Sue-B

9 hours ago, vieux_carre said:

In July, a table adjacent to ours had a bottle ready and waiting on their table for all meals.

That wasn’t me in July, but so glad someone else clearly loves their Tabasco like me!  I always ask for Tabasco on the first night and the bottle is there on the table alongside the salt and pepper pots for every lunch and dinner thereafter!  Tabasco was on hand in May this year, and I’m sure it’ll be there when we return in November….
 

Colmans English mustard however… 😂 

(we always take our own mustard!) 

@Trouvailless I’m sure you’ll look wonderful and I hope you very much enjoy your holiday 🥰

4 hours ago, Trouvailless said:

Thanks for that.  This is what I assumed but then having time on my hands read several other reviews, not only here but on other sites, and got the distinct impression that it was more or les expected.   Will see.  

it’s suggested and many Cunarders will embrace it, but ultimately you should wear what you’re comfortable in (but they do ask for smarter attire in the main restaurant areas etc so respectfully I’d say don’t wear the ripped denim hot pants and vest on that night 😂)
 

Personally we love to get dressed up and go all in with the themes, but if that’s not your thing then quite honestly don’t worry about it - it’s your holiday and you should enjoy it your way!  
 

What I will say is that Cunard is one of the only lines that does seem to still fully embrace the old world cruise style, and it is really lovely imho to see so many people young and old in black tie & white tie - I hope it continues - but even if it doesn’t I’ll still be in my full length ball gowns - it’s one of the few place where I can still wear them and not be looked at like I’ve grown a second head! Not that I truly care, I love my amazing old world full dresses and I don’t care if others are in shorts, I’m wearing my sequins with pride 😂 

Enjoy your holiday your way ❤️

17 hours ago, Emma666 said:

When I contacted Cunard regarding the Gala nights on V426N (4 nights from Southampton) I was told by their customer service last week that ‘Short voyages tend to not have Gala Evenings but they do have a formal night where smart attire is required - this will be on the 31st of October.’ This made no sense, so I pointed out to them that their website clearly states:

 

‘We invite you, by formal invitation delivered to your stateroom, to a Gala Evening at least once on every voyage of three nights or more.’

 

It is not acceptable to advertise with Gala nights and then only when you have paid, tell your customers that you don’t plan to deliver. For us the Gala nights are an essential part of the experience, and we would not sail on Cunard without them.

 

Cunard then came back to me on Saturday saying that they ‘can confirm there will be 1 Gala Evening on your voyage - I am just getting the date and theme of this confirmed for you’. I have heard nothing more.

 

I then realised that our voyage calendar for V426P (12 nights to the Canaries) doesn’t mention any Gala nights either. I contacted them again, and they responded YESTERDAY with ‘I can’t confirm any Gala Nights for your voyage V426P on 3/11/24 from Southampton.’

This is utterly ridiculous, especially if you (Sue-B) say that they confirmed three Gala nights to you LAST WEEK. I will certainly stay on the case, but the more people tell them that this is not acceptable, the better.

yep - email received on 28th Aug, and refers me back to the correspondence that they apparently sent on the 15th which they can’t find so they reconfirmed what they think they had already told me!   However they’ve still not updated on the planner.  
 

I can only hope that someone from Cunard reads these boards and finds a way to sort it out.  Surely it can’t be that difficult to list the nights and upload them into the database that feeds the planner…

If nothing else you can guarantee some passengers will be dressed up to the nines as we’re a party of four travelling together on that voyage 😂 
 

I too have been in touch with Cunard customer services 12 times regarding MyCunard planner still not being updated with the confirmed gala nights.  I’ve been told it will be updated on each occasion, and this has been going on with correspondence back and forth since February.  We look forward to Gala nights and love getting our finest attire on - I recognise not everybody likes to dress up but we do and so I’ve been bothering customer services every other week asking for it to be updated.  If you were new to Cunard you might not even realise there are black tie evenings for those that want to engage in them.  Very disappointing service which is not usual at all.  To confirm this is what Cunard CS finally sent me last week:

“

You will have a total of three gala evenings during your voyage and these will be on the following dates:

5th November - Black & White Gala Evening:

A refined, timeless and elegant celebration to begin guest's memorable voyage with Cunard. Eye-catching with a simple monochrome theme, the iconic black and white celebration will be brought to life as the atmosphere is heightened across the ship on board the legendary Cunard Queens.

