Bottled water on QM2?

Saga, Oceania and Azamara all provide bottled water for free. They also have small bottles at the gangway to take ashore.

It's sounds like these lines try hard to listen and look after their guest's needs. Others should learn from them.

Yes, boarding in Southampton. We are coming down from London in private hired car. I may just bring along a few large bottles of water.

 

 

 

I am more than a little surprised that there is a charge for bottled water; we are just returning from another cruiseline, and bottled water was provided in the staterooms, as well as at meals, for no charge. And we have experienced the same on other lines, as well.

 

 

 

Are we supposed to drink water from our bathroom fixtures while in our cabin? That's not so wonderful. Will they charge us for the use of drinking glasses?

 

 

 

Seriously, good drinking water is kind of a basic provision, wouldn't you think? This will be our first cruise with Cunard, already a bit apprehensive.

It can only get better SCD [emoji6]

It's sounds like these lines try hard to listen and look after their guest's needs. Others should learn from them.

That's the wrong conclusion. From my experience of Saga they charge a lot more up front so that they can hand out goodies for 'free', e.g. water, limo travel, alternative dining etc etc. You even get Werther's Originals distributed like sweeties on excursions.

Not that I'm complaining, as by the time you're on board you've forgotten what a premium you paid over the mass market lines and feel quite cosseted.

It's sounds like these lines try hard to listen and look after their guest's needs. Others should learn from them.

No, they just have higher fares (for standard cabins).

No, they just have higher fares (for standard cabins).

Fair enough. That makes sense too.

Have you let Cunard know about your sensitivity to salt? I am thinking about your restaurant; they work wonders for those with allergies. I presume that you have to be very careful if you visit the Kings Court (buffet)? Best wishes,

Have a wonderful crossing, with lovely memories when you return home from your Cunard voyage :)

Yours,

see #23

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Thanks, did not look in that direction. Will definitely make a trip over there if time permits.

We generally drink the tap water (with ice, we're American ;) ) at dinner. It has no off taste. I could see the benefit of a bottle of sparkling water (without ice).

We generally drink the tap water (with ice, we're American ;) ) at dinner. ...

... It has no off taste.

Yours,

Thank you to all who have responded.

It's not an "off taste," but rather the fact that the tap water onboard ships is treated by desalination, and retains a certain level of salt. While not detected by taste, if one drinks a lot of water ( which I tend to do), there is a noticeable consumption of sodium. For me, it causes a bit of edema.

Perhaps you are correct that the lines that provide complimentary bottled water often do charge a bit more per stateroom, but in this case, Cunard fare is fairly close.

I would not expect free shore excursions or alcoholic beverages or even Internet (which is increasingly being offered as a basic part of many a cruise), but bottled water? That just seems so basic, hard to imagine having to buy it onboard. Especially a line such as Cunard, which presents itself as an above "average" experience.

We will board QM later this week with high hopes, yet a bit of trepidation. And probably a heavy bag filled with bottled water!;)

Totally agree with your facts about the water. I don't normally suffer from swollen ankles and was puzzled as to why it happened on board ship. I started a thread before my last long cruise and as an experiment only drank bottled water.

Problem solved!... I bought the 6 bottle offer and bought a bottle or 2 back if possible when I was in port.

Small price to pay in my opinion...

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Totally agree with your facts about the water. I don't normally suffer from swollen ankles and was puzzled as to why it happened on board ship. I started a thread before my last long cruise and as an experiment only drank bottled water.

Problem solved!... I bought the 6 bottle offer and bought a bottle or 2 back if possible when I was in port.

Small price to pay in my opinion...

 

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Does drinking (the ships) hot beverages 'tea/coffee' have any adverse effect to your ankles.

Thanks for the info, I wasn't aware It was free in Britannia club. It doesn't seem to feature in any of the info re Britannia Club.

 

As you mentioned they do offer 6 bottles for $20 in Britannia Staterooms which isn't too bad.

Hi Ben, I am also from Lancashire, but I think $20. (over £15.00) is very, expensive, you may also have 15% service charge added on?:eek:

Hi Ben, I am also from Lancashire, but I think $20. (over £15.00) is very, expensive, you may also have 15% service charge added on?:eek:

Hi,

I am not trying to claim $23 for 6 bottles of water (around £2.95 a bottle) is cheap and you can certainly get it far cheaper at a supermarket. However I don't really consider that to be a like for like comparison. If you compare it to bottled water in a hotel room I would expect to pay at least that much, hence I said I didn't think it was too bad.

Certainly you can make a saving by taking water with you but I believe the op stated he drinks 4 litres a day and is on a 6 day cruise. This would mean taking 24 litres/kg of water with him. I am in no way trying to be snobbish, i am all for saving money - it is hard earned and you only get to spend it once. I just personally don't think the effort involved of lugging a case with 24kg of water is worth it for a saving of £40. I don't travel lightly and have enough to worry about with all my other bags. It is a decision for the individual.

Whatever you decide I hope you enjoy your cruise :)

Does drinking (the ships) hot beverages 'tea/coffee' have any adverse effect to your ankles.

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I concur with Casandra. The ship's tap water (not just Cunard, it is any ship) has significant residual saline in it. For me, and many others, it causes edema, which presents as swollen ankles. The one cup of coffee I have per day is not the issue. It is the fact that I do drink a lot of water throughout the day, so the effect of the ship's water is much more severe than a single cup of coffee would produce.

