Victoria2

Selecting and reserving an actual dining table could be quite difficult in QG as the table numbers and configurations change to the dictate of passengers' preferences. Selecting an area shouldn't be too hard an ask although the ask should come with cabin grade taken into consideration too. I have to say though, all the folk I sort of know through meeting them year after year and so like you, are Diamond geezers, do seem to get their table preferences or approx preference if window table is asked for as there are a finite number and as demonstrated at boarding lunch, not all those requests can be facilitated.

The only thing which would entice me to dinner there, is the seafood platter but as I could get most of it as a special in the restaurant, we won't be dining in the Verandah for dinner.

We have Verandah'd a couple of times on QV, always for lunch on the Diamond freebie and only to dine with friends. I have said it before and I'll say it again. Pretentious and stark. Would I pay for the experience? Not in a million years.

I like hearing Mozart as background music, but then I have no problem with popular classical music playing very softly in the background. Much as two Wagner pieces would be in my Top Ten, they might give me indigestion if played as I play them at home or in the car! 😄

I don't recall it either this year but then if it wasn't intrusive, we wouldn't notice as it's just something we're used to. It is so quiet it can be missed especially when conversing with the next table. Vivaldi, Mozart, the usual Muzak with occasional vocal music were the choices in the past.

QG often has very, very soft and low key background music. It seems to make deserted lunch time atmosphere more 'warm'.

Well that might sink without a trace! 😕

Destroy in order to save? Interesting use of the phrase. The 'village' has been pretty well 'undestroyed' on our last three cruises over the last year. Long may it continue.

Another tip is, if you have any internet credit via your loyalty level, remember a couple have it times two and so on a shortish cruise, it makes sense to utilise them both by paying a daily rate rather than one whole cruise contract.

I couldn't care less about pins, apart from they make nice Christmas tree decorations, cocktail parties or even discounts but as a new, in the greater scheme of things, loyal Cunard passenger, I welcome the tweaks if it keeps the cruise line I love, in business.

and they would most certainly be at the top of my loyalty tree although, Devil's Advocate and all that. loyalty is difficult to quantify in some respects. I wouldn't be surprised at all the number but I would be surprised if there were many of that elite group on a week's cruise to the Fjords for instance. 🙂 Mr and Mrs Bloggs who do their one holiday a year on Cunard and who take an inside cabin for one/two weeks every year, are just as loyal Cunard clients as those who have a thousand plus nights on Wordldies. Glad I don't have to make loyalty decisions as I'd be a bit of a rebel in some respects.

Tricky route when talking 'per diem'. Where do you draw the line? If money spent was a part factor, we'd be up there with the 1000 nighters with our measly 350 nights.and even though we would benefit if amount spent was taken into consideration, I don't think it should as amount spent, as has been pointed out in the past, does not equate to loyalty, just the ability to pay. One thousand nights definitely should be recognised though. Not many will achieve that and I like the idea of Tin. Lovely play on the idea of a base metal for the highest grade. 😄 Yes, include ' dry' cleaning onto free laundry list. Would save us using obc even if we do get a 20% discount now,

Most definitely.

I agree with Roscoe on the ease of climbing the ladder and I would be surprised if 'the suits' weren't thinking about that and another tier. I don't get aggrieved about our mere [😄] 350 days Diamond as opposed to a fifteen cruise Diamond with an achievable less than 60 days, but I do think another tier is warranted with complimentary Internet. I guess if we weren't QG, we would be ticking the dining possibilities even if we did have to dine with crew [😄] which we have done anyway in the past and the spa pass sounds good but apart from that just gimme the internet!!!! 👍

A day's spa pass and more obc to spend on an internet package, plus. onboard spend discount, as long as our bar bill was included would be most acceptable. The rest, not interested.

Huh We haven't. Obviously not good enough clients! 🙂 Would you all put 'complimentary internet' for me please. Thanks. 👍

'The Aussie bloke' was named President of Carnival UK but also interim President of Cunard whilst recruitment was ongoing. Not too shabby for 'An Aussie bloke'.

We all have different viewpoints on 'what is art' and I think some of his artwork extremely clever.

Excellent attitude. We never felt excluded from anything or experienced any sense of 'we're only lowly Red or Silver tops'. We accepted we would climb the ladder of loyalty and be able to participate/enjoy anything which came with the rung we were on. Hopefully, most passengers would think like you and me.🙂

Entirely up to you but as a guide, I'm not a dress wearer, and I used to mix'n match with elegant evening trousers and fab top but now. I always go long on Gala nights as it's a pleasure to wear an elegant long dress on a lovely occasion at sea. At a very rough estimate, I would say fifty percent wear long on our QV trips and when I say long, I don't mean I don't mean ball gown but as you indicate, a 'black tie' dress. 🙂

Well, my crutches then sticks became very elegant when I adorned them with tinsel and ribbons!! That was elegant, or trashy, depending on viewpoint! 😄 Seriously, only those who have experienced mobility issues either first hand or through a relative or friend can appreciate that looks are not at the top of the must haves when using aids. Practicality to suit the individual and surroundings, rules.

Never heard of the brand and it's not the most elegant piece of kit, but then if mobility aids are needed, and this fits the bill, on googling, if wheelchairs can manage, then dimension wise, this will be fine.

That will never happen. I have no idea if folk take loyalty benefits into consideration when booking. We certainly don't as the only ones we benefited from was the free, at the time due to usage, internet [now we have to use part of our obc to top up the internet charges] and laundry discounts. We occasionally use the Lido pop ups if friends are onboard but that's it. However, many passengers put a lot of store by the various levels even if they aren't a deciding factor when booking. I would be happy to go up a level and have complimentary internet. You can keep anything else.

Although there were many red tops on our last cruise, the 'Officers' Party' was rammed and whilst it's great to see so many repeaters, there has to come a time soon, when another tier is introduced to the existing loyalty levels of Cunard World Club. Maybe internet plans could be looked at, at that time.

We had some 'fancy dress' on a Roaring night, think Peaky Blinders and inflatable guns, and I'm sure Cunard didn't set out to encourage fancy dress but everyone had a marvellous time and as other folks' dress has no impact on us at all, it's just great to see a buzzing, happy ship. Same with Masquerade. Some passengers didn't get the memo and turned up in 'different' dress but again, so what. A dozen or so out of over two thousand? I think we can all live with that. I know we can. 🙂