Fruit basket (on request)

[Tangoqueen]

Hi all, just wondering on the stateroom descriptions when it states fruit basket (on request) I assume you request that through your steward or is it through room service? If it's through the steward would that be replenished daily or would you request it as and when? Thank you :)

[caber]

Just off Queen Elizabeth and I didn`t see any cards in the stateroom to request fruit. I would imagine room service would be your best bet. We just had some from the buffet.

[Tangoqueen]

Thanks Caber. We will be on Queen Elizabeth in just over 3 weeks. Hope you had a great holiday :)

[Jimsgirl]

I will be on QM2 next week, and had assumed that I would ask the cabin attendant to arrange for fresh fruit daily.

 

Would appreciate more opinions on this subject. I leave Saturday to fly to NY.

[Blueacre]

Hi all, just wondering on the stateroom descriptions when it states fruit basket (on request) I assume you request that through your steward or is it through room service? If it's through the steward would that be replenished daily or would you request it as and when? Thank you :)

 

Great topic! I look forward to reading all the responses.

[keithm]

I will be on QM2 next week, and had assumed that I would ask the cabin attendant to arrange for fresh fruit daily.

 

Would appreciate more opinions on this subject. I leave Saturday to fly to NY.

We found asking our attendant to replenish as needed worked for us.

[DDBINK1]

On my first QM2 voyage it was in my balcony state room when I arrived and it was full the whole time. I enjoyed it. On my last QV voyage I had to ask the butler for the fruit basket and then it arrived. And it was only refilled when I ate (threw off the balcony into the sea) the last awful granny smith apple. I know I should never throw things off the ship.

 

I think they may be trying to save money ?? or costs of fruit to make sure you eat it ??

[Ab Ovo]

Yes, on all three Queens, tell your cabin steward. They know to replenish as needed throughout voyage.

[Underwatr]

I'd rather have a granny smith than a red delicious...

[Salacia]

For fresh fruit, I prefer to drop by Kings Court daily and select my favorite ripe fruits, taking only that I plan to eat within the next 24 hours, plus a plate and cutlery, then take it back to my cabin.

 

I've found that the fruit basket requested from the cabin steward often contains fruit I don't care for, and is not quite ripe (certainly not the steward's fault). Also, I don't care for the scent given off by a bowl of fruit as it slowly ripens in my cabin; I don't love the smell of over-ripe bananas in the morning:eek::)

 

Anyway, it seems to me that there is less waste that way, and cabin stewards have enough chores, so I save my special requests for something I can't get for myself - like ice :) Cheers -S.

[Jimsgirl]

Thank you for your answer Salacia, I had wondered abut doing that, ( but lets face it I am LAZY), but wondered if the staff would think me a "pig" taking food from the buffet back to my cabin.

 

Do agree with you that maybe a basket will contain fruit I do not wish to eat.

 

I will use the buffet first and see if it suits my needs.

 

Only another 3 days before I am saying "no thank you" to the photographers at the gangway! 5-30p.m Sunday will find me in my favourite pre dinner hangout, the Chart Room.

 

Sorry for all you sad people who will still be waiting for the day when you will be "sailing" once more

 

Lynn

[david,Mississauga]

Even in Princess Grill passengers have to request the fruit. Until recently a variety of fruit was provided without asking. On our May crossing the steward provided a list for us to complete. This worked well as we requested only what we were likely to eat, so there was no waste.

[Sweetpea711423]

My husband and I were just on the QM2 for eastbound and westbound crossings. There was a form left in an obvious place in the cabin for requesting fruit. You simply checked which of the listed type of fruit you wanted. Our stewards in both directions did a very good job of filling the request, including replenishing/freshening daily, as well as providing fruit additional to that requested.

[Salacia]

My husband and I were just on the QM2 for eastbound and westbound crossings. There was a form left in an obvious place in the cabin for requesting fruit. You simply checked which of the listed type of fruit you wanted. Our stewards in both directions did a very good job of filling the request, including replenishing/freshening daily, as well as providing fruit additional to that requested.

