Live from…. Victoria, Cunard Vs Celebrity, Grills Vs the Retreat

[chemmo]

3 hours ago, swjumbo said:

Chemmo, I don’t suppose you live in Newcastle or Wales do you? If so then we might know each other!

No I don’t think we have met…However, we have met on CC on several occasions!

3 hours ago, swjumbo said:

I’ve got large shoes to fill when I’m on my cruise as the OP has done an amazing job with this thread.

Totally agree a great Review. To me a great review is when you focus on your real interests or have a focus…The OP really has lots to offer re both food and drink…I always follow his posts. Perhaps your focus will be different…

3 hours ago, swjumbo said:

Strange that Celebrity fans are now looking at Cunard.

You know I think lots of people are looking at alternatives now. Products, prices…No industry stands still and also people don’t either…We all move on in life…Long haul is becoming increasingly hard for us…time to consider alternative Southampton cruises

[Se1lad]

Loving the detailed review.  I’m interested to know if you asked your butler for any ingredients to help with your cocktail preparations in your suite  - lemon juice, maraschino cherries etc?

[swjumbo]

14 hours ago, Victoria2 said:

An influx of newbies would certainly help keep the bean counters happy, and me too if it means Cunard stays a going concern! 🙂

I read on another discussion that Cunard is Carnival’s most profitable cruise line.

[Redking]

11 hours ago, chemmo said:

Yes, we did do the UK cruise last year. We did a live review from the PH which I think you contributed to. A pity everyone was focusing on keeping apart on that cruise rather than meeting up! So pleased you are trying Cunard, I will look out on both boards for your comments.  I am sure a comparative review would be enjoyed by many Celebrity regulars. 
 

We have happily cruised Celebrity now for many years finding it a good fit. We like the decor and design of the bigger suites and enjoy the suite perks. We have no complaints with Celebrity, we are not ‘jumping ships’ but if we want to cruise more without flying then Cunard becomes an obvious contender… 
 

Choosing  holidays (of any type) is all about knowing what aspects are important to you but you can risk missing out on new experiences and adventures if you aren’t willing to try something new. Important to us are…

 

A good sized room and balcony 

Bar music (classic and contemporary both enjoyed)

A range of bars to suit all moods

A range of restaurants (classic and casual)

 

Not interested in casinos, big shows, shops…

 

It would appear our concerns are similar. From what I have read on the Cunard board food quality is very good. I have no issues that we would not be well fed. Valuing the OPs food and drink knowledge I would probably concur that if you want fine dining every night then Cunard has the advantage over Celebrity.
 

However, for example, whilst many on the Celebrity board find the food in Tuscan Grill a bit basic (steak/pasta) we love the venue with the fabulous views and it’s pleasant but very relaxed atmosphere. My husband is happy in a comfortable smart polo or open necked shirt I will be in a simple top and skirt…The food is what it is, a decent steak and unpretentious pasta selection. Similar  to what one would get in an Italian Restaurant in most towns and none the worse for it. This will be our choice a couple of nights per cruise. Also some nights we may go in Sushi and simply share a selection of small plates. It is the lack of variety in venues that concerns us on Cunard.

 

Re drinks. We do like the fact the drinks are included on Celebrity. We are not massive drinkers but by the time you add in the cost of decent wine with dinner, speciality coffee, sparkling water and a cocktail or three it is nice not to worry about a final bill! One of the advantages to us of a drinks package is that I then become more experimental. I will try new wines and cocktails. When paying by the bottle or glass I tend to be more conservative. This would not be a deal breaker on booking Cunard for us.

 

Sincere best wishes for a fantastic cruise, really looking forward to reading your opinions.

A great capture as always. Thank you. Please come back and share your experience should you choose Cunard. We have a similar wish list. We have also considered trying luxury lines but end up deciding not to because of the smaller ships possibly not being to our liking. I am taken with the modern look of Viking.

[groryjm]

2 hours ago, Se1lad said:

Loving the detailed review.  I’m interested to know if you asked your butler for any ingredients to help with your cocktail preparations in your suite  - lemon juice, maraschino cherries etc?

