Getting tired of the QM2 bashing

[stephen@stoneyard.co.uk]

> Then I read that on the QE in the Princess Grill, after Captains Cocktail Party, there was "no a la carte, in order that all the people coming from the party would not be tempted order from the a la carte "!

On my four Grill cruises (including the 4 day in May when we met you in Sir Samuels) they have alway struggled a bit on Captains cocktail night. Everybody arrives late and all together after the party. Something that happens every night in the Britannia but not in the Grills. On the May cruise in the Queens Grill they did very well and I think I had A La Carte that night. Old hands often skip the cocktail party and enjoy an early meal in the Grills that night. It is quiet and the service undivided. I never do that as I cannot resist a free drink and a chat.

Best wishes, Stephen.

[Sauer-kraut]

Could it be that since the crew was also affected by illness that is the reason the 'cleanliness' issues about the hallways were noticed? If the staff was already reduced because of staffing issues for the Queen Elizabeth, and then on top of it the fewer bodies released for work due to the infection of course there will be problems with housekeeping.

Just my 2 cents.

[polofan]

That could be a reason, but official stats only show 29 crew ill. As to the QE, thats totally unacceptable - especially since there is a substantial premium for the festive cruise, if anything one would expect better service, not a ghost ship crew.

[guernseyguy]

[quote name='rob6852']I think I have it all covered[/QUOTE]

Good luck!

But I'd assume it does not work and take alternative remedies....(imodium et al)

[southwestie]

[quote name='guernseyguy']Good luck!

But I'd assume it does not work and take alternative remedies....(imodium et al)[/quote]

#
I think I have it all, imodium too, the boat we are on is a good boat, great reviews and I know someone that does the cleaniness checks on nile cruise boats, so all should be good

[polofan]

#

I think I have it all, imodium too, the boat we are on is a good boat, great reviews and I know someone that does the cleaniness checks on nile cruise boats, so all should be good

 

I really hope you don't catch anything, but if you do: try not to use imodium unless you really have to (because of travel etc...) your best bet is to let anything run its course otherwise your only delaying the inevitable and you'll end up feeling worse (stomach cramps etc...)

I hope you have a lovely trip, the nile is something that i'd love to do :-)

[Alba50]

I hear you I was on the QM2 at the end off May and everything was great. I haven't given up on Cunard and I have booked a shorter trip on the Queen Elizabeth as I really feel this is a QM2 problem. I too spoke to the pursers, maitre'd and I will confess to having a bit of a meltdown with the poor chap in charge of Kings court. I had the same response basicly ohhh I will get you a clean cup and yes I see your point lipstick marks on your glass isn't very nice. I will say that on the last few days of the cruise some of the head staff from the Grills were brought out to help Kings Court and things did begin to improve. They began instructing staff and they made sure things were done properly. I didn't take any pictures but I'm a little embarassed to say that I do have great footage of the helicpoter air lift which shows the helicopter hovering over my balcony which I took with my ipod. I felt a bit like an ambulance chaser and didn't think it was in good taste to post...

[Alba50]

In regard to the comments on whether or not we complained. Can I just say that on a previouse voyage on the QM2 I was served a meal with a little black hair placed on top. It was a little disgusting and they took the meal away straight away. I did write to the maitre'd and simply said I was disapointed and it had made me reluctant to dine in the dinning room. That evening I chose to dine in Todd English the Maitre'd at the time tracked me down while I was at Todd English apologized in person apologized on behalf of the staff and asked me to please come back to the dinning room. my fee for dinner at Todd English that night was waved including my glass of wine. The next evening I thanked him very much and I told him I completly understand these things happen but the way that it was handeled was excellent. But to me that is white star service that is Cunard and that is why there are people that will only travel with Cunard and people that sail with them year after year. It is not about how much the fare is these people would probably travel with Cunard regardless off price. But if these people loose their faith in Cunard and are so completly disapointed then everything about Cunard is lost with them and they will just become another mass market Carnival cruise ship like all the rest. My complaints aren't in regard to Noro I accept this is a part of travel and life. My complaints are with general standards of health and safety onboard the ship stemming from what I view as a very young crew who were not trainned. Everyone I spoke to had been there for three months or less. The crew looked visibly tired, confused, slow, uncertain and rude. Given a few months and correct trainning I'm sure this crew will do a great job. However it is unacceptable for Cunard to use a 15 night festive cruise as an experiment and use the passengers as guinea pigs...

