Hmmm, a little concerned about some possible changes since Queen Anne

[exlondoner]

54 minutes ago, maggielou362 said:

Ok, @Winifred 22, exlondoner, Victoria2, et al. all you lovely knowledgeable Cunard regulars: I will take your advice and do the same (advice hasn't let me down yet!) If we all stick together and refuse to pay EXTRA for items and services that were previously included in the fare perhaps Cunard will keep providing the experience that makes it so special and unique. I hope so, I truly want to stay loyal to Cunard because I have fallen in love, despite them deserting us in the Southern Hemisphere!

I wouldn’t dare call myself a regular, much as I would love to afford to be one, but thank you. All I can claim is quite an accurate memory for factual details, and an enjoyment of almost every Cunard voyage I’ve been on.

 

With all this, instead of worrying about potential problems, perhaps it is best just to wait and see. But I would like to know whether they will still supply proper bars of soap if requested, so I know what to pack.

[exlondoner]

17 minutes ago, david63 said:

Unfortunately that is not the logic that the "bean counters" use. If passengers don't use the pay for extras all that will happen is that more items will go onto the pay extra list - that is what has happened with Princess.

Always look on the bright side, I say. 
Actually, what is a bean counter?

[david63]

5 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

Actually, what is a bean counter?

You can describe people such as accountants and business managers as bean counters if you disapprove of them because you think they are only interested in money.

(https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/bean-counter)

 

And for the record I used to be an accountant in a previous life!

Edited May 5 by david63

[exlondoner]

Just now, david63 said:

You can describe people such as accountants and business managers as bean counters if you disapprove of them because you think they are only interested in money.

(https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/bean-counter)

Isn’t that their job, just as the job of companies is to make a profit for their shareholders, if possible? And one can see that having shelled out nearly £500m for a new ship, Cunard might be keen to get their cash back. Is that wrong?

[david63]

8 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

Cunard might be keen to get their cash back. Is that wrong?

No it's not wrong to want to get a return on an investment but it is the way in which it is done that upsets people.

 

For example (silly one I know) but if you have always been able to have chips with your burger and then all of a sudden you are charged for those chips then people are not happy, however if you add 50p to a pint of beer that will hardly be noticed (and will fade away after a week) and will probably yield more income.

 

It is the continual "chipping away" at things that used to be included and/or reducing what is on offer that Carnival appear to be fixated on these days that upsets people - and it is happening on all Carnival brands

[exlondoner]

2 minutes ago, david63 said:

No it's not wrong to want to get a return on an investment but it is the way in which it is done that upsets people.

 

For example (silly one I know) but if you have always been able to have chips with your burger and then all of a sudden you are charged for those chips then people are not happy, however if you add 50p to a pint of beer that will hardly be noticed (and will fade away after a week) and will probably yield more income.

 

It is the continual "chipping away" at things that used to be included and/or reducing what is on offer that Carnival appear to be fixated on these days that upsets people - and it is happening on all Carnival brands

I am not sure that can be entirely right or nobody would choose to fly Ryanair, yet many people do, even though, as comparison after comparison shows, they are not always the cheapest. Lots of people seem to hate them but fly on them and stump up for the extras.

[david63]

3 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

I am not sure that can be entirely right or nobody would choose to fly Ryanair, yet many people do, even though, as comparison after comparison shows, they are not always the cheapest. Lots of people seem to hate them but fly on them and stump up for the extras.

Actually it is no different - people complain about Ryanair and still travel with them for many reasons just as people complain about  a cruise line but still cruise with them again for many reasons.

 

The difference is though that if you need to get from A to B and the only option is to fly then many people are limited as to which airline they can use whereas with a cruise it is, in the majority of cases, a holiday and people can choose where/how to spend their money.

[exlondoner]

1 minute ago, david63 said:

Actually it is no different - people complain about Ryanair and still travel with them for many reasons just as people complain about  a cruise line but still cruise with them again for many reasons.

 

The difference is though that if you need to get from A to B and the only option is to fly then many people are limited as to which airline they can use whereas with a cruise it is, in the majority of cases, a holiday and people can choose where/how to spend their money.

How many people really ever need to get from A to B? They want to, and, given that most of Ryanair’s flights are in Europe, very often there is another option anyway, called the train. The reason they choose Ryanair is perceived, though sometimes illusory,  cheapness. But as we learnt in Covid, nobody actually needs a holiday abroad, any more than they need a cruise.

[maggielou362]

9 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

... nobody actually needs a holiday abroad, any more than they need a cruise.

But I DO really need to sail on Cunard ships! 😁

[exlondoner]

17 minutes ago, maggielou362 said:

But I DO really need to sail on Cunard ships! 😁

Of course you do, like I really need nice white wine on Friday nights or I become fretful.

[maggielou362]

Yes, that's right, exlondoner.

[Victoria2]

Oh wow

 

Fig Chutney.

 

I nearly ate QV out of the stuff last May and it wasn't available in July.

 

Munster, or failing that a vintage cheddar, rye 'bread and the chutney...who needs a pudding ! Yum yum.

[Victoria2]

18 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

Of course you do, like I really need nice white wine on Friday nights or I become fretful.

Only on Friday nights?

 

What a slacker! 😅

[exlondoner]

Just now, Victoria2 said:

Only on Friday nights?

 

What a slacker! 😅

You must have imagined the word only. 😀

[Victoria2]

7 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

You must have imagined the word only. 😀

Thank goodness.😃

[Bell Boy]

On 5/12/2024 at 12:42 PM, Poole Boy said:

No Canapés in the grills lounge, you were lucky if you had a bowl of crisps 

After disembarking QA last Friday I'm now on QM2  (QG) I can confirm the last few evenings Canapés including Nuts & Crisps have been offered in the Grills Lounge, however, Canapés will no longer be offered in the QM2 Commodore Bar  according to the senior bar tender.

 

It's all Anne's fault 😠  

[bananavan]

40 minutes ago, Bell Boy said:

After disembarking QA last Friday I'm now on QM2  (QG) I can confirm the last few evenings Canapés including Nuts & Crisps have been offered in the Grills Lounge, however, Canapés will no longer be offered in the QM2 Commodore Bar  according to the senior bar tender.

 

It's all Anne's fault 😠  

I wonder how much else will be taken away. 
If it is working for Cunard, they will eliminate a lot of things.

 

[foodsvcmgr]

Thanks Bell Boy for confirming the end of canapés in the Commodore on QM2.

I feared this would be the result after reading they were gone on QA.

I’m sure paid offerings will soon be made available.

In fairness though if Cunard still continues nuts and crisps in non-Grills lounges that will far exceed the competition (as in Zero on Celebrity….)

[MylesS]

I wonder if the lack of canapés being rolled out across the venues of the ships isn't so much a cost cutting measure (though it helps as one) but rather an attempt to reduce waste.

I, and I'm sure many others on this forum do enjoy them. But in the past, I've seen them given to tables and be hardly touched, if at all. Even if not touched, I'd imagine the items then need be thrown away and the bowl washed.

Granted, it's not a lot of waste, but it all adds up across the fleet I'm sure!

[foodsvcmgr]

Myles I hate to be cynical but I’m sure it’s a cost cutting measure but that if you were to ask Cunard they would attribute it to reducing waste.

Too coincidental with the report of canapés available for sale on QA in Carinthia Lounge.

Certainly no deal breaker, just like a bite with my G&T.

Hope the nuts and crisps soldier on.

Will see what QV offers in September.

[alc13]

2 hours ago, MylesS said:

I wonder if the lack of canapés being rolled out across the venues of the ships isn't so much a cost cutting measure (though it helps as one) but rather an attempt to reduce waste.

I, and I'm sure many others on this forum do enjoy them. But in the past, I've seen them given to tables and be hardly touched, if at all. Even if not touched, I'd imagine the items then need be thrown away and the bowl washed.

Granted, it's not a lot of waste, but it all adds up across the fleet I'm sure!

The ones we had last year on QV were honestly not very good.  We probably left some uneaten.   

[foodsvcmgr]

Agreed, some were a bit odd on QV last August but generally the ones I didn’t care for appealed to my wife and vice versa.

Just hate to see things taken away, small and trivial as it may be still dilutes the experience.

[david,Mississauga]

5 hours ago, MylesS said:

I wonder if the lack of canapés being rolled out across the venues of the ships isn't so much a cost cutting measure (though it helps as one) but rather an attempt to reduce waste.

I, and I'm sure many others on this forum do enjoy them. But in the past, I've seen them given to tables and be hardly touched, if at all. Even if not touched, I'd imagine the items then need be thrown away and the bowl washed.

Granted, it's not a lot of waste, but it all adds up across the fleet I'm sure!

 

Our last voyage was on the QE last summer.  When the staff brought around the canapés in the Commodore Club they always asked us if we wanted them and explained what each item was. So sometimes we accepted the small tray and other times we said: no thank you. 

[S1971]

5 hours ago, foodsvcmgr said:

Myles I hate to be cynical but I’m sure it’s a cost cutting measure but that if you were to ask Cunard they would attribute it to reducing waste.

Too coincidental with the report of canapés available for sale on QA in Carinthia Lounge.

Certainly no deal breaker, just like a bite with my G&T.

Hope the nuts and crisps soldier on.

Will see what QV offers in September.

 

Agreed, whilst there is vast amount of food around the ship, it's the small things such as this that cements the whole experience.

 

It appears Cunard like P&O are gradually removing the little touches and it's now got to the stage where people are highlighting the difference, so they need to be mindful of that, given as already highlighted some of those little touches are becoming chargeable.

[QuestionEverything]

8 hours ago, S1971 said:

 

Agreed, whilst there is vast amount of food around the ship, it's the small things such as this that cements the whole experience.

 

It appears Cunard like P&O are gradually removing the little touches and it's now got to the stage where people are highlighting the difference, so they need to be mindful of that, given as already highlighted some of those little touches are becoming chargeable.

S1971 - you make a very good post.

Serious cruisers keep inventory of the changes and downgrades and it does make a difference in where cruisers book.

Recently Celebrity made significant changes to their Retreat class - removing butlers etc. The pushback from cruisers was immense and Celebrity "Retreated" from most of the changes.

Celebrity lost business as people left Celebrity and went to Oceania.

2024 - When you are charging more and delivering less - I Cancel you.