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Just off Q Elizabeth ...very disapointed


phillipahain
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Long term Diamond members

Did 14 day QE Southampton to Southampton last Aug Sept ....food etc was great

 

Other family members did cruise before and afterwards and were equally happy

 

Booked 17 day Southampton to Southampton this year and oh boy has the food quality gone downhill

 

Very very concerned now as had already booked Southampton to Hong Kong on QMary Jan 2019 back in March 2018 and being in the UK denied option to cancel ......bad enough they have cancelled Kota Kinablu stop and replaced it with dead and alive hole of a port in Vietnam but not bothered to tell anyone who booked onboard QE .....but if the quality of the food on QM is like QE it will be the last time we sail Cunard

 

Have always loved the dress code, the chancd to dress up and wear glamourus clothes the entertainment , the food , but it seems that USA guests refusal to dress nicely has wrecked Dress Code and other influences of Carnival PLC has spoilt the rest

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Long term Diamond members

Did 14 day QE Southampton to Southampton last Aug Sept ....food etc was great

 

Other family members did cruise before and afterwards and were equally happy

 

Booked 17 day Southampton to Southampton this year and oh boy has the food quality gone downhill

 

Very very concerned now as had already booked Southampton to Hong Kong on QMary Jan 2019 back in March 2018 and being in the UK denied option to cancel ......bad enough they have cancelled Kota Kinablu stop and replaced it with dead and alive hole of a port in Vietnam but not bothered to tell anyone who booked onboard QE .....but if the quality of the food on QM is like QE it will be the last time we sail Cunard

 

Have always loved the dress code, the chancd to dress up and wear glamourus clothes the entertainment , the food , but it seems that USA guests refusal to dress nicely has wrecked Dress Code and other influences of Carnival PLC has spoilt the rest

What was wrong with the food?

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Long term Diamond members

Did 14 day QE Southampton to Southampton last Aug Sept ....food etc was great

 

Other family members did cruise before and afterwards and were equally happy

 

Booked 17 day Southampton to Southampton this year and oh boy has the food quality gone downhill

 

Very very concerned now as had already booked Southampton to Hong Kong on QMary Jan 2019 back in March 2018 and being in the UK denied option to cancel ......bad enough they have cancelled Kota Kinablu stop and replaced it with dead and alive hole of a port in Vietnam but not bothered to tell anyone who booked onboard QE .....but if the quality of the food on QM is like QE it will be the last time we sail Cunard

 

Have always loved the dress code, the chancd to dress up and wear glamourus clothes the entertainment , the food , but it seems that USA guests refusal to dress nicely has wrecked Dress Code and other influences of Carnival PLC has spoilt the rest

Ignoring the poverty and cockfighting on street corners,Vietnam is a beautiful country.One of my favourites.There is an ongoing debate about QM2 food.If it is a worldie segment like mine was on the QE this year the food may be better.Peeps paying for a worldie may expect and get more.
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What exactly do you mean by downhill ? ( food/ menu) As I understand it , having been invited to dine at the F&B managers table the other week ( onboard QM2) and also spending quite some time in the company of the corporate/shoreside chef , the evening menu (across the Cunard fleet ) has been considerably enhanced.

 

Confused :confused: do please give your readers 'clear examples' of where your dining experience was below standard.

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Long term Diamond members

Did 14 day QE Southampton to Southampton last Aug Sept ....food etc was great

 

Other family members did cruise before and afterwards and were equally happy

 

Booked 17 day Southampton to Southampton this year and oh boy has the food quality gone downhill

 

Very very concerned now as had already booked Southampton to Hong Kong on QMary Jan 2019 back in March 2018 and being in the UK denied option to cancel ......bad enough they have cancelled Kota Kinablu stop and replaced it with dead and alive hole of a port in Vietnam but not bothered to tell anyone who booked onboard QE .....but if the quality of the food on QM is like QE it will be the last time we sail Cunard

 

Have always loved the dress code, the chancd to dress up and wear glamourus clothes the entertainment , the food , but it seems that USA guests refusal to dress nicely has wrecked Dress Code and other influences of Carnival PLC has spoilt the rest

If the food was below par no wonder the Americans did not “Dress up” stop picking on us!

