The “Carnivalization of Cunard” continues…

[Island Venturer]

We just returned from an 18-day Queen Elizabeth voyage New York to Southampton.  It’s been a couple of years since we’ve sailed on Queen Elizabeth, so we were very disappointed to see the major “cut backs”.

 

First off… there were fewer entrée choices available in the Britannia Restaurant.  And shockingly “Mac & Cheese” was one of the choices offered on a formal night!  Twice, in fact, during the entire cruise.

 

When I asked for a “salt stick”… I was told that they are now only available in the Queens Grill (yet, I noticed some were available at the Lido Buffet during lunch).  The waiter told me that my only choices of breads where what I see in the basket.

 

On several days, they offered the same fish entrée at lunch and then again at dinner.

 

Our near tablemates (two “twos” next to each other) asked for something extra, and they were told they only serve what’s on the menu.

 

As for the Petit Fours which I used to enjoy most nights with coffee after dinner… this time, the choices were marshmellows and rice crispy treats (not kidding).  The only time chocolate of any kind was offered as a petit four after dinner proved to be the same chocolate mints that are piled in a bowl at the entrance/exit of the restaurant.

 

When we finally inquired about the changes, we were told that all menus are created by Carnival Headquarters in Southampton… onboard chefs are not allowed to change or adjust.

 

There were several events held onboard (crew show, Christian services, etc.) where Cunard blatantly promoted that they were raising money for charities… a large box for financial contributions was placed outside the Royal Court Theatre, and the Entertainment Director would stand nearby to watch who gave and who didn’t as you left the theatre.

 

There was a very heavy promotion for a galley/backstage tour… for $120 per person (and yes, you would receive a glass of Cunard sparkling wine with it).  A bit outrageous, don’t you think?

 

 And then, of course, the “sale tables” outside the shops… which on QE are outside the Queen’s Room.  Now… there is one full table set aside to sell Pringles and M&Ms. Wow.

 

We found the ship is spending less and less time in port, which makes some stops not even worth it. Could it be to save on dockage fees, and add a big push to sell more ‘stuff’ onboard?

 

Additional, there were far too many crew guests invited onboard in several ports, especially in Southampton. Families with five or six kids, all touring the ship with the crew member… enjoying lunch in the Lido, taking guest’s seats, etc.  Not fun, and should not be acceptable.

 

The Lido was somewhat understaffed at lunch… used plates and glasses left on tables for quite a while before anyone came by to clean.  

 

And our favorite…  the Carinthia Bar ran out of ‘rocks’ glasses. Yes, that’s right.  They told us they had no more onboard… and for four or five days or so, all drinks were served in a “tall” glass, no matter what the order.  When I asked why, they said the ship had been in the Far East, and they couldn’t order any more.  Could they not order more glasses in San Francisco, or Los Angeles, or Miami (Carnival headquarters, after all), or New York?  Outrageous.

 

Entertainment-wise… they now seem to only engage British acts… singers, comedians, novelty groups, etc. Sometimes that’s ok, but for many Americans… British comics are really just a wasted evening.

 

Production show?  The cast told us they were onboard for NINE MONTHS and seemed very tired; just going through the motions.  Singers were good… the dancers were sloppy and most out of sync.  I’m sure they couldn’t wait to get to Southampton and the end of their contract. I’m not an expert, but I would guess that nine months onboard a ship in ANY capacity is too long… again, could this be to save money?

 

Lecturers?... only one was really excellent--  Steve Rivellino who spoke about Broadway and other areas of entertainment.  He made our trip.

 

Externally, the ship showed lots of rust on the hull and the deck areas too…  perhaps they are also cutting back maintenance.

 

All in all, we feel QE has dropped below the level from what was once Cunard status…  I don’t know about Victoria.  

 

But happily, I can say that disembarking from QE and stepping onboard QM2 for the return to New York was a breath of fresh air.  Like coming home.  There is no doubt, the QM2 a far better ship, and is run differently… food quality was far better, and the service too… and the crew, much more friendly.  There is no comparison between the two ships. Clearly, QE has now become a typical cruise ship, comparable perhaps to Princess or HAL (all Carnival brands).  

 

And QM2 continues to stand out.  

