Cunard does it right. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect holiday. Nothing was impossible. Nothing was too much trouble. Nothing was denied. We were never told no. It was our first cruise on one of the queens but it won't be the last.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Efficient and friendly. No waiting despite being early for our embarkation time.
Ship Experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Food was excellent. Cocktails not so good though they were fairly priced. Dined once in The Verandah which was excellent but not significant toy. Enter than the Britannia, though the service was exquisite and the dining room was quiet and elegant.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Bridge was fun with people who used different bidding schemes. Loved the diversity. The Jane Austen lecture was informative but the presentation dry. It felt like a college lecture you could have read in half the time of the presentation. The Pilates class was a bust--and there was a fee. Very disappointing. The view from the treadmills was incredible. The Lido deck was fun but the weather didn't cooperate for most of the days. Enjoyed the Garden Room with its Kew Garden architecture. The Queens Room was fun all the time, from tea to dancing. There was almost too much to do. It was difficult to choose. Not a bad problem!
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Elektra and Annette Wardell were fabulous. The Cunard Singes and Dancers were good. The comedian should be scratched from the itinerary. He played to the old people. Viagra jokes are not funny. He has a great voice. He should sing!
Children's Programs
We had no children wiith us.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Our cabin stewardess Jenny was professional and efficient. She was always available but never in the way. They Britannia Restaurant staff were incredibly attentive and personable. The sommelier knew exactly how tmuch interact with casual wine drinkers like us. Alex was awesome.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Everything was perfection.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The cabin was larger than we expected. There was ample storage space and closets. We enjoyed the sofa and coffee table. The bed and pillows were incredibly comfortable. There's no room for improvement.
Ship Tip
Take the lefts to the 9th deck or the 3rd deck for walking from bow to stern so that you have beautiful common areas to traverse rather than narrow cabin hallways. ALWAYS go up to deck 9 or 10 for the sail away. It's the most exciting part of the cruise experience.
Glasgow was too far from port. The people of Greenock were most welcoming. We did a few small van tour with volunteers. The only cost was a tip which we did generously because the tour was so good.
We did a walking tour with Pat Liddy tours. It as good but the group was too large. Non paying visitors kept joint the tour. I would probably choose a different tour next time.
One of the biggest surprises of the ports. I thought Liverpool was only about the Beatles, but I was so wrong. It's about shipping and trade, the Mersey River, World War II communications and the Blitz, a thriving economy, a new shopping and entertainment complex called Liverpool One, the largest Chinatown in the world outside china, a maritime museum commemorating the Titanic, the Lusitania, and the slave trade from Africa to America. It's about music before and after the Beatles. Someday I'll go back. It's an awesome city. We were greeted by lively musicians playing “All My Lovin” as we entered the city from the cruise terminal.
Another surprise. This tiny island is British, French and independent. It's beautiful, the kind of place you'd like to go for an entire holiday. Wish we had known the Victor Hugo house tours would have been booked for the day by the time we arrived.
Could have been better. We had an early flight and opted to manage our own luggage. There was a dedicated elevator and operator just for disembarking passengers.
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