Usually when I travel, be it a cruise, self-catering or even an hotel, I bring a selection of miniature bitters, my spritz bottles, simple syrup and my bar roll. The spritzes which usually sit on my bar are absinthe, crème de violet, green chartreuse and Maraschino. I use these when mixing drinks to spray a glass to give it a rinse or spray over a drink as an aromatic garnish. When it comes to traveling it gives me a few basic drinks too if I just add gin or brandy and perhaps citrus. On Celebrity in upper suites and Cunard in QG they provide two bottles of spirits and allow two bottles of wine for in suite consumption.  So my wine choices are a bottle of Lillet Blanc and a bottle of Lillet Rose. My bar roll includes a pair of Bonzer Boston shaker tins, a hawthorne and a conical strainer, a weighted bar spoon, a citrus press and a couple of Japanese jiggers.

 

 

To this I always ask our butler for whole lemons, limes and oranges, soda cranberry juice and suitable knife to cut the citrus.

 

With this I can make us a variety of cocktails and spritzes for our pre diner dressing drinks and our post prandials.

 

As Cunard have a very adult attitude to drinks in the room I also brought a half bottle of decent vermouth, Cointreau, Cognac and Mr Black.

 

All we brought back besides my bitters and spritzes was half a bottle of 3 Qs Victorie gin, our second, some Cointreau, some vodka and a splash of Mr Black.

 

We did get through about a dozen of each citrus which quite surprised our butler. My reasoning being We will never get scurvy 😊.

 

My passion is mixology and I enjoy my passion to the full.

 

Please don’t think we try to stint the cruise lines on paying for drinks. I also bought the full drinks package for us both. I even had an upcharge on that in the Commodore club for a Marmalade Martini but they waived the charge.

[groryjm]

5 hours ago, chemmo said:

…Long haul is becoming increasingly hard for us…time to consider alternative Southampton cruises

This our main reason for trying Cunard. We love the one hour drive to the carpark then straight on to the ship. We don’t enjoy long flights anymore. Celebrity is our comfortable fit but the Itineraries are getting too familiar so we wanted to start branching out.

[techteach]

@groryjm Have you tried Oceania?

[Jim_Iain]

On 10/24/2022 at 9:40 AM, groryjm said:

To conclude……..

 

My aim for this “live from…” was to offer my observations in a comparison between Celebrity and Cunard. In the past we have sailed with Celebrity and mostly in their royal suites (Q2 equivalent) with the occasional Penthouse suite (Q1 equivalent). I feel this puts me in a good position to compare that to the Carpathia suite (Q2) on Queen Victoria, which we vacated this morning.

 

First let me emphasize that this not a Cunard or indeed Celebrity rant as we loved our cruise and would book again for the right itinerary, only in a Q1 or Q2 mind you. There are in, my mind, pros and cons to each line and I hope this will help those wanting to test the waters in another line.

 

The suite

 

A Royal suite on Celebrity (RS) is in fact slightly smaller over all but the space in the Q2 actually feels slightly less. In the Q2 there is actually the same amount of wardrobe space overall but it is all in the bedroom. In an RS the second wardrobe is in the main living room with subsidiary cloths space too. While there are separate wardrobes in the Q2, if an third guest is sharing the suite its location in the main bedroom is not ideal. I feel Celebrity’s layout in that respect is a little better.

 

I loved the extra dressing area in the Q2 but I did notice the lack of hook upon which to hang a coat. In the RS there is a hook in the guest bathroom ideal for hanging coats etc. The makeup mirror in the bedroom of the Q2 was also better sized.

 

 

This brings me to one of the real niggles. On Celebrity S class ships there are 22 suites with a door into the living area from the bedroom and a door to the walk in wardrobe and they are all held open by magnets if left open. In the Q1s and Q2s on Cunard’s Vista class ships there are only 6 suites with such doors and there is no means of holding them open. These doors are in addition to the bathroom doors, which I can understand one doesn’t usually leave open, but the walk-in wardrobe door and bedroom door were constantly swinging if not shut. Cunard could at least provide wedges. We can’t be the only couple where one is doing their makeup pre dinner while the other is at the bar pouring drinks - only to have the door shut on them as they bring the glasses through!!

 

 

We did find the lack of a second toilet a bit odd; all the upper suites on Celebrity include them. The shower was also a bit of an oddity in the Q2. There are 8 shower heads and 2 wand type shower heads up to 8 of which could be on at the same time. In the RS on X there is one overhead rainfall head and one wand type.  It would seem on paper Cunard would win this one but for me at a 6 foot I could not get my head under a jet without having to bend significantly even my Gastrognome at 5ft 6ins had to duck to rinse her hair.

