Just off QV 14/08/2022

[Bell Boy]

12 hours ago, cpc3639 said:

I very much missed the Caribbean band who play at sail aways and later in the nightclub on our recent QE Alaskan cruise. Are similar groups on other queens?

These Caribbean Bands are becoming  a little old hat these days, whilst they maybe appropriate for cruising 'around the Islands' , it's the last thing I want to hear when leaving Southampton en -route for the Mediterranean  (or Latin America) As I've mentioned above "The Catzz duo" these are the new folk on the block 😉 

[Lanky Lad]

4 hours ago, 2BACRUISER said:

The jazz duo are called The Catzz and they also play on deck 9 aft lidi pool for sail away every day.and then in commodore club 5-6pm. 

Drinks snacks also in Chart room our watering hole of choice 🍾🥂

Super shows so far too. 

 

Yes It was Catzz. They were good but not my taste. I guess you can't please everyone. 

[jumpjump]

Is there ballroom dancing? dance hosts?

[2BACRUISER]

3 hours ago, jumpjump said:

Is there ballroom dancing? dance hosts?

Yes Alex and Lubia professionals but no dance hosts and as on  other threads only really 4-6 couples actually ball room dancing, more on this will be in my review when we get back.

Just parking up in Alesund and the sun is shining yahoo. 

 

[ballroom-cruisers]

As has been said, Alex and Liuba, are dance professionals, and excellent dancers. They are available for private lessons (cost charged to your on board account),  and they teach extremely well if you want to talk to them about booking a lesson. They also perform excellent show dances on Gala nights for around 10 to 15 minutes in the Queen's Room, sometimes twice during each Gala evening, and they also run the ballroom dance classes that are in the schedule around lunch time on sea days.  They don't act as dance hosts in the sense that they are not 'available' to dance with any single dancers in the evenings as the 'dance hosts' used to do, but they will do dancing with a single partner for the same time as a private lesson, in the evenings, and paid for the same way as private lessons. That kind of practice can be valuable during live dancing, as you would be dancing with a top professional, and has equivalent value to a private dance lesson in terms of experience.

[mcloaked]

For those just off QV, one question. It was stated a while back that all the dining chairs in Britannia dining room were changed soon after the refit/drydock. Can someone say what the new chairs are like - i.e. are they still classic dining chairs with arm rests but in different colour/style, or are they armless with nowhere to rest your arms?

[Lanky Lad]

1 hour ago, mcloaked said:

For those just off QV, one question. It was stated a while back that all the dining chairs in Britannia dining room were changed soon after the refit/drydock. Can someone say what the new chairs are like - i.e. are they still classic dining chairs with arm rests but in different colour/style, or are they armless with nowhere to rest your arms?

The new chairs are very nice and comfortable. There is a mix of chairs with arms and without.

[david,Mississauga]

Was there a harpist on board? On our recent QE cruise there was not. I'm please that they had the string trio on your QV voyage as there was on the QE.  Did they play at afternoon tea at any time? I was disappointed that on the QE they did not play once at tea time.  

[WestonOne]

There was no harpist to the best of my knowledge.

I only walked through the afternoon tea area once, and it was the pianist playing.  However, the trio played around the ship quite a lot, mainly outside the Verandah.  They also had a one-off concert in the Queens Room.

For at least some of the time, they did seem to have a problem keeping the instruments in tune.  I have been to many classical concerts over the decades on and off ship  and have never seen anyone retuning their instruments quite so often.  This was on the first day or so after boarding.  After that, it dropped back to a more 'normal' level.  
 

 

Edited August 19, 2022 by WestonOne

[exlondoner]

There was a harpist on QM2 in July.

[david,Mississauga]

5 hours ago, WestonOne said:

...
 

 

 

Thank you for posting the video. I have enjoyed it whilst having my tea and scone (admittedly at breakfast not in the afternoon).

[neeuqdrazil]

7 hours ago, WestonOne said:

For at least some of the time, they did seem to have a problem keeping the instruments in tune.  I have been to many classical concerts over the decades on and off ship  and have never seen anyone retuning their instruments quite so often.  This was on the first day or so after boarding.  After that, it dropped back to a more 'normal' level.  
 

