stephen@stoneyard.co.uk

We are booked on the three night cruise on Queen Mary 2 that departs on the 1st of November. It will be the first time we have been back since the remaster. With less than 48 hours to boarding I have had an email from my Cunard through my travel. Apparemtly Cumard are delighted to announce an itinerary change. The old itinerary was Zebrugge and Sea Day. Now it is Zebrugge and Zebrugge.  

I wonder what the reason for this change was.  To reduce fuel cost (though port fees will go up), bad weather expected, tide time, to give passengers more time in Zebrugge or to sell more excursions (though shop and casino revenue will be reduced).  Whatever it is less than 48 hours notice is very short notice. I wonder if they will run the sea day activities (eg lectures) on the second day in Zebrugge. 

In my many cruises it is only my third ever itinerary change so I have not done badly. 

Best wishes, Stephen. 

I was on my desert at about 10pm. My partner had dined in the Kings Court as she had some activity she wanted to attend. She popped in to the restaurant to say hello to our table. Without taking a breath she said hello to our steward and ordered a full meal. You should have seen the stewards faces. We had built up a good relationship during the cruise and they did see the funny side.

Best wishes, Stephen.

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Good post Stephen and we all have personal choices and preferences. To criticise others for doing something different to you is utter madness. Each to their own. The drinks package will bring more Value and happiness to those who want it. Those who don't can carry on as they are.

Thank you. Exactly my thoughts.

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I did one of these visits and very much enjoyed it. You need to book it early as they sell out. The tours takes place between disembarkation and embarkation. On the day I turned up at the terminal at the appointed time which was quite early. I think I had to take my passport. Coffee was served in the terminal before we checked in. Groups of about ten were taken through security scanning and on to the ship. Our guide led us round the main public rooms and a selection of the cabins. I think the tour took two hours. There was a quick stop for coffee in the Lido half way. A three course lunch with wine was served afterwards in one of the main dining rooms and I think we were escorted off the ship about 2pm. Parking in the terminal short stay car park was included.

The guides are very good but shore based so may not be that knowledgeable about a particularly ship or what happens on a cruise. Most of my group had never cruised and soon started asking me questions which was fine. One very appropriate question as we walked through a nearly empty ship was is it always this peaceful.

Best wishes, Stephen.

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The people I have met who over indulge, as it is being called here, do it regardless of the price. I do not think the lack of a package moderates their consumption.

On cruise I have been on that have been all inclusive I have not seen any inappropriate behaviour. I suppose P and O passengers might be different to other passengers but I doubt it.

P and O are offering a choice. Passengers who do not want the package just do not buy it. I won’t buy it as the cost is far more than I would spend on individual drinks.

Some people seem to object to other passengers having the choice of something they personally do not want. Is that a general meanness or I know best attitude? I don’t want a spa, buffet dining, British sailaways, quizzes, bridge, excursions by coach or fly cruises but other people probably like those choices.

Best wishes, Stephen.

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A large area where the rowers keep their oars.

 

 

 

If not that, crew facilities where they eat and sleep during the few hours they are not working. Of course the engines and fuel need to be somewhere as do the huge stores of food and drink before it is consumed. Medical centre also seems to be in the bowels.

Depends on the ship design. Many ships have a long wide corridor from bow to stern. Working spaces, crew recreation, stores handling, tender embarkation and other areas are often off this corridor. The corridor allow equipment, supplies and crew to move around the ship unseen by passengers just going up the crew stair towers to the passenger areas where needed.

Best wishes, Stephen.

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Very like Royal Caribbean. Touch screens and roaming staff with tablets. The wi fi to use the app is usually free. A charge is made for other internet based services outside the app and is switched off by default on wi fi.

I think it makes most sense on a new ship like Iona where the infrastructure can be built in.

One other option is messaging in the app while you are on the ship. It helps you find and coordinate your family and friends. When ships only had one bar that was not a problem.

Best wishes, Stephen.

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I know that some other lines have apps that you can use onboard, I wonder if this will eventually be emulated by P&O? I'd guess Iona is the likely candidate - especially with her dining options.

 

 

 

Granted though, its not for everyone. Some see a holiday as time to get away from their e-devices, but given the amount of passengers that do take phones or tablets on board, it seems like there is a market.

