Cruising - a few observations that centre mainly on dining

Although it's only six months since our last cruise there is quite a lot that has changed on Cunard, and, as is often the case, the changes haven't been for the better. In the main they seem to be money saving exercises and, whilst innocuous on their own, these cutbacks have been applied across several different areas. This first became apparent when Mrs PBT’s went to order her room service breakfast for the following morning. Instead of the “pick and mix”, build your own breakfast, there were just three fixed options - Cunard (full English), American and Vegetarian. The lady of the house wasn't impressed as she is very much a “breakfast in the room” type of girl, and likes to choose the items that end up on her plate.

I on the other hand prefer to leave the room, and get out and about on the ship, either heading up to the well-stocked, Lido Buffet or, if I want something less hectic, and a lot more relaxed, I head to the Britannia Restaurant. The latter is particularly recommended if, like me, you happen to enjoy kippers or smoked haddock as your breakfast dish. Note these aromatic and strong-smelling fish dishes are not exactly encouraged at Bailey Towers, at least not by Mrs PBT's, so I tend to grab those occasions when they are available, with both hands.

The other advantage of the restaurant is that food is brought to your table and placed in front of you. This is a real bonus if you're breakfasting alone, a position that normally applies to me whilst away from home. In all the years I've known Mrs PBT’s she's never been one for breakfast away from the family home. Sure, she can serve up some pretty decent scrambled eggs on toast or, on slightly rarer occasions, a decent fry up. But wherever, or whenever we've travelled to, away from home, either in the UK or abroad, she's always preferred to take breakfast in the hotel or guest house room.

I’m not sure of the reason for this, as I much prefer to leave the hotel bedroom behind, before heading down for a decent, cooked breakfast. Son Matthew is the same and, before his current girlfriend appeared on the scene, he was invariably the one for going out for the first meal of the day. Sundays were always a favourite time of this, and over the years we have breakfasted at a wide variety of different establishments, ranging from basic transport cafes, or truck stops, to slightly more up market cafés, pubs, or the occasional restaurant.

Eileen, however, has always been a fan of room service, although I've never been able to understand why, and now on Cunard, with the exception of breakfast, room service meals are no longer all-inclusive. The club chicken sandwich I enjoyed, on the one evening that I didn’t fancy eating elsewhere, was perfectly acceptable, and on that occasion, I didn’t mind stumping up the additional $5. 

There are other reasons apart from cost and convenience, as to why I’ve never been a fan of room service eating, being the primary one. Settling down to enjoy a meal in a room that is primary designed for sleeping in, doesn’t make sense, and neither does it feel right. In addition, balancing a tray on one's knees, whilst trying not to spill one’s tea and coffee all over all the place, in the stuffy room that you've just been sleeping in has zero appeal. It might come across as romantic, for newly-weds and honeymoon couples, but let’s keep sleeping and dining separate, please!

As the buffet can be something of a free for all, with slightly too much pushing and shoving, for my liking, it makes sense to go down to the Britannia Restaurant – the posh dining area, if you like. Apart from the odd exception, the food offering in the restaurant is pretty similar to that served in the buffet. However, it is nicely presented and brought to your table by a smartly dressed waiter, without hurry or pressure. Your tea or coffee cup will be topped up at regular intervals, along with extra toast, or whatever else takes your fancy. 

The whole thing is much more civilised, than what you would get in the buffet, and you can also enjoy items such as porridge, Swiss Bircher, a selection of pastries plus, most importantly, grilled kippers. Try doing this in the buffet, when you are on your own, because the minute you leave your seat, to pick up more toast, or refill your cup, the waiting staff will whisk your plate away even if it there are any uneaten food items on it. You can always ask diners, on a nearby table, to keep an eye on your plate, but there is no guarantee that they will. Although the same restraints to the buffet, apply at lunchtime and evenings, so if you're a couple it’s easy to allow your partner to check out what they want first, before grabbing whatever takes your fancy, once they’ve returned to the table.

I wrote the next few paragraphs whilst still on Queen Victoria, sitting in one of the comfortable lounge areas on Deck 2, whilst Mrs PBT’s was up on Deck 10, getting her nicotine fix. I said at the time that I might join her later, as it would be nice to get some fresh air, despite the strong north-westerly wind blowing across the ship. 

At the time of writing, the ship was
roughly half way between the Azorean island of San Miguel and Madeira. There are plenty of similarly quiet places in which to escape the crowds, and these include a library, a bar area known as the Chart Room plus the Commodore Club, situated at the front of the ship, high up on Deck 10, overlooking the bow. As well as somewhere to relax, all these places offer refreshment in the form of coffee, or something a little stronger should you wish.

I mentioned cutbacks earlier, and while some might label them as penny pinching, they’re most clearly seen in a decline in quality of certain food items. Cunard is renowned for its afternoon teas, featuring delicately arranged finger sandwiches and their famous scones, with clotted cream and strawberry jam. However, the clotted cream served hardly resembles the real thing, being runnier than the traditional thick variety that holds its shape when spooned onto a plate. I wouldn’t go as far as my wife, who described it as similar to squirty cream, but there are definite signs of cost cutting here. There are other issues, although I don't feel inclined to discuss them in detail, as essentially, they're first world problems. However, if you pay a premium price expecting a premium experience and it falls short, that's not right. The cruise line has sent us a customer survey form, so I intend to express my opinions on these matters there.

Finally, a word about payments and keeping tabs on your account whilst on board. At the start of each cruise, each passenger is issued with their own personal voyage card - a credit card sized piece of plastic that not only is the key to your cabin – “Stateroom”, as Cunard like to call them, but a means of paying for none inclusive items such as alcoholic drinks, fancy coffees, meals in one of more of the “Signature” restaurants, shore excursions or anything else that takes your fancy, but which isn't included in the price of your ticket.