 

Although our fingers are crossed waiting to see how long that will be the case.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Just a few replies.

 

Shorter port days mean the ship can sail more slowly, thus saving fuel. I've noticed shorter port times on HAL, too.

 

Yes, I know about the Rice Krispies Treats. Sad excuse for petit fours. The marshmallows aren't out of a bag. "Homemade" marshmallows are kind of a gourmet thing. Doesn't thrill me,  but there it is. I miss the lovely shortbread and chocolates they used to offer. I was on one of the QE cruises to Alaska, and I thought the mains were good choices. Don't remember mac and cheese, but it could have been there. (Gourmet mac and cheese had become a foodie thing, so maybe that's why it was there) I thought most of the starters at dinner were kind of strange, lots of odd combinations of ingredients. 

 

I don't think the charity collection at special events is new. I never felt pressured by anyone to donate. The sale tables aren't new. QM2 does it, too. As long as people buy, the ships will do it. 

 

The behind the scenes tour is a very special experience. I've done it on QM2 and on a HAL Vista. If you're interested in how things work and "back of the house" information, it's worth the cost. I don't believe I've ever seen a post from someone who took the tour and didn't enjoy it. But if that kind of thing doesn't interest you, then I can understand how you'd think it's overpriced.  I think of it as an excursion for a sea day. 

 

[Host Hattie]

21 minutes ago, Island Venturer said:

Additional, there were far too many crew guests invited onboard in several ports, especially in Southampton. Families with five or six kids, all touring the ship with the crew member… enjoying lunch in the Lido, taking guest’s seats, etc.  Not fun, and should not be acceptable.

Thanks for reporting back, sorry to hear you found Queen Elizabeth such a disappointment.

I think it sounds lovely that crew can bring their families on board in port, I can't agree that it's not acceptable. If you disembarked in Southampton how did it affect you ?

 

[Island Venturer]

We were in Southampton two times.  One visit was as a part of the cruise... then the ship continued on to one more port (a weekend 3-day cruise for those boarding in Southampton... before finally disembarking back in Southampton.  I agree that it is nice to have crew members share their ship with their families... but it should be limited and not take away from the Cunard guests' experience.  Lunch at the Lido while in Southampton that first visit was terribly crowded (and the dining room was not open), and transiting guests had great difficulty find tables/seats.  

[Host Hattie]

Were there many passengers staying on board for the second trip ?

We never go to the Lido/Kings Court on embarkation day for lunch. The pub is a much better option.

Queen Elizabeth had been away from Southampton for a lot longer than usual so I can imagine there were lots of people happy to see family "home".

[Host Hattie]

1 hour ago, Island Venturer said:

First off… there were fewer entrée choices available in the Britannia Restaurant.  And shockingly “Mac & Cheese” was one of the choices offered on a formal night!  Twice, in fact, during the entire cruise.

Was the double "Mac & Cheese" on back to back cruises rather than a repeated menu in the first segment ?

I didn't remember it as an option but hopefully you managed to find something you preferred on both occasions if the menu is the same as the one shown. I had the Lamb en Croute on Queen Victoria and most of the rest of our table recommended the pork.

 

[siforest65]

We were on the 3 night aborted Guernsey/ Le Havre substitute part of this cruise. Agree about the Lido being busy on our embarkation day.

 

My wife is a fussy eater and she found the very accommodating in the Britannia at night. Going off menu for the first evening and giving her menus for the following 2 evenings and her marking what she wanted and adjusting accordingly. If they stopped doing that we would consider future cruises as it is what sets them apart for us.

 

edited to add that I thought Rewind Project were brilliant but they were fresh, getting on just for the 3 nights 

Edited August 20, 2019 by siforest65
Adding Rewind Project comment

[bluemarble]

For what it's worth, I ordered the "Shrimp Mac & Cheese" as my entree when it was offered on QM2 in April. I thought it was exceptional. So much so that I ordered it again when we were back on board in July.

 

They also typically offer a mac & cheese as one of the small plate lunch options in the Carinthia Lounge on QM2. I'm usually good for one of those during a crossing too.

 

But then I've never claimed to have a particularly sophisticated palate.

