Back on QV

[exlondoner]

Today is warm and wet in Gijon. 
 

Last night we went to the Riviera pop up. This was very enjoyable and the ham was beyond this world. Having said that, we went because it was a World Club freebie. I’m not sure I would have thought it worth paying for, but it was certainly nice.
 

The World Club party is tomorrow, after we leave Bilbao. It doesn’t seem to have been split, as it so often is, so there must be a lot of first time passengers on board, which will please Cunard, and indeed all of us. 

[3rdGenCunarder]

On 8/15/2023 at 7:51 AM, NE John said:

Cunard assumes everyone is reading from their devices these days…reading on paper, hah- - how 20th century!  Assuming you’ve talking about reading. 

 

But you need space on the table for your phone/tablet/e-reader. 

[3rdGenCunarder]

20 hours ago, Victoria2 said:

I guess it would beat sleeping tablets for some though! 😄

 

I fear it would for me. Never read anything soporific in the bath--don't want to nod off and drown. 

[rmsEtruria]

6 hours ago, exlondoner said:

That is the very one. I whipped it out so quickly that only an inch round the edge of every page was soggy. They dried out crinkled, but the text was untouched. And, when I  returned to it a year later, nobody had read it since its adventure.

I’m glad the book remained in readable shape. As for nobody having read it since its adventure, no surprise there—I’ve got hundreds of books checked out from the library for near on thirty years, and none of them ever get recalled . . . .

[Winifred 22]

12 hours ago, exlondoner said:

Today is warm and wet in Gijon. 
 

Last night we went to the Riviera pop up. This was very enjoyable and the ham was beyond this world. Having said that, we went because it was a World Club freebie. I’m not sure I would have thought it worth paying for, but it was certainly nice.
 

The World Club party is tomorrow, after we leave Bilbao. It doesn’t seem to have been split, as it so often is, so there must be a lot of first time passengers on board, which will please Cunard, and indeed all of us. 

Currently on QM2 and there is also an abundance or red cards around. 

[Victoria2]

6 hours ago, Winifred 22 said:

Currently on QM2 and there is also an abundance or red cards around. 

Excellent. Same on our QV cruise too. Hopefully all these newbies will help keep the line afloat. 👍

[BigMac1953]

10 hours ago, Winifred 22 said:

Currently on QM2 and there is also an abundance or red cards around. 

 

We are too, and I also commented on the high number of red tops. If I find out the percentage, I'll post, but I'm going to guess it's about 60%.

[MrsPeel55]

why is red top or red card?

[Victoria2]

23 minutes ago, MrsPeel55 said:

why is red top or red card?

Your cruise card has a coloured 'bar' on it. It's all to do with Cunard World Club loyalty. Red is for first time Cunard cruisers.

[BigMac1953]

On your first Cunard trip, your card has a red strip. Your second is "silver" with a silver strip, then gold, then platinum and finally diamond which is black.

[NE John]

Regarding new passengers, cruise ship “influencers” on YouTube and other social media sites (CC too) I believe are playing a role in getting new pax onboard. Vlogs showing Cunard Gala nights and and the overall elegance and calmness show Cunard as a nicer alternative vs the newer 5k+ passenger resort ships. (Yes, some videos show the rust). 
We can’t discount the importance of social media influencers to introduce Cunard to newbies. 

Edited August 17, 2023 by NE John

[exlondoner]

The World Club party on Wednesday was very busy. She said over a thousand people weren’t invited, which meant nearly half of those on board were. However, the drink was generous and the canapés excellent. There doesn’t seem to have been a senior officers’ party, or not one I’ve been invited to. Last night was Roaring Twenties Night, which was well observed, but does seem to invite something more akin to fancy dress.  A man had clearly made an effort, and appeared in a jacket entirely consisting of ultramarine sequins. What was that about? 
 

Yesterday, the Bay of Biscay was wet and windy, but mercifully pretty calm.

 

Today is Cherbourg, which is sunny. The wonderful wooden floored baggage hall in the Cherbourg Terminal was worth the price of the cruise.

 

Edited August 19, 2023 by exlondoner

[3rdGenCunarder]

I hope you're enjoying the sunshine! Yes, that is a lovely old building. If you ignore the lighting, you can almost imagine it full of passengers and their trunks in a bygone time.

[Winifred 22]

1 hour ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

I hope you're enjoying the sunshine! Yes, that is a lovely old building. If you ignore the lighting, you can almost imagine it full of passengers and their trunks in a bygone time.

 

1 hour ago, exlondoner said:

The World Club party on Wednesday was very busy. She said over a thousand people weren’t invited, which meant nearly half of those on board were. However, the drink was generous and the canapés excellent. There doesn’t seem to have been a senior officers’ party, or not one I’ve been invited to. Last night was Roaring Twenties Night, which was well observed, but does seem to invite something more akin to fancy dress.  A man had clearly made an effort, and appeared in a jacket entirely consisting of ultramarine sequins. What was that about? 
 

Yesterday, the Bay of Biscay was wet and windy, but mercifully pretty calm.

 

Today is Cherbourg, which is sunny. The wonderful wooden floored baggage hall in the Cherbourg Terminal was worth the price of the cruise.

 

I love thy that building too . I keep thinking I am going to see Poirot walk by 

[CGreenhills]

Just off the QV having not been on since 2018, far too long. 
 

Overall I don’t feel much has changed, there’s definitely a more casual feel of an evening but I can’t say it bothered me too much. Service seems a little lower in the Lido, took a little longer to clear plates and I’m still yet to find the allusive kids afternoon tea. 
 

