LIVE from QM2 June 29 to July 6

[D&N]

7 hours ago, NE John said:

That’s great to read because the recent QM2 reviews have been dismal. If you like lamb, splurge on PG or QG next time and get the Dorset rack of lamb. The best. You also get many other food stuffs from the UK that we can’t get here: cold stream trout, Cornish crab, Loch Duart salmon etc. 

I think it was really only a few in May, explained mainly by staff being moved to QA and not trained or replaced quickly enough.

There's been quite a few reports here in last few weeks of that being resolved and I watched a vlog earlier (Jamie something, his stuff seems ok), and he had none of the issues that others have reported.

There were videos from one of Carnival's recruitment agencies just over a month ago promoting final interviews for chefs and other kitchen staff around June 6th in Singapore. Although that was obviously a bit late to deal with the QA issues, perhaps it has resolved some of the shortages.

 

[Kordy]

1 hour ago, D&N said:

I think it was really only a few in May, explained mainly by staff being moved to QA and not trained or replaced quickly enough.

There's been quite a few reports here in last few weeks of that being resolved and I watched a vlog earlier (Jamie something, his stuff seems ok), and he had none of the issues that others have reported.

There were videos from one of Carnival's recruitment agencies just over a month ago promoting final interviews for chefs and other kitchen staff around June 6th in Singapore. Although that was obviously a bit late to deal with the QA issues, perhaps it has resolved some of the shortages.

 

 

I didn't have any issues with staff, although some items of note - these are not complaints and they haven't spoiled my vacation - this particular cruise was 100% full and not a single cabin was free ... so the staff had their hands full:

- I ordered jug of water into my cabin 3 times - twice it came, once it didn't (but to be fair, I was out of my room temporarily).  It took at least 30 mins or so each time.

- room service took 45 mins to arrive with a meal

- calling room service was up to 7-10 mins wait just to answer the phone, each & every time

- afternoon tea was so popular, we were turned away and when we returned 15 mins later, it was a 15 mins wait just to get a table in Queens Room

- dinner in MDR took between 1.5 hours to 2 hours each & every time, but we did the full 4 courses (starter, soup/salad, dinner, dessert, coffee).  The main issue was the long wait time between ordering and the courses arriving, sometimes up to 30 mins.

- lunch in Golden Lion starts at 12pm. We found a seat at around 11:45 (it was fully occupied by 12pm, due to a Euro game between Spain & Germany).  We wanted to order food ASAP but were told, 12pm is the earliest.  The actual waiter came around 12:15pm to take our order and the food didn't come until 1pm, so that's a ~1 hour wait for fish & chips... I think it's because of the euro game and literally everyone around us ordered food.

- we ordered a Pistachio cookie in Sir Samuel's and sat down... it didn't seem busy but it took around 10-15 mins to be served that one cookie(?) but that was enjoyable.

- Carinthia Lounge often run out of its canapés, and there was only a single member of staff working and he was replenishing as fast as he could.  The waiter service in Carinthia was also very slow and they seemed understaffed to clear the tables from folks leaving plates or mugs behind (sometimes taking a very long time to clear).

- there was a clear lack of tables at the Buffet during peak times, where you would have to walk around for ~5 mins (during peak) to find a table.

[snaefell]

11 hours ago, Pushpit said:

Yes, it's salted fish (herring) that's smoked, you really can't have kippers without salt. Craster is a small village port in Northumberland which is famous for kippers, and the main merchant's website explains the brine and smoke process here. It's quite a small operation, it's not a big factory effort.

 

https://www.kipper.co.uk/history/

 

Under A Quality Product is a description of the process, but the video above it, The History of Craster Kippers, shows how it happens.

 

It's not as salted as Portugal / Azores version of salted cod, I remember a restaurant waiter there asking Brits if they had kippers, and he would then says "it's even more salty". And if they said they had never had kippers, the waiter told them to order something else!

Or head out into the Irish Sea to the beautiful Isle Of Man,also famous for kippers,sometimes in Peel the air is filled with the smell!

[D&N]

I found that recruitment video I mentioned in post #51. It was actually June 6th to 9th in Bali:

 

[foodsvcmgr]

As an American, the variety of British foods is one of the main attractions that keep me returning to Cunard.