 

The bath however was lovely, even if it did creak a bit, and the views from the tub are unbeatable although you do need to sit tall to see them. In the RS on X there is an additionally jetted tub on the balcony with excellent unobscured views. Because of the cold outside I didn’t mourn its lack.

 

Cunards view...

 

Celebritys view... (please ignore my toe!)

 

The light wood panelling is lovely to look at and I feel a far more suitable decore for a top suite that that envisaged by Kelly Hoppen on Xs revolutionised ships.

 

The sofa bed was no were near as comfortable as the RS equivalent and my Gastrognome also felt the main bed to be less than Celebrity’s

 

The dining room table was also the perfect size for our passion for board games

 

 

More to follow…….. ( give me a day or two as we have 5 cases to unpack and launder )

 

Thanks for your wonderful review.   Sorry I was late to the show and I only read you beginning on the Celebrity Forum and until today when you gave me the link was I able to read it.

 

As you know I've only sailed Celebrity for the past 23 years so very familiar with the Celebrity Product and only seeing it from those eyes.

 

A couple comparisons I see instantly -

1.  The S2 looks like a beautiful room and does appear to be larger than a RS.   On the tour I was getting a  little lost but would agree that I enjoy the second bathroom and the additional closets in the Living Room.    I do think the room is more formal and traditional than on Celebrity but I like it.   The dining room is a lovely touch but we usually only have breakfast in our room each morning.

 

2.   The Menus look much more attractive and what I would expect at any 1st Class restaurant.   I think Celebrity fails in this regard.

 

3.  The Queens Grill look more like a Murano type restaurant than the Suites Luminae dining room, which again is a plus to me. 

 

4. The Menus are perfectly described and you understand what you will get as opposed to Luminae eclectic menus that have many items coming out that is totally different than one might expect.   Also looks like much better variety and selections than on Celebrity.

 

5.    Tea-   What can I say.    As I would expect on Conard and something that has gone away on Celebrity.   Tea is now served in the Suites Only Lounge and is self service.     I much prefer a proper tea service.

 

6.  Dress Code -   We really prefer dressing for dinner and miss the days where Celebrity was more formal.  Now on "Chic" night anything goes from blue jeans on up.  

 

May pop back in with a couple comments.   I hope none of your guests take criticism personal I'm just trying to compare the two lines top end suites.

[Victoria2]

12 hours ago, swjumbo said:

I read on another discussion that Cunard is Carnival’s most profitable cruise line.

Really? Well that's good news for those who love the  brand. 

 

 

 

 

[Victoria2]

7 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

...May pop back in with a couple comments.   I hope none of your guests take criticism personal I'm just trying to compare the two lines top end suites.

The comparison Cunard/Celebrity with upper level cabins seems quite favourable to Cunard in many respects and constructive criticism can only be a plus just as any rebuttals should also be constructive.

Then a  fuller picture can be formed. 🙂

[chemmo]

3 hours ago, Victoria2 said:

The comparison Cunard/Celebrity with upper level cabins seems quite favourable to Cunard in many respects and constructive criticism can only be a plus just as any rebuttals should also be constructive.

Then a  fuller picture can be formed. 🙂

What a lovely balanced approach! 
 

 

[chemmo]

11 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

Thanks for your wonderful review.   Sorry I was late to the show and I only read you beginning on the Celebrity Forum and until today when you gave me the link was I able to read it.

 

As you know I've only sailed Celebrity for the past 23 years so very familiar with the Celebrity Product and only seeing it from those eyes.

 

A couple comparisons I see instantly -

1.  The S2 looks like a beautiful room and does appear to be larger than a RS.   On the tour I was getting a  little lost but would agree that I enjoy the second bathroom and the additional closets in the Living Room.    I do think the room is more formal and traditional than on Celebrity but I like it.   The dining room is a lovely touch but we usually only have breakfast in our room each morning.

 

2.   The Menus look much more attractive and what I would expect at any 1st Class restaurant.   I think Celebrity fails in this regard.

 

3.  The Queens Grill look more like a Murano type restaurant than the Suites Luminae dining room, which again is a plus to me. 

