When will Cunard even upgrade the Grills experience?

[david,Mississauga]

15 hours ago, kohl1957 said:

All this reminds of the delightful social gatherings every evening in the passageways of the matchless CANBERRA with passengers drying their hair with electric dryers plugged into the mains outside the cabins which were the only ones capable of taking the load.  Even in the best cabins.  Why she even had proper switchboard telephones almost to the end. Now that was class.  Who wants to dial a phone number when you have someone to do it for you? Especially when only First Class cabins had phones and you only spoke to the best people.  So until autumn, Cunarders can continue to make new friends camped out under those triangular thingys in the public room ceilings.  Why I even remember when it was possible to exist without "wifi" ashore or afloat. 

 

I frankly don't want lots of pandering Frou-Frou touches and doting, or even the better free pen, in the Grills. What I value is what I already get.... superb, personal attentive service that is friendly, intuitive and personable and an extensive, excellently rendered menu in an intimate, exclusive environment.  

 

Trust me, I get every penny out of the American market grills drink package and Cunard stewards can work the system even better than I can.  But can appreciate non drinkers preferring it were something that was not priced into the fare... as indeed is the case for the U.K. market. 

 

 

 

Thank you for reminding me of the lovely Canberra. On two of our cruises we had our young son with us and my mother had a single cabin nearby. In the evenings our son would pick up the phone in our cabin and say: "I would like to speak with my grandma, please." We could hear the switchboard operator kindly say: "Do you know what your grandma's cabin number is, dear?" Pushing a number on a phone doesn't provide any fond memories.

 

We have never had a drinks package when travelling in the Grills, but will have it for the first time on our Alaska cruise. Due to medication, Cunard won't lose any money on us. I would never pay for a drinks package. You can't get a glass of Champagne with it nor one of our favourite cocktails in the Commodore Club because of the $12 limitation.

 

The comments about Wi-fi give me a smile. I do understand that some people need it. Fortunately I am in a position where it is just an amusement. I have never used Wi-fi on any ship; we always use one of the computers. I have never paid for it but received it as a perk from the Cunard World Club.

 

I know it was a different world back in the days when Atlantic crossings were popular, but at any given time there were thousands of people on liners who had no easy communication with land. In Canada, one of the frequent complaints about long-distance train travel is the lack of Wi-fi on the four-day trip between Toronto and Vancouver. (Due to the remote areas frequently traversed this is not likely to ever be available without an investment of millions of $.) When I was a lad there were four trains every day departing Toronto for Vancouver. Now there are but two a week and temporarily only one. People functioned quite well without Wi-fi or mobile phones.

[AspirationalFlyer]

16 hours ago, Jonem2001 said:

Currently aboard the QM2 and the Wi-Fi situation is… poor. I can get 4G right now in my cabin but not Wi-Fi, so I don’t think metal walls are the problem. And I was on the Regal Princess last summer and had no issues whatsoever using Princess’s Medallion App offering anywhere at all.

 

I think this is a question of Cunard choosing to roll out more transmitters/receivers, and whether there’s enough appetite (and investment!) to do so. I certainly think there’s demand amongst many customers, and the pandemic has really highlighted how technologically out of step Cunard is compared to many brands even within the Carnival family.
 

I do think the fact that they’re now asking us to use a website to manage onboard reservations, and their infrastructure can’t seem to support it, is poor service on their part. So if an autumn rollout is on the cards, I’d say it’s great news.

 

I agree. 

 

When the world cruise in 2020 ended early, the lack of functional Wi-Fi was a total nightmare. We were effectively turfed out in Malaysia with little to no help from Cunard. Thankfully there was a small window with decent data signal to book a flight from KL to Singapore. I appreciate that others don’t feel the need to be regularly connected - neither do I - but that really was a situation where working Wi-Fi would really have helped everyone onboard. 

[david,Mississauga]

1 hour ago, kohl1957 said:

Love your CANBERRA 'phone memories. Plus they were heavy black bakelite with twisty brown cords so ordering up a nightime Horlicks and biscuits you felt like Kenneth More ordering a squadron scramble. 