[babs135]

OP, you said mac and cheese was served as a meal but the menu states Shrimp mac and cheese with vegetables which suggests to me something a little more 'substantial'. As has been said, m&c is having something of a food renaissance which, I suspect, is how the chef sees it.

Did you just have plain mac and cheese?

[2Oldpeopleinlove]

As a restaurant reviewer for local media, I can tell you the Mac and cheese made with shrimp or lobster is indeed a popular upscale “foodie” (ugh!) dish, at least in the States. I've never been a big fan, but I wouldn't fault a restaurant for offering it.

 

As for workers being allowed to spend a little time with their children, I think we can all empathize. If it means I have to adjust for one lunch, that's fine with me.

[david,Mississauga]

2 hours ago, Island Venturer said:

We just returned from an 18-day Queen Elizabeth voyage New York to Southampton.  It’s been a couple of years since we’ve sailed on Queen Elizabeth, so we were very disappointed to see the major “cut backs”.

 

First off… there were fewer entrée choices available in the Britannia Restaurant.  And shockingly “Mac & Cheese” was one of the choices offered on a formal night!  Twice, in fact, during the entire cruise.

...

 

 

I'm sorry to hear that there has been downgrading since our 10-day Alaska cruise in June.

 

I have refreshed my memory by looking at some menus. For dinner (in Britannia) there were eight appetisers which includes starters, salads and soups. I noticed a few years ago Cunard started putting these together instead of separately, perhaps to discourage people from ordering a starter, then a salad, then a soup. But that did not deter a friend we were travelling with or others from ordering as much as they wanted. Each night there were eight main courses, two of which were listed under "Signature Entrées" and the other six under "Entrées". There were seven desserts, one of which was always a cheese plate.

 

The after-dinner petit fours were reasonably varied. There were always delicious chocolates, not the foil-wrapped ones we get at the exit. Perhaps they were all consumed by the Alaska passengers. I am certainly one of the guilty!

 

Afternoon tea was generally excellent, although some of the finger sandwiches were soggy. Perhaps they had been in the fridge or freezer which is regrettable. When the warm scones were passed around all was forgiven.

 

As to production shows, these are not my cup of tea so I can't comment. After late-sitting dinner, our entertainment was to listen to the strings, harp or piano - with or without a drink. 

[3rdGenCunarder]

5 minutes ago, david,Mississauga said:

 

I'm sorry to hear that there has been downgrading since our 10-day Alaska cruise in June.

 

I have refreshed my memory by looking at some menus. For dinner (in Britannia) there were eight appetisers which includes starters, salads and soups. I noticed a few years ago Cunard started putting these together instead of separately, perhaps to discourage people from ordering a starter, then a salad, then a soup. But that did not deter a friend we were travelling with or others from ordering as much as they wanted. Each night there were eight main courses, two of which were listed under "Signature Entrées" and the other six under "Entrées". There were seven desserts, one of which was always a cheese plate.

 

The after-dinner petit fours were reasonably varied. There were always delicious chocolates, not the foil-wrapped ones we get at the exit. Perhaps they were all consumed by the Alaska passengers. I am certainly one of the guilty!

 

Afternoon tea was generally excellent, although some of the finger sandwiches were soggy. Perhaps they had been in the fridge or freezer which is regrettable. When the warm scones were passed around all was forgiven.

 

As to production shows, these are not my cup of tea so I can't comment. After late-sitting dinner, our entertainment was to listen to the strings, harp or piano - with or without a drink. 

 

I was on the last Alaska cruise, and I don't remember anything special on the petits fours tray. Shame on you for eating the good chocolates before I got any!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

For the record, and I realize long-time Cunard passengers already know this, I want to point out that "Carnivalization" isn't all bad. Cunard was broke when Carnival bought the company. Without Carnival, there would be no QM2 (or QV or QE) and Cunard might very well have gone out of business at the end of QE2's life. 

 

[seacruise9]

1 hour ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

I was on the last Alaska cruise, and I don't remember anything special on the petits fours tray. Shame on you for eating the good chocolates before I got any!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

For the record, and I realize long-time Cunard passengers already know this, I want to point out that "Carnivalization" isn't all bad. Cunard was broke when Carnival bought the company. Without Carnival, there would be no QM2 (or QV or QE) and Cunard might very well have gone out of business at the end of QE2's life. 