The musicians on board were, as usual, excellent. We particularly enjoyed the Irish duo. 
 

I agree with the previous poster, I feel the Roaring 20s has turned into a fancy dress evening with too many plastic hats and inflatable guns! 
 

Despite having requested early sitting, we were given Anytime Dining. I appreciate we could have asked to change but we thought we’d give it a try. It is lovely not being tied to a set time and we never waited for a table but overall I felt it affected the service and lost the occasion of dinner for us. I like seeing everyone file in at the same time and the waiters having more of a sense of order. 
 

Cherbourg and Bilbao were excellent ports and the weather and seas were very kind. 
 

Overall pleased to see little has changed! 

[exlondoner]

Apart from being too short, we thought it was one of the most enjoyable cruises we have been on with a very interesting itinerary, and pretty good weather. And, this time, when I asked, they were able to produce Dulce de Leche ice cream, not just for me, but for the whole ship. Very efficient disembarkation. Off ship 8.15, home about 9.20.

[Host Hattie]

Thanks @CGreenhills and @exlondoner.

[3rdGenCunarder]

5 hours ago, CGreenhills said:

I agree with the previous poster, I feel the Roaring 20s has turned into a fancy dress evening with too many plastic hats and inflatable guns! 

 

Nooo! That sounds terrible. What sort of plastic hats? And I still can't think of a "roaring 20's" justification for the sequined jacket.

 

It's been fun and glamorous the times I've experienced it, the last being June 2022. I hope it will have a bit more class when I'm on QV in October. 

[Lanky Lad]

5 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

Nooo! That sounds terrible. What sort of plastic hats? And I still can't think of a "roaring 20's" justification for the sequined jacket.

 

It's been fun and glamorous the times I've experienced it, the last being June 2022. I hope it will have a bit more class when I'm on QV in October. 

I'm back on QV in September with a roaring 20's ball on the 12th so I will be watching for plastic hats and report back. 

[WantedOnVoyage]

Odd that a "British" ship should be "celebrating" the so-called Roaring Twenties anyway... they weren't so in Britain. Maybe everyone can dress up as a General Striker or unemployed serviceman or shipyard worker.

 

Time to put these "themed" evenings to bed.  If you haven't the courage to just call them Formal Nights... Dress as grown up Ladies and Gentlemen aboard a Cunarder, please... then just go to "smart casual" and be done with it. I'd rather look at another sea of "khakis" and "polos" than inflatable guns and silly hats.  

[exlondoner]

8 hours ago, WantedOnVoyage said:

Odd that a "British" ship should be "celebrating" the so-called Roaring Twenties anyway... they weren't so in Britain. Maybe everyone can dress up as a General Striker or unemployed serviceman or shipyard worker.

 

Time to put these "themed" evenings to bed.  If you haven't the courage to just call them Formal Nights... Dress as grown up Ladies and Gentlemen aboard a Cunarder, please... then just go to "smart casual" and be done with it. I'd rather look at another sea of "khakis" and "polos" than inflatable guns and silly hats.  

I’m sure the twenties were roaring enough if you were a bright young thing. In any case, Cunard are much more transatlantic than British, what with charging in dollars and suggesting people wear tuxedos, whatever they might be. 
 

Some themes are fine. Our black and white night was nicely observed and the overall look round the ship was impressive. Oddly the World Club party was not on a Gala Night, but many of the attendees were dressed well above what was necessary for smart casual.

[rmsEtruria]

8 hours ago, exlondoner said:

I’m sure the twenties were roaring enough if you were a bright young thing. In any case, Cunard are much more transatlantic than British, what with charging in dollars and suggesting people wear tuxedos, whatever they might be. 
 

Some themes are fine. Our black and white night was nicely observed and the overall look round the ship was impressive. Oddly the World Club party was not on a Gala Night, but many of the attendees were dressed well above what was necessary for smart casual.

Indeed—but suggesting that people wear evening suits, dinner suits, or dinner jackets might get lost in translation on this side of the Atlantic, and we wouldn’t want so many passengers (“customers,” I believe it is now) to miss that point in particular! (Does the British site really say “tuxedos”?) 

[exlondoner]

8 minutes ago, rmsEtruria said:

Indeed—but suggesting that people wear evening suits, dinner suits, or dinner jackets might get lost in translation on this side of the Atlantic, and we wouldn’t want so many passengers (“customers,” I believe it is now) to miss that point in particular! (Does the British site really say “tuxedos”?) 

My latest brochure, which is definitely British, as the few voyage prices are in £s, mysteriously says, ‘dinner jackets, tuxedos, or dark suits’. I have no idea what that is meant to mean.

[NE John]

I still consider Cunard a more British oriented line, even though the currency is in dollars and the word tuxedo is used. Cunard/P&O are run out of Southampton.  Most of the onboard announcements are said in a British accent, the written material using British English (whilst on board, “our”/“or”, there is an emphasis on gin vs bourbon/American whiskey, and a lot of the food onboard is UK sourced. I highly appreciate all of that. Oh yea, and Afternoon Tea. 
As for Theme Nights, it’s all escapism, who cares if it’s British or not. 

[WantedOnVoyage]

One way to kill off Roaring Twenties night is to be entirely authentic and prohibit the sale and consumption of alcohol for the evening.  

 

BTW, as we all should know, "tuxedo" is derived from Tuxedo Park, Orange County, NY, were the short evening jacket for gentlemen was first introduced in the US by a local socialite who himself was made aware of it by HRH Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII.  So in the US, it has always been referred to as a... tuxedo.