cheap table sales

[hansol1966]

Cheap table sales in the main walkways to me on the QM2 (does this happen on QV QE) are not what Cunard should be about. If you want to sell cheaper products have a shop on the ship mall to provide this, far more elegant than car boot tables and less intrusive. Even on a transatlantic Cunard sanctions these table sales.....shame on you ...

[capnpugwash]

Cheap table sales in the main walkways to me on the QM2 (does this happen on QV QE) are not what Cunard should be about. If you want to sell cheaper products have a shop on the ship mall to provide this, far more elegant than car boot tables and less intrusive. Even on a transatlantic Cunard sanctions these table sales.....shame on you ...

 

Whilst I don't disagree with your views I understand that this has been the practice on ocean liners even back in the 1950's so it is not a new thing and if they weren't popular with passengers, I am sure that the practice would be discontinued. I think that it is tawdry and cheap but we must be in the minority.

[T5LHR]

I have to admit, I did not find them as bad as people had made out...

 

Yes, not stuff that I was overly interested in, apart from maybe a watch that I liked, but I did not find them intrusive and unless you were planning on spending all day in the grand lobby, then I don't see what harm they do.

[capnpugwash]

They used to set them at right angles to the walls on either side of deck 3 between the Atrium and the Chart Room so that it was like a slalom course, at least now they seem to set them parallel to the walls and around the rail of the Atrium so a free passage is maintained. The most intrusive thing now is the photographers who set their backdrops all along the same corridor every evening which they then extend almost across the entire available width, it makes walking along quite an adventure.

[Ray66]

The tables are less intrusive on the QE and QV and seem quite popular on all 3 ships. Not all the goods are cheap. The amber jewellery and lacquer boxes on the Baltic cruise were quite expensive.

 

As I've mentioned before they are run by Harding Brothers who have served the shipping industry for over sixty years.

 

The following link names all the ships they currently work on - strange they don't mention the QV.

 

http://www.hardingbros.co.uk/ships.asp

 

"Harding Brothers currently operate the retail outlets onboard 52 ships across 19 different cruise lines with significant growth scheduled in the near future!"

 

http://www.hardingretail.co.uk/our-customers.aspx

 

I agree with the Cap'n that the photographers are more intrusive.

[Barnacle Betty]

I have to share my own amusement on this one. At first when I read the subject and until I started to read through some of the responses I thought since when did QM2 start selling tables? If they are cheap are they plastic or wood? How do you ship them? LOL at any rate, I try not to walk through there when its really busy. Midday around the lunch hour it is probably at its worst.

[T5LHR]

They used to set them at right angles to the walls on either side of deck 3 between the Atrium and the Chart Room so that it was like a slalom course, at least now they seem to set them parallel to the walls and around the rail of the Atrium so a free passage is maintained. The most intrusive thing now is the photographers who set their backdrops all along the same corridor every evening which they then extend almost across the entire available width, it makes walking along quite an adventure.

 

Ah yes, I can see why that would be worse... And I see that I have seen them since they changed the way they do them...

 

I am not photogenic, so do my best to avoid the photographers lens, so will plan my route accordingly from now on... :)

 

Thanks for the info.

[Leucothea]

The merchandise at these tables is not really all that bad. Sure there are tables of tee shirts, baseball caps, mugs, and various touristy baubles. But there are also some things worth taking a look at. I've bought some lovely little Russian dolls there, a nice watch, and a couple of jewelry pieces that were quite acceptable.

[bahrain_not_dubai!]

 

The following link names all the ships they currently work on - strange they don't mention the QV.

 

That page must be from around 2006- it still has the Minerva II, Island Star, and the fabled QE2 on that list. The Minerva II has not been in service since 2007 and Marco Polo left Orient Line service more than 4 years ago... so its just a case of the page being quite old, I'm sure they do the work on the QV an QE too :)

[keithm]

Cheap table sales in the main walkways to me on the QM2 (does this happen on QV QE) are not what Cunard should be about. If you want to sell cheaper products have a shop on the ship mall to provide this, far more elegant than car boot tables and less intrusive. Even on a transatlantic Cunard sanctions these table sales.....shame on you ...

I agree to a point. The tables sell stuff I normally don't buy, but others do. that helps the revenue stream. At least they seem to have done away with those awful "art" auctions.That stuff was pure crap. Thank heaven there's few announcements, unlike on many other so called premium lines.

[oceansandseas]

When I was on QV this past winter, there was one day that they had a sale on the upper floor of the Britannia Restaurant for a few hours in the early afternoon. I was on b2b and they held it on each cruise. I think that they were mostly $10.00 items. They were doing quite a business. I resisted everything though.

 

I have never gone to an art auction, but they do have a nice gallery on QV. Saw a few lovely pictures. I do not buy expensive art though. Went in often, just to look at a lovely painting, and saw sales being made. So, even if they do not have the auctions; art is still being sold.

[warringtonian]

When I was on QV this past winter, there was one day that they had a sale on the upper floor of the Britannia Restaurant for a few hours in the early afternoon. I was on b2b and they held it on each cruise. I think that they were mostly $10.00 items. They were doing quite a business. I resisted everything though.

 

 

I saw one of those and it was an amazing collection of cheap rubbish that would have been overpriced at a pound shop. Cunard seem to think that you can be simultaneously upmarket and downmarket. Well you can't.

[capnpugwash]

I saw one of those and it was an amazing collection of cheap rubbish that would have been overpriced at a pound shop. Cunard seem to think that you can be simultaneously upmarket and downmarket. Well you can't.

 

It isn't Cunard selling the stuff, the shops are operated by the franchise holders who are Harding Brothers of Bristol.

[ToadOfToadHall]

At least they seem to have done away with those awful "art" auctions.That stuff was pure crap.

