Queenie1603

We took a cruise and stay deal with Cunard and stayed in the Mercure Colesseo near the Colesium. we could have done it cheaper on our own but it took the hassle out of it. Our transfer to the hotel was straight forward. We were met by a Cunard representative who was there every day if we wanted to speak to her. The transfer to the airport was first class. We travelled with an other three people in an executive people carrier. We were met at the airport and taken to priority check in though none of us were travelling business class. We were then escorted to the border/security area and given specific instructions about where to go to catch the little train that takes you to the correct terminal. It made the transfer from ship to hotel to airport very easy and hassle free and no lugging suitcases around.

Thanks for that info, have you used this before its just that the one Cunard recommend is CBIT which is £15 consular fee and £24 for CBIT so $20 seems very cheap

We are recently back from Turkey. As stated by Toad of Toad Hall. It is cheaper to go directly to the Turkish gov site and is the official website. fill in the info, pay the fee(it's in dollars) and they will issue you a visa in PDF format that you can print off. It is valid for 90 days.

The other sites will do the same but cost you more.

Bon voyage

Titan were fine once we found where to check in. We arrived 3 hrs before check in. Thank goodness we met some fellow passengers as thought we were at the wrong terminal. When the flight did show it was to 'an undisclosed destination' very mysterious. There was a delay on boarding due to the late arrival of the plane from Gatwick. The leg room was OK but the seats were very narrow. Cunard had not purchased any drinks or refreshments for a 4 hour flight. There were limited drinks and snacks on board to purchase. Personally I think this is very mean for a 'luxury cruise line' not to provide some food and drink, the holiday starts with the flight.

We arrived at a very small airport 80km from Istanbul. It took us a long time to go through border control and ages for our bags to appear even though we were the only plane in. It took 2 hrs to get to the ship.

Cunard can do better than this, others do. Gambia Experince use Titan and their passengers get free food and beverages.

Hi Queenie, I called up yesterday to Titan and they implied that a little extra won't be a problem ;)

Thanks Tangoqueen. Just watching my husband finishing off his packing now!

We are on the same flight out of Manchester. It does seem a bit mean of Cunard. The tour operator set the limits. I am glad we are only on a 7 day cruise.

It's good to know though that hand luggage isn't weighed. I know I can get 10 kg in my hand luggage and it's well inside the size dimensions quoted on the Titan website.

At this very moment I am waiting to see how much weight/space my husband doesn't take up!!! He usually travels very light.

We have two days in Rome after the cruise and Cunard have organised our return with BA via Heathrow so at least on the way back we will have more leeway re weight.

Maybe the length of the cruise also needs factoring in? The longest cruise I've taken is 14 days but usually it's 7 days. It may be easier to upgrade relatively short trips that haven't sold out than longer ones such as world cruises - unless there are loads of cabins available all the way round.

Also - what is the chance of being upgraded once you are onboard if you are on a long trip apart for when their is a problem with the cabin?

Base Ball Caps, Hot Water + a Tea bag are not quite what I've been use to, so I think it'll be a one off ..... I'll have to stick to what I feel comfortable with ;)

The biggest laugh I heard was when I was on the QM2 in May. We were watching Grand Marigold Hotel 2 in Illuminations and Maggie Smith's character spotted an American by the way the tea bag was on the side and dunked into hot water. Cunard are just as bad with room service, even the butler made it the wrong way round (if you are British). Thomson and P & O get it right by providing stateroom kettles with tea, coffee and milk to make our own. There is nothing like making your own brew in the morning and it would save a fortune on room service for the Brits.

On the Ryndam I took my own thermo mug to the Lido, chose a Yorkshire teabag (hurrah - I live near Taylors) and made my own with boiling water.

Thank you for a very good review of both ships.

The only things I would add having travelled on both is:

There is no drinks fridge on the Westerdam (or the Ryndam) if you book an outside cabin whereas this is standard in all staterooms on Cunard. I am not even sure Verandah cabins get a fridge. The stewards to a great job of keeping you topped up with ice.

The HAL plugs are American or Continental so you will need an adaptor

HAL do a great deal at happy hour when the second drink (though it has to be the same type and less than $7.99) only costs $1. Lots of people with a couple of drinks in front of them in the HAL equivalent to the Commodore.

Nearly all HAL cabins have a shower over a bath - great if you can get our leg over but not so good if you have knee problems. The disabled cabins have roll in showers and there are a few with direct shower access but it is worth checking.

HAL returners get to use the MDR for lunch on embarkation day. The Captain invites returners to lunch during the voyage - the HAL equivalent of the Cunarders Cocktail party.

HAL provides room service on disembarkation day so you can still have breakfast in your room.

Would I sail with HAL again? - certainly. Its a pity its not sailing from the UK next year.

Interestingly, we were emailed by Cunard offering us an upgrade from P2 to Q4 for £300 each. We didn't take up the offer as we would prefer to spend the money when we stay for 2 days in Rome and we're happy with our choice of cabin. We were upgraded free of charge to a Q4 a month later.

