Live from…. Victoria, Cunard Vs Celebrity, Grills Vs the Retreat

[groryjm]

I have, on occasion, documented my cruise adventures on these boards or more correctly the Celebrity boards but have decided not to this time as others have already started a “Live from…. ”. I do however intend to recount my experiences as a first time Cunarder and our first time in Queens’s grill.

 

My Gastrognome and I cruise on Celebrity two or three times a year and have done so for a number of years, usually in upper suites and in what Celebrity now calls the Retreat.

 

This is a bucket list cruise for me and to celebrate my 60^th so we have ”pushed the boat out” and booked a Q2 which in size terms seems on paper similar to a Royal suite on Celebrity.

 

Prices seem at first glance for the number of days seem to be similar The suite on Celebrity I plan to compare it to is a Royal suite which lists as lists as 750ft² inc Balcony compared to the Q2 that lists as 1100ft². The Q2 has only one jetted tub whereas the RS has a second on the balcony and the Q2 only has one loo but otherwise they both, on paper, seem comparable.

 

First, may I say, please don’t take any of my comments here as adverse criticism. I realise that both lines have a slightly different place in the market and any comparison is entirely subjective. I just hope some of my observations might help others thinking of dipping a toe in the other pond. 

 

My initial experience pre cruise has been slightly lacking. Let me clarify. On Celebrity (X) in an upper suite I would expect a phone call, from shoreside, about three weeks before sailing to arrange the bar set up in the room, both lines offer two bottles of spirits in suite, and to arrange any special requests or alternative dining reservations. I gather we will have to wait until we meet our butler to pass on these requests. The other thing I have missed is the lack of an app available other than when on board. On the X app a few days before sailing I would expect to see the menus starting to populate and times for shows and activities which again while not strictly necessary is just something we found helpful.

 

On the price front while the cruise price is similar there seems to be a lot missing with Cunard. I am used to Wi-Fi, drinks and gratuities being included as with most of the higher end luxury lines. I have had to pay an extra £480 for Wi-Fi, £1370 for drinks and an expected $340 for gratuities which I of course accept, and will pay willingly but this is an extra in relation to Celebrity and compared to more high end luxury lines where such things are included. 

 

You may have noticed from the nomenclature with which I describe my dear wife that food is something of great import to us. This is one place we are hopping Queen’s Grill will excel.

  

We have a 12 o’clock boarding slot for Tomorrow and I look forward to seeing how CPS compare to ABP for parking 

 

Packing is now complete and the ironing board away. This brings me to another disparity between the lines. With upper suites on X one has unlimited laundry and pressing so but with Cunard regardless of cabin I gather it is an extra. Don’t get me wrong I am not complaining just highlighting the differences I perceive between the lines

 

 

 

The Cats to pussy prison time to order a pizza before I try very hard to finish off all the open vermouth bottles in the fridge before we head off for two weeks. A small bit of Noilly Prat and a dribble of Punt E Mess to go!  Dry martini and a Negroni me thinks…..

 

Hope to be on boarding in a little under in 19 hours 🍸🍹🍷🍺🥂🧉🥃🍾😎

[Victoria2]

Bearing in mind we should also be in Southampton ready to join this trip tomorrow and you are in one of our favoured cabins, although we have jumped cabin to an aft one for one of our trips next year, I will read with interest.

 

 

 

[exlondoner]

Judging by your array of suitcases, it looks as if you intend to do full justice to the dress code. 😀 or have kitchen sinks which travel…

[Host Hattie]

That's an impressive amount of luggage, I hope you enjoy your experience, I look forward to reading about it.

[Mosttoyswin]

Looking forward to hearing more. We are also frequent celebrity cruisers.  However next fall we are scheduled to take the Queen Elizabeth from Fort Lauderdale to Barcelona. We will then stay in Barcelona several days and catch the reflection for a Mediterranean and then back to Fort Lauderdale. We will also be in the Queen's grill but in Q4. I think. So I will be very interested in your comparison.

[dlh015]

41 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

Judging by your array of suitcases, it looks as if you intend to do full justice to the dress code. 😀 or have kitchen sinks which travel…

And also judging from the picture, I daresay they will make good use of the Drinks package!😀

 

While I have cruised on Cunard, I haven't stayed in a Queen's Grill suite. However, we have one booked on the Queen Anne in 2024. 

 

I will surely be following this thread...

[Victoria2]

I'm not interested in comparisons as Celebrity isn't on our radar at all and I know just about everything there  is to know about the cabin in focus.

I am interested in the cruise. Hopefully, I'll learn something.

