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Basic Cunard -- what should I know?


DRS/NC
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I've cruised for over 40 years but have never cruised w/Cunard -- and I want to do so! I probably will be sailing alone though my DD & SIL may join me for NYC to S'hampton.

 

However, I need Cunard 101 -- how does a cruise on one of the Queens work? How do the different levels work? Must we "dress" for dinner every night (I think I'd lose SIL there.) Daytime wear?

 

What should we know before we book? :confused:

 

Thanks!

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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.

Edited by eroller
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DRS, glad you want to cruise with Cunard. Here are some answers to your questions. There are four different accommodation levels with associated dining.

 

The vast majority of the passengers will be in Britannia accommodations which include inside, window, and balcony rooms. These folk dine in the Britannia Dining room in two nightly services, Dinner is assigned seating, the other meals open seating. They are more dressy than casual in the evening. People are encouraged to dress nicely. There is the Britannia Club, accommodation and dining room, an "any time" dining facility, where there are fixed times for breakfast, lunch and dinner and passengers in that level of accommodation have fixed table and staff assignments. Then there are the Grills. Princess and Queens. Each has it's own dining room. Fixed table assignments for all meals and the same staff serving. In addition there are other eateries for light bits, full buffet meals these are the most casually dressed venues.

 

The Queens encourage dressing up, and have formal night on each Transatlantic crossing or longer cruises. There is a lot to do. There are interesting speakers. musical entertainment in the theatre and in the bars in the evening.

 

As a guy it is hard to tell a lady how to dress, but if you dress like a lady you will be fine. Jeans, tee shirts and shorts are not appropriate in the Dining rooms at night, period. People who only dress super casually will be accommodated in the Buffet call the Kings Court. There are also alternate dining venues with supplemental charges.

 

Other than the dining rooms, there is very little class consciousness on board. The Grills have a private lounge and a reserved deck space, but they are very small in comparison with the rest of the ship's facilities. which are open to all.

 

The principle difference in different groups is the size of the stateroom.

with the grills going from good size to huge with five Queens Grill duplex suites at the aft of deck nine. All of the rooms in the ship are nicely appointed. If you are going to be solo on QM2, look into the solo Britannia single cabins on decks 2 and 3, there are a limited number of these, so they book early, but they are the most reasonably priced for solo travelers.

 

I am sure other posters will add more detail to your request for information. Be careful when you book. I found my "once in a lifetime crossing" has quickly turned into my 17th and 18th voyages coming up next year.

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There are very few announcements on board unlike some lines. Therefore you need to check to see what is on as you will not get a reminder. Cunard will give you live music, lectures, ballroom dancing, well stocked libraries, quizzes and the sense of being on a ship.

 

 

 

That is what keeps me coming back for more. If that sounds good then Cunard is for you.

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It sounds wonderful to us. We finally took a cruise last year, then another last week, but both on NCL. We didn't like seeing cargo shorts in a nice French restaurant nor in the mdr, for that matter. It felt disrespectful to the excellent staff and to the whole experience. We hated all the shouting by cruise directors as well as drunk passengers. We longed for good music. So now we know...next time QM2.

 

We'll be planning a transatlantic for spring of 2020 as soon as the schedules appear...this week, I think?

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I've cruised for over 40 years but have never cruised w/Cunard -- and I want to do so! I probably will be sailing alone though my DD & SIL may join me for NYC to S'hampton.

 

However, I need Cunard 101 -- how does a cruise on one of the Queens work? How do the different levels work? Must we "dress" for dinner every night (I think I'd lose SIL there.) Daytime wear?

 

What should we know before we book? :confused:

 

Thanks!

My first cruise was on Cunard . There was mandatory dress for dinner every evening .No tee shirts or shorts at breakfast or lunch .

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My first cruise was on Cunard . There was mandatory dress for dinner every evening .No tee shirts or shorts at breakfast or lunch .

 

 

Today t-shirts and shorts are absolutely permitted for breakfast and lunch, even in the dining room. Personally I prefer to wear shorts and a polo shirt, but to each his own. In any case you will be within the guidelines and not turned away.

 

When I started sailing on Cunard, formal attire was required every night but the first and last. Times have changed, but it's still the most formal cruise line sailing today.

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Correct. Shorts and casual shirts are most certainly acceptable for breakfast and lunch in the dining room. Personally, I changed into dressier longer walking shorts or trousers and button down shirt for luncheon in Princess Grill and for afternoon tea. Short shorts, beach type sandals are still frowned upon for afternoon tea and for all good reason. But the real dress code does indeed really only come into force after 6.00 pm. And yes, it's expected that it is followed. From my recent QE experience, it most certainly was.

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I think "the rules" say no shorts in Britannia*, but I agree that it's not at all unusual.

 

*On the other hand, three of the five "daytime style guide" photos for men show men wearing shorts.

 

 

Nope. No such rule. In fact the official Cunard dress code for daytime wear even shows a man wearing shorts. You can find it on their website. It states this dress during the day is acceptable anywhere on the ship.

 

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The "rule" I believe underwatr is referring to is this bizarre statement about the dress code found in the Cunard UK FAQ for the question "Is there a dress code on board?"

 

"During the day

Casual shirts, shorts, trousers and beachwear are ideal. The main restaurants require a casual wear dress code for breakfast and lunch, however you may wear shorts in either the Kings Court (Queen Mary 2) or Lido Restaurant (Queen Victoria & Queen Elizabeth)."

 

One could argue that the use of the word "however" in this statement gives the impression that shorts are not appropriate in the main dining rooms for breakfast and lunch. But this statement is not to be found anywhere else other than this one place in the UK FAQ. The main Cunard web site itself, the voyage personaliser, and the daily programmes make no such statement about the daytime dress code and there is no issue in reality with shorts for breakfast or lunch in the main dining rooms.

