QV Fjords 14th Aug 2022 Conclusion

[2BACRUISER]

As I said at the end of my review Dare to dream?..........We did! I said I would write a further conclusion to our trip on QV so here goes. 
You can find my review here https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=690233
I also did a What I wore post too find it here 

As you may have read in the review our trip on QV was in all a positive experience however there were some aspects and thoughts that I thought merited further exploring. I kept a diary whilst onboard and wrote down random thoughts as they occurred to me. Some of them may feel nit picky but as new eyes to Cunard I thought the prospective might be of interest. 
•    Not one sighting of an officer thro’ out the whole trip. Now I realise that they are still dodging Covid but on Gala nights it would have been nice to see a uniform doing the rounds even gloved and masked. It sometimes felt like we were on a crewless ship despite daily announcements by the Bridge. 
•    This leads me to my other gripe, not important to some but no photographer which was a blow to us as this is the only time we get any decent pictures of ourselves together, we’re rubbish at selfies! An alternative would be to have a member of staff taking them for you using your camera/phone, we had to rely on the kindness of fellow passengers to take some photos for us unfortunately they have ended up on the cutting room floor!! Big gaping space where the photo gallery would normally have been, totally empty not doing anything not earning any money. 
•    Staffing levels in MDR and bars seemed to be at full strength where there was a noticeable shortage was front of house, Voyage Sales, Excursion office and Pursers desk seemed like the Marie Celeste with the first two on appointment only or very short hours.
•    Moving onto Future Voyage Sales we called in to collect a Brochure but there were none on the shelf through the door and the staff on the desk (already dealing with other people) looked at us somewhat murderously so we departed hastily.  We did think about making an appointment but it seemed silly for a brochure and a chat, we tend to book spontaneously no chance of that on QV. 
•    I mentioned in my review about the neglected state of the outside glass all across QV from the decks to our own balcony. Another cutback perhaps that Cunard cant afford to have the windows cleaned outside these days in port, you usually see chaps on hanging trolleys doing such things but again is this down to staff shortages, not a major deal breaker but just spoils the luxury feel.
•    Price of excursions – we did two Cunard walks Haguesund and Alesund. Have to say they were imo pricey ($63 each and around 20+ in group  that’s some mark up) BUT both had superb guides and we enjoyed them. I booked independent activities in Olden and Stavanger almost identical to the Cunard advertised ones for half the price. So do your research. 
•    Gratuities -  yup that old chestnut. We knew about them and left the auto gratuities in place $161 approx for the two of us for the week and we also tipped extra to our wait staff and cabin steward, however what really got our goat was the extra 15% on drinks. We definitely cut back on our drinks instead of two drinks before dinner one, instead of two bottles of wine at dinner one and often we went without a night cap. We weren’t the only ones we overheard several conversations on deck about9 this; one couple, ex P&Oers said it spoiled their trip and though P&O wasn’t as good as it used to be which is why they’d tried Cunard in the first place, they’d probably go back to P&O for more realistic drinks prices. 
•    This is one that will get you really humming – underuse of The Queens Room in the evening. Most nights we spent some time on the edges of the QR either before theatre or afterwards. Five of the seven nights there was this poor girl singing to nobody who was interested, I think most just go for a comfy seat and an after dinner snooze! We only ever saw 4-6 couples ‘ballroom’ dancing. Waiters wandered round like lost souls looking for customers. Compare that to the 2 nights there were music acts on and the room was alive  bursting and jumping I bet they sold more drinks those two nights than the other five put together. Ballroom dancers were shunted off to G32 those nights (7-11pm)  and if I were Cunard that’s where I’d leave them 5 nights out of 7. Although people love Strictly there’s still not many out there who feel they can ballroom dance to any level! The QR is QV’s show piece alongside the theatre make sure it is for goodness sake and see your revenue increase. 
We enjoyed Cunard but we could clearly see that they are at a crossroads and not sure which way to go. Sadly the Cunarders of old are literally a dying breed (sorry) and they need to look to adapt to this . They cant compete with the likes of Seabourn, Regent et al on the super luxury front and they don’t want to follow the market down like Princess and P&O who both have larger ships to fill with the mass market so where does that leave them?
Cunards big selling point is its exclusivity with just three ships QV, QE and in future QA (I don’t include QM2 in this as she is unique), the dress code (most people like the chance to glam up, yes even you blokes!) high standards of service and quality of food.  Their target customer is the Saga, Viking and Riviera Travel type customer, maybe retired or still working (as we are) empty nesters with still some disposable income that are looking for best bang for our buck to steal an Americanism.  All the recent reviews I read for QV mentioned standards slipping and I think in the short term we have to accept this as part of the aftermath of the Pandemic however this excuse cannot go on for ever.  Cunard has to be seen as the cruise line that provides luxury and something a bit extra special.
We work hard to save for our holidays they are precious to us. Its not always easy to work them round our busy lives and with other demands these days on our finances we like to have a good idea of how much its going to cost. For sailings on these 3 ships I’d include all gratuities in the cruise price  (they buy booze tax fee?) theres nothing like feeling nickeled and dimed as to put people off a cruise line (why do you think Princess and P&O now includes them?) I AM NOT suggesting they go down the all inclusive line perish the thought. 
I think Cunard have their TV adverts spot on Dare To Dream (my DH didn’t get them at first until I explained the meaning) because that’s what Cunard is to a lot of people like us, often a once in a lifetime experience, a bucket list item, for celebrating a special life event or just a spot of indulgence.  
Cunard need to maintain what they have but some changes need to be made to keep them relevant to today’s cruisers. Slogan Cunard making peoples dreams come true.

