Cunard Introduces A La Carte Pricing For Diners

[guernseyguy]

RCL...main restaurant meals were excelleant and if I dare say better than Cunard and the service was every bit as good as Cunard white star

 

Fighting talk! On my one cruise on RCL I found the food very good - my only gripe was the balance - a huge chunk of protein and almost no vegetables. I guess the accountants had counted the number of returned carrots & peas and decided not to serve them in the first place!

 

Food is so subjective, on balance I'd give the edge to Cunard, but it was pretty close (both on the other hand clearly better than Princess).

[Savoia]

Food is so subjective, on balance I'd give the edge to Cunard,

 

 

-NO!? Really? Shocked by that one!

 

but it was pretty close (both on the other hand clearly better than Princess).

 

-Odd that you say that considering Princess provides all the service on the Cunard themed vessels

[keithm]

True, but will you be "allowed" to just choose one course?

 

There have been times when I have wanted to have 2 portions of the appetizers as my main course (i.e Frogs legs with just the potatoes of that night) and I was told (in the Britannia )that it could not be done.

 

I did not understand why, -I was not asking for something not on the menu, - just a double portion serving in place of whatever the entrees were.

 

I think that anyone going into the Verandah will be told they only serve full meals, even though the items are priced individually. Also I would be interested to learn how many and what choice of each course will there be. Will the menu be outside for viewing?

 

Well I suppose we will just have to wait and see how things are arranged when QE finally comes out.

We've never had a problem asking for a larger portion. If you wanted Caviar in Britannia you can get it(a fee does apply)One thing we always did in Britannia(and now the Grills)was to ask for a Sorbet "intermezzo" between the appetizer & main course. It's never been refused. Always feel free to talk to the Maitre D, if you have any issues. That's part of their job.

[garigoun]

I have an idea(Don’t laugh). Supposing everyone were to take the words P&O; Princess; Carnival; Cunard; Cunardival; Carol Marlowe; Light fittings Shanks and Celebrity throw in a few assorted conjunctions, oblique strokes and references to the décor of ships long past and mix them up well. Then each of us should make a post once a day containing them all in random order. Would not that save poor old Savoia a great deal of finger work posting his yawningly predictable ordure day after day? In a spirit of benevolent charity it is clearly the right thing to do. It’s not that I don’t agree with SOME of his stuff or even know whether he is right or not but he is just so damn tedious with his constant repetition. Let us therefore perform this corporal work of mercy without delay. If for no other reason than to stop the excessive wear and tear on the ‘P’ and ‘O’ keys of his machine.

A Concerned Gari

[Salacia]

I have an idea(Don’t laugh). Supposing everyone were to take the words P&O; Princess; Carnival; Cunard; Cunardival; Carol Marlowe; Light fittings Shanks and Celebrity throw in a few assorted conjunctions, oblique strokes and references to the décor of ships long past and mix them up well. Then each of us should make a post once a day containing them all in random order. Would not that save poor old Savoia a great deal of finger work posting his yawningly predictable ordure day after day? In a spirit of benevolent charity it is clearly the right thing to do. It’s not that I don’t agree with SOME of his stuff or even know whether he is right or not but he is just so damn tedious with his constant repetition. Let us therefore perform this corporal work of mercy without delay. If for no other reason than to stop the excessive wear and tear on the ‘P’ and ‘O’ keys of his machine.

A Concerned Gari

 

Ok, I'm game.:D Here goes:

Princess Carol met Marlowe to discuss the decor and light fittings at the Carnival. In attendence was a Celebrity and more than a few Shanks. Yet no one was P.O.'d, despite one local news source referring to the festivities as a Cunardival. Fumbling her words, a local TV reporter added further humor to the story by mistakingly referring to the incident as a terrible Cunard rather than the canard it was. Humiliated, she asked her editor for a transfer. He replied "that ship has long past sailed".

