LIVE (almost) from QM2 Transatlantic June 23 to June 29

[Victoria2]

1 minute ago, Covepointcruiser said:

The pastries and sandwiches in Sir Samuel’s are included in your voyage price on the QM2.    The specialty coffees, teas and hot chocolate are chargeable same as on Celebrity in their coffee house.    I understand that the QA has made Sir Samuel’s a specialty dining option.

Thank you I know which is why I apologised for cross communication.

 

see #219 and  #225

[Joe33472]

34 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

Want a cookie?

The Lido or Kings Court or Artisans Hall. call it what you will  often have a stash of cookies. on request if not in view. A bit like a currency. The server reaches under the counter and puts a couple in my napkin to take away!!😀

Choc chip or cookies with cranberries.

 

Thanks for the tip!   I love cranberry cookies.  Will definitely give this a try.  

[Covepointcruiser]

We especially like the Walkers biscuits left by the tea/coffee station in our suite.   Prefer those to Cunard’s cookie.   All beverages under $12 are still included with the Grill package when booked in the U.S.    We recently booked the 12/3 18 day voyage and was surprised to see we were given a $800 OBC.   Unfortunately we have the last QG cabin and it is an accessible suite.   We are waitlisted for any other QG cabin.   Cunard doesn’t seem to have problems filling the Grill and Britannia Club staterooms.

[Joe33472]

Wow!  The backside of QM2 is so nice.   We finally made it up there this afternoon.  I wish we were in a warmer climate to take advantage of the pools and decks.  How nice.  We were totally blown away.   I like the tiered deck setup.  I think most cruise ships being built now a days generally locate the pools on the top deck across the whole top deck or decks, so this tiered decking is quite dramatic view.  I love also the stairs going down to the various levels.   Makes for easy access between decks.  

 

 

 

 

[Kordy]

Good points.  As far as @Joe33472 final thoughts on this voyage, what will be particularly useful to me is to understand if the extra cost of the Grill upper class was worth it for him.  I'm sailing next week and I had a choice of going for the Britannia Class, Britannia Club class or the Princess Grill class. I chose the Britannia class and I feel really good about how much I paid (almost guilty), given the experience that I'm expecting.

 

However, I was torn if I should go for the Club or even for the PG or QG. I certainly can afford it, but it would perhaps feel like I'm overspending unnecessarily.  For me, I'm always about trying to find a "sweet-spot" of the best possible experience I can get at a fair and reasonable cost (not the cheapest!  Just fair & reasonable).

 

I am going to be interested to see if Joe will recommend QG or whether he will probably prefer to go for a lower class with Cunard next time, given the large increase in cost of QG vs other fare classes.  This will help me to understand if I should have gone for one the Grills or just stick with the Britannia and just make the most of it, knowing that I'm still getting around 85% of the same experience as everyone else on the ship, without having overspent my $$$.  It's a difficult balance and I don't always get it right !

 

It will be interesting to find out where people feel the "smart" money is when choosing the Cunard class. How to get the best experience at the most reasonable cost - ie the "sweet-spot".  It's different for everyone, of course, but there must be a consensus or a mid-point.

[Winifred 22]

1 hour ago, S1971 said:

 

Quite correct, most people do it whilst going from venue to venue to see the differing entertainment.

Never seen people carrying food about from venue to venue  across all 3 Queens on all types of cruises. 

[Mudhen]

Wow! Two pages on cookies and drinks and plates, oh my!

Almost enough chatter to rival the dress code topic......but I'm not gonna go there....ever again!

[Kordy]

Just now, Mudhen said:

Wow! Two pages on cookies and drinks and plates, oh my!

Almost enough chatter to rival the dress code topic......but I'm not gonna go there....ever again!

The cookies are a very contentious topic!

[King Amo]

1 minute ago, Mudhen said:

Wow! Two pages on cookies and drinks and plates, oh my!

Almost enough chatter to rival the dress code topic......but I'm not gonna go there....ever again!

Surprised no-one questioned Joe's choice in attire at the time of enquiring over the macarons😁

[Joe33472]

1 minute ago, Kordy said:

The cookies are a very contentious topic!

 

BTW - the cookies ended up not being as good as they looked

[Winifred 22]

23 minutes ago, Covepointcruiser said:

The pastries and sandwiches in Sir Samuel’s are included in your voyage price on the QM2.    The specialty coffees, teas and hot chocolate are chargeable same as on Celebrity in their coffee house.    I understand that the QA has made Sir Samuel’s a specialty dining option.

Not the last time I was onboard they were not included and there were no sandwiches.  The cakes ranged from 5$ upwards.  Are you thinking of another venue , Carathia lounge has free pastries , hors d’oeuvres and sandwiches. 

[Victoria2]

4 minutes ago, Joe33472 said:

 

BTW - the cookies ended up not being as good as they looked

Can recommend the choc chip from the buffet.

 

Not too keen on the cranberry ones.

 

Best bib and tucker not required!

[Winifred 22]

2 hours ago, RK-NC said:

 

It has been our understanding that coffee beverages at SS are an extra charge but the cake/pastry case is complimentary (similar to the complimentary food in Carinthia)

They were not free the last time I had the fabulous chocolate cake. 

[missson1967]

4 minutes ago, Winifred 22 said:

Not the last time I was onboard they were not included and there were no sandwiches.  The cakes ranged from 5$ upwards.  Are you thinking of another venue , Carathia lounge has free pastries , hors d’oeuvres and sandwiches. 

We have had plenty of pistachio macaroons from Sir Samuel's on QM2 over the years, the last of which was on a crossing in January 2024, and never been charged for them.  Our experience certainly reconciles with that of @Covepointcruiser.

[leyland1989]

14 minutes ago, Kordy said:

The cookies are a very contentious topic!

When celebrity experimented with charging for "freshly reheated" cookies, all hell broke loose on the celebrity cc forum. 

Edited Wednesday at 07:09 PM by leyland1989

[Joe33472]

1 minute ago, Kordy said:

Good points.  As far as @Joe33472 final thoughts on this voyage, what will be particularly useful to me is to understand if the extra cost of the Grill upper class was worth it for him.  I'm sailing next week and I had a choice of going for the Britannia Class, Britannia Club class or the Princess Grill class. I chose the Britannia class and I feel really good about how much I paid (almost guilty), given the experience that I'm expecting.

 

However, I was torn if I should go for the Club or even for the PG or QG. I certainly can afford it, but it would perhaps feel like I'm overspending unnecessarily.  For me, I'm always about trying to find a "sweet-spot" of the best possible experience I can get at a fair and reasonable cost (not the cheapest!  Just fair & reasonable).

 

I am going to be interested to see if Joe will recommend QG or whether he will probably prefer to go for a lower class with Cunard next time, given the large increase in cost of QG vs other fare classes.  This will help me to understand if I should have gone for one the Grills or just stick with the Britannia and just make the most of it, knowing that I'm still getting around 85% of the same experience as everyone else on the ship, without having overspent my $$$.  It's a difficult balance and I don't always get it right !

 

It will be interesting to find out where people feel the "smart" money is when choosing the Cunard class. How to get the best experience at the most reasonable cost - ie the "sweet-spot".  It's different for everyone, of course, but there must be a consensus or a mid-point.

 

Trust me!  This exact question has been the topic of most of your lunch and dinner conversations.   And like you, it's not a money issue.   It's a value issue.   And despite what many may think, we're already planning our next QM2 cruise.   The question for us, like you, is what class.    We originally booked PG for this cruise, and then I read about ordering off menu at QG and that kind of made the difference for me.  But, in reality, we haven't used that too much.  

 

The Q5 cabin we're in is VERY nice (albeit old, but we knew that), so it's tough to think about being in a cabin for a week 1/2 or a 1/3 the size of this cabin.  Our cabin on the recent Royal Caribbean was about this same size as this Q5, maybe a little larger. 

 

Many people say PG is the sweet spot or perhaps Britannia Club.   I'm going to hold off judging what's the value proposition until Saturday when we disembark, but today, I don't think I would say that QG is worth it for the restaurant experience.   But maybe worth it for the room and butler experience, so it's very difficult.    My SO says on our next trip we should do a sheltered balcony and eat in Britannia restaurant and the buffet, but she likes buffets and I detest them.  She doesn't know how much I really hate buffets.  So, it's really tough evaluation.  I really do like this cabin, suite lounge, and butler. 

[Judyrem]

17 minutes ago, Joe33472 said:

 

BTW - the cookies ended up not being as good as they looked

That's the way it goes, great expectations and all.  

 

 

[Winifred 22]

2 minutes ago, Joe33472 said:

 

Trust me!  This exact question has been the topic of most of your lunch and dinner conversations.   And like you, it's not a money issue.   It's a value issue.   And despite what many may think, we're already planning our next QM2 cruise.   The question for us, like you, is what class.    We originally booked PG for this cruise, and then I read about ordering off menu at QG and that kind of made the difference for me.  But, in reality, we haven't used that too much.  

 

The Q5 cabin we're in is VERY nice (albeit old, but we knew that), so it's tough to think about being in a cabin for a week 1/2 or a 1/3 the size of this cabin.  Our cabin on the recent Royal Caribbean was about this same size as this Q5, maybe a little larger. 

 

Many people say PG is the sweet spot or perhaps Britannia Club.   I'm going to hold off judging what's the value proposition until Saturday when we disembark, but today, I don't think I would say that QG is worth it for the restaurant experience.   But maybe worth it for the room and butler experience, so it's very difficult.    My SO says on our next trip we should do a sheltered balcony and eat in Britannia restaurant and the buffet, but she likes buffets and I detest them.  She doesn't know how much I really hate buffets.  So, it's really tough evaluation.  I really do like this cabin, suite lounge, and butler. 

The lunches are good in Britannia and in the Golden Lion. Carinthia serves  light lunches too. 

[Joe33472]

2 minutes ago, Winifred 22 said:

The lunches are good in Britannia and in the Golden Lion. Carinthia serves  light lunches too. 

 

That's exactly what my SO is telling me.  We'll eat in Britannia, Golden Lion, and the buffet.  She says that many of the options repeat across restaurants and even the buffet.  We could take three cruises in a sheltered balcony for the price of this one cruise.  🤷‍♂️  She says all this now, but when we're sitting in a sheltered balcony cabin all I will hear about is how small the cabin is and how unbearable it is. Thank goodness she doesn't read this forum.

[Host Hattie]

27 minutes ago, Joe33472 said:

 

BTW - the cookies ended up not being as good as they looked

Are we still talking about the macarons  ? How did you get them in the end ?

[exlondoner]

20 minutes ago, Joe33472 said:

 

Trust me!  This exact question has been the topic of most of your lunch and dinner conversations.   And like you, it's not a money issue.   It's a value issue.   And despite what many may think, we're already planning our next QM2 cruise.   The question for us, like you, is what class.    We originally booked PG for this cruise, and then I read about ordering off menu at QG and that kind of made the difference for me.  But, in reality, we haven't used that too much.  

 

The Q5 cabin we're in is VERY nice (albeit old, but we knew that), so it's tough to think about being in a cabin for a week 1/2 or a 1/3 the size of this cabin.  Our cabin on the recent Royal Caribbean was about this same size as this Q5, maybe a little larger. 

 

Many people say PG is the sweet spot or perhaps Britannia Club.   I'm going to hold off judging what's the value proposition until Saturday when we disembark, but today, I don't think I would say that QG is worth it for the restaurant experience.   But maybe worth it for the room and butler experience, so it's very difficult.    My SO says on our next trip we should do a sheltered balcony and eat in Britannia restaurant and the buffet, but she likes buffets and I detest them.  She doesn't know how much I really hate buffets.  So, it's really tough evaluation.  I really do like this cabin, suite lounge, and butler. 

I hesitate to dare to offer an opinion that may not be wanted, but I do think, if your next voyage is a TA,  a sheltered balcony on the South side of the ship will enable you to get a lot of use from the balcony, compared to an ordinary balcony. And the money you save might pay for a lot of dinners in the specialty restaurants, if you don’t want the Britannia.

Edited Wednesday at 07:32 PM by exlondoner

[Pushpit]

6 minutes ago, Joe33472 said:

Many people say PG is the sweet spot or perhaps Britannia Club.   I'm going to hold off judging what's the value proposition until Saturday when we disembark, but today, I don't think I would say that QG is worth it for the restaurant experience.   But maybe worth it for the room and butler experience, so it's very difficult.    My SO says on our next trip we should do a sheltered balcony and eat in Britannia restaurant and the buffet, but she likes buffets and I detest them.  She doesn't know how much I really hate buffets.  So, it's really tough evaluation.  I really do like this cabin, suite lounge, and butler. 

It's a very personal thing, many people on this board are attached to one particular level - different levels - and are reluctant to change. I don't think there is a right or wrong answer here. Obviously going upwards is easier than going downwards..... I've done all QM2 grades apart from Inside (I've booked a few Insides, but got free upgrades, Cunard won't let me stay there for some reason) and they all have merit if you factor in the cost. I will also be on all 4 ships during 2024 at least once. The biggest single factor for me is that I would rather not trade - from a total money point of view - 2, 3 or even 4 sailings in Britannia for just one in the Grills. If money is not an issue then OK, that changes.

 

I also tend not to eat in Kings Court, though I may pick up a coffee there. I am a fan of sheltered balconies on Crossings, the wilder the better! In your shoes I would make do with the Britannia restaurant, which as you have seen has a reasonable menu, advertised in advance, and consider Verandah or Bamboo (etc) once in a while. But you're not going to get 4 lots of butter in Britannia! You can try Britannia for breakfast or lunch, for a change of scene.

[Joe33472]

3 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

Are we still talking about the macarons  ? How did you get them in the end ?

 

A nice gentleman delivered them to our cabin.  The food service manager apologized and said that it shouldn't have been an issue to have the cookies to take away and that he would gladly arrange for delivery of the cookies to our cabin. 

 

 

[Host Hattie]

Just now, Joe33472 said:

 

A nice gentleman delivered them to our cabin.  The food service manager apologized and said that it shouldn't have been an issue to have the cookies to take away and that he would gladly arrange for delivery of the cookies to our cabin. 

 

 

Thanks for the update, I must have missed it first time. 

[Joe33472]

8 minutes ago, Pushpit said:

The biggest single factor for me is that I would rather not trade - from a total money point of view - 2, 3 or even 4 sailings in Britannia for just one in the Grills. If money is not an issue then OK, that changes.

 

I also tend not to eat in Kings Court, though I may pick up a coffee there. I am a fan of sheltered balconies on Crossings, the wilder the better! In your shoes I would make do with the Britannia restaurant, which as you have seen has a reasonable menu, advertised in advance, and consider Verandah or Bamboo (etc) once in a while. But you're not going to get 4 lots of butter in Britannia! You can try Britannia for breakfast or lunch, for a change of scene.

 

Does the this mean that you'd rather one crossing in QG over 2, 3 or 4 sailings in Britannia or the other way around?

 

I really don't like the Kings Court buffet, but that's not a reflection of Kings Court, I just don't like buffets in general.  Thanks for the suggestion about taking a breakfast or lunch in Britannia!  That's a great tip. Going to suggest that to my SO that we try that tomorrow.   Just for a change in pace.    Yes, if we booked a sheltered balcony, we'd probably do a few specialty dining and the pop ups just to mix things up!  Thanks! 

 

Edited Wednesday at 07:38 PM by Joe33472