Live: Queen Anne Maiden Voyage.

[Colin_Cameron]

In the Commodore Club  for our first martinis.  First thing we noticed is no seats at the bar. Must be about double the seating capacity of the Vistas but with the same number of staff. The room is also completely flat so has a different feeling.

 

Edit: Just been advised by @Solent Richard that there's no canapés. And won't be any !!!

Edited May 3 by Colin_Cameron

[bluemarble]

Just under an hour now until this Solent Ships stream goes live to cover Queen Anne's maiden voyage sailaway with fireworks.

 

SHIPS TV - LIVE Cunard Queen Anne (With Fireworks) Maiden Voyage Port of Southampton

Edited May 3 by bluemarble

[Colin_Cameron]

7 minutes ago, bluemarble said:

Queen Anne's maiden voyage sailaway with fireworks.

With nearly half the ship in at dinner.

[MylesS]

10 minutes ago, Colin_Cameron said:

With nearly half the ship in at dinner.

If dinner is as slow still as it was earlier, it’ll still be first sitting eating.. 

 

Unfortunately after waiting 45 minutes with only a bread service, we decided to book Aji Wa for dinner and head there.

 

Fully appreciate teething issues, but our assigned table was given to someone else, we’d only been given bread, and the sommelier had no interest in coming to our table in the meantime.

 

Aji Wa was fantastic. Brilliant staff, location and food. We’re booked here another night, and will happily return. 

[Host Hattie]

Oh dear @MylesS, I'm glad you managed to get fed eventually but that's a terrible start. Could you tell if other tables were waiting as well ?

[MylesS]

3 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

Oh dear @MylesS, I'm glad you managed to get fed eventually but that's a terrible start. Could you tell if other tables were waiting as well ?

It did seem slow for others as well. I had no problems waiting, as I mentioned it’s fully expected.

 

It was just a combination of wrong table, slow service, and then not even being able to get a drink. I felt bad for leaving, but I had built up my appetite all day, ha. 

[D&N]

2 hours ago, exlondoner said:

I do like there is somewhere for weary weeds to sit while the lifts trundle up.

We thought they were for photo opportunities.

[tacticalbanjo]

Service was slow as molasses at my table too. Plus the sommelier took my husband’s drink order, took the card away then returned with it all without actually ordering his drink. So 45 mins later he was without his wine.
 

Also unimpressed to be sat in a dark corner with no sight of any windows at a table for two even though we’re two adults and a child. No place laid for kiddo and we’re all a bit squashed. No sign of the maitre’d to complain but given we were leaving without dessert at 8pm and second sitting had yet to be allowed in, perhaps he was hiding. I enjoyed the food when it arrived but the menu is the same tired one we’ve seen so many times in the last few years. 
 

I like my cabin and there seems to be plenty of storage for all the toddler crap that takes up an entire large suitcase with mummy and daddy using a medium

each. Bathroom storage is a bit lacking but the shower cubicle more than makes up for it. 

Edited May 3 by tacticalbanjo
Mistyped number

[Wonky]

Problems of not having the time to get a shakedown cruise to learn from.

[Host Hattie]

Looks like a beautiful evening in Southampton, I hope you have a good view of the fireworks. 

[tlc1972]

Just watched the fireworks online. 

Have an amazing time. Very jealous, but I'll be on her very soon myself.

[MylesS]

Post fireworks we’re now in the theatre waiting for the comedian.

 

Lovely seats, although missing any table. However, the armrests are very wide, allowing them to be “shared” with another person.

 

We entered through what seemed to be a (currently, anyway) lesser known corridor, which entered us through the side. Reminding me Queen Mary 2’s “secret” exits on deck 2

[tacticalbanjo]

 

The fireworks were marvellous. Little one was fast asleep before they finally went off which was a shame but she is only 2 and she’d been up since 6.30am. 

[NE John]

2 minutes ago, tacticalbanjo said:

 

The fireworks were marvellous. Little one was fast asleep before they finally went off which was a shame but she is only 2 and she’d been up since 6.30am. 

Nice send-off. Hopefully a good nights sleep will help the kind rough start for you. 

[Host Hattie]

Thank you to everyone who took the time to share the ups and downs of your first day. Let's hope tomorrow brings a peaceful sea day with a better dining experience. 

[Colin_Cameron]

So with the Commodore Club at roughly 20% capacity, both drinks orders took 25 mins to be served. And both times the dry martini arrived without the olives specifically ordered, and repeated by the waiter.

 

We headed down to dinner at 8:20 and finally got into the dining room at 9:15. 

 

I'm stating these as facts, not as complaints.  It's a maiden voyage. Stuff happens. But there are definitely some people that shouldn't book maiden voyages.

 

Once we were at the table I'd say things were no slower than any other first night, maybe even better than most, but because of the late start that's us just out at 11:15.

[foodsvcmgr]

Is the elimination of canapés now fleet wide or specific to QA?

Are the nuts and potato chips/crisps still offered in Commodore Club?

Thanks for any update.

[JimDee363636]

My wife and I are on 14-night QA cruise two months from now (June 30-July 14), in Britannia Club. I sure hope that the dining situation has been rectified by then. The ship looks beautiful, but the ridiculously long delays for food and drinks would be intolerable. I guess that kind of thing is part-and-parcel with a maiden voyage, which is why I'd never do one.

 

Jim

[3rdGenCunarder]

9 hours ago, MylesS said:

We paid I believe $149 per-person for the week (may be a bit off, I’ve now had several drinks)

 

The thermal area looks great, much better than the other Queens in my opinion, though they are doing 2 hour slots per-day.

 

We’re now in Britannia for dinner, however, as impressive as the room is, I’m yet to even have someone take my order after 30 minutes. 

 

Sorry to hear dinner was so slow. Smart to go for the specialty restaurant rather than sit there with nothing to drink.

 

Did they say why they're doing 2-hour slots on the thermal area? Are you able to sign up for days in advance or do you have to go each morning to get your time? And is there any seating near the pool other than the heated loungers? I like those in a separate room as on QE and QV, with normal loungers in the pool area.

[lincslady]

May I just ask if the present cruise is a full price, normal, cruise, or a special pre-maiden cruise essentially to get the staff etc. completely up to scratch, perhaps at reduced prices or some other incentive?  We did one years ago with another line where you paid up front for your 4 days on board, but then got all the cost back if booking and taking another  cruise within I think a year.  

[Poole Boy]

Price for the maiden is the same as the next 2 week cruise we paid £4k each for P2 for 7 days the next cruise to the Canaries was also £4k each in the same cabin , for  2 weeks, so we have paid a significant premium to be on the cruise , to add to some other comments regarding speed of service, you are not alone, Princess grills was just as bad, for both food and drink, to forever to get even the basics.

[buchanan101]

11 minutes ago, Poole Boy said:

Price for the maiden is the same as the next 2 week cruise we paid £4k each for P2 for 7 days the next cruise to the Canaries was also £4k each in the same cabin , for  2 weeks, so we have paid a significant premium to be on the cruise , to add to some other comments regarding speed of service, you are not alone, Princess grills was just as bad, for both food and drink, to forever to get even the basics.

Though £8k for P2 for 14 days is good value (PG seems to be roughly £5.5k a week when cruises are put on sale.. in my very limited experience…)

 

what are PG cabins like as in one in 7 weeks? 

[MylesS]

2 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

Sorry to hear dinner was so slow. Smart to go for the specialty restaurant rather than sit there with nothing to drink.

 

Did they say why they're doing 2-hour slots on the thermal area? Are you able to sign up for days in advance or do you have to go each morning to get your time? And is there any seating near the pool other than the heated loungers? I like those in a separate room as on QE and QV, with normal loungers in the pool area.

Their reasoning for the slots was not wanting to have the area get too busy.

We were allowed to pre-book slots, and we pre-booked the same time every day of the cruise. 
 

During the tour I didn’t notice any seating around the pool, however given they were doing tours it may have been removed for more space. 
 

We’re just about to go, so I’ll report back with any findings. 

[Poole Boy]

15 minutes ago, buchanan101 said:

Though £8k for P2 for 14 days is good value (PG seems to be roughly £5.5k a week when cruises are put on sale.. in my very limited experience…)

 

what are PG cabins like as in one in 7 weeks? 

In my opinion long and narrow , from what I have seen similar to a balcony just longer, I feel the bathroom is very cramped but the shower is a big plus, also lacking in wardrobe space I will post some pictures later

[buchanan101]

24 minutes ago, Poole Boy said:

In my opinion long and narrow , from what I have seen similar to a balcony just longer, I feel the bathroom is very cramped but the shower is a big plus, also lacking in wardrobe space I will post some pictures later

As I expected… still wondering about bidding for potential Q5/Q6 upgrade…

 

still you have 2 TVs, and a much better sofa than balconies. And better deck chairs… and, bottled water.. and a coffee machine…