godfreyb

We had this annoyance on a recent trip, which makes it hard to organize private tours.  However, I found that the Grills concierge had easy access to port arrival and departure times and I realized that Cunard DO have the information ahead of time, they just don't give it to us!

23 hours ago, Victoria2 said:

It’s not fawning. It’s called delivering the product which has been paid for.

And I paid for the same service but never received the same service as those who required fawning over.  Therefore, I never received the service that I had paid for.....

40 minutes ago, david,Mississauga said:

 

We have travelled in QG only twice on the QM2. Both times they were upgrades to a Q5 from Princess. The first time we were at a large table not far from the entrance. The second time our large table was close to the rear.  

 

On our second time in QG there was a couple, obviously well-known to the staff, who had a table for two at the rear window. Every morning we enjoyed the ritual when Osman and the head chef attended their table, note-books in hand. The man would dictate their precise requirements for all courses for the day's lunch and dinner - right down to the sauces.  Whether they had booked in one of the large suites or were frequent travellers (or both) I do not know.  

That's why we prefer Princess Grill....too many of those types who the Maitre'd and head waiter have to fawn over.

On a recent cruise on QE, a few tables away there was another table for 2.  At every meal, the female initiated a discussion with her table neighbors at broadcasting level.  She worked in a tax office, the details of which I now know all about!  Her voice still haunts me.  I observed her saying goodbye to her table neighbors.  We were staying on for the next leg of the cruise.  'Thank God' I thought.......only to discover at dinner that the table for 2 now consisted of a male broadcaster doing exactly the same thing!!!!

We had the same problem with the American Grills drinks package on the QE earlier this year.  Attempts to sort it out failed, resulting in a purser's letter denying that we had a complimentary drinks package.  Outraged visit to the Grills concierge to whom I provided written documentation, was offered a call to our travel agent who confirmed with Cunard in the US and provided further information, after which the package was readded.  Concierge arranged for a bottle of champagne to compensate us for the hassled, but really, this is not a way to treat passengers.  I asked why they put a credit charge on my Amex account for everything as it happened but presented me with a final statement and charge at the end of the voyage.  She told me that the charges to the credit card are made as they happen but fall off the account as they are not completed.  They do this, apparently, to ensure that the credit card is valid/not expired (i.e. the charge is not refused), so that they don't get left 'holding the baby' when the voyage ends and the full charge for all the extras made on the voyage.

You won't find much detail about where to go at Galataport when you are actually there!  Even the cab drivers don't know where to drop you off.

Fromour experience in PG earlier this year there were plenty of vegan offerings available - it was the eat and fish eaters like ourselves who found the reduction in main courses in favor of vegan/vegetarian options problematic!

I think it's all about whether the butler wants you to feel 'looked after' or is just going through the motions.  On our first Oceania PH cruise the butler appeared to want to help but just got into arguments with me or gave us information we didn't ask for or need (our travel companions had a wonderful butler who 'looked after them').  I gave our butler a small tip.  On our second cruise we had a butler who, from the first instance, 'looked after us', starting with running around the ship to find a piece of luggage that had been delivered to the wrong cabin.  He got a very large tip at the end of the cruise.

It seems to be the only way to deal with this 'problem'.

We witnessed the cutbacks in the PG on a recent QE cruise. While I wrote a detailed report on my review for Cunard (not that they are interested!) the poor state of the cheese trolley annoyed me, in particular that there was NO Stilton - on a 'British' line!  I made such a fuss that at one Asian stop they sent someone ashore to buy some.  They asked me to keep it quiet as it was just for me, but my wife soon started telling people.  The food cutbacks were not smart ones - pork encroute which was inedible as the pork was so tough, inferior cuts of steak masquerading as better cuts by misleading descriptions, etc.

10 hours ago, Down-Unders said:

This sounds strange for Japanese passengers, our experience travelling with them is delightful both with  manners and the way they dress. Did you mention  you were not happy to the maitre'd , with great respect we meet many passengers who will not speak up. Other lines I certainly have and  thankfully on Cunard only once when one particular passenger came to breakfast in a gown. This is why we travel on Cunard wonderful one day perfect the next!

All the other Japanese passengers were very well turned out.  I did not complain about the maitre'd directly, but he left on leave when the QE reached Yokahama.  He didn't get a tip from me and I made clear to the maitre'd who took over, who was everything the previous maitre'd was not, what a waste of space his colleague was.

Not having been in PG or Cunard for ten years, i assumed that the original maitre'd was part of the reductions in service in PG, but I was incorrect in that.  However, the quality of food has deteriorated from the past.  While half of the time the main courses were delicious, the other half they were not - cheaper cuts of meat, tough beef.  And what's with, for the most part, reducing the number of main courses offered from five to four, two of which were vegetarian?  I did write that in my review.

I agree with your comment that " The quality of red meat in the Princess Grill was inconsistent. Some of it was tough and even  inedible but the rack of lamb and Beef Wellington were superb. "

It was really annoying not to know whether you were going to get a tough piece of meat or something delicious.  While our table neighbors who usually ate earlier than us would warn us, if not eventually I would just send it back and ask for something else if the meat was tough on the two occasions that that happened.

On a recent QE cruise in PG, the maitre'd (who was wholly ineffective) allowed three older Japanese gentlemen to dine in jeans on every formal night.  

Ashleigh, the Grills concierge on the Queen Elizabeth was wonderful - nothing was too much for her.

