JT1101

The problem is this type of "internet mob" response is a social media phenomenon. ALL new ships have maiden voyage hiccups. Check back in 3-6 months once QA is fully shaken down and I expect the impressions will be very different.

I get it but it is just going in circles at this point.

Good Golly Miss Molly... 226 posts and counting on this? Methinks we have talked it to death.

Business units by definition are separated because they have their own internal operations. Carnival Corporation (sorry LLC is my error) is comprised of several such units. One is Carnival Cruise Lines (which causes confusion sometimes). Another is Carnival UK. Costa is another again. Cunard and P&O as Brands jointly compose Carnival UK. P&O Australia despite the name was part of Carnival Cruise Lines.

P&O Australia is a completely different animal than Cunard. Also Cunard and P&O comprise Carnival UK - a separate unit within Carnival LLC. P&O Australia is part of the main Carnival Cruise Lines unit. Costa is in its own unit also.

QA wil be allright. I do have a feeling the first minor refit she gets (in 2026) will add some more Cunard memorabilia to make her feel more connected to Cunard's traditions and heritage.

Point taken.

Well thats a change.Maybe the policy was always this but since the theme of the night is gala or smart attire that is what you'll see most everyone do anyway? I know I've been in King's Court on gala nights and everyone was dresses or suits. Perhaps my penchant for sailing in winter also affects this?

Actually yes they do maintain code; the only difference is on gala nights you can go to some exempt places but even there smart dress is in effect.

They aren't stopping having gala nights. And Cunard still maintains dress code shipwide at night, be it smart dress or formal.

I'm more than happy to dress up in a black suit, white shirt and black bow tie. I don't own a tux but the black suit has always met with approval on gala nights as it is a formal cut as opposed to a sport or casual cut. For the non gala nights I typically stay with the jacket but skip the tie.

All iPhones later than the 8 support fast charging. So do more recent (last 4-5 years?) iPad and iPad Pro. All Apple Silicon Macs also do.

Yes Apple devices have plugs. You just have to obtain separately as they rightly assume everyone has lots of plugs. In fact since the entire line now charges on usb-3 / thunderbolt one charger can do double duty.

I like Fixed because you get to meet new people also.

I kinda like fixed dining anyway, as it lends to the classical experience.

That space is not a permanent restaurant area. Sometimes in summery weather it may have some tables as a standup cafe but it is not permanent. I've been on Winter TAs and it is not open for example.

I expect it has largely stabilized.

Eh. Disney is not my thing. And it was Tips for Travelers that helped me know. Not by Gary dissing on it but because he laid out what a Disney cruise is, what you will be getting in terms of experience and really left whether you like it up to you. This is why I dislike vloggers like Ben and David and la Lido Loca among others. They are not really that informative and they really tend towards being overdramatic. Tips for Travelers, Ritzy Travel Guide, Emma Cruises and TravelTouristVideos among others take a different approach. They give context before reviewing, are informative and even when they give a positive/negative verdict they do put it into the context of their own preferences.

I like this move. It represents a quality increase as Union has good stuff. As far as the free coffees I expect they will not change their sourcing right now. I like the coffees on draw at King's Court and as mentioned Connexions.

That's what I like about the ones I noted (Tips for Travellers, Ritzy Travel Guide, Emma Cruises). They emphasize doing their homework so they know what type of line and ship they are sailing on and their delivery is very informative. Fraser at Sea sounds interesting - have to check him out. Also TravelTouristVideos go pretty well.

Actually the last couple of TA reviews on here (one is ongoing) were quite positive. As to cruise youTubers, Ben & David to me are bad. They're in the same place I put La Lido Loca (not worth following). The good one to me are Tips for Travelers, Emma Cruises and a newer one called Ritzy Travel Guide. TravelTouristVideos is also pretty good.

I was likewise surprised by the King's Court coffee being good when I was aboard. It was a relaxing end of day routine I had to draw a cup, find a seat in one of the side areas looking out onto the Promenade and while there catch up on telling people at home how it was going (via Text over internet).

The ones mailed to me were long strips with lock slots and you looped them around the handle of your suitcase. I used vpacking tape because these were to me too flimsy.

Lobster is available. Alas I have to look longingly whilst others enjoy it - being shellifsh allergic has that effect (trust me, anaphylaxis is not fun).

I don't mind printing them out as even with the old tags they mailed to you I had to use clear packing tape to "laminate" them and staples to secure them.