QM2: Sat, Sept. 5, some small personal disappointments

[Waswo]

Queen's Room: Afternoon tea: queued about 3:20, seated at 3:30, some small sandwiches arrived at 3:40, begged for scones. Tea arrived at 3:55; we again begged for scones and were told that they were all out.

 

Service was chaotic--people were running every which way yet none of the staff seemed to know which area they were serving.

 

VIVA ITALIA: Evening show--much ballyhooed--Cunard Singers and Dancers. The very worst song and dance show I have seen at sea. Aside from a lame song about Leonardo and another about pizza, the Italian influence was ZERO. Not one single nod to Italian music--I thought that there would be a number influenced by Italian opera or folk song but NOT!

Some original songs, I think, that sounded like the very worse of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber (I do like the best of Lloyd=Webber, but he is hardly Italiano).

 

Aside from that we are getting on and are devising plots to get a scone before we land at Southampton--queue at 2:15 perhaps? I know that people cruise for all kinds of reasons; we selected Cunard for the afternoon tea, in part.

 

Being at sea is great and we are going on an excursion into St. John's today.

 

Nice cabin for a small one; makes good use of space. Service good aside from Bedlam Tea.

[Jimsgirl]

If you see this, suggest you write a note to the Catering Manager, hand it in at the desk, make sure you ask for a "reply ASAP". There should have been a Head waiter at the serving area, look for him when next you go to tea, and ask him "why no scones"

 

It find it hard to believe the kitchen did not provide scones, but then I have had some very strange answers from waiters on some of my cruises and suspect "laziness".

If you read my report on the QV first 17 days of her 2009 World cruise you will read of the truly HORRIBLE MESS that was served in the dining room for "crepe suzettes" It was disgusting, but even worse was that when I complained I was told that I "did not know French cooking" GRRRRRR I could have filleted the chef on the spot!

 

Hope you get your scones.

[Q-step]

The Cunard staff we talked with on our recent TA (we got off in NYC on 09/04) told us that the 4-day NYC cruises are a madhouse onboard. Whereas a crossing slows the pace down, the shortness of the trip combined with a port call makes everyone want to do everything, every day. They said the tea service, Queen's Room dances, discos, bars and shows are always packed to the gills. Frequently there are groups on board who do everything enmasse.

 

On our crossing we did tea twice. Both times we came late, got seated right away and had scones. They even offered seconds.

 

One would think that Cunard would plan better for the 4-day NYC roundtrips.

[imacruizer]

Queen's Room: Afternoon tea: queued about 3:20, seated at 3:30, some small sandwiches arrived at 3:40, begged for scones. Tea arrived at 3:55; we again begged for scones and were told that they were all out.

 

Service was chaotic--people were running every which way yet none of the staff seemed to know which area they were serving.

 

VIVA ITALIA: Evening show--much ballyhooed--Cunard Singers and Dancers. The very worst song and dance show I have seen at sea. Aside from a lame song about Leonardo and another about pizza, the Italian influence was ZERO. Not one single nod to Italian music--I thought that there would be a number influenced by Italian opera or folk song but NOT!

Some original songs, I think, that sounded like the very worse of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber (I do like the best of Lloyd=Webber, but he is hardly Italiano).

 

Aside from that we are getting on and are devising plots to get a scone before we land at Southampton--queue at 2:15 perhaps? I know that people cruise for all kinds of reasons; we selected Cunard for the afternoon tea, in part.

 

Being at sea is great and we are going on an excursion into St. John's today.

 

Nice cabin for a small one; makes good use of space. Service good aside from Bedlam Tea.

 

I'm glad that other than a few small disappointments, things are going well for your cruise.

 

During afternoon tea on the QM2, the tables close to the dance floor are small and very close together. I don't think the waiters can remember whom they have served and those whom they have not served. You will have much better service if you choose a table near the windows.

 

Enjoy every moment of your cruise. It will be over much too soon.

 

Beth

[southwestie]

I'm glad that other than a few small disappointments, things are going well for your cruise.

