Bell Boy

There are quite a few 'New Show's' on Cunard Line ( introduced shortly before the pandemic of 2020) Be our Guest ( as already mentioned by Chart Room Princess) Top Hat ( one hour long production ) The Marigold Hotel ( another long production) These new productions, especially 'Top Hat' cost Millions of pounds to produce , not only the stage scenery, but the costumes ( made to measure for each individual performer) and not forgetting months & months of rehearsals to fine tune the performance.

Just stepped out of 'My Cunard Comfort zone' and have returned from a delightful cruise on Silversea (Silver Moon @ 125% solo ) ( Cunard solo 175% - 200% Grills) No problem with Silversea ships officers being visible ( including the occasional hosted table ) Appreciated we only had a guest capacity of around 645 guests . - Welcome & farewell reception for Newbie guests including a Voyage sales reception. Welcome Fizz in the Bucket on arrival ( cotton buds, wool , bars of soap in the bathroom no problem) Time Cunard moved on now and ditched their flat warm bubbly .

In June I occupied a Club Balcony ( Fwd deck eight) only a very slight problem for 10/15 mins each morning whilst they set up ( after that NO problems) .......didn't really cause me any disturbance , so much so I'm booked in the same area again for this October .

Re the guest Choir, I cant comment on QM2, however, the guest Choir has been in action on the 'Queen Victoria' during the past two cruises I've taken post pandemic.

Me too ! No wonder my Gardener Lad keeps asking me ,when am I going on another cruise. I've never bothered with it and have been taking this stuff home for years for his wife .

Wow ! Thank You for such a positive and constructive review , you certainly travelled on the QM2 with the full intention of enjoying every minute of the voyage.

Just to re clarify to my post above re, 'Britannia category boarding'. To enable a staggered embarkation, occasionally Britannia guests will be given either a colour coded card or a card indicating a letter eg A-B-C-etc , When boarding/embarkation is ready the terminal staff will use this method. Pratt2, Your cruise planner needs to avail her/him self with Cunard corporate awareness, 😉 for example boarding 'By Deck number' would defeat 'QG priority boarding', as on deck 9 ( QM2) there are also some Britannia category staterooms .

Pratt2, With all due respect take no notice of what your cruise planner/TA may have told you. Boarding Cunard Line is Not done by deck and never has been. Boarding is called by the 'Category of the Stateroom' ....ie QG/PG the Grills - Diamond/Platinum/Club dining - Britannia. This is the standard procedure both at Southampton ( home port) and Brooklyn USA. For Britannia category 'occasionally 'boarding might take place by a colour coded boarding card . If you are travelling with a 'family member' and travelling in the 'same category' then Cunard check-in agents are accommodating. Common sense prevails eg, one could be travelling in a party with their 80 year mother , a similar question was posted on this board some months ago. Travel agents/cruise planners often have no experience of what actually the procedure is ,half of them may have never stepped foot ( as a guest) on the cruise line you/we may have booked.

The original post refers to "Service Dogs' which are officially permitted to accompany their owner in the onboard public Venues.

The configuration of your bed is no problem as this can be arranged with your steward/ess once onboard, it will take him/her all of about five minutes during the first evening turn down. Luggage labels (if having problems printing them) can be obtained from the shoreside porters adjacent to the baggage drop, just fill in name and stateroom number. E tickets are 'NO longer required', however, it's the boarding card that is the document you will present to the check-agent on arrival. Failing that, just turn up at the cruise terminal and present your passport, and leave the check-in agent to do the rest.

Thank Goodness 'so far', you haven't mentioned that blessed 'MY Cunard app' thingy Hopefully like me, you have no use for it and enjoy interacting face to face with our wonderful crew members .....And ,don't tell me it's useful for occasionally checking out the account, just push the boat out and worry about the credit card next month . 😉

Wish I could get the hang of posting photos on here, however, just to say we had a tea dance on June 5th itinerary (Q.Vic) ( including dozens of other itineraries pre pandemic) The secret is, one needs to request one with the Entertainment Manager ( especially Neil Kelly who is always accommodating ) within the first few days of embarkation, same with requesting Sequence Dancing.