 

4. The Menus are perfectly described and you understand what you will get as opposed to Luminae eclectic menus that have many items coming out that is totally different than one might expect.   Also looks like much better variety and selections than on Celebrity.

 

5.    Tea-   What can I say.    As I would expect on Conard and something that has gone away on Celebrity.   Tea is now served in the Suites Only Lounge and is self service.     I much prefer a proper tea service.

 

6.  Dress Code -   We really prefer dressing for dinner and miss the days where Celebrity was more formal.  Now on "Chic" night anything goes from blue jeans on up.  

 

May pop back in with a couple comments.   I hope none of your guests take criticism personal I'm just trying to compare the two lines top end suites.

Hi there! 
 

Hope you are feeling well, I know you were having some treatment after your last cruise.

 

I must confess your summary fits exactly my interpretation of ‘life aboard’ after following Groryjm’s ‘live from’ posting.
 

For us some of the positives you see are a little more negative to us…

 

We (after initially being horrified) by the change from ‘formal to chic’ have acted found we are simply smart casual people and don’t miss the dressing up.

 

I think you are more contented than us with one restaurant (as long as the choice and quality of food is excellent) whereas we like changing venues. I seem to remember last cruise you dined mainly in Luminae.

 

 

[Jim_Iain]

7 hours ago, Victoria2 said:

The comparison Cunard/Celebrity with upper level cabins seems quite favourable to Cunard in many respects and constructive criticism can only be a plus just as any rebuttals should also be constructive.

Then a  fuller picture can be formed. 🙂

 

I agree I've chatted with groryjm for many years and really respect his opinions as well as all the others contributions.   It's my first time on the Cunard board.

 

I was surprised that Cunard doesn't offer a drink package and would be interesting if groryjm or someone else could publish a drinks menu just to factor in the cost of beverages.  

 

Also is Cunard totally al la carte on "perks" like Internet, tipping, etc?

[exlondoner]

5 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

I agree I've chatted with groryjm for many years and really respect his opinions as well as all the others contributions.   It's my first time on the Cunard board.

 

I was surprised that Cunard doesn't offer a drink package and would be interesting if groryjm or someone else could publish a drinks menu just to factor in the cost of beverages.  

 

Also is Cunard totally al la carte on "perks" like Internet, tipping, etc?

They do offer various drinks packages. And also wine collections.

A daily service charge is added. No tipping required as such.

[groryjm]

9 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

I agree I've chatted with groryjm for many years and really respect his opinions as well as all the others contributions.   It's my first time on the Cunard board.

 

I was surprised that Cunard doesn't offer a drink package and would be interesting if groryjm or someone else could publish a drinks menu just to factor in the cost of beverages.  

 

Also is Cunard totally al la carte on "perks" like Internet, tipping, etc?

Hi @Jim_Iain I'll post my next tranche half an hour or so and I'll be sure to include drinks price's for comparison. Sometimes I gather if you bok in the states you can get drinks included with the Grills. It is just us Brits they trust 😉

[Jim_Iain]

3 hours ago, chemmo said:

Hi there! 
 

Hope you are feeling well, I know you were having some treatment after your last cruise.

 

I must confess your summary fits exactly my interpretation of ‘life aboard’ after following Groryjm’s ‘live from’ posting.
 

For us some of the positives you see are a little more negative to us…

 

We (after initially being horrified) by the change from ‘formal to chic’ have acted found we are simply smart casual people and don’t miss the dressing up.

 

I think you are more contented than us with one restaurant (as long as the choice and quality of food is excellent) whereas we like changing venues. I seem to remember last cruise you dined mainly in Luminae.

 

 

 

I have to admit that I enjoyed the old days (OK i'm getting old) when you had Casual, Semi-Formal and Formal evenings.   In those days I would bring Tux, Tails and often Kilts along.  With airline weight restrictions that would be difficult today.

 

Yes we mainly dine in Luminae but usually hit Murano and Tuscan a couple times per cruise.   Our last cruises were about 40 days so by the last segment we were getting a little tired of eating.   Luckily the Maitre de in Luminae is very accommodating and would have the chef prepare off the menu items for us as a surprise. 

 

As you know we are not big eaters and actually find that when an establishment piles food on a plate we find it more of a turn off than a bonus.   I love the serving sizes that QG seems to offer.     Probably the thing I like most from groryjm photos is the attention to detail and variety.  

