QA Canaries 10 May Comments

[TowandaUK]

We haven’t had any emails since boarding. Internet is fine but a bit fiddly sharing one device at a time between 2. 

[MylesS]

2 hours ago, exlondoner said:

By the way is anyone else on board having problems with emails? The internet is working brilliantly.

My partner had issues with email, but mine was fine. I am using Google Mail with the Mail app on iPhone if it's any help.

[exlondoner]

1 minute ago, MylesS said:

My partner had issues with email, but mine was fine. I am using Google Mail with the Mail app on iPhone if it's any help.

Life is mysterious, but thanks.

[Bell Boy]

4 hours ago, exlondoner said:

Only two canapés. Not long ago on QE we used to get six. 

But I adore the black and white marble bathroom, which, glory of glories, has a lovely bright light over the bath (unlike in the Vistas), which makes reading a delight.

 

I tried the sunny side of the prom deck, and it was better than I expected for walking and passing. But there would be no possibility of lounging.

Ah !  a reference to Canapés,  I'm intrigued with your observation as the Commodore bar and other evening venues on QA are 'no longer offering Canapés during pre dinner cocktails  ( apparently a directive from shoreside ?  according to a bar crew member)  Can you confirm if the Grills lounge (QA) are offering Canapés .

   

Edited May 11 by Bell Boy

[3rdGenCunarder]

10 hours ago, Victoria2 said:

Sorry, what’s wrong with sussing out the ship's facilities when they are only a hop and a skip away from the cabin?

 

Checking out the laundry is part of my tour of exploration the first day on a ship that is new to me. Lunch, library, and spa before that, but I do like to have an idea of what my chances are of getting a machine when I need one. Sorry to hear there are only three instead of the four on other ships. And if some are out of order, there could be interesting stories...

[exlondoner]

7 hours ago, Bell Boy said:

Ah !  a reference to Canapés,  I'm intrigued with your observation as the Commodore bar and other evening venues on QA are 'no longer offering Canapés during pre dinner cocktails  ( apparently a directive from shoreside ?  according to a bar crew member)  Can you confirm if the Grills lounge (QA) are offering Canapés .

   

It won’t be from personal experience, because I would not wish to spend a moment in the place, which I have really taken against, but I will ask around. 

[exlondoner]

Last night was black and white formal night, and everyone I encountered seemed entirely appropriately dressed, nearly all in accordance with the theme. I felt rather a renegade for wearing red shoes.

[Selbourne]

On 5/10/2024 at 11:58 AM, safarigal said:

One issue that may be permanent is the lifts. They seem to be woefully inadequate and there are long waits for a lift and they are often crowded

Oh dear. That’s the last thing that I wanted to hear given that my wife is a full time wheelchair user and we have no option but to use lifts. We’ve mostly cruised with P&O and, other than disembarkation morning which is always a nightmare, we’ve usually coped OK. However, when we went on Iona the lifts were a nightmare. Far too small given the fact that it’s such a huge ship that everyone was using them.
 

Also, on other ships, during the safety announcement the Captain always asked people to give those in wheelchairs etc priority at lifts and there were often signs to that effect at the lifts themselves. On Iona there was none of that and to make it worse the lift etiquette was appalling, with able bodied people charging ahead of us to get into lifts when we had been waiting ages. It was so bad that my wife refuses to go back on that ship, or sister ship Arvia.

 

Is it a naive hope that Cunard customers may demonstrate better lift etiquette and that our cruises on Queen Anne won’t be spoiled by the same issue?

[Victoria2]

7 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

Checking out the laundry is part of my tour of exploration the first day on a ship that is new to me. Lunch, library, and spa before that, but I do like to have an idea of what my chances are of getting a machine when I need one. Sorry to hear there are only three instead of the four on other ships. And if some are out of order, there could be interesting stories...

Maybe just our deck, not bothered to look at any other decks.

