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Why Cunard


swjumbo
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Thank you all for your comments and reviews. 
Lots of good stuff here and we’re very excited.

PS Loved the P&O and Butlins comment. My kids love both but not somewhere I’d rush to without them!

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3 minutes ago, swjumbo said:

Thank you all for your comments and reviews. 
Lots of good stuff here and we’re very excited.

PS Loved the P&O and Butlins comment. My kids love both but not somewhere I’d rush to without them!

Ignore that comment. If you compare like for like say in a balcony stateroom on Cunard and P&O having cruised many times with P&O since 2000 and Cunard since 1997 yes Cunard is better but at a price you pay for. Also consider Cunard/P&O come under the umbrella of Carnival UK and having the same backroom staff in Southampton and IT department so they are closer than many know or imagine. Onboard nobody can deny that Cunard is better but you pay a lot  more for the former and to say they are as far apart as Claridge's and Butlins is way off the mark.

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Mostly because they DON'T have all the "stuff" I see on big cruise ships. There's one in our port that has a rollercoaster. Yikes! I love kids but not on my Cruise these days. I can always jump on Disney if I want to hang with my grandkids. 🙂 I love QM2 because I  can always find a quiet place to hang out. Read my book or write on my computer.  I don'tusually dress formally so Cunard is a nice change.  Food is ok. Afternoon teas are a treat and very well done.  I don't often do the shows but have occasionally seen some outstanding artists. Crosby, Stiles and Nash once. How great is that. I avoid the ballroom owing to being dragged to the Blackpool Tower ballroom every year as a kid. But lots of folks love it. We are taking the Grand Med trip coming up and I guess we will see some stuff but honestly I prefer the crossing and not having to get off for a week. 

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In lover 25+ trips in QG, I cannot remember once having a "bad" meal. My only complaint is being served too much food.

 

Regarding P&O, our one and only trip with them was a suite on the Ventura, but only because we wanted to visit our daughter who was principal sing with the Headliners (incidentally no discount for family members).

 

Apart from the shows, we hated it. There was one problem after another. I ordered champagne in the theatre, but the waiter brought Prosecco. I pinted out his error and he stood and argued that Prosecco was champagne. Idiot.

 

In one of the restaurants, the manager (not Maitre d') gave me a wine list, but when I ordered a bottle of Chateuax Neuf, he said no. Why? because he would have to go down 2 levels to get it. I told him just to keep it and walked out.

 

I'm afraid the clientele was very Butlins (tattoos and bling) and getting hammered around the pools was the pastime of the sea days.

 

My favourite pudding, creamed rice, was actually a ball of rice, battered and deep fried. Disgusting.

 

I'm afraid that was our one and only foray with P&O. There won't be another.

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13 minutes ago, BigMac1953 said:

In lover 25+ trips in QG, I cannot remember once having a "bad" meal. My only complaint is being served too much food.

 

Regarding P&O, our one and only trip with them was a suite on the Ventura, but only because we wanted to visit our daughter who was principal sing with the Headliners (incidentally no discount for family members).

 

Apart from the shows, we hated it. There was one problem after another. I ordered champagne in the theatre, but the waiter brought Prosecco. I pinted out his error and he stood and argued that Prosecco was champagne. Idiot.

 

In one of the restaurants, the manager (not Maitre d') gave me a wine list, but when I ordered a bottle of Chateuax Neuf, he said no. Why? because he would have to go down 2 levels to get it. I told him just to keep it and walked out.

 

I'm afraid the clientele was very Butlins (tattoos and bling) and getting hammered around the pools was the pastime of the sea days.

 

My favourite pudding, creamed rice, was actually a ball of rice, battered and deep fried. Disgusting.

 

I'm afraid that was our one and only foray with P&O. There won't be another.

Sorry but that is so patronising, snobbish and incorrect to say that about clientele on P&O. We have done over 30+ cruises on P&O and we dont have tattoos, wear bling and get hammered around the pool and neither do many others and to tar everyone with the same brush is totally wrong. 