Ps nearly a week on I’ve not had an email with the how did we do survey yet?? 

[Victoria2]

Queens room seems pretty active so far on our trip. Last night there wasn’t a spare chair, never mind table, to be had.

[exlondoner]

1 hour ago, 2BACRUISER said:

As I said at the end of my review Dare to dream?..........We did! I said I would write a further conclusion to our trip on QV so here goes. 
You can find my review here https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=690233
I also did a What I wore post too find it here 

As you may have read in the review our trip on QV was in all a positive experience however there were some aspects and thoughts that I thought merited further exploring. I kept a diary whilst onboard and wrote down random thoughts as they occurred to me. Some of them may feel nit picky but as new eyes to Cunard I thought the prospective might be of interest. 
•    Not one sighting of an officer thro’ out the whole trip. Now I realise that they are still dodging Covid but on Gala nights it would have been nice to see a uniform doing the rounds even gloved and masked. It sometimes felt like we were on a crewless ship despite daily announcements by the Bridge. 
•    This leads me to my other gripe, not important to some but no photographer which was a blow to us as this is the only time we get any decent pictures of ourselves together, we’re rubbish at selfies! An alternative would be to have a member of staff taking them for you using your camera/phone, we had to rely on the kindness of fellow passengers to take some photos for us unfortunately they have ended up on the cutting room floor!! Big gaping space where the photo gallery would normally have been, totally empty not doing anything not earning any money. 
•    Staffing levels in MDR and bars seemed to be at full strength where there was a noticeable shortage was front of house, Voyage Sales, Excursion office and Pursers desk seemed like the Marie Celeste with the first two on appointment only or very short hours.
•    Moving onto Future Voyage Sales we called in to collect a Brochure but there were none on the shelf through the door and the staff on the desk (already dealing with other people) looked at us somewhat murderously so we departed hastily.  We did think about making an appointment but it seemed silly for a brochure and a chat, we tend to book spontaneously no chance of that on QV. 
•    I mentioned in my review about the neglected state of the outside glass all across QV from the decks to our own balcony. Another cutback perhaps that Cunard cant afford to have the windows cleaned outside these days in port, you usually see chaps on hanging trolleys doing such things but again is this down to staff shortages, not a major deal breaker but just spoils the luxury feel.
•    Price of excursions – we did two Cunard walks Haguesund and Alesund. Have to say they were imo pricey ($63 each and around 20+ in group  that’s some mark up) BUT both had superb guides and we enjoyed them. I booked independent activities in Olden and Stavanger almost identical to the Cunard advertised ones for half the price. So do your research. 
•    Gratuities -  yup that old chestnut. We knew about them and left the auto gratuities in place $161 approx for the two of us for the week and we also tipped extra to our wait staff and cabin steward, however what really got our goat was the extra 15% on drinks. We definitely cut back on our drinks instead of two drinks before dinner one, instead of two bottles of wine at dinner one and often we went without a night cap. We weren’t the only ones we overheard several conversations on deck about9 this; one couple, ex P&Oers said it spoiled their trip and though P&O wasn’t as good as it used to be which is why they’d tried Cunard in the first place, they’d probably go back to P&O for more realistic drinks prices. 
