This was our 5th cruise, the 4th with Cunard and the 2nd on Queen Victoria (the last being a World Voyage from Sydney to Southampton.) We were recommended to this New Year cruise and although it was far more in price than we expected, (even though we booked on-board at a reduction) we decided to treat ourselves.
Embarkation was good and the Stateroom was ready for us and at Cunard’s usual standard.
We have cruised with Cunard for the last 4 years and it has to be sad that standards have definitely slipped in that time! To the extent that we asked for both stateroom gratuities to be removed, interestingly the first cruise we asked for this we were politely “grilled” as to why, this time we were simply handed a pre prepared form and asked to fill in stateroom number and sign the form (surely this change in approach should have been noted by Cunard and acted upon) We sailed in the late afternoon on the 29th December and at approx 3pm on the following day we passed between Dover and Calais! As one of the entertainers pointed out it might have been quicker to swim! The trips we went on were the same mediocre quality that we now expect from Cunard (we are after all only cash cows to them) Having spent over €3K on this cruise we did expect a complimentary glass of champagne at New Year but no join the mad rush to find a very overworked waiter to serve you! As there was no Captain’s cocktail party on this cruise a complimentary drink was expected! The photographers I have complained about on every Cunard cruise we have been on, each time we were told ah new technology (as per Celebrity) in coming in.
Well it hasn’t and personally I would not employ any of them to photograph the donkeys on Skegness beach and the cost was nearly $30 per photograph! The fireworks were excellent well done Amsterdam! We seem to have a loyalty to Cunard but I believe this cruise means that the next will be with Celebrity Millenium Class as their standards are equally on par with the old Cunard standards and hopefully have not slipped.
