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I have a few questions to ask

*we have booked late dining at 8.30 as the 6pm sitting is way too early bit is that rigid will we be able to go in a little earlier say 8-8.15

*show times in the theatre as above we prefer to go to the shows after dinner what time is the late show

* afternoon tea is it only in the Queens room or is there a help yourself one instead buffet

*can I carry on a box of wine as opposed to bottles. DH prefers gin and I just like one glass wine pre dinner as I dress so a box stay fresh better

*are the wine packages good value, looked at the captains one, better to pre book or wait til on board

*are daily programs delivered each evening at turn down or do you have to ask for them

Thanks in advance of some answers from 'regular' passengers.

18 replies to this topic

Not sure many on here sail on Cunard but I could be wrong.

I am not interested in sailing with Cunard myself, but I've watched a few You Tube videos about them just to see if I can be convinced to try them. I haven't as yet, but one thing I have taken from the videos is that Cunard are not as elite or posh as they used to be.

Maybe have a look at some videos yourselves. Try Paul and Carole Love to Travel, or Tips for Travellers to start with.

Yes thanks I've seen the Paul and Carol love to travel one and it was useful but they only did a short hop across the channel and back which tend towards a slightly different demographic than the longer hauls. I may have to pluck up the courage and ask these questions on the cumard page 😖

I have some very good friends who love sailing with Cunard.

They all like the formality of it and one said that she "loves the fact that the waiters wear white gloves to serve our food".

You need to be prepared!

Most cruiseline deliver the daily newsletter for the next day at turn down service

Cannot help with the other questions Cunard is not on our radar

no, you cannot go earlier at around 8 or 8:15. There are other diners in the dining room finishing up, and the staff will also be cleaning and resetting the tables, etc. 8:30 is 8:30, give or take a couple minutes, ie 8:27 or 8:33... Not a half or quarter hour earlier (or later for that matter - on our Cunard sailing, the dining room doors were closed approximately 15 minutes after dining time to ensure continuity of service, etc).

If you want to dine earlier - buffet or specialty restaurant, etc.

Can't help with current showtimes - when we went years back, show times were coordinated to dinner times, ie first seating folks went to the 8pm show and second seating diners went to the late show, 10pm or so some things only happen one time during the evening, so you'll have to either skip dinner in the MDR or skip that event.

You'll receive a daily schedule each night for the next day's activities, etc. Read it carefully as there's usually a multiple options at the same time and you may miss something you wanted to do if you haven't checked the schedule carefully..

"Afternoon Tea" was served in the buffet when we want with a few of the traditional items like scones and cucumber sandwiches etc along with typical buffet fare

Whether you can bring boxed wine instead of bottled may vary depending on who's checking it at check-in. Some staff are more flexible. If you're buying a wine package though, kinda a moot point. And no, can't comment on their wine packages either way as we didn't bother.

Good luck. CruiseCritic's Cunard forum can be very handy for these sort of questions as it's strictly Cunard dedicated and lots of frequent cruisers there to answer specifics.

Yes, it is a bit more formal than many other cruise lines, but that’s what we liked. We don’t get much chance to dress up these days.

The food was the best we’ve had on a cruise and I certainly didn’t see any waiters wearing gloves. You don’t have to have the afternoon tea you pay extra for, as you can also have it from the buffet. No, you can’t go in early for your dinner as the times are set.

You receive the daily programme for activities the evening before in your cabin. The QV has a very nice theatre, bit like a Victorian one in the West End. We saw some excellent entertainment.

We’d have no hesitation on booking Cunard again if we saw the itinerary that suited us. I’m sure you will have a great time.

Dinner at 6 PM lasts sometimes until 7:30 PM, so we no longer choose later seatings as we want the food to digest a bit. Main shows are at 8:00 PM and 10:00 PM--last just under an hour. Shows include singers, violinists, comedians, and dance productions. Many people take the cruise just to practice ballroom dancing after dinner.

The room steward leaves the daily program on your bed when he/she turns down the bed--usually while you are at dinner.

Afternoon tea is a special event done the same way--you can always go up to the buffet floor if you want more food. Nothing is "help yourself" due to Covid--waiters dish out everything.

We do not purchase alcohol packages as we do not drink enough to get the complete value. Yes, you can carry some alcohol aboard--you should check with the agent regarding your box.

The service is excellent and the ships are lovely. It is like sailing the way it was done decades ago. A Cunard cruise should be on everybody's bucket list!

As couples we took turns selecting and buying the wine for the table for dinner service. It was absolutely special and quite enjoyable.

I have since cruised with NCL several times......but you always remember your first.....it was and remains extra special. YMMV. Safe travels.

¡Diviértanse!

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