"Live from" Queen Elizabeth to the Mediterannean! My First Cunard Experience

[lovely_serenity]

I've just finished reading through this very lengthy thread.............

 

We are looking to go on Cunard for the very first time, after cruising with many other lines. But we were a little 'put out' by some of the responses. We loved the cruise report, along with the food porn!

 

Loved this report and the others that you've done............it gives us a taste of the line etc.... I was a little upset by some of the earlier responses.......I hope that's not representative of the Cunard cruisers.......... they were were very rude/inconsiderate...

 

Hehe thanks for taking the time to read through this whole thing :) I'm glad you liked it!

 

I think that Cunard is definitely worth a shot (if it's within your budget), because it is quite a unique and interesting experience! I feel like I definitely feel like the positives outweighed the negatives.

 

Thanks for reading my other reports too (:

 

Do not worry, you should not be bothered by what people say! This is definitely not representative of the Cunard cruisers, the people I met on board were some of the most polite and nice people I've ever met on board a ship!

[cruiselife4me]

Sarah, What a great review. I just read your Disney Alaska that you posted recently...loved every minute and all the pictures, then had to start on this. What a great writing style you have. You are funny! Love that.

 

So sorry about the sea sickness. They also make the patch...it's a prescription but it helped me immensely. Just remember to switch them out every couple days. If you don't (and I speak from experience) you'll be walking around like a drunken sailor.

 

On to your HAL review. My eyes are getting blurry but I can't stop! I love the details in your reviews - I'm someone that appreciates that very much.

Mary from Michigan

[lovely_serenity]

Sarah, What a great review. I just read your Disney Alaska that you posted recently...loved every minute and all the pictures, then had to start on this. What a great writing style you have. You are funny! Love that.

 

So sorry about the sea sickness. They also make the patch...it's a prescription but it helped me immensely. Just remember to switch them out every couple days. If you don't (and I speak from experience) you'll be walking around like a drunken sailor.

 

On to your HAL review. My eyes are getting blurry but I can't stop! I love the details in your reviews - I'm someone that appreciates that very much.

Mary from Michigan

 

Thank you Mary! :) I'm very happy you enjoyed it! & Thanks for taking the time to read my reports ^^

 

I actually heard about those little patches you stick behind your ears! The weird thing about that day was that everyone was really dying despite the medicine we took (which typically works wonders!).

 

LOL thanks for reading! :D

[candhu18]

Sarah

I have missed reading your excellent review. Will be travelling on Cunard again at end of the year. QM2 this time. Will have to re-read your review of QE before I go to remind myself of all of the facets of Cunard.

 

The Holy Land trip was wonderful. Some of my own photos of the trip are now on my flickr page. Alas none as good as yours. I'm still blaming the camera which broke during that trip. Got a new one so will have to return some day.

 

I hope you achieved the academic success you were striving for and obtained a place at your University of choice.

 

All the best for the future and once again thanks for the months of enjoyment I had reading your blog on QE.

[lovely_serenity]

Sarah

I have missed reading your excellent review. Will be travelling on Cunard again at end of the year. QM2 this time. Will have to re-read your review of QE before I go to remind myself of all of the facets of Cunard.

 

The Holy Land trip was wonderful. Some of my own photos of the trip are now on my flickr page. Alas none as good as yours. I'm still blaming the camera which broke during that trip. Got a new one so will have to return some day.

 

I hope you achieved the academic success you were striving for and obtained a place at your University of choice.

 

All the best for the future and once again thanks for the months of enjoyment I had reading your blog on QE.

Well I hope you have a wonderful trip (: & thanks for reading!

 

The trip was indeed incredibly interesting! Haha you should definitely go back! (But make sure things have calmed down over there first!)

 

Thank you very much! I did indeed get a place in the university of my choice and will now be going into my second year of uni in september :)!

 

Thank you very much and I wish you all the best (:

[Bimmer09]

Sarah,

 

While re-reading your epic review again yesterday I noticed a comment regarding the food on the QE-where you complimented it and the waiter said it was because the galley makes the food when you order it and he suggested, or you surmised, that Cunard was alone in that. Not so. As a veteran of many Princess galley tours and talking to head chefs Princess also cooks a la minute as it is called.

