QE Currently

[foodsvcmgr]

Just took advantage of extremely low sale prices for QE this October in the Med.

How are things currently as far as food in the Britannia with late seating, overall service, entertainment, etc.?

Last Cunard sailing was 2018 pre-pandemic, hoping the changes/cuts are not as severe as what’s being reported on HAL, Celebrity, etc.

[elmsliebev]

we were on her in July for 4 weeks, having cruised with Cunard in the past. 

Food was good, I had one poor steak but everything else was good. They do something like an Indonesian or Chinese spicy chicken (can't remember the name) that was fabulous! We had late seating and it worked very well. 

 

The pool bar at the rear of the ship does great snacks including  a special each day such as crab cakes or fried chicken. 

 

Didn't go to many of the shows but the guest speakers were excellent. 

Edited February 17, 2023 by elmsliebev

[foodsvcmgr]

Thanks for your report, I am hopeful the changes and cuts will not be too noticeable.

We will plan to enjoy regardless as it will be our first time on this ship the last three sailings having been on QM2.

[LittleFish1976]

Overall service is excellent, mostly it couldn't be improved.

 

I'm not dining in Britannia but was speaking yesterday to some people who are and they were describing a lamb dish they had in that dining room (lamb Wellington, made with backstraps) which sounded absolutely delicious. I've had the odd bite to eat in the Lido buffet - food very good as previously. In my opinion, the Lido is much nicer to be in than the buffet on QM2. Much less busy and the decor is better.

 

People speak highly of the shows. I'm not that keen on them but I'm probably more picky than most. They're good fun and that's enough for a cruise ship I think. There is live music around the various venues on the ship which is very high quality. Also, ballroom dance professionals doing the occassional performance in the public areas such as Queens room. They have music all the time in the Queens room, still, for dancing. Yacht Club also has late night entertainment such as karoake (which was very good fun) and dance music (not my era but plenty of people were enjoying it). Speakers are very professional; I had already seen the forensic dentist on this cruise (as a speaker, not as a client!). I look forward to hearing Michelle Payne, Melbourne Cup winning jockey, tomorrow. There may also be another speaker. In my experience they sometimes bring another speaker on during the course of the cruise. The trouble is having too many activities that clash and having to make choices although as you would know the talks are recorded and replayed on the TV later. There's still lots to do - no cutbacks evident in entertainment.

 

I think there are some very subtle cutbacks but not the sorts of things that would affect one's enjoyment (not as many bits and pieces left in the bathrooms but they are available on request). 

 

 

[LittleFish1976]

There is one thing I'm a bit salty about; instead of having a bottle of Laurent Perrier champagne waiting for me in my cabin as a 'Welcome Aboard' gift, I had a bottle of Kirkland champagne. I felt sure it was a supermarket I had seen somewhere, probably the UK but I've just looked it up and it's the Costco homebrand - $24.99.

 

I'd call that a cutback.

Edited February 18, 2023 by LittleFish1976

[exlondoner]

19 minutes ago, LittleFish1976 said:

There is one thing I'm a bit salty about; instead of having a bottle of Laurent Perrier champagne waiting for me in my cabin as a 'Welcome Aboard' gift, I had a bottle of Kirkland champagne. I felt sure it was a supermarket I had seen somewhere, probably the UK but I've just looked it up and it's the Costco homebrand - $24.99.

 

I'd call that a cutback.

Could you tell the difference? Over here, supermarket own brands often come near the top in blind tastings.

[Bell Boy]

17 minutes ago, LittleFish1976 said:

There is one thing I'm a bit salty about; instead of having a bottle of Laurent Perrier champagne waiting for me in my cabin as a 'Welcome Aboard' gift, I had a bottle of Kirkland champagne. I felt sure it was a supermarket I had seen somewhere, probably the UK but I've just looked it up and it's the Costco homebrand - $24.99.

 

I'd call that a cutback.

I've had a few conversations with senior management onboard Cunard over the last 18 months regarding  what appears to be cutbacks  ( Five + cruises post pandemic )

Apparently most of what we would refer to as cutbacks is in fact due to supply & demand post pandemic .

 

Post pandemic I've been disappointed  not have seen Lobster Tail or Escargot on the menu ( not even on any formal evenings - Q.Vic/QE ) The exec chef onboard at the time assured me it was all due to supply/demand during this present climate .

 

Interestingly the same issues were confirmed to me the other month when I visited the Savoy Grill on a recent visit to London.🤷‍♂️ 

 

[Host Hattie]

There was lobster tail on Queen Victoria last October. 

 

[ScotsLady]

5 hours ago, LittleFish1976 said:

There is one thing I'm a bit salty about; instead of having a bottle of Laurent Perrier champagne waiting for me in my cabin as a 'Welcome Aboard' gift, I had a bottle of Kirkland champagne. I felt sure it was a supermarket I had seen somewhere, probably the UK but I've just looked it up and it's the Costco homebrand - $24.99.

 

I'd call that a cutback.

We are aboard in a Princes Grill suite and were  most disappointed to be given a bottle of cheap sparkling wine, I looked it up and it sells at $10 in Australia. Then a second has appeared but we have not tried them. I would have been happy with the Costco brand 

[Host Hattie]

10 minutes ago, ScotsLady said:

We are aboard in a Princes Grill suite and were  most disappointed to be given a bottle of cheap sparkling wine, I looked it up and it sells at $10 in Australia. Then a second has appeared but we have not tried them. I would have been happy with the Costco brand 

Unfortunately you need to be in Queens Grill to get Welcome champagne, Princess Grill gets Sparkling Wine.

At least you can take your own on board if you want the real thing.

 

[david,Mississauga]

Has a harpist returned to the QE? Of all the  cut-backs on last year's Alaska cruise we missed the harpist the most. It has not deterred us, however, from booking another Alaska cruise for this year. 

