Tea, gluten free menus, sweet n low, paperback book exchange

[MaisonRose]

Pax Dec 13 QM2 and trying to nail down some rather trivial questions. About paperbacks, normally we can leave behind books for others. Has this changed because of CoVid?  I like to lighten the load at the end of my journey.

Secondly, what brand of tea bags are in the cabins and is Sweet n Low (those iconic pink packets) available or should I bring some?

Finally, has anyone followed a gluten free regimen on Cunard? I’d love to get feedback on GF menus. My cruise experience has ranged from « second citizen » to impressive adaptations from the kitchen. However, In some cases I’ve had to chase down GF bread at a distant station in a buffet, and sometimes... I’m hoping that the vast experience exhibited on this form will shine its light on my minor inquiries: thanks so much.

The last I sailed a Queen Mary was August, 1963.🤪

cheers,

Susan M.

[Craigrlewis]

My mum is coeliac and has never had a problem with finding enough to eat on board!

 

She loves that the GF cakes with afternoon tea are not just brownies.

 

1st night they adapt the menu ad hoc then sometime during dinner they bring the next evenings menu and she orders from that ahead of time.  
 

Bit disappointing for us her fellow table mates as we dont get the excitement of viewing the menu outside the Britannia mid afternoon!

 

Only once did we have an issue-1st night of a cruise and the waiter snapped “no gf bread today as its first night”.
He was pretty dismissive so a quick word in the maitre’ds ear and hey presto gf bread was then produced and an apology from the waiter who then seemed to have a personality transplant and couldn't have been nicer. Maitre d then every evening came over twice to check she had everything she wanted/needed
Guess we all have off days.

 

Golden Lion menu doesn’t (or didn't the last cruises I took) have anything gf.

 

We/she have found all the staff know what you are talking about and all of them will assist you in whatever dining area you are in and a lot even double check if they are unsure

 

 

[Dranuc2016]

I could not find Sweet-N-Low on board (or any "pink" off brands).  There is another kind of sugar free sweetener available. I was glad I packed a handful of Sweet-N-Low packets.  They weigh almost nothing.

[Underwatr]

Note that the UK formulation of Sweet'N Low is Ace-K and aspartame as opposed to the US formulation which is saccharine, both in a pink packet.

 

I'm pretty sure I've seen pink packets onboard Cunard but it has been a couple of years.

Edited November 21, 2021 by Underwatr

[MaisonRose]

3 hours ago, Dranuc2016 said:

I could not find Sweet-N-Low on board (or any "pink" off brands).  There is another kind of sugar free sweetener available. I was glad I packed a handful of Sweet-N-Low packets.  They weigh almost nothing.

 

[MaisonRose]

Just now, MaisonRose said:

Thank you: very good to know. I am visiting in the UK for the first ten days (in case we have to quarantine) and am fairly sure I can find them. I know that Euston Station cafes offer sweet n low, so they must be on sale somewhere. I am transitting from my French second home to the USA and after six months, I'm about to run out of my bulk boxes that I brought over...one box per month! I know by the internet that bulk is not sold in the UK. I absolutely can't stand Truvia so I'll come prepared: thanks for letting me know.

People think S&L might be unhealthy but I've been living with this saccharin for 60 years and when I tried to switch nothing tasted the same. Call me Grumpy Old Lady!!!

 

[rakkor]

 

 

These are the sweeteners we have on-board today

[Underwatr]

From looking around online, I think the red one on top is equivalent to the UK version of Sweet'N Low ("Pink Packet") or the US version of Equal Original ("Blue Packet").

I think the lower one is equivalent to Splenda in the US or UK ("Yellow Packet")

[MaisonRose]

Here’s a follow up now that we’re home. About those pink packets of Sweet n Low, which are not provided on QM2. My Dorset friends ordered many a packet from amazon so I had them on board. As a member mentioned in a reply, the pinkies from the UK are not with saccarine and the Canderel brand also tasted strange (I.e. not my cup of tea) so as it turned out I never had one satisfying cup of tea on the ship. From now on I will always travel with the brand sold in the USA. I don’t expect every ship to cater to me personally, after all.

Having said that, the brand of tea bags was a large mix of Twinings and one tea bag was perfect for the bone China teacups in the cabin: I remember English Breakfast and one other but supplied my cabin with Earl Grey from the Lido. Many flavors were available.

Having a kettle, spoons, teacup and saucer, tea bags, instant coffee, sugar, sweetener and « biscuits » next to the desk in our balcony cabin was my #1 treat on QM2. The instant coffee was preferred my BH who found the Lido coffee undrinkable.

As everyone agrees, the afternoon tea in the Queens Room at 3:30 was well attended and enjoyed.

As for the GF selection, I found the situation a bit awkward. The low point was being served a slice of GF white bread with dinner. Anyway, I gave up (just as well) and had one piece of GF toast from the Lido health section in the Kings Cafe: I then carried it to the main lido to enjoy with my PRECOOKED FRIED EGGS. The scrambled eggs were surely powdered.

There was a large bakery area: ask for a bagel to go with the smoked salmon garnishes. Ask.

After all, transatlantic wise this was the QM2’s first rodeo in two years and it showed. Things did not go smoothly and except for salads and desserts, the food was a letdown. Unimaginative. Overcooked. Boring. I was glad that I wouldn’t have to face those menus for the next two weeks  (my trip, the TA, began Dec 13 and returned to the UK some 28 days later, in Jan., 2022.).

Sorry for this long description so let me say that our goal was to get from Europe to the USA safely and Cunard delivered. I will wait though until the wrinkles are straightened out to head out on her again.

[NSWP]

I am a medically diagnosed Coeliac and travelled on many different cruise lines as you see from my signature. I was on QM2 in 2017, Sydney to HK, Gluten Free was done quite well. There was an extension of the buffet where they had healthy options and a good variety of gf food, pizza, sandwices etc could be found there. Dinner time no problem, I got GF rolls and plenty of gf choices. They even had gf crackesr for me with the cheese plate.

 

Overall I would say in my experience QM2 and some of the Princess ships did a very good job on the gf items.

[Jack E Dawson]

On 11/20/2021 at 3:46 PM, MaisonRose said:

 

Secondly, what brand of tea bags are in the cabins and is Sweet n Low (those iconic pink packets) available or should I bring some?

 

Susan,

On our 2017 and 2018 QM2 Crossings, Sweet & Low was readily available. However, who knows what's going on these days. But  as Dranuc2016 suggested, bring some onboard yourself.