First Impression of Remastering

[Bell Boy]

I was onboard yesterday attending a reception, I mentioned 'The Bell' in conversation with Captain Wells. With a wink his reply..... " a work in progress "

 

What ever that means.;)

 

I notice the Boston Cup has not yet returned back to it's usual place near the Chart Room.

 

There are still dozens of workmen onboard attending to all sorts of minor details to the soft furnishing etc. I notice there is lot more new Carpeting to be fitted,e.g. the area outside the Royal Court Theatre.

 

I know it's only early days yet, some of the crew members I was talking to, tell me the New Carinthia Lounge is the place to be seen in ! ....talk about Harvey Nicks ;) it's so popular for light breakfast/Lunch one needs to get there early to bag a good seat, even the Pub at Lunch time appears to have slowed down.

Edited July 14, 2016 by Bell Boy

[Pennbank]

I was onboard yesterday attending a reception, I mentioned 'The Bell' in conversation with Captain Wells. With a wink his reply..... " a work in progress "

 

What ever that means.;)

 

I notice the Boston Cup has not yet returned back to it's usual place near the Chart Room.

 

There are still dozens of workmen onboard attending to all sorts of minor details to the soft furnishing etc. I notice there is lot more new Carpeting to be fitted,e.g. the area outside the Royal Court Theatre.

 

I know it's only early days yet, some of the crew members I was talking to, tell me the New Carinthia Lounge is the place to be seen in ! ....talk about Harvey Nicks ;) it's so popular for light breakfast/Lunch one needs to get there early to bag a good seat, even the Pub at Lunch time appears to have slowed down.

 

Having Had dinner with Capt Christopher Wells I was informed that they were making a new case for the Boston Cup. The Carinthia Lounge when they had the dixie band playing, Packed solid. I was told that they did over 150 lunches that lunchtime . It certainly is taking off. In my opinion it is nicer than the Commodore Club, when the blinds are down after sunset. But not as nice as the Chart Room. Some staff think its too blingy ! Everyones different and QM2 means different things to different people.

Edited July 14, 2016 by Pennbank

[Merry Maid]

Well I was going to write a few observations but I see I've been been beaten to the post. (Pun intended, sorry)

Arrived home yesterday from the Wb TA NYC and Eb TA.

MM

[Happyboating]

Here are some more observations and ramblings:

 

We are on second sitting in the Britannia and shared a table for 4 with a lovely German couple who had flown out to New York, spent 2 1/2 days sight seeing and then boarded the QM2 to come home. We speak no German and they only speak a little English so communication was both hard work and fun. After dinner we all met up in Kings Court as they'd got into the habit of having a second desert each evening and I went back to our stateroom and grabbed my iPad so that I could show them some photos of the ship's dressed up for Christmas - they liked.

 

I'm sad to report that when we came out of the lift at Stairwell C, by the entrance to the Chef's Galley, we were again met with a very strong smell of smoke so clearly I was wrong about it being something to do with the baggage handlers! It's a real shame and, if I'm honest, I really would rather not smell it - especially as it permeates into Kings Court itself - but it wouldn't put me off booking another cruise on here like bad plumbing has in the past!

 

We enjoyed our food in Britannia last night and opted for a starter of deep fried Brie with cranberry source, Steak Diane with brandy and mushroom sauce followed by my absolute favourite desert, crepe suzette served with ice cream. It was all delicious. We also managed to purchase a bottle of Ariel Chardonnay - it's a non alcoholic wine that has won awards against regular alcoholic wines. For some reason it's not advertised and last time we were on one of the other ships we had trouble getting it as the sommelier didn't know of its existence! Fortunately our current sommelier knew they stocked it so there wasn't a problem. We like to have it (1) because we like it and (2) if you're on a shared table where others are drinking wine, we kind of feel that we are also joining in as no-one else seems to realise that our bottle is non alcoholic.

 

On returning to our stateroom we found that the turndown chocolates are now Godiva ones which, of course, were very nice.

 

Back to the tv. It's a Samsung smart tv and on pressing the "source" button on the remote I can see that the options are: tv, HDMI1, HDMI2, HDMI3/DVI, AV, Component, RVU. There is also an instruction "To go to Options, press and hold the Enter button". That said, because the tv is now wall mounted I don't think there's much chance of plugging in the 5 Component leads but I'm confident that even I could plug in an HDMI lead if I had one with me. In response to some of your comments regarding the picture spotlight, we're happy not to use the ceiling lights and I certainly wouldn't attempt to remove any bulbs. I got into enough trouble when I left the shower door open on one of the other ships and we got a call from the bridge asking if everything was OK as, apparently, we had set an alarm off up there. We learnt that the smoke detector in our room clearly register steam from the shower too!

 

Re sockets in the stateroom, we have the usual 2 x British sockets and 2 x American sockets above the desk but now that the old tv has been removed I can now see that there were/are 2 more American sockets on the wall behind where the old tv used to be.

 

Obviously we had a superb nights sleep - if only every land based hotel had the same beds as Cunard, I would be very happy.