Does anyone know if Cunard has a rotation of menus and how many menus are in the rotation?

[Jim_Iain]

4 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

They do offer various drinks packages. And also wine collections.

A daily service charge is added. No tipping required as such.

 

Wonderful to hear.   I don't drink alcohol but my partner does and being from California is a wine lover.

[Jim_Iain]

3 minutes ago, groryjm said:

Hi @Jim_Iain I'll post my next tranche half an hour or so and I'll be sure to include drinks price's for comparison. Sometimes I gather if you bok in the states you can get drinks included with the Grills. It is just us Brits they trust 😉

 

LOL --- oh dear,  at least Iain being a Brit I may be partially trusted.

[exlondoner]

9 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

I have to admit that I enjoyed the old days (OK i'm getting old) when you had Casual, Semi-Formal and Formal evenings.   In those days I would bring Tux, Tails and often Kilts along.  With airline weight restrictions that would be difficult today.

 

Yes we mainly dine in Luminae but usually hit Murano and Tuscan a couple times per cruise.   Our last cruises were about 40 days so by the last segment we were getting a little tired of eating.   Luckily the Maitre de in Luminae is very accommodating and would have the chef prepare off the menu items for us as a surprise. 

 

As you know we are not big eaters and actually find that when an establishment piles food on a plate we find it more of a turn off than a bonus.   I love the serving sizes that QG seems to offer.     Probably the thing I like most from groryjm photos is the attention to detail and variety.  

Does anyone know if Cunard has a rotation of menus and how many menus are in the rotation?

I suspect there may be three menus, but that is just a guess, based on the number of weekly alc menus in the QG.

[bbtablet]

A cheeky one, I know, but given the constant references to imbibing throughout your fascinating reports, what percentage of this cruise would you estimate you were stone cold sober?

Edited October 26, 2022 by bbtablet

[groryjm]

Around the ship, bars, art and entertainments

 

 

The ships public areas are beautiful of that there is no doubt. Viscount Linley’s stunning mural and the amazing wood panelled interior hark back to a style of days gone by. A chic art deco feel and a celebration of the memories and traditions are what this ship is about. For the first few days we took it all in and enjoyed the feel of the ship.

 

However after a few days I started to realise that in the public areas as well as the art deco carpets and panelling the majority of the art around the ship is Cunard and White Star memorabilia interspersed with pictures of bygone starts aboard the lines ships. Don’t get me wrong it is lovely feel to the ship but I did miss the Art displayed around a Celebrity Ship. I also felt the interiors were a bit enclosed and not as open and airy as an S Class Celebrity ship.

 

 

Even the art in our suite was White star related

 

 

On walking around the decks at night the ship was quiet which is only to be expected on a cold cruise but I did feel the lighting was a bit lacking in colour.

 

 

 

The nest most important thing to me after the food is of course the cocktails. Now in comparison to X the prices for drinks seemed similar excepting a few high end cocktails in the Commodore club. The big difference however was lack of any included drinks package. On Celebrity a basic drinks package, gratuities and basic wifi are included for all passengers and for upper suite guests it is the top level wifi and premium drinks. To put it in dollar terms that is an extra $828 for the drinks package, $240 for the internet and $162 for gratuities. So in real terms while fares between lines may be similar an extra $2400 for two guests in an upper suite is quite significant.

 

We could have paid for drinks as we went and I have read on these boards that people think they would pay more for the package than by the drink. For us the package worked out quite a bit cheaper and I would always prefer to pay up front than have a big bill at the end.

.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We tended to spend our time in the Commodore and the Grills Lounge. I visited the Red Lion pub but it seemed more of a sports / bingo / quiz night bar and not to my taste but certainly seemed to have its appeal to others. The Commodore’s drinks were excellent and well-made but I did miss an actual mixologist making my drink in front of me. Even sitting at the bar it was hard to interact with a barman as there was a constant que of waiters and the bar staff were working on a production line basis. There was a constant supply of bar snacks and canapes in the evenings which was nice but  the entertainment was of the cocktail pianist variety not the more contemporary musicians one finds on Celebrity. This all added to the 1920s/30s ambiance but I feel after a long cruise it might have started to feel a bit, and I hesitate to use the word, stuffy.

