Silversea or Princess Grill QM2 - My Thoughts

This is not a review, critique or description by anything other than subjective opinion. Arrived back today from a TA on the QM2. So how did it compare for us?

Not too well, it must be said. While the cabin was fine - in some ways better designed than a typical SS Vista or Veranda - almost every other aspect of the experience fell short in comparison except for the quality of food. And while that is important, it's not critical. And neither is a balcony in an Atlantic winter.

So how does sharing an admittedly very large ship with 2700 diverse members of the human race (and 17 dogs) feel? Crowded, that's what - especially on embarkation and disembarkation. Add to that the destruction of OH's suitcase somewhere between the cabin and the dock and I think it's safe to say that we weren't in the least gruntled. Priority disembarkation? Really? Sitting in a hot shed waiting to embark? Not again, thanks.

Obviously one of the great trials of cruising SS is getting fed and watered wherever, whenever. Without chits. Happily Cunard are only too pleased to charge for just about anything that's not nailed down. Had we used the refreshment options with the same alacrity as on SS we'd have had a couple of hundred bucks a day kerchinging into the Carnivore coffers. The OBC of $360 was laughably inadequate. As an exercise in money extraction we're talking Gold Medal standard.

But the great compensation is the sheer awesomeness of the ship's architecture. Apparently. There's not a thing wrong with it but it's somehow impersonal, clinical even. I know people b1tch and moan about SS decor etc but it suits us, we like it, it's comforting and personal.

Anyway at least you get to have a good, sociable time with your shipmates don't you? Er, not really - not spontaneously, at least. Same table for all meals in the Princess Grill so no meeting up for dinner, then. But, I stress again, the excellence of the food is compensation for this inexplicable rigidity.

Some people like to smoke. It's a fact. Get over it. SS give us a very usable Humidor room closed off to prevent infection. QM2 gives you deck 7 aft. In the middle of the Atlantic. In December. Humph. Or you can try to muscle your way into the comically small cigar lounge for your stogie and eye-wateringly expensive post-dinner tipple.

The shows! Don't do shows so will remain detachedly ambivalent.

The service is comparable yet curiously impersonal except at meal times where, I will freely admit, the standard of service is exceptional. The Grills' staff are well-trained, helpful and clearly well-managed.

So for us it just didn't do it. Now I'm not an accountant or inventory supervisor so I can't dissect our feelings to assign a definitive scorecard. But sometimes things feel right and sometimes they don't. The QM2 is impressive, Cunard has tons of satisfied repeat customers and good luck to them. So if someone like me asked me ''Go on then, SS or Cunard?'' I think you can probably guess what the answer would be.

This trip worked out at £400 pp per night. Add another £100 or so per couple for wine, drinks etc and it ain't cheap. For many people it's worth it but I'd take the cash and give it to SS in return for a happier, longer and more sociable cruise.

Thank you for your review. For us, it is the size of the ship, the ability to drink or not drink without a thought, and of course the familiarity of the crew and fellow passengers. While I did many Cunard transatlantics in the 1950's and 1960's, I have come to greatly prefer Silversea and the more laid back atmosphere without crowds.

Thank you for your objective review. We also assess our experience based on the money we spent. Most of the time, it was worth it.

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Excellent review and thanks for posting it. When we did the QE2 back in the Concorde days it was the inability to choose where one ate that was the deciding factor, against.

Silvers is a luxury cruise line, despite a few flaws every now and then.

Cunard, like P&O, is a mass market cruise line trading on past glories.

Thank you for your review. For us, it is the size of the ship, the ability to drink or not drink without a thought, and of course the familiarity of the crew and fellow passengers. While I did many Cunard transatlantics in the 1950's and 1960's, I have come to greatly prefer Silversea and the more laid back atmosphere without crowds.

Wish I'd put it that succinctly! Strangely, the forced formality on Cunard seems like an artifice designed to perpetuate the notion of elegance and refinement yet all it seems to achieve is an underlying discomfort and does nothing to foster the feeling of inclusiveness and sociability found on SS.

Thank you for your objective review. We also assess our experience based on the money we spent. Most of the time, it was worth it.

 

We don't mind spending the cash when we feel we have achieved value. We do not have this feeling after the TA. But that's us and we met a few people who have done multiple Cunard crossings and are very happy. People's needs differ. Just as it should be.

Excellent review and thanks for posting it. When we did the QE2 back in the Concorde days it was the inability to choose where one ate that was the deciding factor, against.

For us, that inflexibility and the smoking issue are deal-breakers.

Cunard, like P&O, is a mass market cruise line trading on past glories.

Well put. I think you've voiced a thought that wasn't fully formed in my head. Yes, expectations were perhaps too high based on historic perceptions.

Glad you wrote this. I have friends who have done this crossing and enjoyed it, but we haven't ever been on Cunard. Right now we don't have the time to spend taking a TA cruise, because our vacation time is not unlimited, and we like to "do stuff" on vacation. Relaxation is generally the last thing on our minds! :D

It was great to read your comparison between Cunard and SS, which we do know and love. It puts it into perspective nicely. Thanks!

Thanks for posting your thoughts TTS....very interesting and it's a shame the ship didn't live up to expectations...it's sounds as though the brand has become worse since l last sailed on her in 2008.

Hope you are both well......[emoji4]

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Glad you wrote this. I have friends who have done this crossing and enjoyed it, but we haven't ever been on Cunard. Right now we don't have the time to spend taking a TA cruise, because our vacation time is not unlimited, and we like to "do stuff" on vacation. Relaxation is generally the last thing on our minds! :D

 

It was great to read your comparison between Cunard and SS, which we do know and love. It puts it into perspective nicely. Thanks!

I know Cunard do cruises with multiple destinations and I wouldn't dissuade anyone from giving them a try; I would say that the experience is different from SS (and Seabourn for that matter) and while that may suit some, it doesn't suit us. I also think that, at the very least, those who enjoy SS shouldn't consider a Cunard trip in anything less than the Princess Grills - the Queens Grills are actually similar for service but offer bigger cabins and a different restaurant at a significantly higher price (although anecdotal evidence from fellow cruisers in QG suggests that, from the food aspect, QG offers little extra benefit).

I'm not trying to diss Cunard, merely hoping that a personal reflection might interest others.

Thanks for posting your thoughts TTS....very interesting and it's a shame the ship didn't live up to expectations...it's sounds as though the brand has become worse since l last sailed on her in 2008.

Hope you are both well...

Ta, Sophes. I think it's more to do with our being a bit set in our ways and having by good fortune happened on SS at the start of our cruising career and finding it the ideal fit for our needs.

I know you have a wealth of experience of Cunard from both sides, as it were. And knowing what we are like you probably understand our frustration with the dining rigidity, smoking issues and what we perceive (perhaps quite wrongly) as an atmosphere less conducive to social intercourse.

No jolly sessions in the humidor!!!

As our first SS cruise will start in a few weeks but have already spent a 100 days on Cunard, so all the stories above were fairly interesting.

What we really like on Cunard ships (and it was not mentioned above) is the possibility to dance on a huge floor, which is what we are enjoying every evening. No other vessel can compete and there is always a big bunch of guests with the ability to dance very well. Also the dancing lessons are a nice add on, and on some days during our WC we visited the floor up to 3 times a day. We are looking forward to the orchestra on the Silver Spirit which will bring us from Barbados to Ft. Lauderdale.

Kind regrads

I sailed on QM2 for 24 days when she was first launched. There was absolutely no comparison to the luxury lines (other than Queens Grille restaurant). I would never sail her again, especially on an uneventful TA crossing.

As our first SS cruise will start in a few weeks but have already spent a 100 days on Cunard, so all the stories above were fairly interesting.

 

What we really like on Cunard ships (and it was not mentioned above) is the possibility to dance on a huge floor, which is what we are enjoying every evening. No other vessel can compete and there is always a big bunch of guests with the ability to dance very well. Also the dancing lessons are a nice add on, and on some days during our WC we visited the floor up to 3 times a day. We are looking forward to the orchestra on the Silver Spirit which will bring us from Barbados to Ft. Lauderdale.

Kind regrads

Indeed, Robert. For you the Cunard ships provide what you value and that is going to be different for each individual. As I said earlier, this is a purely subjective view underpinned by nothing other than my own needs, wants, experience and - dare I say it? - prejudices.

I hope you enjoy the Spirit (it's my favourite SS ship so far but others prefer the smaller ships - chacun a son gout). I'd be very interested in your views and I'm sure others would like to know what a Cunarder thinks of the SS offering and how it fits your needs.

Yes, the QM2 is a beautiful ship! It was very disappointing, tho'. We were in the Queen's Grill and I have never had food that inedible on any ship. [emoji486] They did have lots of excellent fruit. The only friendly staff were the bartenders, a no brainier. Our butler was not the least bit interested in assisting us with anything! But...I could not fly at the ✈️time and it was a pleasant way to get to England/London to board the Cloud.[emoji4][emoji568]. If it is the only way I can get there, I will gladly suffer through it![emoji6]

I'm not trying to diss Cunard, merely hoping that a personal reflection might interest others.

I don't think that you were (trying to diss), but your personal reflection definitely DID interest me!

What we really like on Cunard ships (and it was not mentioned above) is the possibility to dance on a huge floor, which is what we are enjoying every evening. No other vessel can compete and there is always a big bunch of guests with the ability to dance very well. Also the dancing lessons are a nice add on, and on some days during our WC we visited the floor up to 3 times a day.