 

Obviously things like salads and soups can be prepped beforehand and kept cold or hot, ditto slow cooked dishes like stews, but when you order a dish that can be cooked within 15 minutes or so (steaks,lobsters,pastas, anything fried etc) the order is placed and cooked right then. The buffet of course has to cook en masse and use heat lamps and steam trays.

 

I noticed in your brief summary that you were not "over the moon" with many of the dishes served...solo pancake missing the butter, steak and mushroom-less pie...lack of detail there!

 

Regarding Afternoon Tea- a great British tradition-Cunard cheaped-out by giving you butter instead of clotted cream...

 

Princess Afternoon Tea (delivered all at once in this instance) Caribbean Princess.

 

[/url]

On the scones plate is a ramekin of clotted cream and one of raspberry jam.

They bring you a wooden box with an assortment of Bewley's teas.

 

As you are a foodie here are a couple of lunch dishes for you to drool over...

(Ruby Princess)

 

Shrimp and avocado

 

 

Beef tenderloin with broccoli and oven roasted red potatoes (hiding at the rear)

 

Hungry now?

 

Thanks for being so generous with your time in writing these long reviews and for being so graceful when handling your vociferous critics-"go placidly amidst the noise and haste..."

 

Now a question-why do you cut off the faces of your family? Are you all in a Witness Protection Program?

 

I have been using my real name and my own photos since day 1 on CC and so far no kidnappings or death threats. I have only been recognized once-in Pompeii of all places and the encounter was very friendly and gratifying.

 

Before I go- have you eaten in 5 Sails at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Vancouver?

Yummy- see my Diamond Princess review (a couple of pages in I think)

 

Lastly- you need some fresh Princess in your portfolio- 2006 on the Diamond is too long ago! Good food.

 

Best wishes,

 

Norris

Edited June 13, 2015 by Bimmer09

[Bell Boy]

My word that table ( afternoon Tea) is in desperate need of a good stain and varnish ,not to mention the dated crockery and plastic thermal jug .

 

Clotted cream or no clotted cream, I'll stick with Cunard thank you ;)

[Bimmer09]

My word that table ( afternoon Tea) is in desperate need of a good stain and varnish ,not to mention the dated crockery and plastic thermal jug .

 

Clotted cream or no clotted cream, I'll stick with Cunard thank you ;)

 

The table does need to be sanded and refinished, no question. It didn't alter the taste of the food though. I didn't demand a new table as it wasn't important to me. I could have asked that it be refinished but then I'd have workmen and fumes on my balcony and would have lost the use of the table for a day.

 

The crockery probably came on the ship in 2004 when she launched-the same year as the Queen Mary 2. Do you think they should just just throw it away each year and get some new stuff? Does Cunard do that, do you know?

 

The plastic thermal jug I salute as it kept the hot water hot. Function over form.

 

I'd say yes- stick with Cunard if you are perfectly happy with it.

 

For myself I plan to sail several lines besides Princess, starting with Celebrity (Silhouette) where the furniture and crockery is only 4 years old. I am doing this not because I am unhappy with Princess but out of curiosity and for an itinerary not covered by the other lines I looked at.

 

I dare say I will sail on a Cunard ship at some point in the future. They send me emails with offers each month.

 

Thanks for responding.

 

Norris

[lovely_serenity]

Sarah,

 

While re-reading your epic review again yesterday I noticed a comment regarding the food on the QE-where you complimented it and the waiter said it was because the galley makes the food when you order it and he suggested, or you surmised, that Cunard was alone in that. Not so. As a veteran of many Princess galley tours and talking to head chefs Princess also cooks a la minute as it is called.

 

Obviously things like salads and soups can be prepped beforehand and kept cold or hot, ditto slow cooked dishes like stews, but when you order a dish that can be cooked within 15 minutes or so (steaks,lobsters,pastas, anything fried etc) the order is placed and cooked right then. The buffet of course has to cook en masse and use heat lamps and steam trays.

 

I noticed in your brief summary that you were not "over the moon" with many of the dishes served...solo pancake missing the butter, steak and mushroom-less pie...lack of detail there!

