Little Mary Sunshine says......

There has been a fair bit of disappointment and overall negativity expressed on this board recently. I completely understand that people have high expectations for their hard-earned holidays and they can become quite disillusioned when the event doesn't meet their expectations in every detail. I also appreciate that all cruise lines engage in strong marketing campaigns, putting their best foot forward, and sometimes overstating the nature and quality of the experience offered. This is life. That is capitalism.

I just wanted to take a moment, however, to recount why I choose to cruise with Cunard whenever possible, even after having good experiences on other lines. So I am noting a few of my favorite things here.

1. Cunard's décor is lovely overall. Not overwhelming (like some of the NCL ships before their refits), and not too dull. The promenade decks are wonderful and are going the way of the dinosaur on too many other lines.

2. There is a sense of occasion on Cunard that does not carry over to other lines. This is due in part to the dress code, and in part to the long White Star history. But it also is because the crew, every single one I ever have met, have demonstrated a real desire for me to have a spectacular time and to feel pampered.

3. My fellow passengers consider a more refined and sophisticated experience (with dress balls and intellectually stimulating speakers) to be a lot of fun. A Cunard cruise is not a study in excess or raucous behavior. I have never seen a Cunard passenger ordering up a bucket of beer or asking about the belly flop contest.

4. The closets are the most spacious I have seen and the beds are the most comfortable.

5. The food is above average to very good in every venue I have tried, as compared with Celebrity and Norwegian.

In my limited experience with this line, they offer a package that meets most of my wants and desires. Have there been a few glitches? Of course. And are they offering me top shelf wine and cocktails at bottom shelf prices? Of course not. Has the product deteriorated over time? I can't say, but I love the experience they have been offering me recently. The cruises I have enjoyed on Cunard have been consistent with the parameters of their marketing and suit me well.

When I read of fellow passengers who are disappointed with their afternoon tea experience or disgruntled at the cost of a gin and tonic, I do understand and I am sorry. But I have come to accept that no experience is perfect and no exceptional experience is free (not even falling in love!:hearteyes:). I believe that I do myself a favor by focusing on the positives as much as possible. Couldn't justify the price of dinner with wine pairings in the Veranda on my last cruise, but the fish and chips in the pub were awesome.

When you focus on the minor missteps rather than the positives, or when you brood about what you couldn't do rather than what you got to do, you exacerbate your own disappointment.

For me, I will continue to make Cunard cruises an important part of my holiday experience (as well as silly cruise romps on other lines such as NCL). And I will try very hard to remember the upside to all of those experiences.

Do any of you have any positive or uniquely Cunard experiences that have left a long-term impression on you?

Laugh and the world laughs with you! Always room for a positive attitude in my suitcase.

I agree with the sunshine mentioned, but I also have learned from the occasional complaints I read.

For the most part, having people share their experiences honestly has taught me some pitfalls to avoid and how to launch my own expectations.

But, I agree: being positive (and having a sense of humor) makes life better. (in my opinion ;))

There has been a fair bit of disappointment and overall negativity expressed on this board recently. I completely understand that people have high expectations for their hard-earned holidays and they can become quite disillusioned when the event doesn't meet their expectations in every detail. I also appreciate that all cruise lines engage in strong marketing campaigns, putting their best foot forward, and sometimes overstating the nature and quality of the experience offered. This is life. That is capitalism.

 

I just wanted to take a moment, however, to recount why I choose to cruise with Cunard whenever possible, even after having good experiences on other lines. So I am noting a few of my favorite things here.

 

1. Cunard's décor is lovely overall. Not overwhelming (like some of the NCL ships before their refits), and not too dull. The promenade decks are wonderful and are going the way of the dinosaur on too many other lines.

 

2. There is a sense of occasion on Cunard that does not carry over to other lines. This is due in part to the dress code, and in part to the long White Star history. But it also is because the crew, every single one I ever have met, have demonstrated a real desire for me to have a spectacular time and to feel pampered.

 

3. My fellow passengers consider a more refined and sophisticated experience (with dress balls and intellectually stimulating speakers) to be a lot of fun. A Cunard cruise is not a study in excess or raucous behavior. I have never seen a Cunard passenger ordering up a bucket of beer or asking about the belly flop contest.

 

4. The closets are the most spacious I have seen and the beds are the most comfortable.

 

5. The food is above average to very good in every venue I have tried, as compared with Celebrity and Norwegian.

 

In my limited experience with this line, they offer a package that meets most of my wants and desires. Have there been a few glitches? Of course. And are they offering me top shelf wine and cocktails at bottom shelf prices? Of course not. Has the product deteriorated over time? I can't say, but I love the experience they have been offering me recently. The cruises I have enjoyed on Cunard have been consistent with the parameters of their marketing and suit me well.

 

When I read of fellow passengers who are disappointed with their afternoon tea experience or disgruntled at the cost of a gin and tonic, I do understand and I am sorry. But I have come to accept that no experience is perfect and no exceptional experience is free (not even falling in love!:hearteyes:). I believe that I do myself a favor by focusing on the positives as much as possible. Couldn't justify the price of dinner with wine pairings in the Veranda on my last cruise, but the fish and chips in the pub were awesome.