[jonsey]

Im very sorry about your illness. ButI still will travel on the QM2 she is a truly beautiful liner. The Noro virus has been on every ship I travel on as a consequance I am more strict than normal on my hand washing technique, and cleaning of my cabin, when away from home and so far it has been a sucess.

[southwestie]

I really hope you don't catch anything, but if you do: try not to use imodium unless you really have to (because of travel etc...) your best bet is to let anything run its course otherwise your only delaying the inevitable and you'll end up feeling worse (stomach cramps etc...)

I hope you have a lovely trip, the nile is something that i'd love to do :-)

 

 

Thank you . I am looking forward to traveling by boat along with some very good friends.

[southwestie]

I do have to wonder now, if it was so very bad, why did you not take photos to show to people, Cunard shoreside for instance,

 

I for one would taken a least a couple to show the dirt,lipstick and poor conditions on the ship.

 

surlet out of the 4 or 5 people with such servere complaints would have at least one photo, please someone show us on here the problem

[UUNetBill]

First, a little background - we were on this particular cruise and it was our first time on Cunard. We have previously only sailed with Regent so I don't know if it's fair fair to make an apples-to-apples comparison, but I feel like I should at least contribute my observations. I think I should also state that I'm not a Cunard bashed, nor am I a cheerleader. I just want to share some of my opinions of this supposed "Cruise from Hell". . .

 

Norovirus: First time I'd encountered this on a cruise, but also the first time I'd cruised on a ship with over 700 passengers and the first time I'd cruised at this time of year, so I can't blame Cunard. I think they did a remarkable job containing the virus, and I'm sure that the extra shifts and duties the crew had to work contributed directly to the 'diminished service' some people have noted.

 

Cleanliness: I, too, thought the ship wasn't as clean as it could have been, but I also think the extra duties the crew needed to perform (serving in the buffet, wiping down all handrails/elevator buttons/door handles, dispensing Purell everywhere) contributed to that. I did have to send back some utensils and glassware a few times, which I didn't feel was up to White Star Service standards, but that happens in land based restaurants as well. . .not too pleasing, but not a vacation breaker.

 

Service: I had no complaints with the staff at all. Our room steward was fantastic, as was our waitstaff in Britannia. Wasn't too fond of Kings Court, but we don't do buffets at home, either. Overall, bartenders were good, pursers were okay, and the only time I called for room service, the food arrived sooner than promised and it was hot.

 

Food: Probably the biggest disappointment for us. Main dining room was uninspired and not too exciting. Portions were okay, food was generally bland. Buffet was, well, a buffet. Okay for late night, but. . . Todd English was the saving grace. Ate there a LOT and it was worth it!

 

Bottom line as I see it - Cunard may not be what they once were, but they're still nice enough that we booked again for the Christmas cruise next year. Are they as good as Regent? Not in my mind, but dollar for dollar, they're a great alternative. If they 'improve' by next Christmas, well, I'll be just that much happier.

 

PS - The helicopter medevac - the helo doesn't actually land on the deck, it remains in a low hover and transfers the patient via a basket. Fire crews are deployed, lower decks are closed off, and cabins underneath the helo are evacuated as a safety precaution, not a security precaution. If the helo were to crash, burning aviation fuel could dozens, if not hundreds, of people. :eek:

[Salacia]

I do have to wonder now, if it was so very bad, why did you not take photos to show to people, Cunard shoreside for instance,

 

I for one would taken a least a couple to show the dirt,lipstick and poor conditions on the ship.

