Concerned about poor reviews of food in QM2 Britannia

[Jimsgirl]

 

Haven't seen ANYTHING as extreme as that! Can't even imagine it happening. Perhaps some here have a more vivid imagination than me? or spend more time on the Fashion Police duty roster than I do. I have seen some wearing their Cunard dressing robes on the pool deck though :rolleyes::eek:

 

Barry

 

Not imagination believe me, the man just walked in from main public area, wandered around The Chart Room and ended up going into the Champagne Lounge, just before the dining room opened.

 

The staff just turned away, so they could pretend they did not see him, but believe me the rest of a full room saw him.

 

No I was not on "Fashion Police Patrol", and I am not a prude, the action of that passenger was quite deliberate and planned. He wanted to shock, or to be challenged.

 

Just because you were not there to see it does not mean it did not happen,nor does it mean that other passengers are more "picky".

 

I said wearing a robe on the deck is acceptable- that is where they need to be worn,- not in the Chart Room, in the Champagne bar, or any other of the public rooms .

 

No one needs to go into ,the Commodore club, Chart Room, Golden Lion or any other social public area wearing a robe at any time of day in order to get from the pool, spa or gym to their cabin.

[phoebecat]

Happy are those who

either have never experienced how good service and how high standards were just a couple of years ago

or who just turn a blind eye on the slipping standards

or who maybe are indeed one of the those who had the luck of the draw to really still get all the best Cunard implies in its marketing and once stood for.

 

Maybe the last point should be remembered especially when it comes to service: This can vary greatly depending on the individual steward or waiter. That one person had great (or mediocre or bad or whatever is applicable to an individual) service does not imply that somebody else had the same experience.

My cabins were always clean and well maintained but what do I know about somebody else's cabin?

 

But than this part of the problem: The service should be great for everybody, there is far too much variation. Nobody deserves mediocre of worse service.

We were not impressed with out dining room stewards on the last cruise. On the first nights we (all around a large table) smiled about how the waiter threw forks and knifes randomly on the table, somewhere in the vincity of your plate, but after a couple of days it became really annoying. How about a properly laid out table?

The waiters definitely were rushed, and it was in more aspects the worst restaurant service I ever had on a Cunard ship.

(Yes this does imply that service on some other ships was worse ;) )

 

Food was disappointing - unfortunately both in terms of choice and quality. Just to give one example: I always praised the fish dishes on Cunard. This time it came down to salmon and maby two other kinds during the whole cruise instead many different kinds in the past. Fish used to be perfectly prepared this time it was almost always overcooked and bland.

 

The comparison of menus from this and former cruises shows how much simpler and restricted the offer became.

 

The dress code was violated by passengers and it was not enforced.

 

Fortunately other aspects were great, most notably the service in the bars and lounges, where most of the stewards were polite, correct, adjusting to the individual desires. Praise to them.

The hors d'ouevre were even better than in the past!

 

Well this shall not be a long review of all the aspects of Cunard voyages.

 

I will sail with Cunard again as there is enough left to enjoy but actually much less.

Many others, just like phoebecat seems to be, are too disappointed and have decided not to sail with Cunard anymore. If I just look around those of my friends who travelled with Cunard for many years, some for over thousand days, I cannot but realize that most of them are finished with Cunard.

 

Well, to the OP: I still would say: Go and enjoy! Maybe my experience foodwise was just an exception. Maybe you have great stewards. Maybe you love the choice. Maybe Cunard recovers to former greatness. Maybe another chef makes all the difference.

 

Thank you. Some one who sums it up exactly.

 

For those who say we who are disappointed with falling standards have a 'vivid imagination' or are 'serial whingers', please take note, hubby and I are in our late 30s, we are gregarious outgoing people who treat the Cunard staff with politeness and appreciation. We enjoy talking with them and praising them for all they do. But over the past few years we have seen staff turn away either too busy to chat or not inclined to. We have encountered too much variation in service for it not to be anything other than falling standards or poor training. We write, on each cruise, to the cruise director personally thanking them for the entertainment and general ambience, we are far from moaners and whingers.

 

But we are not going to apologise for noticing and bemoaning the lack of adherence to the dress code, and the general decline in standards. After all we have paid enough to have this so called white star service and elegant ambience and on recent cruises we are not getting it.