 

 

Hi, 

 

I agree with your comment about Carnival saving Cunard. By the mid 1990's, Cunard's future looked very bleak. Cunard's ships were old and they could not afford to build new ships. I remember a cruise on the QE2 in 1996 that was fairly sad because the line's days seemed to be numbered. I doubt that Cunard could have survived on its own.

 

I have not sailed on the Queen Elizabeth since late 2012, but I have sailed on the Queen Victoria (September 2018) and the QM2 (April/May 2019) during the past year. I was pleased with both ships and did not notice declining standards. Hopefully, the Cunard product is not slipping. 

 

Chuck

[loerie]

7 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

Thanks for reporting back, sorry to hear you found Queen Elizabeth such a disappointment.

I think it sounds lovely that crew can bring their families on board in port, I can't agree that it's not acceptable. If you disembarked in Southampton how did it affect you ?

 

 

[loerie]

Sounds like a bloody snob to me -I Love meeting the crew families and chatting to no snob values there!them -seems as we have a “Class snob  Dowton Abbey” going on here .carnival saved Cunard from bankruptcy-but of course I’m American -

[Germancruiser]

loerie- and be proud of it- to be American- i mean! 

Cunard would be history since almost 20 years,  without Carnival!

I first sailed Cunard on baord the old QE2- a ship very much beloved by many- NOT BY ME! It was just after Cunard was bought by Canrival- and the service staff already told me of the changes.

There was no other Cuand ship worth going before the QM2 made her debut.

After over 35 cruises I am too, are very sensible about changes- but honestly those changes the  OP complained about sounded - in my opinion-  rather minor!

Really,  complaining about visiting crew member families- so totaly out of time and tune- we are living in the second decade of the 21.Century! Every crew member works hard for their money- as do 90% of the passengers on board every Cuanrder!

Edited August 21, 2019 by Germancruiser

[PORT ROYAL]

6 hours ago, Germancruiser said:

loerie- and be proud of it- to be American- i mean! 

Cunard would be history since almost 20 years,  without Carnival!

I first sailed Cunard on baord the old QE2- a ship very much beloved by many- NOT BY ME! It was just after Cunard was bought by Canrival- and the service staff already told me of the changes.

There was no other Cuand ship worth going before the QM2 made her debut.

After over 35 cruises I am too, are very sensible about changes- but honestly those changes the  OP complained about sounded - in my opinion-  rather minor!

Really,  complaining about visiting crew member families- so totaly out of time and tune- we are living in the second decade of the 21.Century! Every crew member works hard for their money- as do 90% of the passengers on board every Cuanrder!

 

Are the remaining 10% Civil Service employees?

 

[Gazroberts80]

I didn’t feel in anyway that the menu in the Britannia restaurant has been compromised after coming back off Victoria the other week. My only criticism would be perhaps there were too many days when there wasn’t an obvious alternative to Meat, Potato and Sauce. I am not a huge seafood fan so that obviously restricts my choice but over a 14 day period I would like to see more opportunity to order pasta, risotto or curry, containing meat. This is something I like about Princess and P&O and I felt my choice of what I ordered was more varied than it was on Cunard. But then Cunard clearly get the feedback that their guests do not perceive pasta’s and curry to be always available. Whilst it may be sacrilege to some I have no issue with a premium burger being served on occasions (after all they do in the Verandah, which is the highest end of the nine Grill restaurants). After all it is your choice whether to order it or not and there are 8 choices of main course. I found it quite telling that on the day we finally saw a Chicken Tikka masala curry on offer, everyone on the table of 4 couples next to us ordered it. On two occasions I did eat in the pub of an evening, which isn’t the ideal environment when the quiz kicks in and destroys any ambience, as I was craving something that was not meat and vegetables. Call me cynical but is this a deliberate strategy to encourage the use of the pop up Lido offerings, which carry around a €20 surcharge. 
 