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On QE ...Mark was Executive chef

 

Plates and food in BritanniaDining room were never hot

Menus changed quite dramatically from last year ....where the menu and items were great

 

No objection to reducing number of courses but the poor meat quality , tough steaks and beef no matter what cut or whether Rare or well done ...fish was dry and lacked a nice sauce

The lamb was good but it took way too long for black pepper or mint sauce or horseradish etc to be served ...

 

In the Lido even the minute it opened ...french fries were cold , many hot dishes were unappetising and again lukewarm and even if this was mentioned nothing was done to correct the problems

 

Stilton or Danish Blue was only on offer in the evening in the Lido never at Breakfast or Lunch ...yes you could order it in Brittania at Dinner but thats not the point

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Long term Diamond members

Did 14 day QE Southampton to Southampton last Aug Sept ....food etc was great

 

Other family members did cruise before and afterwards and were equally happy

 

Booked 17 day Southampton to Southampton this year and oh boy has the food quality gone downhill

 

Very very concerned now as had already booked Southampton to Hong Kong on QMary Jan 2019 back in March 2018 and being in the UK denied option to cancel ......bad enough they have cancelled Kota Kinablu stop and replaced it with dead and alive hole of a port in Vietnam but not bothered to tell anyone who booked onboard QE .....but if the quality of the food on QM is like QE it will be the last time we sail Cunard

 

Have always loved the dress code, the chance to dress up and wear glamourus clothes the entertainment , the food , but it seems that USA guests refusal to dress nicely has wrecked Dress Code and other influences of Carnival PLC has spoilt the rest

 

It's not Americans who have changed less codes. It's the times. This is 2018, not 1918. And rotten food is rotten food no matter what you're wearing!

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The whole point of going on a cruise especially Cunard is to have chance to dress up

It also should be a chance to enjoy good food served correctly

Anyone can go and eat in Mc Donalds or whatever in Jeans and a tshirt

Its not a matter of 2018 versus 1918 .......no one is talking about the OTT dressing of 1918 ...just a chance to dress up and wear something different to the everyday

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Were people not dressing up ? I didn't notice much difference on our recent Queen Victoria cruise and we enjoyed the new menus but we don't use the Lido and didn't have any issues with tough meat or sauces.

 

Current reviews of food on QM2 seem to be mixed.

Edited by Host Hattie
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The declining food on Cunard seems to be a trend. Unfortunate.

 

Interesting the OP blames the American's for the declining dress code. I would like to know how that was determined. If anything I've noticed a change in the Brits that are cruising on Cunard, thanks to rock bottom flash promos that are offered in the UK. Many times free return air and hotel are included. Pax that might normally cruise P&O, CMV, or Fred. Olsen are coming to Cunard, and they are not used to the dress code and complain about it. That has been my experience lately on QM2 crossings.

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Food is very subjective.

 

 

 

We have returned to QM2 after 2 years of absence, in June and the quality of food in Britannia Restaurant was unchanged, we thought that King‘s Court food has significantly improved.

 

 

 

Completely agree that food is subjective. Serve the same food to 10 people and receive 10 greatly varying opinions on it. This being said, I’ve seen a trend lately on CC regarding the decline of cuisine on Cunard. I’m not sure if it’s just coincidence or there is some truth to it? I know I’ve been fairly pleased on all my recent Cunard voyages. I wouldn’t call it gourmet but certainly tasty and quite acceptable. I’m sailing on QM2 in Nov so I’m curious if I’ll notice any change.

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Ignoring the poverty and cockfighting on street corners,Vietnam is a beautiful country.One of my favourites.There is an ongoing debate about QM2 food.If it is a worldie segment like mine was on the QE this year the food may be better.Peeps paying for a worldie may expect and get more.

