Royal Caribbean sailor going on Cunard

[travelplus]

I'm a Platinum Crown And Anchor Member who is going to sail on Cunard Queen Elizabeth for a 14 night Med Cruise in November. I don't know if it's going to be hard to go back to Royal Caribbean or Celebrity for another cruise.

I'm going with my Father as part of my Travel and Tourism Training for their Commodore Graduation Cruise.

 

While its an interior stateroom the cruise itinerary will be port intensive with the cruise leaving from Athens and ending in Rome.

 

The cruise calls in Valetta Malta, Tunis Tunisia, Palermo Italy, Naples Italy, Rome(stop in between segments We plan to go to Civitavecchia as we will spend 4 nights in Rome post cruise) , Livorno Italy(with shore excursion to Florence, Monte Carlo Monaco(with shore excursion to Nice and Cannes

 

Touloun France, Barcelona Spain.

 

This itinerary is quite extensive and I could not find any itinerary like this with Royal Caribbean.

 

While the weather can be cool we'll bundle up and enjoy Europe sans the crowds of Summer .

 

We will spend 3 nights in Athens as well.

 

Any tips from the Royal Caribbean board would be appreciative. I'm already connected with the Roll Call/Cunard Forum.

[MattInFLL]

The only thing you need to be ready for is that Cunard is quite a bit more formal than Royal. Literally. You will have multiple formal nights, and unlike Royal, it's not so much a suggestion but a requirement to dress up. That permeates their ships on formal nights. And even non-formal nights, are still pretty dressy. People don't generally go change after dinner and then hit the Commodore Club - they stay dressed up.

 

Some people obviously really enjoy this and for others it can be quite a change from a more mainstream cruise.

Edited October 9, 2014 by MattInFLL

[Lindypops]

We did the QM2 transatlantic back in January this year and did not find it difficult to go back to RCI and Celebrity.

 

We found the QM 2 to be very grand decor wise but very sedate. The layout of the ship was very confusing lots of little alley ways and steps to get from one end to the other, very hard for anyone with walking problems, and there were a lot on our sailing.

The age range was 70 plus in the main . Entertainment was OK in the theatre but in the bars it was a string quartet or a harp and most people were asleep anyway. The ship was virtually empty by 9 pm most evenings .

The staff were very unhappy and sometimes very rude, we got the impression they were coming to the end of their contracts and just wanted to get off .

We never saw any officers walking round the ship or even the captain.

 

We loved getting dressed up every night and found people dressed up even on non formal nights. Men needed a jacket to eat in the MDR every night.

 

QE may be a different ship but I do think Cunard attracts an older clientele .

 

Our expectation was that Cunard would be a step up as far as service, luxury and quality of food, but to be honest we have had better on RCI and Celebrity.

 

As for the weather in November it will be cool/ cold maybe 10 C during the day and you may get rain, there should not be snow but who knows.

[MattInFLL]

Oh, I will second that. I've been on QM2 twice, once on her very first Caribbean cruise, and once a few years later. I enjoyed both very much, but the idea that the food, service and quality will be a big step up over Royal or Celebrity is just that - an idea (unless you are traveling in one of the Grill classes). There is more elegance overall. But there's also a lot of "Of course we're better, we're Cunard." And it's hollow.

Edited October 9, 2014 by MattInFLL

[Lindypops]

We felt it harked back to the us and them days of sailing.

 

Lots of places where you were not allowed to go unless you were the correct class.

 

Also as was pointed out to us on the transatlantic you are not a guest you are a passenger and this is not a cruise it is a voyage.

 

It did feel a bit like a care home.

[Lady Hudson]

I am going to disagree a bit here. There are very few places a passenger cannot go on a Cunard ship because of the cabin booked. Yes, the grill passengers have a different restaurant (like Blu on Celebrity) and a separate cocktail lounge but that is about it. You will be allowed all over the ship. (My understanding is that only about 15% of the passengers are Grills.). Check the voyage personalizer -- that will tell you how many formal nights. Usually on a port intensive itinerary there are fewer formal nights than a transatlantic.

 

I enjoy the food on Cunard and I do think it is a step up from RCI (subjective, I know). I have always traveled on Cunard during the summer and have not found this passengers to be 70+. The Celebrity ship I was on in September had an older clientele. Try going to the nightclub for late night if that is what you want.

 

I enjoy the enrichment programs on Cunard and the daytime activities. The staff has always been excellent.

 

So now you have a slightly different viewpoint. Go and enjoy yourself. It will be different from RCI or Celebrity but I am sure you will have a great trip. Just so you know, all of my Cunard experience has been on QM2 so I have not experienced QE. :) Katherine

[travelplus]

Thanks for all of your replies. We are looking forward to our cruise. Actually dressing up does not phase me one bit. If I did not want to dress up then I would go on another cruiseline.

 

When there is a suggestion or requirement for dress I follow it to the T and then go a bit above the requirement just to be on the safe side.

 

For instance when I'm invited to a dinner party with guests ant others are in jeans and polos I will usually be in dress pants and a dress shirt and shoes.

 

If its a wedding I will wear a tie with no problems.

 

There are people who complain about dressing up but they were advised before they booked so I have no sympathy for those people being turned away.