That part of Cunard would be something that interests us...Though we are woefully out of practice these days, we used to be OK ballroom dancers. Our friends who we've spoken to about Cunard (mentioned in my earlier post) took the cruise for precisely this reason.

We made similar experiences on QM2 on a cruise to Norway. Food was good, but everything else was like you described. It was a one time experience and definitely not comparable to Silversea. We thought it was maybe different on a TA, but now we know. Some months ago we booked the TA on the Spirit next March.

Some interesting tales about QM2......my all time favourite Cunard ship was QE2 and even now l don't think any other vessel could beat the experience of sailing on her....it was always sheer glamour..grills and all!

The old Cunard White Star Service went out with her and has been very well carnivalised since.....our very last voyage in QG left a lot to be desired mainly due to very bad service and a butler with attitude.

We did a Norway voyage on QV and actually found that quite enjoyable but only due to the many ex QE2 crew on board at that time.

These days Silversea is my number one choice and will be for the foreseeable future. I like the ambience of the smaller ships and whilst we can all find something to nit pick at l find very little to complain about.

As a footnote for those who like to ballroom dance.....you'll not find a huge ballroom on SS ships and no orchestra as such.....but dance you can on a smaller scale and very nice it is too.......with no chitty to have to sign for every time one orders a drink!

Sophia [emoji4]

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We made similar experiences on QM2 on a cruise to Norway. Food was good, but everything else was like you described. It was a one time experience and definitely not comparable to Silversea. We thought it was maybe different on a TA, but now we know. Some months ago we booked the TA on the Spirit next March.

We have done the Spirit TA and it was marvellous. We even got to meet dear Sophia our Specialcruisegirl!

Again, I restate that my thoughts are merely a personal view but I see that it is a view you might share. It would be interesting if you came back to this thread after your TA with your thoughts.

This thread has been riveting. My husband and I were on the QE2 for two crossings in the Concorde days. We loved the first time, but the second crossing was very, very rough. We were upgraded to an enormous cabin on the highest deck. I was sea sick for most of the voyage...or horribly sleepy from the Dramamine. No more Cunard for many years. Two years ago, we decided it could be fun to try the QM2.

I think the comparison with my beloved SS is kind of Apples to Pears.

We sailed Princess Grill. If you can't go Grill Class I just wouldn't go. The QM2 is huge. Some of the public rooms are stunning, but the overall impression is that the decor is over the top. ( I really dislike the Spirit's hotel lobbylike main bar...so there is one genuine comparison)

At the risk of sounding like a bar hound, we HATED having to constantly sign chits. The pours were minuscule and very expensive..the Chart Room bar is the most beautiful room we had ever seen at sea.

We disliked the big, open to all classes, King's Crown Buffet. I understand that this circus of a pushing and shoving place has been remodeled, so maybe it's a lot better. Sometimes you just want a quick, informal lunch. It was very informal, which was good, but it was a zoo.

I liked our cabin..big balcony, nice layout, but the bathroom was teeny tiny and felt very dated. Considering that this is not an old ship, the bathroom was a surprising disappointment.

Food in the Princess Grill was very good. The sommelier was professional and helpful...the wines were expensive.

We went to a couple of shows. The production shows were BIG. We were bored. There was one hilariously funny British comedian. Would love to see him on SS! It was fun to go to the huge ballroom and watch all the serious dancing. People were dressed up to the nines. The orchestra was wonderful.

All things considered, would I sail with Cunard again? Nope.

We have done the Spirit TA and it was marvellous. Again, I restate that my thoughts are merely a personal view but I see that it is a view you might share. It would be interesting if you came back to this thread after your TA with your thoughts.

Agree and appreciate the nice range of different impressions, priorities and interests on this interesting thread. For us, the big-time dancing options on the larger Cunard ship are not our priorities and/or interests. BUT, others might love that feature/aspect. Nice to read the likes for the Silversea Silver Spirit. For us, the formality of Cunard makes that sailing option less attractive. It's great to have many options and potentials. Plus, so many difference locations/ports to visit. Keep up the great sharing!

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

If Venice is one of your future desires or past favorites, look at this earlier posting for many options and visual samples this city that is so great for "walking around", personally seeing its great history and architecture. This posting is now at 64,511 views.

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OH eventually got a call back from Cunard about the damaged beyond usability suitcase. They're not interested. Apparently you have to fill in a form in the arrivals hall. We knew nothing of that in the scrum of getting off. Poor CR.

Sorry to learn about the luggage.

I would never think of comparing QM2 to anything SS. You might as well compare it to a river cruise. Apples/oranges.

I'm no fan of Cunard or QM2, but have used it to cross the Atlantic several times over the past four years. One in steerage was fine, three in Princess acceptable, and one Queens was a major disappointment. Am grateful the service exists for crossings and would use it more if they would do it in four days on a regular schedule. Not going to happen.