 

The one bar we walked through on many occasions but never stopped at was he Winter Garden. It looked lovely and the Bar well set but there was an aroma that seemed to linger there that put one off staying. May be from its proximity to the pool but I think I have also read in these boards that I am not alone in noticing it.

 

 

Our favourite bar especially during the day light was the Grills lounge. It has fantastic views forward over the ship and is well served by the bar staff there. Aaron the barman and Reyland made our time there very good indeed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is also the space for the Grills Concierge desk and I was surprised to not only not to have been sought out by her but also on day 10 of a 12 cruise when I approached her desk to complained about the internet to be treated almost with almost contempt until on asking for my cabin number twice her attitude changed completely. On Celebrity I have always been greeted by name before being introduced and have in fact quite enjoyed the curtesy. It was only recently I learned that the staff in the suites areas on Celebrity have the top guests pictures to hand as an aid.

 

I did miss having musician’s roaming around the ship and a meet and greet cocktail with the senior staff in the Grills lounge. In fact I didn’t see any officers in the Grills lounge. I don’t know if that is something just not done on Cunard or stopped due to the pandemic.

 

I also noticed the lack of helipad sailaways or sailaways with officers on the Suite/ Grills terrace as I would have expected on a Celebrity ship. There were also no invites to bridge tours or galley tours but I know that on Celebrity these have only just restarted and wonder if it is just not a Cunard thing

 

The Shows….

 

The two shows we managed to get to were excellent and the singers a dancers of a very high standard . I did miss the aerialists and cirque du soleil type shows we have seen on Celebrity but again I suspect it is not a Cunard thing. I did find the show times very odd being 8pm and 10pm rather than the 7pm and 9pm on most other lines and that is probably why we only managed two shows. The theatre is however a beautiful venue and the in house band were on top form.

 

Now to the Queens room. If you are a “Strictly” fan I am sure it is a venue with great appeal. It was interesting to watch those on the floor but my Gastrognome, who is an excellent dancer, and I prefer 1940s Swing. There seemed very few opportunities to jive and it was only at a “Big Band” night when my Gastrognome spotted one of the singers from the last night’s show. She asked him if there was ever a chance to jive and he kindly he went round the back to ask the band to play a jive number that we got our dance. Applauding loudly at the end of a show in the front row obviously gets you noticed. Honour duly satisfied we moved on to the Commodore. I must admit the huge crowds just sitting and watching surprised me but I am not a “Stickily” fan   

[groryjm]

@Jim_Iain some of the drinks menus

 

Grils Lounge (not included as with Michael's 🙃

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Chart room

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Lido Grill

 

 

 

 

 

 

.... and an extra pic from Stavanger especially for @Jim_Iain

 

 

 

 

 

[groryjm]

This was posted on an elier thread by some on else on these boards from QE but mathes QVs Commodore Club

 

QE Commodore Club 2022.pdf

[Essiesmom]

I would just like to add an observation on the PG cabins.  I have never sailed in the grills, inside on QE, balcony on QM2, porthole on QE2.  But on my shortie QE cruise, my TA was to follow on the next cruise and I wanted to leave her a gift- 27 nights worth of pillow chocolates from Celebrity.  I found her cabin, and then peeked into another cabin nearby as I passed, and noticed it looked just like a Minisuite on Princess.  I didn’t think QE had minisuites, so when I looked at the deck plans, discovered it was  PG cabin.  So for me, I would be a bit disappointed to pay up for PG and have a Princess minisuite cabin.  I realize it is about the Grills experience, ambiance, but I think Cunard have skimped a bit here.  EM

[exlondoner]

13 minutes ago, Essiesmom said:

I would just like to add an observation on the PG cabins.  I have never sailed in the grills, inside on QE, balcony on QM2, porthole on QE2.  But on my shortie QE cruise, my TA was to follow on the next cruise and I wanted to leave her a gift- 27 nights worth of pillow chocolates from Celebrity.  I found her cabin, and then peeked into another cabin nearby as I passed, and noticed it looked just like a Minisuite on Princess.  I didn’t think QE had minisuites, so when I looked at the deck plans, discovered it was  PG cabin.  So for me, I would be a bit disappointed to pay up for PG and have a Princess minisuite cabin.  I realize it is about the Grills experience, ambiance, but I think Cunard have skimped a bit here.  EM

Vista PGs are long, thin, and disappointing. QM2 ones are very nice.