•    This is one that will get you really humming – underuse of The Queens Room in the evening. Most nights we spent some time on the edges of the QR either before theatre or afterwards. Five of the seven nights there was this poor girl singing to nobody who was interested, I think most just go for a comfy seat and an after dinner snooze! We only ever saw 4-6 couples ‘ballroom’ dancing. Waiters wandered round like lost souls looking for customers. Compare that to the 2 nights there were music acts on and the room was alive  bursting and jumping I bet they sold more drinks those two nights than the other five put together. Ballroom dancers were shunted off to G32 those nights (7-11pm)  and if I were Cunard that’s where I’d leave them 5 nights out of 7. Although people love Strictly there’s still not many out there who feel they can ballroom dance to any level! The QR is QV’s show piece alongside the theatre make sure it is for goodness sake and see your revenue increase. 
We enjoyed Cunard but we could clearly see that they are at a crossroads and not sure which way to go. Sadly the Cunarders of old are literally a dying breed (sorry) and they need to look to adapt to this . They cant compete with the likes of Seabourn, Regent et al on the super luxury front and they don’t want to follow the market down like Princess and P&O who both have larger ships to fill with the mass market so where does that leave them?
Cunards big selling point is its exclusivity with just three ships QV, QE and in future QA (I don’t include QM2 in this as she is unique), the dress code (most people like the chance to glam up, yes even you blokes!) high standards of service and quality of food.  Their target customer is the Saga, Viking and Riviera Travel type customer, maybe retired or still working (as we are) empty nesters with still some disposable income that are looking for best bang for our buck to steal an Americanism.  All the recent reviews I read for QV mentioned standards slipping and I think in the short term we have to accept this as part of the aftermath of the Pandemic however this excuse cannot go on for ever.  Cunard has to be seen as the cruise line that provides luxury and something a bit extra special.
We work hard to save for our holidays they are precious to us. Its not always easy to work them round our busy lives and with other demands these days on our finances we like to have a good idea of how much its going to cost. For sailings on these 3 ships I’d include all gratuities in the cruise price  (they buy booze tax fee?) theres nothing like feeling nickeled and dimed as to put people off a cruise line (why do you think Princess and P&O now includes them?) I AM NOT suggesting they go down the all inclusive line perish the thought. 
I think Cunard have their TV adverts spot on Dare To Dream (my DH didn’t get them at first until I explained the meaning) because that’s what Cunard is to a lot of people like us, often a once in a lifetime experience, a bucket list item, for celebrating a special life event or just a spot of indulgence.  
Cunard need to maintain what they have but some changes need to be made to keep them relevant to today’s cruisers. Slogan Cunard making peoples dreams come true.

Ps nearly a week on I’ve not had an email with the how did we do survey yet?? 

 

Thanks you for your interesting report and review. It is nice to see someone write about trivial annoyances, while recognising they are trivial and not a reason for saying the cruise was dire.

 

A few points:

 

On our QM2 cruise, there were photographers and the glass on our balcony was cleaned. So perhaps both things will happen on QV soon.

 

If you want to see officers and have a Sunday sea day, go to church. The service is taken by the captain and several other officers attend. Also, on QM2, there is the joy of the bridge viewing area. One time the Deputy Captain actually came out and conversed. I know this isn't possible on the other ships.

 

I really don't think the wine is that expensive. Their cheaper wines are definitely cheaper than the house wines in the family hotel I stayed in in Devon earlier in the year, though I agree the 15% service charge is mildly irritating. Even more irritating is leaving a space for extra gratuities on the receipt.

 

It seems to me that by giving anyone who books the full fare a little OBC, they are in effect, paying the service charge, with a tiny bit left over.

