Included drinks on a Cunard cruise and excursions

[Peter Lanky]

I am considering a Cunard cruise for next year but want to clarify something. When I drink, it is either an alcoholic drink or tea, coffee or water. I never have soft drinks other than maybe fruit juice with breakfast. For a 20 night cruise, which this one is, there is absolutely no way that I'm going to spend £2.5K on a drinks package for two of us, so my first question asks, 'what (if any) inclusive drinks are generally available at any time of day either in cabin or public areas, namely ordinary tea, coffee or water? I have never cruised before, so I don't know the score.

 

My second question is 'How do inclusive excursions compare in price with other cruise lines'? I can find nothing online that gives me any indication of excursion costs. I know included excursions are overpriced, but not having cruised before, can I be confident that I can find independent tours at ports that guarantee return to port on time, or make arrangements if they fail to do this? Ports are Heraklion, Suez Canal, Safaga, Salalah and Columbo.

[exlondoner]

28 minutes ago, Peter Lanky said:

I am considering a Cunard cruise for next year but want to clarify something. When I drink, it is either an alcoholic drink or tea, coffee or water. I never have soft drinks other than maybe fruit juice with breakfast. For a 20 night cruise, which this one is, there is absolutely no way that I'm going to spend £2.5K on a drinks package for two of us, so my first question asks, 'what (if any) inclusive drinks are generally available at any time of day either in cabin or public areas, namely ordinary tea, coffee or water? I have never cruised before, so I don't know the score.

 

My second question is 'How do inclusive excursions compare in price with other cruise lines'? I can find nothing online that gives me any indication of excursion costs. I know included excursions are overpriced, but not having cruised before, can I be confident that I can find independent tours at ports that guarantee return to port on time, or make arrangements if they fail to do this? Ports are Heraklion, Suez Canal, Safaga, Salalah and Columbo.

 

There are tea and coffee making facilities in your cabin. Tea and coffee are included after meals in restaurants. Tea, coffee, and water are always available in the Lido, when it is open. The tap water in the cabin is inoffensive to drink. Grills cabins get some soft drinks and bottled water, I think, and an Illy coffee machine.

[LadyL1]

The cruise lines with excursions included are considerably more expensive. Some just include basic 2 hour trips. 
Mist of the ports you have mentioned might not be ideal for doing long  trips on your own, and it is so much more comfortable to be with a few other people. On the “Roll Calls” there are often groups putting a trip together in a minivan etc. One usually pays per couple direct to the company.I have joined these in the past, and all have been great fun and value! To name a few, Columbia, Namibia & Guatemala. European ports are much easier.

 Cunard trips ashore run from upwards of $50 depending where and how long. You can see what is available once booked (and have found the same with other lines).

A lot to think about, but it sounds a great voyage.

[Peter Lanky]

32 minutes ago, LadyL1 said:

The cruise lines with excursions included are considerably more expensive. Some just include basic 2 hour trips. 
Mist of the ports you have mentioned might not be ideal for doing long  trips on your own, and it is so much more comfortable to be with a few other people. On the “Roll Calls” there are often groups putting a trip together in a minivan etc. One usually pays per couple direct to the company.I have joined these in the past, and all have been great fun and value! To name a few, Columbia, Namibia & Guatemala. European ports are much easier.

 Cunard trips ashore run from upwards of $50 depending where and how long. You can see what is available once booked (and have found the same with other lines).

A lot to think about, but it sounds a great voyage.

Yes, I've noticed you can only generally see the excursions once booked, when they have you by the short and curlies so to speak. I have seen the roll calls on the 2 cruises that I've had cancelled so far, so that would be a good option. I do have another cruise booked, but I have some onboard credit for that, so excursions prices don't seem as painful.

[bluemarble]

The free fruit juices that were available on QM2 (self-serve, pre-covid) at the Kings Court buffet and at ConneXions were orange, apple, cranberry and lemonade.

 

The Suez Canal will be a transit (cruise-by) call, so there won't be any opportunity for shore excursions there.

[carlmm]

2 hours ago, Peter Lanky said:

 water? 

Of course, plain water is available for free in all bars at any time, top.

Pre-covid there used to be a reception were you got alcoholic drinks for free, too. Recently it just has been a class of sparkling at dine one of the nights.

[Victoria2]

For some reason, I still have the excursion  booklet from our '19 world cruise segments. 

The only port of interest to you will be Colombo.

Unfortunately, my skills don't extend to posting any photos so if interested, I could email to Host Hattie a photo of the relevant  excursions which were available in '19 which gives duration and the costs and she would be able to post them here for you. It will give you an idea.

Edited June 12, 2022 by Victoria2

[carlmm]

2 hours ago, Peter Lanky said:

Ports are Heraklion, Suez Canal, Safaga, Salalah and Columbo.

Heraklion can easily be done by oneself. Both taxis and public transportation are available.

