tigerfan75

Since the partitions are for slowing the spread of fire, a GM probably must give way to the decisions of the Safety Officer or Captain…

I have only a few O cruises under my belt (literally), but I believe the Brunch is an occasional “special” event. I have experienced only two, both on long, consecutive sea days of a TA and a South Pacific. One was on a weekend.

In my experience, NEVER use online booking of excursions. It is always wonky. O allows a guest that is booked through a TA to call direct for excursions.

The GM is Ludmila Zelkin. She can be seen moving all about the ship, and is easily accessible.

All of this energy and emotion makes wish for the good ol’ days of sandals, wine, and cookies…

I’ve also paid them. It was when we last sailed Cunard about 12 years ago….

On the cruise with you to Bali. I agree completely with the service, and crew, and food. Have had a few “misses”, but overall a very impressive cruise. We, too, made a mention on our mid-cruise survey, and the GM called us to discuss. A maintenance tech was in the stateroom soon thereafter. Have sailed more than 170 days on O, and this sailing is the best experience so far.

On Insignia now. Attended the Future Sales Presentation this morning. O Sales Ambassador stated the same dates as above for booking. He also said that Miami would not tell him when the itineraries would be released, and would not share any itinerary details for fear that he would tell the guests. However, he said that an advance look at the itineraries would be made available at some time, so onboard guests can “prebook”.

Having sailed on Vista, I agree that there is a noise problem. Could hear our neighbors talk on both sides of us, the toilets around us flush, and the TV until late into the night. However, I personally believe it is not “an insulation” problem, but rather a “white noise” problem. The fan noise for the HVAC (ventilation system) in the Vista is very quiet. The fan noise on both the O class ships, and the two R class we have sailed is much higher. On the Insignia now in an A2, and it seems to roar. But guess what…I don’t hear my neighbors or a toilet flush. So perhaps the issue is that a more efficient ventilation system is the noise culprit? YMMV

Not correct!

IME, you will not lose your credit. The $125 will be used.

We did not find Ember noisy. Perhaps because we are American? Anyway, it was an excellent dining experience for us last summer. Shared and two topper tables. We returned several times. Enjoy!

Although tech savvy, PLEASE no app. I want to holiday, not carry and use a phone. Everyone is different, just that I hope Cunard delays going in that direction…

Captains Party and Happy Hours were last night on the Insignia ATW cruise…

We enjoy the introduction of the Staff, which facilitates matching faces to the position during casual encounters elsewhere on the ship…

Yes, there were Captain's Parties on our three O sailings in 2023. And the nights were as you stated, either on the second night, or the first sea day.

I have had success in switching from CC paid to SBC on prior O cruises. I do not know if it a universal truth, or just my natural charm...

Just a week ago, I booked a cruise for late next year. I, too, was surprised to learn that the distilled water was not furnished free of charge. It has been free on every other cruise line I've used. It was explained to me by the Cunard phone rep that it was a "relatively new policy". I am concerned about how to carry my water onboard, also.

I read the explanation differently. As I understand it, O is paying the gratuities continuously at a full guest ship level. As an offset to its paying of the gratuities, O takes whatever the auto gratuities generate from the actual guest level.

I usually book directly with Cunard. Then I approach my TA for a quote. The TA usually provides a post-cruise rebate check of 5 - 7% of the fare, as well as other sailing benefits. If I like what the TA has to offer, I transfer the booking to her within the 60-day window that allows a transfer. If, for whatever reason, I do not want to transfer, I can keep the booking with Cunard.

+1. Really, really liked it!

Thanks for the info. Such a change will affect my upcoming plans. Can you provide the source of your info? I sincerely appreciate it.

I do not use O for flights. Did an O sailing last summer that boarded in Reykjavik. Since Delta is my preferred airline, I used Delta from JFK to Reykjavik. Good luck…

I appreciated that others apparently somehow found Ember lacking. Several I spoke with had heard the characterization of "Applebys, and did not even try it. I enjoyed it very much, and took advantage of dining there as much as possible. Obviously, an example of YMMV....

+1. Was on a Cunard queen more than a decade ago, and we did piracy drill off the horn of Africa (Somali)....