foodsvcmgr

She will finish out the season shortly and be retired by Celestyal and offered for sale. Very unlikely anyone but the breakers will bid on a 41 year old ship.

Good to hear favorable comments on the MDR food and the return of some better menu items. Thanks for your report.

First I would attempt to telephone Cunard and see if this can be resolved in advance. If not I would leave the waitlist stand as there may be some in fixed dining who will wish to change to open once aboard, clearing a space for you. There are probably some tables held in fixed for last minute assignments by the maitre d’ as well, so as long as the waitlist is not extensive you will likely get your request.

In todays litigious and politically correct society I’m sure any presenters would need to be fully vetted in advance of being handed a mic.

We will be doing the Antarctica drive-by on Eclipse this January. I will be sure to post some photos (600mm lens) and observations.

Good to hear, but there needs to be some way to know what will be featured on any particular sailing in advance of booking. I certainly am not booking only for music, but let’s say I was equally interested in two cruises, one offering classical, one not, I would gravitate to the one that did.

They should promote which sailings will offer classical music. That way those interested understand their options and it’s not a hit or miss guessing game.

Cunard has classical musicians on every sailing. I’m sure they won’t mind sharing their source with sister line HAL. How much time do they need to work on it?

I’m sure they jumped on this ship at a very favorable price. Buying directly from Carnival Corp. without the Seajets middleman and after Mirai couldn’t come up with the money. Good opportunity to replace old tonnage with a ship 21 years younger.

Pricing for my October QV sailing have reverted to the same level as the prior Labor Day Sale under which I booked originally. Can’t really complain about a Deck 7 balcony for $1099 for a week though……

Look at Post #1 - under “Combinability”.

Prior to Covid, Princess had a program where you paid a nominal fee and got a ship tour and lunch aboard. If you booked, the fee was credited.

Bill’s informational site is billmillercruiseseverywhere.com

So am I understanding correctly that the classic dish is available to all in the MDR, the Club Orange dish obviously being exclusive to that venue?

Glad to see that they are being more transparent upfront by clearly stating it is NOT combinable with Onboard Sales Programs. Will recheck my booking on the 16th, but it has currently increased from the original Labor Day rate. Thanks for pointing this out.

Based on how we handled hotel restaurant menus for many years, I believe these “specials” are ideas for the new enhanced menus that are being tested for guest reactions, prep time/difficulty, etc. Those that are popular and get positive reviews will likely be incorporated into the new rotations on a permanent basis

First day will be fine.

Has anyone onboard seen any evidence of the expanded menus yet, or not for a few more weeks?

Deployments change, driven by revenue, surveys, geopolitical issues, etc. This move is not designed as an affront to anyone in the region being vacated. Next year Celebrity is dropping South America after sailing many winters there in favor of shorter Caribbean itineraries from Florida, so Cunard is not alone in this thought process.

Post #92 - Curious as to the function of the large truck which appears to be suspended next to the ship with lines or hoses connecting it to a small shell door in the hull?

Victoria - on the QV - British Isles - 20 August this year Britannia was also almost completely black tie on formal nights, so pretty much universal compliance. Merely speculating about QE, not worried as I will be booking as soon as schedules are released. The next speculation is cruise lengths, departure port(s), and itineraries……

As I stated, I am not really expecting that much change in actual evening dress regardless of Cunard loosening the code for the Caribbean or not. Hopefully the mix of experienced and new passengers are all interested in and respectful of Cunard traditions. Travel agents need to be proactive and be sure new cruisers understand the product.

With the regional temperature justification/excuse, clearly the Caribbean will be a lax dress code on casual nights. What the passengers actually wear will remain to be seen. I suspect it won’t be much different in reality, with so much competition in the Caribbean market hopefully those choosing Cunard will be fully informed about its traditions and interested in maintaining them.

Yes, she is the maximum ship width of 106’ for transiting the old locks that are 110’ wide.

WantedonVoyage - here’s Cunard Countess in St. Thomas, early 80’s.