 

The kettle. To be honest we've never hankered for one but now that we have it we figured we may as well use it. It's got a British plug on it and seems to be a rapid boil kettle. I say this because I half filled ours and it only took 3 minutes to boil. DH said he enjoyed his cup of tea as it was a better temperature than anything he's ever received from room service. Incidentally, we don't have the folder in our room that contains all the ship information including the room service menu. I'm not particularly disturbed by this fact as, although we're on here for 4 nights, we are actually doing 2 + 2 to Hamburg and back and we know from previous mini cruises that there are usually cutbacks and so, maybe, on 2 night cruises room service isn't offered. I will ask our steward where the folder is when I see him.

[Happyboating]

The ship's bell is still onboard, in a store room behind the Pursers office - apparently they are still deciding where to put it.

 

Where the old camera shop was, there is now a long table that seats 10. It rather looks like this space is now used as a wine tasting area as there are boxes that look like the ones that wine are presented in, displayed in the cabinets that once displayed cameras and frames etc.

 

The Golden Lion pub no longer has the check carpet in it and now has, in my opinion, a more traditional pub carpet.

 

I went down to Connections to purchase my complimentary internet package and you are now asked for Surname, cabin number (interestingly, they don't use the term stateroom), cruise card - this was a new question for me and you have to tap in the last four digits of the long number beneath the bar code on your ships card - then, finally, date of birth. You are no longer required to type in a password. Rather interestingly, I opened up Google and as soon as I closed it I was automatically logged out - I guess they have spent too much time reaccrediting internet time to those who thought they had logged out but, in fact, hadn't.

 

We went and saw a talk on Vikings: Raiders and Settlers. As usual with Cunard talks it was very interesting. My opinion on Illiminations is that the gold coloured seats all looked very smart - I even wondered if they'd been reupholstered although, that said, it was one of them that we saw with the dreaded black and yellow tape across it! The red chairs, under the dome looked, in my opinion, quite tired and a little bit tatty. The arms, however, looked reupholstered and, in my opinion, didn't really match the red of the chairs, so I can only assume that the time spent on those was spent fixing the mechanisms. Admittedly, I didn't spend time actually "looking" for broken seats but we didn't obviously notice any. Anyone else got any observations re the red seats in Illuminations?

 

We went to Carinthia Lounge for lunch and I've never seen that area so packed so definitely a good move on Cunard's part to remaster that area. The Royal Court Orchestra played Dixieland (Jazz?) music - it was very good and I liked.

 

After lunch we spent some time snoozing on one of the steamer chairs on deck 7. The chairs are very comfortable.

 

We then went up to Veranda to book dinner on Friday evening. We noticed that there was no longer a sign in the entrance requesting that people don't use it as a walk through to the deck 8 aft pool which, of course, just told everyone that it was possible to do so!

 

We then went down to deck 3 in the stairway D lifts and walked through the Queens Room to G32. If I'm honest, there is still a faint smell of stale smoke in there but we walked upstairs and most of the tables now have a sign on them with a standard "no smoking" sign on them. When we went back downstairs we spoke to one of the barmen and asked him "Is this now completely no smoking?" and he confirmed that yes, smoking is no longer allowed in G32.

 

We then made our way to Sir Samuel's where we tried the new Godiva menu. I had a Chilled Chocolate with a piece of Blueberry and White Chocolate Delice. DH had some Breakfast Tea and a piece of Chocolate Cheesecake on Speculoos cake. Both were delicious and the people sat next to us had a Chocolate-licious Chocolate Sundae - think a small vase filled with ice-cream and brownie cubes etc. I'm not sure even I could manage one of them but I may well give it a try later in the week.

 

When we popped back to our stateroom, our blue information folder was sitting on our bed - I will examine the room service menu later.

 

A couple of general observations is that there no longer appear to be any cloth towels in any of the restrooms, just paper ones. The really big improvement is that cutlery is now on all the tables, wrapped in a linen napkin that is tucked in at each end to ensure that the cutlery inside remains clean. Mugs are also on all the tables - I presume this is because there are no longer any trays in Kings Court or wherever else you choose to eat.

 

Merry Maid - please do add your own observations as you may well have noticed things that I'm not doing so, for example, I have absolutely no idea what the changes are in the Spa as I never go near the place! And even if we comment on the same points your observations may be different to mine.

 

I had to get my ship card replaced as I stupidly left it on my iPad and the iPad killed it. Whilst there, the purser explained to me that e-cigs that emit a "smoke" can only be used on the back of deck 7 and on balconies but e-cigs that don't emit a "smoke" - I honestly had no idea that there were different types and I don't know anyone that uses one - can be used in staterooms and smoked on balconies. I will ask the question again later, when I see another Purser just to see if I get a consistent response - I strongly suspect I won't!

 

Pepper - be careful what you wish for as I may well have an animal transfer to a Centre near you on Monday or Tuesday! I will send an email later.

[MCC retired]

Hattie

G32 is completely no smoking

and the bell is located In The bulkhead up In The Lookout, been replaced with the one that was originally there I think.

 

Good news on G32 .

Won't have to change clothes after every visit :)

[Host Hattie]

Thanks so much for the detailed updates, it's almost as good as being there. It's making me want to book something soon !

[Ray66]

I am also on this cruise. I've not properly read through all the comments. We went to Sir Samuels today for a cappuccino. It's all been taken over by Godiva. Even Samuel Cunard's picture has been replaced by a Godiva sign.

