Hmmm, a little concerned about some possible changes since Queen Anne

[maggielou362]

Sorry, I haven't had time to read all the new postings about Queen Anne, but the gist I am getting is that there are more things that are attracting supplementary charges. For example, the Golden Lion menu and the room service menu. I fear that this is not boding well for the other three beauties of the fleet. More chipping away of what makes Cunard so iconic and unique? Carnival Corporation money spinning and homogenising? What do you all think?

[TowandaUK]

At the moment it’s just optional extras that are chargeable. Time will tell if people are prepared to pay. If they are not taken up then Cunard will have to think again. 

[TowandaUK]

Celebrity charge $9.95 for all room service except continental breakfast unless you are in a suite. At least Cunard haven’t gone down that road. 

[david63]

1 hour ago, TowandaUK said:

If they are not taken up then Cunard will have to think again. 

I doubt it - the bean counters run everything these days!

[Poole Boy]

If people pay these charges then they will continue and spread to other items , if people  don’t pay then they will disappear, simple business logic. Example being speciality restaurants, food is perfectly acceptable in MDR , people are happy to pay again for Dinner or lunch in a speciality restaurant, so QA has more chargeable restaurants, bean counters are happy

[BairsAbroad]

I'm also concerned that included services will become upcharges. My husband and I did not do cruises for decades because the pricing is so dodgy but on QM2 last year the only thing we paid for were our drinks and it was wonderful. We immediately booked QE and will be on QA in a few weeks followed by QM2 transatlantic- but if we find upcharges everywhere I'll just treasure the memories and say so long and thanks for the fish 'n chips.

[Mickb]

Interesting. We received an email from Cunard about the Queen Anne extolling the virtues of its food in the main restaurants. We have always sailed PG on the QV and QM2 and have found the menus to be very comprehensive. I was dismayed to see that the a la carte alternative has been severely curtailed, and on the main menu, there were only 3 starter choices and 3 mains. I do hope that this was only a promotional email.
It would seem to me that by reducing the offer in the main restaurants they are driving people who like a choice and more elaborate menus to the extra tariff specialty restaurants. Strangely they haven’t compensated by reducing the fares!

[Pear Carr]

I am also concerned that less choice/slower service in the main restaurants is a ploy to encourage people to use the alternative additional cost dining options.

[exlondoner]

25 minutes ago, Pear Carr said:

I am also concerned that less choice/slower service in the main restaurants is a ploy to encourage people to use the alternative additional cost dining options.

The only menu I have actually seen from onboard was yesterday’s lunch menu, which was quite remarkably similar to past lunch menus. As to the slowness of the service, isn’t that really more likely to be because it was her first day of operation?

[D&N]

I'd normally opt for a main and dessert.

There's three of each there I'd be happy to pick. I would eat all five of each if I didn't have a choice. I'd not normally think about a salad or soup, but if forced to have three courses, I'd probably choose between the terrine or crab and shrimp.

[Winifred 22]

That’s a standard Britannia menu. Had those options many times. Only new items are the soups. The cherry clafoutis is very disappointing. 

[Kynance]

I must admit I rather thought that Cunard would take the opportunity of launching a new ship to refresh the dining room menus across the fleet. There’s limited evidence on that menu but it was just the first night so perhaps there will be more come. 

[NE John]

I believe Cunard’s menu is more elevated than most MDR’s and the language of the offerings may even overwhelm newer pax to Cunard i.e. Billi Bi Soup and the use of French culinary terms.  Since QA has been compared to Celebrity, below is a Celebrity MDR dinner menu I yanked off the internet. Celebrity certainly has a nice menu, but I can order much of the below from a nice restaurant locally. I want meals at sea that I can’t get at home. 

[exlondoner]

I don’t think there is any evidence that Cunard are altering the menus to make people go to a restaurant where they have to pay extra. But as I have said before, it seems strange that they give two vegetarian choices out of five main courses, when there is also a separate vegetarian menu. It is invariably subjective, but when I have travelled, I doubt anywhere near 40% of my fellow passengers have chosen theses dishes. But this is not something new for QA.

[TowandaUK]

5 hours ago, NE John said:

I believe Cunard’s menu is more elevated than most MDR’s and the language of the offerings may even overwhelm newer pax to Cunard i.e. Billi Bi Soup and the use of French culinary terms.  Since QA has been compared to Celebrity, below is a Celebrity MDR dinner menu I yanked off the internet. Celebrity certainly has a nice menu, but I can order much of the below from a nice restaurant locally. I want meals at sea that I can’t get at home. 

