foodsvcmgr

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With respect to the more limited dinner menu, were the unpublished alternates (steak, chicken, Caesar Salad, etc.)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

Clearly maximizing one’s time and enjoyment aboard QM2 are paramount, but this is a rare opportunity to revert to the design speed of the ship, this is certainly not all bad news IMO.

Unfortunate, also odd that each ship would use a different system, you would think corporate would rationalise it same for all.

The photos of the various screens on the Voyage Tracker navigation appear to be quite thorough. Previous posts had mentioned a downgrade of information. Does QV use a different program?

Removing Observation Lounges to add more cabins has unfortunate precedent with NCL - Dawn, Star, and POA. Taking away public space is never a good idea except to the bean counters…..

MDR sounds much worse than the surprisingly good dining we experienced last month on Liberty of the Seas. I realize they are separate entities under the same corporate umbrella, but makes no sense for the supposed “step up” brand to have inferior food. Looking forward to the experience of an Antarctic drive by in January, the food and condition of the ship, not so much….

Thanks for the positive and informative reviews. Looking forward to our similar QV sailing in August. How was the musical entertainment around the ship?

Entirely too many and even though I have had my January Eclipse cruise booked for a year the fare never drops regardless of how they reword the “sale”.

It appears everyone is making similar points leading to a similar conclusion that the confusion emanates from many prospective passengers not familiar with dressing anymore in the manner stipulated. As I stated, being a F&B Director I still wore suits, albeit with no tie. A tech Director though might only wear jeans to work despite his rank and salary. Cunard and travel agents need to do better explaining the dress code up front so that new passengers can decide if they wish to buy the clothes required or would be more comfortable elsewhere. What I have difficulty understanding is why anyone looking for a casual evening experience would select Cunard?

January 20, 2024

Unfortunately for Eclipse in January almost every excursion shows sold out. So pricing seems to now be a moot point. And no apparent way to be waitlisted.

For the last 10 or 12 years before my recent retirement as a F&B executive at a major hotel casino we had all pretty much forsaken ties other than for major events. Typically we wore a suit or blazer with dark slacks and a button down shirt. When wearing a tie I use a shirt with a standard collar. A dress shirt without a pocket below the level of a tux shirt is difficult to find. So to a degree it boils down to what clothing one is used to wearing or may own already.

I have noticed this change or downgrading over the past few years on HAL and Celebrity as well, so possibly it reflects what the satellite providers are offering currently rather than what the cruise line wishes to provide on their Navigation channels?

I understand that Royal and X intentionally have differences to appeal to different interests and demographics. But I don’t understand how it makes sense for X as the “superior mass market” division to have fewer selections, lesser quality, and smaller portions than Royal as the “mass market” segment. Have sailed Celebrity five times pre-pandemic and just got off Liberty of the Seas two weeks ago where I was extremely pleased with all aspects of MDR and buffet food. These reports have me concerned for the food I’ll experience on Eclipse in January.

Sounds like deja vu back to the late ‘60’s when Cunard could only afford to paint one side of the original QE in her final years, the side that would be seen from the pier for a visit by HM the Queen Mother! QE and QM were famously tattered, I was fortunate to take a tour of QE a few months after she was retired to Florida and the interiors were magnificent but threadbare. This was the type of thing that Carnival’s acquisition of Cunard was supposed to eliminate, but no one envisioned Covid.

I still have somewhere the final statement form from my first t/a on QE2 in 1979, at that time there was a preprinted line item that read “Removal of ship’s fittings”. Just like “drinks”, “shops”, etc. Not sure how they knew what anyone took home and charged them for it, maybe at that time you could ask to purchase china or silverware if you wanted it?