 

Little biscuits supplied with drinks - gone

Glass of water supplied with drinks - gone

Free cake - gone. It now costs $4.95 for a slice of chocolate cake.

 

Godiva chocolates cost $6.50 for a box of 4 and $9.95 for a box of 6.

 

Hope they don't bring Godiva to the other ships as we enjoy those little biscuits and water with coffee as it makes it more of an occasion than just a drink.

 

In cabin Tea making facilities. You are supplied with:

 

2 sachets Nescafe

2 sachets Cafe Haag

2 teabags

2 tiny pots of LL milk (which I'm sure had gone off). Good job I brought my own!

2 white sugar, 2 brown sugar

2 lots of biscuits yesterday but none today.

You need to take the kettle off the tray and put it in the middle of the desk to plug it in.

 

Now for the good things:

 

Beautiful cushions and bed throw (but nowhere really to put this throw after turn-down)

 

Kings Court looks very modern and new. There seem to be more spaces for eating but less for serving food. No trays any more so have to get used to keep going back for one course at a time. You have to use a paper napkin as the plates are so hot.

 

The Carinthia Lounge looks very smart but yet to use it.

[Merry Maid]

Embarkation in Soton on 23/6. As i have priority boarding I was onboard within 20/25 minutes of arriving at the terminal. Still feel awkward about being pushed in front of the next in line. (Not awkward enough to refuse the privilege though)

The check-in lady said she was within an ace of throwing her swipe machine and camera out of the window, they were playing up so much. They worked ok for us though. Afterwards we learned that some people had to wait hours as the system fell over completely. Apparently the same thing happened at Hamburg too. The ship did not leave until 8pm due to a delay with the stores. Capt. Wells apologised to the passengers for the IT failure and explained that the ship left Hamburg virtually empty and had to completely re-store. A Little disappointment as I had thought the three Queens would leave in convoy.

 

As Happyboating has posted, the new Corinthia lounge appears a big success.

Mixed opinions on Kings Court however which came as a surprise consider the opprobrium which has been heaped upon it in the past. Definitely a nicer place to eat IMO. Bright and clean looking. Only visited three times, Twice on embarkation days for a light tea and once for breakfast. Not sure the traffic flow is any better but that might improve as the place settles down. Staff say quite a few people have expressed a dislike of the new layout.

 

Theatre. New light and digital imaging technology set up which is very good indeed. Two new shows which I saw. I don't really appreciate musical theatre but the applause was sustained. The old favourite 'Appasionata' was shown once as a matinee. Seems to be a Cunard classic now. Other entertainment was cruising standard stuff. Vocalists, instrumentalists, a musical duo, two comedians, both good. On boarding day there was a half row of seats taped off in Illuminations but that went down to one by the time I got off.

Prices of everything seem to have taken a hike. Cocktails round about 12 dollars now, at least ours were.

 

Inside cabin deck 10 next to laundrette. Carpet was wet on the side next to laundrette. Steward installed an industrial dryer after a wet and dry hoovering job. Dry as a bone by bed time. A washing machine next door had sprung a leak. That machine was still out of action when we got back to Soton.

 

The remastering (stupid word, it's not a long playing record) showed in the general appearance, not much interested in soft furnishings so can't really comment. The hull looked lovely v. shiny, no blemishes or scrapes from dockside arguments. We seemed to have new bedding but I think the carpet was old.

One minor thing, the old 'You Are A Star' reward system seems to have disappeared we certainly did not get any forms apart from the general 'Satisfaction' form. Pity that.

Also the invitation to the senior officers' cocktail party was not the Gold trimmed card of yore just a printed paper one in an ordinary envelope. Mickey Arisson was on board and held a Q&A session on the return leg. I didn't go. He attended the general cocktail party at which Capt Wells gave him the credit for saving Cunard which received a storm of approval, of course.

What else? Oh the embarkation at Red Hook was another failure. Our girl tried and tried to get the card reader to work. Then used the next operator's position thus holding up that line, not popular but not our fault. Took about 25 minutes to get it to accept first our passports then our CC then finally issued us with the wrong cruise cards. Still these things happen. Later on we had a note from the purser to say our cards were not recognised and would we re-register.

The two glass lifts. I must confess I had difficulty in remembering exactly where they were. Their removal is seamless. Tried breakfast in Corinthia lounge on recommendation from our table, a bit disappointing, eggs benedict left cooking under lights a la Travelodge buffet. Chef's Galley, normally my first stop for food on boarding, now only does hot dogs, burgers and pizza. No fresh cut sandwiches I'm afraid.

RADA. Did a compilation of death scenes from Shakespeare which was v. Good much better than trying to shoehorn an entire play onto 45 minutes. They also did Pride and Pred. but |I didn't see that, its did get very good reports. They also did a 'Bedtime Story at 10.30 in the Corinthia Lounge a couple of nights. The harpist was still there but this one sings what used to called in my youth 'Torch Songs' old sentimental numbers given her own very individual interpretation. Sometimes so individual as to be virtually unrecognisable. I did miss the old music only harpist.