 

As an example having done over 50+ cruises with Cunard/P&O/Princess have only ever seen really bad behaviour once where a waiter and passenger ended up fighting one lunchtime in the buffet restaurant and that was on the QE2. So to say such a statement is so wrong and so far off the truth.

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, swjumbo said:

Thank you all for your comments and reviews. 
Lots of good stuff here and we’re very excited.

PS Loved the P&O and Butlins comment. My kids love both but not somewhere I’d rush to without them!

Never stayed at Claridges, nor have we graced Butlins with our presence but have cruised over 75 times and can assure you that all cruise lines, including Cunard have things you will like a lot or not so much. Personally we now love Cunard but our first experience was not great. We are now about to take our fourth cruise with Cunard as we thought we should try again and so glad we did. As for P&O, we were quite reluctant to try but after taking a Seacation on Britannia last year we have now booked Arvia for a transatlantic next year. Fortunately we didn’t have the same experience as Big Mac. 

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5 hours ago, ak1004 said:

 

Exactly! Many people describe the wonderful experience they had on Cunard cruises, but forget to mention that they sailed in QG. Britannia provides a very different experience in terms of food and service. Still not bad, especially compared to other mainstream lines, but not even close to QS and the luxury lines.

 

Another thing on a luxury line is that everyone is treated equal, regardless of the cabin they book. Everyone gets the same food and service, the only difference is the cabin size (and maybe few small perks).

In all of your postings, you never mention fares. No one offers the bang for the buck for the average passenger that Cunard offers. True the "luxury" lines treat everyone equally but then they are all paying at or close to Grill fares. Tell me who offers the Cunard experience for under $200 per night per person? Maybe someday with a lottery win or a grace of the Gods upgrade I will sail grill. In the mean time I am perfectly happy to order off menu in Britannia and leave the tiniest portion of the ship to the wealthy grill passenger.

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35 minutes ago, Lakesregion said:

In the mean time I am perfectly happy to order off menu in Britannia and leave the tiniest portion of the ship to the wealthy grill passenger.

Can one order for menu in the Britannia dining room?

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44 minutes ago, Lakesregion said:

In all of your postings, you never mention fares. No one offers the bang for the buck for the average passenger that Cunard offers. True the "luxury" lines treat everyone equally but then they are all paying at or close to Grill fares. Tell me who offers the Cunard experience for under $200 per night per person? Maybe someday with a lottery win or a grace of the Gods upgrade I will sail grill. In the mean time I am perfectly happy to order off menu in Britannia and leave the tiniest portion of the ship to the wealthy grill passenger.

 

You are absolutely correct about fares, and I agree that Cunard offers excellent value for money for Britannia passengers.

 

But value for money is also subjective. Are you willing to pay more and to have better food, better service, smaller ships (that can dock for example near Tower of London instead of Dover and save you 4 hours drive)?

 

Also, you need to account for what's included in your fare. We are sailing on Silversea in December for under $400 per night. Yes, it's double compared to Cunard, but their fare includes all drinks, all specialty restaurants, internet, gratuities, Shore excursions, unlimited caviar and butler in every cabin. Is it worth to you the extra $200 per night per person? Many people will easily spend more on Cunard if they take the internet package, the drinks package and go to specialty restaurants. Others might say they don't drink, don't use the internet and don't book the excursions with the ship, so for them those things provide less value.

 

On Oceania it is not uncommon to find deals under $300 per night. Their fares include less than Silversea, but more than Cunard. In fact, when you account for all extras, the price gap between entry level cabins on Cunard and Oceania becomes pretty small.

 

I believe the principle "you get what you pay for" is very relevant in the cruise industry. But many people are perfectly fine with the value that Cunard provides.

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5 hours ago, ClefsDor said:

Can one order for menu in the Britannia dining room?

Not officially but if you have an assigned table and the same waiters for dinner every evening they will be able to find you many items that are missing from the menu. Such as floating Island as a dessert. Specialty pancakes for breakfast. Cheeses not on the tray and so on. No they will not get you beef wellington if it is not on the menu but then you have to pay six times as much in the grills for that item.

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4 hours ago, ak1004 said:

 

You are absolutely correct about fares, and I agree that Cunard offers excellent value for money for Britannia passengers.

 

But value for money is also subjective. Are you willing to pay more and to have better food, better service, smaller ships (that can dock for example near Tower of London instead of Dover and save you 4 hours drive)?

 

Also, you need to account for what's included in your fare. We are sailing on Silversea in December for under $400 per night. Yes, it's double compared to Cunard, but their fare includes all drinks, all specialty restaurants, internet, gratuities, Shore excursions, unlimited caviar and butler in every cabin. Is it worth to you the extra $200 per night per person? Many people will easily spend more on Cunard if they take the internet package, the drinks package and go to specialty restaurants. Others might say they don't drink, don't use the internet and don't book the excursions with the ship, so for them those things provide less value.

 

On Oceania it is not uncommon to find deals under $300 per night. Their fares include less than Silversea, but more than Cunard. In fact, when you account for all extras, the price gap between entry level cabins on Cunard and Oceania becomes pretty small.

 

I believe the principle "you get what you pay for" is very relevant in the cruise industry. But many people are perfectly fine with the value that Cunard provides.

The fallacy in your concept is that you assume everyone can afford the "extra" fare but choose not to,  when the vast majority of passengers can not and that is why they go with Cunard in Britannia. Great sailings for low cost and lots of tradition.

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7 minutes ago, Lakesregion said:

The fallacy in your concept is that you assume everyone can afford the "extra" fare but choose not to,  when the vast majority of passengers can not and that is why they go with Cunard in Britannia. Great sailings for low cost and lots of tradition.

 

My point is that on Cunard you will be paying extra anyway. Most people do use internet ($20 extra per day) and do at least some drinking. Even water and specialty coffee and tea add up. Your final bill will not be much lower compared to lines where those things are included.

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2 hours ago, ak1004 said:

 

My point is that on Cunard you will be paying extra anyway. Most people do use internet ($20 extra per day) and do at least some drinking. Even water and specialty coffee and tea add up. Your final bill will not be much lower compared to lines where those things are included.

That surely is personal choice on our recent 12n QM2 cruise we did not use our entire diamond internet allowance as we logged in on alternative days allowing each of us to use each other's allowance. We prefer to chose excursions rather than the "free one" provided by a cruise company.

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9 hours ago, Lakesregion said:

. In the mean time I am perfectly happy to order off menu in Britannia and leave the tiniest portion of the ship to the wealthy grill passenger.

 

I really must correct this. I often sail in the Grills, and nobody would claim I am wealthy. It is a case of choosing to spend my money that way. There are lots of other things I don't spend money on. I don't have a car, have never been to a hairdressers, rarely buy clothes, etc. I also choose to go on fewer trips so I can travel in the Grills. Few of those I have encountered have been wealthy, though some obviously. Strangely, though, I have encountered a lot of retired teachers, such as myself. So don't claim the Grills are only for the wealthy.

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6 hours ago, sogne said:

That surely is personal choice on our recent 12n QM2 cruise we did not use our entire diamond internet allowance as we logged in on alternative days allowing each of us to use each other's allowance. We prefer to chose excursions rather than the "free one" provided by a cruise company.

 

It is. But seeing the amounts of drinks consumed, I would still think that most people select to spend a lot on drinks, and many also buy full internet packages. Specialty restaurants are also fully booked most of the time. And while theoretically gratuities are optional, most people select not to remove them.

 

As for excursions - there is typically selection of at least 3-5 included excursions in each port, and this is more than sufficient for most people.

 

So yes, it is definitely possible to have your final on board bill zero, but for most people this is not the case.

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22 hours ago, BigMac1953 said:

 

I'm afraid the clientele was very Butlins (tattoos and bling) and getting hammered around the pools was the pastime of the sea days.

 

 

You must have been unlucky ,  the people on our P&O cruise were every bit as well mannered as Cunard. 

 

Tattos can be seen on Cunard especially once you leave the rarified Atmosphere of gross deck , and the Cunard shops are full of bling, someone must be buying it.