 

Regarding Afternoon Tea- a great British tradition-Cunard cheaped-out by giving you butter instead of clotted cream...

 

Princess Afternoon Tea (delivered all at once in this instance) Caribbean Princess.

 

[/url]

On the scones plate is a ramekin of clotted cream and one of raspberry jam.

They bring you a wooden box with an assortment of Bewley's teas.

 

As you are a foodie here are a couple of lunch dishes for you to drool over...

(Ruby Princess)

 

Shrimp and avocado

 

 

Beef tenderloin with broccoli and oven roasted red potatoes (hiding at the rear)

 

Hungry now?

 

Thanks for being so generous with your time in writing these long reviews and for being so graceful when handling your vociferous critics-"go placidly amidst the noise and haste..."

 

Now a question-why do you cut off the faces of your family? Are you all in a Witness Protection Program?

 

I have been using my real name and my own photos since day 1 on CC and so far no kidnappings or death threats. I have only been recognized once-in Pompeii of all places and the encounter was very friendly and gratifying.

 

Before I go- have you eaten in 5 Sails at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Vancouver?

Yummy- see my Diamond Princess review (a couple of pages in I think)

 

Lastly- you need some fresh Princess in your portfolio- 2006 on the Diamond is too long ago! Good food.

 

Best wishes,

 

Norris

Hi Norris!

 

Indeed, I was quite pleasantly surprised with the à la minute cooking preparations here. I haven't cruised Princess in about 10 years, so I didn't know that! Duly noted ;)

 

Yeah, although not bad, I wasn't super impressed by their food. I was left with a lot of "that was alright"s, and not enough of "that was so good!!"s. That being said, I'd say their strong point was the fact that their buffet was superior to the other cruise buffets I've eaten at. Their hours were basically 24/7 too. Overall, just quality, temperature and type of food served.

 

I think it was whipped butter or something of the sort. The scone itself was good. Compared to HAL, at least they had clotted cream (but inferior scones).

 

My parents had actually sailed on Princess relatively recently and they were extremely impressed! They said that their experience was much better than their first sailing with the cruise line, and that Princess now was one of their top favourite lines (if they're consistent with this performance all around).

 

Your pictures are making me drool! :D Everything looks so good! Yes, I'm hungry now!

 

It's been my pleasure ^^. Thanks for taking the time to read my lengthy report! Indeed, from my perspective, while some comments weren't very positive (thank you to those who defended me by the way LOL), they're all still my very precious viewers who appear to be interested enough to still be here. (:

 

Ahh, haha, yes, we are indeed in the Witness Protection Program LOL. No, okay so the reason is due to the fact that, well to begin with, my dad was the type who didn't even want us posting our own photos on Facebook. i.e. He probably doesn't want us to post pictures of him, i.e. he probably won't want us to post pictures of his family - and I know for a fact that they read this report LOL. It's just to protect the privacy of my family, since essentially anyone can read this thread (while at least Facebook has security settings). I actually don't mind my photo being up, but my dad probably will, so I'm just going to not post it haha. ((If I do, I'm going to get lectured LOL)).

 

It doesn't seem to matter whether I post my photos or not ^^, I still got recognized LOL. You all know I'm Chinese Canadian, female teenager with a younger sister and an older brother. We're not hard to spot out in a crowd of older Caucasian cruisers haha.

 

I actually haven't eaten at 5 Sails before! I'll go check out your review after I'm done writing this!

 

I certainly agree, I really do need some fresh Princess on my track list LOL. Likewise, you need some non-Princess going on in yours ;)

 

Once again, thanks for reading!

Edited June 14, 2015 by lovely_serenity

[Bimmer09]

Sarah, thanks for getting back to me.

 

Although my next cruise is Princess-the Emerald, Rome to Barcelona this September, the one after that is with Celebrity (Silhouette) because my Traveling Companion Carol liked the itinerary for it's newness to her-2 islands she hasn't been to- and for it's 3 sea days in the Eastern Caribbean. The ship and the line are both new to us so that will make it interesting.