Daily Programme, pretty much the mixture as before. Quizzes, lectures various classes, e.g. dancing, flower arranging (charge) wine tasting (charge), craft classes dance classes, line dancing, bingo etc etc. If you've sailed Cunard before you know the king of thing. Library - still superb. Book shop pitiful, just pitiful. Ate once in the Verandah, that was nice. Went again for lunch but it was exactly the same menu so decided against. The MD says it's going to be the same menu all the time. Went once to Kings Court speciality dining that was very good too, we went to the Italian night.

 

Overall. Food in MDR excellent, service excellent,

The Bars as before, I don't know if they have reduced the staff but it seemed to take much longer to get a drink.

Weather fine both directions. Took self disembark in NYC, called off ship at 0645. about 20 in front in homeland security line. Taxi immediately, $25 + tip to W. 40th street, via Brooklyn Bridge, I always like that. Hotel had room available immediately and were out and having coffee in Bryant Park as the clock struck 8.

Can't think of anything else. A terrific holiday on my favourite ship to my favourite city. Been sailing Cunard over 20 years and will always love it.

That's all folks, any questions fire away.

MM

 

P.S. One sour note, i carelessly left an expensive cashmere sweater on my chair one breakfast. I didn't notice this until later in the morning. Not worried as assumed it would turn up in the purser's office but sadly it did not. That'll teach me to take better care of my stuff.

 

PPS DRESS. I'm very much afraid people, that this is a battle we are losing by attrition

[berpat]

I have just read the comments on QM2 remastered and have just returned from the North America/USA and east bound crossing. While agreeing that the ship is now much brighter and not as tired looking as she was, things have happened to her which cannot be described as 'improvements'.

 

Can I start with 'Sir Samuels' gone are the Laugen Sandwiches, the smoked salmon crouissants and those wonderful strawberry tarts. Instead you now get (at a price) Illy Coffee and a selection of Godiva chocolates that you would have to raise a mortgage to afford if you EL took a fancy to them. (I prefer Thorntons)

I very much missed the old Winter Gardens which was a peaceful haven where you could relax in comfort. It is now an extension of the Kings Court dining area with most tables covered with food that has been carried through from Kings Court.

By no means am I a skinflint as my end of cruise bill will show, and I do enjoy a glass of good red wine, I ordered a large 75ml glass of Rioja in the Carinthia Lounge which was priced at $12.95. When the waiter delivered same and presented my bill I was charged $19.95. When queried I was informed that the menu I had used was an old one and the higher price was the correct one!!! Now a $7 increase on a 250ml glass equates to a $21 increase on a bottle!!! They will soon have paid for the refurb. This anomaly has been brought to Cunards attention and we await comments.

 

To round off this little rant I will just say that after 30 years cruising with Cunard it is the Queen Victoria next for us (booked on board) we will not be on QM2 again.

 

I agree with the previous post that the number crunchers have taken control of the food portions in the Brittania it is so obvious. As one American guest commented 'QM2' is now a floating clip joint. I await the day they serve food and drink in the library!!! STILL ENJOYED IT.

[nfcu]

I am very disappointed to learn that paper towels are now used in the public rest rooms instead of the cloth towels. In my opinion, cloth towels are one of the things premium lines provide, whereas paper towels are provided on mass market lines, or as on Carnival, hand air dryers only.

[Cassandra14]

Embarkation in Soton on 23/6. As i have priority boarding I was onboard within 20/25 minutes of arriving at the terminal. Still feel awkward about being pushed in front of the next in line. (Not awkward enough to refuse the privilege though)

The check-in lady said she was within an ace of throwing her swipe machine and camera out of the window, they were playing up so much. They worked ok for us though. Afterwards we learned that some people had to wait hours as the system fell over completely. Apparently the same thing happened at Hamburg too. The ship did not leave until 8pm due to a delay with the stores. Capt. Wells apologised to the passengers for the IT failure and explained that the ship left Hamburg virtually empty and had to completely re-store. A Little disappointment as I had thought the three Queens would leave in convoy.

 

As Happyboating has posted, the new Corinthia lounge appears a big success.

Mixed opinions on Kings Court however which came as a surprise consider the opprobrium which has been heaped upon it in the past. Definitely a nicer place to eat IMO. Bright and clean looking. Only visited three times, Twice on embarkation days for a light tea and once for breakfast. Not sure the traffic flow is any better but that might improve as the place settles down. Staff say quite a few people have expressed a dislike of the new layout.

 

Theatre. New light and digital imaging technology set up which is very good indeed. Two new shows which I saw. I don't really appreciate musical theatre but the applause was sustained. The old favourite 'Appasionata' was shown once as a matinee. Seems to be a Cunard classic now. Other entertainment was cruising standard stuff. Vocalists, instrumentalists, a musical duo, two comedians, both good. On boarding day there was a half row of seats taped off in Illuminations but that went down to one by the time I got off.

Prices of everything seem to have taken a hike. Cocktails round about 12 dollars now, at least ours were.

 

Inside cabin deck 10 next to laundrette. Carpet was wet on the side next to laundrette. Steward installed an industrial dryer after a wet and dry hoovering job. Dry as a bone by bed time. A washing machine next door had sprung a leak. That machine was still out of action when we got back to Soton.