 

When you focus on the minor missteps rather than the positives, or when you brood about what you couldn't do rather than what you got to do, you exacerbate your own disappointment.

 

For me, I will continue to make Cunard cruises an important part of my holiday experience (as well as silly cruise romps on other lines such as NCL). And I will try very hard to remember the upside to all of those experiences.

 

Do any of you have any positive or uniquely Cunard experiences that have left a long-term impression on you?

What a wonderful post. We are committed to Cunard for the time being because we have such wonderful times on-board.

I think it helps that we're realistic in our expectations and realise glitches can happen [such as a rather lackadaisical waiter service on one cruise last year] but the overall experience is always a definite positive and we always look forward to the next Cunard cruise with great anticipation.

The main plus for us, is always the staff. In our experience, they can't do enough for you and everything is done with a smile and courtesy. A smile is a wonderous thing. It is true, smile and the world smiles with you. That's Cunard, for us.

Thank for starting such a positive thread - my positive experiences are many and varied -

- My first sight of QE2 and pretty much every moment of that first voyage in PG, I know lots of people thought she was a rusty old tub whose time had been and gone but we loved our first cruise.

- Celebrating multiple New Year's Eves in the Caribbean in 2009 and two in Amsterdam in 2015

- Sailing into Liverpool in May 2015 on QM2, it was a grey,damp morning but I shared space on the top deck with Stephen Payne ! Sailing out again the following day to meet her two sisters and then the whole river dance.

- Sunbathing crossing the Atlantic in January 2010 when both New York and Southampton were full of snow.

I enjoy the whole Cunard package, we have tried a few other lines but haven't found anything we like as much.

 

Do any of you have any positive or uniquely Cunard experiences that have left a long-term impression on you?

My first Transatlantic on the Queen Victoria - very special as with my daughter as she emigrated to Canada

My first Transatlantic on the Queen Elizabeth - very rough seas but again with my daughter -first time in QG

My first Transatlantic on the Queen Mary 2 - pretty rough again but a great table at meal times in QG

Commodore Club takes some beating for after dinner drinks, especially on QV and QE

The first time we occupied a Q1 on QE

Captain Wells is great very time. (As Bruce would say - "He's my favourite" Captain

Thank you for putting my feelings into such perfect expressed words.

Harold

Here, here. Well done Whirled Peas. All of our Cunard experiences have been positive. Or do we just not bother to remember the small negatives that can happen everywhere and make sure we enjoy every trip we are lucky enough to take?

Sent from my SM-G920F using Forums mobile app

Whirled Peas, thank you, thank you, thank you! We too have had our fair share of complications, but it is the sense of occasion and the warmth of the staff that have us looking forward to our 8th voyage this coming May! Highlights; there are many, generally small warm moments (like the server from my father's home in Northern Ireland) and our delight in the lectures (we have attended nearly all that we could, with most very interesting, a few excellent, and only one boring and one infuriating) but if I had to identify only one time, it would be on our first crossing in 2013. We did the behind the scenes tour, ending with Captain Oprey. When he asked for questions and comments, I told him that, as first timers, we had of course done a lot of online research, and I was struck by the number of people, having been on the QM2 during Hurricane Sandy, who commented on how well she handled. His eyes lit up. Unknown to me, he had been the Captain. He regaled us with what happened and how well she behaved. He was clearly proud of "his" ship. It was a pleasure to see someone so well suited to his job. After that, when I knew Captain Oprey was in charge, I was especially at ease.

The most special Cunard moments have not been on board ship. It has to be the concerts at Liverpool Cathedral for QE2's 40th and Cunard's 175th.

The best experience on board any ship was leaving New York in 2006 on QE2. We should have left at 6pm, but it was about 8pm when we sailed from pier 90, down the Hudson, by this time it was dark and all the buildings were lit up. magical.

Magical was leaving Saguenay, Quebec this last fall. The entire town had come out to entertain us all day with the most extraordinary hospitality. Upon departure at sundown, thousands stood on the shore and waved us away until we were out of sight and the sun had set.

Whirled Peas - i also agree with your points (except the last one!) I just got off the QV and while the weather was not great, all the other attributes you mentioned were reasons why it was successful for me. My best Cunard memory is my first time on Cunard which was the 50th anniversary celebration of D-Day. I had a tiny interior cabin but was so struck by the history and tradition of the ship and the occasion that i was sold on Cunard. The other great memory was sailing on the QV's maiden voyage and really feeling part of something special.

After nearly 50 cruises on multiple lines, Cunard is still my favorite, flaws and all!

Cunard seem to do a good job for special occasions, I'm looking forward to the 200th Anniversary !

I think often Cunard seem to have an unreasonable level of expectation placed upon them - I take it as a sign of how good they are, it encourages people to associate the brand with perfection (with the downside being the odd slip up sticks out more conspicuously). Overall I think the line offers a brilliant experience, and long may it continue :)