2 Weeks on the QV; Cunard has become rather like Mrs May

[ToadOfToadHall]

 

As well as the choice of food on the right hand side of the menu, there's always the Spa selection on the left hand side. This is usually a chicken or fish dish. I often plump for that.

 

Sorry you didn't enjoy your cruise. We thoroughly enjoyed ours even though we skipped a port.

 

Yes, one night I did have the Spa starter, which was okay. And someone else did have the chicken dish for their main course, which they said was fine.

 

We also missed a port, Cannes (which was a tender port) and instead went to somewhere I can't recall the name of.

[ToadOfToadHall]

One thing you did not mention was the new furniture around the swimming pool at the stern, lots of settees now and nearly all occuppied by one person, laid out fast asleep.

 

Well, I wasn't sure howl long ago that had been done. I certainly noticed it was new, and that they had made that area a bit more "up market".

 

You can also eat in that area in the evenings. I did look at the menu and whilst it looked okay, there was nothing on it to tempt me to try it. And not at $17.50 a head either.

 

I only saw a single couple dining there in the evening, but then I probably only walked that way on one evening anyway.

 

Another change from our last cruise I noticed was the evening Lido alternative dining options. As I recall from our last cruise, one option was called "Prime" and it was $10. That got you steaks etc. Now it's called "Smokehouse" and it's $17.50. I did read the menu, and it offered starters such as Loaded Potato Skins and Burgers as a main course. Again, I did not feel the need to give it a ago.

[ToadOfToadHall]

I'm sorry that the Britannia dining has gone down as badly as you described it. No doubt it is cost cutting. I've received a lot of promotion emails and snailmailings from Cunard this year. It probably has to do with a decrease in the number of British passengers booking with the GBP falling so badly versus the USD.

 

I've read a very heated thread over Cunard now charging separately for the drink mixer even when it comes from the bar gun. The best way any of us can let a business know we don't like a pricing practice is not to buy that badly priced product or service. .

 

Ever hear of a "Laffer Curve"? In US politics it refers to a graph where higher tax rates actually lead to decreased revenue to the government. The same might apply to drink prices. If people feel that they're being charged extra for something that is included ashore they will cut back on buying. And the end result is less bar revenue not more.

 

It's not that the food in the MDR was poor per se, it was just that it was not what I would expect. As I say, some of the options were pub food. I mean, I like Toad In The Hole and Shepherds Pie, but I'd not expect to see them on the MDR evening menu (I'm exaggerating for effect of course).

 

As for the drinks, we've been hit twice at the same time; once with the exchange rate and again with the price increases. So add them together and it's maybe a 30% increase over the last year ?

 

And yes, I have heard of a Laffer Curve. If the number of people in the Commodore Lounge in the evening on the second week were anything to go by then revenue was falling off to almost zero (which is what Laffer predicts). Between say 20:15 and 21:00 it was often the case there were maybe ourselves and one other table.

[ToadOfToadHall]

And i really was so pleased you avoided that goddam awful catch phrase, so often repeated by tightwads, that they could purchase similar wines at Lidls' for £xx. :evilsmile:

 

Indeed. You can never compare the price of drinks that you are served to the price from the offie !

 

For example, a 500ml can of Strongbow last week was $6.25 (so +15%, say 1.30 $/£) gives £5.52. I can get 4 cans of that from my local Bargain Booze for £4.25.

 

But when you remove VAT and Duty for the UK price, that is some markup for a can of cider !

[ToadOfToadHall]

Very disappointed to see they have changed the drinks measures/prices on board.....

 

I guess we will just back on how much we drink... $1.75 plus 15% for a splash of lemonade or tonic is a right rip off

 

I can give you another example last week that can beat that:

 

One drink I ordered (for someone else) was Gin, Lemonade and Blackcurrant cordial. When the waiter brought the drinks, he informed me there were two receipts to sign as he'd forgotten the blackcurrant. So I was present with a separate bill of a spit of cordial; $1 +15% if you please. I'd just spend about £30 on 4 drinks but they could not let the extra quid go. I did not know whether to laugh or cry !

[brian1]

Good morning Toad.

 

I must agree with you on those dining choices.

 

Curries and those awful lamb shanks, for a dinner at sea, really are more suited to your average pub fare.

 

And i really was so pleased you avoided that goddam awful catch phrase, so often repeated by tightwads, that they could purchase similar wines at Lidls' for £xx. :evilsmile:

 

PS. On the vegetarian options I can see the logic. When i owned a restaurant I loved watching the 'veggie' options fly out of the kitchen. The profit on them was a world beater.:evilsmile:

Hi,I wouldnt call them tightwads,just people who speak up when they feel they are being fleeced.All the Charlie big potatoes on board dont bat an eyelid(they probably do but wont lose face by admitting it).We normally sail Princess mainly because of the itineraries,We sailed P&O for the first time this year and thought it an inferior product to Princess,especially the standard of food.We are sailing on the QE next year and are dreading it.By the sound of it,its getting like Butlins at sea with Savoy prices.I think we will double up on our rum runners and remove grats to compensate,lol.On the subject of Lidl, we've just bought 10 bottles of vodka(the same judged by blind tasting as being on par with grey goose etc)for 53 euro,the same in UK is £110.So on behalf of the tight wads out there Lidl Italia trumps them all,lol,cheers,Brian.