 

The remastering (stupid word, it's not a long playing record) showed in the general appearance, not much interested in soft furnishings so can't really comment. The hull looked lovely v. shiny, no blemishes or scrapes from dockside arguments. We seemed to have new bedding but I think the carpet was old.

One minor thing, the old 'You Are A Star' reward system seems to have disappeared we certainly did not get any forms apart from the general 'Satisfaction' form. Pity that.

Also the invitation to the senior officers' cocktail party was not the Gold trimmed card of yore just a printed paper one in an ordinary envelope. Mickey Arisson was on board and held a Q&A session on the return leg. I didn't go. He attended the general cocktail party at which Capt Wells gave him the credit for saving Cunard which received a storm of approval, of course.

What else? Oh the embarkation at Red Hook was another failure. Our girl tried and tried to get the card reader to work. Then used the next operator's position thus holding up that line, not popular but not our fault. Took about 25 minutes to get it to accept first our passports then our CC then finally issued us with the wrong cruise cards. Still these things happen. Later on we had a note from the purser to say our cards were not recognised and would we re-register.

The two glass lifts. I must confess I had difficulty in remembering exactly where they were. Their removal is seamless. Tried breakfast in Corinthia lounge on recommendation from our table, a bit disappointing, eggs benedict left cooking under lights a la Travelodge buffet. Chef's Galley, normally my first stop for food on boarding, now only does hot dogs, burgers and pizza. No fresh cut sandwiches I'm afraid.

RADA. Did a compilation of death scenes from Shakespeare which was v. Good much better than trying to shoehorn an entire play onto 45 minutes. They also did Pride and Pred. but |I didn't see that, its did get very good reports. They also did a 'Bedtime Story at 10.30 in the Corinthia Lounge a couple of nights. The harpist was still there but this one sings what used to called in my youth 'Torch Songs' old sentimental numbers given her own very individual interpretation. Sometimes so individual as to be virtually unrecognisable. I did miss the old music only harpist.

Daily Programme, pretty much the mixture as before. Quizzes, lectures various classes, e.g. dancing, flower arranging (charge) wine tasting (charge), craft classes dance classes, line dancing, bingo etc etc. If you've sailed Cunard before you know the king of thing. Library - still superb. Book shop pitiful, just pitiful. Ate once in the Verandah, that was nice. Went again for lunch but it was exactly the same menu so decided against. The MD says it's going to be the same menu all the time. Went once to Kings Court speciality dining that was very good too, we went to the Italian night.

 

Overall. Food in MDR excellent, service excellent,

The Bars as before, I don't know if they have reduced the staff but it seemed to take much longer to get a drink.

Weather fine both directions. Took self disembark in NYC, called off ship at 0645. about 20 in front in homeland security line. Taxi immediately, $25 + tip to W. 40th street, via Brooklyn Bridge, I always like that. Hotel had room available immediately and were out and having coffee in Bryant Park as the clock struck 8.

Can't think of anything else. A terrific holiday on my favourite ship to my favourite city. Been sailing Cunard over 20 years and will always love it.

That's all folks, any questions fire away.

MM

 

P.S. One sour note, i carelessly left an expensive cashmere sweater on my chair one breakfast. I didn't notice this until later in the morning. Not worried as assumed it would turn up in the purser's office but sadly it did not. That'll teach me to take better care of my stuff.

 

PPS DRESS. I'm very much afraid people, that this is a battle we are losing by attrition

Sorry about your cashmere sweater. So disappointing that there are dishonest people about. I left a favourite silk shawl in Hemispheres on QV before dinner on my recent trip and went back straight after but no sign. Like you I just expected it to be handed in to the Pursers Office but I never got it back 😦

 

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

[JollyJackTar52]

I have a Question, if I may?

 

Are the TVs showing HD? I know that the TVs are LED and will be at least 1080p TVs, but while on Queen Elizabeth last year, I couldn't help but notice that the actual broadcasts, even on the Movies were showing in standard definition on the new LED TV. Which is a shame, because the fuzziness of the picture really stands out.

[eroller]

Hattie

G32 is completely no smoking

 

 

 

Best news ever! I can actually hang out and dance in G32 without smelling like an ashtray afterward!

 

Second best news is new Godiva chocolates on the pillows at night. Nice!

 

Can't wait to experience it all myself in a couple weeks.

 

Thanks so much for the reports! They are very appreciated.

[Merry Maid]

I have a Question, if I may?

 

Are the TVs showing HD? I know that the TVs are LED and will be at least 1080p TVs, but while on Queen Elizabeth last year, I couldn't help but notice that the actual broadcasts, even on the Movies were showing in standard definition on the new LED TV. Which is a shame, because the fuzziness of the picture really stands out.

 

Sorry can't help you. Only had the TV on for the safety brief.

MM

[Happyboating]

I have a Question, if I may?

 

Are the TVs showing HD? I know that the TVs are LED and will be at least 1080p TVs, but while on Queen Elizabeth last year, I couldn't help but notice that the actual broadcasts, even on the Movies were showing in standard definition on the new LED TV. Which is a shame, because the fuzziness of the picture really stands out.