 

On a final note, there have been some posters on this board decrying our assertion that dress standards are not adhered to. They appear to be our antipodean friends. Sad to say, but true, some of their countrymen and women were the worst offenders on the last Cunard cruise. Even the senior officers and Ents staff were taken aback at how poorly turned out they were on formal evenings. We were told that the ship had sold a large number of passages to those from oz at extreme cut price and the result was a lot of first time Cunarders some of whom completely ignored the dress code. We were not the only guests to notice this, and one Australian lady did actually comment to us that she was 'ashamed' of some of her own countrymen in the way they attired themselves on board.

 

So before you see fit to jump in and decry our criticisms, remember that not all of us who ask for standards to be respected are old farts with miserable faces. We simply want to enjoy what Cunard promises we should experience.

[balf]

I don't desire staff hovering over me every moment or need my bathroom cleaned eight times each morning.

 

Then you won't be disapointed on a Cunard ship then.

 

David

[bazzaw]

"On a final note, there have been some posters on this board decrying our assertion that dress standards are not adhered to. They appear to be our antipodean friends. Sad to say, but true, some of their countrymen and women were the worst offenders on the last Cunard cruise. Even the senior officers and Ents staff were taken aback at how poorly turned out they were on formal evenings. We were told that the ship had sold a large number of passages to those from oz at extreme cut price and the result was a lot of first time Cunarders some of whom completely ignored the dress code. We were not the only guests to notice this, and one Australian lady did actually comment to us that she was 'ashamed' of some of her own countrymen in the way they attired themselves on board."

 

As you know I was one of those Aussies onboard. If you think that they were somehow more casually dressed than what you would like, then I suggest that you should never sail on a ship based out of one of the Australian ports :D . That particular bunch of Aussies was the most best dressed bunch I have ever seen in my life :p Of course, this would mean that you never get to see some of the wonderful Pacific ports which we regard as our backyard playground. :(

 

With regard to the concept that those cruises were extreme cut price - this is a furphy (look it up in Wiki) . The cost of the cruises were exactly that shown on the Cunard website (at my time of booking). The popularity of them was that an enterprising Travel agent showed some entrepreneurship and packaged them together, with airfares, hotels, car transfers etc - all to coincide with the Queen's jubilee. It was a brilliant thing to do and worked well. The great majority of those "Aussies" were in fact British repats :)

 

Barry

[moniquet]

I think the food on QM2 is acceptable, nothing to write home about and HAL is much better but it's passable. As one poster said prices are getting very cheap so something has to give and also you get the people on board who have got a bargain and do not adhere to the dress code.

[Thaxted]

We enjoyed our meals in Britannia. We thought that the food was always good and, on some days, very good. Of course, it was never extraordinary, certainly not as extraordinary as the magnificent setting. But then how could it be, given the thousands of passengers being served?

 

As for the dress code, nearly everyone on our crossings last summer adhered to it, much to our delight. The most notable exception was the gentleman (if I may stretch the meaning of the word) I saw in the casino, attired in jeans and a purple athletic shirt. Whether he had purchased a bargain ticket or was merely a well-to-do slob, I could not say. Perhaps he was planning to change into formal wear for the late seating, although I have my doubts!

[Austcruiser84]

Thank you. Some one who sums it up exactly.

 

For those who say we who are disappointed with falling standards have a 'vivid imagination' or are 'serial whingers', please take note, hubby and I are in our late 30s, we are gregarious outgoing people who treat the Cunard staff with politeness and appreciation. We enjoy talking with them and praising them for all they do. But over the past few years we have seen staff turn away either too busy to chat or not inclined to. We have encountered too much variation in service for it not to be anything other than falling standards or poor training. We write, on each cruise, to the cruise director personally thanking them for the entertainment and general ambience, we are far from moaners and whingers.

 

But we are not going to apologise for noticing and bemoaning the lack of adherence to the dress code, and the general decline in standards. After all we have paid enough to have this so called white star service and elegant ambience and on recent cruises we are not getting it.

 

On a final note, there have been some posters on this board decrying our assertion that dress standards are not adhered to. They appear to be our antipodean friends. Sad to say, but true, some of their countrymen and women were the worst offenders on the last Cunard cruise. Even the senior officers and Ents staff were taken aback at how poorly turned out they were on formal evenings. We were told that the ship had sold a large number of passages to those from oz at extreme cut price and the result was a lot of first time Cunarders some of whom completely ignored the dress code. We were not the only guests to notice this, and one Australian lady did actually comment to us that she was 'ashamed' of some of her own countrymen in the way they attired themselves on board.