Dress code: Guests are invited to wear a simple combination of black and white elegant finery to complement the black and white theme of the evening.

11th November - Masquerade Gala Evening

Travel back to Renaissance Italy, delighting in an evening of mystery and enchantment as guests experience our take on the infamous Venetian Masquerade Carnivals. Watch the drama unfold as hidden identities and elaborate costumes are seen across the ship and the carnivalesque atmosphere fills each and every space.

Dress code: Guests are invited to wear their finest evening wear and accessorise perfectly with an elegant mask to embrace and add to the sense of mystery and intrigue that awaits.

13th November - Red and Gold Gala Evening:

A new glamorous, elegant and regal theme to complement guest's voyage with Cunard. Celebrating Cunard’s rich heritage and identity, the Red and Gold Gala Evening will reflect the red and gold colours seen throughout Cunard’s iconic livery and sumptuous interiors.

Dress Code: Guests are invited to wear a simple combination of red and gold elegant finery to complement the effortless theme which will be visible throughout the ship.

Please note that the dress code themes are not mandatory for the gala evenings. We request that guests wear a dinner jacket, tuxedo, or dark suit for the men with a regular tie or bow tie. Evening or cocktail dress, smart trouser suit, or formal separated for the ladies. The tuxedo/jacket does not need to be dark colours, you are welcome to wear a pattered design and alternative colours.

”

Just now, exlondoner said:

If you ask them nicely, they may do one just for you, and the other half will get used for pâté. 

Agree! They definitely do - my husband has often politely asked and ordered it just for himself. 👍😀

4 hours ago, CDN2 said:

Hi All,

 

In what is now becoming a family tradition, my parents took me on my first TA crossing on the QE2 when I was young, and now I'm about to do the same with my daughter on QM2 in a few weeks time (Eastbound)!

 

Looking for insight on how to keep a seven year-old entertained.  Would anyone be able to comment on what kind of activities are available in the Children's Club, and child-friendly things to do outside of those times?  Any and all suggestions would be most welcome.

 

Cheers,

 

CDN2

what an absolutely fabulous experience for you and your daughter!  I was considerably older before discovering the magic of Cunard!  I happened to be travelling with my friend and her 13 year old recently and here’s a couple of photos that were taken outside the children’s zone showing the types of activities on a short cruise, but the TA schedule may well differ…
 

Starlink internet now works brilliantly - may be worth purchasing a package and you’ll be able to stream films which makes for a nice afternoon entertainment mid Atlantic.  Check out the films available (likely in the illuminations but possibly the theatre) - there could be an option that works well for an afternoon too.  Some of the activities like line dancing can be fun - I don’t think there’s an age restriction but don’t quote me on that,  If the weather is good then a swim and sit around the minnows pool is lovely for an afternoon or two 👍
 

I think afternoon tea is fabulous and I’m pretty sure I would have loved doing that as a 7 year old - a grown up tea party! Take a lovely walk along the promenade and look for whales (we once got lucky in the north Atlantic and spotted one!).  Jigsaws and games (can’t remember what deck they are - maybe deck 2?) are readily available too.

But most of all, I would try not to worry about keeping her entertained, I’m sure she’ll happily enjoy every minute with you - so just relax and enjoy 😀🥰😀

1 hour ago, Winifred 22 said:

On QM2 last month it was definitely Beef Wellington and last year too. Surf and Turf has been prawns for a while but I just get two turfs as I don’t like prawns. 

Yes was definitely beef wellington on Gala night on QM2 in May… (apols not best photos of the menu)…

2 hours ago, bluemarble said:

 

 

Oh, yes I remember now reading about that reduction in the Platinum and Diamond internet credits to $54 per person published in the daily programmes for the recent QM2 3-night cruise to Cherbourg and Portland. Seems to be some question as to whether that reduction was actually implemented though.

 

Looks like you may need to wait until you are on board your Keil to Southampton cruise to see if you will have a similar reduction in your Platinum internet credit, @Yoshikitty. I do not see documentation anywhere on Cunard's websites stating Cunard World Club Internet credits are reduced for shorter voyages.

Despite them advertising a reduced internet credit in the daily programme (which I didn’t even spot last week) the system definitely did not recognise this and I was refunded the full $135 diamond allowance as usual on my onboard account.  Had I have been charged I would have popped to the concierge or front desk to have it amended given the advertised club benefits on the Cunard world club internet pages (t&cs) do not mention the rate will be reduced for short cruises.  
 