I would not be surprised for Iona. Other lines do this well. If it allows you to book restaurants, order drinks, request room services book excursions, reserve activities and see you bill it might reduce the number of crew at the pursers desk and answering telephones. I know P and O would like that. Also if it increases onboard revenue I am sure they would be ecstatic.

I am of a certain generation that expects to do these things in person but P and O are trying to attract a younger generation. Many of these passengers expect to, are happy with and prefer this type of self service technology.

You could ask is it possible to manage ships of this number of passengers, who have so many choices onboard, in the conventional person to person way I am use to. These technologies might be the only way to make it all work.

Best wishes, Stephen.

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I left Southampton Docks today at about 2.30. I had a visit to Norwegian Jade. The traffic on the West Quay Road was very very quiet. I took the the M271, M27 and A36 to Salisbury. Hardly any traffic at the time I travelled. My mileage to Worcester was identical to my usual motorway route on the M3 and M4. Probably about half an hour slower with all the speed limits. No way as bad as I was expecting. I had written off the evening and afternoon but am back home nice and early.

Last night I planned my arrival to Southampton an hour before the closure. I asked the hotel for advice on routes for today and was told they new nothing. I did not see any diversion signs but that could have been just me.

If I was travelling to Southampton and had a ship to catch on these days I would not take the risk on those single carriageway roads

Best wishes, Stephen.

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They should not have the stack coming out of her head. To me that is poor photography. And I am just a point and shoot camera person.

 

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I was taught that too. I have had a few trees growing out of heads in my time.

Best wishes, Stephen.

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Yes, I think that's the image under discussion. Or to be just a tad more precise, here is the version of that image I am seeing currently being used on the Cunard home page, cropped slightly differently.

 

 

I have no idea why they felt it was necessary to alter the image by removing the dome. Very odd indeed.

 

Edit: Is it possible that dome was temporarily removed at some point for maintenance or upgrade?

True. I never thought of that.

Best wishes, Stephen.

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This one ?

 

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Yes.

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The front page of the Cunard UK website has a picture of a couple standing on the new top deck of Queen Mary. I think one of the radar domes has been removed leaving a rather odd looking stump.

Best wishes,Stephen.

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Vistas is not listed under speciality restaurants just under bars so no idea if its payable. Glass House and Keel and Cow is stated under bars and also speciality restaurants but should imagine if Vistas is Eric Lanlard theme then the cakes will be chargeable like Market Cafe on Britannia.

Thank you. If these cakes are chargeable on Britannia I imagine they will be chargeable on Iona.

Best wishes, Stephen.

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Inclusive dining options on Iona are the 4 MDRs, The Quays, Horizon Buffet and SkyDome Pizzeria & Grill.

 

Payable speciality restaurants are Sindhu, Epicurean, Glass House, Beach House, Keel and Cow, Olive Grove, Sundaes and Limelight Club.

Please could I ask about Vistas. I only know Tiffanies. Is the food free in Vistas as it promises Eric Lanyard cakes. Did I read it will also offer Gelato. I imagine that will be charged for.

Best wishes, Stephen.

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Same thing happened with the Beach House on Ventura. It was originally at no extra charge and featured comfort food such as burgers, fish and chips, and sausage and mash. Queues formed every evening. Then a £5 cover charge was introduced and the queues dissappeared.

Interesting. It is odd because the charge is not that much. If I remember my first P and O cruise in 2002 they had an Indian pop up restaurant in a section of the Lido. I think it was £5 which was described as a service charge or gratuity. I do not think it was every night. Some passengers were aghast at the idea of an extra charge for a meal on a P and O ship. This pre dates Sindhu and all the rest of course.

Best wishes, Stephen.

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Think its becoming "welcome to cruising" for all cruise lines who are building new ships. The basic price of fare these days is very cheap to what it was 15-20 yrs ago that they have to make money somewhere. Many also like the choice of dining offered whether payable or not. If it was all free the price of the fare would have to increase and that isnt fair on those that by choice are happy to eat in MDR and if they were all free there would be bun fights every night for Epicurean and Sindhu.

Todd English was free in Queen Mary 2 at the launch of the ship. He was at the height of his fame in America at the time. Allegedly security had to attend the queue for reservations. Charges of $20 and $30 were introduced and the restaurant was half empty. Odd that.

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There is a travel agent in the UK that sends out an email (weekly I think) with only single occupancy offers. Mainly UK based lines (CMV, Olsen, P&O and Cunard) but some like MSC too. The prices are often very good often around £100 ppn and not much more for an outside. Depending on the line a cheap add on for all inclusive too. Best wishes, Stephen.

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Not sure if this will help but for what it is worth:

 

 

 

Britannia -

 

 

 

143.000 tons, 330m long x 38m beam, Passenger Capacity 3611 - 4372

 

 

 

Iona -

 

 

 

184,000 tons, 334m long x 42m beam, Passenger Capacity 5200 - ???? (interesting P&O have not published the maximum capacity?. Aida give the capacity of Nova as being 5000 - 6600).

 

 

 

Maybe worth noting that Iona is only 4m longer and 4m wider than Britannia. Britannia has 17 decks, Iona 19.

 

 

 

Oasis of the Seas -

 

 

 

225,000 tons, 360m long x 47m beam, Passenger Capacity 5400 - 6400.

 

 

 

The lower capacity is based on double occupancy. Iona is 41,000 tons bigger than Britannia and at double occupancy carries 1589 more pax than Britannia. Oasis of the Seas is 41,000 tons bigger than Iona and at double occupancy carries 200 more pax than Iona.

 

 

 

By the way, stats are courtesy of Shipparade.

 

 

 

As I have said before, numbers are not everything - passenger flow plays its part too. So - make of that what you will.

 

 

 

I must say that when I spent two weeks on Azura (in the Caribbean), she felt far more crowded - everywhere - than Oriana or Aurora ever have to me.

The Oasis class have bigger cabin and suites. Iona will perhaps have more space in public rooms per GRT. The Oasis class have different neighbourhoods which spread passengers around the ship very well. The Oasis class spend there time in warm waters where passenger spend time on the open decks. Iona in Norway will mean more passenger inside. Freedom dining might help on Iona as not all passenger will want a pre dinner drink at the same time. A lot depends on how well Iona is designed. Based on Britannia particularly with lifts and staircases we shall see. I will enjoy G004 I am sure.

Best wishes, Stephen.

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I have only done the one cruise with them so can only speak of how it worked for that week. There was a Social Hostess who arranged a coffee meet in the Coffee Shop the first night and a drinks meet in a Bar the second night. I think this might vary on different cruises.

 

 

 

From then on, a group of us met for a pre-dinner drink at the same time every night and then went in to dinner together.

Sounds a very civilised and pleasant way to do it. Thank you. I often travel as a single but with a group of friends.

Best wishes, Stephen.

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No Stephen. They are all open dining so you turn up whenever you want.

Thank you for that information.

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If you do that is club dining, not freedom. Why not just go the whole hog and call it club dining.

I only asked a question.

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Maybe they will pick up on one of the few good things (imho) that Marella/ex Thomson Cruises do - that is set aside a large table for solo diners every evening.

That does seem a good idea. Do you have to arrive at a set time for that table?

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Horses for courses.

 

I have just returned from a Baltic cruise on Aurora, and as usual we were second sitting on a large table.

 

This fits perfectly for us, plenty of time for showers and grooming followed by drinks in the cabin, then a pre Carmen's show drink in Charlie's or the crows nest, 730 show in Carmen's, downstairs for dinner, then off to the 1030 show in the Curzon, and back to the crows nest for a nightcap.

 

The large table fits as well, as in the last 6 cruises we have never had a bad table, it seems P&O group ages together, as all our fellow dinner guests were our age, and over the 2 weeks we enjoyed getting to know each other. Also the same trio of Waiter, asst waiter and wine steward for 14 days means you get to know them as well, and I have found that compared to freedom dining, which we have tried several times, the level of service is far better, and definitely more personal.

 

So for us set dining suits, but only with the caveat of a large table, just in case your 2 significant others on a table for 4 are really not your cup of tea, and with the second sitting, as rushing around to eat at 630 would not suit us, especially as we are partial to a bit of the afternoon tea and cakes at 4 :)

 

So Iona where all dining is freedom doesn't fit for us, surely they could offer set dining as well as freedom on such a large ship??

I wonder what they will do for singles on Iona. Perhaps they will have hosted tables for singles like I believe Silverseas does.

Best wishes, Stephen.

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Not true according to the Passport Office https://www.passports-office.co.uk/blog/passport_validity_entry_requirements/

Wouldn't like to put it to the test though!!

That link is to a passport office but not HM Passport Office. So I would not consider the information definitive.

Best wishes, Stephen.

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