Cunard Pros and Cons?

[anjo]

Hi Everyone, 

Thinking of cancelling Pacific Explorer  Round Australia  and looking at 63 days on Cunard. Know it will cost a lot more, but so many negative posts about P&O. Final trip home to UK for me, so keen to make it a nice cruise. 

Will be in the cheapest interior. I know it has a Class feel to it, and you need to dress up a bit more, but can always eat at the buffet.

Would love some feedback from people who have sailed  on Cunard recently.

Cruise Princess normally, but they seem to be more expensive.!? Looking at Feb 2025 so have a little extra time to save my pennies.

Am I best to book direct with Cunard or use a Travel Agent?

Thanks everyone,

Anjo.

[Kangakid]

Anjo, have sailed on Cunard 4 times, and recently completed my first PO cruise.

No comparisons really, although we enjoyed our cruise on PO and had no complaints really, food was very average but the speciality dining was very good.  Cunard you will find all meals very good.  The buffet for lunch was fabulous, you have a very good variety and the MDR of an evening is really good.  You have the same dining partners each night, so you really build up a relationship with them and also your waiters.  I found Cunard offered a variety of activities.  Heaps of places to just chill out.  If you read the library is the best at sea.  I would definitely not hesitate booking Cunard.  We never found anyone snobby at all.  
cheers Vicki

[Beagle5]

I have done 3 cruises on Cunard. One in Europe and 2 in Australia/NZ. All pre-pandemic in a standard balcony cabin. I have another one booked on the new ship (Queen Anne) for next year in Norway. Here are my thoughts.

- the ships have a nice classy feel. Beautifully fitted out 

- Food was pretty good. I would rate it better than RCCL and Princess, but not by much.

- Best scones at sea.

- I like the buffet lay out on QV and QE. (I hated the buffet layout on Majestic Princess).

- the dress code was dumbed down a bit in Australian waters and there is less compliance. It is generally a more casual ambience (That's good or bad depending on your outlook). Notwithstanding that, people will be dressed up a bit more than on P&O, RCCL etc.

- the crowd was a bit older in Australia, and seemed to have a preference for dining early in the buffet relative to the Europe sailing. In fact the main dining room always seemed half empty in the evening which I found a bit disappointing. I would encourage you to take a jacket (if male) and and eat in the dining room. You're missing out on the main event otherwise.

- shows in the theatre were great, and so were the guest lecturers.

- excellent fitness centre at the front of the ship.

 

I'd give it a crack. if choosing between Cunard and Princess, I would choose Cunard, but you wont know until you try it.

I book direct with Cunard rather than using my TA. I find that TAs are more useful on the more expensive lines, when they seem to be able to swing extra OBC.

Edited March 7, 2023 by Beagle5

[anjo]

Thankyou Kangakid and Beagle5. 😁

[arxcards]

No class feel for me. If you pay for dearer cabins, you also get an exclusive restaurant. While this is seen as a class thing, the same applies on Royal Caribbean and it isn't a class thing.

 

Yes, there is the more traditional nightly dress for dinner, but during the day it is just another cruise. You will get more than you would on P&O Australia, but you are paying for the privilege.

[subaru94]

We just recently came of the Queen Elizabeth ship, and have cruised with P&O, Princess, Royal Caribbean and Princess.  We had an obstructed oceanview cabin on deck 4, great location.  We have also just completed 2 P&O cruises, the P&O cruises entertainment onboard was great, food average, Queen Elizabeth, food was lovely, cabin steward fantastic. Entertainment was great.  I would say the Queen Elizabeth is more layback, however, they have guest speakers on board, the afternoon tea and also if you feel athletic, chair aerobics, line dancing, zumba gold, all inclusive.  The dress code is more strict on formal nights whereby if you want to go into a restaurant, you will need a tie and jacket, other evenings, slacks and polo shirt is fine.  They also now have anytime dining which we enjoyed too.  If you have any other questions happy to answer to the best of my ability.

[clairebearinaus]

It's such a personal thing - after 2 nights on Cunard I felt like I'd seen and done enough, and I definitely wouldn't want to be in an interior for a cruise that length on any cruise ship.  I've also sailed on P&O, there were hits and misses with the food and service on both lines.  

 

If you are a drinker, factor in that alcoholic drinks on Cunard are VERY expensive.

[anjo]

2 hours ago, clairebearinaus said:

It's such a personal thing - after 2 nights on Cunard I felt like I'd seen and done enough, and I definitely wouldn't want to be in an interior for a cruise that length on any cruise ship.  I've also sailed on P&O, there were hits and misses with the food and service on both lines.  

 

If you are a drinker, factor in that alcoholic drinks on Cunard are VERY expensive.

Thankyou for your response. Not sure what you mean by"after 2 nights on Cunard I felt like I'd seen and done enough".? Have done 2 cruises in Interior cabins of 49 and 42 nights, so that's ok. If I had the money for a Balcony or Suite, that would be a different story🤣

[clairebearinaus]

48 minutes ago, anjo said:

Thankyou for your response. Not sure what you mean by"after 2 nights on Cunard I felt like I'd seen and done enough".? Have done 2 cruises in Interior cabins of 49 and 42 nights, so that's ok. If I had the money for a Balcony or Suite, that would be a different story🤣

For me, there just wasn't enough to do on the ship.  That's not say there weren't things to do, but they didn't appeal to me.  I'm early 50s (though fairly immature, admittedly 😄) and would say the 'vibe' of the ship is a lot older.

[Aussieflyer]

I am not sure which ship you are looking at for this cruise. I have sailed QM2 (several) and QE (once) - I am not enamoured with QE but QM2 is a whole different ball game. The lectures were excellent and afternoon classical concerts. Food was fine although not a quantum leap above say Princess or Celebrity (been a while since RCI and haven't experienced P&O yet). Drinks were quite expensive but maybe noticed that as didn't have a drink package (it was about $100 pppd from memory). I like the ambience on Cunard though as other posters have said, it seems much more casual on Australian sailings (in fact on QE in Queens Grill restaurant there were a few people in shorts and polos and runners at dinner). Dressing for formal nights is something people either love or hate - I love it.

[buchhalm]

The catch cry on Cunard is usually "Hip Hip, Replacement!!"

[cruisine21]

One thing that is very big on Cunard is ballroom dancing and professional dancers. They also have Gentlemen Dance Hosts. I did dance classes everyday which kept me active.

[Aussieflyer]

27 minutes ago, cruisine21 said:

One thing that is very big on Cunard is ballroom dancing and professional dancers. They also have Gentlemen Dance Hosts. I did dance classes everyday which kept me active.

Though I had read that the dance hosts were suspended due to covid. Not sure if they are back again.

[LittleFish1976]

2 hours ago, Aussieflyer said:

Though I had read that the dance hosts were suspended due to covid. Not sure if they are back again.

No, they are not back.

[LittleFish1976]

5 hours ago, Aussieflyer said:

I am not sure which ship you are looking at for this cruise. I have sailed QM2 (several) and QE (once) - I am not enamoured with QE but QM2 is a whole different ball game. The lectures were excellent and afternoon classical concerts. Food was fine although not a quantum leap above say Princess or Celebrity (been a while since RCI and haven't experienced P&O yet). Drinks were quite expensive but maybe noticed that as didn't have a drink package (it was about $100 pppd from memory). I like the ambience on Cunard though as other posters have said, it seems much more casual on Australian sailings (in fact on QE in Queens Grill restaurant there were a few people in shorts and polos and runners at dinner). Dressing for formal nights is something people either love or hate - I love it.

 

That was very unusual for there to be shorts and runners at dinner in Queen's Grill. I was in the QG recently and everyone was dressed properly. Cunard is not as formal as it was several years ago even but even so...runners at dinner?

 

 

[LittleFish1976]

2 hours ago, buchhalm said:

The catch cry on Cunard is usually "Hip Hip, Replacement!!"

Apart from the cruise lines with water slides, which of them isn't heavily skewed towards older passengers? They've got the disposable income and the time.

[Galesa]

6 hours ago, LittleFish1976 said:

Apart from the cruise lines with water slides, which of them isn't heavily skewed towards older passengers? They've got the disposable income and the time.

Did my first Princess cruise recently after only having done HAL previously. At 70 I felt young!

 

[Aussieflyer]

7 hours ago, LittleFish1976 said:

 

That was very unusual for there to be shorts and runners at dinner in Queen's Grill. I was in the QG recently and everyone was dressed properly. Cunard is not as formal as it was several years ago even but even so...runners at dinner?

 

 

I agree - the chap was on a large table near us. The women were well dressed but at least 2 of the men were certainly what I considered under dressed. Whilst their dress did not affect me I did think it was poor that it didn’t seem to be pointed out by the maître d. 

[anjo]

15 hours ago, buchhalm said:

The catch cry on Cunard is usually "Hip Hip, Replacement!!"

Touch wood nothing wrong with my hips🤣 YET!