 

No, that can't be true. I went to one to see what all the fuss was about. The bloke spouting told us all that these pictures were worth thousands, but we could buy them for just a couple of hundred dollars. What a bargain we were all being offered !!! With just one bid ( there was never more than an opening bid, for some reason ) you could make an instant profit of hundreds, if not thousands of dollars !

 

These art auctions were a golden opportunity to make a fortune !! Erm, I wonder why I didn't buy anything then ?

[ToadOfToadHall]

It isn't Cunard selling the stuff, the shops are operated by the franchise holders who are Harding Brothers of Bristol.

 

If that's true ( and I'm sure it is ), then yes, technically, Cunard are not selling the stuff. But they are being paid by said Harding Brothers, so they are selling the stuff, only not directly.

 

If Cunard did not make money on these stalls then they would not have them ( either by operating them themselves or by a third party ).

 

One thing that does strike me is this : On this forum, and others, the vast majority of posters write "Why does Cunard flog piles of cheap crap, from trestle tables that you get a village gala ? It makes the ship look like a branch of TKMaxx".

 

But, at the same time, you see people buying the stuff with more than a sense of enthusiasm - in fact, they can't get enough of China's finest products !

[Mid-Atlantic Ridge]

 

One thing that does strike me is this : On this forum, and others, the vast majority of posters write "Why does Cunard flog piles of cheap crap, from trestle tables that you get a village gala ? It makes the ship look like a branch of TKMaxx".

 

But, at the same time, you see people buying the stuff with more than a sense of enthusiasm - in fact, they can't get enough of China's finest products !

 

Yes perhaps I am guilty; I always glare disapprovingly at the melee, tut and mutter covertly and then inevitably find myself having a look from a not to obvious distance to see what's on offer! Now if there was something there that I liked and required...

 

M-AR

[capnpugwash]

If that's true ( and I'm sure it is ), then yes, technically, Cunard are not selling the stuff. But they are being paid by said Harding Brothers, so they are selling the stuff, only not directly.

 

If Cunard did not make money on these stalls then they would not have them ( either by operating them themselves or by a third party ).

One thing that does strike me is this : On this forum, and others, the vast majority of posters write "Why does Cunard flog piles of cheap crap, from trestle tables that you get a village gala ? It makes the ship look like a branch of TKMaxx".

But, at the same time, you see people buying the stuff with more than a sense of enthusiasm - in fact, they can't get enough of China's finest products ![/quote]

 

I believe that it is a perfect example of "don't do as I do, do as I say"!

[Salacia]

Although most of my voyages have been on QM2, I have also sailed on Princess and Holland America. Both Princess Caribbean and ms Veendam held sales in designated venues, not in the common areas as experienced on QM2. Also photo stations were limited and passengers were made aware of the location should the wish to have photos taken. Neither sales or photographers were intrusive, based on my limited experience of those two ships - as contrasted with QM2.

[keithm]

No, that can't be true. I went to one to see what all the fuss was about. The bloke spouting told us all that these pictures were worth thousands, but we could buy them for just a couple of hundred dollars. What a bargain we were all being offered !!! With just one bid ( there was never more than an opening bid, for some reason ) you could make an instant profit of hundreds, if not thousands of dollars !

 

These art auctions were a golden opportunity to make a fortune !! Erm, I wonder why I didn't buy anything then ?

Uhh, cause you were smart?

[Salacia]

PARTIAL QUOTE

When I was on QV this past winter, there was one day that they had a sale on the upper floor of the Britannia Restaurant for a few hours in the early afternoon. I was on b2b and they held it on each cruise. I think that they were mostly $10.00 items. They were doing quite a business......

 

 

Oceansandseas, that makes sense, having the sale in a specific venue rather than in the ship's public corridors. As I mentioned previously, that has been my experience on two other CCL ships. Considering that Cunard has recently imposed restrictions on mobility devices clogging the corridors, does it not make sense that tat sale tables and photogs should also keep passageways clear? I just don't understand why these sales aren't better managed on the beautiful Cunard ships.

 

Just to add that I have no problem with sales being conducted in a specific venue, but tables set up in public corridors is questionable (in my opinion).

 

Regards,

Salacia

[moniquet]

I hate the tat tables too but must admit they seemed very popular. Speaks volumes as to the type of passenger on the ship now!

[ToadOfToadHall]

I hate the tat tables too but must admit they seemed very popular.

 

Maybe they should have a tombola instead ? Say $1 a ticket - if your's ends in a 0 or 5 the you get to pick the tat of your choice !!

 

I can see it catching on you know !

[Norfolk Brit]

A couple of days ago I gazed in horror at a rail of furry leopard-print bodywarmers, and pondered on Cunard's image of understated elegance.

 

Mary

[3rdGenCunarder]

A couple of days ago I gazed in horror at a rail of furry leopard-print bodywarmers, and pondered on Cunard's image of understated elegance.

 

Mary

 

Oh no, not leopard-print. Don't you want something more along the lines of an orange feline design? :D

[3rdGenCunarder]

PARTIAL QUOTE

 

 

Oceansandseas, that makes sense, having the sale in a specific venue rather than in the ship's public corridors. As I mentioned previously, that has been my experience on two other CCL ships. Considering that Cunard has recently imposed restrictions on mobility devices clogging the corridors, does it not make sense that tat sale tables and photogs should also keep passageways clear? I just don't understand why these sales aren't better managed on the beautiful Cunard ships.

 

Just to add that I have no problem with sales being conducted in a specific venue, but tables set up in public corridors is questionable (in my opinion).

 

Regards,

Salacia

 

At least on QM2, the tables are only outside the shops. It's always clear to walk along the other side of the atrium (past the champagne bar). I think the photographers and their trailing cords are a bigger hazard to navigation on board.