Quite different from the generic banquet foods served on Celebrity, HAL, and other superior mass market lines marketed in the U.S.

Not to say we don’t enjoy the others, but really appreciate the Cunard difference.

[Kordy]

55 minutes ago, foodsvcmgr said:

As an American, the variety of British foods is one of the main attractions that keep me returning to Cunard.

Quite different from the generic banquet foods served on Celebrity, HAL, and other superior mass market lines marketed in the U.S.

Not to say we don’t enjoy the others, but really appreciate the Cunard difference.

 

100% !!!  I was so impressed by so many different offerings than what I've seen on the main stream cruise lines.  How often do you get to try Trout, Mackerel, Haddock or Kippers?  Or have a wonderful lamb curry, or have Lamb Shank !  Or have Beef Wellington.  Or have proper Afternoon Tea with clotted cream?  Freshly made scones!  Shepherd's Pie, Cottage Pie, Steak & Ale Pie!  Trifle & freshly made custard with many desserts.

 

What other cruise company comes close???????

Edited July 7 by Kordy

[QuestionEverything]

3 hours ago, Kordy said:

 

100% !!!  I was so impressed by so many different offerings than what I've seen on the main stream cruise lines.  How often do you get to try Trout, Mackerel, Haddock or Kippers?  Or have a wonderful lamb curry, or have Lamb Shank !  Or have Beef Wellington.  Or have proper Afternoon Tea with clotted cream?  Freshly made scones!  Shepherd's Pie, Cottage Pie, Steak & Ale Pie!  Trifle & freshly made custard with many desserts.

 

What other cruise company comes close???????

Greetings.

I was on the QM2 crossing to NY ending June 29.

Regarding the scones - they are not freshly made - they are manufactured and looked exactly the same for the 4 people at our table. They were dry and tasteless. The "clotted cream" was some edible oil thing that was the size of a teaspoon center and plopped down on our plate.

The 4 of us at our table agreed, we would not return to the Afternoon Tea. And we did not.

This is NOT the Afternoon Tea that I had previously enjoyed on QM2.

This was the one thing on QM2 that really struck home the consequences of downgrading.

To each their own.

 

[Kordy]

8 minutes ago, QuestionEverything said:

Greetings.

I was on the QM2 crossing to NY ending June 29.

Regarding the scones - they are not freshly made - they are manufactured and looked exactly the same for the 4 people at our table. They were dry and tasteless. The "clotted cream" was some edible oil thing that was the size of a teaspoon center and plopped down on our plate.

The 4 of us at our table agreed, we would not return to the Afternoon Tea. And we did not.

This is NOT the Afternoon Tea that I had previously enjoyed on QM2.

This was the one thing on QM2 that really struck home the consequences of downgrading.

To each their own.

 

 

The only reason why I mentioned that scones were freshly made is because they were warm and felt fresh, when they were given out to us, during Afternoon Tea.  I'm not an expert on scones, but these ones seemed very fresh & warm and certainly, very tasty.  As far as the clotted cream, again, not an expert, but what we were given was better than just butter and/or whipped cream, and it went delightfully well with the scone.  There was also little jars of jam/marmalade, but I didn't try that, although it seemed to be of high-quality judging by the fancy little jar.

 

Honestly, there are probably various "grades" of scones, but you must realise, I speak as someone who lives in United States, where our quality of scones is relatively low.  You should try a scone from Starbucks or Whole Foods, which is what I usually have over here.  The scones are cold (not fresh) and taste WAY WORSE than the ones I've had on QM2 just a few days ago.

 

I guess our standards for scones differ and you're at a much higher level than I am!

[exlondoner]

6 minutes ago, Kordy said:

 

The only reason why I mentioned that scones were freshly made is because they were warm and felt fresh, when they were given out to us, during Afternoon Tea.  I'm not an expert on scones, but these ones seemed very fresh & warm and certainly, very tasty.  As far as the clotted cream, again, not an expert, but what we were given was better than just butter and/or whipped cream, and it went delightfully well with the scone.  There was also little jars of jam/marmalade, but I didn't try that, although it seemed to be of high-quality judging by the fancy little jar.

