Queen Elizabeth reviews- seconds thoughts?

We have cruised with Seabourn the last several years and decided to try the QE because Seabourn was so late in getting their 2013 scheduled released. We booked the Panama Canal cruise in a Princess Grill suite. After reading so many poor to mediocre reviews we are having second thought about keeping this reservation. When I see on the CC web page shows 63% loved the QE, but 88% loved the Seabourn Quest, it is difficult to reconcile the difference. I have not sailed Cunard since 2004 and am concerned that the pampering and comradery we are accustom to will not exist on the QE. For those of you who have sailed both lines could you please provide some insight.

As a frequent Seabourn cruiser you are accustomed to the same level of service throughout the ship no matter what suite you are in. On QE even in Princess Grill once you leave the confines of the restaurant or QG Lounge you are on a large ship with large ship attributes. If you have found an itinerary you like and are willing to travel just for that you will be fine. If you expect a SB experience you will be disappointed however. jmo.

Thank you wripro. That is one of our primary concerns. We have vever been disappointed on a Seabourn cruise, and you hate to spend $12,000 and say, " If we had only ..." . We need to put a lot more thought on this one, before we make the final payment.

I have not sailed Cunard since 2004 and am concerned that the pampering and comradery we are accustom to will not exist on the QE.

If you last sailed in 2004 then it must have been on either QE2 or QM2. I can't comment about the QM2 but we found the QE far more like the QE2 in atmosphere than the Vicky. We enjoyed QE and will go back on her again.

SHE IS STILL A MODERN CRUISE SHIP HOWEVER AND LACKS ALL THE PATINA THAT MADE QE2 WHAT SHE WAS.

You are correct, it was the QM2 and we really enjoyed the ship. I think part of what made that experience worthwhile was the fact that it was the inaugural year and it was the largest cruise ship ever built at the time. The people on board had a real excitement about the cruise. We later booked and the cruise was cancelled due to it having to go into dry dock for maintenance or repairs. It got much much better reviews than the QE during it's inaugural year.

QE is a cruise ship, QM2 is a proper ocean liner. The best of both is/was the QE2, proper ocean liner hull, intimate and comfortable interior.

You are correct, it was the QM2 and we really enjoyed the ship. I think part of what made that experience worthwhile was the fact that it was the inaugural year and it was the largest cruise ship ever built at the time. The people on board had a real excitement about the cruise. We later booked and the cruise was cancelled due to it having to go into dry dock for maintenance or repairs. It got much much better reviews than the QE during it's inaugural year.

We sailed the QM2 on it's inaugural year as well. We were in a B-4(sheltered stateroom)The food was excellent. Real Lobster/Caviar was served on the last formal night. Try getting that now in Britannia. That being said, we've done both Queen/Princess Grills & I think you'll find the service & attention to detail at a level that you're used to. Our last trip was this past Jan. on QV, which is pretty much the same as the QE. The ship does rock a lot, even in moderate seas. This is more due to the wide bow, than not being an ocean liner.

If you loved Seabourn I think you may be very disappointed with Cunard, they are chalk and cheese. We have sailed both and whilst we would happily go back to Seabourn we won't be sailing Cunard again. As the previous poster said, once you leave your beautiful cabin you are on a large ship and it's a very different experience. Seabourn's service is renowned and was no way matched by Cunard's even in the dining room. As an example, we went to the Princess Grill everyday for breakfast, lunch and dinner and only on the first day was there anyone at the door to greet us.....we found our way to our table by ourselves. Seabourn greet you by name and escort you to your table. Just one of many details that make Seabourn a very different ship to Cunard.

If you loved Seabourn I think you may be very disappointed with Cunard, they are chalk and cheese. We have sailed both and whilst we would happily go back to Seabourn we won't be sailing Cunard again. As the previous poster said, once you leave your beautiful cabin you are on a large ship and it's a very different experience. Seabourn's service is renowned and was no way matched by Cunard's even in the dining room. As an example, we went to the Princess Grill everyday for breakfast, lunch and dinner and only on the first day was there anyone at the door to greet us.....we found our way to our table by ourselves. Seabourn greet you by name and escort you to your table. Just one of many details that make Seabourn a very different ship to Cunard.

We were on QV in January in QG and I would say we were escorted to our table 50% of the time so I guess it is luck of the draw.