My first few hours onboard involve lunch, library, unpack and then an exploratory tour and as I have no idea what’s where, I’m still exploring, and def. inside today as Annie’s fog horn is sounding loud and clear. 😊

[Victoria2]

37 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Oh dear. That’s the last thing that I wanted to hear given that my wife is a full time wheelchair user and we have no option but to use lifts. We’ve mostly cruised with P&O and, other than disembarkation morning which is always a nightmare, we’ve usually coped OK. However, when we went on Iona the lifts were a nightmare. Far too small given the fact that it’s such a huge ship that everyone was using them.
 

Also, on other ships, during the safety announcement the Captain always asked people to give those in wheelchairs etc priority at lifts and there were often signs to that effect at the lifts themselves. On Iona there was none of that and to make it worse the lift etiquette was appalling, with able bodied people charging ahead of us to get into lifts when we had been waiting ages. It was so bad that my wife refuses to go back on that ship, or sister ship Arvia.

 

Is it a naive hope that Cunard customers may demonstrate better lift etiquette and that our cruises on Queen Anne won’t be spoiled by the same issue?

My husband uses a wheelchair to get around the ship.

The lifts are, in our opinion, smaller than the Vistas but we haven’t had a problem…so far, gaining access to one…and I’ll caveat that by saying as long as we can get there fast enough before the doors close.

 

My initial post was tongue in cheek litany of complaints.

 

My chat with the front desk re speed of lift door closures, was most definitely NOT tongue in  cheek and I reminded them of the traditional Cunard passenger demographic and how Olympic sprinting will not be on their CV!

 

We shall see. I won’t let this go. I can sprint, sort of, others can’t and if no one thinks to stick their arm in the door to prevent closure, then that’s yet another lift gone by!

[david63]

5 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

if no one thinks to stick their arm in the door to prevent closure

Do these lifts not have a button on the control panel to hold the door open?

[MylesS]

1 minute ago, david63 said:

Do these lifts not have a button on the control panel to hold the door open?

They do

[Victoria2]

12 minutes ago, david63 said:

Do these lifts not have a button on the control panel to hold the door open?

Slightly difficult if folk don’t have the sense to use it ( and these doors  are FAST) or someone is in the way of the panel. Also, impossible if there’s no one in the lift!

 

 

The phrase 'hold the lift please' has become my mantra as soon as the doors start to open!

Edited May 12 by Victoria2

[sogne]

46 minutes ago, MylesS said:

They do

There is usually a very  small notice advising use of button in the DP but in reality it is rarely used as  most appear to.use their arms to stop doors closing.

[TowandaUK]

Is anybody else having problems booking slots for the Britannia restaurant. My stablemate last night said she booked her slot through my voyage onboard dining. This is missing from my voyage on our phones. Guest services said that because of chaos last night ( service was very slow and queues were horrendous when we left at 8), that they were discontinuing the pre booking. Is that the case or can anyone else still do this?

[TowandaUK]

Just now, TowandaUK said:

Is anybody else having problems booking slots for the Britannia restaurant. My stablemate last night said she booked her slot through my voyage onboard dining. This is missing from my voyage on our phones. Guest services said that because of chaos last night ( service was very slow and queues were horrendous when we left at 8), that they were discontinuing the pre booking. Is that the case or can anyone else still do this?

Tablemate not stablemate!! 🤣

[GeorgianGal100]

18 minutes ago, TowandaUK said:

Tablemate not stablemate!! 🤣

Was beginning to wonder what the equine dress code on Cunard was?

[exlondoner]

1 minute ago, Selbourne said:

Oh dear. That’s the last thing that I wanted to hear given that my wife is a full time wheelchair user and we have no option but to use lifts. We’ve mostly cruised with P&O and, other than disembarkation morning which is always a nightmare, we’ve usually coped OK. However, when we went on Iona the lifts were a nightmare. Far too small given the fact that it’s such a huge ship that everyone was using them.
 

Also, on other ships, during the safety announcement the Captain always asked people to give those in wheelchairs etc priority at lifts and there were often signs to that effect at the lifts themselves. On Iona there was none of that and to make it worse the lift etiquette was appalling, with able bodied people charging ahead of us to get into lifts when we had been waiting ages. It was so bad that my wife refuses to go back on that ship, or sister ship Arvia.

 

Is it a naive hope that Cunard customers may demonstrate better lift etiquette and that our cruises on Queen Anne won’t be spoiled by the same issue?

I think Cunard passengers are usually pretty polite and understand that people in wheelchairs are dependant on the lifts. However, they are not the only ones, many seemingly able bodied passengers are also pretty decrepit and couldn’t cope with several flights of stairs either. But so far that aspect has been fairly peaceable I would think.

[exlondoner]

I have just got back from the first Sunday Service on Queen Anne, which was very well attended, as you might expect. It was also unexpectedly hilarious. Inevitably, on a brand new ship, with all the latest technology, the sound system failed half way through, so the Captain was inaudible to most. They brought an alternative, but, while they were trying to fix things, they managed to plunge us, though not the stage, into darkness. It all took about ten minutes. All good fun.

[Selbourne]

59 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

I think Cunard passengers are usually pretty polite and understand that people in wheelchairs are dependant on the lifts. However, they are not the only ones, many seemingly able bodied passengers are also pretty decrepit and couldn’t cope with several flights of stairs either. But so far that aspect has been fairly peaceable I would think.

I completely understand that, as I do hidden disabilities etc, but the difference with a wheelchair user is that they need more space. Those who are just elderly or have hidden disabilities can usually stand in a lift (or the disability isn’t hidden) and therefore can still get into busy lifts. The issue we had on Iona was that most lifts were arriving half to two-thirds full and, as a result, we couldn’t get in as the lifts were ridiculously small. We’d not had the issue on any other cruise ship and were hoping that this wasn’t going to be an issue with all new builds. 

[Poole Boy]

12 hours ago, Bell Boy said:

Ah !  a reference to Canapés,  I'm intrigued with your observation as the Commodore bar and other evening venues on QA are 'no longer offering Canapés during pre dinner cocktails  ( apparently a directive from shoreside ?  according to a bar crew member)  Can you confirm if the Grills lounge (QA) are offering Canapés .

   

No Canapés in the grills lounge, you were lucky if you had a bowl of crisps 

[TowandaUK]

We went to the Faberge talk this morning. Following that there was an event in the grand lobby attended by the captain when the new Queen Anne pendant was revealed. A new Faberge egg also had its worldwide unveiling. 

[foodsvcmgr]

Hoping that the canapé directive is temporary until staff become more familiar with the ship and service speeds improve etc.

Has anyone seen this on the other Queens concurrently?

It would be a shame for Cunard to use the intro of a new ship to bring forward a dreaded “cutback” especially when Celebrity and HAL now seem to be reinstating things that were reduced or taken away.

I certainly don’t need to make my pre-dinner cocktail into a mini meal but enjoy the canapés nonetheless.

[3rdGenCunarder]

7 hours ago, exlondoner said:

Last night was black and white formal night, and everyone I encountered seemed entirely appropriately dressed, nearly all in accordance with the theme. I felt rather a renegade for wearing red shoes.

 

Good for you!!!! "A little rebellion now and then is a good thing..." (Thomas Jefferson) said that and I quite agree!)

 

Now I have to pack my red shoes for my next cruise. 

[exlondoner]

19 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

Good for you!!!! "A little rebellion now and then is a good thing..." (Thomas Jefferson) said that and I quite agree!)

 

Now I have to pack my red shoes for my next cruise. 

You wanted to know about journals. The Cunard themed shop has something called a Cunard memorial notebook, nattily bound in eau de nil leather. Would that suffice? Still can’t get my internet to work.