Victoria2

That's fine, You like the fantasy, I like the reality of the traditions. Think I'll skip on the RRs if that's ok, vintage or modern. The car park spaces at M&S don't lend themselves to tank sized vehicles. 🙂

Cunard's history is, history and for me, you can keep QM2 and her TAs. I am/was quite happy sailing the Atlantic on Queen Victoria, a cruise ship, not an ocean liner. 🙂 You have a longer association with Cunard than I London-Calling 🙂 because as a relative newcomer to Cunard, I go for today and hopefully tomorrow, not yesteryear and while Cunard traditions sit well with me, they are traditions, not fantasy. Fantasy is dreaming of the probably unobtainable. Fantasy is the longing for the bygone eras which are gone forever. Traditions are passed down from generations but are still reality. As I haven't the slightest interest in setting foot on QM2 again, any TAs will be by air, or one of her sisters. Reality bites again...maybe! 😃

Have you ever cruised with Cunard? I ask because a simple definition of fantasy is the imagining of the impossible. For me and many others, a Cunard cruise isn't the impossible it's reality, the reality of a wonderful holiday. 😀

You beat me to it on both counts. I'm an avid reader of both their blogs, and yours too. 🙂

Oh do give me the link, not that I'd play! 😄

We have various Fantasy Football 'leagues' over here in the UK. I guess Fantasy Cruising, if it doesn't already exist, could be of interest to some. Not me though.

To have two ships going right the way round could be seen as a little excessive. One per year, world events permitting, seems adequate.

Must be arbitrary as we have seen some cracking, reasonably current films on QV.

Thinks you meant to tag roscoe39

Excellent. It's all about personal perceptions. 🙂

Love Kirkwall. We have visited at least five times now, QE and QV. Afternoon tea v the archaeological aspects of Orkney? No contest. Let's hear it for Neolithic Orkney and yes, the Cunard archaeology excursions are excellent.

'Smaller' would probably have been more appropriate rather than 'crowded' buchanan101 .I don't know which itinerary you're sailing but I hope that both you and I thoroughly enjoy the new ship.

You prefer QM2, but I think she's a ship which has a stuffy, old fashioned atmosphere... but that's just a personal take. Although I have no issue with QE, I think my mindset for QV has evolved because of her overall happy atmosphere.

That's perfectly fine but for us, it's an intangible quality we experience every time we set foot on Queen Victoria. For us, she is a happy ship with happy staff/crew, which makes us happy passengers. Nothing more, nothing less.

Thx. I missed a couple 'forward' We''ll stick with the middle! 🙂

and I'm sure many others will agree with you, I've never eaten in the pub, but as M.Roux is apparently 'reimagining' the menu, we have no idea what 'we' will be faced with.

Difficult. We had lunch catered by his daughter a few weeks ago and it was faultless, The Rouxs are pretty special.

Golden Lion...sans fish and chips at lunchtime? If true, that's worse news than a narrow Promenade deck! Golly, standards as are definitely slipping if that's the case! 😄

I think there are around fifty nine QG cabin on QA. might account for the seemingly less crowded restaurant. All speculation to be sorted in the coming months. 🙂

It does and the refusal rate peaked in '21 and is going down. Have you checked the last decade for visa refusals? Have you given consideration to the world wide pandemic and the implications regarding travel from certain countries? China is opening up for both inward and outward tourism.

If it pours cash into coffers affected by the world lockdown and helps to keep 'my' cruise line afloat, then it's OK by me

and so when you googled, what was the source of your information.

Again, I agree but the slight implication one can save thousands booking direct depends on fares and routes booked and the difference for us, booking the same airline and route, with Cunard v with the airline, was most acceptable.

As one would prefer a direct flight but who avoids BA wherever possible, I can now appreciate the 'thousands' difference, so like for like, eg indirect flight, not too bad a difference, and if you have to have a stop, the Emirates lounges in Dubai are worth the stopover! 🙂

I don't think 'better' was implied at all. Happy, definitely.