Cunard: is it for me?

[Dark Knight]

Wolfie
we have looked at the Aqua class staterooms for the spa package, they look very good rooms

[oldbluefox]

DK, have you considered NCL who seem to provide a more informal cruise experience? Has anybody cruised with NCL and what was your experience?

[Dark Knight]

Foxy
we have a friend who cruises with NCL and he and his wife say it is fantastic
I am reluctant to say this but we prefer the smaller less glitzy ships (more traditional? ) over the larger ones and as things like wave riders , climbing walls etc hold no appeal, we look at the less modern ships more than the mega liners
which is why we are looking at HAL and C&M, once AOTH has come back from his HAL cruise we will be better informed

[towny44]

Wolfie
we have looked at the Aqua class staterooms for the spa package, they look very good rooms

DK, on Celebrity's S class all balcony cabins are the same size so you have to want the extras to make Aqua or even Concierge worth more.
The main attraction of Aqua, according to the CC Celebrity forum, is that you dine in your own restaurant, Blu, for breakfast and dinner, not dissimilar to the Cunard grills class that you dislike. I think the extra spa perk is limited to one relaxing lounge at the front of the ship. Personally, if we did not need an accessible cabin, I would choose a 1a cabin, which are on the slant of the hump, and have extra large balconies.
For more info on S class cabins check out this sticky on the CC Celebrity page:- http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/sh ... p?t=911018

[Dark Knight]

I know Towny
this is where we start to lose interest in some lines and my problem starts
I know it may sound trite but I really do not want our own areas of the ship or our own private restaurants etc, that's not why we go cruising
I want a decent cabin, one or two good eateries and a good intinerary and a bit of evening entertainment, that's about it

[david63]

I want a decent cabin, one or two good eateries and a good intinerary and a bit of evening entertainment, that's about it

I guess, just like most things in life, that somewhere there has to be compromise - it is just a matter of finding it

[Dark Knight]

true Smurfy
I know Thomson get a bit of flak, but they suit us for now

[wolfie]

Wolfie
we have looked at the Aqua class staterooms for the spa package, they look very good rooms

We also looked at these cabins before we booked Concierge and we met up with a couple, on the very first day, that had booked an Aqua class cabin. We saw the little area, not signposted in any way, where they could enjoy the forward view, just the same as we could enjoy the forward view from the Sky Observation Lounge which was just 3 decks down from us, us being in a forward cabin. Aqua class cabins also ate breakfast and dinner in the BLU restaurant which we had also looked at, but it didn't float our boat; the speciality restaurants however, did.

The cabins are all the same size, balcony, Concierge or Aqua. It's just the perks. As for priority embarkation, and we had it on account of our cabin grade and disability, embarkation was a mess. The ship however, was great, very different but in a positive way.

Don't cross it off your list DK, yet!

Here's my post regarding embarkation on Celebrity Eclipse;

Quick check in with Celebrity and then, huge backlog in the departure lounge, no seats, and when called, we were boarding card 4, more huge queues on the walkways to the ship. All this with supposed priority boarding for disabled passengers and also Concierge priority embarkation??

Celebrity: check in, through security, and then wait to be called to board.

P&O: check in ,wait in lounge until called, then through security and straight on board.

We have been on board a P&O ship well before noon many times. Although we arrived at 11.15 am for our recent Celebrity cruise we waited almost an hour an half in crowded conditions before we were called to board.

However, disembarkation was a doddle. Far better than we have previously experienced.

Selective posting of just a sentence of this post elsewhere on the www might have given you a wrong impression of my views of this cruise. In fact, I may well copy and paste a review I posted elsewhere, just for you DK. via PM of course, if you wish.

[Dark Knight]

Wolfie
please send it along, we are looking at all the different cruise lines and as we have no experience of these lines, I am relying on some honest opinions of the well travelled on here, to guide us along
everyone knows my aversion to too many formal nights and style over substance, so any help is appreciated

[Boris+]

I think that at the moment we are intending to carry on cruising with the same cruise line as before, but we are getting a bit fed up with this having to dress up for dinner lark!

So, on our next outing we are going to just to the first and last night (obviously not formal), then do just one formal (we'll work out which night suits us), and then do the rest dining en suite. Hopefully that will work out ok. When we've had a port visit and we've gone ashore etc., it's going to be lovely to just put our feet up and completely relax - and that includes not getting all gussied up for dinner.

I need a day off - but just won't admit it!

Em

[GillD46]

Oh Em, surely not all but three evenings? But you'll miss all the wonderful concerts in the Grills Lounge. We chose room service a couple of times out of our 29 nights last time, but I'm not sure I'd care to eat en suite so many evenings.

Bet your Butler will love you

[Manoverboard]

... and then do the rest dining en suite.
Em

Why anybody would want to eat in the bathroom is beyond me

[Boris+]

Hi Gill,

Yes, we are intending to do the first night and the last night - and then one formal. I don't want to go to any 'parties', and if we go out to a 'speciality' restaurant it will be at lunch time.

Just needing a rest - and that is what we are going to have. We weren't 'big' on going to shows etc., so that's sorted out.

Em

[Boris+]

Well, MoB,

Admittedly we are not going to be in our favourite suite on our favourite ship - but what an idea - dinner in a double spa bath! NOW THAT SOUNDS LIKE FUN.

Em

[Dancing Queen]

... and then do the rest dining en suite.
Em

Why anybody would want to eat in the bathroom is beyond me

[david63]

... dinner in a double spa bath! NOW THAT SOUNDS LIKE FUN.

Believe me - it's not (but we don't want to go there do we)

[wolfie]

Wolfie
please send it along, we are looking at all the different cruise lines and as we have no experience of these lines, I am relying on some honest opinions of the well travelled on here, to guide us along
everyone knows my aversion to too many formal nights and style over substance, so any help is appreciated

Check your PM's

[Meg 50]

aren't you going to publish it for all to read?

I'm sure it's not the end of the world if it's on more than one site - mine are....

[Meg 50]

and if we go out to a 'speciality' restaurant it will be at lunch time.

Just needing a rest - and that is what we are going to have. Em

I'm not sure which line we're discussing - Cunard or Celebrity...
Either way, which ship is it that has speciality restaurants at lunchtime?

[GillD46]

Todd English - and I think the Veranda - open at lunch time as well as the evening.

[Boris+]

It's a Cunarder, and the speciality restaurants are open at lunchtime. Sometimes we prefer the offering at lunchtime.

Em

[Dancing Queen]

Not forgetting that depending on your loyalty level Em it can also mean a freebee to dine at lunchtime

Personally I prefer the evening dining in both.

[wolfie]

I suppose that the supplements in alternative dining venues are less at lunchtime, and, on Cunard, at least one of them takes a large number of passengers, 100+? @$20??? Hardly select dining, IMO.

However, Like DQ, we like to enjoy these venues of an evening as a real alternative to the MDR, unhurried and relaxed.

[Boris+]

If we are going 'out' to eat on board of an evening, then it's always QG restaurant without a doubt; we've always used the Verandah/TE for lunch if so desired.

By heck - you've stirred some memories Wolfie - the last time we used a speciality/alternative dining venue for an evening was on Arcadia, it was Arcadian Rhodes, and it was superb.

Em

[Boris+]

Hi Jo,

The fact that at lunchtime it's a freebie (just the once I think) is nothing to do with it - I think I might well run in to problems with some of the evening menus in TE/Verandah, so just to be on the safe side it's going to be lunch - if anything.

Em