WantedOnVoyage

Well not a properly maintained ship.... I never saw paint just slopped over existing paint on QV. The surface is properly chipped, primed and repainted.  

They used to do that in CANBERRA alas... her railings etc. looked like some ancient grotto in the end, encrusted with layers of paint underwhich I am not sure what steel was left.

Sounds like it would be less puzzling had they stuck to the original name of the company:

The British & North American Royal Mail Steam Packet Co. Ltd.

Even colonials (like Cunard himself) could pronounce that "properly."

We were on QUEEN VICTORIA in October and I thought she was kept in exemplary condition.  I mentioned it specifically to Capt. Hoyt and the quartermasters, too.  They acted surprised anyone would notice let alone compliment. They should not be. 

If you have served in a ship or have any extensive experience even in sailing in them as a passenger, I cannot imagine anyone finding fault with the exterior maintenance of QUEEN VICTORIA and indeed most of her interior, too, seemed in fine shape.

I might add she looks a lot better than other Cunarders I have sailed in over the past 47 years, too. The Captain makes a big difference I find and Capt. Hoyt likes it "Shipshape and Bristol Fashion" even if he's American!  

BTW, Cunard offers a transfer from the ship to FCO for... $45 pp. I just booked it last week with Cunard (US) for our May QV cruise.  We have a 1:00 pm flight to London and no issue. And we booked our air so it is available for anyone.  We prefer this as the disembarkation will be timed for this rather than figuring out meeting times for a taxi etc. 

17 hours ago, rog747 said:

BTW,

I forgot to book a cabin for my Valet....

QE2 had those small inside First Class single cabins right off the bigger staterooms and clearly designed for children or servants. I occupied one in 1977.  Most of the liners had them.  Although in Edwardian times, private servants often travelled Second Class and there was a separate dining room for them. They were also listed in the Passenger List but only after their master or mistresses' names and as "and man servant" or "and ladies maid" or "governess" never by their surnames. 

It's worth noting that today's QM2 crosses the Atlantic at about the same speed as the ETRURIA and UMBRIA at the turn of the century.... I'll take MAURETANIA's five-day crossing over "modern conveniences" anyday!

The only way you can get that on the other side of the pond is to get one aboard.... I always bring one home. Some of the differences between the UK and US marketing is just plain petty and... stupid.  I have no idea who is making these determinations.  And for what reasons.  We get a folded over piece of cardboard stuck together with 10 cruises... none of which are vaguely appealing to us.... at best twice a season.  Regent and Oceania send us huge 200-page brochures twice a year and yes, they are tempting in all the right ways.  

Wow... that is an impressive 'any time' menu I must say.

For us, the turn off with Regent is that the set cruises are all those dreadful 10-12 day wonders, at least in the Med.  I suppose you can hook them together but annoying they don't list them with that facility.  I still like my sea days, too.  

But yes, at Grill level, Cunard has lots of potent competition.  Some of their nickel and diming re. what is included at Grill prices is counterproductive at best and at worst, vaguely insulting... "free $12 drinks but we'll raise the prices to $12.30 and thanks very much.." Not smart or wise. 

And Regent sends us those wonderful big brochures too... we haven't gotten anything over six pages from Cunard in five years...

Well not to be pedantic, the Germans introduced the extra cost "restaurant" on ocean liners, way before White Star Line. This was on AMERIKA of 1905, built by Harland & Wolff, and operated as a concession by Ritz. She was also the first liner with a passenger lift.  

I would prefer Cunard USA would simply offer the less expensive UK market fares which do not include anything... you pay for the drinks package that works for you, you pay the service charges etc.  Getting something "free" that is  now 90% worthless in terms of real cocktails and wine offerings is neither a benefit or an incentive.  It's frankly a nickel and dime insult when they ensure the price is "$12.30" and you pay for it all.  

I have been in touch with Cunard on this as well... not in terms of a query but a complaint so we'll see if "they" even bother to reply.  Meanwhile, the truly all inclusive deluxe lines seem all the more appealing by comparison. 

I like it.

But.... no British liner permitted smoking in the Dining Saloon at meals at least up to the late 1930s.  

You forgot the salt water baths. (which I love),  And no running water in the cabins except in First Class. 

And the ship's barber was the "shop" on Edwardian liners that sold souvenirs and requisites.  

I adore it....  Finnair used to serve it in First Class, with vodka shots from ice-encrusted bottles.... that was a great way to say "farewell to Leningrad!".  I think part of the caviar "thing" is the ritual, ceremony and occasion that must accompany it. 

The last time we did Queens Grill in QM2 back in 2007, they actually "ran out" of caviar on day 2 of a six-day Atlantic crossing... not a happy group after that.

Interesting the comments re. Regent and Seabourn.  My only experience with Seabourn was a luncheon aboard, gosh that must have been in the late 1980s and it was pretty impressive.  Especially the impeccable Scandinavian stewards with Rolex watches (!) which made one feel quite inadequate indeed.  

Despite all the nibbling at the edges, I still rate the cuisine and service in the Grills on QUEEN VICTORIA  as the most consistently excellent I've enjoyed in 50 years of sea travel and only exceeded by First Class on EUGENIO C. 

Me, I like that the Cunards were originally English but as Quakers, forced to flee to Germany in the 1600s so Samuel was as German as English in background if not blood. They settled in the British North American colonies in the mid 1600s along with so many other Germans.   Like so many Loyalists, they fled to Canada during the Revolution and the influx is what created Halifax as a major city and port.  It was a counter to Boston as such. 