This menu is far superior to any we experienced on Celebrity last summer when they were experimenting with huge cutbacks in the mdr. We resorted to speciality dining most nights as the only option to get a decent meal.  Improvements were brought in after customer uproar, however its worth noting after a perusal of current Menus that repeats are common within the week and they are still using Tilapia and cheaper cuts of steak. Cunard menus appear much more imaginative and appetising. 

[david63]

1 hour ago, exlondoner said:

it seems strange that they give two vegetarian choices out of five main courses

This may be a trend within Carnival UK as the same thing is, I believe, happening with P&O

[King Amo]

It will driven both by cost and their corporate sustainability targets. Personally I think it is quite a welcome change to have a bit more variety on the vegetarian options, which have often been quite samey and tomato-based, but I doubt, given the demographic, that they will be hugely well taken up. 

[maggielou362]

It's very informative and interesting to read all the comments re the food, thank you for the menu examples. I too am happy to have more variety on the menus if that's what passengers desire, but I am also quite satisfied with the current dining offerings on QM2, QV and QE. My concern is more to do with the creeping in of more and more supplementary charges that had previously been included. Extra charge for burgers etc in The Golden Lion, extra charges for some items on the room service menu, extra charge here, extra charge there. The thin end of the wedge. As stated by @BairsAbroad, if there are upcharges everywhere it might make people think twice about Cunard loyalty.

 

[Winifred 22]

The up charges won’t affect my loyalty in anyway. I just won’t choose those items. In the Golden Lion I will just stick to what is free and I only ever have room service breakfast anyway which is still included. 

[maggielou362]

Ok, @Winifred 22, exlondoner, Victoria2, et al. all you lovely knowledgeable Cunard regulars: I will take your advice and do the same (advice hasn't let me down yet!) If we all stick together and refuse to pay EXTRA for items and services that were previously included in the fare perhaps Cunard will keep providing the experience that makes it so special and unique. I hope so, I truly want to stay loyal to Cunard because I have fallen in love, despite them deserting us in the Southern Hemisphere!

[Victoria2]

13 minutes ago, Winifred 22 said:

The up charges won’t affect my loyalty in anyway. I just won’t choose those items. In the Golden Lion I will just stick to what is free and I only ever have room service breakfast anyway which is still included. 

As another loyal Cunard client, it will take an awful lot more than some up charges before we jump ship from Cunard.

I am just hoping Queen Anne won't disappoint.

 

 

[Victoria2]

Just now, maggielou362 said:

Ok, @Winifred 22, exlondoner, Victoria2, et al. all you lovely knowledgeable Cunard regulars: I will take your advice and do the same (advice hasn't let me down yet!) If we all stick together and refuse to pay EXTRA for items and services that were previously included in the fare perhaps Cunard will keep providing the experience that makes it so special and unique. I hope so, I truly want to stay loyal to Cunard because I have fallen in love, despite them deserting us in the Southern Hemisphere!

Lovely of you. 😘

 

I agree. Don't pay the charges and choose something else.

[Winifred 22]

1 minute ago, Victoria2 said:

As another loyal Cunard client, it will take an awful lot more than some up charges before we jump ship from Cunard.

I am just hoping Queen Anne won't disappoint.

 

 

I haven’t seen anything yet I am disappointed in save the Golden Lion Menu changes but while irritating not a deal breaker in anyway. Hope your Grills experience is up to the usual standards and expectations. I am quite excited for my July jolly especially seeing footage of the bigger deck 4 balconies. So difficult just looking at the deck plan to get a proper idea. 

[Victoria2]

15 minutes ago, Winifred 22 said:

I haven’t seen anything yet I am disappointed in save the Golden Lion Menu changes but while irritating not a deal breaker in anyway. Hope your Grills experience is up to the usual standards and expectations. I am quite excited for my July jolly especially seeing footage of the bigger deck 4 balconies. So difficult just looking at the deck plan to get a proper idea. 

Thank you.

I know I'm extremely  Cunard biased but I intend to report back and aim to give of my honest and objective opinion as I hope I have done in the past.

 

Plus of course, some little personal thoughts too. 🙂

 

Edit

Oops, didn't proof read before submitting!

Edited May 5 by Victoria2

[david63]

39 minutes ago, maggielou362 said:

f we all stick together and refuse to pay EXTRA for items and services that were previously included in the fare

Unfortunately that is not the logic that the "bean counters" use. If passengers don't use the pay for extras all that will happen is that more items will go onto the pay extra list - that is what has happened with Princess.