I am a little bit confused by the “Classic Roast” as the title of one of the Signature dishes. I often found that other dishes, either the other Signature Dish. For example Fillet Steak and Crab Oscar was the classic roast one night. I really hope they didn’t roast a Fillet Steak 🙂 I must admit that I did find the food to be generally excellent and I found some of the starters in particular really exciting and delicious. The Meat and Potato dishes were superior in my view to those I had in the MDR on P&O and Princess but Princess is a clear winner for Pasta and P&O for Indian cuisine. Service was excellent and the staff were extremely accommodating in providing additional items at request. I really couldn’t fault the attention to detail of the restaurant, without fail we received visits from one of the Restaurant managers every night to check on our enjoyment and ask for feedback, which was a brilliant touch.

 

I have attached copies of the menus from our voyage for people to view, along with the dinner menu from the Golden Lion that was available from 6 - 8;30pm on Port days. I certainly don’t view the addition of the Lobster Mac & Cheese as a Main dish in the Britannia to be inappropriate for a Cunard Main course. Although we could argue should we use Macaroni rather than “Mac” 😉

 

In my view QM2 has always had far more of an eye on the American market and both the MDR and Kings Court reflect that. Being from the UK I feel QV/QE have always had more appealing offerings on the whole and I can confidently say that the food in the Britannia on this voyage was far superior to much of the offering we received back to back on QM2 back in 2015. 
 

One thing that surprised me was that on this Voyage the guest entertainers including an “Old School” comedian (I always avoid them on cruise ships) commanded far larger audiences than the cast production shows. Clearly Cunard want to fill the theatre as much as they can and the Comedians always do well in this respect. I must admit I passed on the Violinist/comedian, 40 minutes of Violin playing with comedy interwoven isn’t really my cup of tea and the juggling show (40 minutes of juggling as a headline show?) However if they fill out the theatre, something the Show Cast didn’t (all be it I was in the quieter second show) then that is clearly what people want and who I am to criticise Cunard for that. Personally it drives me mad when the pianist has to stop in the Golden Lion at 8pm for trivia, can’t he play until we head for dinner at 8:30pm? However the Quiz brings in the guests like nothing else, so of course Cunard would be mad to not give the majority what they want. 
 

The former X Factor runner up, singer Ben Mills was top class, as were the 4 piece group the Flyrights and the Acrobatic duo Luminesce. The magician, who was primarily a comedian, was actually very entertaining for his second performance (despite my initial reservations) in a variety showtime that also featured Ben Mills.

 

Cunard do have to be careful as unlike Princess and P&O they lack a true second or third show lounge. The Queens Room is primarily a dancing venue, so I wouldn’t go as far as calling it a show lounge. I did feel rather disappointed when I viewed the Daily Programme to see the show was either the violinist (with some comedy thrown in) or the Juggler (with some comedy thrown in) or a Magician (with comedy thrown in). I accept there will always be a traditional “Old School” comedian, which there of course was but to then schedule this combination of other acts was a bit much for me. 
 

Obviously there is great talent on in the Queens Room and I found myself spending far more time there than I had previously to see the brilliant orchestra/singers and the and the excellent house band Changez. It was also excellent to see the Flyrights (4 piece male harmony group) do a second show in the Queens Room. Although Cunard attracts a very loyal dancing clientele, I think there is room to use the Queens Room a little bit more for an alternative showtime, which to be fair to Cunard it seems like they are trying to do. This may be a controversial statement but the proportion of passengers who regularly use this room for dancing every evening is relatively small. Balancing out the use of this room to provide more mass appeal shows of an evening would in my view benefit the experience for many. Don’t get me wrong I love to see the dancing and I adore that Cunard has such brilliant musicians which makes the line unique. It’s something that never should be lost. These orchestras however also provided some phenomenal backing for the show cast singers and headliner Ben Mills. 
 