 

Are you expecting to go with Cunard again?

[exlondoner]

Oh, I forgot to say, I never got a survey either.

[2BACRUISER]

1 hour ago, exlondoner said:

Are you expecting to go with Cunard again?

Yes most definitely, there was plenty to please us and we feel we're their target audience, both still working, usually use Riviera, have some disposable income 😀 just! Like a bit of us time in nice surroundings.   The other bonus is Cunards itineraries have that little bit different twists to them  we've done the med to death so looking for new horizons the ultimate when we retire Australia and New Zealand. Better get saving up lol 😆 🙃 

[Host Hattie]

3 hours ago, Victoria2 said:

Queens room seems pretty active so far on our trip. Last night there wasn’t a spare chair, never mind table, to be had.

Just shows how things can change by cruise and also time of the evening. If the show is popular other areas of the ship can be quiet while people are in the theatre.

[Host Hattie]

@2BACRUISER thank you very much for taking the time to post your review and your additional thoughts.

I'm looking forward to hearing about your next trip !

[carolina_yankee]

I’ve really appreciated your takes as whole plus the areas for further exploration since we just booked QV. From what I’ve read, all cruise lines are having issues with either staffing or having experienced staff so standards have slipped across the board. Some ships seem to be better than others as cruise lines focus their resources. I think of this summer as the true first “back to normal for travel” season and we’ve seen that infrastructure simply couldn’t cope. I hope things improve for next summer.

 

I’m shocked about no photographers! That has to be a money maker, particularly for Cunard with the emphasis on dressing up. We’ve cruised enough to no longer care about photographers, but I would definitely want some photos on a Cunard cruise. However, if you ask us to help you with your selfie, we’ll happily say yes, and they won’t be on the cutting room floor. 😉

 

I’ve notice the Tips for Travelers  on YouTube puts Cunard in the same class as Celebrity, Princess, and HAL, and, of course, Carnival owns three of those four. I have to wonder if there are some serious questions at corporate level about how to differentiate the brands while keeping income. I would think there is room for Cunard to grow with younger generations if they maintain traditions while providing better tech, mix up some entertainment, upgrade the cabin bathrooms, and add access to some dining options.  

 

Most of the lines now have dual class service with their Yacht Clubs, Havens, Retreats, etc., so Cunard actually won that battle. To be honest, I like Cunard’s approach. They don’t seem to rub it in your face that Brittania are 2nd class. There is plenty of elegance and all have same access to what’s important.

 

I’m a huge Disney fan and I’ve pulled back because they have made it clear they only want to give the best to the wealthiest. For the money, I can sail Cunard, take river cruises, fulfill global travel dreams and have real experiences. With better service.

 

As for surveys, very poor form not to send out one or take one at the end of the cruise. I would be tempted to email them my thoughts as a result. It’s concerning if they don’t want to know what their guests think. While the CC reviews seem to be balanced for the most part, the Trip Adviser reviews are brutal.

 

Edited August 26, 2022 by carolina_yankee

[Victoria2]

 

 I’m on  Victoria at the moment and admittedly have not and will not be able to experience the whole ship.

My daily deck 3 pounding has been curtailed by areas roped off for the never ending ‘housekeeping' occasionally and there’s a bit of a varnish smell around, but I would dearly love to know what I’m missing so that I can include the warts as well as the bouquets in my summing up oh our first cruise post pandemic.

[Glenndale]

I can’t see how you can say that Saga and Viking travellers are Cunard’s target market.

They both have smaller ships and are all balcony, much newer ships too.

The crew on these ships are generally more friendly and helpful IMO

No restricted areas and excellent included speciality restaurants.

Gratuities included.

Saga included wine with meals and spirits and cocktails in bars.

Viking include wine with meals and it’s possible to purchase a drinks package at around $20 per day. 
Specialty coffees, soft drinks etc. included. Both lines have some included excursions.

No way are Cunard in competition with these 2 lines.

I’m a Diamond world club member with experience on Cunard in Britannia, Club, PG and QG and know where I prefer to spend my ‘Grey pound’.

I’ve also travelled with Saga and Viking so can speak from experience.