[groryjm]

2 hours ago, Victoria2 said:

Bearing in mind we should also be in Southampton ready to join this trip tomorrow and you are in one of our favoured cabins, although we have jumped cabin to an aft one for one of our trips next year, I will read with interest.

 

 

 

I was sorry to hear you going to be joining us. We actually turned down the opportunity to upgrade as we prefer the mid ships location rather than the aft. Just incase the North Atlantic gets a bit rock n rolly 😉

[Host Hattie]

2 minutes ago, groryjm said:

I was sorry to hear you going to be joining us. We actually turned down the opportunity to upgrade as we prefer the mid ships location rather than the aft. Just incase the North Atlantic gets a bit rock n rolly 😉

Where are you going? I thought this was a Norwegian cruise? If you end up in the North Atlantic someone is lost.

[groryjm]

2 hours ago, exlondoner said:

Judging by your array of suitcases, it looks as if you intend to do full justice to the dress code. 😀 or have kitchen sinks which travel…

I will confess that with three gala nights I have packed a different dinner jacket for each.... 😎 Oh and a different waistcoat for each night 🧐

 

This is one of the things we are really looking forward to. We love to dress for dinner and have not enjoyed the relaxing of formal attire on other lines

[groryjm]

7 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

Where are you going? I thought this was a Norwegian cruise? If you end up in the North Atlantic someone is lost.

@Host Hattie you're right it is in fact The Norwegian Sea which is a marginal sea in the North of the Atlantic Ocean,

[Victoria2]

19 minutes ago, groryjm said:

I was sorry to hear you going to be joining us. We actually turned down the opportunity to upgrade as we prefer the mid ships location rather than the aft. Just incase the North Atlantic gets a bit rock n rolly 😉

Probably a wise decision.

Rockin and rollin in an aft cabin on a Norwegian North Atlantic Sea swell would be unimaginable! 😀

 

 

[groryjm]

2 hours ago, dlh015 said:

And also judging from the picture, I daresay they will make good use of the Drinks package!😀........... 

I will confess to having a bit of a passion for cocktails 😎🍸 

 

One of the things I like about Cunard, from what I have read, is the adult attitude to allowing one to bring bottles for ones in suite bar. 

 

My bar at is fairly extensive by the way.... 200+ spirits liqueurs and vermouths!

 

Edited October 10, 2022 by groryjm

[Victoria2]

Just now, groryjm said:

I will confess to having a bit of a passion for cocktails 😎🍸 

 

One of the things I like about Cunard, from what I have read, is the adult attitude to allowing one to bring bottles for ones in suite bar. 

 

My bar at is fairly extensive by the way.... 200+ spirits liqueurs and vermouths!

Ah, that explains all the cases. Not the kitchen sink but in fact, the bar!

 

Seriously, I really hope you have a great time.

 

[dlh015]

44 minutes ago, groryjm said:

I will confess to having a bit of a passion for cocktails 😎🍸 

 

One of the things I like about Cunard, from what I have read, is the adult attitude to allowing one to bring bottles for ones in suite bar. 

 

My bar at is fairly extensive by the way.... 200+ spirits liqueurs and vermouths!

 

You appear to be stocked better than some bars I used to tend back in the day. Bon Voyage!

[chemmo]

Following along…

 

We are ‘grounded’ at present, should be in the PH on the Silhouette heading for the Canary Islands, please keep us entertained and let us vicariously enjoy your adventures!

 

Sincere best wishes for a wonderful cruise!

[swjumbo]

Celebrity fans here, done the Retreat on Edge and Solstice Class and adore Silhouette.

We’re trying QG in a few weeks time and, unlike one of the comments by Vic2, we are looking forward to your reports immensely.

Lots of pics please and lots of comparisons with ‘X’ will do nicely.

x

[groryjm]

18 minutes ago, swjumbo said:

Celebrity fans here, done the Retreat on Edge and Solstice Class and adore Silhouette.

We’re trying QG in a few weeks time and, unlike one of the comments by Vic2, we are looking forward to your reports immensely.

Lots of pics please and lots of comparisons with ‘X’ will do nicely.

x

We currently love retreat on Silly and our safe space is an RS. Hoping Queens Grill will feel comfortable. We'll let you know how it compares

[LittleFish1976]

10 hours ago, groryjm said:

@Host Hattie you're right it is in fact The Norwegian Sea which is a marginal sea in the North of the Atlantic Ocean,

 

If you go around the corner to the Barents Sea you'll get a bit of the old 'rock and rolly' for sure!

 

[Victoria2]

6 hours ago, swjumbo said:

Celebrity fans here, done the Retreat on Edge and Solstice Class and adore Silhouette.

We’re trying QG in a few weeks time and, unlike one of the comments by Vic2, we are looking forward to your reports immensely.

Lots of pics please and lots of comparisons with ‘X’ will do nicely.

x

Slightly misleading here, implying Vic2 isn't looking forward to reports on this trip.

 

Vic2 is looking forward to reading the reports  and actually said she will read with interest and also, hopefully learn something.  She did say she’s wasn't  interested in Celebrity comparisons but qualified that by saying because they will not impact her as she has no interest in that line at all. That does not mean she isn’t interested in the overall picture,  she is, just as she is in all posts concerning her favourite ship and being a bit of a Q.Grill'er, she has an added interest when  QG is concerned. 

 

 

 

 

 

[photosg]

Hope to see you onboard.

Might we even be on the same excursion in Tromso? (Chasing lights in a minibus.)

I’ve been in concierge on Century and in a SkySuite on Infinity (♥️Luminae) but I feel Cunard is my home. Having said that we travel single and were delighted to be able to book Single Infinites on Beyond for May ‘23.

[LadyL1]

18 hours ago, Victoria2 said:

 

Rockin and rollin in an aft cabin on a Norwegian North Atlantic Sea swell would be unimaginable! 😀

 

 

We did the aft cabin in March (and saw the "Lights"), and enjoyed the whole trip through snow, blizzards, storms and rain!😂

[Host Hattie]

Bon Voyage, it looks like a beautiful day for sailaway 

[groryjm]

Today has been interesting.....

 

We woke at just after 8 and by the time we had breakfasted and moved the "many!" suitcases to the car it was just after 10 so we set of on our drive to berth 46/7. we arrived at about 11.40 which we reckoned perfect for a boarding time of 12am. With X and ABP we would drive into the car park the port staff would take our bag and we would walk the 15 or 20 yards to the terminal building with our carryon’s to check in. For this Cunard cruise the port parking is provided by CPS and we drove to a covered holding bay where we checked the car in and handed in our keys. The difference here was we then had to walk all our luggage the 15 or 20 yards tom the porters to deposit or cruise cases before heading to check in with our carryon’s. It is only a small difference but the port looks after X better than Cunard it seems. The difference here though is that X leaves and returns to the from the same terminal, whereas Cunard, it seems , has different berths for embarks and disembarks. Our car will, magically, move to the Mayflower terminal for our return.  

Check in was smooth and quick and we were through by 11.55 but then it all stopped. On speaking to the port staff (a lovely gentleman we met a few months ago will boarding an X ship) explained that the captain had said no one was to board before 1pm. This was I suspect due to post covid cleaning protocols but why give an arrival time of 12 when no one is allowed on until 1pm!

 

At about 1.05 we arrived in our suit and …… I was impressed.

 

Room tour video to follow.

 

… forgive me it is late and I will continue tomorrow

[exlondoner]

6 hours ago, groryjm said:

Today has been interesting.....

 

We woke at just after 8 and by the time we had breakfasted and moved the "many!" suitcases to the car it was just after 10 so we set of on our drive to berth 46/7. we arrived at about 11.40 which we reckoned perfect for a boarding time of 12am. With X and ABP we would drive into the car park the port staff would take our bag and we would walk the 15 or 20 yards to the terminal building with our carryon’s to check in. For this Cunard cruise the port parking is provided by CPS and we drove to a covered holding bay where we checked the car in and handed in our keys. The difference here was we then had to walk all our luggage the 15 or 20 yards tom the porters to deposit or cruise cases before heading to check in with our carryon’s. It is only a small difference but the port looks after X better than Cunard it seems. The difference here though is that X leaves and returns to the from the same terminal, whereas Cunard, it seems , has different berths for embarks and disembarks. Our car will, magically, move to the Mayflower terminal for our return.  

Check in was smooth and quick and we were through by 11.55 but then it all stopped. On speaking to the port staff (a lovely gentleman we met a few months ago will boarding an X ship) explained that the captain had said no one was to board before 1pm. This was I suspect due to post covid cleaning protocols but why give an arrival time of 12 when no one is allowed on until 1pm!

 

At about 1.05 we arrived in our suit and …… I was impressed.

 

Room tour video to follow.

 

… forgive me it is late and I will continue tomorrow

Talk about a cliffhanger…

 

Pre-Covid , there were porters to carry your bags on Cunard. Perhaps,it is a cost saving measure that they haven’t reappeared.