Short Cruise review

[Alslc]

Hi all,

just off the QM2 for a short cruise of 5 days/4 nights. I believe this is the first Cunard cruise where the requirement of a negative test before embarkation has been removed. 

 

The itinerary was Southampton-Bruges-Rotterdam-Sea Day-Southampton. First of all the itinerary in my opinion wasn't the best one, but I knew when I booked it. The sea day was essentially the QM2 sailing at 10 knots on the Channel and having to go further towards Portland and circle around otherwise she would have arrived too early at Southampton. I believe the itinerary could have been structured in a better way and include a port further away than Rotterdam, which in itself is not really worth a visit and Amsterdam is too far for a proper visit. 

 

Boarding process in Southampton very well organized and professional. Not a single queue despite I was allowed to board well before my boarding time. The ship was ready to board at approximately 12.00. No documents have been checked, Just the boarding pass. I didn't have to show the vaccine certificate or other documents. 

 

Back to the cruise. I was in Britannia and the restaurant service was well below the usual Cunard service. I know the staff is not as engaged with the guests as they are on longer sailing, but the level of disengagement and lack of professionality from most staff at all levels (from the Maitre D' to the Waiters) was extremely disappointing.

Pursers Desk was another disappointment as the level of customer service (from some staff) was below what you would receive at a 2 star hotel. One trainee was extremely rude and unprofessional (which you wouldn't expect given the fact they should embrace the training they just received). The stateroom stewards were spot on and extremely professional and they deserved every single penny of the tip. 

 

There were 2300 guests onboard, so around 85/90 per cent capacity. Now .... the COVID situation. It was evident that despite very low COVID cases in the UK there was a lot of COVID onboard. The isolation area was just the forward section of deck 5 between A and B. So quite a small section, but I have never seen so many medical staff going around doing COVID tests in different cabins. Just in the small section where my cabin was located we had 3 cabin moved to the isolation rooms and I believe some people have been left in their cabin isolating. Obviously this should not give an idea of the overall level of COVID but just a small picture. Mask wearing, despite not mandated, was approximately at a 30% level. I saw staff carrying out covid tests since the departure day... so a pre-departure test would have helped. 

 

Wi-Fi shocking throughout the voyage despite being close to the coast. 

 

Another quite disappointing thing was the dress code totally unenforced. Yes I know the demographic of the short cruises is different than the others, but during the gala dinner was quite a disappointment to see many people not adhering to the dress code and not a single word by the restaurant staff, likewise during the other evenings, where the dress code was far from the one recommended on the Cunard website. Overall the dress code adherence was 80-85% during the gala dinner and 60% during the other evenings. 

 

To summarize, would I do this cruise again? No. It doesn't give you the real idea of how a Cunard Cruise looks like. Obviously it doesn't help I have been on other Cunard longer cruises before this one. This particular itinerary is good for first time cruisers to get a glimpse of how a cruise is, but not to understand how a real Cunard cruise is. A recommendation for Cunard staff... I know it's hard to engage with guests on short cruises, but the level of customer service I was provided with during the whole voyage was quite shocking compared to what I received on longer voyages, they should not make it as evident that they are not really willing to engage as they normally do on longer sailings. 

 

 

Edited September 18, 2022 by Alslc

[Lakesregion]

Evidently the new hires are not really into hospitality type of service and are just seeking a pay check.

[Alslc]

11 minutes ago, Lakesregion said:

Evidently the new hires are not really into hospitality type of service and are just seeking a pay check.

 

I could forgive the new hires for some oversights, everyone has had to learn a job once. But when the behavior comes from higher ranks employee, that is frankly unacceptable. 

[sogne]

For 4 nights only Hamburg to the north and coruna to the south or St  Nazaire in France are possible within 4 days.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sogne]

6 hours ago, Lakesregion said:

Evidently the new hires are not really into hospitality type of service and are just seeking a pay check.

I saw no evidence of that in 40 nights on board this year.

[Victoria2]

37 minutes ago, sogne said:

I saw no evidence of that in 40 nights on board this year.

and I saw no evidence of 'just pay check seeking' on Victoria either. I could have nit picked occasionally if staff had failed to answer with a smile or were a bit stiff [Purser's Desk] but efficiency overrides lack of effusiveness.

Sadly, shorties are different from the longer itineraries. I remember a cherished butler telling me years ago, they were exhausting for staff as passengers seem to pack in a week plus worth of holidaying into the few days. No help for those on the four/five nighters as they expect the same Cunard experience which the longer cruises provide.

I am sad for those whose expectations aren't met as it will be a huge disappointment but as a Cunard regular, I would go on a shortie completely aware 'things' might be different.

[Host Hattie]

Sorry to hear that you had such a disappointing experience. We have done a few short cruises and they are obviously different but we have still found them enjoyable.

[showingdiva]

I was also on this QM2 short break, one that was re-booked from a previous cancellation for obvious reasons.    This was my third "post" pandemic cruise, the other two being on a different ship / cruise line.

 

My experience does vary slightly, although I do agree that check in was unnervingly quick considering passenger numbers (although some had already embarked in New York).   Boarding pass and passport only.    I was asked if anything had changed since I completed my health declaration online (no), had I recently done a LFT (yes, that morning), and did I have a vaccine certificate (yes, and I waved it at him, but he didn't actually ask to see it).   No mention of insurance purchased (yes).

