Basic Cunard -- what should I know?

For the record, I wear shorts at breakfast and lunch if it's a day for shorts.

 

Others here on CC (not present in this thread, I guess) have pointed to that statement to object to excessively casual dress in Britannia.

Good for you. I also wear shorts on a nice day, and it's perfectly acceptable and within the guidelines. Dress during the day on Cunard is casual. If people don't like it, tough. As long as you're adhering to the dress code that is the important thing, not what others think.

Now I do take issue after 6pm if people are not adhering to the dress code. After all, the formality after 6pm is in part what makes Cunard, Cunard.

 

I can imagine many used to say RCCL, NCL, MSC or even today's P&O, feeling quite lost on Cunard. There's no forced activity, no noise, no poolside "contests", no hectoring PA announcements, no "freedom" dining and no "I can wear what I damn please because it's my vacation".

 

Many of us worry, for all good reasons, how long Cunard will have the corporate courage to remain unique. The new ship is perceived by many as a "threat", the thin wedge (or stake) driven into the heart of what we existing customers like about in the first place. I often mused about "the new ship" taking my pre breakfast 1.5 mile walk around the boat deck, smelling the sea, feeling the spray and seeing the sea in all its glory just last week on QE. And appreciating on the new ship I won't be able to do any of it. And that may be just the beginning....

There is some cause for concern. As I mentioned earlier (on this thread or another), often times when a new ship is introduced the cruise line will use it as an opportunity to reinvent itself. That can be good or bad, or usually a combination of both. We shall see.

BTW Peter I'm not sure why you left LL, but you are missed. Not much happens there lately but recently there was a great discussion about Italian liners. I know you would have added a great deal of insight.

A frind who made a QM2 crossing with us is a former travel agent with lots of cruises under her belt. She told us the biggest difference that sets QM2 apart is the amount of open space in public venues. Unlike other lines, Every Open space is

not dedicated to selling things 24/7. Also , the lack of constant intercom announcements with sales pitches and drink specials.

I often mused about "the new ship" taking my pre breakfast 1.5 mile walk around the boat deck, smelling the sea, feeling the spray and seeing the sea in all its glory just last week on QE. And appreciating on the new ship I won't be able to do any of it. And that may be just the beginning....

But also note that internally Carnival considers the new build to be the first of a new ship class and not another of the Konigsdam class.

If the new ship ends up being largely a Konigsdam clone as first information suggested, you'll still be able walk laps on a promenade desk but it will mostly be behind lifeboats.

 

But also note that internally Carnival considers the new build to be the first of a new ship class and not another of the Konigsdam class.

Don't believe it. There is no new "class", this "Halifax" tag is just a ruse to make you believe this isn't all just minor reworking of the K'DAM platform which it most certainly is. Indeed, the line drawing that accompanies this proves it: it's the K'DAM with a different funnel. There will be no boat or promenade deck as we know it and if you fancy walking around a narrow passageway that's about 3-4 ft. wide in places with a bulkhead on side and a lifeboat on the other, you need the exercise more than I do. Just as bad, it means that there will be a whole deck of public rooms with NO seaviews, either. Just a blank wall of lifeboats. Think of Deck 3 on QE and QV with all the windows painted over and that will be the effect.

Are capris with pumps and a dressy top ok for women in the evening

Are capris with pumps and a dressy top ok for women in the evening

As a guy I would not dare to presume what is appropriate evening attire for the women. I would suggest wearing what you think makes look good, and is somewhat comfortable. Think evening cocktail party. It's so easy for the guys. Tux on formal nights and sport coat with or without tie on the informal evenings. Pretty straight forward.

Good luck and have fun with the wardrobe!

Don't believe it. There is no new "class", this "Halifax" tag is just a ruse to make you believe this isn't all just minor reworking of the K'DAM platform which it most certainly is.

I've been on both QV and Eurodam and to a passenger, they're not all that alike.