 

So before you see fit to jump in and decry our criticisms, remember that not all of us who ask for standards to be respected are old farts with miserable faces. We simply want to enjoy what Cunard promises we should experience.

 

So, I would like to know exactly how many 'antipodeans' were not dressed according to requirements and what were they wearing? Since you must have talked to them to know where they were from (unless they were wearing green and gold, or waving giant Australian flags) im curious to know why you did not point out their abominable attire? Maybe you should next time!

 

You make it seem like the ship is now some rust bucket out of Murmansk. Why do you continue to post here if you are so disappointed, let alone continue to sail Cunard? It beggars belief.

 

Regarding my fellow countrymen, I would be surprised if many owned back tie (tuxedo for US readers) as in Australia this is simply not something people wear. I personally like dressing up, but most Australians don't these days and have not since the original Queen Mary was competing with Normandie for the Blue Riband. Wearing a suit and tie is also not fashionable here nowadays - principally a weather issue but also many workplaces have moved away from formal dress as its deemed unnecessary for large parts of our economy. Again, I challenge the trend because I like a good suit and tie, but I'm in the minority.

 

The subsequent insinuation that people not from the Northern Hemisphere are somewhat inferior intrigues me. This is especially because Cunard saw a golden opportunity to cash in on our shores at a time when the rest of the world is bankrupt. I guess all those northerners were so busy dressing up they forgot to manage their shares and businesses! I am reminded of the poor aristos of the Old World complaining about the new rich making exhibitions of themselves. Sounds like this is what is happening here.

 

I seriously doubt things are anywhere near as 'disappointing' as being made out by some. Seeing one person not dressed for dinner hardly constitutes a crisis or falling standards in my book. Also, nostalgia is a powerful force - we tend to remember the good in the long run and forget the bad. For me, just looking at photos of QE2 cabins makes me glad I never booked. The rooms even towards the end were tired, old and something one would expect to see in public housing rather than a luxury liner. I'd be more concerned about this than someone not dressed to the nines, who in the grand scheme of things, isn't really going to ruin your holiday...unless you're a serial whinger :)

[Aussieflyer]

Well said Auscruiser84.

I have seen poorly dressed citizens of other (more northern) countries and I would bet that the "gentleman" in his Cunard robe as described by Jimsgirl was not Australian! Regardless of the whether we like dressing up, "Antipodeans" are not the cause of the wholesale slipping of standards on Cunard and probably the GFC as well I suppose. :)

[keithm]

First tip, make friends with your waiters. If you don't like something ask for another option, though unfortunately that does mean a wait and a delay at the table. Usually the waiter will offer this if you don't eat much of a meal because you don't like it. And if there is nothing you fancy on the menu ask the waiter to ask the chef to cook something off menu steak or salmon is not difficult. You may be told this is not possible but we find that it can be done if you are firm.

 

I am always as doubtful of folk who say everything was perfect as I am with those who say everything was lousy. I have had a few awful meals on QM2 and have had some outstanding ones, and I do believe that perceptions of food depend on what we usually eat at home. I told one of our table companions that I had not eaten one single meal on QM2 that was as good as the food I cook at home every day. He looked a bit taken aback by this.

 

It certainly is not gourmet food and any reasonably competent home cook can do meals better, but accept that fact, accept that this is mass catering and you don't have to do the washing up after and you will not be disappointed

 

David.

I have to say in our 7 trips on Cunard, we never had a terrible meal. There were a few that could have been better. On our last trip (Jan.Panama on QV)one meal just didn't look interesting, so I ordered blackened Salmon. It was excellent. For the times we dined in the Grills, the meals were always outstanding & we weren't afraid to venture off menu(with proper advanced notice).

[keithm]

Granted, and I suppose it's the context in which the term is used. Sometimes I get the impression (and it may be the wrong one) that some refer to "mass catering" as a way of snippily inferring a particular standard of food, not the sheer number of guests involved.