On 6/2/2024 at 4:04 PM, Winifred 22 said:

Yes 

I didn’t even spot this reference on the daily programme.  I booked 2 devices on the premium internet for whole voyage and got $135 credited back to my on board account as normal (so was charged $1.60 or something similar).  Either I got lucky or operationally the system just automatically credits the $135 for diamond despite what they advertise…

Here’s a photo of the QV lunch menu from July 2023 - the fish and chips was fabulous 😂 

@Bedruthen

Just gone back through photos to try and look, and deck 5 corner balcony definitely had sunshine on it (this photo was on QE but it’s the equivalent cabin).  I’m pretty sure we still got sunshine on the balcony in the middle suites too on deck 5 (will try and find photos for you) but it will depend on which way the ship is sailing (or docked).  If the med is as hot as last year you may definitely want some shelter from the sun on your balcony. The grills sun terrace is full sunshine friendly for those that love the sun with some very well placed shaded areas for those that don’t like full sun!  

Have a fabulous trip with whatever suite you choose 😀

@Victoria2

Yes I think you’re absolutely right - if you are in the Q1s on deck 6 you won’t be able to see any of the actual balcony of the Q5 or Q6 suites on deck 5 (you definitely used to be able to until they changed the tiered back of the QV) - having done a before and after in those aft suites I’d say I prefer the additional privacy now afforded in the deck 5 aft suites vs those on deck 4 (but the ones on 4 are slightly bigger room/balcony) 👍 

Just adding a few more pictures in case they’re useful - I had to go back through my sail history but found we stayed in 5191 QV in 2018 - couple of photos from when we first boarded (never my best shots as I’m always too excited to be cruising again!)

We’ve done most of the QG aft suites at some point or another on QV and a number of different ones on QE.  Once you’ve stayed in Grills it becomes rather hard to do anything else! I can honestly say all of the suites are fab, and I’m sure you’ll love whichever you choose.  On QV it’s only the ones on deck 8 that have been refurbed differently (we really liked those, but there’s a lot of glass and shiny wood to polish which I’m sure is much harder for the staff so probably better they’ve not rolled that decor out across all the QGs).  On deck 5 we would typically go for the larger room vs the corner aft - but it’s purely personal choice and depends on the destination.  For med cruises we typically find we go up to the top deck for the very comfortable loungers, so mainly use the balcony for pre dinner drinks and sail aways etc.  We’ve always found lots of space on the Grills deck and table service for drinks (and fresh fruit, sandwiches, cold towels etc often brought round) so it suits us.  The aft corner suites are an odd shape (as previous posters have said) but they are still a good size and we found them perfectly comfortable for a few weeks! So whatever you choose I’m sure you’ll love - couple of photos here for the aft corner suite 5195  (apols - not the best photos had just moved from a different aft suite to that one) - this was QE April 2022 (you’ll spot the face masks which date it!) but the room layout is the same from memory on QV (albeit a few years since we’ve done aft corner on QV).  
 

Hope you have a lovely time and thoroughly enjoy the Grills experience 👍😀

You can transfer but it’s subject to the booking conditions and what fare you’ve booked - if you’ve booked through a travel agent you need to contact them, but if you booked direct you can contact cunard customer service.  Transfers typically have an associated admin charge (think this is still £100), but you can only transfer if you booked a cunard fare (and the new booking needs to be within a certain timescale).  If you’ve booked on a saver fare I don’t believe you can transfer according to the booking conditions, but a call into cunard will be able to confirm any options available for you.

(Addition: this is for UK bookings, it may differ from other country booking conditions)

No problem @MissSarahB

What a lovely girls trip it will be - I’m sure you and your friend will make some lovely memories, and sorry to hear of her loss.  
 

You can always ask for different spirits from the butler, but definitely not guaranteed to get something you like, there are no fruit gins on the list - I love them too and would remember if they were available!
 

I would suggest that you take a bottle or two of whatever you like to drink on board to have in your room, and just use the mini bar for sodas etc.  Malibu and pineapple juice is a classic - I always order fresh orange from the breakfast menu in the morning and have in the fridge to go with the vodka! 👍😀

I can’t remember if there’s a rose wine on the list you can choose from, but there should be a lovely bottle of LP champagne on ice in your room when you arrive 😀

I keep meaning to take a photo of the menu but forget every time! No doubt someone will post one on here for you.