I think we've only seen the Halifax tag in an internal document dated late in 2017 that managed to make it into a recruiting video. I don't think it's purely marketing because Marketing hasn't used the term (unless Carnival is much better at viral marketing than we're giving them credit for, which is entirely possible).

But yeah, no evidence that you're wrong about the promenade. I think however that it's wider than 3 feet. One source says five feet at its narrowest.

Don't believe it. There is no new "class", this "Halifax" tag is just a ruse to make you believe this isn't all just minor reworking of the K'DAM platform which it most certainly is. Indeed, the line drawing that accompanies this proves it: it's the K'DAM with a different funnel. There will be no boat or promenade deck as we know it and if you fancy walking around a narrow passageway that's about 3-4 ft. wide in places with a bulkhead on side and a lifeboat on the other, you need the exercise more than I do. Just as bad, it means that there will be a whole deck of public rooms with NO seaviews, either. Just a blank wall of lifeboats. Think of Deck 3 on QE and QV with all the windows painted over and that will be the effect.

I agree with all the above. It's a K-dam clone for sure. Same platform. There will be interior design differences for sure, and even some layout changes, but it's essentially the same ship. Keep in mind these ships are really just an evolution of HAL's Signature Class, which QV and QE are part of. Same basic design but more cabins and the redesigned promenade deck (lifeboats sitting on the deck) to provide more revenue producing unobstructed view cabins. Like Peter mentioned, the trade off is public rooms with no view and a narrow promenade deck with only patches of open space with sea views. But hey, Cunard gets an entire deck of cabins they can sell at higher per diems!

Jack Dawson summed it up best.

 

Indeed, in a world where every company and "experience" yearns to be all things to all people, a squishy conformist blob, Cunard is pretty unusual in the cruise world. You either love it or hate it. And the irony is I am old enough to think it's "mainstream" by being traditional when it is indeed the last bastion of anything like ship travel as I remember it. In some ways, it's like Renaissance Cruises when they started in 1999 and "out there" by being so radically different from other lines i.e. no dressing, no kids, no smoking (anywhere), no bookings by travel agents etc etc.

 

I can imagine many used to say RCCL, NCL, MSC or even today's P&O, feeling quite lost on Cunard. There's no forced activity, no noise, no poolside "contests", no hectoring PA announcements, no "freedom" dining and no "I can wear what I damn please because it's my vacation".

 

Many of us worry, for all good reasons, how long Cunard will have the corporate courage to remain unique. The new ship is perceived by many as a "threat", the thin wedge (or stake) driven into the heart of what we existing customers like about in the first place. I often mused about "the new ship" taking my pre breakfast 1.5 mile walk around the boat deck, smelling the sea, feeling the spray and seeing the sea in all its glory just last week on QE. And appreciating on the new ship I won't be able to do any of it. And that may be just the beginning....

That sums it up pretty nicely. Cunard has a culture of its own. A lot of things are done in a certain way simply because things ARE done this way. I once met a young bartender in the Commodore Club, who apologized that he was on his first term with Cunard, and that he had still to learn "how things are done the Cunard way".

There wasn't much need for an apology, however, the drinks were excellent.

What I really appreciate is the motivation and friendliness of the staff. I only ever met one grumpy employee on any of the ships. His name was Kevin - you may guess the position he held.

“I can imagine many used to say RCCL, NCL, MSC or even today's P&O, feeling quite lost on Cunard. There's no forced activity, no noise, no poolside "contests", no hectoring PA announcements, no "freedom" dining and no "I can wear what I damn please because it's my vacation".

Precisely why we're done with NCL and so eager to join the QM2!

I will not try to add too much to what has been said above however, if you have cruised Princess in my opinion the QM2 in Britannia class is a notch above Princess all around except believe it or not afternoon tea and that is because the QM2 gets a bit crowded at tea while Princess does not.

Personally, I don't think it is worth the money going above Britannia balcony. It depends on when and where you are sailing which type of balcony to get. In the summer/warm weather I would not get a sheltered balcony.

