🌹Gary, I went on my first Transatlantic Cunard cruise last May. I stayed in the singles or solo designed cabins (still the lowest class) and my cabin was beautifully appointed. I met many other singles and we always made sure to have the largest table at the Britannia. We laughed so much and had so much fun, everyone wanted to join our table, even couples. We expanded to two large tables. Perhaps there's a lesson here: the best things in life are free: laughter, friendship and community. We werent fussy about food or waiters or who was in what class, fun and friendship really made this cruise extraordinary.

I went on several cruises back in the early 80s before they became a 'Disney' type experience. Adults, assigned dining, dress for dinner, etc. I feel fortunate that I had the opportunity to experience the 'classic ' experience. Cabins and the ships were small back then, but cabins were only for sleeping and changing. The experience was the ship, service, and fellow passengers. Also, accompanied my parents to the Desert Inn in Vegas back when people wore jackets and ties when dining, gambling, etc. and the floor bosses comped you based on personal familiarity, not a computer 'cashback' experience. Our predecessors knew how to experience the best in life. A real escape from the tough job of earning the experience, but worth the work.

This feels like another step up for Gary's channel. He has been on Cunard several times in various ships and classes, and he can talk authoritatively about what Cunard offers from personal experience. Great job.

I have been on five Cunard voyages and always in the Britannia class. All of my staterooms have been splendid (two solo oceanviews, two deluxe interiors, and one sheltered balcony). I have NEVER felt that I was getting anything less than a first-class experience. In fact, my first two voyages were magical, in my mind. I see no reason to go with the Grills. The food and wine in the Britannia Restaurant are delicious. The decor in the Britannia Restaurant is magnificent.

I went on QM2 for NYC-SH in Oct '23. I had never been on a cruise before. I was blown away by the pampering and attentiveness of the staff. Despite being steerage class (Britannia) I thoroughly enjoyed everything about the cruise. I wouldn't spend the extra mega-bucks it costs for the Grills and I don't recommend it unless you are rolling in cash to burn. I loved it.

Consistently the best commentator on cruises. Booked 3 Cunard cruises on previous content and I have never been on a cruise before. Kudos Gary

First off, I LOVE that jumper you’re wearing! I cruised ‘cattle class’ with Cunard on 2 ships last year, and I really didn’t feel ‘2nd class’. I found that the Grills venues did look lovely, but they were tucked away enough that I never really noticed them. I’d feel more of a pauper if I had to walk past their dining rooms etc every day, but that just wasn’t the case!

I believe that "luxury" is subjective. No two people asked to define it would have the same answer. My balcony cabin cruise on a premium line was certainly pricier than my inside cabin on an economy cruise. But, both would certainly be considering "Luxurious " by some standards. Certainly, I've always felt that the crew aboard any ship I've sailed on have treated us with respect and kindness. And how you're treated really is what matters.

I’m English but live in America now. Everyone asked why we hadn’t sailed on Cunard before. Last May we finally did on Victoria. We have never had such a rude, unfriendly maitre ‘d before in all our cruises. The ocean view cabin was a regular carnival cabin with two cushions that said Cunard . Whoop de do!

I would rather take 4 to 5 cruises a year staying in other grade cabins than take only one cruise a year in a grills. I am perfectly happy with the food offerings offered elsewhere.

Funny thing about Cunard right now, is the transatlantic crossings for 2024 in Brittania are actually cheaper than most economy fares for transatlantic flights on the respectable Canadian Airlines, which is just insane to me.

My first time on QM2 (a transAtlantic crossing, something that had been on my bucket list), we booked Britannia Club, and very much enjoyed having a regular table which we could go to whenever we chose, with the same servers every time. (I do want to note here that there was some flambéing at table side, though we never availed ourselves of it.) Last summer, I did a trip in the regular Britannia class, and missed that! My friend and I are going on the Queen Elizabeth later this year, and booked a Princess Grill suite (primarily to give ourselves a bit more room in the cabin). Although I enjoyed the food in Britannia, I am looking forward to seeing what the PG has to offer!

Omg you finally showed off your partner in a video!! Hi Mark!! So glad you were both able to go on a beautiful cruise together. Looks amazing. I would happily take any class on that boat. Lol

I was on Queen Victoria 2019 Baltics Princess Grills. Absolutely loved it. We had our same table breakfast lunch and dinner. And we had the drinks package - just delightful. Food and Service were just amazing. I loved the room as well.