 

surlet out of the 4 or 5 people with such servere complaints would have at least one photo, please someone show us on here the problem

 

Hi Rob. I think you made a good point. On my last QM2 voyage (Nov 27 thru Dec 18), I took many photos. But I did not take any photos of the things I saw on board that I did not want to remember. I see now that perhaps I should have taken photographs of the things I noticed, not just the pretty photo ops.

 

 

QM2 has only one Caribbean voyage remaining this year (after the current Jan voyage) Perhaps resources were re-directed to those voyages deemed a future priority?

 

Regards,

Salacia

[southwestie]

Hi Rob. I think you made a good point. On my last QM2 voyage (Nov 27 thru Dec 18), I took many photos. But I did not take any photos of the things I saw on board that I did not want to remember. I see now that perhaps I should have taken photographs of the things I noticed, not just the pretty photo ops.

 

 

QM2 has only one Caribbean voyage remaining this year (after the current Jan voyage) Perhaps resources were re-directed to those voyages deemed a future priority?

 

Regards,

Salacia

 

 

Thats what i am saying, now i would taken a few of the photos of the bad things, not to see again, but to show Cunard if I wanted to make a point.

 

UUNETBILL

 

Thanks for your comments that explains thing much better, we had the virus in October, we had the crew change over to QE and many crew needed training, but it was not that bad, if it had gotten worse then things should/must be done to make it right again, I cant fault Cunard, the wat the virus was dealt with was good, I still like the food in the MDR and the Italian resturant in the evening is amazing and so is the Lotus etc, these for me have always been by the best on the ship

[ms91bw]

Then I read that on the QE in the Princess Grill, after Captains Cocktail Party, there was "no a la carte, in order that all the people coming from the party would not be tempted order from the a la carte "!

 

This has been standard practice in the Princess Grill for many years, and was the case on QE2, so it is hardly relevant to the discussion in hand.

[rrunner]

Hi Rob. I think you made a good point. On my last QM2 voyage (Nov 27 thru Dec 18), I took many photos. But I did not take any photos of the things I saw on board that I did not want to remember. I see now that perhaps I should have taken photographs of the things I noticed, not just the pretty photo ops.

 

 

QM2 has only one Caribbean voyage remaining this year (after the current Jan voyage) Perhaps resources were re-directed to those voyages deemed a future priority?

 

Regards,

Salacia

 

We are on board now. I am sitting in the library as I type. There is no sign of the virus at all. The ship is very clean - lots of the carpeting is new and most of the staterooms have been refurbished I am told?? Our stateroom looks very good - flat screen TV and new drapes etc. Food is good - not great though. Not that pleased with the main dining room in the evenings - I struggle to find something really great - it is always a hit and miss. We are on a table for 8 - 4 are very happy with the food 4 not - so take your pick. Have no problem with breakfast lunch and afternoon tea. We tried the Carvery in KC last night - it was better than Britannia in my opinion.

[Casino Player]

We are on board now. I am sitting in the library as I type. There is no sign of the virus at all. The ship is very clean - lots of the carpeting is new and most of the staterooms have been refurbished I am told?? Our stateroom looks very good - flat screen TV and new drapes etc. Food is good - not great though. Not that pleased with the main dining room in the evenings - I struggle to find something really great - it is always a hit and miss. We are on a table for 8 - 4 are very happy with the food 4 not - so take your pick. Have no problem with breakfast lunch and afternoon tea. We tried the Carvery in KC last night - it was better than Britannia in my opinion.

 

HHHHHEEEEELLLLLLLLLLOOOOO rrunner: My wife and I went on the QM2 after Thanksgiving. There was no sign of the norovirus then either. We weren't pleased with the main dining room either. We ended up in the Kings Court many times and a couple of times either went to the Kings Court and brought the food back to the stateroom or ordered room service. The Carvery is the best for dinner although the La Piazzia is quite good too. Enjoy.

[appleacre881]

We're on the QM2 right now and I have never seen a cleaner ship. We've been joking about looking for dust, rust or anything and can barely find a thing. No sign of disease or dirt....