Also, as has been said people make the cruise and I think it depends on where in the world you are traveling. We sailed on a New England segment and I think TA might be similar. Really nice group of people.

Good for you. I also wear shorts on a nice day, and it's perfectly acceptable and within the guidelines. Dress during the day on Cunard is casual. If people don't like it, tough. As long as you're adhering to the dress code that is the important thing, not what others think.

Do people tend to dress up somewhat for tea? It just strikes me as calling for more than shorts and a tee shirt.

Some do and some don't. It's entirely up to you. I've gone in shorts before. I don't usually wear a t-shirt except to the gym or pool. If I'm wearing shorts around the ship it's with a Polo shirt, and I have absolutely gone to tea in that dress and felt personally fine. Mind you I'm not one that cares what others think about my dress. If I'm within the dress code that is all that matters to me, not what others are doing or thinking.

That's the Queens Room not the Queens Grill for dancers and dancing.

 

The Queens room is also one of the places for afternoon tea.

Ten years ago, on a New England/Canada cruise, we encountered an elderly British lady [on board for a Southampton round trip] who thought that the Queens Room was restricted to Queens Grill passengers - and missed out on a week of afternoon teas and evening dancing.

:oSo embarrassing! My apologies for that error. Thank you for catching it.

There are "classes" so to speak but they generally relate only to the size of the cabin and what restaurant you dine at. There are not "gates" or barriers like in the old days to keep you within your class. You can pretty much go anywhere although there is a partial deck and bar/lounge reserved for Grill passengers. Queens Grill are the largest suites and best dining experience. Princess Grill is next. Britannia Club is a section of the main Britannia dining room reserved for those guests, and it offers an open style dining arrangement (assigned table but not an assigned dining time) like the Grills but the cabins are basically standard balcony cabins (slightly upgraded decor). The suites are scattered throughout the ship and not in any single area, so all passengers mingle together. Britannia is the main dining experience (some joke and call it steerage) and that is where roughly 80% of the ship is booked. It also happens to be the grandest dining space onboard, a full three decks on QM2 and quite beautiful. Food and service are equivalent to lines like Celebrity, Princess, and Holland America. Not gourmet but quite nice and certainly a step above lines like Carnival, MSC, NCL, and Royal Caribbean. There is also a buffet, and on QM2 it's called the Kings Court. If's open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if you want a more casual experience.

 

I would say the biggest difference from Cunard to other cruise lines is the structure and formality. In Britannia there are still two assigned seatings for dinner, and assigned tables so you will dine at the same table every night. This goes against the trend of pretty much every other cruise line that has gone to a more open dining concept. The other big difference is the formality. Men are expected to wear a jacket minimum every night of the cruise after 6pm, including the first and last nights. Two or three nights will be designated as formal, and a tuxedo for men is very common. In fact the vast majority of men will wear a tux on the formal nights, something you don't see on any other line anymore. This again goes against the grain of most other cruise lines, which have gone completely casual 24/7. Dress during the day on Cunard is casual. Shorts (weather permitting), t-shirt, etc. Swimwear if you want to lay on deck or use the Pavilion pool (glass covered on QM2 so great in any weather).

 

One other feature that sets Cunard apart is the enrichment. There will be lectures planned every day and they are well attended. Most are very very interesting and worth attending. Evenings have shows just like other cruise lines. Production shows or a singer, comedian, etc. They are ok, nothing overly special.

 

If you're doing a crossing, you will most likely sail on QM2 which is the the flagship of the fleet. She is a true hybrid, meaning combination liner/cruise ship. She is grand and wonderful, yet a bit quirky in her layout which to me makes her even more interesting. She offers a gorgeous wrap around promenade deck lined with padded steamer chairs, very old school. She is the most stable ship I've ever sailed and I've sailed on over 120 cruises on most cruise lines. She also has unique features like a kennel to carry dogs and cats across the ocean and even a planetarium, both one of a kind features. The other two ships (QV and QE) are standard cruise ships and share the same platform as other Carnival Corp. ships, yet are outfitted to a higher standard. They are more ordinary cruise ships but still very nice. QM2 is truly one of kind though. There is no other ship like her at sea, and she is probably my favorite ship afloat. She truly embodies the Cunard experience, especially for a crossing which she was specifically designed for.