 

Honestly, there are probably various "grades" of scones, but you must realise, I speak as someone who lives in United States, where our quality of scones is relatively low.  You should try a scone from Starbucks or Whole Foods, which is what I usually have over here.  The scones are cold (not fresh) and taste WAY WORSE than the ones I've had on QM2 just a few days ago.

 

I guess our standards for scones differ and you're at a much higher level than I am!

If the jam was from Wilkins of Tiptree in Essex, it was the tops, other than home made.

[Victoria2]

Can I just say  Kordy, your posts regarding your first Cunard cruise are a joy to read and b...er the fact scones might be manufactured off ship and just heated up, your enthusiasm is infectious.

 

Fabulous. 👍

[Kordy]

11 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

Can I just say  Kordy, your posts regarding your first Cunard cruise are a joy to read and b...er the fact scones might be manufactured off ship and just heated up, your enthusiasm is infectious.

 

Fabulous. 👍

 

Haha!  Well, let me tell you the source of my newly discovered love of scones.  2 years ago I visited England with my wife and we were touring the City of Cambridge and we went to this beautiful tea room called "The Ivy Cambridge Brasserie" (https://maps.app.goo.gl/sLEUMApn24ekUHVo9) and we had an Afternoon Tea there and I've had some super delicious scones there with clotted cream, as well as the full TOWER experience.  Ever since then, I've become fond of scones, which is something that is not as easily available here in the US.  So when I boarded the QM2 and saw the Afternoon Tea in the Daily Program, my eyes lit up ... and honestly, it brought back some of those elegant memories I've had in Cambridge.  I really think that the UK has a certain class, certain elegance, in some of its traditions, something we don't get over here and I think the Cunard lines caters to that somewhat.  There is something beautiful in those little traditions, the elegance of it - even the dressing up part and the white glove service that we received during the Afternoon Tea.

 

Taking this into account, I truly believe that the Afternoon Tea is something that the mainstream cruise lines should consider bringing back and I know we've had it a few times on the Holland America line, so it's definitely offered on at least 2 lines (Cunard & HAL).   The Afternoon Tea experience is very enjoyable, no matter where you come from, and on my cruise half the people at the Afternoon Tea were Americans and they told me they truly enjoyed it as well.  I think that it's a beautiful tradition and it goes well with the cruising experience.

 

I truly hope we will see that tradition in more cruise lines as it can be enjoyed by any nationality and it doesn't have to be just British!

[Victoria2]

The only scones I really like, are cheesy scones and that stems from Domestic Science lessens in my first year at Grammar school.

I'd never eaten or even heard of them before then but now, all time favourite scones.🙂

[exlondoner]

5 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

The only scones I really like, are cheesy scones and that stems from Domestic Science lessens in my first year at Grammar school.

I'd never eaten or even heard of them before then but now, all time favourite scones.🙂

If you are ever in County Durham, try the ones at the Bowes Museum.

[stan01]

We were on from Southampton to Brooklyn to Brooklyn (Jun 23 - Jul 6).  Overall the service was good to excellent, we did not really encounter inexperienced staff in Queens Grill but we did encounter some highly experienced staff who worked on the Queen Elizabeth 2 and seemed very hurried and under a lot of stress.  Osman was on board so service was generally top notch.  Food quality was generally good, although I'd have to say that British sourced beef was quite a bit better than US sourced beef.  I think fish was often the best choice on the menu.  The Kings Court is visually depressing; it is laid out in a bizarre arrangement.  We did notice that some of the items in the Kings Court buffet were very similar to what was on offer in Queens Grill with a fancy French name.  Our favorite entertainers were actually the Royal Theater singers and dancers, this group of 12-14 people was highly polished and they were so energetic and fun to watch.  We really enjoyed the 2 days in Halifax, NS where we were fortunate to have good weather and see the International Tattoo on Canada Day.  Not to be missed if you ever have the opportunity to see it.  We were in Boston the afternoon of July 3 and all day on July 4; Cunard provided shuttle buses from the pier to near Faneuil Hall. 

