QA Canaries 10 May Comments

[renji]

On 5/11/2024 at 6:30 AM, exlondoner said:

I agree the lifts are a hazard. They have the same capacity as the Vista lifts, I think. That is a highly fictitious 18. But the doors are hyperactive, and given the general decrepitude of Cunard passengers, many will be squashed. I have had several fights with them already, for they are quite determined.

I’ve been trying to do my civic duty and run to hold them for older passengers.  The best trick is to watch the numbers and try to get there in advance but it’s an imperfect system.  

[Host Hattie]

9 minutes ago, renji said:

Hi, that’s lovely to hear, I appreciate your grace towards those of us still learning! it’s a private dance group where we pay extra to the organizer who hires a few pros (2 male/2 female) and some hosts (3 additional men on this one) to dance with the guests in the evenings, and we can hire the hosts for private lessons as well. 

Does that mean there aren't any Cunard employed Dance hosts on this sailing?

[safarigal]

Just now, foodsvcmgr said:

Thank you, glad to hear the tradition continues as a huge fan of ship’s horns!

Me too! And she has a lovely throaty whistle. Not up to QE2 standard of course, but really good, and Inger seems to like showing off the wonderful sound she makes 🙂

[exlondoner]

4 minutes ago, safarigal said:

Me too! And she has a lovely throaty whistle. Not up to QE2 standard of course, but really good, and Inger seems to like showing off the wonderful sound she makes 🙂

It is indeed a fine whistle, on what I think is a lovely ship.

[Host Hattie]

I hope you all enjoyed your Canary Island visits, or your days on board if you didn't get off. I hope you have good weather for the sail home.

[renji]

14 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

Does that mean there aren't any Cunard employed Dance hosts on this sailing?

I believe I saw one gentleman last night. 

[Host Hattie]

Just now, renji said:

I believe I saw one gentleman last night. 

Thanks, that explains @TowandaUK's post.

I hope you're enjoying your dancing. 

[exlondoner]

On the subject of canapés which come to the cabin. There are only two of them, but they are much more extensive. One night we had (for two of us) two grissini wrapped in Parma ham, some venison salami, and a jar of cheese and olives, last night was two tiny blinis with smoked salmon, caviar, etc.  Tonight was two salady jars, one Greek, one a prawn cocktail thing. See photo.

 

Edited May 19 by exlondoner

[Pear Carr]

They look a bit meagre but obviously only available in Queens Grill. We have had some decent canapés in the Commodore Club on QV most notably garlic prawn skewers - some selection we bypass - but nice to be offered and add to the experience.  Cunard are missing a trick by removing this perk!

[TowandaUK]

Can someone explain something for me please. We are on Britannia open dining so we eat on deck 3 and arrive when we like. However we tend to book an early slot as we like to go to the first show. 
We enjoy moving around, meeting new neighbours and experiencing different servers. 
We have noticed that there are quite a few people who have set tables they go to every night on deck 3. They bypass the front desk and seat themselves. How is this possible with open dining?  Is it an overflow of fixed dining guests from deck 2?

[exlondoner]

5 minutes ago, Pear Carr said:

They look a bit meagre but obviously only available in Queens Grill. We have had some decent canapés in the Commodore Club on QV most notably garlic prawn skewers - some selection we bypass - but nice to be offered and add to the experience.  Cunard are missing a trick by removing this perk!

They aren’t in the Grill, they are in the cabins. They didn’t seem meagre to me.

[Host Hattie]

1 minute ago, TowandaUK said:

Can someone explain something for me please. We are on Britannia open dining so we eat on deck 3 and arrive when we like. However we tend to book an early slot as we like to go to the first show. 
We enjoy moving around, meeting new neighbours and experiencing different servers. 
We have noticed that there are quite a few people who have set tables they go to every night on deck 3. They bypass the front desk and seat themselves. How is this possible with open dining?  Is it an overflow of fixed dining guests from deck 2?

Possibly, we were on QM2 last year on fixed dining but on the open dining floor. 

[Bell Boy]

13 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

Does that mean there aren't any Cunard employed Dance hosts on this sailing?

In addition to the private dance group who are onboard QA there is one (Cunard) professional male  from Ukraine.  At the moment this gentleman is without his female partner I understand she maybe joining on a later itinerary. 

