The voyage from hell!!!

[Cruachan]

I Gnu you were going to say that.

Gnari

 

It's old gnus anyway!

 

J

[garigoun]

It's old gnus anyway!

 

J

 

Good name for a band Gnus and Resos.

Gira

[Cruachan]

Good name for a band Gnus and Resos.

Gira

 

Ah, that would be the one headed up by Lax Sore!

 

J

[garigoun]

Ah, that would be the one headed up by Lax Sore!

 

J

Now you're just being sylli.

Argi

[lord of the seas]

Ah, that would be the one headed up by Lax Sore!

 

J

 

I thought it was Or*l S*x

[VoyagerOne]

Fantastic read! Thanks for the observations and the wit. Much appreciated!

[cruiseress]

Garigoun's article made me laugh so much I ached.....! And how true! I have taken a transatlantic crossing and Norwegian Fjord cruise aboard QM2 and USA to Sydney cruise aboard Q.V. and can verify most, if not all, of his comments to be so very accurate. I would expect everyone booking a voyage/cruise/crossing with any cruise line to find out everything they can about the line before they board, including dress code etc., but apparently not. The most bizarre and outlandish rigouts are to be encountered at dinner - and not only on 'formal nights'. Still, it provides amusement and maybe an element of sartorial sense otherwise lacking in we more sensible souls.

[GCurry]

Just got a new hip, the Lance Armstrong autograph model bicycle sprocket from what I can tell, so I'm rereading a lot of CC posts for their mind numbing therapeutic benefits. Yes we do dress for dinner every night, and no we won't cruise NCL ever again regardless of their cabin value.

As far as friendly crew and super service I highly recommend HAL, the Indonesians do very good work.

 

And yes I do enjoy Gari's writing, much like Coleridge on the laudanum, it does make the whites whiter and the brights brighter.

[bkecky]

Haha, that certainly amused me. I am a great lover of people watching and I love watching people come on board and what they are wearing. There really is such an assortment of people on a cruise ship! What amazes me most is that there are some people that come on so well dressed and well presented and I get out the car creased up from a 3 hour journey. How do they do it?! Please someone let me know because I am constantly ashamed of my embarkation photo and have to dash down first thing to remove it!

[GCurry]

Haha, that certainly amused me. I am a great lover of people watching and I love watching people come on board and what they are wearing. There really is such an assortment of people on a cruise ship! What amazes me most is that there are some people that come on so well dressed and well presented and I get out the car creased up from a 3 hour journey. How do they do it?! Please someone let me know because I am constantly ashamed of my embarkation photo and have to dash down first thing to remove it!

We come in one to two days early Bkecky depending on what there is to see in the port city area. This also provides the opportunity to pick up those last minute little items that everyone needs such as a case of wine and a gallon of Scotch.

By embarkation time, you've had a leisurely morning at the hotel and aren't faced with the travel day anxieties. Many even choose to wait until later in the day to board so as not to get caught up in the stampede of lemmings trying to be the first on board.

Hope this helps as it's JMHO.

[bkecky]

We come in one to two days early Bkecky depending on what there is to see in the port city area. This also provides the opportunity to pick up those last minute little items that everyone needs such as a case of wine and a gallon of Scotch.

 

Haha yes that certainly sounds like a good plan. Unfortunately Southampton is a bit dull when you have been there 20+ times! I try my best to sort myself out in the car but to no avail. Usually have fallen asleep, matted my hair, maybe even dribbled on myself and smudged all my mascara by the time I get to the dock. Then there was a time I had a spray tan done the day before and ended up looking like I'd been tangoed. That was a fun picture... Must be lovely to have that leisure time and not have to worry about getting there in the morning though. Will have to see if my family are up for this on my next cruise!

[GCurry]

Haha yes that certainly sounds like a good plan. Unfortunately Southampton is a bit dull when you have been there 20+ times! I try my best to sort myself out in the car but to no avail. Usually have fallen asleep, matted my hair, maybe even dribbled on myself and smudged all my mascara by the time I get to the dock. Then there was a time I had a spray tan done the day before and ended up looking like I'd been tangoed. That was a fun picture... Must be lovely to have that leisure time and not have to worry about getting there in the morning though. Will have to see if my family are up for this on my next cruise!

