Review of suite offering g the 3 British cruise lines, Cunard, Saga, P&O

[Windsurfboy]

In the last year we have tasted the suite offering of the 3 British cruise lines out of Southampton.  Cunard QG (twice) , Saga Midship suite (30 days) and most recently 14 days on one of P&Os mega ship Arvia.  Ranging from 980 passengers Saga , 1800 -2700 Cunard  , 6000 Arvia.

 

 

P&O aft suite va Saga Midship suite  vs Cunard QG

 

This is not going to be a whingefest as we enjoyed all the cruises. However there are differences.

 

Our first cruise was P&O Aurora 8 years ago, the best entertainment on any ship. We saw the new P&O ships and the abundance of speciality restaurants and thought we'd give it ago, as we'd given up on P&O

 

EMBARKATION 

 

The P&O promise of whisking suite passengers through Embarkation is about as realistic as the election manifestos,  but boarding wasn't that bad , very similar to Cunard QG . Saga of course as you come by their cars all spread out nicely is smoother.

 

Saga best  , P&O Cunard equal second.

 

THE SUITES, 

 

P&O Arvia is the clear winner,  it is just that little bigger inside bigger seperate lounge, most wardrobe space, but with an outstanding balcony. along with Saga it has a separate bath and shower,  Cunard shower over bath let's it down for money you pay.

 

P&O Best

Saga second

Cunard definitely last,  QA will be different

 

But all quite nice

 

 

DINING 

 

Hear let me explain our strategy, which is important for P&O

 

Dinner

 

we booked ahead on P&O every night in speciality restaurants, nights in Epicurean, Limelight 2, Sindhu 1, Mizuhana 1. Never ate in MDR

 

On Saga we made extensive use of the speciality dining,  eating half our meals there.

 

In Cunard in QG restaurant. 

 

This was a close call .

 

The quality on P&O speciality restaurants  is excellent the option of combining eating and entertainment in Limelight is a bonus. The staff in Epicurean really made use feel at-home but then we ate breakfast and dinner with them most nights.  The first week menu was fine, we alternated between 4 mains , only 4 as not being steak eaters this reduced choice. The second week the Epicurean gormet fish and chips was a real let down batter rock solid, better in quays. But we were given a free bottle of champagne . So only 3 mains a bit limited  However still great experience.  Sushi and Sindhu first class.

 

Saga food in main dining room is good , not quite Epicurean but menu changes daily.  The  3 speciality restaurants are very good , our first choice coast to coast and East to West.

 

Cunard we like QG set up , has fixed  table for 2  but can chat to same neighbours if you want. The most sociable  You have daily changing menus,  ala carte and order off menu. However the main menu is a bit old fashioned In my opinion, others will argue. Cunard had most variable quality,  I  rejected two meals on our last cruise as tasteless , yes they offered to change but by which time e my wife was halfway through. 

 

All in all

 

Saga squeezes ahead of P&O on variety by having 3 specialty restaurants.  Cunard and P&O joint second.

 

WINE. 

 

The non inclusive aspect of P&O and Cunard suits us best. P&O doesn't have the extensive wine list of Cunard, but who in reality spends thousands on a Petrus. P&O had some excellent reds (Barolo,  St Emillion, Shiraz in the £50-75 rangefor me) and nice champagne for reasonable price for Mrs WB  , like for like P&O cheaper than Cunard and no service 15%.

 

Saga is all inclusive,  but you need to spend extra for a good wine. I begrudge this and have cocktail before and a included 15 Yr malt after 

 

Winner P&O , Second Cunard

 

BREAKFAST 

 

Breakfast in Epicurean (for suites),  it's quiet and spacious fabulous staff. Cunard QG and Saga not as spacious , all offer excellent breakfast 

 

P&O winner.

 

Lunch

 

We normally have light lunch. Mrs WB doesn't like crowds. Sea days therefore ate in room On P&O . On port days , if we were back or didn't go ashore Quays offered something well-worth going to especially fish and chips 

 

saga had more options for quiet lunch simple sandwiches in Living room lounge.

 

Cunard QG dinning , just have starter , or sandwich in room

 

Winner for us

Sea days Saga

Port days P&O 

 

However if you wanted 3 course proper lunch clear winner Cunard 

 

AMBIENCE  

 

Arvia is a very very busy ship, Sea days hard to find anywhere quiet to sit, and a sunbed gone before breakfast. Luckily nice cabin, big balcony 2 sunbeds , 2 steamers and table and chairs . Plenty of space on Port days.  At night had to book shows in advance. Non show nights Andersons bar very pleasant.

 

Cunard still very busy ships , but grills deck and lounge offer space and quiet. Busy at night but commodore club pleasant after meal

 

Saga a much less busy ship no grills deck, but not needed. There is no part of ship that feels too busy at any time of the day.

 

ENTERTAINMENT 

 

This was one of the reasons to try P&O again.

 

All the ships offer varying forms of day time talks Cunard is the most extensive. Saga also  offer included excellent craft and art classes,which we didn't use

 

Only P&O offer Limelight supper club with a guest singer (extra )

 

I found Headliners  on P&O not to be as good as  before, so not much difference between the main theatres in all 3 lines.

 

 Cunard had most guest entertainers , Saga knows its audience, with 60s and 70s , Beatles tribute  , 3 degrees tribute ,  a great tenor...

 

Saga clear winner alsobecause of the Brittania lounge, with the band , and singers on some nights, a nice floor for some granddad dancing. Cunard  Ballroom (not us) , no dancing  P&O 

 

Bars Saga again win , at 10pm great pianist comedian in Supper club if we don't want to dance.

 

ITINERARY 

 

This is hard to compare, but we do like ports where you walk off and more likely to get this on smaller ship.

 

VALUE

 

This is all in eye of beholder.

 

There is absolutely no doubt you can get a very enjoyable  , luxurious holiday on P&O for not much more than half the price of Cunard or Saga. As long as you can manage to book the restaurants you want. If these are full, and you can't get in , it becomes a very different proposition not luxurious the opposite  Especially if you don't like queues.

 

The other way to look at is what could you get for P&O money on Saga or Cunard

 

Cunard Brittania balcony or club if you are lucky,  I'd choose Arvia suite as Cunard with no grills deck too busy. However booking restaurants on P&O is a gamble .  

 

Saga standard balcony   , heart says Saga.

 

What will we do

 

Although we thoroughly enjoyed this cruise on Arvia it taught us we are definitely small ship people.  Our next cruise is Saga , after that we want to try Seabourne fly cruise to visit smaller more varied  ports and to see if we like even smaller ships.  Then perhaps even smaller,  but we like some entertainment 

 

Still go with Saga , if we see itinerary we like , but done most cruises we fancy out of UK.

 

Cunard go to line for SA to UK , and perhaps Japan to Alaska were you need a bigger ship

 

 

 

Edited June 27 by Windsurfboy

[Victoria2]

 

 

P&O Arvia is the clear winner,  it is just that little bigger inside bigger seperate lounge, most wardrobe space, but with an outstanding balcony. along with Saga it has a separate bath and shower,  Cunard shower over bath let's it down for money you pay.

 

 

 

I won't and can't debate this comment as we have no experience of any other cruise line suites and have no desire to find out but I would say as an overarching point, I guess cabin comparisons depend to a certain extent on the grade of cabin and also, the ship.

 

The Vistas and QA are our only QG experiences and we've never had a QG cabin without a separate shower.

 

 

[exlondoner]

10 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

 

 

P&O Arvia is the clear winner,  it is just that little bigger inside bigger seperate lounge, most wardrobe space, but with an outstanding balcony. along with Saga it has a separate bath and shower,  Cunard shower over bath let's it down for money you pay.

 

 

 

I won't and can't debate this comment as we have no experience of any other cruise line suites and have no desire to find out but I would say as an overarching point, I guess cabin comparisons depend to a certain extent on the grade of cabin and also, the ship.

 

The Vistas and QA are our only QG experiences and we've never had a QG cabin without a separate shower.

 

 

Q5s and Q6s on QM2 lack a separate shower, unfortunately.

[Victoria2]

27 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

Q5s and Q6s on QM2 lack a separate shower, unfortunately.

I guessed it had to be QM2 which is why I was specific with my comments re cabin/ship.

 

To imply Cunard QG cabins have no separate shower is misleading.

edit

most do

 

edit again

Dining

I don't see how QG menus can be used as a comparison because if there's nothing liked on the menu, ask for a special. A great feature of Cunard QG dining experience.

Edited June 27 by Victoria2

[BigMac1953]

Whilst almost all of our cruises/crossings have been on Cunard and in QG, we did do a two week P & O on Ventura to visit our daughter when she was a Headliner.

 

Our suite was on the stern.

 

On the whole, we found the food dreadful. Had a few dinners in the Epicurian but almost everything was deep fried, even the rice pudding, which came in a deep fried battered ball that neither of us ate.

 

The Asian restaurant was very good, but got booked out often.

 

In the theatre, a waiter argued with me that Prosecco was Champagne, because it's much the same thing. It went back.

 

In one paid for restaurant, the manager gave me the full wine list, but the wine waiter refused me a bottle of Chateauneuf because he would have to go down a few decks to retrieve it. I offered to go for him, then walked out. Because our daughter was with us, this was recorded as a "crew incident" and she was reprimanded. She nearly quit on the spot but we told her to forget it.

 

You have to queue for the MDR and it looked awful, so we didn't bother.

 

The only positive aspect is that, unlike Cunard, they DO enforce the dress code.

 

Cunard wins hands down.

Edited June 27 by BigMac1953

[Windsurfboy]

2 hours ago, Victoria2 said:

I guessed it had to be QM2 which is why I was specific with my comments re cabin/ship.

 

To imply Cunard QG cabins have no separate shower is misleading.

edit

most do

 

edit again

Dining

I don't see how QG menus can be used as a comparison because if there's nothing liked on the menu, ask for a special. A great feature of Cunard QG dining experience.

 

Apologies haven't been on a Vista since before covid,  forgot what their bathrooms were like, should have looked it up. 

 

As to ordering off menu , first couple of cruises, thought what a great idea. But gradually have had  a case of can't be bothered.  I think it's the chef's job to delight me with exciting dishes, not mine to think of them

Edited June 27 by Windsurfboy

[Windsurfboy]

1 hour ago, BigMac1953 said:

Whilst almost all of our cruises/crossings have been on Cunard and in QG, we did do a two week P & O on Ventura to visit our daughter when she was a Headliner.

 

Our suite was on the stern.

 

On the whole, we found the food dreadful. Had a few dinners in the Epicurian but almost everything was deep fried, even the rice pudding, which came in a deep fried battered ball that neither of us ate.

 

The Asian restaurant was very good, but got booked out often.

 

In the theatre, a waiter argued with me that Prosecco was Champagne, because it's much the same thing. It went back.

 

In one paid for restaurant, the manager gave me the full wine list, but the wine waiter refused me a bottle of Chateauneuf because he would have to go down a few decks to retrieve it. I offered to go for him, then walked out. Because our daughter was with us, this was recorded as a "crew incident" and she was reprimanded. She nearly quit on the spot but we told her to forget it.

 

You have to queue for the MDR and it looked awful, so we didn't bother.

 

The only positive aspect is that, unlike Cunard, they DO enforce the dress code.

 

Cunard wins hands down.

 

There were no deep fried dishes in Epicurean on our trip . Indian and Sushi restaurants similarly great .

 

As to the MDR looking awful,  as I  said our strategy was not to go there, so not relevant 

 

We had great service in places we visited ,  which was a limited subset , ie the pay for restaurants,  and Anderson's bar. Epicurean staff flexible,  helpful. 

 

Don't  expect committed cunarders to look elsewhere.

 

 

Edited June 27 by Windsurfboy

[Victoria2]

1 minute ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

Apologies haven't been on a Vista since before covid,  forgot what their bathrooms were like, should have looked it up. 

 

As torturing off menu , first couple of cruises, thought what a great idea. But gradually have had  a case of can't be bothered.  I think it's the chef's job to delight me with exciting dishes

but what's exciting for me [Asian street food] won't be exciting for others so menus are totally subjective and the beauty of ordering what you want far out weighs being excited by something on the menu which isn't exciting for all.

 

The chef can excite you by preparing something...which excites you. That's the beauty of QG's ordering off.

[missson1967]

57 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

As to ordering off menu , first couple of cruises, thought what a great idea. But gradually have had  a case of can't be bothered.  I think it's the chef's job to delight me with exciting dishes, not mine to think of them

And, to be fair to the chef, in our experience, the choices available on the daily & ALC menus have been more than good (or exciting!) enough, such that we've never found it necessary to order off menu. 

[Windsurfboy]

All I can say we've enjoyed all  3 cruise lines. But then I'm a glass half full  type,  look for best not dwell on worst.

 

Even though we enjoyed Arvia  cruise, it empasisef going on big ship is not for us,  both Arvia and QM2 are too big for us. I think Vistas are biggest  we like, then only for trans Ocean journeys. Otherwise smaller. But you have to try different things