 

 

When I press the info button on the remote, at the top of the screen it says DTV cable, Dolby Digital, English 480i, 16.9 and at the bottom of the screen there is a disc that shows a pie chart and the needle is sitting in the middle of the section that says LCD TV so I'm guessing that's the answer?

 

I pressed another button on the remote and the screen then showed an Internet app but when I then selected the web browser app I got the message "Server not found". My iPad also picked up a [TV]Samsung LED 40 signal but it's locked. Again, it looks like that's answered your question - it's an LED tv. Obviously I'm not an expert with technology so if you want me to go and ask a Purser your question I'm happy to do so.

[Happyboating]

We've now realised that we have new balcony furniture - one chair still has some protective cardboard still on it.

 

This evening we bought a DVD of the remastering. Sadly, because this cruise doesn't leave Europe VAT of 20% was added to the cost but we're still looking forward to watching it when we get home.

 

We also noticed some free brochures on the Pursers desk, re the remastering, this evening so we picked one of them up. I also got a new ships map - the Pursers have them in their drawer. Our steward told us that they would normally be in our stateroom but, at present they are in short supply so, if you want one, just go and ask for one. I would have repeated my question re the e-cigs but it was the same purser who I asked this morning when I had to get a new card!

 

We enjoyed dinner again this evening and our new German friends came and said "goodbye" to us as they had eaten in Kings Court earlier due to having to pack tonight. We thought that was really nice of them and wished them a safe journey home tomorrow.

[Happyboating]

It's interesting to read everyone's different perspectives. Embarkation was good for us in Southampton as there have been some changes from when we last went through Ocean Terminal, the first being that you now have to show your e-tickets to the staff who give out the boarding cards with the letters on and they then check your ticket to see if you are, indeed, a priority passenger so, I guess, that eliminates the queue jumpers!

 

We like the new Godiva addition but I can fully understand why others don't. Also, whilst I initially thought it wouldn't, our kettle lead does actually reach the plug whilst remaining on the tray - I would find it irritating if it didn't.

 

I'm not really sure what to make of the new Kings Court - the food area does look very smart but, as others have said, I'm not entirely sure that the new design has eliminated the congestion. That said, when we excited the lift one time today we were the only ones to follow the arrow pointing right to Kings Court - everyone else turned left and entered through a different entrance!

 

Tomorrow, when we're in the port of Hamburg, it's our plan to go up on deck and to investigate the changes up there.

[Happyboating]

I fancied an omelette for breakfast today so we went up to Kings Court - I like the fact that in the buffet area on all the ships the omelettes are cooked to order and served directly from the pan to your plate therefore they are still fresh and "fluffy" when you start to tuck in. Our observations on Kings Court at breakfast is that there are waiters walking around with flasks of coffee wanting to serve you although DH chose to go and make his own tea as he assumed the temperature would be more to his liking than anything out of a flask - I don't tend to drink hot drinks. This morning I also noticed that there are TWO food serving areas - the main one that we've all seen in the remastering publicity shots and also a much smaller one on the port side opposite The Chefs Galley on the starboard side. We sat by the smaller serving area and it was very civilised.

 

I then took a walk up to the main serving area. Whilst the seating around that area was fairly packed, to be fair, the food serving area, again, is very civilised - not like a rugby scrum like I've witnessed in the past! It's my impression that there are a lot more drink serving areas in the corridors where the seating is and whilst they are clearly well used, because they are away from the food serving areas, they spread the crowds out so, in my opinion, Kings Court is actually much more functional also, people don't loiter around the food serving area like they used to as without a tray there is only so much anyone can carry!

 

We then walked down to the Carinthia lounge. We were surprised to see breakfast being served there as it was clearly also being used as a waiting area for people to be called for disembarkation so, if that is your disembarkation waiting area you will now know that you can nibble whilst waiting. We had lunch there yesterday and were there at midday when the buffet opened and observed that because it was so busy the "warm" offerings were only sitting under the heat lamps for a couple of minutes at the most, however, breakfast this morning was much less busy and so I agree with Ray66 (I think) who said that eggs benedict that had been sitting under the heat lamps for a while didn't really look that appetising. I guess it's a fact that hot buffets only ever really work if they're busy.

 

We are currently sitting in the Commodore Club whilst I'm writing this and I'm sorry to report that there's a very noisy fridge unit that keeps going on and off behind the bar somewhere! I imagine it must be quite irritating for anyone having a drink or two up here in the evening if you are sitting at the table and chairs immediately in front of the bar. The thing starts up with a LOAD "clonk" and then proceeds to "hum" VERY LOUDLY for about 3 minutes before going off for about 5 minutes and then the cycl starts again. On a positive note we entered the Commodore Club via the entrance by Churchill's Lounge and were surprised that we didn't smell any evidence of smoking in that area. Amazing really.

 

We are now docked in Hamburg and we are waiting for it to stop raining, and to brighten up, before we venture up onto the top deck to observe the changes made up there. Incidentally, we've just been chatting to a couple whose stateroom steward has told them that the new staterooms on the top deck still aren't ready for use.

 

It's now 10.00am onboard ship so I guess we've now got a 2 hour time slot to walk around the ship and take some photos so I'll post more later.