Not a lot of those bumper stickers, or "See Southhampton First" promotions?

The extra day does add additional expense, but it sure takes a lot of the rush out of it. Galveston is a cruise port so we'll often have house guests of cruise friends and don't mind dropping them off and picking them up from the ships. We'll even arrange for a Mix and Mingle party at the port the night before for all those coming in early, which does relax people before the cruise. Our problem is the Itineraries are Western Caribe so we are always flying somewhere else to see something different.

[Garyorient]

Sloppy dress , Barberians and the Waynes and Traceys of this world are indeed spoiling so many aspects of cruising which so many of us enjoy

 

We love to dress up and have the opportiunity to wear nice clothes

We like to eat in a decent restuarant with civilised table manners and use of cutlery

 

Sadley the cheaper cruises become especially in the final sell off at any price scene the USA cancel just before final payment situation causes ..............the more plebs there are getting onboard and the more those of us who care about standards retreat ...........OK if one can afford the likes of Seabourne etc but many cannot

 

Why cant the Barberians stick with the likes of Carnival and NCL and leave the rest of us to enjoy what little is left of the ambience of old style cruising

 

I was going to post similar, although not quite as scathing;).

 

Much of the blame must be laid on Cunard's shoulders for reducing the price of a top end product to an inordinately cheap (and I do mean CHEAP) price.

 

I know I am a TA, but I have seen January Transatlantics (wrold cruise sector SOU-NYC or NYC-SOU) on QV and QM2, the former were selling at £599 (and this was allowing a fair margin) for an inside cabin and the latter at £699. Now to my mind that devalues the product.

 

What can we do as a TA? Compete and lower the standards, or refuse to compete and let some other bugger take the business. A rhetorical questin if ever there was one.

[Cruachan]

Much of the blame must be laid on Cunard's shoulders for reducing the price of a top end product to an inordinately cheap (and I do mean CHEAP) price.

 

Yes indeed. There is no form of apartheid quite as effective as economic apartheid. God forbid that the likes of me - in poorly paid, but honest, employment - should actually be enabled by something as obscene as low fares, to tread the hallowed decks of Cunard.

 

Just because something becomes financially achievable by people for whom it was previously out of reach, it does not automatically mean that those people are bad people. Nor does it mean that they will embarass the fashionistas, or heaven forbid, the godlike creatures who inhabit the Olympian realms of the grills. Some of us actually are capable of tying a bow tie, and are even able to remember which particular variety of yaffling spanner goes with which course at dinner.

 

J

[nitwit]

Yes indeed. There is no form of apartheid quite as effective as economic apartheid. God forbid that the likes of me - in poorly paid, but honest, employment - should actually be enabled by something as obscene as low fares, to tread the hallowed decks of Cunard.

 

Just because something becomes financially achievable by people for whom it was previously out of reach, it does not automatically mean that those people are bad people. Nor does it mean that they will embarass the fashionistas, or heaven forbid, the godlike creatures who inhabit the Olympian realms of the grills. Some of us actually are capable of tying a bow tie, and are even able to remember which particular variety of yaffling spanner goes with which course at dinner.

 

J

 

 

Well Mr C,

We've walked the Cunard decks together a couple of times now and I wouldn't have been able to tell if you were grills or not, that is, if I had my head far enough up my own arse to have worried about it in the first place.

Glenn;)

[Cosmic Rays]

Here, here!!

[Cosmic Rays]

Yes indeed. There is no form of apartheid quite as effective as economic apartheid. God forbid that the likes of me - in poorly paid, but honest, employment - should actually be enabled by something as obscene as low fares, to tread the hallowed decks of Cunard.

 

Just because something becomes financially achievable by people for whom it was previously out of reach, it does not automatically mean that those people are bad people. Nor does it mean that they will embarass the fashionistas, or heaven forbid, the godlike creatures who inhabit the Olympian realms of the grills. Some of us actually are capable of tying a bow tie, and are even able to remember which particular variety of yaffling spanner goes with which course at dinner.

 

J

 

Here, here!! This is what it should have been attached to......................

[Cruachan]

Well Mr C,

We've walked the Cunard decks together a couple of times now

 

And hopefully we'll do so a few more times yet, Glenn. My ambition would be to attend IttyBitty's 21st birthday party on board Queen ?????

 

:D:D:D

 

J

[cruisegal101]

Here, here!! This is what it should have been attached to......................

 

And a big here, here from a lowly working person who somehow manages to not disgrace the Cunard image while onboard. It is interesting that those who have posted about cut rate prices causing a dumbing down of Cunard seem to have spent most of their time on Princess and RCL. :rolleyes:

[nitwit]

And hopefully we'll do so a few more times yet, Glenn. My ambition would be to attend IttyBitty's 21st birthday party on board Queen ?????

 

:D:D:D

 

J

 

 

 

We'll meet again well before then. I can guarantee it:)

Glenn.

[GCurry]

We'll meet again don't where don't know when

But we'll meet again some sunny day!!:)

 

And a big here, here from a lowly working person who somehow manages to not disgrace the Cunard image while onboard. It is interesting that those who have posted about cut rate prices causing a dumbing down of Cunard seem to have spent most of their time on Princess and RCL. :rolleyes:

I enjoy Princess as a product, RCL I group with Carnival and NCL.

Does the yaffling spanner go on the right or the left? Some of the subtleties of cruising have obviously plumb evaded me.

[Garyorient]

Yes indeed. There is no form of apartheid quite as effective as economic apartheid. God forbid that the likes of me - in poorly paid, but honest, employment - should actually be enabled by something as obscene as low fares, to tread the hallowed decks of Cunard.

 

Just because something becomes financially achievable by people for whom it was previously out of reach, it does not automatically mean that those people are bad people. Nor does it mean that they will embarass the fashionistas, or heaven forbid, the godlike creatures who inhabit the Olympian realms of the grills. Some of us actually are capable of tying a bow tie, and are even able to remember which particular variety of yaffling spanner goes with which course at dinner.

 

J

 

You are absolutely right and I apologise unreservedly for any offence given, it wasn't intentional.

 

The fact remains that Cunard has, to paraphrase, made the unattainable attainable. For those who have always wanted to go on Cunard but was outside their budget that is fine, but there is no question at all that the concept of a Transatlantic cruise AND STAY for £599 pp or thereabouts has encouraged people who have no concept about cruising etiquette or behaviour to go on these superb ships.

[cruisegal101]

We'll meet again don't where don't know when

But we'll meet again some sunny day!!:)

 

 

I enjoy Princess as a product, RCL I group with Carnival and NCL.

Does the yaffling spanner go on the right or the left? Some of the subtleties of cruising have obviously plumb evaded me.

 

Gene, I enjoy other lines too but I found it a bit amusing that the two most outspoken about the supposed "dumbing down" of etiquette and dress codes were primarily RCL and Princess regulars. In the past 11 months I've sailed twice on Cunard and have not observed any "dumbing down". Perhaps I'm more interested in just enjoying my time than in passing judgment on others. ;)

[dc-farer]

Yes indeed. There is no form of apartheid quite as effective as economic apartheid. God forbid that the likes of me - in poorly paid, but honest, employment - should actually be enabled by something as obscene as low fares, to tread the hallowed decks of Cunard.

 

Just because something becomes financially achievable by people for whom it was previously out of reach, it does not automatically mean that those people are bad people. Nor does it mean that they will embarass the fashionistas, or heaven forbid, the godlike creatures who inhabit the Olympian realms of the grills. Some of us actually are capable of tying a bow tie, and are even able to remember which particular variety of yaffling spanner goes with which course at dinner.

 

J

 

F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote: "Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me", to which Hemingway replied, "Yes, they have more money".

 

And to which I might add....not necessarily better taste or manners!

[Cosmic Rays]

And a big here, here from a lowly working person who somehow manages to not disgrace the Cunard image while onboard. It is interesting that those who have posted about cut rate prices causing a dumbing down of Cunard seem to have spent most of their time on Princess and RCL. :rolleyes:

 

Yes indeed, just like us - seven with Princess and twice with RCI. I did however, do a transatlantic crossing on Queen Elizabeth back in 1967 as a 14 year old - does that count?

Also, I have never complained about dumbing down of Cunard, that is shown by us booking a cruise on QV in November after the very disappointing trip on QE2 last August.