 

During afternoon tea on the QM2, the tables close to the dance floor are small and very close together. I don't think the waiters can remember whom they have served and those whom they have not served. You will have much better service if you choose a table near the windows.

 

Enjoy every moment of your cruise. It will be over much too soon.

 

Beth

 

 

Yes i think this rings true, the tables nearer the windows are less rushed, we just returned from a 3 day mini cruise and there were pleanty of scones (if you you them that) the teas were wonderful.

 

I have to agree with you on the shows, we love QM2 and QV, we choose to sail cunard for many reasons, the shows are not one them, in fact we have been to a show for a long time, other ships do great shows and fall down in other areas, we prefer a long dinner and a walk on deck and cocktails then bed.

 

I do hope the rest of the cruise is wonderful for you

 

rob

[guernseyguy]

One would think that Cunard would plan better for the 4-day NYC roundtrips.

 

Amen to that! This is the first, of what I suspect will be a number of critical posts about the Labor Day cruise.....if history is any guide.

[jonsul]

Simple solution - go to the Lido, select all the cakes, sandwiches and scones you would like (all on display and for you to help yourself) then take them to the Queens Room to be served your afternoon tea!

:D

[Waswo]

We scored scones on two days out of four! It's been an interesting experience and I will have a long review with all the positives and negatives when I return. Tomorrow we begin the NY - Southampton portion of our QM2 experience.

 

The minor disappointments are always outweighed by the considerable pleasure of being on board even though this computer is acting as if it were 1994 and using a modem!

[SeaMatesNYC]

Amen to that! This is the first, of what I suspect will be a number of critical posts about the Labor Day cruise.....if history is any guide.

 

I was prepared to have to report as such, but was in fact pleasantly surprised to find things generally up to snuff. Not perfect in all ways, but a very pleasant holiday, Cunard style. Now, for me, I loved the new Viva Italia show, especially the Mona Lisa kick line (or should that be Mona Louigi?)!!!:eek:

[Finch]

Yesterday I went to the tea in the Kings Court, and there were piles of warm scones, and bowls of clotted cream There was a line, but ample provisions.... I thought that the Viva Italia show was fairly good. There were a few corney bits (especially the Tony Macaroni part), and the tunes weren't especially memorable, but the dancing was excellent. I loved the dancing Mona Lisa/Luigi line, too. That was original! I enjoyed meeting with the CC folks. This was a great trip. I will have to exist on the vapors of that, plus people's reports of other cruises and TAs. I hated to leave!!!

[garigoun]

Yesterday I went to the tea in the Kings Court, and there were piles of warm scones, and bowls of clotted cream There was a line, but ample provisions....

 

What is it with the bloody scones? Scones, scones, scones. Hello! Scones are not some endangered species whose sole remaining habitat is the blasted QM2. See them any day at your local friendly bakery, supermarket or motorway service station. Give them some money and you can have them any time you like. Scones scones, scones. They had no scones. Boo Hoo. They had scones, Hurrah.! I had to ask twice for scones. Lordy lord!

Best thing is if everyone took their own scones, proper scones not those miniscule pretenders that masquerade as scones on the QM2. Should be proscuted for impersonating scones they should. Orter be a lor!

Gari

[VirginCruiser II]

I don't think that was clotted cream somehow. More like squirty cream in a bowl!:eek:

[Boytjie]

Yesterday I went to the tea in the Kings Court, and there were piles of warm scones, and bowls of clotted cream There was a line, but ample provisions....

 

Hi, Finch, it was nice to meet you!

 

We too had tea on Monday and there were plenty of scones available. It was quite busy and there was a line of people waiting for tables but service did not seem to be bad. They came around with sandwhices a few times, then cakes and finally scones. The only issue that I had was that I had to wait quite a while for some milk for my tea.