The differences between a hotel and a transatlantic crossing are obvious. I guess I don't travel much on budget cruiselines, as the issue of paying for bottled water has not been one I have dealt with. I was under the apparently misinformed impression that Cunard offered an upscale cruising experience.

Yes, I will likely just suck it up and pay the exorbitant fee for decent drinking water - a basic human requirement - while onboard the QM2, but I won't be happy about it.

The taste of all the ship's tap water just doesn't agree with us. We also see lots of crew bringing their own bottled water on board on stops. That leaves us with factoring in the price of bottled water when we book fairly long cruises. 2 bottles a day in cabin and 1 in the restaurant adds up to 70 odd bottles over our 24 day up coming cruise. At least Cunard do a special offer on 6 bottles but that's still $240 dollars or £180 pounds over the cruise. Ho hum, but we would rather that than hump litres off bottled water on board and of course Cunard have to ship and store the stuff on board.

The taste of all the ship's tap water just doesn't agree with us... That leaves us with factoring in the price of bottled water when we book fairly long cruises.

An activated charcoal filter jug or bottle such as the ones Brita make would probably solve the taste problem and pay for itself several times over. I've seen a number of reports on CC of people finding that simply chilling ship's water, preferably overnight in the fridge, removes or masks any taste. No good for the OP of course, but it's got to be worth a try.

Will Cunard let you bring bottles water aboard?

Will Cunard let you bring bottles water aboard?

Yes, they will.

Yes, I will likely just suck it up and pay the exorbitant fee for decent drinking water - a basic human requirement - while onboard the QM2, but I won't be happy about it.

How much does the cost of a cruise/crossing on Cunard compare to any other ship you have been on? I've never been on a cruise myself, so don't have a point of comparison, but the other ships I'd have any interest in traveling on are significantly more expensive than Cunard.

For me, the cost of a 7 day TA crossing and then a return flight is cheaper than just purchasing an airline ticket to & from Europe, so the cost of the crossing is a bargain.

The savings I have made will more than cover the cost of gratuities, drinks, and any other "incidental" onboard purchases.

Cunard give nothing away. Expect to pay a surprisingly large amount for drinking water.

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Will Cunard let you bring bottles water aboard?

Yes, I brought 6 1.5-liter bottles on board with me. The other passengers thought I was crazy, but I saved a fortune.

If I had to do it all over again, I would’ve brought an extra luggage tag with me, stapled it to the carton of water, and let the baggage handlers bring it to our room. Lugging it all the way to the room was no fun.

How much does the cost of a cruise/crossing on Cunard compare to any other ship you have been on? I've never been on a cruise myself, so don't have a point of comparison, but the other ships I'd have any interest in traveling on are significantly more expensive than Cunard.

 

For me, the cost of a 7 day TA crossing and then a return flight is cheaper than just purchasing an airline ticket to & from Europe, so the cost of the crossing is a bargain.

 

The savings I have made will more than cover the cost of gratuities, drinks, and any other "incidental" onboard purchases.

As another newbie, one other cruise on a sister ship company ship (Princess), there are a couple of things to consider. First, Cunard travelers like to dress up, there is a stricter dress code on Cunard than other cruise lines, which means you may have to bring on extra clothes just for that reason. You can travel for just the cruise fare plus port fees (quoted in the final price). You DO NOT have to buy anything extra on the cruise (except the gratuities really should be paid, the amount of gratuities for the different cabin classes are listed on the Cunard website and there is a few dollars per bag for the porters at embarkation). I strongly recommend travel insurance however that really is true even if you fly both ways. The reason I say you can travel for the cruise fare is that all food is included, as well as entertainment. So is non-bottled water and some non-alcoholic beverages. Soda is extra, but not required, if you drink ALOT of soda a soft drink package is available. You can also bring onboard a couple of bottles of wine (not hard liquor) to enjoy in your cabin without any charge. Drinks in the bars can be purchased a la carte, if you need to. The bottom line is that you do not need to spend anything extra. That said you probably will. Most people cruise because they want the experience.

What other cruise lines are you considering? Cunard is a mass market line, some say top end of the mass market group. Think Princess, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Celebrity, and Norwegian. The high end, think luxury, are lines like Crystal, Seabourn, Viking Ocean Cruises, Azamara, Regent, Silversea Cruises, and some people include Oceania in the group.

WARNING: You probably will not get seasick on an airplane. On the QM2 you will be at sea in the open North Atlantic (known for waves) for 7 days. The North Atlantic is especially rough in winter. Unless you have cruised before you may not know if you will get seasick. Being seasick for seven days would not be my idea of a fun vacation.

FYI, I assume you have considered the cost of getting to the port of embarkation from your home and from the port of debarkation to where you are traveling to in Europe.

You can also bring onboard a couple of bottles of wine (not hard liquor) to enjoy in your cabin without any charge.

You probably will not get seasick on an airplane. On the QM2 you will be at sea in the open North Atlantic (known for waves) for 7 days. The North Atlantic is especially rough in winter. Unless you have cruised before you may not know if you will get seasick. Being seasick for seven days would not be my idea of a fun vacation.

The QM2 is an ocean liner, not a cruise ship, and was designed and built for rough sea crossings. Yes, it is possible that you may get sea sick. However, most people do not. I've never been seasick and DW has been seasick only once in over 80 days on the QM2 mostly on TA crossings, including back to back crossings in December. If you are worried about it, there are motion sickness preventatives available from your local pharmacy, as well as on the ship, to minimize the risk and symptoms.