As a Guy just leave the Themed evenings to the ladies, it's a Girls thing. I've had a wealth of experience with these Gala themed evening and some of the gentleman's outfits, particularly on the 20's evenings are ridiculous, eg Gangsters with their Moll's, I even saw a Chimney sweep complete with soot on his face carrying his brush . It's all becoming a fancy dress parade , Guys, just stick with your usual sartorial elegance.

There certainly is , and a lot more 'Logo Junk' at inflated prices

Gluten Free options ( in the Queens Room) are no problem for Cunard Line who have been in the business for 180 years or more . They have a wealth of experience of catering for those with special dietary needs . One just needs to confirm your requirements ( eg Afternoon Tea) a few hours before, however, it's always courtesy to advise the duty MD of the dates you intended to take the Afternoon tea, rather than not turning up after an advance order of the Gluten free options . You'll be surprise at the amount of unnecessary waste .

What ! in a Mug . 😉

On the odd occasion I travel Grills I no longer take the Grills Afternoon tea on the vista class ships. Many years ago in the early days of Q.Victoria, afternoon tea was always offered in the 'Grills lounge' with an overflow of a couple of extra tables set up in the restaurant, however, it was always a miserable affair with no live or piped music , just the same as pre dinner cocktails (I can never understand why some people sit in that lounge night after night rather than getting out and about and enjoying the atmosphere in the Commodore club, Champagne Bar or Chart room) WestonOne, you are absolutely correct, the Queens Room do a much better job, with comfortable seating and 'low tables', the atmosphere is elegant with either classical live music or the occasional Tea Dance. There is life outside the Grills 😉

I'm intrigued with the photos of the 'Afternoon tea cups', anyone can go over and take a photo immediately after the guests have left their tables . Rust stains out on balconies have always been part of QM2, it's an ocean liner back and forth the Atlantic . You didn't clarify why the need to leave the ship nine days earlier

These Caribbean Bands are becoming a little old hat these days, whilst they maybe appropriate for cruising 'around the Islands' , it's the last thing I want to hear when leaving Southampton en -route for the Mediterranean (or Latin America) As I've mentioned above "The Catzz duo" these are the new folk on the block 😉

Ah yes ! the duo, 'The Catzz' , I just loved them. ( Husband & Wife from Portugal) a very sophisticated couple. Smooth sounds of Jazz, so appropriate for pre dinner cocktails, they often played in the Commodore ( June 5th) 7pm-8pm soft jazz , reminded me of the American Bar at the Savoy. They often did an hour Gig in the Ballroom and able to provide good 'Foxtrot' music too, apparently the wife was a former dancer , so they were sympathetic to us Ballroom dancers.

Just to add; I'll shortly be stepping out of my Cunard comfort zone as I've a Silversea cruise booked for 9th September to the Norwegian Fjords. We are due to visit Flam on the 18th September, and so far it appears our visit is on schedule ? The 'Flam railway tour' is one of the 'complimentary tours' that is on offer. I've just received e mail confirmation that I'm booked for the half day Railway Tour , apparently it also includes a stop off somewhere for morning coffee 🤔 I shall have to wait and see .

OH my goodness Poles apart , Grandest & Elegant 😅 That is like comparing a Holiday Inn with the Savoy London. A Transatlantic crossing on Queen Mary 2 is the Concorde experience of the Cunard fleet .

Interesting in the Grills , but certainly not offered in Club Dinning ( aug 13th 2021 - June 5th 2022) I have one more cruise in Club and another in main Britannia within the next couple of months . I'll report back if I'm offered one 😉 Just an aside, Stu UK intrigued was this photo taken a breakfast , is that a Cup & saucer on the right . ?

Southampton UK

Don't worry too much about it as you can manage this on Embarkation day . Visit the restaurant 'as soon' as you have embarked. Maitre D's from the various restaurants are usually on duty from about 1pm , they are very accommodating and will endeavour to meet your request , having said that, maybe not for the first evening .