[Host Hattie]

Aren't they generally more expensive as well?

[Glenndale]

14 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

Aren't they generally more expensive as well?

They are generally more expensive but it depends on when you book, especially with Saga the best time is when itineraries are released. I priced up an Iceland cruise on Cunard and Saga when Saga released their 2023 brochure.

Saga were around £150 or so more expensive than Cunard, based on mid ship balconies but when the inclusions are taken into account, much better value.

No last minute reductions with Saga. 

Viking are more expensive but the experience is excellent and much cheaper compared with QG. 

I just don’t see their guests as a target for Cunard

JMHO

 

[2BACRUISER]

4 minutes ago, Glenndale said:

I  just don’t see their guests as a target for Cunard

JMHO

 

But they are these are the passengers with the most disposable income, not wealthy enough to go Regent et al but plenty to spend on a 'luxury' line that's why Cunard has to up its game. 

[Glenndale]

2 minutes ago, 2BACRUISER said:

But they are these are the passengers with the most disposable income, not wealthy enough to go Regent et al but plenty to spend on a 'luxury' line that's why Cunard has to up its game. 

Unfortunately I don’t see Cunard as luxury. IMO it’s a mass market line but obviously opinions differ. 

[2BACRUISER]

22 minutes ago, Glenndale said:

Unfortunately I don’t see Cunard as luxury. IMO it’s a mass market line but obviously opinions differ. 

Wow that hurts, right up there with boing and ouch. Defo would not consider Cunard mass market but as you say each to their own opinion! 🙂👍

Edited August 26, 2022 by 2BACRUISER
Predictive text lol 😆

[Jack E Dawson]

8 hours ago, 2BACRUISER said:

We enjoyed Cunard but we could clearly see that they are at a crossroads and not sure which way to go.

2BACRUISER, I think you have hit the nail on the head. Every great business has a corporate culture that drives everything from strategic planning to day to day operations and it has to come from the top. I'm not even sure that the position of Cunard CEO/President has even been filled (or ever will be). I think the head of Carnival UK is currently taxed with that duty as his time permits. To a certain degree, I think it can be said that currently the corporate culture of Cunard is being driven by its core passenger base.

Thanks for the excellent review and followup. 

Jack

[si_boy]

We were on the same cruise and as Platinum members we had high expectations which were mostly met.
We were aghast that there was no ship photography whatsoever including at Gala nights and walking through the area of the ship where they usually display all the bright and glossy photos was just an empty and wasted space.
A kind waiter offered to take our photos on the main staircase which was a nice touch, good photos too and better than our selfies!

Agree with all your comments A2BACRUISER, many of the loyal Cunard passengers are not getting any younger and Cunard need to be thinking of this when considering the future.
We are only in our early 50s.

As others have mentioned no sandwiches at lunchtime in the Lido and replaced by a pizza and pasta bar. In fact many of the stations at the Lido were closed and empty unlike previous cruises. Noticeable at breakfast and lunch.
We came away thinking Cunard had made a number of decisions to save money.

A new thing was being able to see the dinner menu for the MDR in the morning which helped inform our choice as to where to eat that night. We are used to seeing the menu at around 4pm each afternoon. 

Disemarking on the Sunday we did spot that the dinner menu was exactly the same as the previous Sunday when we embarked, so they are repeated. Saves on the printing of the menus…

With other cruises lines moving to ‘all inclusive’ Cunard need to think of how to best take this forward. Yes there is a coffee or soft drinks package, but at $10 a day each for each package, for the 2 of us this would be $280 plus the daily gratuity and no alcohol! That’s extra.

We often found the Queens Room fairly busy, until it was a few minutes before 10pm and the place emptied as everyone went to see tha late show.

Those that went to the early show were probably in bed at this time enjoying  a nice cup of Horlicks.

I can understand Cunard not printing brochures and future cruise schedules can be viewed online while onboard without the need to take an Internet package. I realise that lots of people like to read a printed brochure, and if one was available I would probably have picked one up.

An interesting one when comparing to previous cruise is the lack of activities during the day. If you read the daily programme it still spanned the two pages, but when you looked closely so many of the ‘activities’ was Catzz in Commodore Club, guitarist in the lobby etc. you get the idea.
No harpist on this cruise and we are so used to seeing the blonde lady, I forget her name.

