QA Canaries 10 May Comments

[buchanan101]

Just now, Victoria2 said:

The lounge was very much a Marmite area. It was very popular for pre lunch and dinner drinks but I think those who love the Vistas lounge would be a tad disappointed. We didn't stop for coffee or drinks very often whereas QV's lounge was very much 'our' lounge!

So far I only have experience of QM2 Grills lounge which as I said earlier is just dull IMO

[exlondoner]

5 minutes ago, buchanan101 said:

Not sure given what is going on in the world that describing the Grills Lounge as a "hell hole" is quite appropriate!

 

What was actually wrong with it? Must be better than QM2 concierge, and the Grills Lounge on QM2 is just dull...

 

(Though I did smile at bananas not appearing until half way through the voyage... maybe they were not ripe? Maybe they didn't put All Bran out at all because they were worried about the ships waste systems?)

Believe me, for someone seriously claustrophobic, hell hole is not unreasonable, given the vernacular way in which the term is used. There is no view, one area of the room has some direct natural light but only from above, while the rest is gloom. And, while it didn’t affect me, because I only passed through it rapidly, while my stomach clenched up, the bar apparently didn’t open until 11am at the earliest, which is rather late for those who want morning coffee. I am not exaggerating to say I would become quite ill if I were confined to that room for any length of time. I hate the concierge lounge on QM2 as well, but at least you don’t have to go there. You have to go through this lounge to get to the QG.

[exlondoner]

6 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

We had bananas no problem, which along with the bed mats seem to be a bit of a speciality.

 

Rooibos Tea was almost a  currency on a world cruise years ago. Maybe moving with the times, bananas are the short term post Covid replacement!

 

I could mention the fact blueberries didn't last the whole two weeks but then we did do our best to decimate  the supply so shouldn't moan really!  😄

It is a rare occurrence to have blueberries on the morning of landing at Southampton. 😀  Both mats and bananas appeared after a few days.

[exlondoner]

4 minutes ago, buchanan101 said:

So far I only have experience of QM2 Grills lounge which as I said earlier is just dull IMO

Yes, I agree, but at least you can see out.

[WantedOnVoyage]

QV Grills Lounge last three weeks was ace.... the best bartender on the ship and Reyland, the steward, is a jewel. It was hard to find a seat.  And those views... like having morning coffee as you transit the Messina Straits. Exceptional. Gives new meaning to the term "Vista".  

 

Sometimes the Grills Lounges do assume a faculty lounge in some boarding school quality and we skipped it in the middle week for evening cocktails and enjoyed the Gin & Fizz and Chart Room instead especially with superb string music most cocktail hours.  

 

I love "the hell hole" description (!) of QA's Grill Lounge but I could not possibly comment further....

Edited May 30 by WantedOnVoyage

[Victoria2]

5 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

It is a rare occurrence to have blueberries on the morning of landing at Southampton. 😀  Both mats and bananas appeared after a few days.

I know, which is why although I would have preferred 'fresh', I did a bit of blueberry hoarding! 😉

[exlondoner]

4 minutes ago, WantedOnVoyage said:

QV Grills Lounge last three weeks was ace.... the best bartender on the ship and Reyland, the steward, is a jewel. It was hard to find a seat.  And those views... like having morning coffee as you transit the Messina Straits. Exceptional. Gives new meaning to the term "Vista".  

 

Sometimes the Grills Lounges do assume a faculty lounge in some boarding school quality and we skipped it in the middle week for evening cocktails and enjoyed the Gin & Fizz and Chart Room instead especially with superb string music most cocktail hours.  

 

I love "the hell hole" description (!) of QA's Grill Lounge but I could not possibly comment further....

For UK readers can you elucidate on faculty lounge in some boarding school? I assume it doesn’t refer to high intellectual content and rigorous debate?

[WantedOnVoyage]

Actually it was my wife who compared it sometimes to the scenes in the faculty lounge in "To Serve Them All My Days"....!  

 

We had a lot of "Red Cards" in the Grills midweek which is unusual (well to me anyway) who elected to take full advantage of their facilities and never seemed to budge from the place.  

[exlondoner]

1 minute ago, WantedOnVoyage said:

Actually it was my wife who compared it sometimes to the scenes in the faculty lounge in "To Serve Them All My Days"....!  

 

We had a lot of "Red Cards" in the Grills midweek which is unusual (well to me anyway) who elected to take full advantage of their facilities and never seemed to budge from the place.  

What is a red card? Other than a badly behaved footballer? I’m sorry I keep showing my ignorance.

 

Ps Don’t know To serve then all my days either.

[WantedOnVoyage]

Red Card is the colour of the key cards for passengers who do not yet qualify for World Club "status". We had 1,500 (!) Diamond and Platinum members for the first week and the second, I suspect that was reduced by two thirds.  

 

Sorry you missed "To Serve Them All My Days" as a series (BBC 1980-81) or indeed as a book (R.F. Delderfield) but well worth discovering.

[exlondoner]

3 minutes ago, WantedOnVoyage said:

Red Card is the colour of the key cards for passengers who do not yet qualify for World Club "status". We had 1,500 (!) Diamond and Platinum members for the first week and the second, I suspect that was reduced by two thirds.  

 

Sorry you missed "To Serve Them All My Days" as a series (BBC 1980-81) or indeed as a book (R.F. Delderfield) but well worth discovering.

Mine is white with a black top, which presumably indicates I do qualify.

Thank you. Now you mention it, I do vaguely remember it.

[Megabear2]

8 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

Mine is white with a black top, which presumably indicates I do qualify.

Thank you. Now you mention it, I do vaguely remember it.

There are a very high number of red cards on here at the moment.  The Britannia staff have.mentioned this cruise being better for them as the first two were very demanding.  

 

Apparently there were lots of complaints and they felt they could not do anything right. They seem more relaxed than in the first few days.  However the MD on deck 3 apparently hasn't lightened up and people are still.on a nightly basis arriving at deck 2 to see if there's availability there.  We've had 3 separate lots over the last few days to fill the two spare seats on our table.  I think we are catering for any overflow as one of our fellow diners has companions allocated a space but have no.intention of coming.to dinner.

Edited May 30 by Megabear2

[D&N]

I've seen cards issued to new Cunard passengers described as "Red Tops" on this forum several times.

[exlondoner]

4 minutes ago, D&N said:

I've seen cards issued to new Cunard passengers described as "Red Tops" on this forum several times.

I wonder why Cunard do this, which enables anyone not terribly short sighted to identify newbies?

 

I always thought red tops were popular newspapers. 😀

[Victoria2]

23 minutes ago, WantedOnVoyage said:

Red Card is the colour of the key cards for passengers who do not yet qualify for World Club "status". We had 1,500 (!) Diamond and Platinum members for the first week and the second, I suspect that was reduced by two thirds.  

 

Sorry you missed "To Serve Them All My Days" as a series (BBC 1980-81) or indeed as a book (R.F. Delderfield) but well worth discovering.

That takes me back.

I have a few sets of Delderfields in the loft. Must bring them down.

[buchanan101]

3 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

I wonder why Cunard do this, which enables anyone not terribly short sighted to identify newbies?

 

I always thought red tops were popular newspapers. 😀

Can't remember the colour of key cards on our first (and so far only) Cunard voyage. Does this mean that even as a lowly Silvers we now won't be red tops in (checks - 24 days).  What are these pins like we are supposed to get...?

[exlondoner]

2 minutes ago, buchanan101 said:

Can't remember the colour of key cards on our first (and so far only) Cunard voyage. Does this mean that even as a lowly Silvers we now won't be red tops in (checks - 24 days).  What are these pins like we are supposed to get...?

Sometimes they appear on the bed on the first voyage of a next level - or they used to.

[Winifred 22]

26 minutes ago, buchanan101 said:

Can't remember the colour of key cards on our first (and so far only) Cunard voyage. Does this mean that even as a lowly Silvers we now won't be red tops in (checks - 24 days).  What are these pins like we are supposed to get...?

The first pins kick in at Gold. You have to go and get them yourself these days well I did for my daughters  and son in laws  who had never received them . 

[Victoria2]

41 minutes ago, buchanan101 said:

Can't remember the colour of key cards on our first (and so far only) Cunard voyage. Does this mean that even as a lowly Silvers we now won't be red tops in (checks - 24 days).  What are these pins like we are supposed to get...?

Flag like, just the same as the red ones but yours will now be silver.

Some folk like to wear them. Hmmm. Our final colour will be on the Christmas tree as always.

[D&N]

44 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

I wonder why Cunard do this, which enables anyone not terribly short sighted to identify newbies?

I just examined our cards from 2022. Oddly they are Silver rather than Red. However our final Guest Invoice shows "First Time Guest".

Possibly Cunard cancelling four, seven night trips before we finally boarded confused their systems.

[exlondoner]

15 minutes ago, D&N said:

I just examined our cards from 2022. Oddly they are Silver rather than Red. However our final Guest Invoice shows "First Time Guest".

Possibly Cunard cancelling four, seven night trips before we finally boarded confused their systems.

And we know their systems can be easily confused, bless them.

[bananavan]

8 hours ago, Bell Boy said:

Not only that , this drinks package malarkey is a hassle if one ( like me) enjoys a couple (or more) glasses of wine with dinner and trying to flag down a sommelier. You could probably have finished your main course before that second glass of wine is delivered, due to the sommelier who has to keep disappearing into the galley bar dispensary to pick up orders. 

   

Bell Boy, that is an improvement on the Sommeliers we have had in PG, but for a different reason. 
The "free drink package" for the US Guests results in overly zealous Wine stewards  trying to earn their 15%, which is added to all of the orders on this package. 
Leisurely drinks never happened. It is truly bizarre. 

[Host Hattie]

10 minutes ago, bananavan said:

Bell Boy, that is an improvement on the Sommeliers we have had in PG, but for a different reason. 
The "free drink package" for the US Guests results in overly zealous Wine stewards  trying to earn their 15%, which is added to all of the orders on this package. 
Leisurely drinks never happened. It is truly bizarre. 

I don't understand this comment, 15% is added to non package drinks as well. 

[Pushpit]

3 hours ago, buchanan101 said:

Can't remember the colour of key cards on our first (and so far only) Cunard voyage. Does this mean that even as a lowly Silvers we now won't be red tops in (checks - 24 days).  What are these pins like we are supposed to get...?

Yes, the left side of the card (by the muster station letter) changes colour at every promotion, noting that it kicks in for the sailing after the voyage that reached the appropriate level. So you should get Silver this time and next, then Gold.  Gold is 2 sailings, but you first see it on sailing number 3. Silver and gold are obvious colours, platinum is sea blue (so quite nice) and diamond is black.

 

It doesn't make much difference to crew, many come via agencies and are only slightly aware of how CWC works, if at all. Longstanding Cunard crew will know, but their professionalism will mean that it shouldn't be that noticeable how they tailor their service. It does have some impact on things like getting nice tables in the restaurants.

 

Pins you get from the Purser's desk (comes in a small black pouch) or the Concierge Desk in Grills.

Edited May 30 by Pushpit

[NE John]

6 hours ago, WantedOnVoyage said:

QV Grills Lounge last three weeks was ace.... the best bartender on the ship and Reyland, the steward, is a jewel. It was hard to find a seat.  And those views... like having morning coffee as you transit the Messina Straits. Exceptional. Gives new meaning to the term "Vista".  

 

Sometimes the Grills Lounges do assume a faculty lounge in some boarding school quality and we skipped it in the middle week for evening cocktails and enjoyed the Gin & Fizz and Chart Room instead especially with superb string music most cocktail hours.  

 

I love "the hell hole" description (!) of QA's Grill Lounge but I could not possibly comment further....

I trust the views from QG lounge for Alaska would be stunning. Especially in rainy weather.