Austcruiser84

They must use it to clear rust off the sides of the ship.

The good part is the long bar, with seating that means I don’t have to look at the Queens Room. Other parts of the ship I don’t mind but this room is disappointing. The carpet is hideous!

Agreed. I get office lobby furniture vibes. I wouldn’t be surprised if Cunard changes up some soft furnishing based on feedback over the first 6-12 months.

A friend who has performed on all three existing Queens has said the QA theatre will be superior because of its design. Acoustics will be better. I don’t fully understand but trust their expertise in this area. Excited for Bright Lights. Just hope it doesn’t become a Beatles tribute venue (far too much Beatles on Cunard ships).

Agree aft cabins are great. Never felt any vibrations and there’s nothing like relaxing with the sight of the ship’s wake trailing off into the distance. Only complaint to be made (and this is one of those first world problems) is the Q1 balconies on QM2 are largely exposed to people on decks above. A little strange to lounge about as people stare down. Has a zoo like atmosphere.

Based on Cunard’s decision to slightly increase the forward plating on QV and QE to help in rough Atlantic seas. That is public knowledge. QA is also said to have had similar treatment.

Dictionary definition includes cruise ship alongside scheduled passenger service ships as ‘liners’. Plus from a marketing perspective it sounds better. I believe QA’s forward hull is slightly more robust than your average cruise ship. Therefore slightly more liner in design than cruise ship. Excited to finally see what she looks like inside (bulky exterior is somewhat uninspired).

From the renderings and the photos of the bathrooms I’d say QA is very similar in decor to the QV aft QG suites. Not identical but very similar. Also, still under construction with poor lighting probably isn’t doing it justice. Taste is an interesting thing. So many loved QE2 but when I see photos from the 90s and 00s I see a dated decor that belongs in a grandparent’s home. Yet clearly many people (mostly grandparents? 🙂) loved it.

I like the idea of a supper club. Could do it in 1920s/30s style, with live entertainment. A long bar as well. Imagine it would be incredibly popular on Cunard. Agree with many saying Verandah isn’t the experience it could be. Mostly empty on my recent QE Australian cruise. No atmosphere.

The ‘new’ aft grills suites on QV were a test run for QA. Having occupied 8178, I can confidently say the finishings are beautiful, though you’d sure want to keep hands away from the glossy wood panels (must be a pain to clean - another reason to tip stewards). I’d say the QA will look amazing too (love the colour schemes) and look forward to sailing later this year. That said, 8178 did feel more cramped due to some design elements like including a partition wall between lounge and bed. I felt the coffee table was also too large for the lounge space. It seems that the suites are smaller than on the other ships so I hope they get the furniture sizing right.

…and far more luxurious!

Pre-Covid, you could organise for hot canapés through your butler. When entertaining, the butler would meet with you to talk through the food and wine. They’d also serve while guests were present. Have been able to host small gatherings of 4-6 in a Q6/5 quite comfortably. Butler will even write a hand written invitation to the cabins of your guests, even if they are in Britannia.

It occurred to me that any changes must factor passengers’ ability to obtain visas. That will certainly determine the route and stops in any diversion.

Interesting, though I’d imagine there’s only be a small number doing the full WC vs segments so surely better to repeat than cancel more segments?

Carnival (as the parent company) is based in both the US and UK and is subject to regulations of both countries.