Cunard: is it for me?

Anything about Cunard cruises
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Dark Knight
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Cunard: is it for me?

#1

Post by Dark Knight »

I have an odd wish to give Cunard a go, just to see if all the hype is true?
so where does Cunard excel and what would we see different to Pando?
Looking on their webs site, they don't seem too pricey and the ships look good, but is it more of the same Carnival branding or is it worth my money?
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Mervyn and Trish
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Re: Cunard: is it for me?

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Post by Mervyn and Trish »

We enjoyed Cunard, but to be fair we did QM2, which is in a class of its own, and QE2 in her last season for nostalgia's sake. Elizabeth and Victoria are Arcadia with different, albeit very nice, wallpaper! Some things were better than P&O, some not as good, in our view. We would go back again, unlike some lines we've tried, but we still find P&O suits us better.

Not sure you would like it to be honest, as I think you would find it more traditional and formal than P&O, and while its class system, with some areas exclusively for Grills passengers, didn't bother us, I think it might get up your nose a bit. Where P&O has ten bob millionaires, Cunard has a few thirty bob millionaires as well! :crazy:


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Re: Cunard: is it for me?

#3

Post by Quizzical Bob »

Jacket required every night DK. You know what I think of that.

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barney
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Re: Cunard: is it for me?

#4

Post by barney »

Like anything DK, give it a go and make up your own mind

You may love it, it may loathe it.

I once heard Cunard described as P&O with knobs on

Never tried them myself, but certainly would if the holiday was right.
Empty vessels .. and all that

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oldbluefox
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Re: Cunard: is it for me?

#5

Post by oldbluefox »

I enjoyed Cunard but prefer P&O. They had more formal nights, jacket required even for leegant casual, ties for semi formal so there is a definite step up if you don't like formality. The class difference is not noticeable unless you go looking for it. As Mervyn says some things were better, some not so good but I would certainlt go on Cunard again. It's a pity that most of their cruises are either fly cruises or mere transits of the Atlantic, neither of which appeal. The rest are mainly Baltic or Norway which we have done a few times.

I thought QM2 was a magnificent ship.

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Re: Cunard: is it for me?

#6

Post by GillD46 »

Cunard suits us very well. There are formal nights now - approx 3 a week - and also jacket requred nights but NO ties necessary. Having come off QM2, our favourite ship ever, where we had been on for 29 nights, we could have stayed on for another 29 or more. I have never felt that on a P&O ship.

QE and QV are similar to Arcadia, but different too. We like them very much, but for us QM2 just has the edge, though the Grills are better sited on the two smaller Queens.

Food we find better on Cunard - though that is subjective - but if you like to make tea or coffee in your cabin, they don't have a tea tray - we never do so it doesn't matter to us. The buffet has soft serve ice cream machines and juices and lemonade 24 hrs. Entertainment is similar, the lectures are probably better.

I don't know if you'd like Cunard, but why not try?
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Dark Knight
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Re: Cunard: is it for me?

#7

Post by Dark Knight »

Hmmm
now I am not so sure, as Merv knows, I do, do formal nights but 3 a week on a 14 night cruise? plus jackets every other night may be a step too far for me :lol:
I like the idea of a bit of luxury but it may be just a bit too formal, for a Lancashire lad
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Re: Cunard: is it for me?

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Post by GillD46 »

It isn't nesessarily 3 formals a week eg we had had 4 for 11 nights and 6 for 18.
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Re: Cunard: is it for me?

#9

Post by Gill W »

I want to branch out from P&O and try other lines, but Cunard is fairly low on my list.

I think it's the dress code - the men needing to wear a jacket every night, is a bit too much for my liking.

But, like DK, I am curious about Cunard. I've got a few preconceptions about the line, none of them very flattering, and I'd like to see for myself what it's really like.

Maybe I'd try a short break , if one was available. At this point I can't imagine wanting to have a longer cruise on Cunard
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Re: Cunard: is it for me?

#10

Post by towny44 »

If any of our forummers have sailed Cunard in an accessible cabin I would very much like to hear their views.
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Mervyn and Trish
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Re: Cunard: is it for me?

#11

Post by Mervyn and Trish »

Dark Knight wrote:
Hmmm
now I am not so sure, as Merv knows, I do, do formal nights but 3 a week on a 14 night cruise? plus jackets every other night may be a step too far for me :lol:
I like the idea of a bit of luxury but it may be just a bit too formal, for a Lancashire lad
If you want luxury but not formality I think there are other lines out there that would suit you more than Cunard. But at a price of course.

You often point out that P&O is not a luxury line (though being waited on hand and foot 24 hours a day feels pretty good to me) and personally I don't think Cunard is either for the steerage passengers.

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Re: Cunard: is it for me?

#12

Post by Dark Knight »

we might have to look elsewhere, but the prices of seabourne, regent etc are a eyewatering, so maybe we have to accept a bit of formality? to get the luxury
My point about luxury, is Pando are not in the same league as the high end lines, but also not the same price, so for the money, yes point taken, they don't do bad, but luxury? hmmm
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Re: Cunard: is it for me?

#13

Post by colwill »

Dark Knight wrote:
Hmmm
now I am not so sure, as Merv knows, I do, do formal nights but 3 a week on a 14 night cruise? plus jackets every other night may be a step too far for me :lol:
I like the idea of a bit of luxury but it may be just a bit too formal, for a Lancashire lad
We have five formals on our forthcoming 14 night Cunard cruise. Like you, I really don't like dressing up. However, the rest of Cunard's offerings are superb so it's a small price to pay. IMHO food is better than P&O, lectures considerably better, general ambience, décor etc more to our liking. Nowt wrong with P&O, where the service is excellent and equal to Cunard, but Cunard just has that certain je ne sais quoi.

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Re: Cunard: is it for me?

#14

Post by GillD46 »

The trouble is, not everyone likes all cruise lines. We aren't P&O fans anymore, but equally many love them, we really like Cunard, but many don't like them at all. Nobody is wrong, we just like different things. If you want a REALLY good experience, we have always found the Queen's Grill to be excellent. The food especially.

Sadly, the only way to judge is to take a chance and try - but that means risking a few £1,000s. Good luck with whatever you choose.
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Re: Cunard: is it for me?

#15

Post by Dancing Queen »

DK, Cunard are no different to P&O regarding 'dress' other than there is the 'jacket required' even on non formal nights, I've seen many men not wearing jackets and assume if people want to eat in the buffet then it isn't a requirement.

Should you give them a try ?? well I would and I think you would be pleasantly surprised, many prefer QM2 which I have to agree is a lovely ship but I prefer either QE or QV they just have a friendlier feel to me but like any ship you will always have a favourite for whatever reason.

I doubt you would notice much difference to any other ship unless you travel in Grills and that is where Cunard stand out from the rest imo, the food is superb as well as the daily menu there is also the a la carte but basically you can order anything you want and if they have it on board you can have it, I've yet to find anything they don't have !!

Of course it comes at a price as you'd expect, this is not me trying to be 'posh' ( you won't find anyone more down to earth :o ) or pretending to be a 'ten bob millionaire' yes, you come across the 'odd snob' but that is no different to if you were on P&O, Thomson, Celebrity etc that type of person is always around and not just on a ship I'm sure we've all met a 'Mrs Bouquet' in some hotel or other ..... they walk among us but can be avoided :roll:
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Re: Cunard: is it for me?

#16

Post by JoanneB »

Dark Knight wrote:
we might have to look elsewhere, but the prices of seabourne, regent etc are a eyewatering, so maybe we have to accept a bit of formality? to get the luxury
My point about luxury, is Pando are not in the same league as the high end lines, but also not the same price, so for the money, yes point taken, they don't do bad, but luxury? hmmm

Try Oceania they are not TOO expensive at the moment and all the alternative restaurants are free, price includes all soft drinks and water but drinks are quite expensive and excursions very expensive. Beautiful ships especially Marina & Riviera which are the larger of their ships, the others are same ship as Adonia.


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Re: Cunard: is it for me?

#17

Post by Boris+ »

Go on - have a go, that's the only way you will sort of know for certain. I'm sure you realise full well that every outing is different - because of the weather, the different passengers and different crews etc - but you'll easily be able to work out how you feel about it.

Hope you do book a Cunard cruise, and I hope even more that you have a really lovely time.

Em

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Re: Cunard: is it for me?

#18

Post by Solent Richard »

Dark Knight wrote:
we might have to look elsewhere, but the prices of seabourne, regent etc are a eyewatering, so maybe we have to accept a bit of formality? to get the luxury
My point about luxury, is Pando are not in the same league as the high end lines, but also not the same price, so for the money, yes point taken, they don't do bad, but luxury? hmmm
Exactly, you get what you pay for.

And Cunard, by the way, is an acquired taste.

You will never get that true feel on a 5 night and under Cunard voyage.

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Re: Cunard: is it for me?

#19

Post by Solent Richard »

colwill wrote:
Dark Knight wrote:
Hmmm
now I am not so sure, as Merv knows, I do, do formal nights but 3 a week on a 14 night cruise? plus jackets every other night may be a step too far for me :lol:
I like the idea of a bit of luxury but it may be just a bit too formal, for a Lancashire lad
We have five formals on our forthcoming 14 night Cunard cruise. Like you, I really don't like dressing up. However, the rest of Cunard's offerings are superb so it's a small price to pay. IMHO food is better than P&O, lectures considerably better, general ambience, décor etc more to our liking. Nowt wrong with P&O, where the service is excellent and equal to Cunard, but Cunard just has that certain je ne sais quoi.
I like what you say.

I am equally happy on both Cunard and P&O.

I must be, I've clocked up 220 nights with Cunard and 266 with P&O.


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Re: Cunard: is it for me?

#20

Post by Boris+ »

I think I'm a bit stuck in the groove with Cunard - and just maybe we should have a little soupcon of a different cruise line once a year, but we're just going to be happy to get back on board; it feels like being at home (sort of).

Em

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Re: Cunard: is it for me?

#21

Post by wolfie »

I know exactly what you mean Boris, BUT, there is a time to get out of that groove and try something else, we've done it.

It took us long enough but we have dipped our toes in the water, other than P&O, with RCI, Cunard and recently Celebrity. You don't know what you might like and what you don't until you give it a try.

We have other lines in mind, DV, in the hopefully,near future.

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Re: Cunard: is it for me?

#22

Post by GillD46 »

I do agree with Wolfie about trying other lines - after doing some research of course. We have just booked Oceania, as from what we have read, and heard, from sources we trust, they appear to offer a lot of what we like.

Of course it may be that we don't "take to" them, but if so we won't book with them again - at the end of the day, it's only one cruise - to start with!
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Re: Cunard: is it for me?

#23

Post by Dark Knight »

just a quick update
we have decided Cunard is not for us, other than as a last minute bargain, of which there do seem to be many :?:
we are looking at HAL, C&M and possibly Celebrity next time.
Looking at the brochure and web site, we decided we don't really want the formality of it and the 2 tier system is not something I wish to join
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Re: Cunard: is it for me?

#24

Post by Dancing Queen »

That's a shame DK because quite honestly imo you don't know what you are missing, many cruise lines operate a two tier system today but maybe people don't realise because it isn't marketed the way Cunard market their Grill class .. give them time though :roll:
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Re: Cunard: is it for me?

#25

Post by wolfie »

Dark Knight wrote:
just a quick update
we have decided Cunard is not for us, other than as a last minute bargain, of which there do seem to be many :?:
we are looking at HAL, C&M and possibly Celebrity next time.
Looking at the brochure and web site, we decided we don't really want the formality of it and the 2 tier system is not something I wish to join
DK. Celebrity have their Concierge and Aqua class balcony staterooms which come with advantages and perks. OTOH they do only have 3 formal nights on a 14 night cruise which you may enjoy more so than the jacket every night on Cunard. :) and many more formal nights. ;)

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