Class Differentiation

[keithm]

We did a Q-6 suite in 2010(Our honeymoon) while a friend of our mother did a B-4. She has millions to our modest means & found Britannia quite to her liking. She had sailed Cunard in the late '50's.She certainly dropped a few $$$ in H.Stern for some little "bauble" as she called it.

[turquoise 6]

You are correct. I probably have seen Titanic about 12 times to many (lol)!

LOL. I must confess ,it's my favorite movie:)

[Jim Avery]

LOL. I must confess ,it's my favorite movie:)

 

We refer to it as Gone With the Wind with drowning.:eek: Just kidding, we love Titanic too.:D:D

[ANSalberg]

We refer to it as Gone With the Wind with drowning.:eek: Just kidding, we love Titanic too.:D:D

 

"Miss SCARLET; Miss SCARLET -I don't know NOTHIN' 'bout birthin no babies......"

[Jim Avery]

"miss scarlet; miss scarlet -i don't know nothin' 'bout birthin no babies......"

 

lol!!

[turquoise 6]

We refer to it as Gone With the Wind with drowning.:eek: Just kidding, we love Titanic too.:D:D

LOL, yes I can see the similarity . Another saga, The problem is when (we)

relive the characters on the QM2 :eek:

[3rdGenCunarder]

We refer to it as Gone With the Wind with drowning.:eek: Just kidding, we love Titanic too.:D:D

 

I'd never thought if it that way... but I can see the similarity:

 

"Miss SCARLET; Miss SCARLET -I don't know NOTHIN' 'bout birthin no babies......"

 

Miss SCARLET, Miss SCARLET, I don't know NOTHIN' 'bout berthin' no ships!

 

I don't mean to flame the OP. Their question was asked politely. But this idea that Cunard has a strict class system annoys me. I recently went on a tour of a ship in NYC, courtesy of my TA. During the time while we were mingling before lunch, I mentioned to someone that my favorite line is Cunard. She snapped at me, saying 'I would NEVER sail with them. They have a class system!' Unfortunately (or maybe it's just as well), someone she knew came up to her and started speaking to her before I could even attempt to defend Cunard. NCL has the Haven, Celebrity (I think) has Aqua Class, RCCL has all sorts of amenities for their suite class, yet people who sail these lines, complain about Cunard and its class system--usually in VERY nasty tones. (again, I am NOT saying OP was nasty) Why is it only Cunard that gets tarred with this brush???

[paulista1950]

" before I could even attempt to defend Cunard."

Don't try it, let them cruise with NCL, Celebrity, RCCL etc

[3rdGenCunarder]

" before I could even attempt to defend Cunard."

Don't try it, let them cruise with NCL, Celebrity, RCCL etc

 

That's good advice.

 

Or perhaps this as a reply, "Yes, on Cunard the passengers do have class."

 

Now I just have to work on the appropriately smug smile.

[keithm]

And you know, nameless was right. All the kitchens draw from the same food stocks; what really matters is how attentively your waiter takes your order and how promptly your waiter delivers it to your table.

The Grills do have a dedicated kitchen. Remember that they are feeding a few hundred v/s a few thousand, so the food really is much better, along with the choices.

[pmb1]

The Grills do have a dedicated kitchen. Remember that they are feeding a few hundred v/s a few thousand, so the food really is much better, along with the choices.

True, mostly. My points were that the dedication and skill of individual servers makes all the difference and that the separate kitchens get their raw material from the same larder; e.g. Britannia's prime steak is just as prime as the Grills prime steak. Of course having a smaller, closer kitchen means that the Grills can serve more attentively and freshly prepared food; and they do, mostly. I like to think that "you get what you pay for" states a fact of life, not a call to arms in a class war.

[2irisheyes]

It always amuses me when someone says they would not travel with Cunard as it has a class system. I like to reply so you wouldn't fly with an airline that has a class system or travel on trains that have different classes - idiotic.

[Austcruiser84]

It always amuses me when someone says they would not travel with Cunard as it has a class system. I like to reply so you wouldn't fly with an airline that has a class system or travel on trains that have different classes - idiotic.

 

I don't think the graded stateroom/dining system changes the experience of a Cunard voyage. By booking Britannia I still get access to everywhere except the Grills restaurants and lounge.

 

I can live without that (as a solo traveller).

 

Now on a plane or train, class is everything. Up in the air (great movie), the pre is a vast difference between the pointy end and moo class.

[Whitemarsh]

True, mostly. My points were that the dedication and skill of individual servers makes all the difference and that the separate kitchens get their raw material from the same larder; e.g. Britannia's prime steak is just as prime as the Grills prime steak. Of course having a smaller, closer kitchen means that the Grills can serve more attentively and freshly prepared food; and they do, mostly. I like to think that "you get what you pay for" states a fact of life, not a call to arms in a class war.

 

The Grills also have a much larger menu selection, which is another differentiation between Britannia and the Grills.

 

It always amuses me when someone says they would not travel with Cunard as it has a class system. I like to reply so you wouldn't fly with an airline that has a class system or travel on trains that have different classes - idiotic.