If you loved Seabourn I think you may be very disappointed with Cunard, they are chalk and cheese. We have sailed both and whilst we would happily go back to Seabourn we won't be sailing Cunard again. As the previous poster said, once you leave your beautiful cabin you are on a large ship and it's a very different experience. Seabourn's service is renowned and was no way matched by Cunard's even in the dining room. As an example, we went to the Princess Grill everyday for breakfast, lunch and dinner and only on the first day was there anyone at the door to greet us.....we found our way to our table by ourselves. Seabourn greet you by name and escort you to your table. Just one of many details that make Seabourn a very different ship to Cunard.

I can't comment on QV/QE but on QM2 we were ALWAYS greeted by name. It's true we were not always escorted to our table, but that was because we would arrive with a large group & there simply were not enough attendants to escort all of us, but the women were always escorted. We never had any trouble ordering "off menu" if we chose, so I wouldn't call Cunard Chalk & cheese. It's true that only the Grills are considered luxury, but I wouldn't say once you left your beautiful room you descended into the depths of the underclasses. Seaborn caters to a smaller crowd. Cunard caters to a much larger crowd. If it's true LUXURY you want, well then it's the Europa for you.

I have been 15 times on the QM2 and the so called "cuisine" has become progressively worse over time. For example, if you want a chocolate croissant, standard fare on most mid to upscale lines, you will need to be in the pricey Grill Class. Cunard dinner portions are sometimes small and the waiters' can be surly. if you like bread and rolls with dinner, Cunard doles them out one at a time which is OK since they are generally awful. breakfast service is likely the slowest on the seas, often taking 90 minutes due to chronic understaffing in the britannia dining room. Cunard does have good routes but it is not a luxury line, and lags behind its sister line Princess. I patronize both lines because Cunard does seem to have superior routes, less rowdies, better entainment and ammenities. Staff tells me Cunard's "White Star" service is often found wanting because other lines pay more to crew. The Cunard brigade here will likely bash this, but I am an Anglophile and I am telling you the truth when i say Cunard cannot even provide a proper fry up in the AM.

I have been 15 times on the QM2 and the so called "cuisine" has become progressively worse over time. For example, if you want a chocolate croissant, standard fare on most mid to upscale lines, you will need to be in the pricey Grill Class. Cunard dinner portions are sometimes small and the waiters' can be surly. if you like bread and rolls with dinner, Cunard doles them out one at a time which is OK since they are generally awful. breakfast service is likely the slowest on the seas, often taking 90 minutes due to chronic understaffing in the britannia dining room. Cunard does have good routes but it is not a luxury line, and lags behind its sister line Princess. I patronize both lines because Cunard does seem to have superior routes, less rowdies, better entainment and ammenities. Staff tells me Cunard's "White Star" service is often found wanting because other lines pay more to crew. The Cunard brigade here will likely bash this, but I am an Anglophile and I am telling you the truth when i say Cunard cannot even provide a proper fry up in the AM.

What do you consider constitutes a "proper fry up"?

I have been 15 times on the QM2 and the so called "cuisine" has become progressively worse over time. For example, if you want a chocolate croissant, standard fare on most mid to upscale lines, you will need to be in the pricey Grill Class. Cunard dinner portions are sometimes small and the waiters' can be surly. if you like bread and rolls with dinner, Cunard doles them out one at a time which is OK since they are generally awful. breakfast service is likely the slowest on the seas, often taking 90 minutes due to chronic understaffing in the britannia dining room. Cunard does have good routes but it is not a luxury line, and lags behind its sister line Princess. I patronize both lines because Cunard does seem to have superior routes, less rowdies, better entainment and ammenities. Staff tells me Cunard's "White Star" service is often found wanting because other lines pay more to crew. The Cunard brigade here will likely bash this, but I am an Anglophile and I am telling you the truth when i say Cunard cannot even provide a proper fry up in the AM.

How utterly awful that you have to put up with a "Cunard Brigade" on a board named "Cunard Line". I feel your pain.

I have been 15 times on the QM2 and the so called "cuisine" has become progressively worse over time. For example, if you want a chocolate croissant, standard fare on most mid to upscale lines, you will need to be in the pricey Grill Class. Cunard dinner portions are sometimes small and the waiters' can be surly. if you like bread and rolls with dinner, Cunard doles them out one at a time which is OK since they are generally awful. breakfast service is likely the slowest on the seas, often taking 90 minutes due to chronic understaffing in the britannia dining room. Cunard does have good routes but it is not a luxury line, and lags behind its sister line Princess. I patronize both lines because Cunard does seem to have superior routes, less rowdies, better entainment and ammenities. Staff tells me Cunard's "White Star" service is often found wanting because other lines pay more to crew. The Cunard brigade here will likely bash this, but I am an Anglophile and I am telling you the truth when i say Cunard cannot even provide a proper fry up in the AM.

