QM2 World cruise 2015

Our experience with QM2 world voyage from Southampton to Southampton 2015.

"Welcome to our gracious Queen Mary 2 for her 2015 World Voyage" we read in the presentation letter we received from our exclusive World Voyage Concierge first day on board together with a champagne bottle. Gracious? Not anymore!

Every people have different reasons to join a world cruise, but many enjoy visit different places without having to pack and unpack meanwhile you can: eat delicious and international dishes, made new friends , know new cultures, visit interesting places, workout in the gym, take a bath in the hot tub with sea views, swim in the pool with warm water, practice tennis in open deck court surrounded by the sea, enjoy different shows in the theatre , go to disco to listen or dancing with music from the 80's or watch a new movie in the cinema every night.

So, as cruise lovers we have some expectations when we board QM2 and it was very disappointing to find out that few things fell shorter than we expected.

As Spanish couple, we were not sure what will be exactly a ship with British style. We assume that a company with that reputation will have high quality world cruises that will be memorable.

So, let’s evaluate our experience with usual criteria: the ship, the accommodation, cuisine, service and entertainment.

SHIP

Maintenance: The ship needs many maintenance and upgrading. Many washing machines out of service, few fitness machines out of service. Exterior paint reflect the age of the ship, hot tub with large and abundant brown stains, open deck water taps roasted, public areas windows very dirty ( they doesn’t clean in all cruise long…100 days ), access area to indoor pool very dirty, several parts shows lack of maintenance

Facilities: Theatre with a lot of blocked views and only second seat row have good views

Decor: interior decoration brown colors.

CUISINE

The physical structure of display units in buffet are disappointing. You need extra-long arms to get the second line trays. QM2 have poor fresh ingredients and menus in buffets only varied in the way to cooking potatoes, other food it’s very basic…dry fish or not tender meat. The food and the service is quite decent in the Britannia Restaurant for dinner, although decidedly not as gourmet and fanciful that the brochures show. You may notice that lot of things cost extra, like orange juice, expresso café... I' m sure nobody who want to make the world voyage will chose the QM2 by the food. Quality of coffee is very bad, at least you have a huge selection of teas.

There are not hot hord d' oevres in the bars, and the quality of the complimentary wine in the parties cocktails is almost undrinkable.

SERVICE

Crew on board have not a positive attitude with regard to hospitality and with little or not at all attention to details, well organized but impersonal and smile less. It is very hard to get “good morning” while you cross somebody.

We have been cruising from Barcelona many times, and this is the first time nobody helps us with our baggage in the Port and we had not welcome party. We had to put the 4 suitcases on the security machine and then go up to the ship with everything. First we thought we maybe confuse the terminal, but not, there it is, if you want to embark you have to do it by yourself until the gangway. For embarkation nobody escort us to our cabin.

First day we couldn't understand this embarking procedure, but as long the days where on and new embarkation ports comes we find the answer, we are going to start our world voyage in a Hop ON Hop OF cruise, where many passenger will have the same procedure than us almost in every single port.

Dining room: professional maître D, steward manager and waiters.

ACCOMODATION

Beware of cabins next to Poultry Galley because the noise from room service waiters won’t let you rest.

The interior cabin is small. There is a lack of space in a cabin supposed for two persons. Our backs tell us there are NOT premium mattresses. Small table where you only have space for the ice basket and a book.

Air conditioning flow directly over bed . No interactive TV.

Other extra cost: internet or computer classes, yoga or fitness classes, sauna and bubbles hot tub,

ENTERTAINMENT

The entertainment is good for the first 2 weeks, but successive weeks expect to have repetitions of shows, in every leg: Passionata, Crazy in Love , Viva Italia and Singers in Concert, tribute to Sting, they performed all of them 8 times !!!

The only “special “ party is the evening with in vivo music and balloons dropping from above. They repeat it every 2 weeks.

The Royal Academy of Dramatic Act didn’t supply company actors , so NO more Shakespearean performances.

Very nice planetarium, but only 4 different movies to display, really poor for a 100 days cruise!

Practice of sports in QM2 is very limited as there are only one tennis court, very small, and unattended from time ago, ground is in lamentable conditions. And another multipurpose court, same size, where some games are occasionally proposed like badminton, volley or cricket.

After left our baggage in the smallest cabin we have never being, we went to the buffet for lunch. We walk around all the 3 courts but we couldn’t find any of the expected selected meals in a glamorous ship like that. OK, we think, maybe the ports day the meals are not so good. But, unfortunately that didn’t change in all the cruise long. All days we have the same poor buffet with: rice, potatoes, carrots and cauliflower, vegetables soup, and some dry meat or chicken or fish.

To made friends is no so easy in QM2 that it’s supposed. There are only 250 world cruisers mixed with 2500 passengers, who are changing every segment. There are just 4 Cocktails Parties where world cruisers can meet together.

OVERVIEW

QM2 is extremely uncomfortable. The quality of food and service is poor and there is a lack of understanding of what is really takes to make a luxury cruise experience, despite is touted in Cunard brochures. After first week onboard we felt very disappointed and we wrote a letter to the purser office (annex). Nobody answer until we resend the letter to the central Carnival management. Then we had a meeting with our concierge cruise director and Maître D.

I guess you didn't enjoy it then?

Sadly...not

Please, see few pictures that I call " QM2 dark side "

I could upload more pictures if anyone is interested in.

Please, see few pictures that I call " QM2 dark side "

I could upload more pictures if anyone is interested in.

really sorry you had such a terrible time on the Queen, curious to know where the 3 and 4th pics are from, I'm shocked that the sockets are in such bad repair and the also taps but can;t picture where they might be on the ship.............

Unfortunately, some of the mystique of the QM2 is in our minds. alfa666cruise points out very real flaws.

The QM2 had interactive television and then got rid of it. Why? It was handy to check our account and the dinner menu from our cabin and is standard onboard other cruise lines.

We too have been inconvenienced on long Cunard voyages because a washer, or dryer, was inoperable for inordinate periods of time. Why? There should be replacement parts and onboard repairpersons as part of an operation plan, but clearly this is lacking.

Chairs in the planetarium have been broken for YEARS without repair. Why?

A long-earned and well-deserved reputation eventually fades, when standards slip and the intent is to mass-market for maximum profit with as little overhead as possible.

I love the QM2, but not always the mentality of the folks who run her.

Thank you, alfa666cruises, for truthfully sharing your experience.

Those pictures belongs to Regatta Bar on deck13

I totally agree with you jimmybean, Cunard seems to be looking so badly just for profits.

By the way, chairs in Planetarium still broken

Those pictures belongs to Regatta Bar on deck13

thanks, they didn't look like they came from any public area I knew on board. No excuse though even though they came from the bar crew area but the salt air is very corrosive and it can be seen here in these pics.

The ship is made of metal, and metal rusts, unfortunately the sea is a pretty rough environment on ships and unless they start building them from plastic theres not a lot they can do except continually maintain them.

I remember I was pretty shocked at the state of the hull when I saw her here in Auckland this year, but that was because she had missed her scheduled dry dock in which a lot of this should have been sorted. Hopefully she'll be bought up to scratch shortly......

Regatta bar isn't in a crew area, but the bar who serves passengers in deck 13, just between sport courts.

I'm attaching few more pictures, all from public areas. You can see deplorable maintenance. For instance, they doesn't clean any window in 4 months.

Pool area is very dirty as well.

I did many cruises and never seen this before, even in open areas where sea could be corrosive

Hi, alfa666.....

Thanks for the QM2 photo maintenance deficiencies. Sad that you did not enjoy your anticipated grand voyage in Cunard style.

Were there any good aspects of your WC to write home about? For instance, if you are dancers was the dance floor satisfactory, or the live music?

How about the various insights lecturers? Did you find these presenters to be of any interest or value? Maybe there was gum under the seats.

Generally speaking, do you think the other 250 WC-ers left dissatisfied, too?

Other than the grungy-looking hot tub (or, pool), the condition of QM2 is better than the ongoing issues we have with our own home. I know, a WC is not cheap. But neither are the costs of our new roof, six large windows, Lennox furnace& A/C, now the carpet, and oh yes the replacement toilet is awaiting its setting. And still, our home could be photographed to look like a dump.

Will check out the QM2 in September. I'll put on my maintenance inspector eyes. We just happened onto this QM2 crossing; turned out it's a themed cruise with 'Crosby, Sills, and Nash'. Sure hope Cunard has working RC theater electrical distribution panels and microphones to accommodate the sound system.

If the boat sinks or if the dance floor boards are missing, will have something serious to post.

alfa666, seems a possible solution to these obvious maintenance problems is to find a brand new brightly-painted ship, and book it before the salt air corrosion sets in.

Post more photos of bad and good things aboard the old Queen.

Any weird passengers to discuss??

Good luck

Sounds like someone got out of bed the wrong side. We don't all wear rose tinted glasses and it was good to actually see pictures of deterioration that many others on this forum have mentioned. A shame the needed dry dock schedule for later this year was cancelled.

I hope that the original posters did have some good times but they aren't the only ones that have had negative comments to tell us about.

Hi Tom&Carol,

Of course we found few good aspects more than enjoy the opportunity to visit several places along world without packing and unpacking, no lines nor transportation to airports, easy mind…just go sleep and wake up in another part of the planet…

Planetarium movies are great, but just 4 in 100 days

Nice live music band called VIBZ

Another positive aspect is the complimentary transportation to downtown in every single port of call.

As I explained before, very professional and kind employees in Britannia restaurant…special mention to stewards, stewards officer and Maître D

Yes, I spoke with few fellow WC-ers disappointed as well, in fact, few of them disembarked before scheduled.

Lack of maintenance is just one of the altogether disappointing matters as I explained in my previous relate.

Satisfaction is directly proportional with expectations level and previous experiences to compare of every one. I’m really jealous abut people who find everything fine…I can’t act like this, maybe professional deformation?

I met fellow passengers who booked Princess or King grill and were happy with restaurants they got assigned.

My feeling is QM2 is a good transportation UK to NYC where takes roughly 1 week cruise, but to expend 4 months…NO WAY!!

Again, I was sailing in many ships, including 4 world cruises and never feel that level of disappointing

I wish you the best of luck

Regatta bar isn't in a crew area, but the bar who serves passengers in deck 13, just between sport courts. is very dirty as well.

sorry I should have been clearer, i meant the crew area behind the bar, but agree its still maintenance that should be attended to. Just because the sinks are for crew use, they should still be kept up to scratch. Ive have four months on the QV next year and I am looking forward to a return on her, I think the smaller queens are in much better condition, albeit younger.

I know you feel you are having to defend yourself about showing up the ships faults, every bodies views are valid in my mind.

Roscoe.....

On the QV a couple months ago, 2 young maintenance crew guys were in the stern quite often carefully scraping the wooden railing, and painting the new varnish (or whatever). They were not working fast, but the temps were hot and they were not wearing the passenger cool swimsuit attire. Also, maintenance guys were on ladders installing better (or maybe new) WiFi antennas in plastic boxes around the Pavillon Pool area. Overall, the Q-Vic looked pretty good. The carpet in the gym looked brand new, but don't know how its quality will hold up in the gym weight area.

Roscoe, since you're a Queen ship buff, have you ever checked out the placement of the ship's recording 'black box' on the front deck above the roof of the bridge? On the QV, the data recorder is clearly visible from the passenger outside observation deck, looking forward above the bridge thru the wind-break glass screens. It sits on a small pylon for easy quick-release by a diver, heaven forbid.... but nice to know that the ships engineering data base is being recorded constantly. It's clearly labelled with an engraved name plate.

Roscoe, are you beginning the official QV 2016 WC roll call? Bet you are excited. We're not doing the full WC, only a segment. As it happened last summer, we hope around July Cunard will offer some sale OBC deals, and we'll rebook if we can. Last July, Cunard offered free gratuities so our agent rebooked our segment. It was worth the rebooking.

You getting excited yet? You're a regular on all-Cunard CC.

T&C

Roscoe.....

On the QV a couple months ago, 2 young maintenance crew guys were in the stern quite often carefully scraping the wooden railing, and painting the new varnish (or whatever). They were not working fast, but the temps were hot and they were not wearing the passenger cool swimsuit attire. Also, maintenance guys were on ladders installing better (or maybe new) WiFi antennas in plastic boxes around the Pavillon Pool area. Overall, the Q-Vic looked pretty good. The carpet in the gym looked brand new, but don't know how its quality will hold up in the gym weight area.

Roscoe, since you're a Queen ship buff, have you ever checked out the placement of the ship's recording 'black box' on the front deck above the roof of the bridge? On the QV, the data recorder is clearly visible from the passenger outside observation deck, looking forward above the bridge thru the wind-break glass screens. It sits on a small pylon for easy quick-release by a diver, heaven forbid.... but nice to know that the ships engineering data base is being recorded constantly. It's clearly labelled with an engraved name plate.

Roscoe, are you beginning the official QV 2016 WC roll call? Bet you are excited. We're not doing the full WC, only a segment. As it happened last summer, we hope around July Cunard will offer some sale OBC deals, and we'll rebook if we can. Last July, Cunard offered free gratuities so our agent rebooked our segment. It was worth the rebooking.

You getting excited yet? You're a regular on all-Cunard CC.

T&C

hi Tom and Carol., NO i did not know thats where the Data recorder was, thanks for that, another piece of trivia to add in case i get to use it in conversation...(I'm thrilling to have at a cocktail party, wearing my anorak and carrying a notebook)....

I guess we have started our Roll-call, so looking forward to you adding your name. At this stage, we are just copying and editing the list after adding your name, and segments but we are also adding your name if you want to host a get-together after you embark. Just to be a bit more casual and different from other formalised CC arrangements in the past. I don't think anyone wanted to be the chief organiser or be seen to be the head teacher....we are a more sedate bunch i think...lol...

Flights booked and paid for this morning, London and Southampton Hotels booked and paid, flight to Ireland and the Titanic Museum tickets booked, and side trip to China on the way home underway...yes you could say Im a little excited...(and also thrilling to talk to at a cocktail party) :D:D

The subject of various excursions has been raised so it would be great if you could jump in and add anything about any areas that you know that could be useful...

see you over the other side...

Regards Roscoe