[foodsvcmgr]

David, beyond the harpist can you expand on the other cuts noted?

And glad to see you have continued to book.

[lissie]

On 2/19/2023 at 4:21 AM, Bell Boy said:

I've had a few conversations with senior management onboard Cunard over the last 18 months regarding  what appears to be cutbacks  ( Five + cruises post pandemic )

Apparently most of what we would refer to as cutbacks is in fact due to supply & demand post pandemic .

 

Post pandemic I've been disappointed  not have seen Lobster Tail or Escargot on the menu ( not even on any formal evenings - Q.Vic/QE ) The exec chef onboard at the time assured me it was all due to supply/demand during this present climate .

 

Interestingly the same issues were confirmed to me the other month when I visited the Savoy Grill on a recent visit to London.🤷‍♂️ 

 

had lobster tail on QE in Britannia in both August and October 

[lissie]

7 hours ago, david,Mississauga said:

Has a harpist returned to the QE? Of all the  cut-backs on last year's Alaska cruise we missed the harpist the most. It has not deterred us, however, from booking another Alaska cruise for this year. 

That's surely supply and demand - maybe the harpist got another job? How many harpist are on the books of whatever agencies they use for performers? We had a  classical guitarist who was very good as well as a  string trio and various pianists - those would be fairly easy to replace but harp is a fairly unusual instrument 

[david,Mississauga]

8 hours ago, foodsvcmgr said:

David, beyond the harpist can you expand on the other cuts noted?

And glad to see you have continued to book.

 

It was mostly fairly minor matters. We don't always travel in the Grills, but this time we were in PG. It seems unusual to have to ask for toiletries. The elegant tea service seen in photos was not there, but a tea-pot was cheerfully provided on request.  Ice was available only  on request, as was the usual fruit tray. We could manage without those, but we met others who were not pleased. 

 

Even when we are in the Grills, we prefer to take tea in the Queens Room.  A few times the finger sandwiches were stale - as if they had been left unwrapped in the fridge for a while. Although the string trio played frequently in the lobby and the Commodore Club, they did not play once in the Queens Room for tea. There was frequently a pianist, which was very pleasant, but on a couple of days there was an amplified saxophone. It was almost impossible to carry on a conversation with that noise. One day we left the Queens Room, picked up some goodies in the Lido and had tea in our cabin.

 

I eat little red meat, but when I do I expect it to be of good quality. The tenderloin was not tender and the roast beef was inedible. The Beef Wellington and rack of lamb, however, were excellent.

 

I won't dwell only on the negative. It is important to point out that otherwise the food was very good. The service throughout the ship was also excellent as it always has been.  We enjoyed the 10 days and, as I said, we are doing it again in four months. 

[WoorimBeachLady]

Yes there is a harpist 

[LittleFish1976]

On 2/19/2023 at 2:04 AM, exlondoner said:

Could you tell the difference? Over here, supermarket own brands often come near the top in blind tastings.

 

I haven't yet tasted it.

[LittleFish1976]

I'll mention this as it has often been a topic of discussion on these boards. Today I attended the WC Captains Cocktail party held in the Queens Room. The event was very well-attended and didn't show any signs of cutting-back (although, to be honest, I've not bothered attending these events in the past). There were drinks aplenty - champagne; mimosas; wine; Bloody Maries as well as juices and so on. There were large platters of hors d'oeuvres circulated by the many staff who were serving. There seemed to be many officers and other uniformed staff there as well. The Captain paid tribute to the three passengers with the highest nuumber of cruise nights under their belts, although as there is no raised stage to use in the Queens Room, it was impossible to see to whom he was referring. Bouquets seemed to be presented to them.

 

Lots of happy chatter in the room, which was still going at reduced strength when I departed a little after 12 to go to lunch. At that point the Cha Cha lesson had started in the room anyway which was a subtle hint to everyone to move on.

[Bell Boy]

10 hours ago, lissie said:

had lobster tail on QE in Britannia in both August and October 

You were very lucky , certainly none whilst I was onboard Q.Vic ex 'Southampton UK' in June,September, or December 2022.  

[Host Hattie]

36 minutes ago, Bell Boy said:

You were very lucky , certainly none whilst I was onboard Q.Vic ex 'Southampton UK' in June,September, or December 2022.  

Were you on short cruises ? The lobster tail was on the 3rd gala night of our 14 day cruise in September/October.

[elmsliebev]

On 2/18/2023 at 3:21 PM, Bell Boy said:

I've had a few conversations with senior management onboard Cunard over the last 18 months regarding  what appears to be cutbacks  ( Five + cruises post pandemic )

Apparently most of what we would refer to as cutbacks is in fact due to supply & demand post pandemic .

 

Post pandemic I've been disappointed  not have seen Lobster Tail or Escargot on the menu ( not even on any formal evenings - Q.Vic/QE ) The exec chef onboard at the time assured me it was all due to supply/demand during this present climate .

 

Interestingly the same issues were confirmed to me the other month when I visited the Savoy Grill on a recent visit to London.🤷‍♂️ 

 

there were escargot and lobster in the main dining room on QE in July/August last year, post-pandemic. This was on the Alaska-Florida trip. 

[Bell Boy]

19 minutes ago, elmsliebev said:

there were escargot and lobster in the main dining room on QE in July/August last year, post-pandemic. This was on the Alaska-Florida trip. 

Probably uplifted in the USA or Vancouver 

[Bell Boy]

10 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

Were you on short cruises ? The lobster tail was on the 3rd gala night of our 14 day cruise in September/October.

Yes 12 days with only two formals . Good to hear it is still featuring occasionally.   

[daisybel]

 16 days on QE shortly ,only 2 formals Black and White and Roaring Twenties ?.