[southwestie]

We're on the QM2 right now and I have never seen a cleaner ship. We've been joking about looking for dust, rust or anything and can barely find a thing. No sign of disease or dirt....

 

 

Well done, I am pleased, I was starting to just wonder if I had been on board a few months wearing dark glasses or something.

 

I have been on the QM2 13 times and she amazes me every time

[keithm]

We're on the QM2 right now and I have never seen a cleaner ship. We've been joking about looking for dust, rust or anything and can barely find a thing. No sign of disease or dirt....

Our Nov.27 trip was outstanding. We did the Q-Grill & it couldn't have been finer. We went off menu several times with no issues. We find it's best to give a day's notice to go off menu. Example: we ordered Foi Gras & sweetbreads on a Monday eve. to be served as Apps for Tues. eve. We did notice the "gaps" under the carpet along the grand lobby. We feel this will be taken care of during the maintainance dry dock late this fall. We never saw rude/unhelpful staff. Considering how hectic Kings court can be, I feel they do a great job. Being in the food industry we can spot real problems. That's not to say none occurred(there were numerous issues in Britannia)In the Grills, service was top drawer(as it should be for what we paid!)I do bow to the comments of Salacia & Jimsgirl, who traveled far more than us. A friend of my mother also dined in Britannia, and though she had no problems, she did see issues at some of the surrounding tables. We do plan another voyage, possibly on Queen Victoria, as the QM2 will be in referbishment at the time we usually sail.

[Cruachan]

Well done, I am pleased, I was starting to just wonder if I had been on board a few months wearing dark glasses or something.

 

I have been on the QM2 13 times and she amazes me every time

 

Dark glasses, Rob?

 

I've been starting to wonder if I was on a completely different ship in September!

 

:D:D

 

J

[Salacia]

I can understand why some are surprised at some recent QM2 reviews/comments. My husband and I very also very suprised by our recent voyage (Nov/Dec 2010) which was so different from our past experiences on board. I can't account for the change, but hopefully it was a one-off.

[The Real PM]

I can understand why some are surprised at some recent QM2 reviews/comments. My husband and I very also very suprised by our recent voyage (Nov/Dec 2010) which was so different from our past experiences on board. I can't account for the change, but hopefully it was a one-off.

And when was your last voyage before your recent one?

[Cruachan]

I can understand why some are suprised at some recent QM2 reviews/comments. My husband and I very also very suprised by our recent voyage (Nov/Dec 2010) which was so different from our past experiences on board. I can't account for the change, but hopefully it was a one-off.

 

Well, KeithM's comments a couple of posts down this thread, relating to his November voyage and appleacre881's comments two posts below that regarding a voyage in progress, square precisely with my own impressions of the two TA's with a short cruise sandwiched in between that I did in Aug/Sep. So it looks very much as though something happened between those two dates and it also seems very likely that it was related to the introduction into service of Queen Elizabeth. I seem to remember something similar, with similar comments on here, when Queen Victoria entered service back in 2008.

 

I suppose all ships have their ups and downs. Sometimes they're riding the crest of a wave, other times they're wallowing in a trough :D

 

J

[southwestie]

Well, KeithM's comments a couple of posts down this thread, relating to his November voyage and appleacre881's comments two posts below that regarding a voyage in progress, square precisely with my own impressions of the two TA's with a short cruise sandwiched in between that I did in Aug/Sep. So it looks very much as though something happened between those two dates and it also seems very likely that it was related to the introduction into service of Queen Elizabeth. I seem to remember something similar, with similar comments on here, when Queen Victoria entered service back in 2008.

 

I suppose all ships have their ups and downs. Sometimes they're riding the crest of a wave, other times they're wallowing in a trough :D

 

J

 

 

I can only say that I was on her for 21 days back in october/Nov and yes there was a difference due to so many crew being taken off and new crew trained up, we were told 40% and that it was very high.

 

I really cant say that htere so much difference, yes some waiters had to trained up and we took that into consideration, it really was big deal, i cant fault ANYTHING, nothing else was different.