[Skillies]

The contents of our Britannia bathroom are 1 x 100ml shampoo, 1 x 50ml conditioner, 1 x 100ml bath & shower gel, 1 x 50ml body lotion (all Quercus), 2 x shower caps, a large container containing cotton balls and cotton buds, together with 2 x small round bars of soap (Eco-Boutique natural soap), 1 in the bathroom to wash your hands with and 1 in the shower. There is also a box of tissues. Having just had a shower I'd forgotten how large the shower is on QM2 as opposed to the smaller shower units on QV and QE. I also like the fact that the shower head is removeable from its cradle, as opposed to the fixed shower heads on both QV and QE.

 

DH has noticed that as the tv has replaced a picture that used to be on the wall opposite the bed, the picture spotlight now shines directly on the screen so I've turned the ceiling lights off and we are now just using the table lamps.

 

Having looked at the back of the tv I can see 2 x USB ports, 1 x HDMI port and the type of port that you would plug a phone cable into, presumably for wifi. As I haven't brought my HDMI cable with me I'm afraid I can't say if the tv will allow me to play a movie stored on my iPad - sorry! Perhaps someone else can report on that?

 

I hope I've now covered all the facts in the stateroom and that my observation will at least help someone. Ok, if you really want to look for faults you can, of course, find them as all the fixtures and fittings in the staterooms are original and, in our stateroom, the door handle of the cupboard containing the safe - probably the most heavily used door handle - is marked, but I simply can't fault the furnishings in here - they are beautiful.

 

Thank you so much for your detailled report . We are really looking forward to meet the NEW QM2. Glad to hear that the Corinthia lounge is a success. Regards and happy sailing.

[Ray66]

I have a Question, if I may?

 

Are the TVs showing HD? I know that the TVs are LED and will be at least 1080p TVs, but while on Queen Elizabeth last year, I couldn't help but notice that the actual broadcasts, even on the Movies were showing in standard definition on the new LED TV. Which is a shame, because the fuzziness of the picture really stands out.

 

The new TV's in the QM2 staterooms are 100 times better quality than those on the QE. I'm sure the ones on the QE were bought as an out of date job-lot!

[Happyboating]

We've had a good wander around the ship. I was right about the old camera shop now being a wine tasting area as, this morning, I noticed a plaque on the wall saying "Wine Tasting". It did throw me a bit when I also realised that, today, that room is an access area to a gangway!

 

We also saw Captain Wells enjoying a coffee in Sir Samuel's - I was interested to note that he also had to sign for his drink so being the Captain clearly didn't get him a complimentary beverage.

 

Whilst in that general area I took the liberty of going down one deck to view the new single staterooms - they had all been made up and had their doors open as, I assume, they were awaiting inspection so I stuck my head in and took a quick look. The stateroom I looked in had two LARGE porthole windows and the room was very bright with lots of light. It clearly had a single bed in it, as opposed to a small double bed, but I liked the chair that had a matching footstall pushed up to it - very nice. I'm afraid even I wasn't cheeky enough to actually go inside and inspect the bathroom - I do actually respect the fact that these rooms had been made up for guests about to embark so it would have been wrong for me to actually touch anything (including a door handle) but from what I could see from the doorway I was very impressed. Incidentally, the door leading to that new set of single staterooms was unmarked so, I assume, most people coming across it would simply assume it was a dead end and turn back.

 

We also discovered why there was no smell of smoke escaping from the Churchill Lounge - there are now double doors to enter and leave. The outer door is a solid wood one and I guess you close that behind you before then opening the glass door to enter the lounge. I'm not sure if this is a new addition or whether this has been the case for some time.

 

We spoke to the Executive Chef - a big man who clearly likes food (personally, I always find it reassuring to see a large chef) - anyhow, he told us that they are still working on the configurations in King's Court and that the small food area I noticed this morning is going to become a pancake/waffle station and also serve pasta and pizzas at lunchtime beginning from the next voyage to leave Southampton. I also asked him about freshly made sandwiches and he pointed to an area in the main food court, where the fresh fruit is served at lunch time, that he said makes fresh sandwiches during afternoon tea service in King's Court so whoever noted that they were disappointed that they couldn't get a sandwich in The Chef's Galley at lunch time, please note that the area and timing of where they are served has changed. We got the impression that the service of food was still a work in progress so there may well be discrepancies in people's reporting of their experiences in King's Court in the coming weeks/months until the staff are happy that they've got it as near right as they can for both them and us.

 

Have now sat here for 2 hours observing. I know people must still be embarking, and others will undoubtedly be ashore, but from what we've seen the flow of movement in the new King's Court is good. I still suspect this has more to do with the fact that there are no longer any trays than the new layout as clearly if you want hot food you simply go to the hot food counter and if you want a desert you simply go to that counter. We witnessed one upset guy who was complaining that contractors, wearing dirty clothing, were eating in a public area - arguably he was right but I didn't actually see the contractors he was complaining about - but, other than that one guy we haven't witnessed any other frayed tempers.

 

We are now going up to the top deck as its now looking like its dried up outside.

[pepperrn]

I cannot compiment you enough Happyboating for all your informative and well-written reports. A sincere well done from me; excellent in every way. You are observant and noting things that many would miss. Very readable and hugely enjoyable.

