foodsvcmgr

What’s the current situation with Lincoln Center or any classical music aboard? Are there duos on every ship? Where do they perform if present? Has anyone seen a full scale production show of classical music as was originally promised to rotate through the fleet? Thanks for any updates.

Great story Anton! Closest I can come to that was when we told a regular who had sent her cheesesteak back to Room Service for about 15 consecutive weeks that we would no longer be able to accept her order for any going forward.

Interested to see some clear and accurate details on disqualifications. A time frame for old non-violent offenses, handling of DUI’s (like Canada?). So far I gather: terrorism obviously, significant exclusions related to drugs, no more than three years past incarceration. But lots of gray areas with everything else.

Before retirement I was in charge of Food & Beverage and Housekeeping in a large hotel, 700 rooms. It never ceased to amaze me how many people would start complaining moments after arrival, usually to get something for nothing. Clearly if you order a rare steak and receive well done that’s a legitimate complaint that should be immediately rectified. I’m talking about endless nit picking BUT the same people returning week after week, that’s what I never understood and don’t get about cruise complaints. If it’s that bad, go elsewhere.

Unfortunately many people who are not retired don’t get the luxury of vacation time without being on call for their jobs, particularly those in higher level positions. However this should be conducted via text NOT voice calls. Personally I like taking food and menu photos, much more discrete now using a cell phone than in years past dragging an SLR around everywhere.

So they remain intransigent on ever reinstating a fixed traditional dining option? Seems so easy to do with multiple MDR’s at their disposal. Feeling like the only person that now avoids Princess for this reason.

I’ve noticed on HAL and Celebrity the last few years that the twenty something’s generally made a great effort to dress up in very fancy attire for formal nights when sadly many of the older crowd couldn’t be bothered.

Interestingly I have found shore excursions over the years to be much more costly on Celebrity and NCL than Cunard. For our upcoming British Isles on QV they were typically around $79 per. I did book Belfast and Cobh independently for a bit less as the Cunard tours didn’t appeal, the other advantage as has been stated is smaller groups.

My first cabin on QE2 was inside single #3001, I remember levitating off my berth during a storm. I had a number of SS Norway deckplans over the years and as I recall these were just color coded by category, no details of fittings carried over from the French days.

Techteach I have heard that staff are free to keep individual cash tips as long as the passenger giving them has NOT removed the auto grat on their account. Seems difficult for anyone to monitor and enforce but supposedly there was a lot of peer pressure and fear of job loss for non compliance. This was not originally Cunard but may be their model.

Too many qualified passengers at the various levels seems like a good problem for Cunard to have. Add more gatherings as demand warrants. Why take anything away? I would hate to lose status FWIW because Cunard itineraries didn’t suit my interests for a few years or be told that sailing on QE2, Sagafjord, Cunard Princess, et al no longer meant anything.

In the Food & Beverage industry in the US this would be illegal. Are you sure they are not just compelling a tip pool to be divided equally regardless of individual sales? Don’t doubt what you’ve been told but seems unlikely Cunard is keeping the money without any sort of staff distribution.

Generally attended Captain’s Party as I liked to put a face to them and hear what they had to say. I’m sure this was a casualty of Covid but it is now time to return to it. To be honest though it’s not a big concern either way. What is very annoying I’ll agree are the ridiculous timings of the CWC party but these have been held 11 in the morning and such for quite a few years.

Great food shots, thanks for posting. Both Dreamer and Bimmer have posted photos of attractively plated apps, entrees, and desserts that they generally enjoyed in the MDR’s of Edge class ships. Question for those who have recently sailed other classes of Celebrity ships. Are the menu offerings on S and M class markedly different (inferior) to what has been shown on Edge class? After so many cutback complaints about MDR menus, it’s encouraging to see these photos, as long as they are typical fleetwide.

St. Thomas was my reference as well.

I believe the suggestion given refers to looking for suitable tables then asking if any of them or similar might still be unassigned. Regardless of gratuity there is no way that people are going to be bumped involuntarily. Imagine the chaos at the door if that were a common practice!

Excellent photos, please show and discuss the food and dining options.

Goldeye we are also on this sailing and twice have received the upgrade bid offers. I enjoyed Club on QM2 but am concerned to lose the port side balcony we currently have as it seems all/most of the potential coastal views and scenic cruising will be from that side. For that reason I suspect the upgrade cabins available will be starboard.

Hopefully this will not be the same debacle as trying to enter Canada with a past DUI, as well as other offenses decades old without a clear picture of what is “deemed rehabilitated” or not.

Does having four dining rooms alleviate the long waits often experienced in open dining? Is there any way to make reservations ahead or on board or strictly walk up? Any way to try to stick with a server that you find you are happy with?

If we were to dance at all we would be in the untrained “slow turner” category. Sadly on QM2 as well as HAL, Princess, and Celebrity we have been literally pushed off the floor by the hardcore performing types. Not pleasant or welcoming in the least. I’m sure all well schooled ballroom dancers don’t behave like this but it is very prevalent unfortunately.

Great review and photos. Last in Iceland in 1985 and interested to go again. Your food photos from both MDR and Buffet looks very appetizing and not particularly downgraded from what I recall on Celebrity pre pandemic. Is E-class food different or superior to what I can expect on Eclipse this coming January?

With respect to the more limited dinner menu, were the unpublished alternates (steak, chicken, Caesar Salad, etc.) still available on request?

Thank you for your excellent review which now helps build the excitement for our upcoming QV sailing in August, also in a Deck 7 balcony, late seating, so all relevant. Glad to see the mostly positive food comments as this will be our first time back with Cunard since 2018 and we had some concerns about what may have changed.

I agree MCC, just like when QM2 has to tender in some Caribbean ports because the pier space is allocated to the ships that call weekly.