We have a catering company & are used to that phrase. Mass catering is controlled by budget. The higher the budget, the better the food(Should be). We've done mass burgers & hotdogs one day, and Filet Mignon & Swordfish the next. It all depends on what the client wants to spend. This is one reason a Cunard trip is more than say a Carnival trip.

[keithm]

The term "mass catering" gets thrown around a lot. When I think of mass catering, I think of the food at boarding school and weddings. My dining experiences on QM2 in no way remind me of boarding school, or attending a wedding.

 

Is the food on Cunard as good as Michelin starred restaurants? Well, upon reflection, the lobster I had at the Four Seasons in NYC was miles better than the lobsters I've had on QM2. But, generally speaking, I don't think the food on board is that different to what you get in any good restaurant on land.

 

As someone whose culinary expertise extends to the one pasta dish, roasts and the multiple variations of meat and three veg, I always looks forward to the dining experience on board, as it's so different to what I eat at home.

 

And for those home cooks who put Cunard to shame, I can only admit to jealousy at their advanced cooking skills. It must be wonderful to be able to enjoy Pheasant Under Glass et al, whenever the fancy takes you. :)

Never hurts when your partner is a CIA trained Pastry/Pro chef. Am I spoiled?? Nah, not at all LOL!

[keithm]

"Poor or no dress code enforcement, people in public areas on formal nights in jeans, velour leisure suits, etc, and in the bars pre dinner, when others were in evg dress."

 

I can't say that I noticed this on QE, QV or QM2 -- EXCEPT for the following.

 

The dress code cuts in at 6PM - this is a very suitable time for those on first sitting in the MDR. They dress, swan around in some bar somewhere and then promenade into dinner. However, for those on late sitting, it is not so suitable - it means that if you want to go just about anywhere on the ship after 6 pm - you have to dress in Black tie for 2&1/2 hours before dinner. Some who are dining at 8.30 PM are still swimming in the pools at 6 PM :) or enjoying a few in the pub (hardly the place for Black tie IMO)

 

I don't know which cruiseline will live up your your very high requirements - none that I know of, but perhaps there are some very expensive 6 Star lines out there - but I don't and will never know anything about those.

 

 

 

 

Yes , Passengers not dining until 8.30p.m would still be wearing "day" dress, and this is not a problem if they are at the pool, outside bars, decks, or just walking around the public areas, but to deliberately come into the Chart Room, the Champagne bar, wearing a thong swim trunks, with a bath robe flapping open, that is unacceptable. It is "flipping the finger" deliberately .

 

On QV in Feb on a formal night, halfway through the cruise, a couple came to dining in the Britannia wearing torn jeans, tank top/T shirt for her, flipflops on their feet, and the Maitre 'D took no action , and he even denied they had come in when asked "why did you pretend not to see them". Again it was deliberate

Yes, the old "We don't want to alienate a customer" routine. Well, what about the rest of us who love the classic allure of yesterday? Do we count?

[keithm]

'Empty vessels make the most noise' I like this saying and sometimes its true

 

From little experience I've had travelling Cunard compared to others. I agreed the standards have changed but so has the price we pay to travel on Cunard. This week you can travel transatlantic for £499.00 including return flight home.

And because of this, the last few years I've noticed same changes.

 

One thing is seeing the way some of the passengers (only a few, but enough) speak to the staff, in a manner I certainly don't like. When I see it happening god help the passenger/s because they certainly don't forget my red hair for the rest of the cruise. :D

 

As for Britannia restaurant the food seems fine to me. That's it from me

 

Andrew :D

Thank You! It's nice to see another person not afraid to call someone out for bad behavior.

[keithm]

 

Not imagination believe me, the man just walked in from main public area, wandered around The Chart Room and ended up going into the Champagne Lounge, just before the dining room opened.

 

The staff just turned away, so they could pretend they did not see him, but believe me the rest of a full room saw him.

 

No I was not on "Fashion Police Patrol", and I am not a prude, the action of that passenger was quite deliberate and planned. He wanted to shock, or to be challenged.

 

Just because you were not there to see it does not mean it did not happen,nor does it mean that other passengers are more "picky".

 

I said wearing a robe on the deck is acceptable- that is where they need to be worn,- not in the Chart Room, in the Champagne bar, or any other of the public rooms .

 

No one needs to go into ,the Commodore club, Chart Room, Golden Lion or any other social public area wearing a robe at any time of day in order to get from the pool, spa or gym to their cabin.