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Sounds like a simple case of that one section of the website not being updated. I can see where that could cause confusion.

 

Officially and to set the record straight, you can absolutely wear shorts and even a t-shirt in the dining rooms for breakfast and lunch. I’ve done it many times (the shorts at least).

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Sounds like a simple case of that one section of the website not being updated. I can see where that could cause confusion.

 

Officially and to set the record straight, you can absolutely wear shorts and even a t-shirt in the dining rooms for breakfast and lunch. I’ve done it many times (the shorts at least).

 

Yeah, Cunard went to a lot of trouble to update that FAQ page to include the new dress code definitions for "Gala" evenings and "Smart Attire" evenings and even included the new statement "During the day, feel free to relax and dress as you please in all areas of the ship." But then inexplicably they left that old verbiage in place with that odd "however" wording concerning shorts in the main restaurants.

 

And along those same lines, they updated the FAQ to state that now "Non-ripped jeans are appropriate" in the designated casual venues after 6:00pm. But again they inexplicably left the following old verbiage in place which gives the impression that jeans are not appropriate in any venues after 6:00pm.

 

"Please note that after 6:00pm, shorts and blue or worn denim (for men and women); sandals and sleeveless tops (for men) are not considered appropriate within the ship."

 

In my view, not so much a case of one section of the web site not being updated, but rather a failure to clean up old verbiage on the dress code FAQ page while they were updating that page for the new dress code terminology. Bottom line, there are a couple inconsistencies in the dress code FAQ page caused by old verbiage that can be ignored. Probably best to stick to the places other than the FAQ that discuss the dress code.

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Regardless of the reasons for the verbiage and/or omissions on the UK website, my point is that shorts and even t-shirts are perfectly acceptable in the dining room for breakfast and lunch, and within the current dress code policy.

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In my view, not so much a case of one section of the web site not being updated, but rather a failure to clean up old verbiage on the dress code FAQ page while they were updating that page for the new dress code terminology. Bottom line, there are a couple inconsistencies in the dress code FAQ page caused by old verbiage that can be ignored. Probably best to stick to the places other than the FAQ that discuss the dress code.

 

 

 

It’s a shame they don’t take more care with the website. Anything technical doesn’t appear to be Cunard’s strong suit.

 

I still miss not being able to log into my World Club account and review my sailing history and profile.

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I've cruised for over 40 years but have never cruised w/Cunard -- and I want to do so! I probably will be sailing alone though my DD & SIL may join me for NYC to S'hampton.

 

However, I need Cunard 101 -- how does a cruise on one of the Queens work? How do the different levels work? Must we "dress" for dinner every night (I think I'd lose SIL there.) Daytime wear?

 

What should we know before we book? :confused:

 

Thanks!

If possible go Southampton to NYC. Instead of losing an hour a day you will gain an hour a day. Simply bliss!

 

We chose QM2 so we could experience the formal night life every night and we were not disappointed. Daytime wear was pretty generic. But evenings were gloriously formal! If that’s not your cup of tea, just stay at the buffet (which we tried one night out of the 14 and found to be sufficient)

 

Not to be missed on QM2:

 

The dancers in Queens Griil

The kennels while the dogs are out.

Promenade on the deck

Find the secret forward elevator to the library

Omg the Library!

Check out the bridge thru the viewing window.

Oh and never use white star luggage

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It’s a shame they don’t take more care with the website. Anything technical doesn’t appear to be Cunard’s strong suit.

 

I still miss not being able to log into my World Club account and review my sailing history and profile.

 

Just part of the attempt to recreate the glory days of steamship travel. After all, there was no Internet in the era of the Mauritania.

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:') Please say that again when you're standing next to QM2's Chief Engineer. :')

Also, make sure that he isn't carrying a spanner at this very moment.

 

The Cunard website is nothing to do with the Chief Engineer but is a problem they have with their IT department in Southampton and P&O who also use the same IT department have similar issues and everytime something goes wrong it occurs on both companies websites.

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If possible go Southampton to NYC. Instead of losing an hour a day you will gain an hour a day. Simply bliss!

 

We chose QM2 so we could experience the formal night life every night and we were not disappointed. Daytime wear was pretty generic. But evenings were gloriously formal! If that’s not your cup of tea, just stay at the buffet (which we tried one night out of the 14 and found to be sufficient)

 

Not to be missed on QM2:

 

The dancers in Queens Griil

The kennels while the dogs are out.

Promenade on the deck

Find the secret forward elevator to the library

Omg the Library!

Check out the bridge thru the viewing window.

Oh and never use white star luggage

 

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.

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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.

 

 

 

That’s a shame but I could see it happening.

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DRS/NC

My wife and I have only cruised twice and both were trans-Atlantic crossings on the QM2 so we really are newbies. However, in just these two cruises some strong impressions were formed.

Cunard is more than a brand, it is a culture. There are other companies that have a strong cultures such as Home Depot, IBM and Apple but I think what makes Cunard's culture so unique is that it is embraced by management, employees and, most importantly, by its loyal customers. If I had to sum up that culture in just 3 words I would say it is tradition, service and civility. I'm sure there are cruise lines that you can sail around the world on, enjoy great meals on and even zip line on but I don't think you will find another line that embraces these three values more highly than Cunard and in particular on the QM2. I'm not saying that Cunard is perfect but they try really hard to create a special experience. Probably what has surprised us the most, as newbies , is the many different ways the passengers create their own crossing experience.

Cunard does not try to be all things to all people. But with that said, and based on your extensive causing experience, I think you will find a voyage on Cunard to be a special experience. If you do take a cruise, I'm sure everyone would love to hear your feedback.

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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....

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