 

I am surprised you cannot get your favourite cocktails under the $12 limit. 

...

 

 

I had a chance to buy a similar bakelite phone which had been salvaged from the RMS Windsor Castle. I left it too late, alas, but I was able to get several silver items. 

 

I'm sure we can get a G&T under the limit, but our favourite cocktails in the Commodore are those named after Cunard commodores. I believe it is the Commodore Thompson which is my favourite. Whether we have enough OBC to pay for them or whether we pay, it doesn't matter. It is one of the pleasures of the Cunard ships.

[Victoria2]

11 hours ago, kohl1957 said:

Love your CANBERRA 'phone memories. Plus they were heavy black bakelite with twisty brown cords so ordering up a nightime Horlicks and biscuits you felt like Kenneth More ordering a squadron scramble. 

 

I am surprised you cannot get your favourite cocktails under the $12 limit.  Very.  Most if not all of them can be ordered in smaller measures under the limit and yes, the stewards were all content to bring you a jumbo one and charge for two.  Indeed, in the restaurants, wine stewards will break up a bottle on a by the glass basis and keep it within the limit. No worries.  Maybe my reputation proceeded me, but I had literally 4-5 stewards vying for my enviable custom in the Commodore Club and Chart Room.  After the second evening, I didn't even have to say what I wanted, either.  

 

The biggest issue is the only sparking wine under $12 is Zonin Prosecco and we were both dead sick of that after 28 days. $5.99 a bottle at Trader Joe's I see.   Of course, worse when my wife found them substituting the dire Pol Acker for that in the Ballroom. Naughty. We made a stink and that was the end of that nonsense.  My wife remains miffed that her favourite English sparkling wine was $12.30 a glass!  And for good reason.  

 

 

Ah, Trader Joe's. Had many a 'slurp it down'  bottle of 'two buck Chuck' at very long lunches with my Boston girlfriend and friends. Do they still sell it?

 

I've not tried the English Sparkling onboard but I will, later in the year so thanks for the heads up. If your wife enjoys English Sparkling, we have Balfour Brut Rose as a preferred alternative to champagne and also and Tesco Finest English Sparkling  which is from the same Estate  but much cheaper and is to be thoroughly recommended if you ever get the chance. 

 

[laktex]

On 2/11/2022 at 10:59 PM, pumpkin 11 said:

haven't posted on this forum in ages but this is a serious question. I am not referring to the dining experience of the grills or so much the larger cabins, but everything else! 

 

For example, Celebrity includes:  Faster Wifi, Gratuties, Premium Drinks package, and even OBC for shore excursions! All for FREE.

 

Cunard offers nothing of the sort. Kind of a shame for what you have to pay IMO.

 

I realize the Grills are nice (it has been many years since we have traveled Cunard), but many lines have more enticing "ship within a ship" offerings. 

 

I must say Cunard itineraries are better on the whole.

 

Should Cunard update or is what they have enough? I think not but wondering what others think as we come out of this pandemic...

Cunard change!!??  Bit like British Airways charging for a seat reservation in their Club Class  - if they can get away with it they will. 

[Stu UK]

For me Celebrity have got their suite class spot on. The Retreat sun deck on their new ships beats the Grills Terrace hands down, as does their all included perks that go with suites. Their entry Sky Suite is superior to PG and usually comparable price on a similar itinerary. 

[Victoria2]

19 minutes ago, Stu UK said:

For me Celebrity have got their suite class spot on. The Retreat sun deck on their new ships beats the Grills Terrace hands down, as does their all included perks that go with suites. Their entry Sky Suite is superior to PG and usually comparable price on a similar itinerary. 

Great, apart from a conspicuous minus

it's not Cunard.  🙂

[WestonOne]

On 2/12/2022 at 3:31 PM, Windsurfboy said:

Nothing is free, I wouldn't want a  drinks package as find it better to buy the wine i really like. If we had a drinks package would be playing for average wine I wouldn't drink, then paying again gor wi e i likeNot a fan of ships excursions, prefer private ones, don't go for coach trips

 

As for Wi-Fi, not addicted when on holiday. HOWEVER if a situation like the cruise being stopped, then it is bad that Cunard didn't give everyone who needed it as much Wi-Fi as they needed

My wife does not drink alcohol at all and I rarely go beyond a glass of wine with some meals, so I would not value inclusive drinks.  In fact, to the extent I would fear it might encourage some people to drink to excess, it would actually discourage me from taking such a cruise.  (As it is, with the drinks packages you pay for you have to drink well in excess of the recommended daily alcohol level to make them worth the price.)

[jimbo1683]

6 hours ago, WestonOne said:

My wife does not drink alcohol at all and I rarely go beyond a glass of wine with some meals, so I would not value inclusive drinks.  In fact, to the extent I would fear it might encourage some people to drink to excess, it would actually discourage me from taking such a cruise.  (As it is, with the drinks packages you pay for you have to drink well in excess of the recommended daily alcohol level to make them worth the price.)

Goodness, no we wouldn't want people to enjoy their cruise too much

[WestonOne]

On 4/7/2022 at 9:17 PM, jimbo1683 said:

Goodness, no we wouldn't want people to enjoy their cruise too much

They can enjoy it as fully as they like, of course.  I have no objection at all to that.  But I would not choose to go on something that looked like being primarily a 'party cruise'.

Some people like the very casual Carnival cruises.  Some people like the more formal Cunard.  Some love all inclusive holiday resorts, others are only happy in a tent in a wilderness far from as many as possible.   I have simply indicated my preference, no more.

As I have also said, though, I think the drinks packages are problematical.  It depends on the line you travel with, but let's let's take Cunard's, at $69 per person, per day.  which I am told is around 10 beers. Suppose  you have had 6, but feel perfectly happy and contented.  You can stop drinking while having totally enjoyed the experience, or you can have a seventh, and eight pint you don't really want, but you have paid for it, so why not?

Is that actually about enjoying your cruise, or putting you under some, perhaps slight, pressure to drink more than you intended?

Edited April 11, 2022 by WestonOne

[Mareblu]

On 4/11/2022 at 11:58 PM, WestonOne said:

They can enjoy it as fully as they like, of course.  I have no objection at all to that.  But I would not choose to go on something that looked like being primarily a 'party cruise'.

Some people like the very casual Carnival cruises.  Some people like the more formal Cunard.  Some love all inclusive holiday resorts, others are only happy in a tent in a wilderness far from as many as possible.   I have simply indicated my preference, no more.

As I have also said, though, I think the drinks packages are problematical.  It depends on the line you travel with, but let's let's take Cunard's, at $69 per person, per day.  which I am told is around 10 beers. Suppose  you have had 6, but feel perfectly happy and contented.  You can stop drinking while having totally enjoyed the experience, or you can have a seventh, and eight pint you don't really want, but you have paid for it, so why not?

Is that actually about enjoying your cruise, or putting you under some, perhaps slight, pressure to drink more than you intended?

I certainly have no wish to partake in a "party cruise" as you describe it.  Enjoying a pre-dinner cocktail, one or two glasses of wine of choice to accompany dinner, and on the odd occasion, a nightcap whilst enjoying the ship's musical entertainment much later is hardly a decadent riot.  We're looking forward to enjoying our QG experience on our first Cunard cruise later this year, and whilst we do enjoy convivial company and anticipate happy social interaction during our voyage, we would be dismayed to find ourselves attending a wake.  We have cruised with many lines over too many years to mention, including Seabourn, Silversea, Viking and Oceania.  All of these, with the exception of perhaps Viking, we have found to be comfortable, elegant and sociably enjoyable experiences.  While Viking was enjoyable, the cuisine and service were certainly below par.  Oceania seems to have the perfect balance.  We are also cruising with Oceania again this year, prior to Cunard, with a week in Cornwall in between.  It will be really interesting to compare the two.  I know from reading the many comments on the various Cunard threads that Cunard cruisers are extremely loyal, and that is to be commended.  It does not follow, however, that other experiences are "party cruises", although I do concede that you nominate only Carnival.  I have never cruised on Carnival, so couldn't possibly comment.  Having said all that, we are truly looking forward very much to our first Cunard cruise, and we may even become rusted-on adherents ourselves.   

Linda

[Victoria2]

Mareblu, don't worry. There are passengers on Cunard who have been known to raise a glass or two, or three, or four...😄

 

I would imagine quite a few passengers book drink packages and have yet to see any dancing on the tables or passengers passing out through over indulgence as I'm sure most folk know their limits as do I. I soon learnt to limit my after dinner  ''tea'' drinking, to one if we wished to make the late theatre show rather than me wobbling off to the cabin

 

We don't book them as  we like to choose our drinks as and when we want them but we have however, had a couple of pretty good bin end packages in the past. We have found on those [rare] occasions, our table companions are always willing pitch in and help clear out the unwanted stock. We're very helpful like that! 😄

 

As an habitual QGriller, I will be very interested in your comparisons between cruise lines.

 

 

[Mareblu]

22 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

Mareblu, don't worry. There are passengers on Cunard who have been known to raise a glass or two, or three, or four...😄

 

I would imagine quite a few passengers book drink packages and have yet to see any dancing on the tables or passengers passing out through over indulgence as I'm sure most folk know their limits as do I. I soon learnt to limit my after dinner  ''tea'' drinking, to one if we wished to make the late theatre show rather than me wobbling off to the cabin

 

We don't book them as  we like to choose our drinks as and when we want them but we have however, had a couple of pretty good bin end packages in the past. We have found on those [rare] occasions, our table companions are always willing pitch in and help clear out the unwanted stock. We're very helpful like that! 😄

 

As an habitual QGriller, I will be very interested in your comparisons between cruise lines.

 

 

Thanks, Victoria2.  We definitely have no intention of booking the drinks package.  As our cruise is for 37 days, $69 per day when we couldn't possibly imbibe the lot would be a ridiculous extravagance.  It will be quite lovely to choose a wine for each evening meal from the wine list.  We're also looking forward to enjoying a pre-dinner cocktail, something we never do at home, and a digestive glass (purely for medicinal purposes as the saying goes) after.  The only problem I foresee is the much-maligned wifi, which at the price Cunard quotes is very expensive, and by all accounts simply terrible.  Other cruise lines (not "party" lines) have included wifi in the fare for a long time.  When Oceania introduced it, it certainly didn't affect the fare;  this I know because I checked at the time.  Their wifi signal is strong and reliable, too.  Tradition, in this day and age, should have its limits.  It's a shame we're not on the same cruise.  I think we'd get along very well indeed 🙂 

[Victoria2]

1 hour ago, Mareblu said:

Thanks, Victoria2.  We definitely have no intention of booking the drinks package.  As our cruise is for 37 days, $69 per day when we couldn't possibly imbibe the lot would be a ridiculous extravagance.  It will be quite lovely to choose a wine for each evening meal from the wine list.  We're also looking forward to enjoying a pre-dinner cocktail, something we never do at home, and a digestive glass (purely for medicinal purposes as the saying goes) after.  The only problem I foresee is the much-maligned wifi, which at the price Cunard quotes is very expensive, and by all accounts simply terrible.  Other cruise lines (not "party" lines) have included wifi in the fare for a long time.  When Oceania introduced it, it certainly didn't affect the fare;  this I know because I checked at the time.  Their wifi signal is strong and reliable, too.  Tradition, in this day and age, should have its limits.  It's a shame we're not on the same cruise.  I think we'd get along very well indeed 🙂 

Thanks Mareblu. The feeling is mutual. 

 

Sadly there's no private method of communication and as I never add my name prior to sailing onto roll calls or put my cruise schedule on the internet, I can't see that ever happening. There are a couple of members I'd love to hook up with but with no private messaging system, that seems impossible.

 

We have visited Australia a few times on land trips but never by ship, something we hope to add New Zealand into and rectify in the future, either in QV or QE or even QA if she sails down under and the itinerary suits.

 

I have no idea which ship you're sailing on or the itinerary but I have a few nights under my belt on QE and QV, cabin grades 2 thro' 5 on both ships and an aft 1 booked to see if  lively seas can be coped with higher up the ship.

Any questions, just ask. If I can't help, there will be other fellow Grillers, who can.  🙂

[WestonOne]

On 4/13/2022 at 7:00 AM, Mareblu said:

I certainly have no wish to partake in a "party cruise" as you describe it.  Enjoying a pre-dinner cocktail, one or two glasses of wine of choice to accompany dinner, and on the odd occasion, a nightcap whilst enjoying the ship's musical entertainment much later is hardly a decadent riot. 

I agree wholeheartedly.  I do not want a wake either and often have a glass with a meal.  In fact much of the time I go for a table of eight and we quickly agree amongst ourselves to buy one or two bottles for the table, with the next person/couple buying the following day, and so on.  That is different to making a financial commitment to drink a certain amount of alcohol every day 'to make it worth it'.  Have ten cocktails in one evening if that is what suits the mood.  That is not committing you to doing it every day.

[MarkBearSF]

I have been on a number of cruises with "the package" and have never felt that I needed to drink enough to make it "worth it." Instead, it's simply been more convenient. Likewise with the people I've traveled with. This has been on Celebrity, Princess, and Viking Ocean. (We did see it when it was offered to students on a Spring Break cruise on NCL, but that's a very different situation, and I think they would have been a noisy mess in any event)

Certainly, there are some people who would fit into the category to get their money's worth. (In most cases, we've gotten the package as part of a promotion or bundle). It really depends upon the people who are cruising. On Cunard, such worries are silly. More often than not, grills have been booked with the package included for US travelers over the past few years, yet you don't see unseemly displays in the Grills Lounge. Nor do you see it on luxury lines. Such worries are a Cunard canard.

And Happy Easter, Passover, and holy Ramadan to all.

 

 

Edited April 17, 2022 by MarkBearSF

[WestonOne]

50 minutes ago, MarkBearSF said:

... yet you don't see unseemly displays in the Grills Lounge. Nor do you see it on luxury lines. Such worries are a Cunard canard.

Glad to hear it.  I am not a  'committed Cunarder', - my fourth and fifth are coming up, so I am a relative newbie.   I would not expect this to be a problem on Cunard and even less so for Grills passengers, but I have seen it on even moderately long P+O trips (14+ days) on occasion.  It is rare, of course, and the crew deal with it promptly, but I have known a small number of families ejected as a result of brawls that broke out.  (It is rare enough that the gossip entertains the ship for days ...)

Perhaps the most impressive, though, was one of the entertainers - a comic, if I recall - who managed to get drunk so quickly and thoroughly that he never made it to his first performance.  I believe he was put ashore at the port of call immediately after the one he boarded at.

The only drinks packages I have bought are the 6 or 12 bottle collections to be drunk at whatever speed I choose, but even these purchases are rare:  I prefer to buy them as I want, rather than pre-buy.

Edited April 17, 2022 by WestonOne

[Mareblu]

Happily, it seems we all agree.  I have never been tempted to cruise with P+O, as the passengers' (some, certainly not all) antics on the occasional shorter Pacific coastal cruises have made headlines here in Australia.  Certainly there was a tragic case, admittedly quite a few years ago, that was investigated for a long time.  I'm sure there have been many P+O cruises that have been the very antithesis of those, but in any case we prefer, if we're embarking on a cruise, to travel to farther destinations to enhance the wonder.  Back on topic, we have purchased drink packages on two occasions in the past, on Oceania and Viking.  The reason:  the wines offered were certainly palatable, and the convenience of not having to sign for each and every glass.  We have never consumed "the daily allowance".  We have no intention at this stage of purchasing the Cunard offering, although it's always wise to peruse the wine lists on the first day aboard, compare those to the package offered, and make a choice at that time.  I believe Cunard allows that first day for that purpose.  I tend to think, however, that we will continue our intention of selecting each day.  We would normally have a few alcohol-free days per week anyway, aboard or not.  We're simply looking forward to an enjoyable, relaxing and tranquil experience at sea, which is what I wish all my fellow passengers.  Happy sailing, everyone.