Who is Cunard for?

My DW and I are in our mud 30s and just wondering what kinds of people are on Cunard, and is this ship for young people as well, what kind of food is offered, activities for younger people and what ship would be better for us? We've only sailed 3x with Carnival, once soon to be with RC.

Cunard, particularly the QM2 attracts 'many young' professional couples or solos of any age, mostly well heeled, well travelled folk who enjoy a little bit of sophistication from time to time.

If you are looking for flow riders , climbing walls, belly flop or knobbly knee competitions, ;) ice skating or bumper cars then I think you may be disappointed

There are examples of menus and daily programmes in the sticky at the top of the page. They will help to give you an idea of the type of food and activities on offer.

Cunard is still very formal compared to other lines, which may or may not suit you.

if you are truly in your MUD 30's, CUNARD might be for you ... if in your MID 30's, maybe not.

We just did our first 'crossing' on QM2 and we're 60 ....

we were not the youngsters on the cruise but we were on the young side that's for sure! Most days involved finding a place with a view and reading a book altho DW did enjoy the theater group on board and a couple of lectures.

Evening entertainment in the lounges was typically a string quartet or a jazz trio or a solo piano player. NO Karaoke!!!! Replace that with ballroom dancing . . .

Comparing Carn to a Cunard cruise is like comparing dinner at Red Robin to dinner at Bern's (Tampa); or buying a suit at Sears vs Brooks Brothers. Chevy vs Audi . . .

There ARE 30' and 40' ish there ..... but they are like we were @ 30. 30 but living like we were 50!

Carn to Cunard is a big jump ... consider a smaller step and look at Princess or Windstar or ?????? a Europe river cruise. We just did our first of those and LOVED it. (we few over, did a river cruise .... hung around EU for a while and came back on the QM2)

{p.s. to satisfy Cunard dress requirements - I'm retired and had not worn a jacket in 8 years - new clothes for a 'crossing' ran me about $1000 and I don't know what DW spent}

dressed for dinner on QM2

dressed for dinner on a Viking river cruise

editorial ... on our 'crossing' we realized that a NUMBER of the folks were using the 'cruise' as transportation ..... they won't fly and QM2 lets them cross ...... not only older folks, but families. There are YOUNG folks on board ... but at night they hide from the 'formality' .... stay away from the dining room and bars. Altho there was one cute guy on our trip .... could not have been 4 .... Every night mom brought him to the jazz lounge around 7, dressed in a suit or a tux and helped him enjoy the music ..... impressive! Talked to her and she simply said, I want him to be OK with stuff later on . . .

My DW and I are in our mud 30s and just wondering what kinds of people are on Cunard, and is this ship for young people as well, what kind of food is offered, activities for younger people and what ship would be better for us? We've only sailed 3x with Carnival, once soon to be with RC.

I have sailed Cunard from infancy and been well cared for and entertained then and all times since. I don't think there is such a thing as a "Cunard Type". There are repeat passengers from many countries and all walks of life. I have never returned from any Cunard voyage without pleasant memories of new friends met over cocktails or dining. Way less hectic than the average Carnival cruise and better dressed as well though the "formalness" has dialed down a few notches in the last decade or so. You should have a great time on Cunard.

Activities on Cunard ships aren't geared to specific age groups as much as by interests. There are many activities on board, but few where you would find participants exclusively in your age group.

If you are comfortable interacting with older people as well as people your own age, you could have a very nice experience.

Depending on a voyage's destinations, there can be many more older passengers. But, I have seen happy younger couples and young families onboard, appearing to be enjoying themselves.

Happy Sailing!

Hello NOSaints1, I've just noticed two very good reviews that appear to have been submitted on here by 'youngish' Cunard travellers, that may be of interest to you.

The Lulu Review ( bottom of page 3)

Junior Cruisers ( page 1)

My only thing is we don't usually dress up, but we don't like a ton of kids running around

My only thing is we don't usually dress up, but we don't like a ton of kids running around

You shouldn't have to worry about having a ton of kids around. I would recommend that you plan on dressing according to the evening dress code in order to participate in the full Cunard experience.

Regards,

John.

Would a full Cunard be suit and tie? What do you find special about Cunard? Since Cunard is owned by Carnival Corp, does it get you anything if you have a Carnival number?

Would a full Cunard be suit and tie? What do you find special about Cunard? Since Cunard is owned by Carnival Corp, does it get you anything if you have a Carnival number?

Yes, a dark suit and tie meets the formal dress code for gentlemen. No, I don't think past cruises on Carnival count for any credit on Cunard. Your existing Carnival number may end up being your Cunard World Club number too, but those past cruises won't count toward your Cunard World Club status. If you happen to be a Carnival stock holder, the Carnival shareholder benefit does apply to Cunard.

Edit: What I find special about Cunard are the Insight Programme lectures and the wide variety of musical performances throughout the ship.

Regards,

John.

Didn't Cunard used to be White Star? How does each ship compare, is there one better than the other?

Hi NOSaints1,

I see there are already some great replies on this thread. I see a difference in the make up of ages on Cunard ships depending on the time of year with most children and younger adults travelling during school holiday times. At other times passengers seem mainly between 50-80 made up of those retired or fortunate to find the time. I first started sailing with Cunard at 40 in 2005. As for the food, there is lots on offer for all tastes and ages. On the QM2 you have the daily fish & chips in the golden lion, late night hamburgers in Kings Court, pop up Indian and Chinese restaurants too. The main Britannia dining is akin to dining in a good restaurant where dressing up is expected. There is a good choice of food and I believe children can be catered for with requests. Speciality restaurants like Todd English are a step up again in the quality of food and more like fine dining. I'm sure if you like to mix with all ages then Cunard will provide you with a great cruise experience.

Do you find 7 days more of a younger crowd, we're looking at 2017 as we have a cruise booked for next year. Is it better to go from England to NY or vice versa? Does the inside/OV have enough space?

Didn't Cunard used to be White Star? How does each ship compare, is there one better than the other?

Cunard merged with White Star to form Cunard-White Star line. Wikipedia tells me the Cunard-White Star line existed from 1934 to 1949. You can still see vestiges of White Star in some of Cunard's slogans such as "White Star Service" and offerings such as "White Star Luggage Service".

I won't attempt to address the differences between the three ships or attempt to recommend one over the other. That's a topic for a thread of its own. You may find this recent thread related to that question helpful.

Main differences between QM2 and QV

Regards,

John.

Do you find 7 days more of a younger crowd, we're looking at 2017 as we have a cruise booked for next year. Is it better to go from England to NY or vice versa? Does the inside/OV have enough space?

A transatlantic crossing on QM2 is the quintessential Cunard experience in my opinion -- highly recommended.

I don't know if there would necessarily be a younger or older crowd on a transatlantic crossing compared to other types of voyages. That would probably have more to do with the time of year. A voyage during the summer when school is out is probably more likely to attract younger couples with children.

There are good points to be said for going either direction. The preference I hear most often is for the westbound crossing from Southampton to New York because the time changes add an hour to the days going that direction rather than losing an hour during the time changes on an eastbound crossing.

I haven't stayed in an inside or oceanview stateroom myself, but from what I have seen of them, they seem to have plenty of space. Perhaps others who have stayed in those categories will be along to provide their experiences.

Regards,

John.

If you like Glenn Miller type/era dance music you will fit right in. Thats one part of Cunard that does not seem to change. and in my opinion maybe it should change some, there are many more modern (but beautiful) songs that could be played that still are perfect for traditional dances, waltz, quickstep, foxtrot rumba etc. But you will not hear them on Cunard.

was like that 2 years ago on our cruise, and also this year (maybe our last Cunard cruise.)

I'm more into Christian music

I find younger adults and families mainly sailing the 7-14 day voyages, I guess family commitments, school holidays and school permission play a part. As to which crossing is best, Eastbound or Westbound, that's quite subjective, we tend to sail the round trip. For shoppers the Eastbound crossing may make sense as there is no weigh restriction sailing from NY but my personal preference is Westbound as you get an extra hour for 5 days of the trip as opposed to loosing the hour on the Eastbound. Also on the Westbound I love to see the statue of Liberty and skyscrapers looming up in the early morning as the QM2 sails into harbour. You also find mainly British Westbound and more Americans taking the Eastbound.

My wife and I just crossed to NY on the QM2. We are in our early 50's and were definitely on the low end as far as age of passengers. There are plenty of activities and special events during the day and evening but all pretty commensurate with an older age group. We had a great time and look forward to our next voyage with Cunard.

Do you find 7 days more of a younger crowd, we're looking at 2017 as we have a cruise booked for next year. Is it better to go from England to NY or vice versa? Does the inside/OV have enough space?

We have made six crossings, five in the early fall and one in the spring, going in both directions. Both eastward and westward crossings have pros and cons.

Leaving NY happens about 5 pm, so it is easy to enjoy the sights and going under the bridge. This is pretty memorable. Arriving in NY happens early in the morning and takes a little more effort to get to the deck because the time isn't completely predictable. I think the five time-zone changes are easier to tolerate going west, but that is personal opinion. I also think it could be more relaxing to enjoy the ship on the homeward leg. All in all, though, it's not like there is a BAD direction to cross. Personal preference or what fits best into your itinerary comparing cost. Each crossing is not necessarily priced the same.

We typically are very happy in an inside cabin. You gain a window or a balcony paying more, but the cabin size is about the same. There are plenty of opportunities to see the ocean and walk on deck without a window in your room.

If you've sailed Celebrity, then QE and QV are comparable in many ways, just a little more traditional in the decor. They are the same size as Millennium class ships and seem to have about the same public space to passenger ratio as Solstice class - you're unlikely to struggle to find a place to sit in in the evening and won't feel cheek by jowl like on some of the monster ships.

I suppose it all depends on what sort of mid-30s you are. There's no climbing walls or rope slides but there is some good enrichment on board during sea days. If a shortened version of a Shakespeare play half way across the Atlantic would drive you to despair then Cunard may not be for you. Entertainment is good, but nowhere near the slickness of big production shows available on some other lines. The people on board are little different from anywhere else but it will be difficult to find anyone who's on board for the sole purpose of drinking themselves into a 14 day lager induced coma.

Ports are the same as pretty much any other line, it's just itineraries can be less attractive because there are fewer ships and much time is committed to world cruises. You won't find shore excursions on offer by quad bike (as we saw on an an adjacent Costa ship in a Norwegian fjord) but if you are active they do stretch to the odd few hours in a kayak.

Don't let the formality be an issue. Formal nights are best bib and tucker throughout the ship, unlike elsewhere where it's just in the MDR. But for the rest of the time so long as you don't dress like a 19th century bargee or for a slob day at Butlins you'll do fine.

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My DW and I are in our mud 30s and just wondering what kinds of people are on Cunard, and is this ship for young people as well, what kind of food is offered, activities for younger people and what ship would be better for us? We've only sailed 3x with Carnival, once soon to be with RC.

I'm only very early 30s and I love Cunard. There are plenty of younger people on board, particularly around the holiday seasons. However, the average age is a cut above 55 on most voyages.

But don't let that deter you. Can't say activities are geared towards younger people per SE, nor older people. I think activities tend to cater for the more intellectually minded traveller and those who like a little bit of finery.

Do they have more British food or American as well?

Do they have more British food or American as well?

The only "British" food likely is in the Golden Lion Pub. Food in the MDR is what I think of as "Cruise Ship Modern". The specialty venues on QV especially are very good.:D