Cunard

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, Selbourne said:

Freedom dining is a must for us. Having done both, we much prefer to dine at a time that suits us, which varies depending on appetite, mood, sail always, entertainment etc. Am I correct in thinking that if you book Grill class, you are allocated a table for the whole cruise and can dine when you like? We did a ships tour of QM2 and felt that the tables in grill class restaurants were far too close together, but maybe that will be change if ships sail with lower passenger numbers? 

It looks as though cruising will be off your agenda until covid is eradicated then Selbourne. Most restart protocols seem to suggest that there will be fixed time dining in your own large bubble.

[Dermotsgirl]

45 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

 

Thank you both for the info. That sounds like a good option, as long as they have accessible balcony cabins in that grade 

We have booked Britannia Club for our October 2021 cruise on QV, a 19 night voyage to Venice. This cruise will be a special cruise for us, as it's the year of our 40th wedding anniversary and my husband's 70th birthday.  It is much more expensive than we would normally pay for a cruise. If there are restrictions still in force next year, it will be unlikely that we'll sail. I don't want to pay a 5 figure sum and not get the carefree cruise experience that I love. 

[terrierjohn]

4 minutes ago, wowzz said:

That sums us up as well.

Princess are looking more attractive by the day, as they are offering an included drinks package on many 2021 cruises. 

 There appears to be a choice wowzz, a cheap price where you pay for extras, and a much higher price that includes the extras.

[Selbourne]

13 minutes ago, wowzz said:

That wasn't really the sort of drink I had in mind!

Over £9 for a 250ml glass of the cheapest red wine is excessive. Two or three drinks a day, between us would cost us over £350 for a week! 

But on the basis that drinks aren’t free on P&O, surely the relevant figure is the net extra, not the total cost? If it is, say, £100-150 a week more than P&O then that would a price worth paying for us, if the overall product is better, as that’s a relatively small proportion of the total cruise cost. What I don’t yet know is whether or not it is in fact a much better product!

[Dermotsgirl]

2 hours ago, molecrochip said:

Last thing I heard was hoping. Tours might be bubbled and official only. 

I don't mind doing a ships excursion, if it means I can go somewhere interesting and walk around freely at the destination.  My concern is that the 'bubbled' tours will be of a panoramic nature and most things will be seen from the coach, which wouldn't be something I'd particularly enjoy.

 

In other ports we don't do ships excursions and wander around doing our own thing.

 

I understand the reasons for bubbles, but the experience is not something I'd relish. 

[Selbourne]

6 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

It looks as though cruising will be off your agenda until covid is eradicated then Selbourne. Most restart protocols seem to suggest that there will be fixed time dining in your own large bubble.

If that’s the case John, then yes. We are in no rush. 

[AnnieC]

1 hour ago, Selbourne said:

Freedom dining is a must for us. Having done both, we much prefer to dine at a time that suits us, which varies depending on appetite, mood, sail always, entertainment etc. Am I correct in thinking that if you book Grill class, you are allocated a table for the whole cruise and can dine when you like? We did a ships tour of QM2 and felt that the tables in grill class restaurants were far too close together, but maybe that will be change if ships sail with lower passenger numbers? 

Yes, in the Grills you are on the same table for the whole cruise and can dine any time between (from memory) 6pm and 8.30pm. The cost is pretty eye-watering now, though, and very seldom any deals - in the last couple of years they seem to book up very quickly. Think Britannia Club operates a similar system, but never been in there.

 

The tables are quite close together - last time we had a table for 2 on QV and there was another table next door about a foot away. As you say, though, those days are over for a while. 

[Dermotsgirl]

2 hours ago, molecrochip said:

A 2020 restart is more about offering a proposition rather than offering the multiple propositions to suit everyone like previously.

 

An option or no cruise is better than just no cruise.
 

It won’t suit everyone, some will decide no cruise. Some will try it and hate it, and the rest will adapt until the world returns to a 2019 normal.

It people decide they don't like the proposition, the question is will they be permitted to cancel with no penalty, as the cruise experience will be different to the one they were originally sold. 

[wowzz]

27 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

But on the basis that drinks aren’t free on P&O, surely the relevant figure is the net extra, not the total cost? If it is, say, £100-150 a week more than P&O then that would a price worth paying for us, if the overall product is better, as that’s a relatively small proportion of the total cruise cost. What I don’t yet know is whether or not it is in fact a much better product!

Which is a fair point.

I suppose the other issue relates to how much obc is given on Cunard. I would estimate that the P&O obc pays for approximately 75% of our drinks bill - not sure if that would be the case on Cunard.

[wowzz]

33 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

 There appears to be a choice wowzz, a cheap price where you pay for extras, and a much higher price that includes the extras.

Indeed - but even the expensive fares are now looking relatively competitive,  given the latest P&O increases.

I do wonder if Carnival have someone in Southampton working on  overall pricing architecture for the assorted brands?

[Eddie99]

Daily gratuities still expected on Cunard

?£12pppd or something like that.  Less than £100pw I suppose, so should be reckoned like the extra price of drinks

[Selbourne]

7 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Which is a fair point.

I suppose the other issue relates to how much obc is given on Cunard. I would estimate that the P&O obc pays for approximately 75% of our drinks bill - not sure if that would be the case on Cunard.

We get a discount with P&O which comes by way of extra OBC so, like you, we tend not to have a huge bill at the end of a cruise. I am pretty certain that we won’t get that discount with Cunard. I think that Cunard will work out a lot more expensive for us but we are likely to cruise a lot less in future than we have in the past, so would be keen to explore cruise lines that offer a better experience than currently offered by P&O. It looks like we have time on our side though. We don’t fancy most of the proposed new protocols and are in no rush to cruise until we are vaccinated. 

[terrierjohn]

34 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Indeed - but even the expensive fares are now looking relatively competitive,  given the latest P&O increases.

I do wonder if Carnival have someone in Southampton working on  overall pricing architecture for the assorted brands?

It does make one wonder!

[jeanlyon]

Yes, I would like an answer to the question that if cruising is no longer what you expect cruising to be, ie no independent time ashore, only eating Club Dining, etc. etc, then can you cancel and get your deposit back?

[Harry Peterson]

13 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

Yes, I would like an answer to the question that if cruising is no longer what you expect cruising to be, ie no independent time ashore, only eating Club Dining, etc. etc, then can you cancel and get your deposit back?

Very much a grey area!  How do you define significant alteration?  Plenty of scope for discussion with P&O.........
 

 

ALTERATION AND CANCELLATION BY P&O CRUISES PRIOR TO DEPARTURE 

 

40.              Whilst P&O Cruises will do its best not to cancel or to make any significant alteration after a booking has been made, it shall nevertheless be entitled at any time prior to departure to cancel the Contract or to change and/or curtail the Package where this reasonably becomes necessary on operational, commercial or other grounds. P&O Cruises will inform the Guest of any such cancellation or change of Package as quickly as possible (with, where appropriate, written confirmation as soon as reasonably possible thereafter). If P&O Cruises makes a significant alteration to the Package it will inform the Guest or his/her travel agent as soon as reasonably possible. The Guest will have the choice of either accepting the alteration, accepting an offer of an alternative Package of comparable standard if available (P&O Cruises will refund any price difference if the alternative is of a lower value) or cancelling the Package and receiving a full refund of all monies paid. The Guest recognises and agrees that it will not normally be possible for P&O Cruises to offer an appropriate substitute Package which is available at about the same time as and/or with a similar itinerary to that originally booked, but P&O Cruises will do its best to provide a suitable alternative Package of similar duration and value. The Guest must notify P&O Cruises of his/her decision as soon as reasonably possible and in any event not later than 14 days of being informed of the significant alteration. 

[Bazrat]

18 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

Yes, I would like an answer to the question that if cruising is no longer what you expect cruising to be, ie no independent time ashore, only eating Club Dining, etc. etc, then can you cancel and get your deposit back?

They are offering a service were they are trying to keep everyone safe, if in my view it doesn’t meet your expectation level than cancel, but it would be unfair for the company to have to refund because of certain people unable to cope or unwilling to with the current situation.

[jeanlyon]

Not being able to go ashore independently would mean a huge change in my opinion.  Can't believe they are going to keep people in one bus and just drive around.  It will be interesting to see.

[AnnieC]

1 minute ago, Bazrat said:

They are offering a service were they are trying to keep everyone safe, if in my view it doesn’t meet your expectation level than cancel, but it would be unfair for the company to have to refund because of certain people unable to cope or unwilling to with the current situation.

Really? I don't see that it's anything to do with "expectation level", but more to do with what people initially booked (and I have nothing booked, so no bias). It's not a question of being unable to cope with the current situation; it's that the holiday people booked is now not available. Nobody's fault (well, that's debatable, but not the fault of P&O or the customer), but the supplier is now unable to deliver what they promised in the enticing mask-free, carefree socialising, virus-free ads. 

[jeanlyon]

Exactly.  I have 2 booked next year and no idea if they will take place at all, let alone at a level that I booked at.

[Britboys]

2 hours ago, Selbourne said:

We aren’t heavy drinkers, so that wouldn’t be a show stopper for us. Besides, we would prefer to pay more for a better quality experience, if indeed that is what Cunard offers?

I know it was 4 years ago but based on that cruise, I would say it was a much better quality experience. Certainly at that time, I would say food and service were both a considerable notch up on P&O.

[Bazrat]

6 minutes ago, AnnieC said:

Really? I don't see that it's anything to do with "expectation level", but more to do with what people initially booked (and I have nothing booked, so no bias). It's not a question of being unable to cope with the current situation; it's that the holiday people booked is now not available. Nobody's fault (well, that's debatable, but not the fault of P&O or the customer), but the supplier is now unable to deliver what they promised in the enticing mask-free, carefree socialising, virus-free ads. 

The point is if you payed for the holiday before all this kicked off than fair enough get your money back, if you have put a deposit down and than decide its not for you at the moment than either cancel or transfer to a later date like we have, but the company is supplying you something which they believe will keep you safe like msc is doing than why expect to get your deposit back.

[AnnieC]

8 minutes ago, Britboys said:

I know it was 4 years ago but based on that cruise, I would say it was a much better quality experience. Certainly at that time, I would say food and service were both a considerable notch up on P&O.

In a different league, not that I have anything against P&O - had some enjoyable cruises with them. I would suggest food in the MDR not particularly brilliant on either, but Cunard somewhat better. Having said that, the best food I've ever had on board in a speciality restaurant was on Arcadia in Gary Rhodes some years ago.

Edited August 25, 2020 by AnnieC

[Bazrat]

14 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

Not being able to go ashore independently would mean a huge change in my opinion.  Can't believe they are going to keep people in one bus and just drive around.  It will be interesting to see.

You lost me you wish to take independent trips off the ship so please explain how would you stay safe from COVID and not spread it around the ship.

[ann141]

3 minutes ago, Britboys said:

I know it was 4 years ago but based on that cruise, I would say it was a much better quality experience. Certainly at that time, I would say food and service were both a considerable notch up on P&O.

I agree that certainly the food (in my opinion) and general service around the ship mean a better quality experience but we still enjoy P and O (as well as other cruise lines)and tend to choose a cruise according to Itinerary and then price.

[Bazrat]

Just now, ann141 said:

 tend to choose a cruise according to Itinerary and then price.

That’s exactly what we do not bothered about which cruise line