jimmybean

I think that you will find that Scrapnana was on QE. The word on QV was that Mr Z wanted it to be Verandah Light, well he only achieved Verandah S***e.

Thank you for the further clarification, Capn…

Do you mind telling me how you felt about the Victoria, aside from disappointment in the Verandah? How do you think she compares to the Elizabeth?

Quote: Originally Posted by caber

The majority of people were great, friendly, ordinary cruisers.

Exactly my experience .

_________________Pepper.

Mine as well. Jimmybean….

Not wishing to put a spoke in anyone's wheel but I have eaten in the Verandah on both QE and QV and they are like chalk and cheese. The QE experience was stunning and probably one on the nicest restaurants that I have ever had, certainly at sea; conversely the QV Verandah was awful. At their invitation and as a result of a conversation that I had with a senior officer I met with the Hotel and F&B Managers. They explained that the QV version is not currently a mirror image of the QE as the man behind them all, Jean Claude Zimmerman wanted to ring the changes. It is a French restaurant that doesn't offer much in the way of French food and what it does offer isn't worth bothering with. I wouldn't put words in their mouths but my impression was that I certainly wasn't the first passenger to be dissatisfied with the meal and that they were desperately seeking an acceptable resolution to the matter that wouldn't upset Mr Z. This was in May this year.

Thank you, Capnpugwash, for sharing this information and your experience. DH and I are considering a QV voyage and I did assume the Verandah on her would be identical to the Verandah on the QE. Chalk and cheese, hmmm? Scrapnana's photo suggests the filet might be a better choice than ordering the chalk. Or, since DH and I won't have a special occasion in that timeframe, maybe better to skip the Verandah until menu problems are resolved…

Thriftycrafter, the Verandah isn't the only choice for alternative dining. Less expensive and maybe better food will be available when a section of the buffet becomes a restaurant in the evening...

Well I'd choose the glass of wine, or rather glasses ;) as, if we were waiting for someone to report back with that list of "all the inconsistencies, weirdnesses, and just plain funny business" we could be waiting a very long time indeed! :D

 

Thank you, happy sailings to you, jimmybean :)

Pepper, maybe I forgot to mention, but you have had a long-standing invitation to have a glass of wine in the Commodore with me and DH (although he doesn't actually drink--no matter) next time we all have the opportunity.

On the cruise critic board or on shipboard, no one is better company than you are!

Last voyage, DH and I brought laundry onboard in our handcarries, so we didn't have to wait for suitcases to be delivered before doing laundry. We were in and out in no time (before lifeboat drill).

Happy Sailing! Have a great trip!

TV Programming guide? Please, tell me more about...is it now in printed form in addition to being on screen - a long tortuous flip through TV channels ?

We have sometimes received a paper TV programming guide---but never consistently (even on the same long voyage).

The one in our cabin on May 9th crossing (labelled clearly "May 9th") HAD no correct information. It was hysterical. Every one of the listed movies, etc, was wrong… Nothing correlated by date and time.

I tell you: you need to come onboard, bring a clipboard, and help me start tallying all the inconsistencies, weirdnesses, and just plain funny business.

Or, we could go up to the Commodore and have a glass of wine and laugh about it.

Partial quote

 

 

That's pretty amazing. Infants, babies and children cry, sometimes at the most unexpected occasions. When they cry can't be regulated or predicted, whether they are on land or at sea, in a restaurant, theater, or an otherwise quiet funeral service where they can cry louder than any adult mourner. But that's only my observation.

There have always been a few infants and toddlers on every ship we have sailed on and never have DH or I heard one of these wee creatures produce any loud crying…

I think often what is termed a "well-behaved child" is really excellent parenting at work: making sure there is no hunger, wet-diaper, overstimulation, or missed nap. I think crying can, to a large extent, be predicted and, more often than not, avoidable.

Scrapnana, One picture is worth a thousand words! Yummy looking filet!

: )

It's always been a touted amenity of even an inside stateroom but it seems that there has always been some issue in actually providing it.

Underwatr, I think cabin stewards are asked to preform impossible numbers of tasks…. And, something has to give. …Fruitbasket request forms may be just the right size and shape to fall through the cracks...

(Often, too, the TV programming guide can be difficult to come by--but that is an entirely different story)

Our steward on May 9th crossing was responsible for 12 cabins (many actually having balconies!!!!) Possibly, the steward left the fruitbasket-order-forms thinking --because we had never ordered fruit before--this would be a safe thing to do. Little did she know. I not only filled out ONE form. I filled in that SECOND one, too.

Well, we all learn from mistakes.

Next voyage, I will be wondering why there is no fruit basket request form in our cabin---was it a policy shift or the bad reputation I earned from abusing/over-using fruit basket requests in '14???

Hi Jimmybean. If I understand correctly, you had an inside cabin (Britannia Category) on QM2 and were given a form regarding your fruit basket preferences? Very nice service, but not something I have experienced on my previous dozen voyages on QM2 (Britannia balcony).