I love Cunard and only ever cruise with them. I like the way there are no 'ships within ships' as for me that's taking elitism a step to far. I can't see that I would ever book any kind of grill suite as I could take three or more cruises in Brittania for the price of a suite. As far as I can see the only extras you get with a suite are priority boarding and butler service. What possible use could I have for butler service 😂

A Transatlantic on Cunard is bucket list for me. Must do. This video in particular answered a question I knew I had, and had sat open for years. Extremely useful info for me. Thanks Gary. Looking forward to making use of this.

Perhaps there is another factor worth mentioning, one I stumbled upon during my Transatlantic on QM2: the Grill's dining room locations. It may not be relevant for everyone, but they are on Deck 7. The Britannia Dining Room spans Decks 2 and 3. When the sea is rough and I was spending time in the Carinthia Lounge, same deck as Grills Restaurants, I felt sea sick, down on decks 2 and 3 I didn't. The food may be the best there is, but if you can't enjoy it, it's wasted. People prone to seasickness are better off in Britannia. Not Grill.

Thank you so much for the review Gary. I'm a solo traveler and I was debating between Princess grill or a sheltered balcony. I've decided the sheltered balcony will be just fine for me. I can spend the money I'll save on another cruise.

Always great videos covering topics that most people have never considered inquiring about. Again… Thank you Gary !

I usually book steerage, with the Poles, Irish, and Greeks.

We took the QE2 for a trip from Southampton to New York for our 25th wedding anniversary. Got yelled at when my wife and I sat on deck chairs “NOT FOR US”. There were no signs indicating this. Never been so embarrassed in our lives. It could have been handled without the yelling. I swore then I would never travel with them again. We have used Seabourn ever since, including Transatlantic. Better attitudes from staff, better service, wonderful food and NO THROW IT IN YOUR FACE CLASS SYSTEM. Seabourn includes caviar service and it is wonderful. The staff make a great effort to speak with you by name. I will never consider travelling with Cunard again.

Very interesting Gary. What especially strikes me is the enhanced premium experience on other lines--that seems to be a more recent happening. I've often sailed Cunard but am shifting for a couple reasons. I've never booked Grills--I'd rather travel more often at a lower cost. And as an experienced ballroom dancer I enjoyed the dance host option. But, like other services, there are overall reduced quality and number of hosts. And experiencing new places is key for me--I've run out of options on Cunard. Am trying 2 other lines and also exploring other non-cruise options. Looking forward to the group cruise discussions.

This was extremely helpful. So ready to try all these great meals and helpful as to the cabins.

Excellent video. We have been in Queens Grille for 2 cruises and are now booked for Britannia Club in May for a 3 week cruise. After watching this video, I feel better about our booking.

Ive never been on a cruise and most likely will never go on one, but I still enjoy watching.

Hi Gary, brilliant assessment of the Cunard experience. We have cruised both in Grills (we were lucky enough to sit on the table next to you and Mark) and Britania many times. Both tiers provide an excellent experience. You are correct in that the crew do not know what class of customer you are, and hence you are treated as first class everywhere. For me, the difference in Grills is the 'feeling' of exclusivity that you alluded to - difficult to put your finger on, but enjoyable when you experience it.

I have only been on a few cruises; P&O, TUI (Marella) & Cunard. All were great, but the food on Cunard was exceptional at all times and the entertainment was West End theatre-land standard.

Thanks .... again Gary! Excellent explanation and description of the differences and incredibly timely!!!! In two days we depart on our very first Cunard cruise. Quite literally a last minute booking due to a cancellation. (It's fabulous having a brilliant travel agent who rang us the moment she heard about the cancellation knowing we'd most likely jump at the chance) It's a Britannia Class cabin aboard Queen Elizabeth on a fully booked out 14 day Fiji, Vanuatu and Noumea cruise. We did an almost identical cruise at Xmas on Royal Princess and are looking forward to making a comparison, although that was in Reserve Collection mini-suite. In July we've got 22 days aboard the Queen Victoria on the Med in Princess Grill so that too will afford an opportunity of making another comparison.

Love the No Ad viewing! Video was, as usual, was packed with information. I’ve never sailed on Cunard but have looked at a transatlantic cruise for the future. Thank you!

Thanks Gary for another detailed review. We recently returned from our first Cunard cruise ( Queen Elizabeth Australia - New Zealand) which was our test cruise as we liked the look of some of the Northern Hemisphere itineraries. We were in the "lowest class" ocean view room. We found numerous areas where Cunard fell well short of premium class let alone the luxury which they are supposedly striving for. > Apart from our room steward and a couple of waiters most of the crew were either indifferent, disengaged or down right rude. > Breakfast service in the Britannia Restaurant was generally good although food was hit and miss - undercooked eggs and cardboard dry tough toast (budget bread out of a freezer?) > Lunch in the Lido : drinks waiter hard to find and food often look warm although a reasonable choice. Layout of the Lido and seating availability poor. > Afternoon tea - ignore the pomp and poor service in the Queens room and grab the lovely scones in the Lido. > Dinner in the Britannia any time dining - reasonable selection on the menu, drinks waiter very hard to pin down. Table service often very rushed and a number of time they didn't bring coffee/ petti fours with asking. Some waiters extremely rude. > Pursers Office staff mixed. When we went to discuss various issues after 3 days the first response was "you won't get any compensation" and then the second response was "have you read you booking contract" !! Not what I call customer service. > Verandah Restaurant - excellent food on a limited menu, service very good. > Wi-fi and drinks packages an exorbitant price and totally unjustified. > Nickel and diming seems to be a typical Carnival approach. many other issues as well which left us unimpressed Would we travel Cunard again? Certainly not full price

You get what you pay for .Grills experience is superb on Cunard .The queens grill suites always sell out first .We have stayed in both Queens grill and Britannia both very nice.Generally Cunard cruises are superior to most other cruise ship lines especially if you are in the Queens grill .I have been on Seaborne (mediocre),p&o (decent),Viking (deteriorating),hurtigruten (best line for Antarctica).The main problem is that cruising is just getting way more expensive and the ports stay the same.

Great video as usual that largely reflects our own experience. We’ve done four Cunard cruises, two in standard balcony rooms (on QV), and once each in Club and Queens Grill (Q6) on the QE both times because there weren’t any standard accessible cabins available. We loved Queens Grill and if we could justify the cost would always go for that. As you said the restaurant is outstanding and we loved the fact that our table was always there, at all meals, whenever we wanted it. We liked the Grills Lounge, found the Grills concierge excellent (much easier and much more helpful than Reception etc..). And on the QE the Grills Deck was great, with super-comfy loungers, an excellent view out and waiters bringing round ice creams and tea in the afternoon. But most of these benefits apply to Princess Grill too, so this would be an ideal compromise for us in the future, when the price is OK. We felt Club was a complete waste of money and really can’t understand why people pay thousands extra for it. Apart from a very few additional items, which have to be ordered in advance, the food is the same and comes from the same kitchen as the MDR, so the only benefit is a more intimate dining room with your own dedicated table. After one disappointing night of mediocre food there we ate in the excellent Verandah steakhouse every other night.

Thank you for sharing your trip here.😊

Good review. I did Princess Grills on a Canada to LA leg last summer on the Queen Elizabeth with my spouse, and solo Britannia from So’ton-NY just before Christmas. I admit that I was a bit concerned that Britannia might be a bit of a let down, after the Grills experience in the summer. This was certainly not the case, I was impressed by the range of options at each meal on both cruises, and Queen Mary 2 Britannia really exceeded my expectations food wise. I totally lucked out on our big table, as a solo traveller on the transatlantic cruise I ended up on a large table with a really exceptional and nice group of people with a pretty diverse set of age ranges and it was lively and fun to get to know everyone. Appreciate the very balanced reviews, my experience of the differences between grills and Britannia definitely match the description in this video.

I adore the history and tradition that Cunard represents...and can't wait for Queen Elizabeth to be in my new home city of Seattle! Please come do an Alaska cruise with us, Gary!

Well explained Gary. Great information. Only cruises on Cunard once and it was a while ago. I'd definitely give it another shot but we are not based in the UK so it's not as convenient.

We only cruise with Cunard and we ask for a table for two when we book online and we've always been given one. We only sail Britannia class and we love it. Thanks for your explanation of the way things work.

Very helpful, concise and clear; thanks

Thank you very much for this video Gary, we are in Princes's grills in October on QV for our 50th wedding anniversary.

Very interesting video Gary. Definitely will have to check Cunard out.

Very useful content. Thank you Gary.

Very thankful, Gary, for this inside look at Cunard. I'll stick with Seabourn, Silversea, and Regent Seven Seas. Blessed Elizabeth Regina, pray for us.

Nine trips on the QM2 ranging from interior cabin to sheltered balcony to deck 11 balcony to Queens Grill. So the cost ranged (for the two of us) from $300 a day to $1800 a day. I do not think the Queens grill experience at $1800 a day was worth the money. Yes the stateroom was large and nice and the food was great but there were not many other perks. Even the priority boarding was terrible. I’ll stick with regular balcony and the Britannia restaurant for the money.

Ben and David recently reviewed their QM2 cruise in the Britannia Class. They found the food to be dismal and received the minimum amount of service and interaction with staff dining room staff. Food was ordered and dropped off, basically.

The fact that there is not complete separation charms me, making the quality of the service, accommodations, and food the point of choosing your "grill" as opposed to being able to keep the commoners out :)

So much information that I didnt know I needed! Great topic Gary!

I have been fortunate enough to sail five times on Cunard: three times in Princess Grill and twice in a Britannia shelter balcony cabin on QM2. I loved all five trips for different reasons, and recommend the Cunard experience, regardless of the level of accommodation you choose.

We do transatlánticas every year since 2000. We like different companies during their repositioning to different European ports, but like Cunard for the convenience of almost any month crossings. We usually end up going during March to May with other lines and back with Cunard!

Gary, I'm thinking of doing my first ever cruise next year. Your channel is do informative and helpful, thankyou do much. Just a quick question if I may. I'm a solo disabled passenger. Which if any line do you think is best to use? I'm hoping to do a carribean cruise as I've seen most of Europe and want something different now I'm in my later years lol. Keep up the great work. Thanks x

This is very helpful and gives me a better understanding of how Cunard works.

This is terribly thought out: anything with the word “grill” in it sounds like a cheapo beefeater or beanery to most people. Queens Table, banquet etc or something like that would have been much better choice than “grill”

If anyone wants to know anything about cruises, Gary is the guy to go to. Excellent report. Thank you.

I sailed in 1982 on the QE2 in the Queens Grill. What we liked the most was the lounge for afternoon tea which was quiet. The waiters were not happy with what we tipped them. They were very rude on our last day. Same problem with the Cunard Countess. The food in Queens Grill was OK. No verandas in those days.

Thankyou for a very fair report about Cunard .We disembarked Queen Elizabeth 2 weeks ago we enjoyef 10 days on board but interupted by a cyclone so we went South to Adelaide As far as the classes on the ship is cocerned not noticable excellent service and we enjoyed Brittania class we cruise a lot we remember when 2 class ships existed and trsvelled on them Australians don"t understamd class i suspect that is the reason they are pulling out of this region. We will be joining QA in Sydney in February.

Enjoyed your video as always!! I’ve already sailed on Cunard at least four times, but always as a solo in the least expensive cabin, or the least expensive one with a balcony. I’m curious to go on a grills type cabin, hoping to get my cousin to go with me but if I don’t are solos welcome in the grills for the dining room can they be at a table with other solos or is everybody eating in couples and you feel left out? I’m not an extrovert, but I like some social connection, and I noticed that Cunard had a tea or coffee meeting every day for solo travelers

Wow you’ve really explained this well. Thanks Gary!

We have sailed several times with Cunard, mostly Transatlantic either way with QM2, but also a caribbean sailing and 2 cruises with Queen Victoria. So far only in Britannia Class since we cruise several times a year and Grills is just too expensive! Sometimes we book inside, sometimes oceanciew, rarely balcony since we do not see any need for a balcony in mid winter on the North Atlantic. So far, we were always very happy with the service, never had any complaint about the cabin stewards. Once we were assigned a table for two (which we prefer) in the absolute worst spot, really awful, we felt sitting near a human motorway with literally every waiter having to walk by. The maitre was not helpful at all and we did not go back in the MDR again on that cruise. Once we had a terrible noise issue with one cabin, we could move the next day to an absolute quiet stateroom. No discussion! The Cunard experience depends on at what time of the year you are sailing. We had the best times in the winter, when only "real sea lovers" are travelling the sometimes rough and choppy North Atlantic.

Thank you. Top info.

We sailed Princess Grill on QM2 Sept 2024 out of NY. The experience was wonderful. We did get the personalized stationary you mentioned, and found out how expensive the one way flight back to NY was. I understand sometimes the cruise lines can help with this but not sure. Still worth it for sure.

Excellent video sir

Comprehensive and informative as always Gary: thank you!

You give a very accurate review of a Cunard experience. Although I have enjoyed the Cunard Queen's Grill experience they are not great value in terms of included perks at all. No alcoholic drinks included, not even a glass of wine with dinner, everything is extra, even in Queen's grill. Also as a solo passenger you pay close to full price for the cabin but only get have the onboard credit. Cunard say this is because the credit is per person not per cabin. This is not the case with other cruise lines. So I have switched to competitors who offer much better value "luxury" cruising and sadly won't be going back to Cunard unless they include more "perks" for their Grills guests. Whilst Cunard's "dedicated passengers" put up with the lack of included extra's Cunard have not reason to change.

3 Cunard transatlantic always in Britannia class. I don’t feel as if I’ve missed out on anything. No matter where you sailing transatlantic are the view is the same. A ten plus time Cunard cruiser told me that all the tea sandwiches and treats are available from the buffet area…..then you go somewhere quiet and enjoy. I would enjoy a Grills suite one day for the experience but the cost is astronomical

Thanks for the information. I guess that we would need to book the top class to fully experience the full Cunard service.

I have traveled on virtually every cruise line - most recently Silversea. My view is that the Cunard experience is excellent value for money and I have just booked a vacation from Japan to Canada with them. The age profile is older but, in general, it attracts a ‘classier’ traveler. Not the “all you can eat at the buffet” type. It’s not for everyone, I agree, but Cunard somehow manages to make you feel special.

Been on QE2 Once ,QM2 4 times and both Elizabeth and Victoria once , we are also booked on Anne in July.We have only ever been on Britania level , has always been beautiful and enjoyable , perfect for our needs.

I have done transatlantic on QE2 and QM2, plus several other sailings on QE, QV. Also Britannia class. I never felt a class difference.

i took my 1st cruxe in dec and loved it thank you sir

We enjoyed our experience on Cunard Southampton to Fort Lauderdale the music dancing and lovely afternoon teas. Dining in the Brittania was not as good as that experienced on Royal Caribbean voyages Sydney Singapore and Seattle to Sydney. It felt impersonal, rushed get you out and very cafeteria. The most fabulous food experience ... St Petersberg to Helsinki on an ancient Cold war era Soviet ship... the best caviar and seafood we have seen anywhere in the world!

For the price you’d be better off going on one of the luxury lines like Silverseas

Not being a 'foodie' we found the 'class' difference made no difference for us. As for afternoon tea, if you want to skip the crowds and don't mind serving yourself, the Kings Court has the same things. Personally I prefer the Godiva Chocolate Cafe at Sir Samuel's for high tea.

The treat I do. (My favourite cruises on Cunard were in the 1960s). I fly business. No queues, lounge access and my bugbear on a long flight very few children

Gary, I was happy to see Mark traveling with you. I hope you get to travel together often. ❤️

OMG! The food looks beyond delicious ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ The fish, the cherries…………..oh my!

Fabulous yet again sir and look at you all handsome in your bow tie 🤵 We are lucky enough to go in Queens grills on our voyages and I personally think you can't beat them,the one thing you mentioned that I completely agree with is,no swimming pool that would be great but the benefits are endless,free cappuccino,espresso,latte etc in the lounge,free bottled water , spirits,wine in your cabin,I even asked them to change the free cans of cola and cans of lager for fresh juice and bottles of lager instead and it was no problem,even the canopies were changed to gluten free and vegetarian again no problem, I like that they remain old style cruising and pretty much DO NOT cater for families,although at age now 60 I do feel I'm quite young......bonus!!😂

I believe your airline comparison is spot on. As a frequent Cunard user, I recently took the 4-day Celebrity Silohuette. As it is priced very similar to a Britannia Class experience I would say the following: the Celebrity cabin was not as nice as far as fit and finish, it was bigger, especially the bathroom. Also the food quality, especially when comparing the buffet dining, Celebrity was substantially better. The gym was massive and had substantially more equipment. Another observation: Celebrity has a different business model. They generate substantially more on-board incremental revenue with many more bars and lounge areas and specialty dining venues. Interestingly, Queen Anne looks to moving in the same direction as far as specialty restaurant options. Like the airlines, Cunard is cutting back on Britannia class dining quality and range of offerings. They do so at their own peril given just how superior the Celebrity food quality was in comparison.

We are sailing on Queen Anne’s maiden voyage, so excited. But we have a guaranteed cabin - who knows where it will be. We were lucky to even get that. Sold out the first day. 🚢🚢. Anyone on here that had a guaranteed cabin get a specific one by now?

Well explained Gary, but you forgot to mention another perk, namely the concierge. This is a a great time saver and very personal.i It saves you waiting in line at the pursers, excursion office etc My wife and I normally travel Queens grill once or twice a year and have never been disappointed by the staff of the food. Sometimes we would see our usual waiter serving in the Lido and they would greet you by name and it’s these little touches that make it so special.

In my experience of Cunard (five cruises so far), the luxury 'Grills' tier is very unobtrusive. In all 'classes' the attention to detail and quality is very evident. The portion of each of the ships which is out of bounds to us mere mortals is very small. I did actually hear one or two guests who were staying in grill cabins moan about the poor service in their designated restaurant. I would say, however, that since Covid, the high standards of service have suffered somewhat from cost-cutting. The Cunard White Star service is looking a little frayed at the edges.

I can’t believe that they used real gas cooktops to prepare food tableside. Nearly every other cruise lines I know have completely banned things like that so they only use electric stoves.

So the Grills experience is in the restaurants and in Queens Grill, the cabins.

Love Class based system. There are just some people I don't want to be around, ever. I don't agree with ordering Off Menu, that is a jerk move

At one time, many ocean liners had four classes. First class was always entirely segregated from the other classes. Second class was a smaller version of first class - in the days when society was still rigidly divided into classes, second class was provided for the well educated and sophisticated who were not wealthy enough for first class. For example, ministers of religion, school teachers, etc. Then, third and fourth class were often not entirely segregated - the division was mainly based on the type of cabin accommodation provided, with the dining room and other facilities being shared.

As far as I have experienced the Royal Caribbean Star Class seems to be up there when it comes to making the guest feel above the rest of the ship. You get priority over basically every guest. Doesn't matter when you decide you want to go to a special restaurant or watch a show, there will always be a spot ready incase you wanted to go. I'm not sure how perhaps Haven works but I don't know of another line that offers its guest a Semi or sometimes fully private "genie".

I recently sailed on Queen Elizabeth - crew service and food very poor and way below the standard of what you would expect for a Cunard cruise ship. The crew were indifferent, served with an attitude and were bloody rude, the crew gave the impression that having to serve passengers was an inconvenience for them. All crew service so slow!. - The cabin steward never went out of his way to impress, no greetings at the start of the cruise, no asking if they was anything we needed and always gave the impression that having passengers in the cabin was an annoyance to them, as they could not clean the room when they wanted too (first time I have not given extra tip cash to cabin steward - I don’t tip for poor service). - Food service in main dining room rushed (the waiters served you three courses, wine and coffee in 30 mins) the crew were rude, abrupt, ignored you, very slow (repeatedly asked to see the wine waiter - we did not get to order wine until main course as wine waiter never turned up despite multiple requests). - Avoid the mid deck (deck 2 ) cafe carithian bar, the bar staff are rude, have an attitude and serving passengers is an annoyance to them. - Food menu options in main dinning room was ordinary and small portions. Food in the Lido Buffett was terrible, limited choices, cold, dry and way below what you would expect for any ship especially Cunard. Too few seating in lido restaurant. The best food was from the room service menu, it’s 24 hour service, all free, on QE if you want good food, eat in your cabin from room service menu. - on QE you do have option to stop automatic daily gratuity’s, you just go to pursers/ guest services desk and ask them to stop it, you can then direct tips to the crew members you want. Had I known that I would be getting such poor service from the crew on QE, I would have stopped the auto tips myself. - sailing on QE is not value for money, the decor was really nice but service and food very poor, there are better options on other ships for the price we paid, would not sail on Cunard again. You get better service on celebrity or royal Caribbean for the same price you are paying on Cunard. Sailing on Cunard is a novelty and would recommend celebrity cruises over Cunard any day.

Maybe it's the idea of being surrounded by people who also paid top dollar for their cruise that appeals to people 😅 personally i am just happy to be on a cruise full-stop ❤

Sailed on Queen Victoria for 21 days but I can honestly say the food on Celebrity was far superior

I’ve never been in queens or princess grill , it really doesn’t bother me if you have the money go for it , I’m happy with a balcony or inside as the cruise is always excellent I’ve done nearly 12 so far on Cunard and will be a diamond member soon 😂😂 can’t believe it , my favourite is Queen Victoria I can honestly say never had a problem, don’t start me on P&O never again.

I couldn't spend the money so it's actually nice to hear that the next level wouldn't really be that big a deal. I'm pretty content with a regular cabin. I probably would enjoy the tableside service and larger selection of dishes. I'd also enjoy the small tables and quiet afternoon tea. But if I had afternoon tea every day, I'd be pretty content anyway. For me, that's only really possible with something like a transatlantic cruise since normally I'd be out on an excursion mid-afternoon for most days. I like that the staff can't tell. On Virgin, it's a different colour wristband, apparently. I would be annoyed to see someone getting better service next to me because of their wristband, so that's the other side of it.

I disagree with your assessment that Princess Grill would be akin to 2nd class on the older Cunard liners. It’s more of a First Class (lite). I would consider Britannia Club more akin to what 2nd class was.

got a bargain on steerage class via tripadvisor -- wife will love it (joke) as if they do steerage .. lovely company , not just the ships - service, tradition, elegance ... I find it impressive its now an american company but seems to understand british luxury - as usual excellent review useful full of facts tips could watch for hours - tick

I sailed South Hampton to Philadelphia in October 1989 and found the trip enjoyable. Hilton Hotels had some gimmicks at the time, and I got buy one take one free on a Transatlantic cruise. The highest class allowed was the Princes Grill. I'd love to go again at the Queens Grill level, but we need the money for retirement. I wonder will a future ship be King Charles III, and we'd have the Kings Grill?

Thanks, Gary. The topic was really interesting to me. Does the popularity of Cunard also mean you have to carefully select your itineraries to get a more 'authentic', less crowded experience? I agree with another post though that their itineraries seem somewhat limited

I did 33 nights in Queens Grill on QM2 and it wasn't until our last week we were asked if there was any particular meal we'd like cooked for us. We felt like we were ignored most of the time while other guests were fawned over by the staff at every dinner. My husband and I much prefer Princess Grills or Britannia Club as people are a lot more friendly. I do agree that there is not the class system that other people think there is when comparing Cunard with other cruise lines.

My advice is that your perception of luxury really depends on where you're starting from. If you're like me, middle-class mostly used to crusing on Disney with family as a kid, then the basic Cunard experience is plenty luxurious without any upgrades beyond maybe splashing a bit for a better cabin. If you're used to cruising on luxury cruise lines or are "rich but not private yacht rich" then maybe the slightly upgraded experience will matter, especially if having something that someone else doesn't have enhances your perception of value.

@1:32 The CUNARD inscription is just like the TOSHIBA brand name. Yes, I use Toshiba products.

So the question I have Gary is if say your going to do a transatlantic on the QM2 as a bucket list item is it worth it to splash out and go for the queens grill. I’m not saying it’s good value at all. It isn’t. But would you feel like it was worth it when it was over?

We have sailed with Cunard ten times now, and not been disappointed. They are not the largest liners, (which I think is a good thing) but classy. You obviously get a certain sort of clientele on Cunard, reserved not rowdy.

Most helpful video.

As a solo traveler just the thought of making small talk with other strangers at dinner is terrifying. Would much prefer to relax at dinner with a good book or just enjoying the ambience by myself.