Well, you know me. I would have quickly told him to return to his room to properly dress.Afterall, I don't think the rest of the folks in the Chartroom would care to see his "shortcomings".

[Louise D]

Regarding my fellow countrymen, I would be surprised if many owned back tie (tuxedo for US readers) as in Australia this is simply not something people wear. I personally like dressing up, but most Australians don't these days and have not since the original Queen Mary was competing with Normandie for the Blue Riband. Wearing a suit and tie is also not fashionable here nowadays - principally a weather issue but also many workplaces have moved away from formal dress as its deemed unnecessary for large parts of our economy. Again, I challenge the trend because I like a good suit and tie, but I'm in the minority.

 

 

I noticed that on the QM2 circumnavigation of Australia, wherein at least two-thirds of the passengers on QM2 were Australian, the dress code adherence level was about the same as any other world cruise sector. Therefore, I do not believe that Australians on board Cunard ships flout the dress code.

[Whitemarsh]

Well, you know me. I would have quickly told him to return to his room to properly dress.Afterall, I don't think the rest of the folks in the Chartroom would care to see his "shortcomings".

 

Hi Keith,

 

I thought you might like to try the multi-quote feature. It allows you to respond to multiple posts on the same thread (up to four) in a single post - rather than three separate responses.

 

All you need to do is select the multi-quote button on the posts you wish to respond to. The multi-quote button is pictured below, it's the one in the middle.

 

The multi-quote button will change (to red) to indicate that you've selected it, and will look like this.

 

Repeat this for up to four posts in the same thread that you wish to reply to. At the last post where you select the multi-quote button, simply select the normal quote button after you've selected the multi-quote button and you will see that your response now contains the four posts that you wish to respond to.

[Whitemarsh]

On a final note, there have been some posters on this board decrying our assertion that dress standards are not adhered to. They appear to be our antipodean friends. Sad to say, but true, some of their countrymen and women were the worst offenders on the last Cunard cruise. Even the senior officers and Ents staff were taken aback at how poorly turned out they were on formal evenings. We were told that the ship had sold a large number of passages to those from oz at extreme cut price and the result was a lot of first time Cunarders some of whom completely ignored the dress code. We were not the only guests to notice this, and one Australian lady did actually comment to us that she was 'ashamed' of some of her own countrymen in the way they attired themselves on board.

 

Well I wasn't on that particular voyage, so I'll take your word for it that there was a contingent of Australians who ignored the dress code. I'm sorry that you had to experience that. I agree, it does detract from the wonderful surroundings and the general ambiance.

 

Regarding my fellow countrymen, I would be surprised if many owned back tie (tuxedo for US readers) as in Australia this is simply not something people wear. I personally like dressing up, but most Australians don't these days and have not since the original Queen Mary was competing with Normandie for the Blue Riband.

 

I'm not sure that's accurate. I know that I enjoy dressing up, but so do many young Australians, when given the chance. You only need to attend the Melbourne Cup, or any of the social events at racecourses around the country to see young people dressed up, enjoying themselves - and looking great. The same can be found in upscale restaurants and nightclubs. Even our workplace Christmas party had a dress code last year - cocktail - and people enjoyed it and got into it.

 

Because dressing up is a rarity these days, it's considered, by most, a fun thing to do, rather then some kind of arcane punishment.

 

You are correct that most young men wouldn't own a tuxedo, but I bet that's consistent across the globe. I didn't own one until I made a booking with Cunard.

 

I seriously doubt things are anywhere near as 'disappointing' as being made out by some. Seeing one person not dressed for dinner hardly constitutes a crisis or falling standards in my book.

 

I agree, one person isn't a crisis, but, in the worst case scenario, one becomes many, and before you know it, the one person that's dressed differently to the rest is the passenger in formal wear.

 

It is annoying having to look at these people wandering around in their casual wear on a formal night. The surroundings are so elegant, everyone looks amazing, and then there are these inconsiderate people dressed in daywear. It does ruin the effect.

 

I do wonder why these people don't choose a cruise line that's more in line with their sartorial preferences. I wouldn't go on a P&O (Aust) cruise and take my tux, as I know it's not the done thing and would make the other passengers uncomfortable. I don't know why these unfortunate people can't be as considerate when they book on Cunard - they should bring their formal wear or don't book at all.

 

Also, nostalgia is a powerful force - we tend to remember the good in the long run and forget the bad. For me, just looking at photos of QE2 cabins makes me glad I never booked. The rooms even towards the end were tired, old and something one would expect to see in public housing rather than a luxury liner.

 

I too am not a fan of the QE2's interior (what I've seen in pictures) but I would like to have travelled on her, just so I could say that I have done so, and then be able to state unequivocally that the QM2 is better. There are some things from the QE2 days that I would have liked to have seen continued. An 'experienced Cunard cruiser' kindly sent me a passenger list from one of the QE2 world cruises, as well as one of the leather key-card holders that passengers used to get. I think a printed passenger list would be a very nice memento from a cruise and it's disappointing that Cunard discontinued it.

 

I noticed that on the QM2 circumnavigation of Australia, wherein at least two-thirds of the passengers on QM2 were Australian, the dress code adherence level was about the same as any other world cruise sector. Therefore, I do not believe that Australians on board Cunard ships flout the dress code.

 

Do you remember 'AM', he spent most of the formal nights wandering around in a pair of casual blue slacks and a matching blue short sleeved shirt. He was from the U.K.

[balf]

. I would have quickly told him to return to his room to properly dress".

 

And he would have likely told you to "go away in an interesting manner"

 

David.

[Whitemarsh]

 

And he would have likely told you to "go away in an interesting manner"

 

David.

 

David, you might like to edit your above post as Jimsgirl didn't say that.

[Louise D]

 

Do you remember 'AM', he spent most of the formal nights wandering around in a pair of casual blue slacks and a matching blue short sleeved shirt. He was from the U.K.

 

Yes, no-one could easily forget AM. I also understand that the couple who used to get dressed back into casual dress after dinner on a formal night, were also from the U.K. I think these three people were the worst dress code offenders on the circumnavigation.

[Aussieflyer]

I think these three people were the worst dress code offenders on the circumnavigation.

What - they weren't from Australia??? And I thought it was us to blame for all the woes. :p

[Whitemarsh]

Yes, no-one could easily forget AM. I also understand that the couple who used to get dressed back into casual dress after dinner on a formal night, were also from the U.K. I think these three people were the worst dress code offenders on the circumnavigation.

 

Yes, absolutely. These three were serial offenders - it was deliberate and premeditated.

 

What - they weren't from Australia??? And I thought it was us to blame for all the woes. :p

 

Apparently not.

 

Have you noticed the emerging pattern? We're sending our dress code recidivist to Europe, and they are sending theirs 'down under'. It's like a prisoner swap.

[keithm]

Hi Keith,

 

I thought you might like to try the multi-quote feature. It allows you to respond to multiple posts on the same thread (up to four) in a single post - rather than three separate responses.

 

All you need to do is select the multi-quote button on the posts you wish to respond to. The multi-quote button is pictured below, it's the one in the middle.

 

The multi-quote button will change (to red) to indicate that you've selected it, and will look like this.

 

Repeat this for up to four posts in the same thread that you wish to reply to. At the last post where you select the multi-quote button, simply select the normal quote button after you've selected the multi-quote button and you will see that your response now contains the four posts that you wish to respond to.

Thanks. Appreciate that. Less sore fingers!

[keithm]

 

And he would have likely told you to "go away in an interesting manner"

 

David.

Sorry Balf I said that. We had a guy a few years back who showed up for dinner(formal night)dressed in a wifebeater T shirt & shorts & sandals. Amazingly he was let in. I got the Maiter D's attention. His response was "We don't like to alienate customers". Well I was livid. What about those of us who pay a premium to enjoy the ambience? I told the guy to leave & get properly dressed. Yes, he gave me a snide remark, but he left.We never saw him return. His tablemates said he hated the dresscode & planned to flaunt it. The FDNY(fire dept. of NY)tatoo on his arm, hopefully didn't imply he was a firefighter. I'd like to think they're a lot more classy than that.I know I got in the guy's face about it, but if you don't, perhaps more will do the samething & before you know it Cunard will be a has been.

[keithm]

What - they weren't from Australia??? And I thought it was us to blame for all the woes. :p

All I can say as an American, If I'm going into battle, I'd want an Aussie at my side.