 

I sincerely hope that the entertainment team who are responsible for the (QA) onboard daily programme for this particular itinerary - unlike the maiden ,   are accommodating towards the above dance group and other guests who choose Cunard and visit the Queens room for an occasional  dance in the evening. 

[Victoria2]

13 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

I hope you all enjoyed your Canary Island visits, or your days on board if you didn't get off. I hope you have good weather for the sail home.

Not been the best of weathers but as we’re not bothered, no problem. I have heard quips along the line of 'if we wanted sunshine, should have stayed at home' but most of the folk I’ve spoken to, are enjoying themselves

but

there are those who vow never to set foot on Annie again. All a bit Marmite! 🙂

 

We will not be cancelling our future bookings and are having a great time, which doesn’t mean QV isn’t still our main love, it’s just the fact Annie has exceeded our expectations which to be fair, were set at a pretty low level initially.

[Selbourne]

4 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

Annie has exceeded our expectations which to be fair, were set at a pretty low level initially.

Given the price that we are paying, we are going with high expectations, so hopefully we won’t be disappointed! However, we are probably the target audience for Queen Anne. Most of our previous cruises have been with P&O and we are looking to ‘trade up’ given that it’s no longer quite the experience that it was - albeit we will still cruise with them, as their prices have fallen to represent the lower quality experience so it still represents good value for money. 

[Victoria2]

1 minute ago, Selbourne said:

Given the price that we are paying, we are going with high expectations, so hopefully we won’t be disappointed! However, we are probably the target audience for Queen Anne. Most of our previous cruises have been with P&O and we are looking to ‘trade up’ given that it’s no longer quite the experience that it was - albeit we will still cruise with them, as their prices have fallen to represent the lower quality experience so it still represents good value for money. 

Strangely enough, I don’t equate high price with high expectations any more as enjoyment is all so personal and what suits one, is an anathema for others. You just have to bite the bullet if you want to try anything new and see if you like it or not.

 

We like this product. Not love, but like.

 

 Sincerely hope you like it too. 🙂

[david63]

18 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

there are those who vow never to set foot on Annie again

Doesn't that happen with all new ships?

[Victoria2]

Just now, david63 said:

Doesn't that happen with all new ships?

Not a clue. I’ve never been on such a new ship before so haven’t experienced some of the snags some folk have experienced.

 

Dancers certainly have a reason to be less than enthusiastic about Annie and the theatre has drawn negativity in some, whereas I like the idea the Queens Room is being used for entertainment and I like the acoustics and line of sight of the theatre.

 

Marmite again.

 

[buchanan101]

13 hours ago, TowandaUK said:

Can someone explain something for me please. We are on Britannia open dining so we eat on deck 3 and arrive when we like. However we tend to book an early slot as we like to go to the first show. 
We enjoy moving around, meeting new neighbours and experiencing different servers. 
We have noticed that there are quite a few people who have set tables they go to every night on deck 3. They bypass the front desk and seat themselves. How is this possible with open dining?  Is it an overflow of fixed dining guests from deck 2?

I guess it could be because more people opted for fixed than the capacity of the lower deck? 

[Victoria2]

23 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Given the price that we are paying, we are going with high expectations, so hopefully we won’t be disappointed! However, we are probably the target audience for Queen Anne. Most of our previous cruises have been with P&O and we are looking to ‘trade up’ given that it’s no longer quite the experience that it was - albeit we will still cruise with them, as their prices have fallen to represent the lower quality experience so it still represents good value for money. 

I’m just hoping the initial lift chaos doesn’t colour your views.

 

Remember, in the first 24hrs,

if the lift has wheelchair  room, be it going up or down, grab it. Monitor the decks of all four lifts in the lobby and don’t  stand at one side as you can bet your bottom $$, the opposite lifts will be free! 😀

 

and if folk are in the lift, 'hold the lift please' will be your holler throughout the holiday.

[exlondoner]

Our neighbours at dinner said this is now their favourite ship. In contrast, a man in front of me in the queue for the Purser’s yesterday said to the man in front of him that this ship was just like a P&O ship, only not as good. This was clearly a pejorative comment, but its exact nuance was unclear to me, as I have never been on P&O.

 

I think most of the ship is gorgeous, and the crew lovely, though I wish more passengers would acknowledge them. The only place I complete detest is the Grills Lounge. I can solve that problem for them. The Wellness Studio is barely used in proportion to its large area. It is adjacent to the Grills Terrace and would do fine if converted to a Grills Lounge. The current lounge could become an outdoor dining courtyard, and, if the Wellness Studio is really necessary, a corner of the Grills Terrace could be sacrificed.

[safarigal]

Just now, exlondoner said:

Our neighbours at dinner said this is now their favourite ship. In contrast, a man in front of me in the queue for the Purser’s yesterday said to the man in front of him that this ship was just like a P&O ship, only not as good. This was clearly a pejorative comment, but its exact nuance was unclear to me, as I have never been on P&O.

 

I think most of the ship is gorgeous, and the crew lovely, though I wish more passengers would acknowledge them. The only place I complete detest is the Grills Lounge. I can solve that problem for them. The Wellness Studio is barely used in proportion to its large area. It is adjacent to the Grills Terrace and would do fine if converted to a Grills Lounge. The current lounge could become an outdoor dining courtyard, and, if the Wellness Studio is really necessary, a corner of the Grills Terrace could be sacrificed.

I totally agree that they should rethink the Wellness Studio and convert it into the Grills lounge, and have the current lounge as a terrace like on the QE and QV. It would take away from the space on the upper Grills Terrace, but I think it would be a better use of space. That being said, the Grills lounge is growing on me......

[exlondoner]

Just now, safarigal said:

I totally agree that they should rethink the Wellness Studio and convert it into the Grills lounge, and have the current lounge as a terrace like on the QE and QV. It would take away from the space on the upper Grills Terrace, but I think it would be a better use of space. That being said, the Grills lounge is growing on me......

But it barely has a view…unless you are an upskirter. 😀

And it is horribly dark and claustrophobic.

[renji]

1 hour ago, exlondoner said:

Our neighbours at dinner said this is now their favourite ship. In contrast, a man in front of me in the queue for the Purser’s yesterday said to the man in front of him that this ship was just like a P&O ship, only not as good. This was clearly a pejorative comment, but its exact nuance was unclear to me, as I have never been on P&O.

 

I think most of the ship is gorgeous, and the crew lovely, though I wish more passengers would acknowledge them. The only place I complete detest is the Grills Lounge. I can solve that problem for them. The Wellness Studio is barely used in proportion to its large area. It is adjacent to the Grills Terrace and would do fine if converted to a Grills Lounge. The current lounge could become an outdoor dining courtyard, and, if the Wellness Studio is really necessary, a corner of the Grills Terrace could be sacrificed.

I think the issue with this is that Wellness space is available for all passengers as is all the surrounding seating.  There is no seating on the deck 3 promenade. There are yoga classes and dance lessons there given the lack of other spaces available. 

[Megabear2]

1 hour ago, exlondoner said:

Our neighbours at dinner said this is now their favourite ship. In contrast, a man in front of me in the queue for the Purser’s yesterday said to the man in front of him that this ship was just like a P&O ship, only not as good. This was clearly a pejorative comment, but its exact nuance was unclear to me, as I have never been on P&O.

 

I think most of the ship is gorgeous, and the crew lovely, though I wish more passengers would acknowledge them. The only place I complete detest is the Grills Lounge. I can solve that problem for them. The Wellness Studio is barely used in proportion to its large area. It is adjacent to the Grills Terrace and would do fine if converted to a Grills Lounge. The current lounge could become an outdoor dining courtyard, and, if the Wellness Studio is really necessary, a corner of the Grills Terrace could be sacrificed.

The Wellness Studio is surely there to appeal to younger demographics.  I understand all the early voyages are heavily loaded with a large number of very frequent Cunard cruisers and possibly and older demographic as a result.  

 

Once things settle down more younger people and first time travellers will start to book and this area may well prove popular with them.

 

I'm basing this on the premise that P&O experimented on Arvia with a vegetable based restaurant which was barely used initially and yet now in second season is heavily booked by mainly health conscious younger people.  The Wellness Studio may yet prove a hit.

 

I'm also guessing the next voyage is also heavily loaded with Diamond CWC members as I have been given a boarding time of 3.00pm and am indeed one so any lack of use should really take a season to be properly judged on popularity.