Relaxing, Interesting, and very Civilized

Quick and easy! Crowds very well managed and organized.

The food quality was usually excellent. Options/selections were somewhat limited. The buffet started to feel the same every day... Dinner in Main dining room: There was a nice variety over the week and dinner was usually very good. The options were all high quality: the salmon was wonderful!, filet perfectly med rare. Serving sizes were not overwhelming, which we like. Usually skipped dessert to be sure to catch the shows... Breakfast in Main Dining Room: Slow and poor service. Food -- mixed. Sometimes cold, sometimes perfect. Buffet: Items (like eggs, fries, scalloped potatoes) were actually HOT! Yum! The carving station was varied and the cut of meat was usually quite good. The fish for fish and chips was only warm and a tad soggy (can't win them all). LOVED the cheese and cracker selection. Also salmon, shrimp. Several days had interesting specialty stations: seafood one day. YUM! There was also a dim sum day that made me happy. Breakfast was only so-so. No eggs-to-order station. But the pastries? YUM! Room service: Loved our coffee/tea and morning wake up pastries. The food on the buffet was actually HOT most of the time. And the pastries and breads were just delicious. Drinks: We got a wine package which was good for diner but did not carry over to the bars which was a disappointment.

The primary "activities" per se were lectures. I felt like I was back in college again! However, the lectures were quite good and varied -- plus no exams at the end. There was a former "intelligence service" guy who spoke about spy craft, intelligence gathering techniques, and a specific operation during WWII - facinating! Then there was the BBC guy... and the Australian Marine Captain... All good! It was too cold for the pool. We have no interest in bingo (except for the fact it monopolized the pub - UGG!). I was VERY excited about the daily high tea. The first day was great! Loved the white linen table cloths, tons of waiters all "arrive" at once, etc. Very impressive! BUT it got old,,, It was essentially the same thing every day - including the menu. No tea carts - single plate servers. Fun for the first time, but not every day. There was a "sing along" activity... This was just painful... ah, give me the old style piano bar. Need drinks and a party atmosphere for a sing along.

- The two Production shows were GREAT. Loved having a full cast of singers and dancers. - The guest performers were also very good. -Really enjoyed the Royal Shakespeare Company performance on Joan Littlewood. - Classical piano concert was very nice! Also, harpist was excellent!

no children

The food service was mixed: - In the main dining room for breakfast, service was really not good. Things that were ordered were not delivered at all, or delivered in an illogical order. Coffee was served after 3 prompts and the eggs already served. Croissants were on the menu, but hard to actually get delivered. One morning, both my husband and I ordered the scrambled eggs with salmon and they arrived cold. (they were excellent the day before). I said something to the waitress, she apologized and asked if we would like replacement, though they would take a bit. I said yes -- they never came. She forgot to put in the order or misunderstood. - Main Dining Room Service at dinner the first night was a slow. Getting drinks/wine was difficult. Staff seemed frustrated and cranky. Not a good start... After that, service improved greatly though staff never seemed to "warm up". - Overall, wait service staff are just not really FRIENDLY. They never told you their name. Direct eye contact was rare. Getting a smile was a challenge. Orders are taken quickly, delivered, and server is GONE. No engagement for questions or suggestions. No checkin to see if all ok. I wonder if that is a specific style for the line?? - I noted another "style" thing: Service on some things was very slow. When a server was asked status, the universal response was "it's coming". I came to believe that was code for "I forgot and will order it/get it now". Buffet: For the first few days, staff behind the counter "served". That was nice, BUT there were not enough servers. This resulted in log jams, stations with people waiting but no servers, etc. This changed after a couple of days and serving utensils were moved to the customer side greatly improving the "flow". Cabin steward: PERFECT! Always there. Got me bar soap and conditioner upon request. Maintained cabin in top condition. Very friendly and personable.

Just beautiful! Many wonderful "hang out" spot to read a book and enjoy the ocean. The library was a delight! Loved the informative posting around the ship covering history and stories of the Cunard Line. The theater was comfortable and plenty of leg room. Many different venues. I wish we had more time to explore! Totally missed the Commadore lounge until end! LOL Disappointed the planetarium was not working.

I loved it! It had an in-room coffee/tea set up with cookies! Refreshed daily, Room is good sized, plenty of storage and closet space. Comfortable bed. Good shower and water pressure. Always kept clean. I like the "enclosed" balcony especially on the rather chilly crossing -- I felt it provided protection from the weather. My husband did not, for him it was claustrophobic and did not give him the usual full ocean views he likes with the balcony. Lighting: I could never figure out how to turn on the lights for the vanity. Also, the light next to each side of the bed were just not strong enough for night/early morning reading,

Dead easy.