 

I think I got all the words in...how many P&O keys have I save from destruction :D -Salacia

[guernseyguy]

I have an idea(Don’t laugh). Supposing everyone were to take the words P&O; Princess; Carnival; Cunard; Cunardival; Carol Marlowe; Light fittings Shanks and Celebrity

 

Celebrity Princess Carol Shanks-Cunardival attended Marlowe for the Carnival and was the fitting choice to name P&O's new Cunard-based cruise ship. She made light of suggestions that they were 'all the same' and said that people who'd sailed on them didn't think so.

[guernseyguy]

There have been times when I have wanted to have 2 portions of the appetizers as my main course (i.e Frogs legs with just the potatoes of that night) and I was told (in the Britannia )that it could not be done.

 

Did you speak to the Maitre'D about it? Seems silly to me.

[oldsilverfox]

Sadly Garigoun, I think that you may be missing the point.

 

To avoid getting yet another posting canned I'll use a hopefully neutral analogy.

 

I've never sailed on a Silverseas ship so I have no personal idea what they are like, how enjoyable they are or how they would suit my tastes, or how they are managed.

 

If therefore for some very bizarre reason I wanted to keep contributing to the Silverseas forum, there is only an extremely limited number of aspects of shipboard life that I think could usefully contribute to, without resorting to recycling other peoples views.

[garigoun]

Ok, I'm game.:D Here goes:

Princess Carol met Marlowe to discuss the decor and light fittings at the Carnival. In attendence was a Celebrity and more than a few Shanks. Yet no one was P.O.'d, despite one local news source referring to the festivities as a Cunardival. Fumbling her words, a local TV reporter added further humor to the story by mistakingly referring to the incident as a terrible Cunard rather than the canard it was. Humiliated, she asked her editor for a transfer. He replied "that ship has long past sailed".

 

I think I got all the words in...how many P&O keys have I save from destruction :D -Salacia

 

No No , that will not do at all, it is amusing, and to be true to type it must be pedestrian and dull. however it may serve as an example to be followed by the aforesaid poster.

Gari

[garigoun]

Sadly Garigoun, I think that you may be missing the point.

 

To avoid getting yet another posting canned I'll use a hopefully neutral analogy.

 

I've never sailed on a Silverseas ship so I have no personal idea what they are like, how enjoyable they are or how they would suit my tastes, or how they are managed.

 

If therefore for some very bizarre reason I wanted to keep contributing to the Silverseas forum, there is only an extremely limited number of aspects of shipboard life that I think could usefully contribute to, without resorting to recycling other peoples views.

 

You may be, and probably are, right. I often do miss the point. But I'm not entirely sure to which of my posts you are referring here. ??

Gari

[oldsilverfox]

Apologies Garigoun,

Actually none of your positive entertaining posts.

 

I was just adding my personal two pennyworth to your post# 79.

 

Best wishes

Oldsilverfox.

[Jimsgirl]

Guernseyguy

 

Yes I did ask the Maitre "D politely if the waiter was incorrect, he claimed it "must have been a misunderstanding" , and that was that. I let it go

 

Frogs Legs were not worth "a war", and I mention them only because I do not think it right that if a poster writes re a bad cruise then automatically there is a spate of mail claiming the writer must be a "whinger" or someone who is "rude " to staff.and that Cunard is "wonderful" ,"super" etc etc.

 

I favour Cunard, will soon be making my 13th cruise with them, but I am a realist, and I know that not every cruise will be the "dream " of a lifetime.and my experience in D8 will be far different to someone in the Balmoral suite.

 

So I give the "bad cruise "writer the benefit of being accurate as far as his/her experience.

[keithm]

Ok, I'm game.:D Here goes:

Princess Carol met Marlowe to discuss the decor and light fittings at the Carnival. In attendence was a Celebrity and more than a few Shanks. Yet no one was P.O.'d, despite one local news source referring to the festivities as a Cunardival. Fumbling her words, a local TV reporter added further humor to the story by mistakingly referring to the incident as a terrible Cunard rather than the canard it was. Humiliated, she asked her editor for a transfer. He replied "that ship has long past sailed".

 

I think I got all the words in...how many P&O keys have I save from destruction :D -Salacia

Not bad at all! Jay Leno are you listening?? We've got some pretty good writers on board here.

[keithm]

Kudos then to P&O marketing and the one desk Cunard has in California that handles the PR paperwork from P&O. That is insane to pay that much for a ship that is handled on every level by the Love Boat comapny.

Actually I think the Loveboat Co. became RCC. To put all this in "car" terms..Think of Carnival as GM..Cunard/Cadillac, HAL/Buick, Princess/Pontiac,Carnival/Chevrolet. You will have a fair amount of "blending" of the car/cruiselines. The thing to understand, is that Cunard is marketed as a more "premium" line than the rest of Carnivalcorp. Their small Seaborn group is up there with Seadream,SilverSea, Hapog/LLoyd. Cunard is THE ONLY line to cover from "Standard(inside no view)all the way to full luxury(Queens Grill suites)No other cruiseline can cover the entire spectrum the way Cunard can.

[Salacia]

Not bad at all! Jay Leno are you listening?? We've got some pretty good writers on board here.

 

Thanks Keithm, but Gari pays sooooooooooo much better than Leno :D

[guernseyguy]

I do not think it right that if a poster writes re a bad cruise then automatically there is a spate of mail claiming the writer must be a "whinger" or someone who is "rude " to staff.and that Cunard is "wonderful" ,"super" etc etc.

 

I think what people react to is the poster for whom EVERYTHING was bad - and in my view, fairly, conclude that the problem may as easily lie with the poster as with Cunard. Balanced, constructive reviews,in my experience, are treated with respect - even for those whose overall experience was more bad than good.

[Savoia]

Savoia, I think there's a problem with your argument: If there is 'no Cunard in Cunard' (as you seem to be implying), then Cunard can't have any competition, right?

 

Doesn't it? Being operated on nearly every level by Princess Cruises this product would therefor have competition..on a Princess level.

[dancer11]

I find this thread very interesting, as we will be on world cruise and know we will want a change from Britannia Club during such a long trip. We've only been on one QM2 cruise, in the Caribbean, and were unimpressed with Todd English. On Crystal we often dine at the excellent alternative restaurants and don't mind paying a bit extra. But on the QM2, I hated the feeling of the casual lunch buffet area, which is then transformed into the Italian and Asian restaurants in the evening. I felt that if it reminded me of a high school cafeteria in the daytime, there wasn't much hope it would be a lovely restaurant at night. Consequently, we never went there for any meals. Was I totally wrong? I hope so.

[Ray66]

But on the QM2, I hated the feeling of the casual lunch buffet area, which is then transformed into the Italian and Asian restaurants in the evening. I felt that if it reminded me of a high school cafeteria in the daytime, there wasn't much hope it would be a lovely restaurant at night. Consequently, we never went there for any meals. Was I totally wrong? I hope so.

 

During the evening the Kings Court looks a lot different. The pictures are lit up and the Lotus area is screened off to make it more private.

 

 

 

[brigittetom]

dancer11, The Lotus in the evening is a wonderful experience and has absolutely nothing to do with KC during the day. Lights are dimmed, intimate tables, and the service is outstanding, as is the food.

[Bispham Boo]

dancer11, The Lotus in the evening is a wonderful experience and has absolutely nothing to do with KC during the day. Lights are dimmed, intimate tables, and the service is outstanding, as is the food.

 

We enjoyed the Lotus very much on our TA last year. The atmosphere was very different to daytime and the food outstanding - definitely worth trying as a change from Britannia (which we also enjoyed).

[keithm]

dancer11, The Lotus in the evening is a wonderful experience and has absolutely nothing to do with KC during the day. Lights are dimmed, intimate tables, and the service is outstanding, as is the food.

The tasting menu is definately worth it in Lotus. We've been in the Grills & still try to get 1 night in Lotus.

[dancer11]

That sounds great, thank you. The pictures were a big help. At noon meals I didn't like the area at all, too much like eating in the school cafeteria when I was young. But at dinner it looks very different, and of course it will be so much less crowded