 

I wonder if they had just joined the ship? I know that humidity changes (which you would expect going from being land-based to being ship-based) will mess with tuning. (There's a reason that Cunard has a piano tuner come in when they're in port in NYC, and I would assume in Soton as well.) 

[2BACRUISER]

QV - Yet to hear a piano played, maybe just in wrong place at wrong time. No harpist. Imprezza the string trio play each night in the atrium area opposite side to chart room. At sailaway yesterday we had a saxophonist with a backing track with far too much bass that bounced your internal organs!!

According to daily programs George Gazsi is resident pianist twice daily in grand lobby  and commodore club 7.45-8.30pm hth 

Edited August 19, 2022 by 2BACRUISER
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[Host Hattie]

Thank you 

[david,Mississauga]

5 hours ago, 2BACRUISER said:

QV - Yet to hear a piano played, maybe just in wrong place at wrong time. No harpist. Imprezza the string trio play each night in the atrium area opposite side to chart room. At sailaway yesterday we had a saxophonist with a backing track with far too much bass that bounced your internal organs!!

According to daily programs George Gazsi is resident pianist twice daily in grand lobby  and commodore club 7.45-8.30pm hth 

 

One day on the QE we had an amplified saxophone at tea in the Queens Room. We couldn't carry on a conversation and left quickly. On some days there was a pianist.

 

Being in PG we could go to the Grills tea, which was quiet. We were surprised there were no cucumber or other finger sandwiches - even on request -  just filled buns. We had enough carbs with the delicious scones. 

 

From what I have read afternoon tea is still done well on the QM2 so we are looking forward to our September voyage.

[exlondoner]

8 minutes ago, david,Mississauga said:

 

One day on the QE we had an amplified saxophone at tea in the Queens Room. We couldn't carry on a conversation and left quickly. On some days there was a pianist.

 

Being in PG we could go to the Grills tea, which was quiet. We were surprised there were no cucumber or other finger sandwiches - even on request -  just filled buns. We had enough carbs with the delicious scones. 

 

From what I have read afternoon tea is still done well on the QM2 so we are looking forward to our September voyage.

 

The one time I went to tea in the Grills Lounge on QM2 it was disappointing. Again, no finger sandwiches, just those buns, which are so hard to eat. Perhaps other days were better. I must say I find the PG restaurant a more agreeable venue for tea than the depressing Grills Lounge on QM2.

[juicyjuju]

Is there "open seating" at late sitting? I want to dine with companions who booked through a different travel agent. I'm wondering if I need to bother trying to link the bookings. 

[2BACRUISER]

15 hours ago, juicyjuju said:

Is there "open seating" at late sitting? I want to dine with companions who booked through a different travel agent. I'm wondering if I need to bother trying to link the bookings. 

No you have same table each night that is assigned to you 9n the first night. 

I would choose the same sitting as your friend then go see the maitre d' on boarding to arrange sitting together. Hth 

Edited August 21, 2022 by 2BACRUISER
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[Victoria2]

16 hours ago, juicyjuju said:

Is there "open seating" at late sitting? I want to dine with companions who booked through a different travel agent. I'm wondering if I need to bother trying to link the bookings. 

Get your agent to link the bookings. One agent will give their client a code to give to the other agent and then the bookings can be linked.

At least, that’s how we managed it on a few occasions Pre Covid.

[LadyL1]

16 hours ago, juicyjuju said:

Is there "open seating" at late sitting? I want to dine with companions who booked through a different travel agent. I'm wondering if I need to bother trying to link the bookings. 

This is from the FAC’S.

Much better to get it sorted before travelling and joining the queue at restaurant on boarding day.

If guests are travelling as part of a group, will they be able to sit together when booking under the new pricing structure?

Answer

We are able to request that guests sit together on the Cunard Fare as these are offered as 1st Priority.

A TWID code can be added to all fare types for guests wishing to dine together, however, please advise that we cannot guarantee these requests.

Please remember: Early Saver Fare receive 2nd priority and Late Saver Fares receive no diningpriority.
 
 

 

 

Edited August 21, 2022 by LadyL1