Considering Cunard for first time

[Tkristop]

Hi everyone. We are considering Cunard for first time on QV 14-not Mediterranean. It’s this or Azamara 10nt. A few questions that haven’t been as easy to find in searching the boards:

 

Britannia balcony 8165 is this an OK cabin or worth $600 more for a cabin on 5 or 6?
Will it be difficult to get a table for 2 in MDR? We are assigned a specific table?  We don’t mind late dining or even waiting for a table while having cocktails, but wondering if we should choose anytime then and just wait for a table.
We were planning to get drinks package so we wouldn’t have to think about cost onboard. That does include soft drinks? And are the menus on the website current or does anyone have a recent one? We typically enjoy Grey Goose dirty martinis, sparkling champagne or rose, wine with dinner, and sometimes after dinner drinks. Looks like grey goose martini is curiously $13.60 on bar menu or 10 cents above limit which means not covered, and no sparkling rose or champagne under that amount is listed either. Obviously we could drink Prosecco and choose another vodka, but does makes us pause and go back to Azamara since it’s $1000pp for the drink package. No premium option right? 
 

And sorry in advance for this silly one, but do you have to wear your tux or formalwear in the casino on Cunard?

 

Thanks and happy cruising!

 

 

[NE John]

For a better price point and onboard cruise experience, you may want to look at a Princess Grill (PG) level vs Azamara, not Britannia. Also, the cabin you mentioned is directly under a pool deck (hence cheaper). 
Firstly, are you a regular on Azamara and what interests you about Cunard?  
A few Cunard thoughts: Your dining options in PG maybe be more inline with what you’re used to on Azamara. If you’re booking from the US, all Grills passengers get gratuities covered along with a Drinks package covering all drinks $12 and under. 
I’ve never sailed on a smaller ship but have in both Britannia and PG and believe the premium is worth it for PG. You can further splurge and go for Queens Grill. Bottom line - You may feel more familiar in the “Grills” with a smaller dining room, separate outdoor decks/lounge, and a Grills Concierge providing great assistance. The Grills staff will quickly know your name. 
It’s not a fair to compare a smaller ship experience to Britannia on any Cunard ship because of the significant price difference and larger ship vibe (2k pax vs 600). Cunard certainly is not a mega-resort ship. 
As for dress code, look at 2-3 Gala Nights for 14 nights and the Casino is exempt but you still have to dress in “Smart Attire”. Check the website. However, you’ll be in the minority if you don’t make an effort to suit up on Gala nights. Cunard is more formal vs Azamara but not snobby or stuck up. People sail on Cunard because they enjoy the atmosphere after 6pm and dress is a big part of it. On the other hand, I would like to try Azamara one day for that smaller ship experience. 

[Solent Richard]

I'd go along with @NE John 's response. It's certainly unclear whether or not you've sailed Azamara previously.

 

Having recently had my first and only experience with Azamara I'd say they and Cunard have little in common with each other: very different cruising styles.

 

In my view there are so many intangibles that yo really have to make your own decision on what you really want from a specific cruise itinerary and drink choices wouldn't play too much in my decision making.

 

 

 

 

[Pushpit]

8 hours ago, Tkristop said:

Hi everyone. We are considering Cunard for first time on QV 14-not Mediterranean. It’s this or Azamara 10nt. A few questions that haven’t been as easy to find in searching the boards:

 

Britannia balcony 8165 is this an OK cabin or worth $600 more for a cabin on 5 or 6?
Will it be difficult to get a table for 2 in MDR? We are assigned a specific table?  We don’t mind late dining or even waiting for a table while having cocktails, but wondering if we should choose anytime then and just wait for a table.
We were planning to get drinks package so we wouldn’t have to think about cost onboard. That does include soft drinks? And are the menus on the website current or does anyone have a recent one? We typically enjoy Grey Goose dirty martinis, sparkling champagne or rose, wine with dinner, and sometimes after dinner drinks. Looks like grey goose martini is curiously $13.60 on bar menu or 10 cents above limit which means not covered, and no sparkling rose or champagne under that amount is listed either. Obviously we could drink Prosecco and choose another vodka, but does makes us pause and go back to Azamara since it’s $1000pp for the drink package. No premium option right? 
 

And sorry in advance for this silly one, but do you have to wear your tux or formalwear in the casino on Cunard?

A) Stateroom 8165: That's a BE category aft. Personally I wouldn't pay extra for that, though it is a good balcony stateroom with good views from it. But that only illustrates why only you can answer that question, since we are all different. In my case I'd think $600 would be enough for another short sailing so I'd save my money and have 2 Cunard trips instead of 1. But that's just me, other Cunarders would pretty much insist on travelling in Grills, and that's their choice too. But apart from height off the sea, there isn't major difference between that and a BA category stateroom, in terms of layout and facilities. Deck 4 has a slightly  bigger balcony, though you probably need to be travelling Cunard a lot to notice it. So these are also BE category, whereas 5, 6 and 7 are BD in that position and thus theoretically cheaper. One factor isn't so personal: if your QV sailing is in the Med, depending on the itinerary having a higher up balcony may give great views of where ever you are. If you are going through the Bay of Biscay, then that has a reputation for challenging seas at least some of the time.

 

B) You should be able to get a table for 2 in Britannia, whether Fixed or Open. I've never failed to get one - if that is what I wanted on a given night - on Open. There are plenty of tables for 2 in Britannia, which they accomplish by not having a big gap between tables. But that works fine for me as a solo traveller, and sometimes I want to be more convivial and join a bigger table.

 

C) Drink packages: you may want to check some of the other threads here. My view is that they are not bargains unless you are heavy drinkers on items inside the package. Moderate drinkers are unlikely to find packages a good way of saving money. But the alcohol package does include soft drinks and premium tea and coffee. 

 

D) Strictly speaking the casino - which isn't that big on Cunard or necessarily that popular - is not in the evening dress code area, nor is the Golden Lion nearby, and you would probably only have 2 or 3 formal nights anyway. But on formal nights many / most casino users will be dressed up.

Edited April 8 by Pushpit

[buchanan101]

7 hours ago, NE John said:

For a better price point and onboard cruise experience, you may want to look at a Princess Grill (PG) level vs Azamara, not Britannia. Also, the cabin you mentioned is directly under a pool deck (hence cheaper). 
Firstly, are you a regular on Azamara and what interests you about Cunard?  
A few Cunard thoughts: Your dining options in PG maybe be more inline with what you’re used to on Azamara. If you’re booking from the US, all Grills passengers get gratuities covered along with a Drinks package covering all drinks $12 and under. 
I’ve never sailed on a smaller ship but have in both Britannia and PG and believe the premium is worth it for PG. You can further splurge and go for Queens Grill. Bottom line - You may feel more familiar in the “Grills” with a smaller dining room, separate outdoor decks/lounge, and a Grills Concierge providing great assistance. The Grills staff will quickly know your name. 
It’s not a fair to compare a smaller ship experience to Britannia on any Cunard ship because of the significant price difference and larger ship vibe (2k pax vs 600). Cunard certainly is not a mega-resort ship. 
As for dress code, look at 2-3 Gala Nights for 14 nights and the Casino is exempt but you still have to dress in “Smart Attire”. Check the website. However, you’ll be in the minority if you don’t make an effort to suit up on Gala nights. Cunard is more formal vs Azamara but not snobby or stuck up. People sail on Cunard because they enjoy the atmosphere after 6pm and dress is a big part of it. On the other hand, I would like to try Azamara one day for that smaller ship experience. 

Isn't BC an option then - smaller restaurant with dedicated table

 

BC pricing can make it seem rather expensive (sometimes almost as much as PG) - which isn't then worth it

 

Drinks packages seem way overpriced for our requirements, but sounds more relevant to the OP

[renji]

I love Cunard.  That said, the drinks package on Cunard is absolutely awful unless you’ll drink anything.  Unlike any other line I’ve been on, they don’t just upcharge the extra (ie, don’t even give you credit for the $13.50 allowed on the package), but they also deliberately overcharge on any decent wine glasses and cocktails to take them out of the package.  If they increase the package allowance, they increase the glass price.   There is no premium package and the bottle discount is half what it is on other lines and the amount it applies to is capped. Both RCCL and NCL have better options.  
 

go on Cunard for everything else and allocate X to  your alcohol…

[cruisetonowhere10]

We just booked a Britannia stateroom on a 14 night Mediterranean cruise in 2025.  It’ll be our first Cunard experience so I’m trying to learn as much as possible.  If I cruised in suites I’d be able to take a trip once every several years so I have to scale down.  I guess I don’t know what I’m missing so ignorance is bliss.  We have opted not to try the drinks package on this trip…I’m thinking with the port intensiveness it’s hard to get your $ worth and we do enjoy having drinks pre/during dinner or sitting by a pool, etc.  I’m testing the theory on a short Celebrity cruise April 2025 and figure I can add it if I decide I need it. We are looking forward to the opportunity to dress up a bit and be more formal but again, first time for us. 

[buchanan101]

I think you have to drink what is more than comfortable for some people to get value from the drinks packages. I have considered their selections of wines before. Roughly a bottle a day between two.  May do so again. 

[Tkristop]

So now it appears a 7nt B2B may be option instead of 14nt. How does that work in Civ (Rome)? Would we be able to leave bags if we are in same room? Do we have to disembark? And if you had options of 5025 star or 5032 port which would you choose? Or worth it to pay $800 more for 6125 for 14 nt? Thanks again! So helpful.

[reeves35]

Drinks packages are rarely great value; cruise lines offer them because they are good for them not for you!!  They only make sense if you plan on drinking 8+ alcoholic drinks per day including shore days when you may only be on the ship in the evening.  For most people 8+ per day every day is a lot.  

 

We are on Cunard next year on a cruise similar (or same??) as you and will probably go for the soda package and I may take the hot drinks option for premium coffees if it is able to be had for just one person but won't bother if I have to buy it for both people in the cabin as my wife only drinks tea which you can get for free in the buffet etc.

[tjunmin]

On 4/8/2024 at 1:04 AM, Tkristop said:

And are the menus on the website current or does anyone have a recent one?

No Britannia Restaurant menu photos, but I have photos of the dishes (with names and descriptions) here [photos]; this is a work in progress, as I still have 2.5 more weeks onboard. Hope this helps!

[buchanan101]

4 hours ago, reeves35 said:

Drinks packages are rarely great value; cruise lines offer them because they are good for them not for you!!  They only make sense if you plan on drinking 8+ alcoholic drinks per day including shore days when you may only be on the ship in the evening.  For most people 8+ per day every day is a lot.  

 

We are on Cunard next year on a cruise similar (or same??) as you and will probably go for the soda package and I may take the hot drinks option for premium coffees if it is able to be had for just one person but won't bother if I have to buy it for both people in the cabin as my wife only drinks tea which you can get for free in the buffet etc.

All drinks packages have to be bought for all people in the cabin - otherwise what is to stop people using one package between two?

 

You can get premium coffees with meals in restaurants (so I believe...seen it on YouTube - the guy who makes a living out of cruising/You Tube)

[LittleFish1976]

On 4/8/2024 at 9:04 AM, Tkristop said:

We were planning to get drinks package so we wouldn’t have to think about cost onboard. That does include soft drinks?

 

Yes, it does include soft drinks as well as specialty tea and coffee. The package price is inclusive of the 15% gratuity which would otherwise be charged on the listed menu price of each drink. As such, the package is better value than people give it credit for. As someone who has bottled water with each meal as well as a glass of wine with each meal, and maybe even two with dinner if I have a dessert wine as well, and the odd soft drink and non-alcoholic cocktail as well as a couple of alcoholic cocktails during the day, I find it reasonable value. I also like being able to try out drinks I'm not sure I'll like and feel okay about not finishing them.

[buchanan101]

2 minutes ago, LittleFish1976 said:

 

Yes, it does include soft drinks as well as specialty tea and coffee. The package price is inclusive of the 15% gratuity which would otherwise be charged on the listed menu price of each drink. As such, the package is better value than people give it credit for. As someone who has bottled water with each meal as well as a glass of wine with each meal, and maybe even two with dinner if I have a dessert wine as well, and the odd soft drink and non-alcoholic cocktail as well as a couple of alcoholic cocktails during the day, I find it reasonable value. I also like being able to try out drinks I'm not sure I'll like and feel okay about not finishing them.

Still a lot of money. I don't think we drink enough.. $1008 for a 7 day cruise.  Maybe I will do the maths again, but we just have standard Americanos and there are enough of those with meals and in the PG cabin and in grills lounge and concierge lounge, so it'd just be for the alcoholic drinks

 

@reeves35 - just did a dummy booking for our upcoming cruise (to get the $1008 above as was wondering if they charge 7 or 8 days..)..if you select ANY drinks package it automatically fills it in for both cabin occupants

[cruisetonowhere10]

1 hour ago, buchanan101 said:

Still a lot of money. I don't think we drink enough.. $1008 for a 7 day cruise.  Maybe I will do the maths again, but we just have standard Americanos and there are enough of those with meals and in the PG cabin and in grills lounge and concierge lounge, so it'd just be for the alcoholic drinks

 

@reeves35 - just did a dummy booking for our upcoming cruise (to get the $1008 above as was wondering if they charge 7 or 8 days..)..if you select ANY drinks package it automatically fills it in for both cabin occupants

By nights or day?

[david63]

11 minutes ago, cruisetonowhere10 said:

By nights or day?

If I remember correctly the drinks packages are from 06:00 one day to 06:00 the following day

[buchanan101]

9 minutes ago, david63 said:

If I remember correctly the drinks packages are from 06:00 one day to 06:00 the following day

Only buyable for the whole cruise (counts nights)

 

[cruisetonowhere10]

13 minutes ago, buchanan101 said:

Only buyable for the whole cruise (counts nights)

 

Perfect.  I have always wondered that.

[buchanan101]

Just now, cruisetonowhere10 said:

Perfect.  I have always wondered that.

The internet billing seems to be different (if bought on board). Charges per day, so when we went TA we didn't take one out until the day after departure.

 

I have prebooked one of the packages this time as it was on offer $140 for the voyage; now using Starlink so may be half decent

[BigMac1953]

as well as a glass of wine with each meal

 

Don't you get funny looks at breakfast?

[exlondoner]

19 minutes ago, BigMac1953 said:

as well as a glass of wine with each meal

 

Don't you get funny looks at breakfast?

I have seen it done…but it was champagne, and it was someone’s birthday.

[renji]

50 minutes ago, BigMac1953 said:

as well as a glass of wine with each meal

 

Don't you get funny looks at breakfast?

Mimosas are very popular at breakfast!

[LittleFish1976]

50 minutes ago, BigMac1953 said:

as well as a glass of wine with each meal

 

Don't you get funny looks at breakfast?

 

Since when are the Scots so puritanical as regards consumption of alcohol!

 

Actually BigMac I take breakfast in my cabin so I'm not at the mercy of those of a judgemental bent (whether or not I consume alcohol with breakfast).

 

[renji]

4 hours ago, LittleFish1976 said:

 

Yes, it does include soft drinks as well as specialty tea and coffee. The package price is inclusive of the 15% gratuity which would otherwise be charged on the listed menu price of each drink. As such, the package is better value than people give it credit for. As someone who has bottled water with each meal as well as a glass of wine with each meal, and maybe even two with dinner if I have a dessert wine as well, and the odd soft drink and non-alcoholic cocktail as well as a couple of alcoholic cocktails during the day, I find it reasonable value. I also like being able to try out drinks I'm not sure I'll like and feel okay about not finishing them.

And that is why I sometimes get the drinks package even though it’s a terrible value for me because I primarily buy bottles of wine for dinner and maybe have 1 or 2 cocktails at most. Just so I can try whatever I want and abandon it without feeling like I have to finish. My other alternative is to do the non-alcoholic package ($36 a day) because we drink a lot of latte, sparkling water and virgin Bloody Mary’s, and just pay for the occasional cocktail. 

[exlondoner]

5 minutes ago, LittleFish1976 said:

 

Since when are the Scots so puritanical as regards consumption of alcohol!

 

Actually BigMac I take breakfast in my cabin so I'm not at the mercy of those of a judgemental bent (whether or not I consume alcohol with breakfast).

 

What was remotely puritanical about BM’s question? Anyway, wine at breakfast is quite tricky, as there are no wine waiters, so it must need to be arranged the night before.