Maybe she is on QE or QM2.

Against all this there are some positives, canapés served in Commodore Club one night were plentiful and it wasn’t a Gala night. Crisps and nuts, followed by canapés followed by hot canapés including spring rolls. We had to decline as we would not been able to eat dinner.

Having read my post I really should add a review ! 

[Yorkshire Mike]

I tend to agree that Cunard are struggling with identity.  The Cunard image is refined and elegant (Or old-fashioned and stuffy, depending on how you feel about it), but the reality is almost as casual as like, except for a very few nights per cruise, and even then you don’t have to join in.  They’re no different from, for example, Fred Olsen, in that respect.
Now, especially with a new and bigger ship coming into the fleet, they’re clearly trading on past glories and reputation and trying to attract a new demographic to sell bed-nights whilst desperate not to lose revenue from a loyal following that doesn’t want change.
Tricky.  I worked for an international blue-chip grocery company that destroyed a major part of their own business in similar circumstances.

For us, things like the evening entertainment and daytime activities and photographers and visible officers are utterly irrelevant, but the feeling of calm and spaciousness throughout the ship is fundamental, and if that changes we’d look elsewhere.  Clearly others have different priorities, and that makes Cunard’s job even harder.
At base, Cunard need to decide what they are and what they offer their guests, communicate that offer very clearly, much more clearly than their current TV ad does, and make sure what they actually deliver is the same as they promised to deliver.

At the moment they’re tending toward neither fish nor fowl.
 

[exlondoner]

33 minutes ago, Yorkshire Mike said:

I tend to agree that Cunard are struggling with identity.  The Cunard image is refined and elegant (Or old-fashioned and stuffy, depending on how you feel about it), but the reality is almost as casual as like, except for a very few nights per cruise, and even then you don’t have to join in.  They’re no different from, for example, Fred Olsen, in that respect.
Now, especially with a new and bigger ship coming into the fleet, they’re clearly trading on past glories and reputation and trying to attract a new demographic to sell bed-nights whilst desperate not to lose revenue from a loyal following that doesn’t want change.
Tricky.  I worked for an international blue-chip grocery company that destroyed a major part of their own business in similar circumstances.

For us, things like the evening entertainment and daytime activities and photographers and visible officers are utterly irrelevant, but the feeling of calm and spaciousness throughout the ship is fundamental, and if that changes we’d look elsewhere.  Clearly others have different priorities, and that makes Cunard’s job even harder.
At base, Cunard need to decide what they are and what they offer their guests, communicate that offer very clearly, much more clearly than their current TV ad does, and make sure what they actually deliver is the same as they promised to deliver.

At the moment they’re tending toward neither fish nor fowl.
 

 

That's right, calm and spaciousness - along with very good food and service. I'm not sure how spacious the new ship will seem, but we'll see.

[Yorkshire Mike]

52 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

 

That's right, calm and spaciousness - along with very good food and service. I'm not sure how spacious the new ship will seem, but we'll see.

The chap in Voyage Sales gave us sizes and passenger numbers to ‘prove’ it would when we asked that very question.  However, half as many passengers again on a ship not really much bigger than Queen Vic/Liz?  As you say, only experience will tell.

On the other hand, I’d happily bet the food will be as good, it simply has to be, poor  snap is probably the easiest way to alienate your customers.  
Service?  Who knows, presumably Cunard will shift some experienced crew across to teach newbies, and enforce ‘Cunard way or gangway’, as one waiter once explained Cunard’s HR policy to us, but they will still need to recruit and train/retrain a lot of new staff.

Not that it matters to me.  Not booking on owt that ugly.

[Victoria2]

No photographers is a bonus as far as I’m concerned and.      there are plenty of Cunard Aug22-May24 brochures in the future voyage  sales office now.

Edited August 27, 2022 by Victoria2

[2BACRUISER]

6 hours ago, Victoria2 said:

and.      there are plenty of Cunard Aug22-May24 brochures in the future voyage  sales office now.

Maybe they read my post lol 😆 😂