Change of itinerary

[Ray B]

I think Ray’s been on the source

How on earth did you know that I had HP on my bacon sarnie.

#45 posted twice but it looks like it's been resolved. WI-FI at the coast is very poor and yesturday it was a job to get a signal.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Oh dear ... as celebs you'll be the target of da picka-da-pockettas

They've been out to count the lifeboats this morning.

[Stephen]

Bet the propellers have gone walk about

[Mervyn and Trish]

We're back. Report to follow.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I thought I'd better follow up with a quick review. It'll come in chunks as and when - busy getting ready for our next holiday - and it won't be as comprehensive as Sue's various reports - no laundry or shopping for cabin essentials took place.

Before we board, a mention for the Southampton Harbour Hotel. Possibly the most expensive hotel in Southampton, claims to be the only 5 star, and not the cheapest room. We decided to splash out as we had booked Princess Grills on the QV (the Covid refunds had mounted up) and decided we'd go full out up market. Probably back to the Premier Inn for the next cruise.

Well as it should be the hotel is fabulous. Overlooks the marina close to where the River Itchen joins Southampton Water, so full on views of millions of £s of floating Tupperware and slightly obstructed side views of ships coming and going. The room had all mod cons, including robes, slippers, bathroom with twin basins, bath and separate walk-in shower, a large balcony overlooking the marina, and complementary gin. Yes free gin.

We had dinner in their Jetty Restaurant - pricey but very good - and breakfast in their top floor Har Bar - again very good. Service was generally very good, though there were a couple of minor slip ups for which they apologised profusely. A big plus is it's a very short drive to all terminals. Literally just round the corner from Ocean and QE2. Of course we were going from the most distant, Mayflower, but it was still only a few minutes and Southampton traffic was relatively quiet.

Being in Princess Grills we had a check in time of 1300 and priority boarding. So allowing for the possible traffic (which didn't materialise) and time taken to drop car to CPS (which was much quicker than expected) we set off just after 12.00. We were on board by 13.00. Check in was quick. No checks on any documents other than Boarding Pass, fast track to the desk, a brief wait, then boarding second only to the Queen's Grill passengers. The only hitch was they didn't like the photo we'd submitted of Trish so took another one (more on that in a moment). Cabins were ready for us so straight there to drop off hand luggage and collect Voyage Cards (nothing so common as Cruise Card on Cunard!) then up to the Princess Grills Restaurant for lunch, which was available until 2.30 on embarkation day. We've only done the PG once before and on that occasion didn't realise the restaurant was open for day one lunch so slummed it in the buffet. The cabin is identical in layout to the Superior Deluxe Balconies on Azura and Ventura, just one or two extra frills, like a coffee machine, few more cushions etc.

At this point I should say that because we were in the PG all comments apply to that experience. So we can't comment on, for example, the Britannia Restaurant - the MDR for most passengers with two dinner sittings - or the Britannia Club - same menu but flexible timing. We also didn't use any of the alternative dining venues at all, or the buffet very often. There was talk of "Cunard Cuts", which I guess are like "P&O Cuts" without the alliteration, but our experience was so different from recent P&O ones - as it should be at the price - so we were not cut conscious.

Anyway back to Trish's new photo. We boarded using the Boarding Passes, which have the same reference as the Voyage Cards so link to the same data base. We reported to our muster station - same procedure as P&O - and were scanned in using our VCs. No one batted an eye lid. So it was a bit of a surprise when we came to disembark on Day Three for a tour that the security lady spotted that my card had the new picture they'd taken off Trish as Check In. Her's still had the one we supplied. So clearly they'd loaded her new one to the wrong card and I, a bearded man, had successfully got on board with a photo showing a woman! Scary. Fortunately they were able to take and upload a new one at the gangway so only a very minor delay getting ashore for our tour.

More to follow.

[Ray B]

You had covered the photo mix up earlier in your posts, but who knows, Trish given a beard, maybe an easy mistake to make.

[Stephen]

Dementia creeping in on Merv’s part

[Mervyn and Trish]

You had covered the photo mix up earlier in your posts, but who knows, Trish given a beard, maybe an easy mistake to make.

What photo mix up?

[Mervyn and Trish]

Dementia creeping in on Merv’s part

Creeping?

Just testing.

[Manoverboard]

A certain M Portillo visited ' Dun Leary ' on his railway prog Friday ( yesterday ) evening if anyone is interested in what the place looks like

[Mervyn and Trish]

Saw more than we did. ..

[poole boy]

merv sorry we never met you on this cruise but as you said your wallet was locked with a padlock thought it would be cheaper to give you a miss'
this was our first time on cunard and although we were on deck A and eating in the Britania restraunt we really enjoyed it there were no problems boarding in fact one of the quickest ever we were given a table for 8 the other 6 people were really friendly and we had a great time with them the food was the best we have had on any cruise and the service was really good the only thing that let it down was the price of the drinks with a 15% service charge added on for every drink you bought we found the ship very comfortable and the service all round excellent.
looking back on the holiday we would really like to book another cunard cruise as soon as possible

[Mervyn and Trish]

Time for another instalment of the Cunard story.

Sorry I missed you too PB, especially as my wallet was open once or twice.

Anyway, where next? Okay overall ship experience which PB I am sure will be able to add views on because most of it is common to all passengers.

QV is the same hull as Arcadia. Indeed what is now Arcadia originally began construction as QV but at the time they decided P&O's need was greater so diverted the build and then started again on QV. So the same size and externally a similar shape (also to QE) with the most obvious difference that QV doesn't have Arcadia's external glass lifts.

Internally there are some similarities. Theatre at front, two tier restaurant at the back, buffet restaurant at the back at the top, Crow's Nest/Commodore Club bar at the front. But there the similarities pretty much end.

Where Arcadia has Sindhu and the East Bar QV has the Princess and Queen's Grills Restaurants and Grills Lounge/Bar. Access to those is gained by inserting the appropriate Voyage Card in a slot before pushing the lift buttons, or walking up the stairs ignoring a Private notice.

QV has a much more impressive Atrium than what I always think is a bit of a non-event on Arcadia. The QV show lounge/ballroom is a midships Queen's Room. Ballroom dancing is much more a thing on Cunard than P&O.

The decor is very traditional in a sort of Victorian style.

The main restaurant is the Britannia, which I believe offers just two sittings. PB will know more. There is also the Britannia Club which was the same menus but occupants have their own designated table for all meals with flexible dining times. No queueing or pagers. Club passengers occupy balcony cabins similar if not identical to other Britannia passengers. There are of course also inside cabins and I believe some outside without balconies.

Grills passengers have their own restaurants, one for Queens and one for Princess, with enhanced menus and service, designated tables and flexible dining times. Dishes such as lobster, beef wellington, duck, surf and turf, make regular appearances ands there are proper petit fours. From the higher deck the views are fabulous.

They also share a lounge/bar where complimentary posh coffees are served during the morning (that's around $6 saved every time). There is a concierge on hand to deal with queries on pretty much anything. And there are a couple of private deck areas with cushions on the sunbeds almost as thick as the mattresses. Princess Grills passengers get mini-suites, with a bottle of fizz on arrival, robes, slippers, nightly turn down with chocs, complimentary bottled water (glass bottles), tea and coffee including a coffee machine. They also get complimentary room service and can order anything from the Princess Grill restaurant menu.

Queens passengers get suites. The smallest are similar to those midships on Azura and Ventura. The largest four times that size, occupying the space of eight balcony cabins. Needless to say they are expensive.. They also get a butler. I understand the Queens Grill menus are another step up, including the offer that if you want anything that is not on the menu they'll do it anyway if they have the ingredients.

Another eating option for Grills passengers, as if they had not got enough already, is afternoon tea, with a choice of fancy sarnies, cakes, scones etc. served in the Princess restaurant. There is also a sheltered sun trap courtyard where passengers from either side can choose to lunch on the open air.

Overall the Grills experience is fabulous, even at the lower, Princess, level we had.

Back to more communal things Cunard has a similar My Voyage thing available on mobile phones etc where you can check your account, make and view bookings for tours and specialist restaurant etc. All I can say is thank goodness I wasn't relying on it. The wi-fi, in common with all ships built out of steel, is rubbish. The router was on the corridor ceiling just outside our cabin but I still had to stand just inside the door to get a reliable signal. And the "app" was rubbish too. For the first couple of of days it kept saying I hadn't checked in, please report to the Purser's Office. I did so three times. On the first two basically the advice was it must be my phone. One officer promised to check with IT and get back to me. He never did. Only on the third visit did a receptionist say oh yes, it's broken, we know about, it's not just you it's everyone, the IT department ashore are trying to fix it. (Presumably the same Carnival IT department that haven't yet sorted out the shuffled labelling of Fore, Mid and Aft on the deckplans on the P&O website). Anyway by Day 4 it was working, but we only used it to keep an eye our account.

Anyway I'll report later on ports and entertainment. In the meantime over to you PB to add the view from how things look from "steerage"

[oldbluefox]

Thanks for your report Merv.

We once had a cruise on QM2 which we absolutely love. We were only steerage so I have enjoyed reading what the lords and ladies are enjoying on the next rung of the ladder. It does sound very appealing, especially as you don't have the attentions at that level of a butler. What on earth we would do with a butler heaven alone knows but I do fancy the bells and whistles of the higher tiers.
I am always amazed how much some people can eat. I usually gorge when we first get on the ship and eat at every opportunity but as the cruise goes on my appetite gets smaller so any idea of an afternoon tea, followed a short while later by dinner does not appeal, not because of the quality of the food but because I know I would be absolutely stuffed!!! Maybe it's just me, maybe it's an age thing as I can no longer eat the amounts I did (but don't seem to lose any weight!!) or perhaps I have the wrong idea altogether. I'm amazed by those who go ashore, having drinks and a meal and then get back onboard and start all over again. Must practice harder!!!

[Stephen]

Ref. Food
Same here Foxy.

I don’t know where they put it. Good on those that can put it away.
It’s the ones that pile the plate sky high then leave most of it I get annoyed with.

I do like a good breakfast when on board. It’s the only time I indulge in a fry up. I then say that’s it until tonight, which always goes out the window come lunch time. Not one for mid morning snacks or afternoon teas. Just can’t handle it. It must be an age thing as when I was younger I could eat for England. Not any more.

Each to they’re own.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I'm with you on the meals. Even though we could have had three course breakfast, lunch and dinner every day we didn't. We usually had a cooked breakfast, though only the full English three times out of 12, we usually had just a small starter and maybe dessert, or a small main course or sandwich of the day, at lunchtime, and only the full works at night. And the portions were not huge. We only had afternoon tea once and that was when we had a very light cabin breakfast before a tour and got back too late for lunch. I forgot to say BTW Grills cabins get old school decent biscuits replenished twice daily and we took those for nibbles on tour. We brought most of the turndown chocs home for the grandchildren.

[Mervyn and Trish]

A quick add I just thought of. In the Grills they still have a waiter, as assistant and a dedicated wine waiter. Don't know if that applies in Britannia restaurant.

[Stephen]

Them thar oldie world P&O biscwits aren’t what they use to be.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Itinerary. We went to Newhaven (for Edinburgh), where we stayed on the ship. Tender port and 25 minute choppy crossing. They cancelled some afternoon tours because of conditions.

Kirkwall, Orkneys, we did a very informative Cunard coach tour. At this point we noted Cunard passengers behave exactly the same as P&O passengers. The instruction was to meet on the dockside 15 mins before the tour and not before. We were there 30 mins before and got straight on the coach which was already half full. By the appointed time there were only seats at the back of the coach free, not even in pairs as single travellers has taken separate seats rather than sit next to each other!

Stornoway, Lewis. Another excellent Cunard tour. We were early again due to it being a tender port and the crossing being much faster than expected. 20 minutes before the scheduled departure time as we waited, perfectly reasonably for the final passengers to arrive, some who'd arrived very early were moaning that we weren't setting off.

To be continued.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Them thar oldie world P&O biscwits aren’t what they use to be.

Ours were as good as the old P&O days but don't know what steerage got. Weevils maybe?

[Mervyn and Trish]

Belfast. We'd booked another Cunard tour to include a tour of the city and a visit to the Titanic Experience. We thought about doing just the Titanic on our own which would have been a whole lot cheaper. But we were very glad we didn't. Firstly the tour was very informative. Secondly the Titanic was very busy and we met others on board who'd tried to do it on their own but found it was fully booked. We'd have been really annoyed if we'd missed it.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Dun Laoghaire. Interesting. This was the port added to the itinerary which, because it's not in the UK, enabled them to legally sell stuff duty free and open the Casino for the whole cruise. If it's entirely in the UK they can do neither.

However, it was a tender port. And the Captain judged the swell to be too great for tendering. So we never set foot ashore.

We hadn't booked a tour, but those who had were refunded. And we returned to sea for what we expected to be the original sea day before they'd added the port.

There were repercussions. Because we had not set foot outside the UK all those who'd bought duty free got letters offering two choices. Pay the duty or return the goods for a refund.

Curiously though the Casino remained open, now
Illegally. And passengers who'd lost money there weren't offered refunds. Hmmmm

[Mervyn and Trish]

Anyway frantic activity at HQ and the sea day turned into a more rapid transit arriving in Liverpool at 6pm in the evening instead of 6am the following day. There was a Viking Cruises ship on the berth so we had to pause mid river Mersey for a while before docking, providing photo opportunities for the locals, including the Liverpool Echo. Photos and a video were on their website the following morning. Clearly the Cunard press office had been busy too.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Liverpool. Not been here for ages and were docked right in the city so doing our own thing. First stop was the Western Approaches Museum, which we saw on TV a few weeks ago. It was the underground HQ from which the Atlantic Convoys were monitored, controlled and defence managed. The Battle of the Atlantic. It's been preserved pretty much as it was and is fascinating. Also very cheap. Only £23 for two crumblies to get in. From there it was a wander across to the Albert Dock and then back to the ship passing the three magnificent buildings on the waterfront, the Three Graces. Ironically I couldn't remember the name of the one next to the Liver Building. Turned out to be the Cunard Building. Doh! A very easy port to do your own thing.

Meanwhile Liverpool was marking the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic, the fight to keep the convoys going. Cunard was part of that with the original Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary crossing the ocean so fast they outran the U boats. So our Captain was taking part in a commemorative service to which passengers were also invited. And on departure the ship also played a part in a ceremony taking place on the waterfront. Instead of simply sailing away we went astern and turned 90 degrees to starboard to face the Cunard Building. After a very long, and emotive, single blast on the whistle we completed the 270 degrees of the turn to face the sea and off we went.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Anglesey. Been here many times by car so stayed on the ship. It was the ship's maiden call so the Welsh government were very excited and had a drone up to take photos which we quickly downloaded to add to our holiday snaps. Talking of photos ship's photographers are back on Cunard, if they ever want away like P&O's. $30 cheapest print. We had one!