The balcony chairs do not have cushions and become really uncomfortable after a while.

23 hours ago, DCGuy64 said:

Just a clarification here: no spirits AT ALL in PE or just not free ones?

Nothing, none, nada, zilch......not even available to buy. The stewardess (sorry I am old fashioned) and I had a laugh about it as she giggled when I said that it was ridiculous not to have spirits for PE or even economy passengers.  I could have done with a couple of G&T's after the mess that is Miami Airport. I didn't even bother to ask on ITA as I could see that they had none on the cart.  Sparkling wine wasn't bad so I contented myself with that.  But a PE experience on Lufty and ITA? Definitely not!

I wouldn't use Oceania Air again because of the airlines that they booked us on. it may have been our travel agents fault, but Lufthansa premium economy (no spirits served for PE passengers!) with a long transit at Frankfurt and return on ITA (cramped coach seats on the first flight) and terrible premium economy (again, no spirits served to PE passengers!) and food.

I went with it initially because we were flying to and from Miami, and the flights avoided getting caught in the NE USA winter weather and air traffic control delays, but I wouldn't do that again.

Sone years ago, we were upgraded to a QG cabin, the farthest forward QG cabin next to the Commodore Club on the Xmas sailing from New York.  We returned to New York in a Force 12 storm and the martini that I had made myself (the butler had found me a cocktail shaker when we boarded!) and the level of the martini in the cocktail glass never moved.

17 hours ago, exlondoner said:

 Not true. I spent half, the winter half, of my career getting dressed in the dark, so as not to disturb my spouse, and the worst sin I committed was a non-matching pair of shoes, but only once.

I did that once...one lace up, one slip on.....didn't notice until mid-afternoon!

From our experience in Athens last summer, they will throw you off the ship pretty quickly - 8 a.m.!

14 hours ago, Woofa said:

We ended up in a window seat in Toscana in the back.  It was our first time and it was already dark out.  While we liked having a large table for just the two of us, I would prefer another location.  You sit facing the window at the start of the window angled downward and out.  So between us and the window was a small triangle of space and if we looked upwards, the window became like a mirror showing us the other tables.  Just felt odd.  Now if it was light, this might be pleasant but in general, we felt the window seats in all the restaurants were wasted at night.  Even the beautiful two top in the corner in Jacque you could see nothing but a dark window.

Now during the daylight, we loved lunch in a window seat in the MDR.  And of course sitting outside in the Terrace in good weather was very pleasant.

We had the same experience.  We like Toscana but the angled window gives a very strange experience after dark, and we would avoid it if offered it again.

We had no problem with water pressure on this cruise - if anything it was too much pressure!  For what it's worth, I noticed the dining room staff writing orders down instead of using their tablets.  They confirmed that there was an internet problem which would be fixed when we reached Miami.  From a previous poster it appears that they did fix it.  I too, rose at 5 .a.m. to download my newspapers - which took a while! As to comments about food, while there were some quirks, particularly with some of the dishes being cooked sous vide and finished on ordering in the specialty restaurants, in the main, a judicious look at the menus for the dining room and Terrace cafe before eating, meant that we were in the main very satisfied with the food - our weight gain will confirm that!

On the Riviera in July we had a terrible butler.  Just off the Marina and we had an excellent butler who looked after us.  They were each tipped accordingly. One grimaced and the other smiled warmly and shook my hand.

2 hours ago, JoePDX said:

All is fine on Riviera.

 

Embarkation in Istanbul was a mess.  2 1/2 hours to get onboard with us arriving at 12 for our 12-12:30 boarding time.   New terminal is very nice but none of the taxi drivers seem to know how to get into the drop off area which is underground.   We got dropped off in the parking garage and had to navigate elevators.

 

1035 passengers on board.  Paul Baya is Cruise Director.   

 

Dined in Red Ginger first night.   They have the Miso Sea Bass.   Excellent meal.   Going again tonight.   Everyone I have talked to has raved about their meals there.

 

Had husband’s birthday celebration in Privee - Degustation Menu.   Fine service but a lot of food.   😊

 

La Reserve last night Bourgeois Menu.   Excellent in every way!   Doing the Odyssey Menu later in the cruise.
 

Happy to answer questions.

 

Joe

We had the same boarding experience in July.  No one knows where the terminal is and there is little signage outside or within the terminal as to where you should go.  There is a drive-in area but that is not signposted either.  Oceania, who arrive and depart from Istanbul frequently should really do something about that, we are old but still active, but it was a haul to get to where we were supposed to go and then had to go back some because the proof of vaccination area (not signposted) was halfway back from where we came in.

On 9/15/2022 at 10:07 AM, 2BACRUISER said:

Sadly it would appear so. At dinner on QV we had a 2 top which as you know are pretty close in Brittania to other 2 tops. We only saw the young couple on the table next to us on one night of the 7 and they both pretty much spent the entire time looking at their phones, they didn't talk to each other let alone strike up conversation with us! On most cruises we've had wonderful chats with couples either side of us. I do think technology is killing the art of conversation. 🤔🤔

Sometimes my wife and I don't speak much while eating in a restaurant.......that's because we are listening to YOU! We compare notes after the meal and speculate on the missing bits.  We've picked up some very interesting conversations over the years......

We did our first Oceania cruise on Riveria in July.  Thought the quality and variety of food was excellent - and we are used to travelling in the Grills on Cunard.  Staff were inexperienced but that did not affect the quality of the food.