 

As for getting hammered round the pool, now that Cunard have followed down the line of drinks packages,  you will be bound to see those that want to get their money's worth on Cunard. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, Windsurfboy said:

This reminds me , one QG benefit,  is that it hasn't gone down the all inclusive drinks route, unlike most other "luxury " offerings. 

 

Why it's a benefit? You pay rates that in many cases equal or higher than on truly luxury lines like Silversea, and then you have to pay extra for drinks, internet, gratuities and specialty restaurants? This is how a line rewards its most loyal customers?

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1 hour ago, Windsurfboy said:

This reminds me , one QG benefit,  is that it hasn't gone down the all inclusive drinks route, unlike most other "luxury " offerings. 

or included excursions, thank goodness and as it's QG, there's no need for speciality restaurants  as  QG dining is pretty special.  🙂

 

 

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1 hour ago, ak1004 said:

 

Why it's a benefit? You pay rates that in many cases equal or higher than on truly luxury lines like Silversea, and then you have to pay extra for drinks, internet, gratuities and specialty restaurants? This is how a line rewards its most loyal customers?

 

If you look at a QG sized suite on the lines you quote they are significantly dearer. Must compare like with like.

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2 hours ago, ak1004 said:

 

Why it's a benefit? You pay rates that in many cases equal or higher than on truly luxury lines like Silversea, and then you have to pay extra for drinks, internet, gratuities and specialty restaurants? This is how a line rewards its most loyal customers?

I am probably unusual in that I don't consume alcohol the reason simply in my previous life failing a breath test ment instance suspension and eventual dismissal. So the perk of inclusive drinks would not benefit me.

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1 hour ago, sogne said:

I am probably unusual in that I don't consume alcohol the reason simply in my previous life failing a breath test ment instance suspension and eventual dismissal. So the perk of inclusive drinks would not benefit me.

 

We also don't drink, even when it's included. But as you mentioned, it's very unusual. Most people do drink, especially on cruise ships. So many people will spend an extra $30-50 per day on drinks. Add internet, gratuities, excursions - and an average passenger will easily spend extra $150-200 per day, in addition to the base fare.

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9 hours ago, ak1004 said:

 

We also don't drink, even when it's included. But as you mentioned, it's very unusual. Most people do drink, especially on cruise ships. So many people will spend an extra $30-50 per day on drinks. Add internet, gratuities, excursions - and an average passenger will easily spend extra $150-200 per day, in addition to the base fare.

 

My preference is for the fares to be lower, by this amount and let me choose what I want.

 

Which I think Cunard is. If Cunard in a like for like cabin was same price as "premium all inclusive line" it would be poor value

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10 hours ago, ak1004 said:

 

We also don't drink, even when it's included. But as you mentioned, it's very unusual. Most people do drink, especially on cruise ships. So many people will spend an extra $30-50 per day on drinks. Add internet, gratuities, excursions - and an average passenger will easily spend extra $150-200 per day, in addition to the base fare.

 

We usually have a bit of OBC, sometimes a lot, but usually enough to cover the gratuities at least. I do drink, but not enough to make the packages worthwhile, (and we do get the Grills freebie bottles in our cabin). We sometimes book excursions with Cunard, but in most places prefer to wander, as it seems more satisfying. We only use the internet up to our WC allowance, which I know wouldn't help more recent passengers. But I think I am fairly average, given the number of repeat passengers attending WC events when they had them. I have never come near the daily sum you mention.

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1 hour ago, exlondoner said:

 

We usually have a bit of OBC, sometimes a lot, but usually enough to cover the gratuities at least. I do drink, but not enough to make the packages worthwhile, (and we do get the Grills freebie bottles in our cabin). We sometimes book excursions with Cunard, but in most places prefer to wander, as it seems more satisfying. We only use the internet up to our WC allowance, which I know wouldn't help more recent passengers. But I think I am fairly average, given the number of repeat passengers attending WC events when they had them. I have never come near the daily sum you mention.

Snap, apart from our rare excursions are usually arranged for us once onboard. We  have had a zero account on a couple of occasions thanks to very generous obc.

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