Kynance

Thanks for your review and all your live posts. I must admit, I am less of a sceptic having read everyone’s comments - in fact, I am looking at itineraries at the moment. It sounds like there are some things I will think are better and some I will prefer on the other ships. The issue I will have is convincing Mr K who I know won’t like the promenade deck - however, I hope some of the positive changes you have identified might persuade him. I just need my list to be ready. Or I do what I’ve done the last couple of times and just book a cruise and wait until he is in the right mood to tell him!

We change our bedding once a week, along with our towels. The issue I have with white bedding and towels - and why I would never have them at home - is that they look grubbier far more quickly than anything coloured and therefore sleeping on them or drying myself with them, becomes rather unappealing. My rule of thumb for staying anywhere is that it has to feel at least as nice as being at home. I’ll see how it goes next month when we are back on QM2 and if the sheets need a change after 3 days, I’ll be requesting one. However, happy to go with the new approach for environmental reasons, as long as the option remains to have the bedding changed if it gets marked.

Thanks to everyone for taking the time out from their voyage to post. I’m enjoying reading all the comments and I think it is safe to say that I would rather be on QA right now than sitting here in dreary, chill and wet West Berkshire on a bank holiday Monday! Based on what I’ve read and seen so far, I think I’d probably like some things and not others, so I remain agnostic at the moment. On QM2 in a few weeks so probably going to spend this afternoon looking for a future voyage to book whilst on board. Who knows, it may be QA - keeping an open mind but I do wish Cunard would bring QE back to the UK…

I must admit I rather thought that Cunard would take the opportunity of launching a new ship to refresh the dining room menus across the fleet. There’s limited evidence on that menu but it was just the first night so perhaps there will be more come.

We’re down in Cornwall again and have been very fortunate with the weather so far. Sunday at Kynance Cove was practically the calmest it has been in nearly 20 years of visits. Contrast the sunny photo with calm seas with a photo of the rolling surf taken in February. Both beautiful sights though!

Mr K is not a fan of a lot of savoury sauces either, though he likes a good peppercorn sauce. Depending on what the sauce is, he will ask for it on the side or to be left off altogether. There are also a lot of vegetables he really doesn’t like either, so sometimes asks to swap the vegetables that go with the protein he has ordered with those from another main course. He won’t eat mushrooms, shellfish or cheese (unless on a pizza) either but has never gone hungry in the main dining room - the bread rolls, consommés and desserts will pad out his evening meal if necessary - and he will have demolished a bowl of crisps in one of the bars beforehand!

I think I’m on the same sailing as you in June as I have just had the email about booking now being open too. I’d love to try it but suspect that the menu won’t appeal to Mr K, so I am not really keen to risk $400 on something he might not really enjoy. I suspect it will be completely booked out before we board but I would consider it if I had a better idea about the menu. We do have the Nordlys pop-up as well, which I might persuade him to try, because at least he’ll have a choice then. Hope you have a great time though - do let us know afterwards what you thought!

Mr Kynance & I ordered afternoon tea on a couple of occasions for consumption on our balcony when on QV last June whilst doing the one week northern Spain & Cherbourg trip. If I remember correctly, the selection varied each day but always included sandwiches/rolls, cakes and a scone each. For some odd reason, we always got 3 cakes rather than four but since I prefer the savoury items and Mr K has a sweet tooth, he got a second cake and I ate whichever sandwich he didn’t want. We also ordered the extra charge Prosecco on the second occasion. You do need to make extra tea using your kettle though but that wasn’t a big deal. Altogether, I did think it was a great idea to introduce afternoon onto the room service menu & I’m sure we will order again when we are on QM2 to the fjords this summer.

@Doug fh - I hope both you & your daughter enjoy the cruise. In view of the problem you have described and the advice you’ve already had, I think the situation has a better chance of working out to both your satisfactions if you drop the surprise in favour of breaking the news to your daughter now so that you can both explore options for resolving the dining issue (and any others) before you’re onboard and it is possibly too late. Good luck.

Happy new year to everyone too. We have also had a quiet night in - pizza and a film. Fireworks have been going off intermittently since about 6pm. It’s nearly 1030pm UK time as I type - I’ll be going up to bed soon and Mr K & I will see the new year in, tucked up with our books. Mine is the new Poirot novel, written by Sophie Hannah, with the blessing of Agatha Christie’s literary estate. It’s called Hercule Poirot’s Silent Night, which will probably be something of a misnomer come midnight! (I do recommend all the books in this series if you are a Christie fan.)

Merry Christmas to everyone, especially anyone feeling under the weather today (and it has been a typically damp although mild one here). We had the quiet, pleasant day that, for various reasons, I didn’t think we’d be getting a few days ago, so that was the “gift” I most appreciated today. Not perfect, but a quite nice time, with lovely food, including turkey sandwiches this evening, my festive favourite.

@Pushpit - I’ve really enjoyed reading your posts. Thanks for taking the time to share your journey with us. Have a safe and good trip back home (certainly a less stressful one than you had on your return from Hamburg in September).

I’ve never watched Strictly - but I am enjoying the latest series of Shetland, though the glitz and glamour levels are not the same! I”m also enjoying Masterchef the Professionals - mainly for twinkly-eyed Marcus Wareing, who is definitely on my fantasy dinner party guest list… … as is David Tennant, retuning shortly to Dr Who, which I am very excited about. Hands-down the best doctor of the modern era. (Tom Baker was my favourite childhood time lord.). I also really like the reboot of All Creatures Great & Small - very pleased to see that Oscar the cat has been introduced as a new character in the most recent series. 🐈

Do please share a photo of the finished cakes - I’d love to see how they turn out!

I’m seeing what you’re seeing for Cunard’s UK site, Blue Marble. Maybe they removed most of the questions because they realised members of this forum do a much better job of answering the questions?! 😉🤣