Fry up?? Would that be eggs sunny side? If so I've had them done fine. I'm surprised about all this banter about poor service etc. We've been 7 times & never had issues. It's true the food is much better in the Grills. For the price ,which is close to Seaborne levels, it should be. I don't expect that level of service in Britannia. They feed over 1600 nightly. I've never had rude waiters. Being in the food industry myself, I often see rude obnoxious customers, who have no idea how rude they are. Being too demanding & "beyotching" about the smallest issues won't win you friends. As to Princess, they manage many of the affairs of Cunard. If Cunard has declined, it's because Princess doesn't know anything about what it takes for Premium/luxury travel.

Fry up?? Would that be eggs sunny side? If so I've had them done fine. I'm surprised about all this banter about poor service etc. We've been 7 times & never had issues. It's true the food is much better in the Grills. For the price ,which is close to Seaborne levels, it should be. I don't expect that level of service in Britannia. They feed over 1600 nightly. I've never had rude waiters. Being in the food industry myself, I often see rude obnoxious customers, who have no idea how rude they are. Being too demanding & "beyotching" about the smallest issues won't win you friends. As to Princess, they manage many of the affairs of Cunard. If Cunard has declined, it's because Princess doesn't know anything about what it takes for Premium/luxury travel.

Nah, I was just reading about it. Sounds interesting but I doubt I would partake of the good fry up.

A good fry up

Fun and a good introduction to Chinese cooking. The most interesting part was the use of the wok and the Chinese approach to frying. The recipes were basic, the only spice we used was chilli and oyster or soya sauce, and in one dish beer gave some flavour. The staff were excellent and enthusiastic, and the outcome outranked most local restaurants. They looked after us as vegetarians making changes to the menu, although the wok and other utensils were non veg.

We have cruised with Seabourn the last several years and decided to try the QE because Seabourn was so late in getting their 2013 scheduled released. We booked the Panama Canal cruise in a Princess Grill suite. After reading so many poor to mediocre reviews we are having second thought about keeping this reservation. When I see on the CC web page shows 63% loved the QE, but 88% loved the Seabourn Quest, it is difficult to reconcile the difference. I have not sailed Cunard since 2004 and am concerned that the pampering and comradery we are accustom to will not exist on the QE. For those of you who have sailed both lines could you please provide some insight.

I have never been on Seabourn, but talking with friends who have, the experience with Seabourn and Cunard is as already said, quite different so it is not easy to really compare the two. The PG cabins are smaller than the suites on Seabourn. On the QE, even in Queens Grill, you may not feel the same level of pampering as you experienced on Seabourn, but that being said the QE is a beautiful ship and we loved every minute on board.

In our experience we were escorted to our table most nights, we were always greeted by name by the dining room staff, and most of the bar staff knew who we were and what we liked to drink (I don't know if the latter is a bad reflection on us or not). We know people who have spent almost all of their trip actually in the Grills section (the dining room, Grills lounge, sun terrace, and courtyard) and were quite happy not venturing into the other parts of the ship. We love the whole ship, especially the Commodore Club, but it is certainly not a small intimate environment.

I am really looking forward to our next trip on QE. She is a beautiful ship, and the pampering and comradery certainly meet my expectations, but may be different to what you have experienced on Seabourn.

We have sailed both lines and enjoyed both very much. There is really no way to properly compare a ship with 2,000 passengers to one with 200. (have not yet sailed Seabourn's new, larger ships) We thoroughly enjoyed Seabourn in the Med and recently had a very nice cruise on Queen Victoria. Expectations need to be realistic no matter what the line. :D:D

A Good Fry Up.

Eggs sunny side up or turned.

Good british back bacon.

At least two succulent pork sausages fried. BUT ON NO ACCOUNT DEEP FRIED.

Black pudding.

Fried Bread.

Baked beans (optional).

White pudding (depending on your location and customs).

Fried tomatoes.

Mushrooms.

In all cases grilled may be substituted for fried but then it's not a 'Fry-up' is it, you wimps.

There may be additions but certainly no subtractions.