 

Your experience is more recent than mine, so I take it that it is a change in service? (In past years, that fruit request form was unavailable to Britannia category passengers, so it appears to be a fairly recent change?) -S

It was the 10th Anniversary Crossing, so I think (in some ways) there was more effort put into delivering some of the niceties. At the same time, I doubt if this was across the board. Service on Cunard ships is never particularly consistent--in my experience.

This was the first time I ordered the cabin fruit basket, but I'm pretty sure we have had order forms left on the desk on other Cunard voyages (while staying in inside cabins). Nothing consistent, however. On some other voyages: no fruits basket order forms left in the room.

We have traveled with Cunard since 2007 and spent a little over 100 days on Cunard ships. My sense is that the explanation lies in inconsistency of service standards rather than any policy changes, although it is difficult to know… Probably, we need to do more data collection on this one. (Gotta get you back on the ship, Salacia--if only to help with the research ; )

Actually, I agree with your suggestion to just pick up fruit as desired in Kings Court for the reasons you detailed. What can one do with a rock-hard pear on the day before disembarkation? (It's not like I would have the luxury of throwing it anywhere like DDBINK1 -- you know: inside cabin, no balcony from which to chuck unwanted fruit)

Nonetheless, I did want to share my two-fruit basket experience : ) (Yes, yes: Jimmytwofruitbaskets : ) but I prefer to go by Jimmybean...

I've seen at least a few babies and toddlers on every cruise ship on which I've ever sailed. I can't remember ever hearing a fussy child crying on any ship. The setting and parade of passengers seem to be entertaining for small children.

When my children were young, I knew when they needed needed food, or a nap, and when they needed needed stimulation or quiet time. Mothers know these things and strategize accordingly. I'm sure that this applies to you as well.

I think Britannia will work fine for your family most nights. If you anticipate a fussy dinner hour, you could easily decide to eat in the buffet or order from room service one night. You aren't locked into any one dinner venue and you can change your mind at the last minute.

If baby gets fussy before dessert in Britannia, you could enjoy dinner there, then walk with the stroller and end up having dessert in the buffet. You will have options which you can play by ear, depending on the situation.

If baby is quiet and not disturbed by the dark, you and your husband should be able to attend shows at the theater. One of my children slept in the cinema--the other cried. Every child is different and every mother learns how her child will react and parents accordingly….

I think a baby sleeping in stroller would not be a problem in one of the bars from my perspective (I'm from the US) but I have no idea whether Cunard would have a rule against such a thing---or if they would enforce such a rule.

BTW, welcome to Cruise Critic. Please post your experience after your voyage so that others may learn from you. (And, try searching past Cruise Critic posts to see if other mothers have posted any tips regarding sailing with an infant).

Happy Happy Sailing!

Wheelchair rooms are different, but I don't think they are "off-putting." Certainly, they are more spacious.

You might hear tender-moving noises from any cabin --balcony or disability equipped--that is in immediate proximity. From my experience on the Queen Elizabeth, they used tenders from alternating sides of the ship in tender-required ports. It isn't like the tender nearest your cabin would be used in every stop. DH and I also don't remember the noise being very loud. I think we were on deck 6, but can't swear to this... We looked out one morning and said "someone has stolen OUR lifeboat" because it disappeared from storage position without us hearing a thing…"

I believe you might be offered an upgrade, if someone needs to book a room that accommodates a wheelchair (later, when they are trying to fill-up the ship)...

Have a great voyage!

For the first time, I requested a fruit basket on May 9th 2014 QM2 crossing by filling out the fruit basket request form left in my cabin.

When nothing arrived the next day, I filled in a second form. On the third day, the first fruit basket arrived. On the fourth day the SECOND fruit basket arrived. On the fifth day, I consolidated the fruit from both baskets, so our stewart could remove one of the baskets. On the sixth and seventh days, we ate a lot of fruit ; )

We were in an inside Britannia cabin. Fruit is another thing not affect by cabin status (except I believe the Grills are offered a broader range of fruit selections).

My suggestions would be (1) to only order one basket then check verbally, rather than fill out a second form… (2) if on a shorter voyage don't order fruit that needs to ripen (like a pear)

Happy Sailing!

BlueRiband, thank you again for all your postings. Your efforts to take us all along with you were very much appreciated.

I swear could feel fog on my face from your descriptions.

Thank you, very much, for sharing your beautiful photos and guiding us around the Queen Victoria! DH and I enjoyed your comments and EVERY photo of every morsel of food! Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks!

 

Just to LA (this time). We are hoping that Cunard offers Australia/NZ RT from LA on the 2016 world cruises (which we did on QE last year to NZ - it was great!).

 

Are you a knitter? My wife gets lots of packages from Jimmy Bean.

No, no knitting projects since I had a teenage daughter who liked long scarfs--a number of years ago. Must be a different Jimmy Bean. : )

DH and I were on the Elizabeth with you (going to NZ) in 2013. GREAT voyage! We are considering L.A. to L.A. on the Victoria, because that was such a nice experience.

