NowVoyager2

As far as reasoning behind business plans & the cause of cutbacks onboard - after covid Cunard / Carnivore Corp could of restarted the QM2 and queen Victoria at full staffing levels w a good quality experience all around. The Queen Anne would be launched w a full staff and quality onboard experience. And finally Queen Elizabeth restart when capital & cash on hand would ensure the same quality. But instead the corporate decision was made to make cutbacks all around & deliver a less than promoted levels of food & service( including onboard maintenance). remember these corporations are held to stock holders expectations / demand of higher earnings. I always say look at the balance sheet & bonuses of these corporations & that is what tells the true story of a Corporation. One recent example is the BOEING CORPORATION. It just hired a new CEO at $30,000,000 a year while the union workers haven't had a raise since 2014!!!

My first cruise was in the 1970's - it was an ultra luxury experience and very few ships carried more than 1,000 passengers( like QE2 & FRANCE). The quality of the food & service was top notch. Todays new builds are nothing more than floating malls.

I have sailed on Cunard ships since the 1980's(QE2, QM2 & Queen Victoria) I recently sailed in Queen Victoria in the med and there were definitely cutbacks in all areas of the ship(as most cruise lines have done in the name of PROFIT MARGINES). There is definitely smaller staffing in public areas - bars & restaurants, Guest Services. The Cabin Stewards have more cabins to clean(ridiculously so) . The Cabin Stewards were all pleasant enough but should be issued roller-skates to help them get around. The staff in the lido areas needs to be increased - not only to get a drink but also cleaning the area of used cups, napkins & plates. Many staff were indifferent as to service(not all but quite a few) and openly spoke of being overworked w long days & contracts. The quality of the food was more US Chain restaurant quality than a luxury restaurant / hotel. Again the staff cutbacks & inconsistency in training can cause problems. Except on QE2(where I sailed first class) I always book a midship balcony cabin - mostly for comfort reason during rough seas - but also I don't see the cost value in booking anything above that. In all categories there have been cutbacks. Cunard & a few other lines have very good marketing & sell a dream - in reality they are more akin to a floating Sheraton Hotel. Saying all that - you will probably enjoy sailing in her - there is nothing like crossing the Atlantic Ocean. The jewelry maybe costume, the clothes not designer & the food similar to what you eat often - but the MIGHTY ATLANTIC OCEAN never changes in its majesty & doing a crossing can be magical for many reasons.

The kids find each other & as long as there are other children their age your son will be fine.

Unfortunately, this horrible type of behavior is rampant & generational. I find that teens to 50 somethings have a self-centered righteousness and are totally clueless in what is proper behavior. Everything from the baseball caps & daisy duke shorts in nice restaurants to loudly cursing at other people to being rude to service people. I spent 3 1/2 months in Europe from May to July this year. Thankfully the behavior was few & far between but when it did occur it was mostly Asians & Americans as the biggest offenders. In one restaurant in Rome I actually apologized for some rude obnoxious Americans - i simply said I was sorry & not all Americans behave like that. As far as the children - I found the Europeans teach their children how to behave & respect those around them. Families would gather for meals - NOT ONE PERSON YOUNG OR OLD HAD A TELEPHONE IN USE!!! As someone else pointed out there were no "Children's menus" and in Italy McDonalds can't get a foot in with the locals - even one outlet closed right next to an elementary school. Unfortunately, with travel being so affordable to all these days - anyone can get on a ship, plane etc. I guess the Trailor parks are emptied & those released for good behavior head straight to the nearest airport & cruise ship!!

I've sailed MSC many times & enjoy it. Just go to the Maitre'd in your dining room & make you request NICELY - they really do try to accommodate everyone.. I sailed Mera on a 13 day cruise - first time on a mega ship. When I arrived at the NYC pier I looked up & thought - " I don't think I'm going to like this" I was won over in the end. The biggest problem for me were the # of passengers that thought they were on a RITZ CARLTON hotel & should be treated that way. I never had a problem w service anywhere( I had a midship balcony cabin). I could always find good food to eat & there were plenty of entertainment choices for all ages. Thats a great cruise you picked out of NYC - I hoped to do it & the following 10 day cruise but will be in Europe then. enjoy it!