 

We have cruised on Seabourn, Oceania, HAL, Celebrity, and Silversea.  We agreed we'd cruise again on Cunard in QG.  We do feel Seabourn has more variety in dining.  For those who say you can order anything you want from QG and they will do their best to do it, I'd have to say Osman and the waiters were definitely not encouraging that and I think their ability to do that is rapidly declining to be a memory of the past.  Shrimp cocktail and pasta yes, but definitely no evidence of multi course Indian or Turkish meals or suckling pigs that some have written about.  To be honest, the staff appeared so overworked and hurried that we would have felt uncomfortable making too many special requests beyond the standard special request menu.  Maybe we'll try Princess Grill some time, although what we've seen is that on some voyages the premium for QG not that much more over PG.  There are some voyages, such as the NYC-NYC extended voyages to Norway were QG pricing is quite high.

 

The Purser's office managed the late arrival in Brooklyn on June 29 well, but they were not really prepared for CBP to come onto the ship in Boston.  They managed the front of the line, not the back of the line such as pulling disabled or very elderly people out of line only after they'd been standing in line for an hour to get to the front of the line.  We told a few ourselves to go to the front.  To top it off, once we did get into the Queens Room where CBP was set up there were multiple Cunard officers and managers just standing there watching rather than telling people who were going to wait an hour in line to come back later.  For US citizens the Cunard personnel were not sending people forward fast enough to keep the CBP officers busy; half were waiting for the next person. Managing the line on the ship was Cunard's job not CBPs.

 

Another nit-noid but we did not understand why servers in the bars are using the contactless room cards to place orders using their tablets but then generating paper receipts that still had to be signed with wet ink signatures.  Seems duplicative and unnecessary.  

 

We did take an upgrade offer from a Q5 to a stern Q4.  There's definitely some pros and cons with the Deck 9 stern Penthouse Q4s.  Pros:  more separated sleeping area, additional powder room, four person dining table, 2 outdoor chaise loungers, bigger sofa, walk in shower.  But there are some negatives including smaller closet (and no closet by the door), smaller bathroom sink area, no vanity area near the bathroom, and partially obstructed view towards the stern (there's a bump out for the Q1/Q2 suites blocking the view toward the stern so you only get a 90 degree view not a 180 degree view).  Also the butler was split across three floors so we only saw him about once per day.  We paid $3000 extra for 7 days, we decided that next time we'd stick with the Q5 as we didn't get the extra value out of the Q4.

[Kordy]

33 minutes ago, stan01 said:

We were on from Southampton to Brooklyn to Brooklyn (Jun 23 - Jul 6).  Overall the service was good to excellent, we did not really encounter inexperienced staff in Queens Grill but we did encounter some highly experienced staff who worked on the Queen Elizabeth 2 and seemed very hurried and under a lot of stress.  Osman was on board so service was generally top notch.  Food quality was generally good, although I'd have to say that British sourced beef was quite a bit better than US sourced beef.  I think fish was often the best choice on the menu.  The Kings Court is visually depressing; it is laid out in a bizarre arrangement.  We did notice that some of the items in the Kings Court buffet were very similar to what was on offer in Queens Grill with a fancy French name.  Our favorite entertainers were actually the Royal Theater singers and dancers, this group of 12-14 people was highly polished and they were so energetic and fun to watch.  We really enjoyed the 2 days in Halifax, NS where we were fortunate to have good weather and see the International Tattoo on Canada Day.  Not to be missed if you ever have the opportunity to see it.  We were in Boston the afternoon of July 3 and all day on July 4; Cunard provided shuttle buses from the pier to near Faneuil Hall. 

 

We have cruised on Seabourn, Oceania, HAL, Celebrity, and Silversea.  We agreed we'd cruise again on Cunard in QG.  We do feel Seabourn has more variety in dining.  For those who say you can order anything you want from QG and they will do their best to do it, I'd have to say Osman and the waiters were definitely not encouraging that and I think their ability to do that is rapidly declining to be a memory of the past.  Shrimp cocktail and pasta yes, but definitely no evidence of multi course Indian or Turkish meals or suckling pigs that some have written about.  To be honest, the staff appeared so overworked and hurried that we would have felt uncomfortable making too many special requests beyond the standard special request menu.  Maybe we'll try Princess Grill some time, although what we've seen is that on some voyages the premium for QG not that much more over PG.  There are some voyages, such as the NYC-NYC extended voyages to Norway were QG pricing is quite high.

 

The Purser's office managed the late arrival in Brooklyn on June 29 well, but they were not really prepared for CBP to come onto the ship in Boston.  They managed the front of the line, not the back of the line such as pulling disabled or very elderly people out of line only after they'd been standing in line for an hour to get to the front of the line.  We told a few ourselves to go to the front.  To top it off, once we did get into the Queens Room where CBP was set up there were multiple Cunard officers and managers just standing there watching rather than telling people who were going to wait an hour in line to come back later.  For US citizens the Cunard personnel were not sending people forward fast enough to keep the CBP officers busy; half were waiting for the next person. Managing the line on the ship was Cunard's job not CBPs.

 

Another nit-noid but we did not understand why servers in the bars are using the contactless room cards to place orders using their tablets but then generating paper receipts that still had to be signed with wet ink signatures.  Seems duplicative and unnecessary.  

 

We did take an upgrade offer from a Q5 to a stern Q4.  There's definitely some pros and cons with the Deck 9 stern Penthouse Q4s.  Pros:  more separated sleeping area, additional powder room, four person dining table, 2 outdoor chaise loungers, bigger sofa, walk in shower.  But there are some negatives including smaller closet (and no closet by the door), smaller bathroom sink area, no vanity area near the bathroom, and partially obstructed view towards the stern (there's a bump out for the Q1/Q2 suites blocking the view toward the stern so you only get a 90 degree view not a 180 degree view).  Also the butler was split across three floors so we only saw him about once per day.  We paid $3000 extra for 7 days, we decided that next time we'd stick with the Q5 as we didn't get the extra value out of the Q4.

 

Thank you @stan01 - I was on the same cruise as you in Halifax and Boston and will agree with you on most points, however, just to add to your observations:

- immigration in Boston on the ship - for us it was a great experience - why - because when we noticed the long line at 2:30pm, we thought "why the rush" and instead, we went for Afternoon Tea and just enjoyed the tea and a conversation with other couples.  We went back to the line at 4:15pm and honestly, it was about 30% of what it was before and since I have a bad leg, a Cunard rep asked me to move to the front of the line and once at the front of the line, I was asked if I have a US or CA passport and I said "yes" and they said, go right ahead and went directly to the Immigration Officer in the Queens Room and he took about 5 seconds to look at my passport and let me go.  So the ENTIRE experienced took 5 mins end-to-end.  Why? because we waited, rather than try to be the first in line.

- THE BENEFIT of this immigration in Boston was that when we got off the ship in Brooklyn on July 6, it was literally a 5 min experience end-to-end as immigration was now DONE & DUSTED for all passengers and when we left our cabin at 7am, we were inside an Uber going to MTA station at 7:10am.  No lines at all, at any point, just walk straight through at a fast pace.

- The free shuttle at Boston was a really great touch !  I didn't expect that and even had a whole plan how I'm going to use the local SilverLine bus to get to South Station and then walk to Quincy Market. Thank you, Cunard !

- I agree with your drink ordering issue in the restaurants - they take your ship's card, swipe it and bring you a drink and a physical paper check, which already has your cabin number on it and it already shows as "paid" and I think the ONLY reason they do it, is because there is space there to add an ADDITIONAL tip !  Even though a tip of 15% is already included.  But yes, seems like a waste of paper & effort to have to sign it and add extra tip.

- HOWEVER - they didn't do that at the bars... I was able to order ciders and they just took my card, no additional papers to sign ! 

- The King's Court buffet - yes - it could be improved.  But honestly, they still do a decent job.  It's a buffet, so you have to expect a buffet like experience.  For me, the buffet is always about being functional and to allow you to have a decent breakfast (or lunch/brunch).  The more enjoyable experience is going to be MDR or the Grills and that's what I focus on.  I have to compliment the buffet on 2 things - for the first 2 days, they were serving everyone, because of bacteria/viruses - nice touch.  Then after 2 days, it became self-service.  I liked that as it helps protect people from spreading germs.   The 2nd thing is that they had milk already at ever table, which was a nice touch !  And there was plenty of attendants who were able to serve you a coffee refill !