Samuel Cunard would have "identified" as being British as did most Canadians back then. 

Seems like there was lots of "diversity" even back then, what?

Possibly... but come on, times have changed: QUEEN MARY was 100 per cent British, Built in Scotland, financed by the British Government (Neville Chamberlain as Chancellor did that), registered in Liverpool and... an undoubted Ship of State.  No ship was more worthy of that even if Queen Mary thought her interiors were horrid (!).  But being 100 per cent German, she had better taste than most, no?

Good grief.... I think I'd rather a PANNONIA or SERVIA.

I admit I am not sure just why the British Royal Family, depleted as it is, would be rocking up to christen a cruise ship built in Italy, owned by an American conglomorate, registered in Bermuda, with a Danish captain and at best, 100 British subjects among her crew.  Surely they have better things to do?  

Surely....

Well the old adage is everyone hates tourists as long as they get to be one themselves. 

Island nations were discovered, built and developed by... ships, starting in this case by Maori canoes.  The idea that suddenly their ecosystems are suddenly imperilled by them is....

Oh well, I would have preferred to have visited New Zealand by QSMV DOMINION MONARCH c. 1955 anyway. 

"A rep at a cruise show" would not be my source of information, frankly. 

This individual, c. 1947, could assert, with some veracity, that "QUEEN MARY can carry 15,000 GI's but for you nice people, we're restricting her capacity to 1,995."

They seem to be trying awful hard though... facts and stats are often countered with pretzel making and squinting.   You judge what is the most reliable in the end. 

Maybe times have changed, but I sailed without parents at age 16 and 17  on FRANCE, RAFFAELLO and LEONARDO DA VINCI and wouldn't be caught dead in any venue designated for "teens" although FRANCE had a teenagers room with bowling and a soda fountain with the world's smallest ice cream cones.  We teens had better things to do....  mainly avoiding adults, sneaking into First Class and getting into First on Italian boats by having a girlfriend in First Class... they even gave you a note!  And yes... we all wore jackets AND ties in the evening, too.

It's amazing that young people cannot even go on a cruise without a parent until they are 21! I was an "old salt" by then. 

Having contracted food poisoning the last (and it will be too!) time I flew Virgin Atlantic Airways... in Business Class... I wouldn't get my intestinal track within 50 ft. of any of Mr. Branson's enterprises again. Mind you, I'd rather do two weeks in Wormwood Scrubs than be "a sailor" on a  "Virgin Voyages" cruise.  

But yes, I am not sure why Cunard persists with the c. 1990 default self serving utensils when so many lines seem to have evolved away from it. And telling it's the first thing they lock down when they have these outbreaks, too. Wonder why? 

We also assiduously avoid "lido dining" in all its forms and guises...  I would never want to put one of those communal "serve yourself" utensils under a microscope or the buttons on the coffee machine, either. No thanks. 

Oceania Cruises, long before Covid, forbad any self service in their lido restaurants for all the right reasons.  You cannot touch a tong or a spoon, ever... they serve you.

I am convinced that the prevalence of these intestinal bugs on cruise ships is precisely down to mass self service food outlets... I don't recall reading newspaper reports of such things on AQUITANIA c. 1930 let alone QE2 in 1969.  

They seem to have given up the nonsense of these "health declarations"... like anyone who has been ill is going to say "yes, I was sick and I will just go home now".  Please....

I remember the old "CANBERRA Virus" so this has been around for 30 years or more on ships.  Had it on BLACK PRINCE and CARONIA and yes, CANBERRA.  And yes, still see otherwise "nice people" who don't wash their hands "after", too.  

We sanitise our hands to distraction... and yep, it works.  

Strictly FYI only

https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/over-100-cruise-passengers-sickened-after-gastrointestinal-illness-outbreak

Let's hope the report is more up-to-date than the accompanying photos...

Over to you, Katie McAlister...

What say you?

So to sum up.... we have now three different responses from Cunard on this.  Only Cunard would maintain two different drink packages, one of which has a limit  that doesn't even cover 95% of the drinks.  And that's an "incentive" to folks paying the most per day of any of their passengers. Wow. 

Again, I'd rather they just offer the American market the lower UK market price and we just buy the drink package of our choice. Or none.

We all need a double after nailing Cunard's jello to the wall..... make mine a Pol Acker split.

Well, QUEEN ANNE is built in Italy, registered in Bermuda, owned by an American conglomorate, has a Danish captain and probably will have fewer than 100 British subjects in her crew. So there's that.... 

Maybe it's time to put the artifice of "Ships of State" afforded royal christenings to bed in an era of international mishmash. 

Do you see "the new affluent in their 40s" aboard Cunard? I sure don't. If anything, the passenger profile is older than it was 30 years ago.  This is more aspirational marketing nonsense by clever young things in their slim fit Next suits... actually many surveys indicate the app addicts are actually not even disposed to travel fullstop. Gen Z doesn't leave their parents basements let alone travel and Millennials don't travel anything like boomers did as teens.  The old summer backpacking in Europe seems the stuff granddad did. 

But yes, if I am obliged to have a "smart phone" and they do away with printed menus and programmes, etc... I am done with ocean travel. As the customer, I am not going to be told what I should  embrace in fadish technology.