I went on the Ryndam with my mother earlier this year and HAL also sent an email offering us an upgrade for a cost. This was despite that I had requested no upgrade. I knew exactly the cabin that was right for my Mother and I. I contacted HAL just to make sure that they knew we didn't want an upgrade and she explained it was a mass email sent out from Seattle who don't take into account preferences, but that our preference not to be upgraded was recognised.

I gather cruise lines offering you an upgrade at a price is a common practise but I had not experienced it till this year.

Does booking directly with Cunard make a difference? Since I've booked direct, and didn't stipulate that we didn't want an upgrade we have been upgraded. Three times in total. each time we paid the full Cunard fare and had chosen our cabin!

If you can get to Southampton a day earlier then there are quite a few things to do. I live in the UK and go down the day before because our train and road transport snarls up at the most inconvenient moments. We stay at the Holiday Inn on Herbert Walker Way. Fantastic views across the Solent and the cruise ships as they enter and leave S'ton. I book Afternoon tea at the Grand Cafe in Southampton. This used to be at Station Hotel and the place the rich stayed and took tea before sailing including Queen Victoria (the person, not the ship) on her way to her summer palace (Osborne House) on the aisle of Wight. There is a shopping mall called The Quays (I think) near the hotel if you have any yearning to do some shopping at Marks and Spencers, John Lewis etc and of course not forgetting the historical town of Southampton if you are interested in maritime history. There are lots of economy hotels, Premier Inn, Travel Lodge etc.

That said, if you do come over on the day, you are not going to have that much time to kill between getting from Heathrow to Southampton. I think they start accepting luggage at 11am. (Someone will correct me if I am wrong). So dump you main luggage and if you can't get on the ship then go for a morning coffee at the Grand Cafe and ask if they can show you the interior with its beautiful marble and stained glass walls and the first electric lift (elevator) in the UK. It used to be the Cunard offices before they moved to Carnival House - or so I was informed. Bon voyage

Hi, looking at taking a Cunard Mediterranean cruise this summer and trying to learn as much as I can. Are the grill rooms worth the extra money? Looks like you get private area of the ship for mingling and dining and better food? What about the formal nights? In the summer are men wearing the tuxedos? Hard to get motivated to pack and carry them from United States, but can be a team player. Which decks are best or specific rooms? Feel free to share any insight it all will be appreciated.:)

We are cruising on the QV in August. This will be my 6th Cunard Cruise and I have stayed in Britannia, Princess and Queens. We have booked Princess this time as we like the Resturant size (I was in Queens on the Queen Mary 2 on a TA in May and found the experience much less personal than in Princess on the QE last year but that may be due the size of the QM2). The QE and QV have a similar layout. The Grills lounge is quite small but also nice to take afternoon tea in as well as pre dinner drinks. The deck area is great for taking in the views and the sun as it is high and not over crowded when you leave Venice or pass Stromboli etc. the out door eating area is available to a Queens and Princess passengers but can be in high demand on sea days. The commodore Club is one of my favourite places during the day. Fantastic views. Practically lived in there when we cruised to Norway. The Golden Lion pub is also very popular especially for quizzes.

The concierge service is brilliant fro booking trips, printing boarding passes etc.

Re the tux. Most people dress for the formal nights. It gives the ship a sophisticated atmosphere. Please check but I think there is a hire service on Cunard ships where you can hire a tux for the duration of your trip - saves bringing one with you. Dark suits are also worn as is national costume, the Scots look fantastic and Mess Dress if you are in the forces. You can also where and medals/awards if you want to.

The P And Q grills passengers also get to meet the Captain and officers at a cocktail party usually in the night club before dinner on a formal night.

Have a great cruise.

Not long back from a Thomson's trip on the Majesty. Alcohol is allowed on and they also have duty free shop selling a great range of wine and spirit at duty free prices that can be consumed in your cabin - so no need to smuggle. All the Carnival owned ships I have been on (P & O, Cunard, Princess and HAL) have limits. How they are applied varies. One bottle of wine on embarkation may be OK for a 4 day mini cruise but how can the same apply on a RWT?

I am not sure if this helps. We are on the 3 May TA. A 'sold out' trip and received an upgrade fron Cunard on Monday (7 sailing days away). You are offering to pay so I am sure that takes priority over free upgrades. Hope you get want and hear soon.

I think people are good abiding by the rules. I must say I didn't realise there were any and I have cruised a few times. It must be my Yorkshire roots (Yorkshire people are known for watching the pennies) but I have taken a packed lunch off a ship - in Norway and Venice. Norway is the first place I cruised to where it seemed that everyone returned to the ship at lunch time!

I usually order breakfast room service and choose boiled eggs, cheese and bread. I take little sandwich bags to wrap the food in and a small chiller bag to keep the food cool. But mostly I want to eat what the locals eat as this is all part of the joy of cruising.

I have never been asked to see what is in my bag when leaving a ship or inspected by customs on arrival when it is a cruise visit - only on disembarkation.