[Lady Hudson]

Please be sure to come back and let us know your thoughts when your trip is over.:)

[Maraprince]

Definitely more formal nights on Cunard and European sailings tend to be more formal on Cunard. Passengers do dress up and you feel like you are really enjoying a special experience. But, if you enjoy lectures, they offer some of the best. Normally, they try to have a recoginized author, news personality, retired politician, etc. on board to give at least one of the lectures.

 

Expect cavier on formal nights, truly elegant tea time with a harpist or violinist (something RCCL does not do), higher end shops, musical performances that tend towards the classical side, better lunch buffets. Even in the balcony cabins dining room, you will be treated as a guest and asked how you prefer to be addressed. Menus are different based upon the dining room which goes along with the cabin category. I for one would prefer the larger "mass" dining room to the higher end one. We even had one lady who requested to be switched from the higher end one because she was sailing alone and there were mostly couples in her assigned higher end dining room and she liked the menu selections better.

 

When you are visiting ports almost every day, that means early arrivals and that will cut down on the amount of passengers staying up late the night before. Your ports of call are some of the best ones! If you can sneak me into your suitcase, I will be your friend for life.:D

 

MARAPRINCE

[MattInFLL]

I don't want the OP to misunderstand me. As I said, I fully enjoyed my two trips on QM2. But some are really not used to the different atmosphere. It sounds like the OP is and embraces it, so I am sure he will enjoy it.

 

But, and yes, it is certainly objective, but I still feel like the non-Grill dining experience is only slightly better than RCI. I also feel like the service levels are different. Very reserved on Cunard, with some stuffiness, and looks down the nose. RCI is just not that, in my experience, whether that's good or bad I suppose is a matter of what you are looking for.

 

Anyway, go and enjoy Travelplus.

Edited October 10, 2014 by MattInFLL

[Jules.]

I am sure that you will have a wonderful time on Cunard. I sailed on Queen Elizabeth with my mum last year and enjoyed a wonderful cruise.You must not miss afternoon tea in the Queens Room :)

I will be sailing on Adventure of the Seas in two weeks, so I will be having the exact opposite experience to you as I've never sailed RCI before. Now I'm a little daunted as I am expecting public announcements every five minutes asking me to buy,buy, buy ;) ( just joking!)

I'm excited for Adventure as it will be the first time that my husband and our youngest son aged 10 will have ever cruised. I think that RCI will be a good choice of ship for a 10 year old though I'm not expecting him to go into the children's club as he loves spending time with us.

 

You made me smile with your comment about bundling up for the cold weather for your November cruise. I suppose that with you living on the sunny west coast of the U.S. you will find Europe cold in November. With us coming from the North West of England we are looking forward to some warmth and sun on our upcoming cruise to Spain and France. Even 14 degrees c will feel like a spring day to us and will be t shirt weather :)

[Static events]

You won't find it hard to go back. There is nothing better about Cunard than Royal.

 

I found the service to be rubbish as well as the food.

 

The decor reminded me of Disneyland or being on a cheap film set. They are trying to hard to look like the titanic.

[Maraprince]

The one point that will be stressed is that Cunard ships are ocean liners and not cruise ships. Crossing the Atlantic many times during the year, the Cunard ships are built to handle the rough seas of the North Atlantic.

 

If it gets too rocky, they will tell you to go to your cabin and order room service and then call them when you are done to pick up the tray from your cabin. They do not want to chance anyone falling down due to rough seas.

 

MARAPRINCE

[travelplus]

Thanks for your replies. Maraprince I would love to pack you in my suitcase.

[hellsop]

You made me smile with your comment about bundling up for the cold weather for your November cruise. I suppose that with you living on the sunny west coast of the U.S. you will find Europe cold in November. With us coming from the North West of England we are looking forward to some warmth and sun on our upcoming cruise to Spain and France. Even 14 degrees c will feel like a spring day to us and will be t shirt weather :)

 

10C in .wi.us today. It's still shorts weather for us. I'll put on real trousers for MDR and sub-freezing temps only. ;)

[SeaPeaInn]

Traveled on QM2 one time a couple of years ago in Queens Grille. The experience is much to formal. Everyone should do the Queens Grille one time. The dining experience is exceptional. The menu is only to be used as a suggestion. You may order whatever is on the ship and tell them how you want it prepared. Lobster stuffed with crab meat every night, no problem.

 

Other than that the Queens Grille passengers were interesting and we enjoyed their company. The ship is the poorest design of any we have been on.

 

Would not sail Cunard again even in the Queens Grille.

[molly361]

We sailed on the QM2 twice and have to agree that it is a lot more formal than RCL.

 

It is also quite sedate. We enjoyed them both.

[Clarea]

We sailed on the QM2 twice and have to agree that it is a lot more formal than RCL.

 

It is also quite sedate. We enjoyed them both.

I hope we have time to hear about the QM2 next week.:)

[molly361]

I hope we have time to hear about the QM2 next week.:)

 

 

We will be sure to make time:D

[rafinmd]

Have a wonderful cruise (I'm sure you will). Next year I do a pair of transatlantics, over on QM2(my 9th) and back on Allure(my first).

 

Roy