to see the ship sail tonight! Hope you all have a wonderful cruise,  we are booked for the 17th July. I would really appreciate it if some of you on board this week could answer a few questions…..

Was there the usual one chic night, and did people dress up much?

How much did the experience differ from a cruise “pre covid“ ?

Were there quizzes on board, and were passengers allowed to form teams as usual?

Thank you, Gill

 

There was a quiz scheduled for 7pm in Craft Social last night. No-one turned up (or to be more precise, no one wanted to join) so it was cancelled. I have seen a couple of tables of more than 6 people, although I don't think it is officially allowed.

 Big scoop for me is that you can sit at the bar outside Murano, and you can order via the bar man, however a server has to bring the drink to you. 

Max four people to a lift with X on the floor to tell you where to stand.

I have seen quite a few people with visors rather than face masks.

I would describe service as amazingly willing, but rusty. For example I asked for a Heineken in Craft Social and the waiter just didn't understand, I ended up with some hoppy ale. My room steward is unable to bring me sparkling water. He has brought champagne, instead  he has brought tonic, but water with gas he can't do. 

My only real gripe (anything else being a niggle) is the AI wifi. It's unusable for anything other than the Celebrity App and the odd message on Whatsapp. You can't browse this site for example, you can't send a picture on whatsapp. 

A couple of other things. Drinks & More wine was two bottles of red. Welcome bottle was red.

2 minutes ago, lovetoholiday said:

I take it you got your results ok once you got to the terminal.  Hope it didn't cause too much stress.

 

 

Eurofins had a testing station set up at the terminal, it was probably 45 minutes extra delay. 

They didn't allow priory boarding for Concierge. At least they didn't for us.