ToadOfToadHall

MarkBearSF makes a very valid point.

I think the problem is that some companies use false loyalty to get away with poor service/failing standards. They know they have enough customers who will always stick them no matter how bad they become and so they feel they can get away with it.

Cunard is a prime example. Too many people think they are the be-all and end-all, so no matter what they do, they will continue to get repeat business from these people.

To give you an example from personal experience; Mr and Mrs Toad used to go to a hotel in the UK every few months (just for 2 or 3 nights). The main reason was that the food was excellent, well priced and so on. The menu used to change every night. Then, over time, it changed so that there were also a number of fixed items, with a few items changing each night. As time went on, this has now changed again; the last 2 or 3 times we have been, the menu did not change once - it was identical from one year/6 months to the next.

So now we're not been back for over a year because to us they have become lazy and are taking their customers for granted. And i feel Cunard is doing the same; taking customers from granted, because they know they can keep making cutbacks/increases prices/reducing service and yet people will still keep coming back because of false loyalty.

Here's something I've been pondering about;

If you go into a restaurant on land, you would never be expected, nor would you expect, to sit with anyone else other than the people you are with. Even in McDonlads or a pub, this would only happen if there wad no other tables available.

Imagine ringing up a restaurant and booking a table for 2 say, then arriving and sitting with another couple ? It would never happen - it would be totally unacceptable.

So why is this arrangement perfectly acceptable on a cruise ? And also, because I don't know, does this happen on other cruise lines ? Or is it just specific to Cunard ?

What in the world are "house dresses"?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_dress

I totally disagree... I am an 'older' woman . I have been on QM2 3 times and will be sailing on her again very soon. I always wear an evening dress on formal nights and dress up on all other nights. And so do a great many others of all ages. To me it is part of the Cunard experience...

 

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I didn't mean "all", but I certainly noticed that as age increases, the level of dress decreases. Obviously not all older ladies will be in a sparkly top and not all younger ladies will in a evening dress, but the percentages do change.

A clear, precise and to the point view there. I felt the food last year on the QV was of food standard and I can't see us returning either.

I agree with you and I've made that same observation on here myself in the past.

As you say, nearly all men with wear a suit/black tie. But a lot of women just wear trousers and what they laughingly often refer to as "a nice top". And that's what they wear on formal nights - and it's not formal wear at all.

It's also relates to the age of the lady; younger ladies will wear cocktail dress/evening gown, but older ladies will be in trousers and a blouse.

Our last med cruise was 17 nights are we had 5 formal nights.

So for 14 nights, I would also say 4.

I did a sample booking directly through holidaytaxis.com. Holy mackerel, they want 279 pounds one way. And they say that is a 20% discount. Maybe it would be more cost-effective through Cunard. We have used Smiths before quite successfully and will check with them, too.

I've tried the same.

Heathrow to the Holiday Inn in Southampton (so just one way) : £185

Last summer we used Smith's : £67.

The article is not really comparable because people in UK restaurants have a choice about tipping (and then if it's in cash or on their card), but in reality, on a ship, they have no choice.

There is one area that the two situations are comparable; both on the ship and in the UK tipping is done to avoid the companies paying tax.

Last year we stayed in the Holiday Inn overnight and departed from the Ocean Terminal. The hotel booked a taxi for us and the taxi driver was fine. They must do these short journeys all day long. Plus, if the hotel books it for you, the driver can hardly get a monk on about it.

But, if you don't walk, and you don't take a taxi, what other alternative are you thinking off ? Teleportation ?

Sorry but its the time of the year worldwide for colds/coughs/flu and dont think it is down to one particular cruise line. Mentioned is Cunard Cough but also over the years heard of P&O Cough and Arcadia Cough.

Indeed yes.

It's like whenever you say to someone "I've got/had a cold" and what is the reply you always get back in return ? "Oh yes, there's a lot of it around at the moment".

