LittleFish1976

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).

Ah, you've never been a new mother. Same with the triple re-heated cup of tea.

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.

You'd surely change out of your outdoor footwear, if you've been out on an excursion in such weather as requires heavy jumpers and presumably coats or jackets and hats. A quick trip to your cabin to dispose of the outerwear and change the footwear would be appropriate.

I had a brief encounter with a different cruise line not so long ago that uses the large above the pool screens and found they played very loud movies on them even during the day. Put a new spin on spending a port day enjoying the spa and pool area largely to myself (almost alone but for the company of a mega-decibel film of questionable quality!). If Cunard plan to do it differently, so much the better. I hope that's the case.

Can this price be correct?! 'Full-day rentals at $349 on sea days and $249 on port days...' for the Seabourn Retreat areas? You'd be right to expect constant deliveries of food and drinks to your sun lounge for that amount of money. And I'd rather not have a screen outside or have to be sitting near anyone else viewing a large screen. That's one of the issues I have with the new Queen Anne - the outdoors super-screen over the pool area. A noisy intrusion.

As for smaller ships; I had thought I would find them all claustrophobic but having recently been on a Ponant ship with around 150 other passengers I can safely say that the experience was wonderful and extremely well suited to the type of trip I was on (Antarctic Expedition). I think the design of the ship makes a huge difference. I had lunch on a Silver Seas ship a few years ago which I think was Silver Spirit at around 600 pax capacity. I toured the ship and decided I would find that very claustrophobic.

I also had it in my mind as a classic Groucho Marx line. Loved their films.

The Wintergarden was extremely well used when I was on board QE 12 months ago for all sorts of events - music, trivia, even a talk as well as being a very pleasant place for a drink. Perhaps it depends on the itinerary. I'll be on board very soon in a different part of the world so will be interested to see how well it is utilised, but it will undoubtedly be one of my go-to areas during the day and sometimes the evening as well.

Not to worry. It's not a problem for me. These threads jump around and I have to confess I don't re-read every post again prior to posting a comment so the topic may have drifted in a particular direction lending an unintended slant to a post.

Well spotted, buchanan. I was referring to the QE.

They may have some spare Q which they can sell and shuffle around on the cruise you're interested in or have booked. Quite possible. The one I'm booked on which they were inviting bids on in the many thousands of dollars has no available cabins at all and is now 21 days out from sailing. As of yesterday, I could have put in a bid for any grade of cabin from P2 to Q3. It will be a rather interesting cruise - I don't think I've ever been on a truly 'full' Cunard ship.

Yes and in my experience they take the amount for the entire voyage on around the second day from your account.

But remember they are not offerring you a cabin. They are offerring you the opportunity to pay for one should one become available. They are happy to have your/our bids up their sleeve just in case. They have nothing to lose by doing so. It's a shame if people feel the cabins are available and it's just a matter of bidding the right price to obtain one. It's a commercial insurance policy for Cunard to maximise income.

Prior to the 'bid-for-upgrade' system having been introduced, I once received an upgrade (free of cost and unasked for) from a Q5 to a Q3 which occurred a couple of weeks, from memory, prior to sailing at which point I was assigned a new cabin number. Because I had allowed for automatic upgrades I was not consulted about the change and the first I knew of it was when I saw the new cabin number. I have recently made a 'bid-for-upgrade'. I received an email from the company mentioned above and after a week or so put in a bid which I then revised after a day or so and had almost immediate confirmation that my bid had been successful. This occurred about 5 weeks prior to sailing. The links for bidding to upgrade were also visible to me via my booking page via My Cunard on their website. It seems some people are not being invited to bid and no-one seems to have deciphered the logic behind who does and who doesn't receive the invitation.