 

 

What is it with the bloody scones? Scones, scones, scones. Hello! Scones are not some endangered species whose sole remaining habitat is the blasted QM2. See them any day at your local friendly bakery, supermarket or motorway service station. Give them some money and you can have them any time you like. Scones scones, scones. They had no scones. Boo Hoo. They had scones, Hurrah.! I had to ask twice for scones. Lordy lord!

Best thing is if everyone took their own scones, proper scones not those miniscule pretenders that masquerade as scones on the QM2. Should be proscuted for impersonating scones they should. Orter be a lor!

Gari

 

Well, in my neck of the woods you can't find scones everywhere. They do have this other American concoction that they call a scone (rhymes with stone) but it is not the same thing.

 

 

I don't think that was clotted cream somehow. More like squirty cream in a bowl!:eek:

 

Whipped, not clotted, for sure. But yummy nonetheless. :)

[Waswo]

Where I live a scone is a huge and ungainly concoction made up of diverse ingredients: ham, cheese, or cloves or blueberries or other improbable sundries. Most of them are the size of a football--or a small one--but possibly weigh more.

 

I think that the only way to get a good scone in the large drive-over portion of the USA is to learn how to cook them properly.

 

That's why anglophiles such as me get as obsessed about scones are most Americans are about baseball.

[bobby1119]

We witnessed some guests berating one of the Queens Room managers for a table at tea time on the sea day. They were positively abusive. Our dog has better manners.

 

Because tables filled quickly, we returned after our day in saint John to a half-filled Queens Room. We even got the coveted scones (from our wonderful Britannia waiter who serves scones at tea). I have never been impressed by the quality of scones on Queen Mary 2, but this time they were warm, fresh and soft, clearly right out of the oven.

 

Yummy.

[phillipahain]

We too found that Tea in Queens Room on QV was a shambles

The staff were trying to serve cakes before you sat down then sandwiches and scones you had to beg for along with a cup of tea

 

We gave up and went to the Buffet where there was no problem however no cruise ship even Oceania where Afternoon Tea is a true Gourmet Delight has Clotted cream

 

The best you will get is whipped cream or maybe whipped double cream

 

And Yes for some of us a scone with cream and jam and a Cup of really good Tea is an afternoon treat

 

Sadly the other failing of Cunard and most Carnival Corp ships is they simply do not understand how to make a really good scone they far too often resemble a cookie

[Boytjie]

That's why anglophiles such as me get as obsessed about scones are most Americans are about baseball.

 

I think I should make some this weekend! :D The South African version was usually about 2 inches high, those on the QM2 were about half that.

[Jimsgirl]

Simple solution - go to the Lido, select all the cakes, sandwiches and scones you would like (all on display and for you to help yourself) then take them to the Queens Room to be served your afternoon tea!

:D

 

Oh dear I really cannot advise this, I think you would soon find yourself being asked to leave by the head waiter.

 

Go about 25 mins ahead of time, choose a table maybe near the window, first they will bring around the sandwiches (you can ask for whatever you wish), then it is the cakes, and then the scones , "cream" (of sorts) and preserve.

 

Tea is not usually given in the pot, but poured into your cup - unless you ask for a special blend - I like to have darjeeling, and that does come in a pot, though getting it can be a case of being determined.

 

Lynn

[hansol1966]

I apologise for a previous post (about breakfast) for getting on my high horse and stating some facts ...good luck bon chance.

Fred & Sian.

[berpat]

What is it with the bloody scones? Scones, scones, scones. Hello! Scones are not some endangered species whose sole remaining habitat is the blasted QM2. See them any day at your local friendly bakery, supermarket or motorway service station. Give them some money and you can have them any time you like. Scones scones, scones. They had no scones. Boo Hoo. They had scones, Hurrah.! I had to ask twice for scones. Lordy lord!

Best thing is if everyone took their own scones, proper scones not those miniscule pretenders that masquerade as scones on the QM2. Should be proscuted for impersonating scones they should. Orter be a lor!

Gari

Well said Gari, I have posted a similar comment regarding the imitation fish,chips & peas served up in the Golden Lion.:eek: