Grills Lounge on QA - Capacity and Speculation

[exlondoner]

1 hour ago, Wonky said:

How about train to Barcelona, QV back via Istanbul? The only annoyance is the change of station in Paris.

That would be an interesting idea, if I were a bit younger, and my husband a lot younger. Also, it would have been vastly easier for us when Eurostar left from Waterloo, but, as it is, would almost certainly entail an extra night in London, or, possibly, Paris. Then I loathe Barcelona, where I would have to stay another night, so I don’t think so. All that packing and unpacking. But I would love to cruise to Istanbul up the Bosporus.

[Wonky]

11 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

That would be an interesting idea, if I were a bit younger, and my husband a lot younger. Also, it would have been vastly easier for us when Eurostar left from Waterloo, but, as it is, would almost certainly entail an extra night in London, or, possibly, Paris. Then I loathe Barcelona, where I would have to stay another night, so I don’t think so. All that packing and unpacking. But I would love to cruise to Istanbul up the Bosporus.

Ah yes the happy days of Waterloo departures. That was so easy from the South/Southwest. Sadly missed.

[Petulia]

3 hours ago, exlondoner said:

I didn’t intend to book QA, but I want to book a cruise next year. I don’t fly, QE is away from Europe, QV is doing flycruises, and QM is on her TAs. So what am I left with?

Indeed.
 

We are in the same boat…...literally. 😏

[D&N]

@Wonky

@exlondoner

RENFE are starting a Barcelona-Lyon service today, and Madrid-Marseille from July 28. Along with whatever SNCF already offer, it opens up future possibilities to leave London at a more sociable time, with an overnight at some other point en-route, arriving in Barcelona on morning of embarkation.

Perhaps still a bit risky?

One option on a Paris-Barcelona search was an overnight in Perpignan, 1h19 from Barcelona.

 

[exlondoner]

3 minutes ago, D&N said:

@Wonky

@exlondoner

RENFE are starting a Barcelona-Lyon service today, and Madrid-Marseille from July 28. Along with whatever SNCF already offer, it opens up future possibilities to leave London at a more sociable time, with an overnight at some other point en-route, arriving in Barcelona on morning of embarkation.

Perhaps still a bit risky?

One option on a Paris-Barcelona search was an overnight in Perpignan, 1h19 from Barcelona.

 

Bring back the Paris-Madrid Sleeper, I say. And, given the resurgence in sleepers they actually may do one day. The TGV services are brilliant for journeys that fit into a (long) day, but otherwise they just benefit hotels.

[Windsurfboy]

On 7/11/2023 at 10:45 AM, Victoria2 said:

I think there's a huge distinction between tendering tickets and access to an exclusive lounge, but I take your point.

 

You can have mine next time!  🙂

 

edit

Never really studied what's available in various cabin grades but we don't get an ipad any more. They were handy as the butler used to download two newspapers a day on it for our use. On nosing around the site, I saw this

• An iPad in selected suites on all ships.

I shall be a pain and ask for one and see is the blurb is truly off kilter there!

 

On 7/11/2023 at 10:36 AM, exlondoner said:

For our round UK cruise, the booking blurb said Q1-4 would have priority tendering. We didn’t get our tickets. When I remonstrated, Sandra, the wonderful Concierge, said it was now only Q1-2, but they would of course honour what it said. The tender tickets duly arrived, but I had Covid, so didn’t use them. I wonder how many other Q3s and Q4s didn’t get them at all. The latest brochure still says priority tendering for Q1-4. So booking blurbs aren’t terribly reliable, unless you are on the ball.

 

The "blurb" as you call it forms the basis for a legal contract between yourselves and Cunard. So whether it's  Exlondoner tendering or ipads , Cunard are not doing you a favour by honouring it. They have a legal duty to honour it.

 

The blurb should not be dismissed out of hand , just as binding as T&Cs

[Se1lad]

On 7/11/2023 at 12:08 PM, Victoria2 said:

I do, but not with daily papers downloaded.

I shall have a try as it's on the website. Nothing ventured and all that.

 

As to the original lounge musing, PG  folk would be outraged and quite rightly, if they didn't get lounge access, however windowless it might be. .

Our own lounge area sounds more inviting for lounging around  so I don't think we'll be spending too much time, windowless.

 

Whilst it may be windowless - I wonder if there is a big skylight - it looks as if there may be going from the plan for the deck above?

[Colin_Cameron]

That's been my take on the plans as well.

[exlondoner]

I think there will be a dome like on the vistas. But that won’t give a view.

[Victoria2]

31 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

 

The "blurb" as you call it forms the basis for a legal contract between yourselves and Cunard. So whether it's  Exlondoner tendering or ipads , Cunard are not doing you a favour by honouring it. They have a legal duty to honour it.

 

The blurb should not be dismissed out of hand , just as binding as T&Cs

Blurb is a short description of a product and I am aware if Cunard blub contains the availability of a product, or part of a product [see#31], then that part should be, as you put it, contractually available, but thanks for reminding us all.