- the buffet had a lot of options and different mean types of meats and lots of interesting touches.  I would say that the breakfast buffet was the weakest in that it quickly got very very repetitive and there was a big focus on English-breakfast (which I love), but if you dislike English Breakfast style breakfast, then your options were more limited.  I wish they advertised the fact that they can make you a freshly made, custom omelet - they could, you just had to ask and nobody knew, especially as they had basic plain omelets just lying there.

- I do agree though about desserts and some of the options in the buffet - they were similar to some of the desserts we had in the MDR ... so we actually learned a lesson - skip the dessert in the MDR (which takes a long time to come!) and just go upstairs to the buffer for desserts ... you get around 70-80% of the same experience and you get to try more options :)

- we sailed in the standard Britannia class (4th class, worse than 3rd class :-) and honestly, the value proposition was TREMENDOUS.  It's almost embarrassing how little we paid for the experience we actually got and the amount of food we got (choices, quantity, quality, etc).  With the value for money you get, it's really had to complain.  I mean, unlimited sushi grade sashimi, sushi rolls, fillet-mignon steaks, lamb shanks, chateaubriand, surf & turf - it's crazy really. I even heard that the prior cruise had Venison in the Britannia class.  Although the surf & turf is without lobster, just steak & shrimps, which is not as fancy :-)  .... HONESTLY, if I add up the value of all the food we ate and compare to a New York restaurant with the same dishes and then I consider also all the snacks, afternoon tea, the shows, the NASA talks, etc.. I really ask myself, does Cunard actually make money, because I feel like they made a loss on me.  I'm not fat or anything, but even if I try to add how much much we ate, the meals like the ones I've had would cost me in NYC and the shows I've seen how much they would cost me in NYC and Afternoon Tea experience and even room/bath in a hotel in NYC, I think Cunard made a LOSS ON ME !!!   I should owe them money !!!! LOL.   It's true.

- Halifax was lovely - the waterfront walk is amazing, the museums were all free because it was Canada Day and it was wonderful weather on Day 2 ... better than Boston, which had high humidity and was a little too hot / muggy.  Halifax port location is also more walkable, easier to get back on onto the ship, everything just felt more accessible and civilized than Boston, which was more chaotic!

- didn't do the Tattoo, but was considering it - I saw a couple of videos of it, and it felt like it was more about military and army and not as much fun as a Broadway Show or a Musical or Dance Show would be.

- 100% agree with your comment about the Dance Company - they did a wonderful job ... so much stamina and energy to dance so much.  This was high class.

- Should also mention that the VIOLONIST - the Russian Lady - was AMAZING too.  She did this performance of "Raise Me Up" which was about her mother and it moved many to tears... she just seemed like a wonderful human being as well, as well as an artist as she kept thanking the production staff quite a few times and just felt like she was very grateful for being there.

- the NASA guy was amazing too - he did a talk about GOING TO MARS .. imagine, being on a cruise ship and learning about how humanity will reach Mars and what it would take to get there. Was very impressive!!!

Edited July 7 by Kordy

[exlondoner]

I find the paper copies of the drinks bills very useful. I am able to keep them to check against the final account, which we all know may not be accurate. 

[stan01]

The Tattoo featured military marching bands from Canada, Germany, UK, and a volunteer group from Massachusetts.  They did traditional marches but also some more popular songs too.  They did have some fun things too such as jump roping, bike tricks, and a dog that played hockey goalie (caught a foam puck in its mouth).  It's not intended to be a variety show or a Broadway production.

 

The signing of paper slips seemed to vary by bar and server.  In QG, they asked for us to sign the paper slip the first night and then never after that.  In Commodore Club and Chart Room every server we had us sign the paper slip every time.  Maybe it is left to the discretion of the server whether to present the paper slip for more tip or not?  That doesn't seem right either.

