Room service in the Grills

[david,Mississauga]

2 hours ago, techteach said:

I posted the QG drink menu last week somewhere…here it is again

 

 

Apparently the in-suite bar menu is not the same on all ships.  We were on the QE last month. The list was considerably shorter, e.g. only three gins listed as opposed to five on the one above and there was no Baileys or Cointreau on the list. The wine list was also a lot shorter. We chose the Bombay gin from the list and requested Baileys which was provided.   

[techteach]

@rmsEtruria Think about what you will consume the most of and if you are going to do a drinks package and the final if…if you will take something onboard with you.  you need to remember that you get two bottles, but when one is finished it will be replaced by another of the same or something new. On our TA in December we spent very very little time on our veranda, so we spent a lot of time in the Commodore club drinking cocktails, so we shouldn’t have ordered a bottle of vodka as one of our two bottles. We bought the drinks passage this last cruise and probably shouldn’t have. We spent lots of time on our veranda with a wine glass. Also, are you people to go out after dinner or do you return to the room and kick off your shoes. So much to think about for the next year and a half! Have fun.

[techteach]

@rmsEtruria Ah the entrance to Brooklyn…not at 5:00am, more like 3:00 or earlier. Once you are docked you can see her when you go to breakfast on the QG side….don’t make use those port/starboard adjectives if I’m not onboard 🙂

 

[david,Mississauga]

1 hour ago, Victoria2 said:

My description of her would be of a much loved aunt who lived in faded elegance with memories of times past.

That's pre and post her refit. I didn't like the quirky layout either but to be fair, I loved the library.

 

QV is nothing like her and if you love The Mary, you might not be too enamoured of Victoria as she is most definitely a cruise ship.

 

Although I am fond of the QM2, especially for crossings, there is much about the QE (and the QV if we ever get on that one) that I find superior.  This is of course just my opinion, but I like the grand lobby, Royal Court Theatre, library and Commodore Club a lot more on the QE. Then there are the Grills. The PG staterooms on the QM2 are much better than on the QE & QV, but the restaurants, lounge and deck are better on the QE. The cheaper QG suites on the QE are so much better than the equivalent on the QM2, for a number of reasons, but most importantly  there is a separate shower so my wife doesn't have to struggle with my help to get in and out of the tub for a shower.

 

The QV and QE are definitely cruise ships, but the interiors are more like a liner.

[WantedOnVoyage]

I guess that's why lines have fleets.... QE is our least favourite Cunarder. We both love QV but I like QM2 way more after spending 26 days on her in January 2022 to the West Indies. The real teak decks and those wonderful high ceilings, spacious stairways and foyers impart a true sense of occasion and ocean liner.  The Chart Room is the only remaining classic liner lounge afloat. Odd, I was underwhelmed with her on two trans-Atlantics and like her better as a cruise ship. Of course it was nicer to be among only 1,300 aboard her too... that was a real treat that made up for mask wearing and other nonsenses like "PLF"s. She was.. delightful. 

 

QE is let down in my opinion by the acres of the cheapest, nastiest phony bandaid tan "wood panelling" afloat. Indeed... even after her last refit, she's still 20 shades of brown, beige and tan... even down to the decks, the chairs and yes... the towels, too. It's like you died and woke up on the set of "The Sweeney" c. 1975. And she had the world's worst shuffleboard courts too... designed to be blocked by sun loungers. Our Sept 2022 cruise to the Med did have exceptional service and cuisine PG though, I think superior to QV this May. And far better maintenance than our previous trip in her, too. 

 

The missus loves her QV and I can see her point especially in the Grills but come January 2025 I get my dream voyage: 35 glorious days UK direct to the West Indies and back in QM2. Queens Grill. 

[rmsEtruria]

6 hours ago, techteach said:

@rmsEtruria Think about what you will consume the most of and if you are going to do a drinks package and the final if…if you will take something onboard with you.  you need to remember that you get two bottles, but when one is finished it will be replaced by another of the same or something new. On our TA in December we spent very very little time on our veranda, so we spent a lot of time in the Commodore club drinking cocktails, so we shouldn’t have ordered a bottle of vodka as one of our two bottles. We bought the drinks passage this last cruise and probably shouldn’t have. We spent lots of time on our veranda with a wine glass. Also, are you people to go out after dinner or do you return to the room and kick off your shoes. So much to think about for the next year and a half! Have fun.

Thoughtful advice—thank you! We won’t be taking any bottles onboard. If Cunard’s current policy for U.S. bookings holds, the drinks package should be included with a QG cabin; if not, I don’t see us buying it. I can’t tell whether after dinner we’ll be more likely to sit in a bar or go to our room; it may vary from day to day. Indeed, much to think about!

[rmsEtruria]

6 hours ago, techteach said:

@rmsEtruria Ah the entrance to Brooklyn…not at 5:00am, more like 3:00 or earlier. Once you are docked you can see her when you go to breakfast on the QG side….don’t make use those port/starboard adjectives if I’m not onboard 🙂

 

That would be starboard! Looks like I won’t get much sleep that last night . . . .

[majortom10]

Horses for courses we are all different and we all have our own favourite ships for varying reasons. For us QM2 is our favourite ship of all ships we have sailed on and love the roundtrip TAs on her. With reference to Cunard IMO the order of favourite ships are 1) QM2  2) QE 3) QV, we will wait until after July 2024 to see where QA fits in.