 

 

[Tonopah]

41 minutes ago, Gazroberts80 said:

 

 

Obviously there is great talent on in the Queens Room and I found myself spending far more time there than I had previously to see the brilliant orchestra/singers and the and the excellent house band Changez. It was also excellent to see the Flyrights (4 piece male harmony group) do a second show in the Queens Room. Although Cunard attracts a very loyal dancing clientele, I think there is room to use the Queens Room a little bit more for an alternative showtime, which to be fair to Cunard it seems like they are trying to do. This may be a controversial statement but the proportion of passengers who regularly use this room for dancing every evening is relatively small. Balancing out the use of this room to provide more mass appeal shows of an evening would in my view benefit the experience for many. Don’t get me wrong I love to see the dancing and I adore that Cunard has such brilliant musicians which makes the line unique. It’s something that never should be lost. These orchestras however also provided some phenomenal backing for the show cast singers and headliner Ben Mills.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I couldn’t disagree more about the musicians in the Queen’s Room. Why not just hire more excellent musicians? Why take away the live music for the dancers? So what if they (WE) represent a small percentage of the passengers? I travel on Cunard specifically because they provide a dance floor and live musicians. Here’s an idea - take some dance lessons and become one of those “small percentage” folks instead of wanting to remove something from them. 

[Gazroberts80]

Because there are only two potential show venues on QE/QV. The Queens Room is used for dancing both during the day and throughout the evening. The Royal Court Theatre can host a single repeated show in the evening, which may appeal to only a limited proportion of guests. The type of acts vary significantly however from Full production shows, to opera singers, to acrobats and comedians so over the course of a voyage there will be something in there that appeals to a significant proportion of the ships passengers. 
 

The Queens Room has traditionally hosted the same style of music designed to back traditional ballroom styles of dancing. With the exception of the likes of the Masquerade ball and Big Band Night it is relatively quiet for long periods of the evening and is used by a relatively small proportion of the ships guests. Often the number of Cunard hosts can equate to the number of guests dancing. Now I’m not saying I want to lose that tradition but it would be naive of any corporation not to ensure that the entertainment offerings appealed to the majority of their guests. Now I’m not saying don’t use the band in there and don’t have dancing but hosting more of the headliner guest acts for a second show of the cruise in there makes total sense. When Changez the party band and the Flyrights a Vocal harmony group took to the venue it came alive and appealed to a far higher proportion of the ship. Have ballroom exclusively on some nights but on others, maybe from 6 - 9 pm, a live vocal act from a Headliner performer or from the likes of the Commodore Cocktail pianist Lisa Harman, with two repeated shows from 9 until 11 pm, with Ballroom taking over again from 11 onwards. Maybe 50% of nights that are exclusively ballroom and 50% of these “hybrid nights” I propose. I know that many of the ships acts love the chance to shine on the bigger stage, Lisa in fact stood in for a headliner who missed the boat (ship) in the theatre on the second night and did a sterling job and got a standing ovation. 
 

You must admit that if less than 10% of the ship regularly ballroom dance (and I think in 200 people I’m being overly generous there) then it seems a little bit disproportionate that it is used 80% of the time of an evening for Ballroom dancing as well as being used throughout the day.
 

Maybe it isn’t helped by some of the choices of acts in the Royal Court Theatre, a Juggler, a Violinist/comedian, Magician/comedian and an Old school Comedian but I think Cunard needs to evolve to ensure its combined offering of an evening in its two main entertainment venues, provides over the course of the evening entertainment choices that appeal to a significant proportion of its passengers. On the evenings when there was Ballroom all night in the Queens Room and a niche act in the theatre I think in my humble opinion they failed to do so as effectively as they could. 

Edited August 21, 2019 by Gazroberts80

[Windsurfboy]

On our 14 day cruise the only time I saw the Queens room dance floor and all the seating full to bursting was when the Rewind Project were playing .  

 

Some evenings it was empty.

 

It is not carnivalisation if Cunard puts on more things that fill the Queens room , it is listening to customers

[ClipperinSFO]

Much as I too rail against the changes from "the good ole days", I have to say a word for Carnival Corp.  My ultimate wish is that QM2 and her successor(s) do TA crossings into the distant future.  I am fully cognizant that despite my own retrograde tastes, the world evolves, demographics change and intense commercial pressures come from all angles.  I am thankful that a large, well financed corporation like Carnival is looking after Cunard, QM2, and her sister ships and bringing to bear the latest techniques in customer research, marketing, purchasing, staffing, technology etc.      