Hmm, there's "always a lot of it around" it seems to me.

This is a new 2 part documentary on the QE2 on Channel 5, starts this Tuesday:

http://www.channel5.com/show/the-qe2/

(Ooops, I see this has already been posted in a previous thread).

Well, the wages do not look great! Two of my SIL friends are over there and earning £5000 p/m, but they are skilled mechanics servicing very expensive cars!

No rent/mortgage, no gas, no electricity, no council tax, no food to pay. So it's $500 (£350) to $800 (£550) in your pocket after all your living expenses (which are zero).

Many people who work in the UK, after accounting for their living costs, would think having that much left over at the end of each month was like winning the lottery.

I think that's shorthand for "We disabled CWC login because of some issue it was causing and it's on our list of things to fix as soon as we find the time."

More like:

"We disabled CWC login because of some issue it was causing and we have no intention of correcting the issue since we have no one actually looking at the problem"

More likely to be "Queen Latifah - Sponsored By Costa Coffee" !

We have a 100% success rate of obtaining a table for 2 when requested (second sitting). But that's only 2 cruises, so the sample rate is not that great !

If any company fails to update a certain feature on it's site after 12 months, it's fairly safe to assume it has zero intention of ever doing so.

So when they say "we are upgrading out website" what they mean is "we have lost interest and will not be upgrading".

I don’t know that’s why I asked the question.

Sorry, I was being sarcastic, as in "This is Cunard/Carnival, so there's no way on earth they would refund you anything" !!!!!

Just out of interest, if you buy a soda card on say your 2nd day, do any soda purchases made on day 1 get refunded on your account?

What do you think ?!

I've found that Internet forums attract the crazies on hotel posts, the shower was at a bad angle, the television was too small, too big, too loud, too quiet, the carpet had a hole in it. If your booking agency has any experience I'd imagine they've booked the hotel before without complaint. It is a modest one.

Whilst that is true, i.e. people complain on the internet about the most trivial of things, with sites like TripAdvisor, you have to take an overall view of the many reviews posted.

And looking at the overall TripAdvisor reviews of the hotel in question, it's difficult to conclude that the vast majority of those reviews were posted by internet crazies. The only conclusion you can come to is that the place is an absolute dump - so many people can't be wrong.

You are right about the location - it's quite a good location in London for getting around (I used to work in Paddington every few weeks until recently).

But my preferred location when staying in London is Bloomsbury. It's much more a smarter location that Paddington but I'd say the prices of hotels were pretty much the same (I've stayed in the Holiday Inn and The Thistle in Bloomsbury and both are more than acceptable).

You buy the soda package on board. It's available for the first 2 or 3 days only (I mean to buy that is), so just buy it on board on your first day and you will be sorted for the rest of your cruise. Simples.

The hotel is showing £40 for today because it's last minute and it's January. If you look at prices for May, it is showing £101/106 per night.

That is true, but as someone who semi-regularly has to stay in London for work, and has to book at short notice, I find that the time of year has no bearing on prices in London (because it's bonkers all year round). And booking last minute often makes it more expensive.

I'd tell the agent to cancel the hotel at no cost to you, with the implied threat of widespread negative publicity locally and nationally. Clearly, they're making huge profit on the hotel booking.

That's what I was about to suggest as well.

Everyone is supposed to fill in the health form before embarking. This would show up those who were unwell before the trip. Should all of these be confined to their cabins?

And how many people would, if they had any symptoms they list, actually declare them and risk the possibility of not being allowed to board ? Erm, let me think....

That would be none then.

The form you fill is is an example of tick-box culture at it's finest !

Until our last cruise I never felt the need to carry alcohol on board because I did not consider the prices in the bars to be excessive (okay, London bar prices or regional hotel prices).

But recently Cunard have whacked their bar prices sky high and by coincidence they appear to be considering stopping people taking alcohol on board (or limiting it). I wonder if those two things are related ?