I’m sure they’ll be something on there that you’ll like - from memory there’s a choice of spirits - options are limited but have brands like like grey goose vodka, Bombay sapphire gin, or options of wine, think there are 4 different red and 4 whites on the list - we tend to choose the merlot after testing them all over the years, that’s the best one suited to us!  The fridge in your room will already be stocked with mini tonic/soda waters, cans of Pepsi, Diet Pepsi & lemonade, along with a couple of cans of Heineken beer.  You can have any soft drinks you want in there - just ask the butler and they’ll sort - we always take everything out and ask for Diet Coke and diet lemonade/sprite, along with slimline tonic - so you can easily adjust the soft drinks to your taste etc. they restock the fridge drinks frequently, both in the morning and at turndown each night.  You also get large bottles of sparkling and still water, again just ask if you prefer just sparkling for example.  We’ve also found the wine gets replenished too - as soon as a bottle is half way down another to replace it magically appears - never got through a whole litre of spirits so not sure they’ll replace those in the same way! 
 

The perfume is not available in most QG suites - we had the pleasure of a Q1 sailing once, and we got them in there, but typically go Q4-6 and you don’t get them in there.  
 

Pre-covid there were lots of amenities already in the bathroom, like cotton buds, nail files etc, but they’ve stopped putting them in as standard, you can ask for them and they normally arrive quickly.  
 

I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful trip, once you’ve been in QG I’ve found it’s ever so hard to book anything else! Happy holidays 😀

11 hours ago, bluemarble said:

Here's one of my own photos of a location we haven't seen yet.

 

Beautiful picture @bluemarble

I’ll make a guess for Innvikfjorden, Norway…not convinced I have matched the landscape but at least it discounts that cruise by location for everyone else if it’s not right! 
 

1 hour ago, sfred said:

Ah, I think I've found it too.  If correct, I had mistakenly thought this port was already on our seen list.  As @Sue-B may have gotten to it before me, I'll defer to her to make the first guess when "tomorrow" happens later on in the UK.

Thank you @sfred  😀

@bluemarble  I believe the port is Ishigaki, Okinawa, Japan 😀  Have my fingers crossed now 🤣

Think I’ve finally solved it but given I’ve already guessed earlier today I’ll leave it until tomorrow in case anyone else is also playing 😀

11 minutes ago, sfred said:

 

That was one of my hypotheses also, @Sue-B.  But the unseen places in the Philippines are Cebu, Davao, and Zamboanga.  None of them seems to fit the geography.  I looked at Davao for a long time, as there are some island hills between the city and the opposte shore at Baney-Baney that might have been a match, and several resort hotels that might have hosted a webcam.  But the location doesn't fit the ship arriving from the right in the morning.

 

Also if this were a recent webcam, QE's visit to the Philippines was at Manila and Puerto Princesa, both of which have been seen.

 

So far, I'm stumped.

Yes Davao was what I was looking at - the hill peaks sort of match in the distance but not an exact fit! The search continues…. 🤣

Well I might as well have a guess and see if I can get even close to the right part of the world! Lovely images @bluemarble thinking maybe somewhere in the Philippines? 

Sandeman ‘94 was definitely onboard last November 👍

if in doubt or you really want a certain one then I would take your own and pay for corkage in restaurant to have after dinner 👍😀

I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.  We were QG in April aboard QV and the service and food in the restaurant was as good as ever.  Some of the ‘Covid’ changes, like limited amenities in the suite bathrooms are still there, so you have to ask for the cotton buds, nail file etc rather than them already being there when you board.  The hot canapé selection is still (in my opinion) a hit and miss affair in the Grills Lounge, and some nights it never appeared at all - but not exactly a hardship!  Back to the restaurant selection, I didn’t notice anything missing from the a la carte, and they are still changing the menu over each week.  We ordered ‘off piste’ a number of times - no issues at all, and everything was delicious.  Lots of table side options like the rack of lamb, dover sole etc as well as crepes suzette, flambé cherries etc.  The caviar was better than when we were aboard in 2021 and 2022.  The one thing I think is definitely not as good is the cheese trolley - very limited selection (compared to say 5 years ago).  The petit fours are now served by the head waiter from a plate (or they were when we were aboard) and so presumably less wastage than they used to have.  Overall we had no complaints at all, service was fantastic as always, food equally good. We can’t wait to go again 😀