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We agree that PG is the sweet spot, value but a step up and more space. We like the real estate. For me, the deck plans of the QM2 are a challenge. After dozens of times aboard, I still get lost. But that is part of the pleasure for me. The space is quirky, weird. I love finding the little nooks and crannies. Not efficient or transparent, but lovely and fun. I find it a far superior ship to the QE and QV, which to me come across as just mass market cruise ships. IMHO.

dfwguy: I assume that you have had dinner in Kings Chaos so you know what you would encounter there. Personally, I really don't like the food in that buffet. But there is one bright spot for me in Kings Chaos, and that would be the pop-up restaurants that they usually set up at night, like Coriander. Not sure how the dress code works for the pop-ups. As others have pointed out, there is room service. But note that on the QM2, the room service menu is extremely limited.

That happened to us once as well. On Cunard QM2 there was a huge fight in the laundry room, fists and irons flying. Both couples were confined to their rooms until then next port where they were ejected. Danger in the laundry room!

We at home have talked about this. Our conclusion, unfortunately, is because of Carnival Corp.'s huge debt, they really cannot afford to offer more than this. Sad but possibly true.

I send my best wishes to all who have been affected by this last minute bad news. We first heard about this from friends who were headed back to the US after a long stay in Europe. They are seriously out of pocket because of the cancellation and the 20% FCC is minimal compensation for that. We are to cross Southampton to Brooklyn May 18, so we are thinking ahead to Plan B.

On the QM2, Chart Room, Chart Room, Chart Room. We are not opposed to the Commodore and have spent many hours there, but we love the design of the Chart Room and the jazz in the evenings. This experience is what makes the QM2 special for us. We will run to the Chart Room on our next crossing, in less than a month! Save us a table for 2 by the window!

Tipping is way more a US thing than a UK thing. We are from the US, which is a tipping culture. On board Cunard, we tip for good service provided. Sometimes a cabin steward who was special, sometimes a server in a bar who took good care of us day after day. But we don't spread tips around upon arrival hoping that it will improve service. I suppose some people do, but not us. As others have posted, all of this is personal choice and there is no pressure on Cunard to tip or not to tip.

Oh yes, the lovely launderettes, and the charming passengers who fight over the machines. Watch out for flying irons! Of course in a HAL Neptune Suite, someone else cleans your dirty clothes.

One of the big advantages of the Neptune Suite on HAL is the free laundry. Nothing like that in PG on Cunard. Cunard is WAY more formal than HAL, but you will not have to take Emily Post lessons before you board. If formality is your cup of tea, then Cunard is for you. Services and assistance in the Neptune lounge are better than what you get from the Grills concierge on QE. The Neptune Suite is quite a bit larger than PG on the QE.

I agree. Weird taste.

The boarding experience was not good. They did not have sufficient staff to handle the modest sized crowd.

So, now we have one experience with a butler on Silversea. She did a good job, but honestly nothing special. It seemed an elevated title for a stateroom stewardess. She made a grand presentation of our en suite breakfast each morning, but all she did was put the food on the table. Then she poured our coffee, which we could have done ourselves. Some fol de rol in the morning, a little too silly for us former working class blokes. I just don't understand the title, but I won't complain.

The view of the sea and the moon from the back of the ship...that is one of my favorite experiences on any cruise. May you experience many more, Sharkb8

Yes, Postrio, a posh restaurant from the 90s in San Francisco, all the rage among foodies. Very high end.

I'm not sure if someone else covered the following: You can order a latte or capuccino after a meal in one of the restaurants, or for breakfast. We do this all the time. In Grills class, the Concierge Lounge on the QM2 has the espresso machine. In the Grills Lounge one can order a specialty coffee drink. We often go to the Grills Lounge around 11:00 when it is empty and the first server appears, order a latte, and catch up on the internet or with our puzzles. Nice quiet space for coffee drinking.

Alexander51: Very fair, balanced, and helpful comments. Thanks.

Seriously, if you want to walk from Penn Station to your hotel, then you should use the internet to search for hotels near Penn Station. If this is the most important thing for you, then this is your best option. Otherwise, there are hotels all over town and in Brooklyn.

A Princess World Cruise? Where do the go? Cleveland? I can't imagine. And then there was the time we bought a crossing on Princess that was supposed to deliver us to France, but instead left us in the UK all on our own with no transport to France. Never again!

Yeah, David E and Heather. Really loved their shows.

I do like to program the "jukebox" system in the Club to play nothing but AC/DC to see how the Luxury Cruisers react. A little rebellion.

That really is one of the sweetest spots on the Seabourn ships.

SLSD: Thanks for starting this interesting thread. I agree with your taste and would love to see some quality jazz on Seabourn. When we started cruising, we were appalled at the big shows offered on Cunard, Seabourn, HAL, etc. Lots of talented young people given boring old fashioned pieces to perform. Then we got used to it, lowered our standards, and stopped complaining. Now we just avoid most big shows. The best example of what we like is the jazz ensemble that plays most nights in the Chart Room on the Queen Mary. Sophisticated, straight-ahead, pop jazz. On Seabourn we most enjoy the shows by the Cruise Director or Assistant, or by a solo singer with a basic band accompanying. For Seabourn we tell our friends at home about the Belinda King shows and our tales usually provoke gales of laughter at how corny and weird her shows are. Once we saw a show entitled "Irish Soul." What? But I must admit I have given up. I don't think our tastes match most cruisers who go to the shows on most cruise lines. I just shrug my shoulders and don't hope that it will ever get better. Pity because I think that most of the young performers have talent that they would love to show us.

Hello Allison and welcome to San Francisco! I worked in SF for 34 years and now live just across the Bay in Oakland. If the weather is nice, a long walk from the cruise terminal along the Embarcadero is about as good as it gets. I prefer the South direction toward the Bay Bridge, taking you past the lovely Ferry Building which is now a food market. They there are parks, waterfront, outdoor art and splendid views of the Bay and the city. You will end up at the baseball park. In the North direction you go past a number pf piers, including Pier 39 with tourist attractions and seals and then on to Fisherman's Wharf. There are other good walks in town, but these 2 are easy from the cruise terminal.

In December, 2021, we were on the first QM2 crossing post-Covid. It was 7 nights crossing to Brooklyn, and then an 8th night in Red Hook. The QM2 continued on to the Caribbean. We love Brooklyn and NYC, so having the extra day in the Big Apple was great. We took a cab to see friends in Brooklyn during the day, and took the ferry from Red Hook to Wall Street to meet a friend for dinner at night. It was a great itinerary that suited us fine. Only problem was that a number of PAX caught Covid on board, but that is another story from the early days of Omicron.

Shark: I am also following your thread with great interest. Love your pictures and your positive attitude!