 

Cunard and Carnival throughout their respective histories have always been for profit enterprises. Without those profits, and barring government, subsidy, they will cease to exist. White Star?  Gone.  CGT?  Gone. US Lines? Gone.  I could keep going down the list.  Carnival and its divisions seek to optimize revenues, demand and product as any well run business should.  If this means "shrimp mac and cheese", so be it.  If Carnival/Cunard start to get too out of line with their offerings, it will show up (hopefully) quickly in customer feedback, and declining revenues and profits.

 

It's clear from QM2 that Carnival knows what they have in Cunard, the market it attracts, and the way to make money from this market.  I may quibble about aspects of "the product", but in 2019 there is *still* a Cunarder plying the North Atlantic between Southampton and New York.  That's worth a lot to someone who often feels like he was born too late.  

 

Thank you Carnival! 

 

 

[Gazroberts80]

49 minutes ago, ClipperinSFO said:

Much as I too rail against the changes from "the good ole days", I have to say a word for Carnival Corp.  My ultimate wish is that QM2 and her successor(s) do TA crossings into the distant future.  I am fully cognizant that despite my own retrograde tastes, the world evolves, demographics change and intense commercial pressures come from all angles.  I am thankful that a large, well financed corporation like Carnival is looking after Cunard, QM2, and her sister ships and bringing to bear the latest techniques in customer research, marketing, purchasing, staffing, technology etc.      

 

Cunard and Carnival throughout their respective histories have always been for profit enterprises. Without those profits, and barring government, subsidy, they will cease to exist. White Star?  Gone.  CGT?  Gone. US Lines? Gone.  I could keep going down the list.  Carnival and its divisions seek to optimize revenues, demand and product as any well run business should.  If this means "shrimp mac and cheese", so be it.  If Carnival/Cunard start to get too out of line with their offerings, it will show up (hopefully) quickly in customer feedback, and declining revenues and profits.

 

It's clear from QM2 that Carnival knows what they have in Cunard, the market it attracts, and the way to make money from this market.  I may quibble about aspects of "the product", but in 2019 there is *still* a Cunarder plying the North Atlantic between Southampton and New York.  That's worth a lot to someone who often feels like he was born too late.  

 

Thank you Carnival! 

 

Couldn’t agree more, Cunard should pay respect to its heritage but shouldn’t be treated as a museum piece that shouldn’t evolve. I was just chatting to my parents who are in their late 60’s who were talking to their neighbours (of a similar age) who travel regularly on Queen Victoria around the world with their elderly parents.
 

They made precisely the same point as I did previously that the entertainment in the main two venues could be improved, so it’s not just younger people like myself who want to see it freshened up. After all my parents and their neighbours, are children of the UK in the 60’s and were brought up on the sounds of Rock and Roll and Pop, not on the music of the 1920’s. 
 

They, like so many others in their 60’s and 70’s love contemporary international cuisine and a varied diet and it’s important the menu facilitates that. They wouldn’t eat out in the a Steakhouse style restaurant every night if they were on a land based holiday. They would eat cuisine local to the region they were travelling, as well as in restaurants offering the mainstream international cuisine of the world such as Thai, Italian, Indian and Mexican. The exceptional kitchen staff on these ships can produce food from any region really well and with 8 choices on offer there is plenty of scope to vary it up a bit. We don’t need 4 different choices of meat, potato and two veg every night. 
 

We love Cunard and the ships but feel we are not alone in believing that there are subtle refinements that can be made. 
 

 

 

Edited August 21, 2019 by Gazroberts80

[3rdGenCunarder]

2 hours ago, Gazroberts80 said:

Because there are only two potential show venues on QE/QV. The Queens Room is used for dancing both during the day and throughout the evening. The Royal Court Theatre can host a single repeated show in the evening, which may appeal to only a limited proportion of guests. The type of acts vary significantly however from Full production shows, to opera singers, to acrobats and comedians so over the course of a voyage there will be something in there that appeals to a significant proportion of the ships passengers. 
 

