We initially chose this cruise because it was visiting three ports in the Black Sea, unfortunately due to the issues in the Ukraine this part of the cruise was changed. The replacement ports to be honest were less than adequate and places we had been to on previous occasions. The most disappointing part on not going into the Black Sea was that we received assurances from Cunard (who called us when I was reluctant to book) that whilst the Ukraine ports may be cancelled they would be replaced by other ports within the Black Sea.
The experience on board was excellent and we were well looked after. The entertainment was luck warm and the excursions could have been better.
We found booking through Cunard was a chore and whilst we will cruise with them again we will let a cruise agency deal with them instead. The on board cruise staff were snobs and found them to be a more unpleasant experience than dealing with them over the telephone. Trying to book online is a waste of time as if you do a cruise of more than 14 days and want to pick your own stateroom you are given a choice of the worst placed staterooms.
Very nice stateroom but small for a penthouse, it is more of a suite. Cunard don't make the best use of the space and a lot is wasted but it is very comfortable and the butler service is excellent. Each passenger is given either a bottle of spirits (e.g. scotch) or wine on embarkation for consumption which you select from a set list.
A nice touch is the champagne and strawberries waiting for you in the stateroom upon embarkation which seems to be a common theme among a few cruise lines for this level accommodation.