Thankfully ports are fighting the cruise lines w these floating boxes w thousands of day trippers. Amsterdam, Venice, Barcelona to name a few have voiced or are putting in place limits, restrictions & entrance fees for such passengers. I recently spent 3 1/2 months in Italy, Greece & Croatia - even in Rome w its sweltering heat (100 degrees)was packed w tourists. I stayed mostly in hotels in cities for a week at a time. Venice was very telling - during the day the tour groups ruined the atmosphere of the city completely - once 4 pm came around & the cruise tourists departed - the city returned to the magical & most beautiful place one could ever imagine!!! On the Cunard Queen Victoria the ship anchored off Sorrento - I had a spent a week there a few weeks prior , so I stayed onboard. while staying there for a week I discovered the main tourist area was a Disney version of what an American tourist expects of Sorrento / Italy. And it was packed w tourists - while 2 blocks away I enjoyed better gelato & handmade pasta in local restaurants at half the cost as the restaurants in the tourist area. These mega ships are basically floating tin cans / malls built to be discarded as soon as possible. I'm glad the ports are fighting back.

The original post was referencing TA's... NY- SH... When Brooklyn is full there are always the Manhattan Piers...same goes for SH!!! Never once in all the years I lived in NYC(40+ years) have I've seen all the piers used up - There are always options - hopefully not the Bayonne piers - All 4 times I sailed on Cunard(2x on QM2) the ships sailed from the West side piers of NYC! Even MSC used the NYC piers for the Meragviglia sailings.

This is really funny... I am not much of a desert eater but I LOVE COOKIES>>>>any time of day or night. Recently I've travelled on HAL, Cunard & MSC(4 cruises) and cookies were like gold- either not found at all or sparsely at select times & lounges... FOR GOODNESS SAKE MAKE THE COOKIES...LOTS OF THEM!!!!!

The only driver of the schedule & everything else concerning the cruise industry is the bottom line / profit margin of the corporation that owns the ship(in this case CCL/ CARNIVORE CORP)!!!!

I've travelled on MSC several times in Europe / Med - most recently this past April / May & July. There were several passengers disembarking early(some pre arranged & some made preparations onboard). Not a problem at all. As far as why someone would do this - ease of travel to another location(I'm taking a TA from MIami to London but will disembark in Spain several days earlier). I use the ships as transport - much like a train to my home in Europe. I don't ask for a prorated fare - I just pay what I have to. In the case of the poster - his friend is inn the Medical field w limited time off. Plus since this is my first time in MANY years that I will sail NCL - after reading some of the comments & reviews about NCL - I can see why some would want to disembark early!!!

Ernie - Thank you so much for the review & photos. I too am in Ft Lauderdale(part time) and the short cruises have tempted me for a quick getaway. I was on the (what I believe ) is the sister ship MSC SPLENDIDA in the Med this past June. One thing I noticed is that your ship is a brighter more pleasing decor than SPELENDIDA. You've tempted me to try a 3 dayer. This summer I also did the TA on MSC Divina & another 7 day med on CUNARD Queen Victoria - tho different ships/ products - the food quality was better on MSC(especially beef, lamb , Veggies & fruit. So where are you off to next???

You don't mention where you live but the carib is wonderful that time of year - my partner & I did a similar cruise in 2004/ 2005 on QM2. We lived in NYC - so we left the cold winter for the beaches & QM2. In reference to late or open seating - we always picked late seating as we preferred to be out on deck for Sailaway's, stay by the pool a little longer while most people went in to dress for the evening. Some nights we would skip the dining room altogether because the weather was so nice - there's always something to eat onboard. I see most ports departure is at 6pm. We like having cocktail hour - 45 - 60 minutes pre dinner - so the late seating was best. You also are travelling w another couple - so a 4 top is ideal unless you want to meet others onboard. You can always speak w the Maitre'd onboard & usually they do their best to accommodate you.

