Colin_Cameron

6 hours ago, safarigal said:

It is such a shame that the QE2/QM2 book got lost during the COVID clean up of the library on QM2.

I guess the QV book got lost as well? Haven't seen it for a few years either.

Those were still the prices on QA Maiden, this month.

On 5/11/2024 at 2:53 AM, Germancruiser said:

I am not sure if my question is already answered- well here it is anyway- the littel Specialities in the Carintha Lounge still free as on board QM2?

On 5/11/2024 at 9:02 AM, Bell Boy said:

Yes, charges are only for beverages.

I'm afraid not Bell Boy. It appears that while the food is free in the daytime there is a charge in the evenings! The cheese was $2.50 for a portion equivalent to canapes for 2. The oysters were $2.50 each.

Perhaps part of the reason there are no free canapes in the Commodore Club, if they're charging for them elsewhere.

A couple of small points I haven't seen mentioned. 

The 'do not disturb/please make up my room' signs are now magnetic. You just stick them to the outside of your door.

There is a really useful nightlight, at floor level opposite the bathroom door.

The casino isn't listed on any of the lift signs.

17 hours ago, Lakesregion said:

Couple of questons that have not be addessed.

1. Black Jack table minimum bet

Roulette: $5 min.

Poker: $5 min.

Blackjack: one table $5 min., one table $10 min.

These are all on video displays so would change easily. 

3 hours ago, Pushpit said:

... cropping your photo to reduce the portrait effect, trying to get more to a square, will be a quick fix here.

Cropping,  however minimally,  seems to do the trick.

6 minutes ago, Lakesregion said:

Couple of questons that have not be addessed.

1. Black Jack table minimum bet

2. Staterooms being serviced once or twice a day and by how many assigned stewards?

3.Chocolate on the pillow and turndown every evening?

4. What is available for lunch on embarkation day?

1: 2x blackjack, 2x poker, 2x roulette.  Will check minimums.

2: Twice a day. Not sure what you mean by how many stewards. We’ve only ever had a single steward. I'm sure if they were unavailable for some reason someone else would cover but in 30+ years of Cunard  cruising I've never known that to happen.

3: Yes

4: Depends on your check-in time and cabin grade. Probably Lido/buffet or Golden Lion.

Queen Anne's newest crewmember has now taken up his position.

His final training session.

Try as I might I cannot get portrait photos to post properly from this phone.  HH could you pls work your magic.

25 minutes ago, tacticalbanjo said:

It’s a beautiful day here, the Pavilion Poolis packed. So of course they’ve decided to shut the bar at 3.30pm. No one seems to be taking much notice of the little signs saying the bar is shut because it’s so nonsensical. Edit: Now quite shut at 3.55pm despite plenty of people round the pool. Bizarre scheduling. 

I guess they're getting it ready for the cocktail parties.

Nope.⁰

As someone that rarely uses the promenade deck on QE or QV I have no particular axe to grind, but here's my thoughts anyway.

The promenade deck has a more consistent width without the very narrow bottlenecks that exist on the Vistas, so may be more suitable for those out for pure exercise. The lack of any view on 60-70% of the circuit may discourage those out for a stroll. And those that used the loungers are obviously completely out of luck.

7 minutes ago, safarigal said:

However, how is everyone doing with the lift lady informing you that your lift is going up or down?

I got on at the top deck yesterday to be informed that the lift was going down.

I thought, "I @&%£!* hope so"

3 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

Is there not a gate or something that you need your card to operate?

There are gates but no sign of a card reader.  Though that may come.

2 minutes ago, MylesS said:

My worry with that is people using it as a shortcut to get from the front to the back

Especially when the alternative is two decks down, through the lido, and two decks up again.

1 minute ago, richard_london said:

So you have to go down to deck 10 and then back up to get to that deck? 

No, because that's also the Grills. You need to go down to at least 9.

7 minutes ago, richard_london said:

Is the rear of deck 11 not also grills I just got to where the wellness studio ia and there is a gate.  I thought it was all Grills only from there?

No, it's only the Centre section. The problem is getting from A to C without going through B. 

4 minutes ago, Cruise Puss said:

Hi everyone,

 

Possibly a daft question, but how many of the bars have seating actually at the bar?

 

Thanks in advance. ☺️

Tha Chart Room,  Carinthia Lounge, Queen's Room,  at least three of the outdoor bars and probably some others. 

20 minutes ago, MylesS said:

I disagree with a lot of what you’ve mentioned, but that’s due to personal opinion.

 

However, the quoted is completely wrong. We’ve never been able to go closer to the funnel on any other Cunard ship, regardless of Grills’ status. 
 

I’m happy to go to the spot and take a photo should you wish. 

I'm with Myles on everything here.

Edit to add that the photo I have from below, looking up is a portrait one so will probably turn sideways if I post it.

@tacticalbanjo I thought you would be easy to find but there seem to be quite a number of babies, infants and children on board.

2 hours ago, Selbourne said:

How are you finding the included dining experience ... reports of excessive delays earlier in the cruise 

Things are improving. Slowly, but they are improving.

Last night, night three, there was no queue to get into second sitting. The tablet/pad ordering system (used by the waiters, not the passengers) seems very hit or miss. Sometimes they're all using it,  sometimes they're all back to pencil and paper, and sometimes it's a mixture.

The food itself has been good, with the exception of a bowl of cold soup last night which was promptly replaced.

2 hours ago, tacticalbanjo said:

I watched Georgina Jackson in the Queens Room last night and quite enjoyed myself. A big downside is that there are pillars everywhere which block the view.

We watched this and enjoyed it as well, and agree about the pillars.  I can see this being a useful second entertainment venue. 

Maybe we shouldn't be comparing to the other ships but Cunard have invited the comparison by branding the ship as a Cunard Queen and labelling this as The Queen's Room. 

It seems I'm not alone in my thinking that the Queen's Room is not large enough. Tonight's World Club party is to be held in the Pavilion, by the pool.

And then there's the bad news.

The Queen's Room.

A "Grand Ballroom", it is not. It's not just the dance floor, though that's bad enough. It's the whole room. It feels like a hotel function suite. I had written 'corporate hotel', but it doesn't even aspire to that. Think cheap wedding venue. When you walk in from the aft end the first thing you see is the bar (which does have bar seating!), it's the focal point of the room. And the size! A quick scan around today at afternoon tea, a port day and overflowing,  suggests it has maybe a bit more than half the seats of QE or QV. On a ship that has 50% more passengers.

I've tried taking some photos to illustrate but none of them really show the true picture.  I'll keep trying.

1 hour ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

Or get a seat in the back row to avoid being called up. 

As you were seated several people, myself included, were asked if they would be willing to participate, I declined.  There was no pressure and it wasn't done during the show.

51 minutes ago, bluemarble said:

Queen Anne departing A Coruña ... Looks like she had a fireboat water display to accompany her departure.

 

Along with liberal use of the ship's whistle!