 

One other thing I'll mention, especially for crossings, are your fellow passengers. They are different than an ordinary cruise and this is in part what makes Cunard so interesting. They tend to be well traveled, international, and quite interesting. On a crossing there is a purpose, going from the old world to the new, or vice versa. This alone provides a much different atmosphere than an ordinary cruise. There are no ports to get in the way of enjoying the ship and experience, and over the course of a week you really learn a lot about your fellow passengers. There is a lot of camaraderie and it's something that has become a bit lost on the giant mega-liners cruising the Caribbean or Med.

 

I hope this gives you a little insight into the Cunard differences. If you have any questions, please ask away.

What a great report xx

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

eroller- Interesting that you put RCCL in with NCL and Carnival, foodwise. I'd include it with Princess, Celebrity and Holland.

eroller- Interesting that you put RCCL in with NCL and Carnival, foodwise. I'd include it with Princess, Celebrity and Holland.

Food in general is so inconsistent, even within the same cruise line. So many variables at play. I've sailed on each of those lines multiple times and I've had experiences ranging from bad, good, to excellent. Overall I would say my worst experiences with food had been on HAL. Just bland and tasteless. Canned fruit cocktail at the buffet. Surprisingly I've had fantastic food on Carnival, but also pretty poor experiences. Funny enough one of my very worst food experiences ever was on Cunard, on QE2. That same ship also offered one of my best experiences ever. Usually, and I'm sure you already know this, dining at any of the speciality restaurants, especially on mass-market lines like NCL, Carnival, and Royal Caribbean mean a much more elevated dining experience.

Overall my favorite line for cuisine has been Oceania. It was truly gourmet every night. Very innovative cuisine, great quality and presentation, and wonderful surroundings. I was so impressed. Beyond that I would say Celebrity has delivered a pretty consistent above average experience.

I sailed in 2013 on the QM2.   I was quite worried about "dressing up" because my only other experience with ships was a TA in 1966 on the original QM.  As a tourist class passenger we weren't asked to dress for dinner but in those days people were not so casual. I don't remember seeing anyone in shorts for any meal but its been awhile so maybe I've forgotten.  My friend who has cruised a lot gave me her experience with dressing for dinner.  She said I was worrying about it too much, and she was right , it was not a big deal in Britannia.  I wore a long black velvet skirt, a dressy top with a little bling to it, dressy sandals. Some nights I added a bright pashima. Even if I only brought the skirt I could have made 5 outfits out of  it with different tops and accessories. I don't remember a lot of elaborate ball gowns.  Some nights were semi-formal ( a   dressier  street length dress)  Some nights had themes (black and white, same black skirt with a white sequined top) And if you didn't feel like doing this much there was the Kings Court buffet.  Two men at our table wore tuxes on the first and last night but in my opinion that wasnt necessary.  A plain suit would have been fine but so many men these days object to even that.  If they only knew how good they looked.

I only ate dinner in the main dining room in Britanna on the QM2  but it was my impression that for breakfast or lunch you could sit anywhere. Not sure if they had specific times or not.  For those meals I ate in the Kings Court buffet.  I wondered what assigned seating for dinner would be like.  I was a sngle and they placed me at a table with other singles, mixed ages.  It was great!  I sat next to a woman who was with her husband but he was at another table. She said they did this so they would meet other people.  My only other shipboard experience was the original QM in 1966.  I was a teenager and sitting through the multi course meals (x 3) with the same group of people was a bit much.  I got so sick of this, and eating huge meals in general, one day I didn't show up for the lunch meal. My mother was quite upset with me lol