 

Hi Sweetpea. May I ask stateroom category you booked? I've seen that form in Britannia Club category, but not in Britannia category, while I have no experience of the Grills. Thanks, -S.

Edited July 5, 2014 by Salacia

[Tangoqueen]

Thanks for the replies.......certainly looks like speaking with the steward is the way to go. At least with fruit in the room I can kid myself that I'm being healthy :)

[Sweetpea711423]

Hi Sweetpea. May I ask stateroom category you booked? I've seen that form in Britannia Club category, but not in Britannia category, while I have no experience of the Grills. Thanks, -S.

 

 

Yes, we were booked in Grills Class. Sorry I didn't specify that earlier.

[jimmybean]

For the first time, I requested a fruit basket on May 9th 2014 QM2 crossing by filling out the fruit basket request form left in my cabin.

 

When nothing arrived the next day, I filled in a second form. On the third day, the first fruit basket arrived. On the fourth day the SECOND fruit basket arrived. On the fifth day, I consolidated the fruit from both baskets, so our stewart could remove one of the baskets. On the sixth and seventh days, we ate a lot of fruit ; )

 

We were in an inside Britannia cabin. Fruit is another thing not affect by cabin status (except I believe the Grills are offered a broader range of fruit selections).

 

My suggestions would be (1) to only order one basket then check verbally, rather than fill out a second form… (2) if on a shorter voyage don't order fruit that needs to ripen (like a pear)

 

Happy Sailing!

[Salacia]

For the first time, I requested a fruit basket on May 9th 2014 QM2 crossing by filling out the fruit basket request form left in my cabin.

 

When nothing arrived the next day, I filled in a second form. On the third day, the first fruit basket arrived. On the fourth day the SECOND fruit basket arrived. On the fifth day, I consolidated the fruit from both baskets, so our stewart could remove one of the baskets. On the sixth and seventh days, we ate a lot of fruit ; )

 

We were in an inside Britannia cabin. Fruit is another thing not affect by cabin status (except I believe the Grills are offered a broader range of fruit selections).

 

My suggestions would be (1) to only order one basket then check verbally, rather than fill out a second form… (2) if on a shorter voyage don't order fruit that needs to ripen (like a pear)

 

Happy Sailing!

 

Hi Jimmybean. If I understand correctly, you had an inside cabin (Britannia Category) on QM2 and were given a form regarding your fruit basket preferences? Very nice service, but not something I have experienced on my previous dozen voyages on QM2 (Britannia balcony).

 

Your experience is more recent than mine, so I take it that it is a change in service? (In past years, that fruit request form was unavailable to Britannia category passengers, so it appears to be a fairly recent change?) -S

Edited July 6, 2014 by Salacia

[Underwatr]

It's always been a touted amenity of even an inside stateroom but it seems that there has always been some issue in actually providing it.

Edited July 6, 2014 by Underwatr

[jimmybean]

Hi Jimmybean. If I understand correctly, you had an inside cabin (Britannia Category) on QM2 and were given a form regarding your fruit basket preferences? Very nice service, but not something I have experienced on my previous dozen voyages on QM2 (Britannia balcony).

 

Your experience is more recent than mine, so I take it that it is a change in service? (In past years, that fruit request form was unavailable to Britannia category passengers, so it appears to be a fairly recent change?) -S

 

It was the 10th Anniversary Crossing, so I think (in some ways) there was more effort put into delivering some of the niceties. At the same time, I doubt if this was across the board. Service on Cunard ships is never particularly consistent--in my experience.

 

This was the first time I ordered the cabin fruit basket, but I'm pretty sure we have had order forms left on the desk on other Cunard voyages (while staying in inside cabins). Nothing consistent, however. On some other voyages: no fruits basket order forms left in the room.