We were in Ft Lauderdale in April (2014) boarding a Celebrity ship going transatlantic to Spain. Tablemates were very unhappy with their Ft Lauderdale accommodations---I think a Holiday Inn closer to the ocean. We like the Plantation Hampton because it is a bit "farther out" (from oceanside) but still lots of people staying there before cruising. Reasonably priced. Clean. We have always had a car, though. If you are interested, ask about restaurants nearby or food delivery. There is a mall within walking distance, but I don't remember close restaurant. (Still, I recommend this motel---breakfast is provided and dinner, I'm sure, can be figured out).

Happy Sailing!

Welcome to Cruise Critic, Thriftycrafter!

Sorry my reply assumed you would be on the QM2. The Verandah has a good reputation. Better, I've heard, than Todd English. DH and I haven't been on the Victoria, yet, but it's supposed to be very similar to the Queen Elizabeth, which we enjoyed.

Your balcony will only have a small table (if my memory is correct)--large enough for a couple glasses--not large enough for two dinner plates.

Not to worry: you won't have any trouble booking any of the alternative dining venues once you are onboard.

We have stayed at the Hampton Inn in Plantation/Ft Lauderdale. They have a shuttle to cruise terminals and advertise an airport shuttle.

If you are in the USA, you could call and ask questions.

Here is their website: http://hamptoninn3.hilton.com/en/hotels/florida/hampton-inn-ft-lauderdale-plantation-FLLPTHX/index.html

How far will you be sailing in Feb? All the way to Australia? And, back? : )

The Deck 4 windows are blanks, no cabins behind the blinds, the whole thing (window frame and blind) is just for effect.

 

No idea what (crew space, store etc) is behind them however, where the cabins should be.

 

Hope this helps :) .

Pepper, I don't know how you have acquired such depth of "insider" knowledge!!!! You must be very observant or you make good friends with members of the crew!!! Interesting information! Thank you for sharing. I can't wait to be back on the QM2 to look for secret passages and false rooms myself : )

Thank you so much for sharing your experience.

 

We look forward to our second crossing on the QM2.

 

Keith

Maybe, only your second crossing, but with your number of posts, I imagine you have quite a bit of experience on ships.

The crossings are special AND they are a little addictive. …My guess is your second will not be your last : )

Hi jimmybean,

 

I agree, same here :)

It was a QM2 mini-cruise Southampton-Hamburg-Southampton with four friends June 20th-24th. But thank you very much for remembering, I am impressed (my memory is terrible! :o , so I am jealous of those who can remember... anything!).

 

May 9th was... as perfect a crossing on QM2 as I can imagine :) .

 

And yes, another QM2 trip booked for September (with the honour of being in the company of a very special lady), and again, I am impressed with your exceptional memory.

 

With all best wishes and happy sailings :)

No, Pepper! I have a terrible memory! This was the second time I asked if your last voyage was a crossing (I posed the question the week before you sailed as well). Thank you for expressing the reminder in such a nice way

: )

In the evening, parts of the Kings Court become extra-charge restaurants--$10 per person. You can book the time you want and request a table for two. We have had good meals in the Italian venue (it's been a while--but was good in the past).

Todd English is another option (a bit more expensive, but fancier).

Britannia cabins aren't that large ---maybe not the best space for having a special meal comfortably.

Have a wonderful voyage and Happy Anniversary!

That may have been your experience on board, I can't disagree with or comment on that (only you would know how you're greeted and treated)... But mine is... The more crossings and cruises I take, the more interested some of the stewards and crew are.

It makes each voyage special to be recognised and welcomed in the dining room, bars, lounges etc. Esp when some of the stewards greet me by name (and one or two in the Commodore Club even remember my favourite tipple from last time ;) ). It is one of the reasons I keep going back.

They go that extra mile with exceptional service for regular passengers they recognise, who have treated them as humans last time (not as dirt), who address them by name.

At least that is what I have found as I have done more and more cruises and crossings :)

I hope this helps :)

Hi Pepper,

I agree wholeheartedly that there are pleasures in being a repeat customer which are not related to discounts when booking. With familiarity comes a comfort. The QM2 feels like a temporary home when we are fortunate enough to be onboard.

I hope your last crossing was as nice as May 9th : ) AND, you have one more booking soon, don't you? Lucky you !!!

Hi Keith1010,

DH and I have crossed five times in the autumn and once in the spring (May 2014). Our experience is that the weather in the fall has been much more enjoyable. I hope that will be your experience.

Have a wonderful crossing!

I use them---adding tissue paper as I fold each item and tissue in-between items stacked in the container.

The end result rarely doesn't have at least one "fold crease"---I haven't found this method to be completely perfect--- but nothing too disastrous and these containers are helpful organizing an entire suitcase and avoiding massive wrinkles.

I purchased them a the Container Store in the US, year ago.