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Frequently asked questions
What does single-seating
dining mean?
It means there is just the one sitting for
dinner, and passengers can choose to dine
at their reserved table any time between
6.30pm and 9.00pm in the Queens Grill,
Princess Grill and Britannia Club restaurants.
The Britannia Restaurants on board
Queen Elizabeth, Queen Victoria and
Queen Mary 2 offer a choice of an early
or late sitting for dinner, which should be
requested at the time of booking. More
details about all restaurants can be
found on page 161.
What if I need a special diet?
Please advise us of your needs six months
prior to departure or at the time of booking,
whichever is closer to your departure date.
Whilst every effort is made to ensure that
special dietary requests are met, please
note this cannot be guaranteed.
Kosher
For passengers who require Kosher food,
we are pleased to provide this for dinner
only. Please advise us at the time of booking
where we will send you a menu to make
your selection; this must be returned no
later than four weeks prior to departure.
Unfortunately we are unable to offer Kosher
food for bookings that are made less than
four weeks prior to embarkation.
Are there any bars or lounge
areas on board?
On all ships there is a Commodore Club,
Golden Lion pub, The Pavilion, Queens
Room (Afternoon Tea) and Churchill’s Cigar
Lounge plus:
Queen Elizabeth
Café Carinthia, Midships Bar and Lounge,
the Garden Lounge and the Yacht Club
(nightclub).
Queen Victoria
Café Carinthia, Hemispheres (nightclub),
Midships Bar and Lounge, Veuve Clicquot
Champagne Bar and Winter Garden.
Queen Mary 2
Chart Room Lounge and Bar, G32 (nightclub),
Veuve Clicquot Champagne Bar and
Winter Garden.
What do the different stateroom
categories mean?
You will see from the deck plans that
each ship offers various grades of
accommodation. The grade and fare of each
category is determined by different factors.
These include the overall size of stateroom,
its position on the ship – forward, midships
or aft – whether it affords a sea view and
whether it has a balcony. Deck plans and
stateroom amenities can be found as
follows:
Queen Elizabeth pages 161, 162-164
Queen Victoria pages 161, 165-167
Queen Mary 2 pages 161, 168-170
When choosing your accommodation
you may want to bear in mind where
the different grades tend to be located
throughout the ship. For example, for
minimal movement, we recommend
the staterooms at the centre of the ship
(midships). Your choice may also be
decided by the facilities on board, such as
accommodation grades found close to lifts or
to certain public rooms where you envisage
spending most time. Alternatively, you might
choose your stateroom based on what’s
outside of the ship. Opting for oceanview
grades on the higher decks, especially
those in the forward and aft positions with
a balcony, provides the most scenic way to
watch the ever-changing views.
What about tipping?
During your cruise, you will receive service
frommany members of our staff in a variety
of locations. Additionally, many more crew
behind the scenes support those who
serve you directly. For your convenience, a
gratuity will be automatically added to your
shipboard account on a daily basis.
The gratuity will be shared amongst those
staff that helped provide and support
your cruise experience, including the
restaurant staff, stateroom stewards and
accommodation staff, buffet stewards and
others. Casino personnel do not share in the
gratuity as not all passengers utilise this
service.
How are these charges calculated?
Amounts vary by stateroom category
as follows:
Queens and Princess Grill Suites
$13.50 per person per day
Britannia Staterooms
$11.50 per person per day
The £ sterling equivalent is based on
Cunard’s exchange rate at the time
of going to press. Naturally, you are free to
tip any member of the crew over and above
these amounts at your discretion.
What is the currency on board and
how do I pay for items I buy?
The currency on board all ships is the US
dollar, and you’ll find the Purser’s Office
acts as a handy financial centre. For your
convenience all of our ships operate a
cash-free environment. To make any
purchases on board you just need to
present your Passenger ID card. Our ships
do not accept cash, except at the Purser’s
Office, for the purchase of foreign currency
and the settlement of your account. In order
for charges to be posted on to your account
you will need to register your credit card at
check-in. All transactions will be charged to
your account in US dollars.
How do I register my card at
check-in?
The check-in team will ask you for your
card whilst they are checking you in for
your cruise. For security reasons the card
will never leave your sight. The card will
be run through a swipe and all details are
immediately encrypted. At no time can
either the check-in staff or the ship staff
see your credit card details. We accept
the following major cards, Visa Credit,
Visa Debit, MasterCard, American Express,
Diners Club, JCB and Discover. We are
unable to accept Solo, Maestro, Switch
and any pre-paid credit cards.
How can I avoid issues with
my credit card?
Whilst you are on board we run an
authorisation against your credit card on
a daily basis to cover your spend for the
previous day. This amount is not taken from
your account until it is finally settled on the
day of disembarkation or at the end of a
segment on a World Voyage.
These authorisations can remain on your
account for up to 28 days. You may therefore
want to contact your card provider on your
return to release these authorisations. Prior
to leaving for your cruise it is recommended
that you advise your credit card provider of
your trip away and that you will be on board
a ship and visiting different countries. This
will help avoid raising a security alert and
your card being referred.
When will I receive my tickets
and itinerary information?
Approximately 35 days prior to your
departure date your electronic
documentation will be available through
your Voyage Personaliser at cunard.co.uk.
How will I know which shore
excursions are available?
Around 85 days before departure the shore
excursions available to you can be booked
in advance either online via your Voyage
Personaliser at cunard.co.uk or through
our Customer Contact Centre. Advance
bookings must be made at least three days
prior to the start of your cruise. Whilst on
board, our port-of-call talks will help you
get the most out of our shore excursions.