 

Exactly.

 

I don't think the graded stateroom/dining system changes the experience of a Cunard voyage. By booking Britannia I still get access to everywhere except the Grills restaurants and lounge.

 

I can live without that (as a solo traveller).

 

You may like to experience the difference between Britannia and the Grills before you decide that the Cunard voyage experience is the same for both.

 

Now on a plane or train, class is everything. Up in the air (great movie), the pre is a vast difference between the pointy end and moo class.

 

Really? At the end of the day, on a plane, you're just sitting in a chair. A chair up the front gets 'real' food on china plates whilst the chair down the back gets pre cooked & reheated food in a plastic tray. Apart from more legroom, that's the main difference.

 

I did first class on Etihad from Brisbane to Singapore (before my most recent voyage) and whilst it was nice, I was just sitting in a chair - for 7 hours. I watched a few movies, had a few drinks and ate a meal. Hardly the pinnacle of luxury.

[Austcruiser84]

The Grills also have a much larger menu selection, which is another differentiation between Britannia and the Grills.

 

 

 

Exactly.

 

 

 

You may like to experience the difference between Britannia and the Grills before you decide that the Cunard voyage experience is the same for both.

 

 

 

Really? At the end of the day, on a plane, you're just sitting in a chair. A chair up the front gets 'real' food on china plates whilst the chair down the back gets pre cooked & reheated food in a plastic tray. Apart from more legroom, that's the main difference.

 

I did first class on Etihad from Brisbane to Singapore (before my most recent voyage) and whilst it was nice, I was just sitting in a chair - for 7 hours. I watched a few movies, had a few drinks and ate a meal. Hardly the pinnacle of luxury.

 

Its about comfort for me. I'm quite comfortable in Britannia. A suite is wasted on me as I really don't need loads of living space on a ship. I rarely spend time in the stateroom. If I was travelling with someone I would definitely look into a suite as I can't imagine sharing a Britannia sized stateroom. Also, fine food does nothing for me. I'm not a fancy restaurant kind of person. I'm perfectly happy with plain, average meals.

 

On a plane, there is nothing worse than being cramped in a tube next to goodness knows who for many hours. Having a flat bed makes flying so much nicer - not to mention the ease on the ground. Especially if I'm up in the air for 30 hours or so.

 

It's most important for returning home. The last economy trip I took left me jet lagged for 3 solid weeks. I can't go through that again. Especially with the usual return to work the day after I return from a trip.

 

The food isn't the deal breaker. It's the comfort factor and Seemless experience that matters.

 

Each to their own.

[paulista1950]

It always amuses me when someone says they would not travel with Cunard as it has a class system. I like to reply so you wouldn't fly with an airline that has a class system or travel on trains that have different classes - idiotic.

 

stay at a hotel that has a class system either.

[2irisheyes]

Austcruiser84 - As you say at the end of your post "each to their own". What some people consider to be a priority is not necessarily a priority for all. It would be just awful for you if you were in first/business class on a flight and "goodness knows who" was upgraded to sit next to you. Admittedly you would have a little more space around you so you wouldn't have to be too uncomfortable. Of course "goodness knows who" can also book first/business class. The class relates to the amenities and the cost thereof, not to the people who book those seats or suites.

[Austcruiser84]

Austcruiser84 - As you say at the end of your post "each to their own". What some people consider to be a priority is not necessarily a priority for all. It would be just awful for you if you were in first/business class on a flight and "goodness knows who" was upgraded to sit next to you. Admittedly you would have a little more space around you so you wouldn't have to be too uncomfortable. Of course "goodness knows who" can also book first/business class. The class relates to the amenities and the cost thereof, not to the people who book those seats or suites.

 

Actually, I don't have anyone next to me due to the 1-2-1 configuration. It's nice having space to myself.

 

While "goodness knows who" might book in the same cabin, they won't invade my personal space, so its not a bother.

 

You seem to have taken my disdain for being crushed like a sardine in economy as some sort of attack on the unsightly or unseemly.

[2irisheyes]

You seem to have taken my disdain for being crushed like a sardine in economy as some sort of attack on the unsightly or unseemly.

 

I must admit it did come across to me as a bit of a generalisation. Fortunately I haven't encountered too many unsightly or unseemly people on my flights be it in economy or business. Perhaps I have just been lucky.

[Dajo5601]

Whilst we have recently become solid converts to Cunard after being "Princess People", as Cunard cancelled our QV cruise last October - at very short notice, we managed to get a cruise on Celebrity Eclipse. A nice ship, nice people BUT, when there was a quality show in the theatre, they roped off several top rows of seats and had uniformed staff supervising the seats and the only people who could sit in them were those who had paid for suites.

 

You can imagine how galling this was for the "poor people" who were not in a suite when they were struggling to find a seat, whilst seat after seat was left empty in case anybody from a suite came into the theatre...

 

Please don't go down that route Cunard, it wasn't very popular I can tell you.