 

Well that and the fact that Vietnam and the Vietnamese are the main reason that rhinos are poached by the thousands in southern Africa.

 

About dress codes: luckily we don't live in the seventies anymore (when the general dress code was "caveman attire") but have returned to more sophisticated standards. What is considered formal isn't the style of 1918 but rather something that resembles something from the fifties.

 

On QM2 I do find food adequate and good, but its certainly no three star cuisine, but then you don't pay a three star price when traveling in tourist class cabins. But then, QM2 is a wonderfully designed ship and I can only recommend to sail on her.

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Feeling offended that weAmericans for relaxed dress. We are shelling out quite a few $ to have a case sent to Hamburg for our October crossing after touring Croatia for three weeks. Not expecting QM2 to meet our Seabourn standards but we will soldier on.

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My my wife and I were on the same QE cruise. And apparently sailing in a parallel universe. Or maybe we were in Princess Grill, not Britannia.

 

But I'd rate this experience as one of the finest... across the board.... of any of some 40 voyages/cruises enjoyed since 1974 including 11 on Cunard. Food is subjective. And should be. We were delighted. We never even entered the Lido (and thank God for that) but breakfast, luncheon and dinner in the restaurant were consistently excellent. And a galley tour enforced our opinions of the product and what it takes to produce it. Indeed, I'd rate the food in Princess Grill this year better than our Queen's Grill experience in QM2.

 

The only disappointment was that the gluten free options especially baked goods was much worse than last year as none of it made aboard anymore and the factory made stuff is horrible.

 

Service was exceptional. Including major improvements to the deck service which we found dire on QE last year. We had simply the best cabin stewardess ever. Bar service and the quality of drinks was superb. Yes, they have tweaked the prices so that some of our favourite tipples were above the $12 drink package limit but I certainly didn't "go without". And yes, they still serve hot and cold canapes in the Commodore. We don't even want them and had to wave off the delightful steward serving them every night. We didn't encounter one single crew member who wasn't friendly, smiling, helpful and professional. Not a one.

 

As for the dress code, I absolutely have no idea what the original poster is referring to... passengers, in all restaurants, were in fact better dressed than last year. Indeed, we thought those dining in Britannia made more of an effort than some in the Grills. Everyone in the Commodore was most certainly properly attired after six. Indeed, we were sitting in the Grill Lounge at 5.52 pm and the charming Russian waitress laughed (but didn't disagree) when I said that we had eight minutes to finish our drink before we turned into pumpkins as we were not in evening dress.

 

As for nationalities, I encountered more Canadians than Americans. Indeed, the North American colonies were very poorly subscribed for this voyage. And certainly didn't see any difference in attire between them and the British. Daytime attire is often... dismal.. across the board. I think I was the only gent to change for luncheon in the dining room. I don't think all that c. 1983 M&S sports wear brought out for the upteenth time came from America, either.

 

But overall, simply outstanding. Even the weather was delightful (what a difference from last year!). We are just very disappointed Cunard has decided they don't want us to return next year as they have all but pulled out of the Med leaving us no choices. It's Australia or Alaska or Bust.

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My my wife and I were on the same QE cruise. And apparently sailing in a parallel universe. Or maybe we were in Princess Grill, not Britannia.

 

 

 

 

I think cruise ships are so big these days (even QE and QV), that two people on the same ship can have very different experiences. Different dining rooms or seatings, different cabin stewards, different bars frequented, different schedules. One person can interact with entirely different fellow passengers and crew than another, and the result can be vastly different experiences even on the same ship. Of course perceptions, past experiences, and personality play a big role as well in how an overall experience will be received. I know I'm a late sleeper and late to bed person. I never have breakfast and often don't leave the cabin until noon. I stay up late and often go to the nightclub. I'll probably never interact with a passenger that is an early bird, on early sitting dinner, and goes to bed early. Our experiences could be vastly different.

 

Glad you enjoyed yourself. I've always been a fan of Cunard and will continue to be so long as they don't muck it up. I think we will see some substantial changes when the new ship comes out. That tends to be an opportunity for a line to "reinvent" itself, which is not always a good thing.

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So true. And indeed with the Grills Cunard has perfected "the ship within a ship" experience. Or indeed the old class system.

 

Having said that, we preferred our pre-dinner drinks and after dinner time in the Commodore Club and the Yacht Club rather than the overcrowded and frankly boring Grills Lounge. And we enjoyed the same level of service and got to see how "the others" were dressed etc. So this report came as a real "wow, they were on the same ship on the same cruise"?? In all fairness, we thought the food in Britannia last year was outstanding.

 

Carnival cannot resist tweaking (or ruining) a good thing. Like most companies nowadays. Indeed, we are of the mood now to "don't go back, it won't be as good". But this 17-day August QE experience was gratifying on all levels. If you ever want to experience true Old School First Class Ocean Liner, Cunard Grills are a pretty good imitation. They've got this so right, you just know someone will spoil it before too long!

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I’ve had the pleasure of sailing in Queens Grill, Princess Grill, Britannia Club, and basic Britannia. I’ve enjoyed them all. Like you when I have sailed in the Grills I tend not to frequent the Grills Lounge. Yawn. I prefer the more congenial atmosphere of the Commodore Club or Chart Room. G32 or Yacht Club later in the evening. The upgraded dining is very nice though. A couple years back my experience in Britannia Club was so good I thought it surpassed the Grills. The last time in Britannia Club was still very good, but not as superb as the first.

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Well that and the fact that Vietnam and the Vietnamese are the main reason that rhinos are poached by the thousands in southern Africa.

 

About dress codes: luckily we don't live in the seventies anymore (when the general dress code was "caveman attire") but have returned to more sophisticated standards. What is considered formal isn't the style of 1918 but rather something that resembles something from the fifties.

 

On QM2 I do find food adequate and good, but its certainly no three star cuisine, but then you don't pay a three star price when traveling in tourist class cabins. But then, QM2 is a wonderfully designed ship and I can only recommend to sail on her.

I think you'll find it's China.Most Vietnamese couldn't afford Rhino horn.
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We had two bouts of broken fresh water pipes on our 17-day cruises. The first one cut off hot water for about 4-5 hours. The second one occurred in the middle of the night and went un-noticed to most.

 

So yes, QE is due for a refit. But she's hardly falling apart. Indeed, her paintwork etc. looked better this year than last. Everything was immaculately clean although yes some of the soft furnishings need replacing.

 

I just hope that she will emerge from the refit with some relief from her relentless brown and beige colour schemes inside. We find her terribly dark and depressing inside. Our P2 cabin was like living inside a band-aid for two weeks. We really didn't like spending much time there as a result. Everything... everything... was beige and tan. And the passageways lined in pale unrelieved pale grey gave the appearance of a hospital. As a "homage" to the decor of the great liners of the 'thirties, it just doesn't work on any level.

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Totally agree hope the refit changes the ghastly brown cream orange theme ...the yatch club is horrendous

The seating on many chairs throughout the ship desperately need replacing

 

I was comparing the quality of the food and the service in Basic Brittania Restuarant at Dinner versus same last year ....Last year the food quality and taste and service was faultless sadly the major changes of the menu along with quality and service this year was most definitely very poor by comparison

 

We have done many many cruises on Cunard and always preferred it to other Carnival Corp offerings although to be fair not tried Seabourne .

 

It may well be very true that theres been so many cheap deals on Cunard and other cruises that the lines are cutting costs to match ...its a sad reflection of the kickbacks of the last 10 years of financial repression which has severely hit the pockets of many of the older generation

 

Something the powers that be refuse to face or understand this also affects the HighSt too

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