[Se1lad]

9 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

I think there will be a dome like on the vistas. But that won’t give a view.

As long as there’s some natural light I’ll be happy.  To be fair, I don’t think you get that great a view from the lounge on the Vistas - you get the view of the deck outside and a lot of sky if I recall correctly - but you do get plenty of natural light in the daytime.

[Victoria2]

13 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

I think there will be a dome like on the vistas. But that won’t give a view.

 

1 minute ago, Se1lad said:

As long as there’s some natural light I’ll be happy.  To be fair, I don’t think you get that great a view from the lounge on the Vistas - you get the view of the deck outside and a lot of sky if I recall correctly - but you do get plenty of natural light in the daytime.

I think the panorama of windows on the Vistas gives a lovely open view which will be missed if the plans on QA are as 'we' seem to think and may give rise to a different usage of the lounge.

All speculative of course and all to look forward to when we see the reality.  🙂

[Se1lad]

If you look at the rendering of the Grills Terrace I presume this is the dome over the lounge?

[Victoria2]

Just now, Se1lad said:

If you look at the rendering of the Grills Terrace I presume this is the dome over the lounge?

Lovely.

Can we peer in and see what's going on? 😄

 

 

[Se1lad]

Just now, Victoria2 said:

Lovely.

Can we peer in and see what's going on? 😄

 

 

It does look like you’d be able to peer in! Maybe the bar staff will be trained in sign language and you can order a drink from the terrace via the dome! 🙂 

[Victoria2]

4 minutes ago, Se1lad said:

It does look like you’d be able to peer in! Maybe the bar staff will be trained in sign language and you can order a drink from the terrace via the dome! 🙂 

Excellent idea.

Hope that will be included in staff training. 👍

[exlondoner]

6 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

Lovely.

Can we peer in and see what's going on? 😄

 

 

Or indeed vice verse, as in Hemispheres on QE, whence we could see sunbathers revealing all sorts of unexpected and unintentional parts, while we were in choir practice.

[Victoria2]

20 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

Or indeed vice verse, as in Hemispheres on QE, whence we could see sunbathers revealing all sorts of unexpected and unintentional parts, while we were in choir practice.

Possibly added a little vibrato to the rehearsals at times? 😄

[david,Mississauga]

4 hours ago, Se1lad said:

As long as there’s some natural light I’ll be happy.  To be fair, I don’t think you get that great a view from the lounge on the Vistas - you get the view of the deck outside and a lot of sky if I recall correctly - but you do get plenty of natural light in the daytime.

 

On our QE Alaska cruises we had views of the mountains from the lounge. I recall some views of the fjords on our Norway cruise.  If something looked particularly interesting there is the small deck in front of the lounge which offered better views.  Admittedly we had more drinks in the Commodore Club than in the Grills Lounge.

Edited July 13, 2023 by david,Mississauga

[WantedOnVoyage]

Like another poster, one of the joys I derive from an ocean voyage is... the ocean.  I want to see it, in all its moods, feel the spray, see the rainbows, the bows rising and falling in the swell as I enjoy six laps around a real promenade deck or in my proper deck chair pretending to read a book I took out six days ago.  

 

I don't want be a pit pony content for a bit of daylight through a skylight into an otherwise interior room or imagine there is an ocean on the otherside of a wall of lifeboats.  

 

We had a Force 8 coming home in the North Sea aboard QV in May 2023 and a classic Mistral in the Med in QE in September 2022... absolutely wonderful to savour both on their traditional promenade decks. Or indeed in the Grill Lounge.  Or to transit the Straits of Messina as we enjoyed from the Lounge when it was... really windy.  There most certainly is a view from the Grills Lounge on QV/QE... of the sea, the horzon and coming into port.  There most certainly is a view of the ocean from the Grill Lounge in QM2. There is most certainly no view from the Grill Lounge in QUEEN ANNE.

 

A ship that manages to be bereft of features that are cherished by so many, is not one I would choose to sail on. 

[Germancruiser]

That other poster was probably me- and I agree with everything you wrote.

[cpc3639]

On 7/12/2023 at 10:14 AM, jaypo63 said:

We're booked on Queen Anne for Xmas & New Year 2024,in a Queens grill suite,totally dismayed at seeing they have no windows in the bar area,the one thing we love doing on QV & QE is sitting having drink and looking out to sea,I can see us going to some other bar and mingling with the common people lol 

Speechless!!

[Victoria2]

2 hours ago, cpc3639 said:

Speechless!!

I think the 'lol' gave it away as throw away banter. 🙂

[jaypo63]

40 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

I think the 'lol' gave it away as throw away banter. 🙂

Thank you kind person for clarifying to someone who clearly cannot take a joke,blimey,you really can insult anyone nowadays.

[jaypo63]

2 hours ago, cpc3639 said:

Speechless!!

Just a joke,sorry if I offended ☹️