Why not move the ship to NYC Westside piers - the Intrepid w a CONCORD on its flight deck is there, is a submarine to tour there are more cruises sailing from the piers - instant revenue(after reno). The risk of towing includes capsizing - The ship is worth saving but needs major capital - something NYC's Billionaires have!!

PS - Even w all the cutbacks CUNARD came up w the $$$$ to paint the large red CUNARD letters on the port & starboard sides sides of the ship. ???????

I sailed in Queen Victoria on a 7 day med cruise. I have sailed w CUNARD since the 1980's & my first on QV. I travelled as a single in an inside cabin as that is all that was available as this was a last minute booking.( I always book a midship balcony cabin). Over the years I have read ROSCOE's postings about his love of the QV. Yes I agree its a lovely ship - more of a comfortable ship in decor & a little dated. SERVICE Cabin- I did have a very good cabin steward - tho he obviously was overworked w too many cabins to clean. The Lido Buffet was a mess - not enough staff to clear tables & reset them, coffee, milk, mugs & silverware in a timely manner - leaving passengers wandering around looking for clean tables while their food got cold! BARS - Again there were plenty of very nice areas to have a drink - unfortunately there is not enough staff to serve the passengers - the worst was the lido area. Even in the CHART ROOM - I usually sit at the bar & even then the wait for a drink would be 10-15 minutes(pre dinner). In the Aft Lido Pool - the service was SLOOOOOOW & the area was rarely cleaned up - empty glasses left on tables for extended periods ,knapkins, straws & other misc trash blowing around on the deck. I even took a photo of an area next to the bar that obviously hadn't been washed / cleaned in a very loooong time(months). One note about the drinks onboard - The POURS on drinks was pathetic - I'm a light drinker - usually scotch - I ended up ordering doubles neat w ice on the side. also like everywhere else - a bottle of wine would have four glasses in it - now CUNARD & every other business has figured out how to get 5 almost 6 glasses out of a bottle - the pours were that poor!! FOOD I did not eat in the main dining room as I prefer the freedom to eat ashore when in port and the late afternoons at the lido pool when everyone is getting ready for the evening. I usually have breakfast in my cabin on the balcony but since this was not possible I ate all my meals at the lido buffet. There is definitely a large variety of food for any taste. Saying that - the quality of the food was disappointing. The quality of the beef & lamb was more akin to leather, the fruit & vegetables was hit or miss(really in the Med in summer???) A couple of weeks prior I sailed on a MSC ship in the same area & the lido quality was better - especially concerning the beef & lamb and fruits & veggies. Note to CUNARD - don't even bother w the pizza. There obviously is no quality control and not enough staff. And one note - I found the supervisors in many areas acting/ talking like prison guards w their staff - and not helping out when there was an obvious problem. Supportive management is more productive!! QV _ THE SHIP Condition Tho she has a few years on her - its like going to your Grandmother's house - dated but loveable! My cabin was clean & everything worked fine. The public areas(excluding the aft lido).were kept clean all week - there was a variety of entertainment - the quality was questionable at times( The Crew Band in the Queens room in the evening - tho commendable really wasn't very good & didn't keep the crowd for long). I missed having music in the Chart Room. Yes there were rust areas everywhere - not concerning & I did see work going on all over the exterior of the ship. There was a leak in the corridor leading to the Brittania dining room(which apparently still hasn't been repaired) leaving very soggy carpets...not good. With all the cost cutting (still blamed on covid) continuing it shows all over. The aft lido pool was the worst - the furniture was so worn & stained it was gross. There certainly wasn't enough seating - it should of been replaced a long time ago. Would I sail QV again - only w Roscoe onboard w the right Itinerary.

Of course they are..as with all special services onboard CUNARD ships ...I was able to reserve location life boat #1 for the duration of my cruise... It's wonderful for alfresco breakfasts or cocktails parties... And making love while stargazing...just make sure to tell the Captain to shut off his video camera or you'll find yourself on YouTube 😭😢😭 I keep the count down to 8 ...2 officers, one chef. 2 cocktail waiters myself&. 2 very handsome, hopefully interesting passengers I pick up as I glance down to the lido pool from deck 10. HRH ROSCOE...I did find your plaque...they keep candles lit on either side, splash vodka on it for blessings & whenever I mentioned your name the crew would burst into tears... They said " tell me quando, quando quando" when will HIS HRH ROSCOE BE BACK ONBOARD??? I JUST told them that was confidential but they are in thoughts... especially when cocktails start. QV was alongside @ about 5 am this morning...I disembarked at 8:30 .. I was forced, I say forced to take a shuttle w commoners ( like the lady & son that hike the decks like they were on Mt Everest & then suddenly Momma needs a wheelchair... 🤔😜🤨 There were NO taxis to be seen & of course I spoke w the most attractive drivers I could find & they confirmed that the taxis are rare in the port especially when large tankers like MSC, NCL & SOME VIRGIN OF A SHIP are all in at once. I assured these kind souls that they indeed comfort me in my time of need 😁🤗😘 So HRH ROSCOE..I did indeed tip my toes into your Royal Heritage onboard QV... I felt your soul onboard.... And it felt so fine!!!!😁🤗😊🚢

PS Anyone headed to the Mediterranean this Time of year...it is hot as Hades... thankfully there has been a breeze, which helps keep the # of sunbathers and those w too much alcohol in their systems from bursting into flames 🔥🔥🔥 Speaking of which...yesterday while sailing through the STRAIGHT OF MESSINA we had a chance to see Mt Stromboli volcano being active ... spewing smoke & ash..the Capt sailed to within a mile of the island... A little too Titanic for my taste but it was something to see( I had visited POMPEII a few weeks B4 and wrote over the loss of such beautiful artwork & real estate...and the poor souls that perished. Being so close to the volcano I dressed in my finest, making sure my pocket square coordinated w the life vest, had my steward put my luggage in the appropriate life boat w the right people... A good bartender, the most attractive officers & of course my beloved Arturo!!

NV2 REPORTING LIVE FROM THE LIDO DECK OFF THE COAST OF SORRENTO 🤗👍🍷 Another FABOO day here aboard QV.the ship is just off of Sorrento w tender service... For some unknown reason the Italians are setting off cannons every 30 minutes since 7:30 this morning 🌄 or BLOODY MARY HOUR as it's commonly known amount some people 🤔 I did ask the beloved ARTURO, THE MOST FAVORITE WAITER IN THE LIDO AREA ( DELIGHTFUL & Delish) TO have the town stop while I was having lunch & they did... I then asked Arturo " is it time???" He said yes and then delivered a thirst quenching Aperol Spritz... LOVE HIM!!!! As far as the laundry 🧺 room dish... several fools from deck 8 actually tried to push in by saying "their sacred deck 8 laundry was closed...very foolish tactic on their part... Deck 7 passengers responded w an appropriate & viscous counter attack w " GET OUT" WELL DONE DECK 7 🤗👍🧺🧺 LASR NIGHT WAS ROARING 20's nite...cocktails flowed & a large percentage of passengers turned out in period dress..lots of sparkle, feathers & jewelry to die for...and that was just the men!!!! You'd be happy HRH ROSCOE 🚢🤗😎 CUNARD QUEEN VICTORIA 👑 was taken to new heights appropriate for the Mediterranean & amount of cocktails consumed... I'll search for your plaque tonight....😎👑🧺👍🤔🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷👑

I'm currently on QV off the Coast of Sorrento...the lido buffet does quite a spread for dinner 🍽️🍽️🍷🍷 I've had lamb chops , osso bucco, pasta, salads...you can eat inside or out by the pool which is very nice after a day in port or just because, to enjoy the beautiful weather we've had I prefer it to the dining room!!! There's bar service & desserts also.

