How were the 2023 World Cruises?

[Cruise NH]

With so many cuts being made on cruise lines I wondered, from those of you who were on board, how were the world cruises this past year?  Did they have the usual selection of great enrichment speakers and good entertainment?

 

We're currently scheduled for a world cruise on another line but I'm concerned about their cutbacks so I wanted to know how Cunard is comparing.

 

Thanks.

[alibabacruisers]

I, also, would like to hear about everyone's overall view of the WC.

[roscoe39]

7 hours ago, Cruise NH said:

With so many cuts being made on cruise lines I wondered, from those of you who were on board, how were the world cruises this past year?  Did they have the usual selection of great enrichment speakers and good entertainment?

 

We're currently scheduled for a world cruise on another line but I'm concerned about their cutbacks so I wanted to know how Cunard is comparing.

 

Thanks.

I ended up only doing a section of the WC this year, I cancelled the full world in favour of 2024 as I was thinking that the world wasn't quite ready for it. I think I was right and although those on board I mixed with were having a great time there were a lot of passengers  that didn't understand that there was still a world wide pandemic going on and a lot to be sorted by various countries, thus there were a couple of hiccups. Missed ports (as their always was) immigration at some ports not entirely "ready" and various food supplies not being in the right place at the right time (a provedoring problem) I'm back on for 2024 and I am expecting that things will have returned to as much normality as they ever willl.

 

The pandemic cost the cruise industries billions and it has to be made up somewhere, there have been a few cuts that I suspect will remain, the menu was much reduced, the parties were and I wonder if they will will continue to remain restricted to a certain extent and the quality of the entertainment not the usual high standard - (some lecturers being reluctant to travel during COVID apparently) but all in all if that is what it will take for the experience to be affordable then I think it will be acceptable. It was still a fantastic experience and Cunard did their best to give us value for money in my opinion as they always do. I don't think that it will ever return to the way that it was pre covid but then, some would say that about the time before the retirement of the QE2, and of the time before the Queen Mary and Elizabeth before that....and before that the Mauritania...etc..l. 

 

Life and Cruising continues to evolve.

 

I didn't find any other blogs during the WC for Queen Victoria  this year but my blog covering 6 Feb to 2 march is..

http://butarewethereyet.blogspot.com

 

and safrigals blog is 

 

https://whereissafarigal.com

 

although this year you had to contact her to be added to the mail list.

 

Hopefully will see you on board.....

[Patria21]

I did the full world cruise on the Queen Victoria this year, and as Roscoe39 says, there were some bumps along the way - though no more, I think, than might reasonably have been expected given the obstacles that had to be surmounted. But here, I think, is the bottom line for you: At the end of the world cruise, all of my friends agreed that we would have gladly stayed on board to do it all over again.

Edited July 25, 2023 by Patria21
grammer

[seacruise9]

Hi,

 

I am booked on the Queen Anne's Maiden World Voyage for 2025 (98 days from New York to Southampton). I am then doing a westbound crossing on the QM2 so that I will make a complete circumnavigation roundtrip from New York. This will be my first very long cruise. I have done some short world cruise segments (QV in 2015 and QM2 in 2017), but I could not be away for too long due to my job. Because I am planning to retire in 2023 or 2024, I decided to book the world cruise for 2025.

 

A Cunard world cruise has been my lifelong dream. I hope that I am not disappointed.

 

Chuck

[canoncruiser]

I was on QV from NYC to Dubai-overall a very good experience although there were a few hiccups. We visited Figi-that was wonderful; Cunard should always go there. We could not visit Tonga or the other island(🙄. Indonesia and Maylasia, KL and Penang  were wonderful-Jakarta-meh-. Itinerary was altered in December.

We did not visit Vietnam , Hong Kong our Columbo-probably  Covid and politics. Stewards- cabin, bar and restaurant were very good. The food in Britannia was just OK-not up to Cunard standards-they ran out of certain whiskies😖

I was on QE for the full World Cruise in 2015- it was fabulous, there were no overland-overnight tours this year😞

[Homardbleu]

We were on this voyage on the Queen Victoria, from Hamburg to Hamburg. In 2019, we were on the world cruise.QV too but from Southampton to Southampton. Each voyage was amazing . We were scared this year Because of the pandemic. We had plenty of masks using them in every crowded area. We were having for the same reason lunch and dinner at Britannia restaurant. Although we like very much the Lido and the food over there, we preferred for hygiene reasons to be served . The food in the restaurant was a bit boring but better cooked, we think so, as in 2019.

we really enjoyed nearly everything, except a few bumps. The major issues for us  , were the Wi-Fi , not  reliable, the app my voyage and the not working sat TV channels: we think it was working better and we had more channels in 2019. This year, the program was very frequently interrupted with the message:” no signal”. professionally, we need to be connected and informed..