[brian1]

Indeed. You can never compare the price of drinks that you are served to the price from the offie !

 

For example, a 500ml can of Strongbow last week was $6.25 (so +15%, say 1.30 $/£) gives £5.52. I can get 4 cans of that from my local Bargain Booze for £4.25.

 

But when you remove VAT and Duty for the UK price, that is some markup for a can of cider !

Oh no,you've just fell into the tightwad trap,lol.

[Host Hattie]

Hi,I wouldnt call them tightwads,just people who speak up when they feel they are being fleeced.All the Charlie big potatoes on board dont bat an eyelid(they probably do but wont lose face by admitting it).We normally sail Princess mainly because of the itineraries,We sailed P&O for the first time this year and thought it an inferior product to Princess,especially the standard of food.We are sailing on the QE next year and are dreading it.By the sound of it,its getting like Butlins at sea with Savoy prices.I think we will double up on our rum runners and remove grats to compensate,lol.On the subject of Lidl, we've just bought 10 bottles of vodka(the same judged by blind tasting as being on par with grey goose etc)for 53 euro,the same in UK is £110.So on behalf of the tight wads out there Lidl Italia trumps them all,lol,cheers,Brian.

Just in case that wasn't a joke,there is no need to resort to rum runners. Cunard treat their passengers like adults. As long as you don't mind drinking in your cabin, you can take alcohol on board or pay corkage for wine you take into the restaurants.

I'm sorry to hear you are dreading your QE cruise. We have only been on QE once but I know she has many fans.

[ToadOfToadHall]

Oh no,you've just fell into the tightwad trap,lol.

 

yes, I know !!

 

I said you can't compare the prices, and then I proceeded to....compare the prices.

 

But I could not help myself, M'Lud.

[Tillylovesseabourn]

Dreading your cruise on Cunard? Are they making you wash up or something? You have a choice to go or not I assume!

To add to the debate, I am afraid you will find similar on ALL cruise critic forums. Everyone complaining about standards slipping,even at the top of the range. My opinion, certainly on Cunard is that for the money you are paying, it would be now very,very difficult to get a package holiday in a decent standard of hotel without food for the prices being charged in brittania this summer. As for QG, one can expect it is not going to be of the standard of the smaller luxury lines,as the prices dont match, in fact they are significantly cheaper, think $1000's ppn, than the luxury lines with large amounts of OBC for drinks too.

[brian1]

Just in case that wasn't a joke,there is no need to resort to rum runners. Cunard treat their passengers like adults. As long as you don't mind drinking in your cabin, you can take alcohol on board or pay corkage for wine you take into the restaurants.

I'm sorry to hear you are dreading your QE cruise. We have only been on QE once but I know she has many fans.

Hi,I wasn't joking,we always take a couple of litres of voddy to drink in our room on Princess.So you are saying that the policy is the same as P&O and I can just walk on with it,that is good to know.I hope these reports are exaggerated,but they seem quite convincing.Hopefully the QE will not change by April as the Singapore to Capetown leg is too good an itinerary to miss,cheers,Brian. Edited July 11, 2017 by brian1
spelling

[Host Hattie]

Hi,I wasn't joking,we always take a couple of litres of voddy to drink in our room on Princess.So you are saying that the policy is the same as P&O and I can just walk on with it,that is good to know.I hope these reports are exaggerated,but they seem quite convincincing.Hopefully the QE will not change by April as the Singapore to Capetown leg is too good an itinerary to miss,cheers,Brian.

Yes, you can.

[brian1]

Dreading your cruise on Cunard? Are they making you wash up or something? You have a choice to go or not I assume!

To add to the debate, I am afraid you will find similar on ALL cruise critic forums. Everyone complaining about standards slipping,even at the top of the range. My opinion, certainly on Cunard is that for the money you are paying, it would be now very,very difficult to get a package holiday in a decent standard of hotel without food for the prices being charged in brittania this summer. As for QG, one can expect it is not going to be of the standard of the smaller luxury lines,as the prices dont match, in fact they are significantly cheaper, think $1000's ppn, than the luxury lines with large amounts of OBC for drinks too.

Hi,I think Princess still have a high standard.When we sailed P&O we thought the standard of food was like school dinners in comparison.Our QE cruise in BC is a lot more money and I hope the standard is higher than that,otherwise I will be dreading it.All these 1st world worries are getting me down,I think I will go and lay down for a while,lol,cheers,Brian.

[Tillylovesseabourn]

Luxury problems Brian!

[ABoatNerd]

Cruise lines on the great rush to the bottom..

 

Dreading your cruise on Cunard? Are they making you wash up or something? You have a choice to go or not I assume!

