QV Review live

[Yorkshire Mike]

As above - it's the first QV review since she started crusing again, and the first since 2020 - happy to answer questions as I'm well aware the things that are important to me don't matter to others and vice versa.

 

It's here https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/memberreviews/getreviews.cfm?action=ship&ShipID=376

 

Oh - and not sure why it says it was a Baltic, it was Norway, Iceland and Orkney!

[Victoria2]

Wonderful to hear and great review.

Definite thumbs up from me.

Thank you.🙂

 

[Host Hattie]

Great review, thank you very much for submitting it and posting here.

I hope Mrs Mike is recovered and you stayed well.

[Yorkshire Mike]

Just now, Victoria2 said:

Wonderful to hear and great review.

Definite thumbs up from me.

Thank you.🙂

 

Thank you - like exlondoner we approached our cruise with some concerns, but were delighted with what we experienced.

[exlondoner]

Just now, Yorkshire Mike said:

Thank you - like exlondoner we approached our cruise with some concerns, but were delighted with what we experienced.

 

Your experiences and ours sound remarkably similar, even down to catching the dreaded Covid. Could Cunard be achieving consistency?

[Yorkshire Mike]

1 minute ago, Host Hattie said:

Great review, thank you very much for submitting it and posting here.

I hope Mrs Mike is recovered and you stayed well.

Thank you - I succumbed a day later, but we're both now recovering.

[Yorkshire Mike]

1 minute ago, exlondoner said:

 

Your experiences and ours sound remarkably similar, even down to catching the dreaded Covid. Could Cunard be achieving consistency?

Not wanting to turn this into a covid thread, but I do wonder how cruise lines are going to deal with covid going forward.  A certified negative test on embarkation is probably as far as you can go, being realistic, but it's still not a guarantee there's no infection, and now that's been dropped the numbers infected that are boarding will inevitably rise, so there will be more in isolation, more stress on room service and so on. I suppose ultimately it'll have to evolve into living with it, like a cold.  OK if you're not vulnerable or get a 'bad' strain.

[exlondoner]

8 minutes ago, Yorkshire Mike said:

Not wanting to turn this into a covid thread, but I do wonder how cruise lines are going to deal with covid going forward.  A certified negative test on embarkation is probably as far as you can go, being realistic, but it's still not a guarantee there's no infection, and now that's been dropped the numbers infected that are boarding will inevitably rise, so there will be more in isolation, more stress on room service and so on. I suppose ultimately it'll have to evolve into living with it, like a cold.  OK if you're not vulnerable or get a 'bad' strain.

 

As cunard do, they can continue to insist on jabs, and boosters, as they become available, and, as Cunard do, have antivirals available. Our experience would have been hugely better had we been allowed to quarantine in our cabin, though this would obviously not have been the case with an inside cabin. 

[Yorkshire Mike]

Agreed.  We were allowed to remain where we were as it was the last day, though we had expected to have to move.

[alc13]

Wonderful review, thank you.

 

[2BACRUISER]

Thanks for your review, it's really helped calm my nerves for our trip on QV in 10 days time. We are in n yorks like you and driving down day b4. Premier Inn for us as we took cps parking perk.  Just need to get packing into gear. Thanks again 👍🙂

[Lanky Lad]

Thanks for the review. I am looking forward to joining QV on Tuesday.

[NavyPanda]

11 hours ago, Yorkshire Mike said:

Not wanting to turn this into a covid thread, but I do wonder how cruise lines are going to deal with covid going forward.  A certified negative test on embarkation is probably as far as you can go, being realistic, but it's still not a guarantee there's no infection, and now that's been dropped the numbers infected that are boarding will inevitably rise, so there will be more in isolation, more stress on room service and so on. I suppose ultimately it'll have to evolve into living with it, like a cold.  OK if you're not vulnerable or get a 'bad' strain.

 

The end destination will be no more tests and no more isolation.

 

Cruise lines will not want to be running at under 100% capacity by having isolation cabins for much longer. Isolation cabins do not make the cruise line money. 

 

Mainstream lines, including Cunard, will not wish to cater for the needs of the 'vulnerable' as the costs involved in catering for them will be higher than catering for the non-vulnerable with little if anything in the way as compensation (higher fares/spending) for the increased costs. 

[safarigal]

Thanks for the review. We were on the June 5th Med cruise, her first one back in service after the break, and it really was wonderful. Yes cruising has had to change, but it is still a real treat 🙂

[majortom10]

Find it rather strange and annoying that FCDs are still not being sold to UK cruiser's but are available to US cruiser's. Another anomaly as well as free drinks packages for Grill suite passengers from US but not UK that seems to favour US over UK.

[Jack E Dawson]

Absolutely loved your review but one question, in UK vernacular, what is the difference between fries and chips as we would understand in the States?

Thanks

Jack

[Host Hattie]

It's all about size, fries are skinny things as served with burgers. Chips are more substantial as in Fish &.

Burgers are often served with chips unless you're in McDonald's, never fish with fries !

[Ranchi]

…and (US) chips would be called crisps in UK, I believe. 

Edited August 5, 2022 by Ranchi

[Host Hattie]

21 minutes ago, Ranchi said:

…and (US) chips would be called crisps in UK, I believe. 

True 

[Yorkshire Mike]

Indeed; fries are thin & crispy, and probably made from reconstituted potato, a la burger chains, whilst chips are thick cut pieces of potato that are deep fried.

Think of the difference as being like the kiss you’d give your mum compared to a snog with your partner.

[Petulia]

…and chunky chips make a great ‘chip butty’. 😄

[Yorkshire Mike]

Ooh, yes!  Bet that’d raise eyebrows in Queen’ Grill!  Next time……

[Jack E Dawson]

So in the States it would be:

 

Potato Chips - Bought in bags and usually eaten at home with a sandwich.

 

French Fries - Served at most US fast food chains eaten with burgers 

 

Steak Fries - Served at better restaurants with steak

[Yorkshire Mike]

Close, a UK chip shop would peel the potatoes and not add any sort of coating or flavouring, leaving the customer to add salt and vinegar.  Or gravy, and/or curry sauce, and/or mushy peas and/or brown sauce and/or tomato ketchup and/or a pickled onion, etc.  

The chips themselves can be supplied in a bap, bread bun, or bread roll,  depending on where in the UK they’re purchased, or wrapped in paper, traditionally unsold newspapers from the local press, or a polystyrene box, and with or without a deep fried fish, often haddock in Yorkshire but cod elsewhere, or a sausage, which may or may not be battered, or…..

Sorry.  To be honest, the very best thing you can do is to pop over the pond, head somewhere UK coastal and try them for yourself.

 

[exlondoner]

9 minutes ago, Yorkshire Mike said:

Close, a UK chip shop would peel the potatoes and not add any sort of coating or flavouring, leaving the customer to add salt and vinegar.  Or gravy, and/or curry sauce, and/or mushy peas and/or brown sauce and/or tomato ketchup and/or a pickled onion, etc.  

The chips themselves can be supplied in a bap, bread bun, or bread roll,  depending on where in the UK they’re purchased, or wrapped in paper, traditionally unsold newspapers from the local press, or a polystyrene box, and with or without a deep fried fish, often haddock in Yorkshire but cod elsewhere, or a sausage, which may or may not be battered, or…..

Sorry.  To be honest, the very best thing you can do is to pop over the pond, head somewhere UK coastal and try them for yourself.

 

 

I believe U.K. Chips are best made from a favoured breed of potato. Do you know which it is? The things in the third photo look more like potato wedges to me - worthy, but not really chips.