 

We have traveled with Cunard since 2007 and spent a little over 100 days on Cunard ships. My sense is that the explanation lies in inconsistency of service standards rather than any policy changes, although it is difficult to know… Probably, we need to do more data collection on this one. (Gotta get you back on the ship, Salacia--if only to help with the research ; )

 

Actually, I agree with your suggestion to just pick up fruit as desired in Kings Court for the reasons you detailed. What can one do with a rock-hard pear on the day before disembarkation? (It's not like I would have the luxury of throwing it anywhere like DDBINK1 -- you know: inside cabin, no balcony from which to chuck unwanted fruit)

 

Nonetheless, I did want to share my two-fruit basket experience : ) (Yes, yes: Jimmytwofruitbaskets : ) but I prefer to go by Jimmybean...

[jimmybean]

It's always been a touted amenity of even an inside stateroom but it seems that there has always been some issue in actually providing it.

 

Underwatr, I think cabin stewards are asked to preform impossible numbers of tasks…. And, something has to give. …Fruitbasket request forms may be just the right size and shape to fall through the cracks...

 

(Often, too, the TV programming guide can be difficult to come by--but that is an entirely different story)

 

Our steward on May 9th crossing was responsible for 12 cabins (many actually having balconies!!!!) Possibly, the steward left the fruitbasket-order-forms thinking --because we had never ordered fruit before--this would be a safe thing to do. Little did she know. I not only filled out ONE form. I filled in that SECOND one, too.

 

Well, we all learn from mistakes.

 

Next voyage, I will be wondering why there is no fruit basket request form in our cabin---was it a policy shift or the bad reputation I earned from abusing/over-using fruit basket requests in '14???

[Salacia]

Underwatr, I think cabin stewards are asked to preform impossible numbers of tasks…. And, something has to give. …Fruitbasket request forms may be just the right size and shape to fall through the cracks...

 

(Often, too, the TV programming guide can be difficult to come by--but that is an entirely different story)

 

Our steward on May 9th crossing was responsible for 12 cabins (many actually having balconies!!!!) Possibly, the steward left the fruitbasket-order-forms thinking --because we had never ordered fruit before--this would be a safe thing to do. Little did she know. I not only filled out ONE form. I filled in that SECOND one, too.

 

Well, we all learn from mistakes.

 

Next voyage, I will be wondering why there is no fruit basket request form in our cabin---was it a policy shift or the bad reputation I earned from abusing/over-using fruit basket requests in '14???

 

TV Programming guide? Please, tell me more about...is it now in printed form in addition to being on screen - a long tortuous flip through TV channels ?

Edited July 6, 2014 by Salacia

[jimmybean]

TV Programming guide? Please, tell me more about...is it now in printed form in addition to being on screen - a long tortuous flip through TV channels ?

 

We have sometimes received a paper TV programming guide---but never consistently (even on the same long voyage).

 

The one in our cabin on May 9th crossing (labelled clearly "May 9th") HAD no correct information. It was hysterical. Every one of the listed movies, etc, was wrong… Nothing correlated by date and time.

 

I tell you: you need to come onboard, bring a clipboard, and help me start tallying all the inconsistencies, weirdnesses, and just plain funny business.

 

Or, we could go up to the Commodore and have a glass of wine and laugh about it.

[pepperrn]

I tell you: you need to come onboard, bring a clipboard, and help me start tallying all the inconsistencies, weirdnesses, and just plain funny business. Or, we could go up to the Commodore and have a glass of wine and laugh about it.

Well I'd choose the glass of wine, or rather glasses ;) as, if we were waiting for someone to report back with that list of "all the inconsistencies, weirdnesses, and just plain funny business" we could be waiting a very long time indeed! :D

 

Thank you, happy sailings to you, jimmybean :)

[Ray66]

TV Programming guide? Please, tell me more about...is it now in printed form in addition to being on screen - a long tortuous flip through TV channels ?

 

We had a paper TV programme guide on our QM2 crossings last month. It came in useful to know when they were showing Life on Mars and the latest version of the Great Gatsby with Leonardo diCaprio.

 

I've never been aware of an on screen guide, but we've had paper ones a few times.