 

Cunard has a challenge trying to please all of their customers on entertainment.  If they offer anything more modern than the 1960s music some people will complain about not being traditional while others will leave the ship thinking it is stodgy and out of date.  We heard a complaint that the Queens Room was welcoming of all dance styles instead of only ballroom dancing.  For people who enjoy dressing up and expect others to dress up as well I can report that the Queens Grill passengers did a pretty good job on all nights.

[stan01]

17 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

I find the paper copies of the drinks bills very useful. I am able to keep them to check against the final account, which we all know may not be accurate. 

 

My guess is this is why they do it, they give the paper to everyone because some people still want them and its easier to do it for all than figure out who wants them and who doesn't.  Maybe over time fewer and fewer people will want them and they'll just go with the contactless.

[exlondoner]

But what will we have to check?

[D&N]

17 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

But what will we have to check?

We had the list of charges on the My Voyage intranet account two years ago. Of course anything that was covered by the drinks package did not appear in the account. Two day one charges that should have been covered by the package were refunded after I pointed these out in the online account.

In France a recent legislative act requires retailers to not issue a paper purchase receipt or card receipt unless the customer requests one. I believe the intention is to reduce waste paper.

 

[exlondoner]

3 minutes ago, D&N said:

We had the list of charges on the My Voyage intranet account two years ago. Of course anything that was covered by the drinks package did not appear in the account. Two day one charges that should have been covered by the package were refunded after I pointed these out in the online account.

In France a recent legislative act requires retailers to not issue a paper purchase receipt or card receipt unless the customer requests one. I believe the intention is to reduce waste paper.

 

Very probably, but paper receipts undoubtedly make it easier to keep track.

[NE John]

1 hour ago, stan01 said:

For those who say you can order anything you want from QG and they will do their best to do it, I'd have to say Osman and the waiters were definitely not encouraging that and I think their ability to do that is rapidly declining to be a memory of the past.  Shrimp cocktail and pasta yes, but definitely no evidence of multi course Indian or Turkish meals or suckling pigs that some have written about.  To be honest, the staff appeared so overworked and hurried that we would have felt uncomfortable making too many special requests beyond the standard special request menu. 

That’s not great to hear. Last week in QG on QE we ordered a top-shelf Indian banquet, a simple Mediterranean-style grilled octopus starter, and Turbot (a usual alc offering but not offered that week). All requests were welcome and encouraged. Even last year in PG on QM2 we asked for and received a very nice vegetarian Indian banquet (with a steak on the side) for the last night of the Crossing. 

[Kordy]

3 minutes ago, NE John said:

That’s not great to hear. Last week in QG on QE we ordered a top-shelf Indian banquet, a simple Mediterranean-style grilled octopus starter, and Turbot (a usual alc offering but not offered that week). All requests were welcome and encouraged. Even last year in PG on QM2 we asked for and received a very nice vegetarian Indian banquet (with a steak on the side) for the last night of the Crossing. 

If I paid the amount of money being asked for Queens Grill, I would definitely like to have the option to order custom dishes that I like and try out that service to its full.  Queens Grill is like the 1st Class on Titanic, mainly for the rich & famous.  As for me, I paid for 4th Class  (Britannia) and had around 4 menu items to choose for, for my Main courses and honestly, it was more than good enough for the price I paid.

[exlondoner]

1 minute ago, Kordy said:

If I paid the amount of money being asked for Queens Grill, I would definitely like to have the option to order custom dishes that I like and try out that service to its full.  Queens Grill is like the 1st Class on Titanic, mainly for the rich & famous.  As for me, I paid for 4th Class  (Britannia) and had around 4 menu items to choose for, for my Main courses and honestly, it was more than good enough for the price I paid.

Believe you me, it is not mainly for the rich and famous, or I wouldn’t be allowed in.

[Jim_Iain]

On 7/6/2024 at 6:59 AM, exlondoner said:

Just out of interest, where are the main sheep farming areas in the US?

 

While not known by many Texas is the  #1 Sheep Area in the U.S  Followed by California.   We often get really good Sonoma County Lamb as well as Colorado Lamb in the SF Bay area.   I really didn't even know about Texas until I googled. 

 

To be honest, most of lamb we get is New Zealand Lamb.