Thoughts of a first time Cunard cruiser

[caber]

We have just returned from our cruise on Queen Elizabeth. We were very impressed with the ship. Our previous cruises have been on Princess and P&O so this is what I was comparing it with.

We had a balcony cabin which I liked as it had a small sofa in it. I loved the robes and slippers. My DH actually got a robe which fitted all the way round.

The food was very good, equal in quality to my previous cruises.

I likes the canapies that were served with the drinks in the evening.

I loved all the activities, croquet, bowls, deck quoits and shuffleboard. The lectures we attended were very interesting.

I have never seen a library as big on any ship.

The theatre was impressive. The entertainment on the whole was excellent although I found the worst shows were the singers and dancers. They were far too loud.

Compared with Princess and P&O, it was much more dressy. Everyone seemed to adhere to the dress code, which was a good thing.

We found the drinks to be more expensive than Princess, and much more expensive than P&O. We didn`t drink as much wine at the table than on previous cruises.

The staff were all very helpful and friendly except for a couple of the head waiters in the Britannia Restaurant who failed to smile the whole cruise.

There was much less selling of merchandise around the balconies or photographers. Things were also much quieter, with less announcements about entertainment etc.

We had free drink and canapies on the Captain`s cocktail night and noticed that the drink was better quality bubbly than Princess. We also found this in the Art Gallery on a couple evenings.

The cruisers were good, ordinary people on the whole. Nobody should be afraid that it will be too "posh".

I was worried about the day dress code in the restaurant before I went but found that smart shorts and t-shirts were worn by many for breakfast and lunch. This made sense as it was a Med cruise.

We had a lovely cruise and I would certainly consider another Cunard voyage.

Edited June 23, 2014 by caber

[Keith1010]

Enjoyed your report.

 

Keith

[Oahucruiser]

Great review. Glad you enjoyed that beautiful ship and will return to Cunard again like so many of us.

[rolfecms]

Thanks for sharing. Your review makes me look forward to another Cunard cruise.

[Lady49Monet]

It will be our first time on the Queen Elizabeth in January. We have been on the QM2 and we were impressed with her. It is great to read your review and I get all excited😉

 

 

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[caber]

Another thing I noticed was the frequent use of hand sanitizers. They were everywhere, in the Lido, at the restaurant doors, getting back on the ship and many more places, including the pursers desk.

I did not hear of anyone with the dreaded virus.

[Scrapnana]

I think most of the singers and dancers were new. On the World Voyage we were told that they had been on since August and their contracts were up in May.

[alibabacruisers]

Thanks for the review and like another poster, I will be taking a cruise on QE next year and so reading reviews like yours keep my excitement peaked.:)

[seaman11]

thank you for your review. I have been worried about possible pounces onboard.

[Salacia]

thank you for your review. I have been worried about possible pounces onboard.

 

Pounces? What does that mean in the context given, please? (Where I live, being worried about possible pounces would mean that you are worried about someone jumping/pouncing on you, as in a physical attack.)

 

(I did look it up http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/pounce?q=pounces :confused:

 

Thanks,

Salacia

Edited June 24, 2014 by Salacia

[sarafinadh]

Oddly it's slang for a foppish or gay man.

 

But it sounds here as if it has been broadened to include persons putting on airs.

[Salacia]

Oddly it's slang for a foppish or gay man.

 

But it sounds here as if it has been broadened to include persons putting on airs.

 

 

Thanks. It's interesting how the meaning of words/slang terms vary from place to place. Where I live, in slang terms - if a man is called a "pouncer" that is taken as a warning to other women that guy is prone to pounce on women.

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the report!

[foster269]

Hello all,I think I will ignore pouncers,whatever they are.

We sailed on both Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria last year.We thouroughly enjoyed both with Elizabeth very slightly coming out on top.

Last week my wife,who claims to not be a keen cruiser,visited me in the garden brandishing a piece of paper.She had quite out of the blue contacted a travel agent,I dont think I can mention the name on here,and got what on the face of it seems to be a very good deal on the Queen Elizabeth for October 17th.What did I think ?,dont be silly book it.So she did.

I was interested in the comment about canopes.

We have just returned from Celebrity Eclipse and the canopes were availabe in our state room daily.We only had them twice they were poor quality.

The ones on the Queen Elizabeth are allmost a meal in themselves.

Rodger.

[sarafinadh]

I've heard others complain about the sad dry pouncey little canapés on Celebrity. We discovered that the premium coffee bar offered a very nice selection of savories in the afternoon. The Spouse would pick up a plate on his way to the cabin for nibbling on. Might try that ; -)

Edited June 24, 2014 by sarafinadh

[Nomsayin]

Oddly it's slang for a foppish or gay man.

 

But it sounds here as if it has been broadened to include persons putting on airs.

 

"Two nations separated by a common language.";)

[sarafinadh]

LOL... in the words of Henry Higgins we haven't spoken it for years!

 

the list of words that get brits and yanks in trouble is not a short one.

 

My sister has a particularly funny story involving the word 'stuffed' at a very high table dinner in a country seat. At 18 she brought the room to a dead silence ; -)

[pmb1]

...

My sister has a particularly funny story involving the word 'stuffed' at a very high table dinner in a country seat. At 18 she brought the room to a dead silence ; -)

I hope she wasn't talking about overfilling her f---y pack.

[sarafinadh]

Oh Dear.

 

We are in danger of derailing the thread...

 

If we begin discussing fa**y pacs then any minute we will descend into the shadowy depths of drawers and trews and pants...

 

Dangerous territory!

[Shallwe123]

Thanks from us too for the review.... Cruised aboard last September and we had a FABULOUS time. Happy memories indeed.

[Nomsayin]

LOL... in the words of Henry Higgins we haven't spoken it for years!

 

the list of words that get brits and yanks in trouble is not a short one.

 

My sister has a particularly funny story involving the word 'stuffed' at a very high table dinner in a country seat. At 18 she brought the room to a dead silence ; -)

 

"Knocked up" can raise some eyebrows, too.

[seaman11]

Thanks. It's interesting how the meaning of words/slang terms vary from place to place. Where I live, in slang terms - if a man is called a "pouncer" that is taken as a warning to other women that guy is prone to pounce on women.

 

haha actually i meant ponces. My apologies

 

World English Dictionary

ponce (pɒns) — n 1. a man given to ostentatious or effeminate display in manners, speech, dress, etc

[OzKiwiJJ]

Oh Dear.

 

We are in danger of derailing the thread...

 

If we begin discussing fa**y pacs then any minute we will descend into the shadowy depths of drawers and trews and pants...

 

Dangerous territory!

 

Not to mention thongs. :D

[Salacia]

haha actually i meant ponces. My apologies

 

World English Dictionary

ponce (pɒns) — n 1. a man given to ostentatious or effeminate display in manners, speech, dress, etc

 

Ok, thanks for the clarification. I think it is a slang term I will not use.