To add to the debate, I am afraid you will find similar on ALL cruise critic forums. Everyone complaining about standards slipping,even at the top of the range. My opinion, certainly on Cunard is that for the money you are paying, it would be now very,very difficult to get a package holiday in a decent standard of hotel without food for the prices being charged in brittania this summer. As for QG, one can expect it is not going to be of the standard of the smaller luxury lines,as the prices dont match, in fact they are significantly cheaper, think $1000's ppn, than the luxury lines with large amounts of OBC for drinks too.

 

Based on comments from CC posters - all the mass market lines are making very obvious cuts to their product offering.

 

Concurrently the mass lines are escalating the "free" beverage packages (NCL now advertising an unlimited open bar) to distract customers from the declining product.

 

The description of the food in the Britannia provided by the OP is NOT acceptable - it is pub food indeed.

 

We left Celebrity 3 years ago because of their very obvious cheapening of the on board product.

 

Have not cruised in 3 years and comments on CC have not encouraged us to book a cruise with a cruise industry intent on fleecing people.

 

It does not seem to matter if it is X or Y corporation or cruise line or hotel chain or restaurant chain - cost cutting, size reduction, ingredient degradation - is the way of it today - hence we do not patronize any of them.

 

Until consumers say no to the ever declining product offerings out there - they will pay more for less

[Solent Richard]

To be fair to Carnival (Why? I hear you all cry!), without them there would probably be no Cunard. Cunard's financial position at acquisition was, I think, precarious to say the least? And, I think I'm right, there would certainly have been no QM2 which was Micky Arison's pet project? I am sure Solent Richard will correct me if I'm wrong.

We are back on Queen Elizabeth in October, so I am hoping that these horror stories are a little oversold. I am confident it will all be OK!

 

Good afternoon Froxfield from a very wet Solent shores.

 

On the contrary, I'm more than happy to endorse your comment.

[Solent Richard]

Thank you for sharing your review. The only comment I have concerns your remarks on the "parking spaces" allocated in the various ports of call. I read somewhere that in most ports, the docking spaces are allocated by port authorities and are awarded based on the number of calls a ship makes. So, a weekly caller will be allocated a better berth than the occasional caller. It's not that Cunard can just throw money at that problem.

 

 

Great point and thank you for enlightening me.

 

I'll bear it in mind for future debates.

[Solent Richard]

Hi,I wouldnt call them tightwads,just people who speak up when they feel they are being fleeced.All the Charlie big potatoes on board dont bat an eyelid(they probably do but wont lose face by admitting it).We normally sail Princess mainly because of the itineraries,We sailed P&O for the first time this year and thought it an inferior product to Princess,especially the standard of food.We are sailing on the QE next year and are dreading it.By the sound of it,its getting like Butlins at sea with Savoy prices.I think we will double up on our rum runners and remove grats to compensate,lol.On the subject of Lidl, we've just bought 10 bottles of vodka(the same judged by blind tasting as being on par with grey goose etc)for 53 euro,the same in UK is £110.So on behalf of the tight wads out there Lidl Italia trumps them all,lol,cheers,Brian.

 

Hang on a bit Brian, surely you're not serious about comparing alcohol drink prices between a cruise ship and and a supermarket?

 

Meanwhile...

 

"We sailed P&O for the first time this year and thought it an inferior product to Princess"

"We are sailing on the QE next year and are dreading it"

 

Sounds to me you're not doing your homework very well.

[Tillylovesseabourn]

Hang on a bit Brian, surely you're not serious about comparing alcohol drink prices between a cruise ship and and a supermarket?

 

Meanwhile...

 

"We sailed P&O for the first time this year and thought it an inferior product to Princess"

 

"We are sailing on the QE next year and are dreading it"

 

Sounds to me you're not doing your homework very well.

 

 

Wise words as usual Richard!

[Host Hattie]

Just to pick up on one of the original comments about food. Lamb shank has been on the dinner menu since at least 2013. This is from QE in October of that year.

[Host Hattie]

 

And from September 2010 in Princess Grill

[brell]

... and what on earth is wrong with lamb shank anyway? I just hope it is from Iceland ;)

[DDBINK1]

I have been on a break from cruising for a while as I help to take care of my family elders. But, now I am worried that when I return to my favorite Cunard Line, that I will be in an inferior situation to my previous adventures on Cunard.

 

I am not a foodie by nature, but the food seems to be a real sticking point for many a poster on this thread.

The negative reviews are by far the more descriptive. I am really left with what to do in the near future when I start traveling again. I think the experience of dressing for dinner and having a great meal served in style is a major part of my enjoyment of my adventure on Cunard. Can anyone help and I include the main poster as a the major part of your disappointment with your trip was the food. I also hope this sticks with the consistency of this thread as I liked the rest of the review.

By the by I don't like lamb so that comment I can appreciate. Thanks

[MeredithFairfax]

 

And from September 2010 in Princess Grill

A bit off topic but.....

 

...loving the filing system Hattie! I'm intrigued to know if you have separate files for the daily programmes etc., or if everything is integrated into one file?

 

I wonder how many of us are doing this :confused:

[Jim Avery]

I just received an offer from Cunard for "Free Drinks in Balcony and Above" for 2018 sailings. In light of the increased drink costs, that sounds like a glimmer of good news.:cool: