Mickb

• It depends what you like. I have cruised with Regent and found it to be an impersonal but luxurious experience. QM2 is a different vibe altogether as you well know having cruised 4 times with them. We were on QM2 in Princess Grill last winter and I thought the experience in the Grill as as good as it ever was. As for the rest of the ship, I felt that some cuts had been made and some crew could have done with more training.
• We will definitely book the Grills again but it suits us - Good luck with whatever you decide.

Great hotel - ideal for pre cruise - food and accommodation better than anything else In Southampton - but it’s not cheap!

I have travelled aboard all three and they all have their merits.

The QM2 is an essentially an Atlantic liner - her seakeeping qualities are excellent   albeit she can dance about a bit in a heavy swell! We have only ever travelled in PG and the PG cabins are much nicer than the the Vista class, however the dining lacks drama.

I agree with Victoria2 that QV seems to be a friendlier ship - for me she has special something. 

The Grills sun deck on QV was excellent. Plenty of comfortable sun beds, plenty of shade and very attentive service. Drinks/snacks/afternoon tea served at your chaise longue. Mind you this was just before COVID - things may have changed…..

Lobster Thermidor followed by Strawberries Romanov flambéed at the table!

10 hours ago, ak1004 said:

I'm curious why you think that comparing Cunard TA with Silverseas repositioning cruise is not comparing apples with apples (although I was comparing Cunard PG in terms of pricing).

IMO - A Cunard Transatlantic is a ‘travel experience’  - much more than a cruise. It is redolent of the great days of travel and there is a sense of purpose about crossing in a liner ( rather than a cruise ship) designed for that purpose.

I have been lucky enough to experience transatlantic voyages on Silverseas, HAL, Celebrity and Cunard - the difference I think is that the QM2 was designed for the job and the others were designed for warm water cruising and took the southern better weather route. I have say I loved them all but the QM2 experiences were very special.

We have been lucky enough to sail on some 20 cruises with Silverseas, Regent, Celebrity, HAL, NCL, P&O & Cunard. Our Cunard experience has been 7 wonderful voyages in PG. I can honestly say that with the exception of the NCL and P&O cruises, when I couldn’t wait to get off the ship, I have loved them all. They were all different and all had their pros and cons. Personally, Cunard suits me the best although I am not blind to its deficiencies - I do however feel that that the comparison of a Cunard Britannia TA to a Silverseas repositioning cruise is not comparing apples with apples! 

A gratuity to the Maitre d’ upon embarkation will ensure you get what you want!

We had one and it was fine. The only problem was that we had one of the forward facing curved balconies, which while fine for seeing forward, were smaller than the normal PG balcony.

We have crossed with both - port ( sunny side) was way better

If you are not worried about money then I wouldn’t even consider the train with the amount of luggage you have.  Your hotel concierge should be able to arrange a car for you if you don’t want to try the suggestions above.

The trains do not have large spaces for luggage and you would  need a taxi at both ends anyway! Waterloo is quite a confusing station at the best of times!

When we cruised on QM2 last year - the short 3 day start up cruise - no one asked to see our insurance. We have now completed 18 cruises with various lines and we have never been asked to produce any insurance  documentation. Sadly though we have had to make a couple of claims!

No -I didn’t -  that answers my question.

Woke up to seeArcadia moored in Torbay today. Not sure why she is there. No sign of boats bringing people ashore.

Another vote for the Southampton Harbour - start your cruise in style!

I think that as HAL is to all intents and purposes a US owned line, Carnival Corp would not want to put its assets any where near any danger. Unfortunately I think Russia will eventually overcome Ukraine and buoyed by this success, there may well be trouble in the Baltic area. Discretion maybe the better part of valour and these areas may be best avoided for the foreseeable future?

17 hours ago, zhuangcorp said:

alright, what does one choose to said on HAL for?

That’s a good question. We have sailed HAL 5 times. The ships are beautiful, well decorated and the crew are generally very welcoming although sometimes it can be difficult to understand them. Their itineraries are quite imaginative however the food is much less interesting these days and the entertainment is dire. However HAL has a legion of supporters who won’t hear anything bad about the line. If it is nightlife you seek, I would choose another line. We have.

Cleared out the shed this weekend and came across menus from our first QG experience on the QE2 in 1985.  I would say that the choice on the menus of today is much wider particularly if one likes fish. I do recall we ordered off menu on one evening but can’t recall what we had . The table next to us ordered meatloaf which did surprise us - but one of the joys of the QG is  one can order what one wants!

This cannot be a surprise. There has been much speculation for nearly 2 years about the Venetians reluctance  to welcome large cruise ships. There are at the present time unsatisfactory alternative berthing arrangements, so it’s no surprise that Venice is being replaced as a port

Totally agree with Solent Richard about the Steak Tartare - it’s better than any Of the great Parisian restaurants. The special flambéed strawberry dessert is also very moreish!

Thank you Solent Richard - it was I who asked the question on your blog!

we are very tempted by the yacht club - however the ship does seem very large  - and we really like the intimacy of the smaller Queens - on the other hand you do seem to get more ‘goodies’ on MSC

We are great fans of the the Cunard Grills but hear continuing good reports of The MSC Yacht Club. If any reader have experience of both can they compare them for us please? I have looked at the menus posted on this site and think that Cunard offer a wider choice if one includes the A La Carte section. Standard Yacht Club cabins seem to be equivalent to PG on Cunard? Would be interested in opinions please?

I was in the TA today and whilst there the phone rang 3 times with people wanting to cancel their cruises because of the treatment of the crew. The agent very patiently explained that they were different companies but one caller still insisted on cancelling ( presumably lost their deposit). On the news nobody ever differentiates between ‘Ferries’ and ‘Cruises’. I think P&O cruises may have to rebrand?

We did a winter cruise to Copenhagen and Hamburg on QV a few years ago. It took 2 days before the ship warmed up. The restaurant was warm but the other public rooms were v chilly! Hope they sort it!

We had this cabin on a 7 night cruise. It’s only drawback is that the balcony is smaller and rounded off. There is not quite so much privacy . It was a winter cruise to northern waters so it didn’t matter to us and we were otherwise very pleased. You are doing the North Cape so the weather could go either way . Princess  Grill was amazing - they could not do enough for us, I much prefer it to the QG

Enjoy your trip!