Victoria2

Couldn't decide whether to give it a like, or a laugh! 🙂

My assumption too and totally understandable. I won't miss any drinks etc but I did like meeting up with familiar faces.

We went to one on our first 'Diamond' cruise. It was a perk. We used it. Gave it the benefit of the doubt and tried again. Never bothered after that, I don't need advice as I'm comfortable with my Marlborough choices, apart from the occasional bottle of Ice-wine or a glass of 'd'yquem [if pushing the boat out] for 'afters' and my husband consults wine waiters for their take on the reds if trying something new.. Bin end reds have been interesting. Interesting to hear the take on WC benefits being cut. It sounds as if the Verandah lunch or pop up dinner is still available to the Diamonds, which we won't use unless dining with friends from other restaurants, and I guess I'll miss seeing some of the members of staff we got to know at the small get togethers in the Queens Room but apart from that, the only one I'll really miss is the 8 hrs internet because whatever Cunard say in their blurb about the changes in internet packages and you'll get the same value of benefit as before, their idea of 'the same value as before' isn't mine! We shall see.

I thought the wine tasting was an activity for a wet afternoon or when there was nothing better on the daily plan.

We too have walking difficulties so I look forward to your comments.

Ha Ha is a much more civilised response than the possible GBH I might have had in mind! 😄 Good job it was hopefully a tongue in cheek comment.

Not greedy at all. One duck for two, four ducks for seven makes a great main course. One duck for me, now that's a lot, but I'll try and soldier through the angst. 🙂

Peking Duck has always been a favourite and luckily, 'the table' [Pre Covid we had tables for 6/8] has always been happy to join in. Might have to try your 'neighbouring' technique as we're dining à deux for the foreseeable future. 🙂

I love lamb and duck. My husband doesn't. I have had both Rack of Lamb and the Orange Duck served just for me but I have no idea if that's the norm or if I'm just a lucky ducky If you don't ask, you won't get, so worth smiling nicely and asking.

For me, there isn't We don't agree and that's fine.

We won't all be dining in busy areas; we won't all be in busy bars and we won't all be crowding into the theatre or joining tour buses and so for the time being, if breathing through a mask with a decent filter can help mitigate, mitigate not stop, the spread of this virus at any one time when the mask is worn, then I'm all for it.

No, I didn't miss your point.

As we wear masks in most places unless eating or drinking, I have no idea if the pneumonia jab has helped us or not and not having been onboard since we had our jabs, I have no idea if it will be effective against the seemingly quite virulent strains we've come across, particularly on World Cruise Segments. We have avoided 'the cough' possibly to a robust immune system in my case, but we have had friends inboard who have been quite poorly and voluntarily confined themselves to their cabin whilst taking the antibiotics, which is more than can be said for some coughers and sneezers. We will follow the Japanese for a while yet.

You may consider them PR. I beg to differ. Yes it's up to each individual to assess risks but mask wearing protects others as much as the wearer and if wearing a mask in certain areas of the ship will help anyone coming into contact with another passenger who has/is incubating the virus whom they would not necessarily come into contact with, then that, at the moment, is a positive step. As the virus loses it's intensity, masks will become a personal choice and quite right too but personally, I can see us adopting the [mainly] Japanese custom of wearing a mask in busy areas of very close proximity such as the theatre and lifts if it helps us avoid the usual respiratory problems which used to affect many passengers.

Agree 100% I would go so far as to say the protocols have a positive impact for us. The only reason we will travel at the moment is because Cunard have all their measures in place. No guarantee we won't succumb, as you found out, but there's a better chance of not doing so, with them there.

Thank you for helping out. I was pretty sure there was something in a package arrangement whereby the onus was on the provider, My agent would have been onto that with lightening speed and made arrangements of some sort for us. I say some sort as public travel in the UK can be a bit hit and miss this summer. Fingers crossed for elmsliebev 's final travel journey.

Of course some 'institutions' require a level of dress, that goes without saying but conduct in the sense you mean with regard to Cunard for that's what this thread is about should not be measured by anything we wear. The wearing of Black tie does not mean the wearer is beyond reproach for Miss Manners, just as anyone 'caught' in a dark suit [heaven forfend] is not about to let the side down. Maybe escrickwill let us k now if most of us have allayed her slight measure of foreboding re her QG booking. O repeat, one's attire does not reflect how we conduct ourselves in everyday life

Because they wanted to? escrick, hasn't said she doesn't want to 'comply' with Gala evening attire, she has wondered if they'd 'fit it' so until we hear from her, there's a bit of assumption here other cruise lines would /should be a better fit. I will also make an assumption. Maybe she has read some of the, let's say 'out of date' comments on this board as far as Gala attire is concerned and maybe thinks that's the reality when in fact, it isn't.

That particular tour, when I went on it, caused some angst for the concierge. She got some stick from irate passengers and one was extremely rude. As a complete aside, it showed up what staff have to put up with at times/ Always worth asking about any sold out tour though as this shows.

Us too but we do book any tours which have limited capacity as soon as they appear on our booking. A few of them have timed tickets eg The Faberge Museum and once sold, that's it and the same goes f or flightseeing tours. We have seen disappointed passengers pleading for the concierge 'to sort it' but being an early bird does have its perks.

Interesting. Did you use an agent or was it a direct booking? I know rules vary depending where about in the world you fly from but assuming it was all part of a fly/cruise package my assumption is it was Cunard's place to try and sort it out for you. ABTA might be worth a look into.

Yes Cunard 'do' the table elegantly and I'm not too sure about fish knives in the bistros but other than that, cutlery as described are not unusual in restaurants and even bistro pubs etc. Even our local pub has steak knives and a soup spoon, for soup. obviously. I'd be very careful where I ordered lobster but I have always been given a pick and cracker to winkle out the last shred of meat!

I do hope escrick and all those who have trembly knees at the thought of offending the miniscule minority who would like a Cunard Gala evening to be a watered down version of a Viennese Imperial Ball, realise there is the aspirational espoused by a few and then there's the reality. The trick is discerning who is the realist! Gala Evenings are lovely and I do like to see chaps dressed in Black Tie but the reality is a dark suit is just is acceptable. There are also those who find a Gala occasion brings out the peacock in them. All hues of the rainbow can be the new black!😄 Ladies, Ball gowns, as opposed to Ballroom [every day a new thing to learn] 'gowns' are rare. Long dresses, both elegant and not so, are worn and short cocktail dresses too with elegant separates closing the circle. Tremble not newbies. You'll fit in and NO ONE will be giving marks out of ten! 😀

Stuffy and OTT. Not my choice, as I said unless invited to lunch with non QG friends.

We can either have lunch in the Verandah or dinner at a Lido pop up but only utilised if dining with friends who aren't in our restaurant. Had a few lunches in the Verandah and if it was a choice, personal tastes are for Bamboo or Coriander