For the others some kind of tour might ba advisable, either by Cunard or an independent operator. The later I would prebook from home in the countries concerned. Well, Colombo might be done in your own if you are adventorous enough.

Check the port or call sections.

[Peter Lanky]

50 minutes ago, carlmm said:

Of course, plain water is available for free in all bars at any time, top.

Pre-covid there used to be a reception were you got alcoholic drinks for free, too. Recently it just has been a class of sparkling at dine one of the nights.

These days I never assume that any place will not try to charge for water, if they can get away with it. I'm guessing from other comments that water from the tap is drinkable, so that's OK. Having a disability I have to ensure I drink a regular amount of water.

[Peter Lanky]

49 minutes ago, carlmm said:

Heraklion can easily be done by oneself. Both taxis and public transportation are available.

For the others some kind of tour might ba advisable, either by Cunard or an independent operator. The later I would prebook from home in the countries concerned. Well, Colombo might be done in your own if you are adventorous enough.

Check the port or call sections.

I've tried all sorts of searches, but there seems to be a reluctance to give any detail on excursions, other than a generic description of what one 'could' do. It would be interesting to see Heraklion again, 36 years after my last visit, when staying in Crete for a week and doing a day tour by that most dangerous of methods; motorbike with no crash helmet. Going inland in Greece was so fascinating after only ever previously seeing seaside tourist resorts.

[lissie]

We are doing the same ports in October this year, so I can address those specifically. I have over 30 years of independent travel , planning on backpacking the Balkans this year before this trip ie I'm an experienced traveller. 

 

Crete: easy to do your own thing  or hire a local guide/car - not that hard to get back to the ship on time 

Suez: you don't get off the ship 

Safafaga for Luxor- this is about 6 hour drive each way. The drive is through a remote area where the military sometimes get buses to convoy. I've been to Etypt before - I wouldn't believe any local company that told you they would "guarantee" to get you back. We booked the ship's cruise as soon as it was available US$190 pp 

Salalah, Oman. Will probably need some sort of tour  but will probably organize it with a local. 

Colombo - will probably just hire a taxi driver 

 

Hope this helps 

[lissie]

4 hours ago, Peter Lanky said:

These days I never assume that any place will not try to charge for water, if they can get away with it. I'm guessing from other comments that water from the tap is drinkable, so that's OK. Having a disability I have to ensure I drink a regular amount of water.

You can also carry on any drinks that you want to - alcoholic and non-alcholic 

[MJC]

We will be on Cunard for the first time this fall. This thread got me interested in the drinks available. Being from the US, I have to ask about squash and cordials. In the US a cordial is a sweet alcoholic drink, like Grand Marnier (which we would have after dinner), but from my reading I think it's different in England? And I have never heard of squash. Any advice? I am willing to try anything at least once (even the much maligned Pol Acker). 🙂 

Edited June 12, 2022 by MJC

[jimbo1683]

35 minutes ago, MJC said:

We will be on Cunard for the first time this fall. This thread got me interested in the drinks available. Being from the US, I have to ask about squash and cordials. In the US a cordial is a sweet alcoholic drink, like Grand Marnier (which we would have after dinner), but from my reading I think it's different in England? And I have never heard of squash. Any advice? I am willing to try anything at least once (even the much maligned Pol Acker). 🙂 

In everyday usage squash and cordial mean the same thing in England: a concentrated fruit drink which you dilute with water. Wikipedia says that there is a difference between squash and cordial in the concentration of the fruit juice, but I'm not sure many people would know that and the terms are used interchangably.

 

  I can't say I've ever heard an alcholic drink being referred to as a cordial in England.

Edited June 12, 2022 by jimbo1683

[PORT ROYAL]

12 minutes ago, jimbo1683 said:

In everyday usage squash and cordial mean the same thing in England: a concentrated fruit drink which you dilute with water. Wikipedia says that there is a difference between squash and cordial in the concentration of the fruit juice, but I'm not sure many people would know that and the terms are used interchangably.

 

  I can't say I've ever heard an alcholic drink being referred to as a cordial in England.

My MIL does not drink (so she says), but refers to Grand Marnier as being an orange cordial. 😉

[PORT ROYAL]

55 minutes ago, MJC said:

 I am willing to try anything at least once (even the much maligned Pol Acker). 🙂 

That’s what there is only one small bottle in one’s stateroom on embarkation.😊

 

[Peter Lanky]

I have to concur that to me, squash and cordial are one and the same, being a concentrate comprising of an eye watering percentage of sugar, diluted with water according to the taste of the drinker. Grand Marnier to me is a liqueur, in the same vein as Southern Comfort or Benedictine, with an alcoholic strength similar to a spirit.

 

If one wants to try a truly great squash/cordial, then the only one for me is the Manchester based Vimto, probably unknown outside the UK, and when I was younger unknown outside NW England, but is absolutely massively popular in that region. There is no other soft drink quite like it. Can be drank hot, cold or fizzy.