The Queens Room has traditionally hosted the same style of music designed to back traditional ballroom styles of dancing. With the exception of the likes of the Masquerade ball and Big Band Night it is relatively quiet for long periods of the evening and is used by a relatively small proportion of the ships guests. Often the number of Cunard hosts can equate to the number of guests dancing. Now I’m not saying I want to lose that tradition but it would be naive of any corporation not to ensure that the entertainment offerings appealed to the majority of their guests. Now I’m not saying don’t use the band in there and don’t have dancing but hosting more of the headliner guest acts for a second show of the cruise in there makes total sense. When Changez the party band and the Flyrights a Vocal harmony group took to the venue it came alive and appealed to a far higher proportion of the ship. Have ballroom exclusively on some nights but on others, maybe from 6 - 9 pm, a live vocal act from a Headliner performer or from the likes of the Commodore Cocktail pianist Lisa Harman, with two repeated shows from 9 until 11 pm, with Ballroom taking over again from 11 onwards. Maybe 50% of nights that are exclusively ballroom and 50% of these “hybrid nights” I propose. I know that many of the ships acts love the chance to shine on the bigger stage, Lisa in fact stood in for a headliner who missed the boat (ship) in the theatre on the second night and did a sterling job and got a standing ovation. 
 

You must admit that if less than 10% of the ship regularly ballroom dance (and I think in 200 people I’m being overly generous there) then it seems a little bit disproportionate that it is used 80% of the time of an evening for Ballroom dancing as well as being used throughout the day.
 

Maybe it isn’t helped by some of the choices of acts in the Royal Court Theatre, a Juggler, a Violinist/comedian, Magician/comedian and an Old school Comedian but I think Cunard needs to evolve to ensure its combined offering of an evening in its two main entertainment venues, provides over the course of the evening entertainment choices that appeal to a significant proportion of its passengers. On the evenings when there was Ballroom all night in the Queens Room and a niche act in the theatre I think in my humble opinion they failed to do so as effectively as they could. 

 

Perhaps you should try HAL's newest ships, Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam. They've "freshened" the ships to the point that you can have your ears blasted every evening at BB King or the Rolling Stone Rock Room (named for the magazine, not the group). Old school stuff like an orchestra and dancing, maybe even a little jazz combo are gone. When I got off the K'dam this winter, I said to myself, thank God there's still Cunard!

 

 

[Gazroberts80]

46 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

Perhaps you should try HAL's newest ships, Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam. They've "freshened" the ships to the point that you can have your ears blasted every evening at BB King or the Rolling Stone Rock Room (named for the magazine, not the group). Old school stuff like an orchestra and dancing, maybe even a little jazz combo are gone. When I got off the K'dam this winter, I said to myself, thank God there's still Cunard!

 

I am referring to the the experiences of the lines I travel on regularly, which are Cunard, P&O and Princess. I have been on RCI, which was fun but a very different experience to the other lines. 
 

There are elements of all three that stand out but all have some points you would improve on. As was well pointed out by another poster the Queens Room is often very empty, a huge space that is brilliant when it is bustling with people but far too often empty. 
 

Princess have the excellent Crooners bar and Cunard have equally as gifted musicians but Princess will give these acts the chance to do their own shows in the show lounge. They put so much effort in and I know both passengers and the artists love them. 
 

On P&O we have had performers from the West End come on to perform in the show lounge backed by the Ships orchestra. Likewise the theatre company singers will come out of the theatre and perform in the show lounge whilst the headline act is in the theatre. It offers two great choices, in fact on P&O and Princess there are 3 shows running simultaneously. Now there are things Cunard do better, the ships have a lower passenger density, the decor that little bit grander. 
 

Interestingly however the Britannia Club restaurant installed on QV reminds me so much of the more modern British contemporary design of P&O’s Britannia, a ship just as good in many parts as the Queens. I’m expecting we will see this same contemporary design flow through onto Queen Anne. It should never be forgotten that QE2 was a child of the 60’s it was the complete opposite of Victoriana or Art Deco. It pushed Cunard into the modern era and became the greatest ship on the planet. Sometimes it’s forgotten that Cunard did “Cool Britannia” and cutting edge. I have found G32 on QM2 to be one of the craziest places on any ship, I’ve had the craziest of nights there. Cunard has tradition and a legacy but it’s never ever been boring and it better never become so 😀 I love Cunard, I love the ships and the history so much but it’s not about being a time capsule as QE2 would never existed if it was. 
 

 

 

Edited August 21, 2019 by Gazroberts80