Good morning 🌅 HRH ROSCOE 🚢😎🤗😊 NV2 reporting live from the aft lido pool area.... Docked port side here in Valletta, Malta!!! Once again it's an absolutely beautiful day.... We did have a lil movement in the seas last nite which was nice. The World Club party was attended by 350 people... Everyone from lil old me w 67 days to a couple who have practically lived onboard for years. I do have to commend the onboard WC rep Dannilela who was able to correct ( in a matter of minutes) what I've tried getting Cunard shoreside to do for YEARRRRRS!!! I'M INSULTED ( not really)that you believe I would continue to gossip about the brutal going ons in the laundry 🧺🧺🧺😁 room on deck 7. As I mentioned Deck 8 laundry was completely shut down. When I got there to iron my linen pants the room had 5 people hovering around the machines... I was able to do my ironing ( why do couples have to do the laundry together...does one think an affair could start over the cycles, do they think someone might steal their XXX XL CARGO SHORTS or are they just too hungover to realize at there is more to life & there is ship laundry service which is still quite good. Well all of a sudden the door flies open & a woman from deck 8 pushes in w a basket full of laundry that needed to be dried. She screams " I going to be late" There was no space in the room to begin with & the other people start yelling at her to get out(Brits & American)... I don't know if it's because she had one of the sacred baskets or that she really shouldn't of been wearing stretch anything... I kept my head down & focused on my creases... Stretch woman yells back ...the mob gets louder & finally stretch woman leaves ..probably damp all over on a tour bus w a developing rash due to moisture!!! Shocking. Frightening for my delicate nerves but all was well after a cocktail 🍹( I'm from NY so I would of just stuffed her & her laundry into a dryer & set it on high) 🤗😊😁 Last night was a 4 th of July theme & an anniversary for Cunard so red & gold was all around...the ladies looked especially lovely, the men dapper & the cocktails flowed in the Chart Room. I'm headed off to see the town now...lunch , shopping, sightseeing... All aboard id 6 pm. As far as your beloved QV SHE IS LIVELY LIKE a Grandmother...beautiful w a few wrinkles but you still love her. But Carnivore Corp certainly has made cutbacks all around...from maintenance to food & beverage. I'll report back after I disembark next week. As far as your plaque outside the Commodore Club...I still haven't seen it...I check as I go into the club & TRY to find it on the way out. 🍸 🍸 🍸..I'll continue..both to search & enjoy cocktails. Ciao Bello 😊

HRH ROSCOE... NV2 reporting live from the aft pool deck...about to sail from our first Croatian port...sunny 😎 almost 90 / 30 degrees. Captain Hall is Master & Commander til next week(I'll try to get the Xtra toot for you in one way or another 😜 I not only tapped, massaged & kissed the portal for you I also blessed it for your return. No I'm not clergy but it won't hurt. I can see why you love this ship so much...she is lovely, warm & carries lots of ice for drinks. I took enjoy the art work especially the Stephen Card paintings. Tonight I'll head up to the Commodore Club & splash holy water / Johnny Walker Black on your plaque & suggest sainthood for you to the Captain when I see him tomorrow at the world club party. The only issue was the war in the 7 deck laundry room this morning...my goodness..deck 8 laundry was closed completely so there was an uprising on deck 7. I just went to have a bloody Mary... Love your ship. Thank you HRH ROSCOE

I hope Roscoe you read this b4 tomorrow as Ia m boarding your beloved Queen Victoria tomorrow in Trieste! As I am a QV virgin I would appreciate any tips you might have about QV. Thank you very much and if there is anything I can bring back from QV for you...trinkets, china, silverware, furniture, room stewards, officers??