Shiny.

A Good Fry Up.

Eggs sunny side up or turned.

Good british back bacon.

At least two succulent pork sausages fried. BUT ON NO ACCOUNT DEEP FRIED.

Black pudding.

Fried Bread.

Baked beans (optional).

White pudding (depending on your location and customs).

Fried tomatoes.

Mushrooms.

 

In all cases grilled may be substituted for fried but then it's not a 'Fry-up' is it, you wimps.

 

There may be additions but certainly no subtractions.

Shiny.

Ok, first of all shiny that seems like an awful lot of food for breakfast And what is British back bacon? I have had black pudding, courtesy of a friend of mine, but not white pudding. What is that? Really you fry tomatoes? I think your bacon is a little limp myself, but not bad. All and all not bad, but I would rather have eggs benedict, I really think. :)

Ok, first of all shiny that seems like an awful lot of food for breakfast

What do you mean "an awful lot of food"?

That's just the first breakfast.

Anon

A Good Fry Up.

Eggs sunny side up or turned.

Good british back bacon.

At least two succulent pork sausages fried. BUT ON NO ACCOUNT DEEP FRIED.

Black pudding.

Fried Bread.

Baked beans (optional).

White pudding (depending on your location and customs).

Fried tomatoes.

Mushrooms.

 

In all cases grilled may be substituted for fried but then it's not a 'Fry-up' is it, you wimps.

 

There may be additions but certainly no subtractions.

Shiny.

And, of course, for the absolute ultimate in breakfasts, the unsurpassable Ulster Fry, you would need to add fried tatty scones and soda farls to the mix. Yummy. :cool:

And, of course, for the absolute ultimate in breakfasts, the unsurpassable Ulster Fry, you would need to add fried tatty scones and soda farls to the mix. Yummy. :cool:

Of course. Of course. But I omitted such exotica because of the language barrier.

SS

We sailed the QM2 on it's inaugural year as well. We were in a B-4(sheltered stateroom)The food was excellent. Real Lobster/Caviar was served on the last formal night. Try getting that now in Britannia.

 

You are not correct is assuming Lobster is not available in the Britannia Restaurant. We travelled on the QV in March / April this year and on the penulimate night Lobster was served, (and very delicious it was too) AND we were offered seconds (we which had)! I can also confirm it was far better than the Lobster we were served whilst in the Princess Grill during the QM2 2010 carribean cruise (I think you were in QG on that trip)

We sailed the QM2 on it's inaugural year as well. We were in a B-4(sheltered stateroom)The food was excellent. Real Lobster/Caviar was served on the last formal night. Try getting that now in Britannia.

 

You are not correct is assuming Lobster is not available in the Britannia Restaurant. We travelled on the QV in March / April this year and on the penulimate night Lobster was served, (and very delicious it was too) AND we were offered seconds (we which had)! I can also confirm it was far better than the Lobster we were served whilst in the Princess Grill during the QM2 2010 carribean cruise (I think you were in QG on that trip)

We did have Lobster as our last formal meal on QV this past Jan. It was done up as a thermidore. It was the cheaper "Rock" vareity. We had Maine/Canada variety in the Grills.

The portion was tiny, about 3 small forks worth.They would take the meat out add thermidore ing. reinsert into the shell. An easy way to control and reduce portion size..a sign of cheapness,sorry. I should have had the Beef Wellington. I know I could have had "seconds". I was just a bit disappointed in what really SHOULD have been a memorable meal. We're in the food industry, so we really like getting "wowed". We weren't that night. We found the 3 tastings in Lido to be far superior & easily worth the $10. You never felt rushed.(more like the Grills) We were always done no later than 7:45, but always felt a little rushed in Britannia. Do try oredering a Sorbet "Intermezzo" between Apps. & entree.

I don't why there is such resistance to the fact that the Britannia food on the QM2 is not as good as Princess and Celebrity. I travel on all 3 and have been on over 30 cruises since 2004. Lately, though Cunard has gotten cheaper and if you have been on enough before you may notice reduced portions, certain items missing form the menus, and a drop in the quality of meat and seafood.

I am also curious to know if the toilets and beds have been replaced yet? Nothing turns me off more than a cracked or stained toilet seat, busted and tranished room fixtures and mlidewy shower curtains all of which I have encountered on the QM2. I assume the refit was just to replace the carpet and reconfigure public area plus new bed linens but not necessaruily new cabin furniture?