 

The wooden door to Churchills (as well as the glass door) has, I believe, always been there. However, most evenings it is open against the wall (opposite the door to the "gents") and blends in so well, it is easy to miss seeing as a door. Of course, I could be wrong and they have provided an additional door. I'll check in November.

 

The door through the wine tasting area (was photo shop) takes many by surprise when they see it. As does the other doorway in the Chart Room (go check and look for it). I've embarked through both on different occasions on previous voyages. Unless you know they are there, they are hard to spot. Once you know, they are hard to miss!

 

Keep the reports coming, hugely enjoying them, many thanks :)

Edited July 15, 2016 by pepperrn

[Patria21]

Thank you for these reports. We were on the first post-refit sailing from Hamburg to New York and were thrilled with most of the changes - and tolerant of those few things that were still works in progress. As you note, one of those works in progress was the exact configuration of the offerings in Kings Court, so I'm happy to hear they are planning to bring back the pasta station. It was missed.

As others have, you also mentioned the new hall carpets and their odd fade to gray. For what it's worth, the explanation I was given is that the color fade is meant to create an optical illusion that makes the hallways look wider. The old carpets had blue borders on both sides - lines that, in the distance, seemed to meet and make the hallways seem to narrow. That still goes for the walls, of course, but removing the borders and letting the carpet just seem to fade away apparently delays the effect. I'm not sure that it works, and I'm not sure that it's worth it even if it does, but that's the answer I was given.

[3rdGenCunarder]

We've had a good wander around the ship. I was right about the old camera shop now being a wine tasting area as, this morning, I noticed a plaque on the wall saying "Wine Tasting". It did throw me a bit when I also realised that, today, that room is an access area to a gangway!

 

We also saw Captain Wells enjoying a coffee in Sir Samuel's - I was interested to note that he also had to sign for his drink so being the Captain clearly didn't get him a complimentary beverage.

 

Whilst in that general area I took the liberty of going down one deck to view the new single staterooms - they had all been made up and had their doors open as, I assume, they were awaiting inspection so I stuck my head in and took a quick look. The stateroom I looked in had two LARGE porthole windows and the room was very bright with lots of light. It clearly had a single bed in it, as opposed to a small double bed, but I liked the chair that had a matching footstall pushed up to it - very nice. I'm afraid even I wasn't cheeky enough to actually go inside and inspect the bathroom - I do actually respect the fact that these rooms had been made up for guests about to embark so it would have been wrong for me to actually touch anything (including a door handle) but from what I could see from the doorway I was very impressed. Incidentally, the door leading to that new set of single staterooms was unmarked so, I assume, most people coming across it would simply assume it was a dead end and turn back.

 

We also discovered why there was no smell of smoke escaping from the Churchill Lounge - there are now double doors to enter and leave. The outer door is a solid wood one and I guess you close that behind you before then opening the glass door to enter the lounge. I'm not sure if this is a new addition or whether this has been the case for some time.

 

We spoke to the Executive Chef - a big man who clearly likes food (personally, I always find it reassuring to see a large chef) - anyhow, he told us that they are still working on the configurations in King's Court and that the small food area I noticed this morning is going to become a pancake/waffle station and also serve pasta and pizzas at lunchtime beginning from the next voyage to leave Southampton. I also asked him about freshly made sandwiches and he pointed to an area in the main food court, where the fresh fruit is served at lunch time, that he said makes fresh sandwiches during afternoon tea service in King's Court so whoever noted that they were disappointed that they couldn't get a sandwich in The Chef's Galley at lunch time, please note that the area and timing of where they are served has changed. We got the impression that the service of food was still a work in progress so there may well be discrepancies in people's reporting of their experiences in King's Court in the coming weeks/months until the staff are happy that they've got it as near right as they can for both them and us.

 

Have now sat here for 2 hours observing. I know people must still be embarking, and others will undoubtedly be ashore, but from what we've seen the flow of movement in the new King's Court is good. I still suspect this has more to do with the fact that there are no longer any trays than the new layout as clearly if you want hot food you simply go to the hot food counter and if you want a desert you simply go to that counter. We witnessed one upset guy who was complaining that contractors, wearing dirty clothing, were eating in a public area - arguably he was right but I didn't actually see the contractors he was complaining about - but, other than that one guy we haven't witnessed any other frayed tempers.

 

We are now going up to the top deck as its now looking like its dried up outside.

 

Thank you for all of your observations. It's making me even more impatient for our Christmas cruise!

 

I do have one comment to make, and that's about sandwiches. I know who you mean, the executive chef is very nice. But, all due respect to his training and knowledge, I do not think a tea sandwich is the same thing as a lunch sandwich. If you want a sandwich at lunch, waiting for a little tea sandwich at 3:30 just doesn't do it.

 

I'm pleased to hear there will be a waffle/pancake station, and that they make omelets to order. A friend who was on the short Canada cruise was unhappy that there were no made-to-order omelets and no waffles. She shares your opinion of premade eggs Benedict sitting out under a warming lamp, but her comment was about seeing them in KC. (And she loved Carinthia for lunch)

 

And is it true that you make your own toast at breakfast in KC? That sounds so Motel 6!!! :eek: