Considering Cunard for first time

[BigMac1953]

Actually, I much preferred Cunard's old policy when they used to state that "passengers should drink in moderation at all times".

 

Now that was a green light for the party to start at the breakfast table and continue all day.

[exlondoner]

23 minutes ago, BigMac1953 said:

Actually, I much preferred Cunard's old policy when they used to state that "passengers should drink in moderation at all times".

 

Now that was a green light for the party to start at the breakfast table and continue all day.

Surely a snifter with one’s morning tea?

[MCC retired]

Hard for us to justify any beverage package . Just a few drinks daily on sea days and even fewer on port days.

Even the coffee package is of little value when we can have our capacino's free with any dinning room meal .

[Essiesmom]

12 hours ago, Tkristop said:

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.

You treat Rome just like any other port day.  EM

[buchanan101]

25 minutes ago, Essiesmom said:

You treat Rome just like any other port day.  EM

Starboard v Port - work out which way the ship is predominantly sailing and then do you want a balcony in sun or shade.

 

I chose port going TA WB in October - because wanted any sun there was in that month and it was lovely. Med in summer I'd want a shaded balcony...

[Bell Boy]

22 minutes ago, MCC retired said:

Hard for us to justify any beverage package . Just a few drinks daily on sea days and even fewer on port days.

Even the coffee package is of little value when we can have our capacino's free with any dinning room meal .

 Agree with you re Beverage packages , however, clarification re those 'Free' Cappuccinos or Latte offered in the dining room.

 

Poor quality,  and from a machine in the galley.  Not premium coffee beans or prepared from a Barista as the payable Cappuccinos available in some of the other public venues .

[NE John]

And don’t forget the wonderful hot chocolate available via Drinks package too. A++

[D&N]

Yet again I read comments on this thread that suggest you need to drink a great deal for the "Beers, Wines, and Spirits Option" to be of value.

What you actually like to drink will of course affect the result. If you only drink low value beers or pricy cocktails then it won't save any money.

 

For us; if we have 2 x hot drinks, 2 x soft drinks, and 5 alcoholic drinks per day we benefit by a small amount.

 

But we take 2 hot, at least 4 soft, and normally 7 or 8 alcoholic and save about 31%.

 

It seems to me that many folk don't do the calculations.

[exlondoner]

4 minutes ago, D&N said:

Yet again I read comments on this thread that suggest you need to drink a great deal for the "Beers, Wines, and Spirits Option" to be of value.

What you actually like to drink will of course affect the result. If you only drink low value beers or pricy cocktails then it won't save any money.

 

For us; if we have 2 x hot drinks, 2 x soft drinks, and 5 alcoholic drinks per day we benefit by a small amount.

 

But we take 2 hot, at least 4 soft, and normally 7 or 8 alcoholic and save about 31%.

 

It seems to me that many folk don't do the calculations.

Given that we have the benefit of the QG in-cabin drinks, I don’t think we would drink that much between us. 😀

[stan01]

9 minutes ago, D&N said:

For us; if we have 2 x hot drinks, 2 x soft drinks, and 5 alcoholic drinks per day we benefit by a small amount.

 

But we take 2 hot, at least 4 soft, and normally 7 or 8 alcoholic and save about 31%.

 

It seems to me that many folk don't do the calculations.

 

Right, but for us either of those would be a whole lot of drinks!  Agree folk need to do their own calculations.

 

The other consideration is that adults in a cabin or suite together need to have the same drinks package, so if one adult drinks alcohol but the other adult does not the benefits would be much less than pay-as-you-go for the one who does.

 

[D&N]

We don't eat or drink in our cabin, other than water for hydration purposes.

We only drink in lounges and MDR.

We both drink much the same things other than one being a coffee hater, so she has tea or hot chocolate.

We do drink more on a ship mainly because we have an extra meal each day, and we go to a lounge pre dinner, and we have a nightcap every night.

At home we'd have 2 alcoholic drinks most days and up to 5 at weekends.

[BklynBoy8]

3 hours ago, NE John said:

And don’t forget the wonderful hot chocolate available via Drinks package too. A++

 

If you are talking about the HC in the Kings Court, we now get it from Amazon for the house...

[D&N]

Nora preferred the hot chocolate she was served in the Chart Room to the one pot of hot chocolate she got in Carinthia. However we think the Chart Room version may have been Godiva based, and with Godiva gone perhaps she'll not like it as much.

[TowandaUK]

I think it’s a very individual choice as each persons’ habits can vary greatly. For us what helped us to decide is the temperature of the area we are visiting. I don’t cope very well in the heat and will drink much more bottled water, juices and soft drinks in warmer climates. As with D & N I will drink water with every meal to keep hydrated. The 15% service charge is also a factor. I really think it pays to spend half an hour doing the maths before deciding. 

[Catchum]

8 hours ago, BigMac1953 said:

as well as a glass of wine with each meal

 

Don't you get funny looks at breakfast?

Well, a Bloody Mary or Bucks fizz together with Irish cream in your coffee make an excellent start to the morning. 

[NE John]

2 hours ago, BklynBoy8 said:

 

If you are talking about the HC in the Kings Court, we now get it from Amazon for the house...

Not instant from King’s Court, but ordered from the menu of several lounges. A pre-lunch HC ordered in the Comm Club. Served with elegance and hits the spot. The Drinks package covers that too. 

[Pushpit]

3 hours ago, D&N said:

But we take 2 hot, at least 4 soft, and normally 7 or 8 alcoholic and save about 31%.

 

Moderate drinking is self determined (quite rightly). But in England the age-gender breakdown suggests that men aged 55 to 64 years old drink on average 18 units a week - that is the highest of any age or gender. If I'm toeing the party line, the NHS recommendation is a maximum 14 units a week. 18 units would be about 1.5 glasses of wine a day equivalent, total alcohol intake. 

 

Incidentally the most abstemious age group is currently those aged 25-34 years old, men in that group are on 12.5 units a week, women 7.3. 

 

Americans drink significantly less than Brits.

[reeves35]

17 minutes ago, Pushpit said:

Moderate drinking is self determined (quite rightly). But in England the age-gender breakdown suggests that men aged 55 to 64 years old drink on average 18 units a week - that is the highest of any age or gender. If I'm toeing the party line, the NHS recommendation is a maximum 14 units a week. 18 units would be about 1.5 glasses of wine a day equivalent, total alcohol intake. 

 

Incidentally the most abstemious age group is currently those aged 25-34 years old, men in that group are on 12.5 units a week, women 7.3. 

 

Americans drink significantly less than Brits.

That seems to tally with the Australian advice also which is a maximum of 10 standard drinks per week and no more than 4 drinks in a single day.

[BklynBoy8]

1 hour ago, NE John said:

Not instant from King’s Court, but ordered from the menu of several lounges. A pre-lunch HC ordered in the Comm Club. Served with elegance and hits the spot. The Drinks package covers that too. 

 

Now I know which one you are speaking of. On last September's 2022 NE/CAN I had it in the Golden Lion. It was elegant and tasty and very super. A true picture I remember.

 

We also like the Belgian Hot Chocolate in the package also on the run.

[buchanan101]

18 hours ago, buchanan101 said:

Starboard v Port - work out which way the ship is predominantly sailing and then do you want a balcony in sun or shade.

 

I chose port going TA WB in October - because wanted any sun there was in that month and it was lovely. Med in summer I'd want a shaded balcony...

This was October on QM2 one day out from NYC on our port side balcony. Shame about the lifeboat, but i guess they can come in useful.

 

In the med in summer I'd be hiding on the shady side of the ship...

[renji]

12 hours ago, TowandaUK said:

I think it’s a very individual choice as each persons’ habits can vary greatly. For us what helped us to decide is the temperature of the area we are visiting. I don’t cope very well in the heat and will drink much more bottled water, juices and soft drinks in warmer climates. As with D & N I will drink water with every meal to keep hydrated. The 15% service charge is also a factor. I really think it pays to spend half an hour doing the maths before deciding. 

We find the $36 a day for non-alcoholic to be great value.  So am spending that thousand on a 14-day.  The question is whether to double it or to put the thousand dollars to 5 or 6 nice bottles of wine we actually want and a few cocktails.