 

In the hunt for a cruise I looked at Royal ( I like the look/size of the Radiance class) HAL, Cunard, Oceania, Azamara (small ships with overnights/late sailings) and Princess ships we had not sailed including Royal Princess. The 7 days we have to fit in a cruise in Mid-January eliminated many ships.

 

I leaned towards the Royal Princess as that sailing would bring us to Elite level on Princess in only 9 cruises. It's not a ship I am fond of due to it's design but the itinerary appealed and I knew the food and service would be of a high standard.

 

I read most of the boards on CC, even lines that don't appeal to me like NCL, MSC and Carnival. That's how I have found your reviews.

 

Is your next cruise planned?

 

Re 5 sails- photos were taken on a Canon S780 point and shoot and so are not strong. After that cruise in August 2012 I upgraded to a Canon T3i which I am happy with. After my last cruise on the Ruby this January, Lightroom entered my life so I plan to take more photos on my next cruise as I can now rescue my "duds".

 

Did you see the 3 Queens in Liverpool last month (check youtube)? The commentary is banal but to a Brit like me it was quite a moving occasion and Liverpool is a city I have history with as my dad was a ship's Captain and used to take me there starting when I was 6 years old.

 

Thanks for your response re the Witness Protection Praogram but you do realize that if I see some Chinese Canadians on a cruise I will switch to Paparazzi mode...(LOL)

 

Norris

[lovely_serenity]

Sarah, thanks for getting back to me.

 

Although my next cruise is Princess-the Emerald, Rome to Barcelona this September, the one after that is with Celebrity (Silhouette) because my Traveling Companion Carol liked the itinerary for it's newness to her-2 islands she hasn't been to- and for it's 3 sea days in the Eastern Caribbean. The ship and the line are both new to us so that will make it interesting.

 

In the hunt for a cruise I looked at Royal ( I like the look/size of the Radiance class) HAL, Cunard, Oceania, Azamara (small ships with overnights/late sailings) and Princess ships we had not sailed including Royal Princess. The 7 days we have to fit in a cruise in Mid-January eliminated many ships.

 

I leaned towards the Royal Princess as that sailing would bring us to Elite level on Princess in only 9 cruises. It's not a ship I am fond of due to it's design but the itinerary appealed and I knew the food and service would be of a high standard.

 

I read most of the boards on CC, even lines that don't appeal to me like NCL, MSC and Carnival. That's how I have found your reviews.

 

Is your next cruise planned?

 

Re 5 sails- photos were taken on a Canon S780 point and shoot and so are not strong. After that cruise in August 2012 I upgraded to a Canon T3i which I am happy with. After my last cruise on the Ruby this January, Lightroom entered my life so I plan to take more photos on my next cruise as I can now rescue my "duds".

 

Did you see the 3 Queens in Liverpool last month (check youtube)? The commentary is banal but to a Brit like me it was quite a moving occasion and Liverpool is a city I have history with as my dad was a ship's Captain and used to take me there starting when I was 6 years old.

 

Thanks for your response re the Witness Protection Program but you do realize that if I see some Chinese Canadians on a cruise I will switch to Paparazzi mode...(LOL)

 

Norris

No problem, I always respond to every comment posted on my reports since others took the time to write them, I should take the time to respond to them! :)

 

Ah, I quite like Celebrity! It's been a while since my Celebrity cruise and things may have changed, but I did enjoy the one that I sailed on.

 

In general, Royal Caribbean's strong point is entertainment (like activities for you to do on board). Food is eh though. I like HAL a lot since their food's quite good, lower amount of activities on board though.

 

Well thanks for taking the time to read my reports! I see you've checked out my Alaska one too! If you are considering HAL, I do have a report for that one in my signature as well!

 

My next cruise hasn't been planned yet, unfortunately ^^.

 

Oo I see, still very nice photos! I also use the Microsoft photo editor to make my unintentionally dark photos brighter ^^

 

I haven't seen it, but I definitely heard about it! I saw a picture of it and a link to it on Facebook a while back! That's fascinating!

 

LOL Nooo don't do that hahaha. Because if I do end up in one of your reviews, I don't want me to look bad in the photos LOL. ((priorities haha)) :D :D And what if it's not me? Haha