 

Covid - did I hear large amounts of coughing etc .. well, no, not really.   I should at this point admit that I work for both the NHS and the cruise industry, so am possibly a bit more observant of these things.    Did I wear a mask?    Yes.    At all times during embarkation / disembarkation, around the ship and in the theatre.    Capt Hashmi made a very polite request about this in one of his addresses to the ship.    

 

Ports / itinerary.    I have to confess to be delighted to being in Rotterdam (for the second time this year).   It's one of my favourite places.    Being a bit of a "ship geek", I love the sail in and out taking hours, the buzz of the River Maas and docking next to the Erasmus Bridge.    Bruges - been so many times, I went to Blankenberge via the courtesy bus.   Really enjoyable morning, some nice shops and the weather good enough for a stroll on the beach.   I do concur it would have been nice to have gone into Cherbourg, even for half a day, rather than coast the Channel - but working in a UK port, I understand only too well the cost of berthing fees for any size of cruise ship, which would invariably put the overall cruise price up a bit.

 

I was using this short break as literally that, a short break - away from internet, so had no intention of buying their wi-fi, because from past experience, it's always been like old fashioned dial up.   There's probably a couple of hamsters on a wheel in the engine room, peddling like mad to charge the router, that's the kind of speed it does.

 

The crew.  I found them all lovely.   My cabin steward was chatty and friendly, and just the right amount of presence.  I know exactly who the OP is talking about (the trainer was standing behind them) as the trainee in the purser desk, but we were all that new to the job person once.   Much painting and varnishing going on.   I did find the MDR (Britannia) menu a bit uninspiring, and the choice in King's Court limited, but I certainly didn't starve.    Cunard, like quite a few cruise lines, have been adjusting their interpretations of dress, and what they call it, for a few years now.   It's all getting a bit muddied in translation.

 

So, yes, I loved being away, loved being reunited with QM2, and am booked again next year for another little break.

[Host Hattie]

Thanks for your report @showingdiva. I love the image of the hamsters !

 

[showingdiva]

What I forgot to mention is that while at reception, another passenger was complaining (loudly) and showing photos of her obstructed view stateroom, which her travel agent had booked.  Said passenger was very angry about the lack of view, and had contacted her travel agent, who said it was Cunard's fault the obstructed view statement was ....  obstructed.

[Victoria2]

3 hours ago, showingdiva said:

What I forgot to mention is that while at reception, another passenger was complaining (loudly) and showing photos of her obstructed view stateroom, which her travel agent had booked.  Said passenger was very angry about the lack of view, and had contacted her travel agent, who said it was Cunard's fault the obstructed view statement was ....  obstructed.

Let's face it, the agent was absolutely correct!! Well, Cunard and the marine architects! 😂

 

and they walk amongst us! 😕

[Alslc]

Hi showingdiva, I am so glad to read another review from the same sailing. 

Glad you enjoyed that more than myself 🙂 I have to admit I loved the overall experience, but compared to other sailing it doesn't reflect the Cunard experience. 

 

In regards to Covid unfortunately a couple of members from my group got it onboard and tested positive the day after disembarkation. They haven't mingled a lot so it was really bad luck. 

 

I have to agree with you, the Steward were all lovely and yes the menu I have to admit a bit uninspiring, but the quality of the food was really high. QM2 was absolutely fantastic and I would do it again just for the pleasure of being onboard QM2, hopefully on a longer itinerary 🙂

[richard_london]

I was on this cruise as well, so having read everyone's comments above, here are my observations/thoughts.

 

This was my eighth cruise with Cunard and probably my most disappointing (sadly).  I like others had to use a FCC, so this wasn’t my first choice.  Zeebrugge isn’t a good port, as everything is a reasonable bus ride away.  I like Rotterdam, but it is an itinerary I have done before and won’t be repeating.  For reasons I explain below I felt the whole voyage atmosphere rather flat.  The inclement weather on the last sea day didn’t help as everyone was forced to stay indoors for most of the day.  I was relieved to get off in the end, which is not how I expected or wanted to feel.  The experience was underwhelming.

 

I arrived for check-in at 15:00 and the Mayflower Terminal was pretty empty.  So I was able to go straight through to check-in.  There the lady said that they'd had computer system trouble earlier, so was having to check people in twice.  I was straight through security and on to the ship.

 

There was a book of condolence on Deck 3 by the Queen's portrait (by the Champagne bar) and one in the library.  Whenever I was passing either, there was usually someone signing in.  On deck two, the video display boards near the purser’s desk was displaying a memorial message.  Televisions in public spaces were carrying the broadcasts of the news.  I’m not sure how much the mood on board was affected by the news of the Queen passing away, but it may have played a part.

 

Sail away was fairly muted, no sounding of the whistles at any of the ports.  Later we were told this was out of respect for the Queen.  (MSC sounded their whistle departing the previous day and Anthem of the Seas on the same day did, however).  In fact, generally things were more muted – the daily programme - and sailaways were quite unspectacular.  When leaving Rotterdam, as it was after first sitting for dinner had started, there were very few on deck, and it was all rather underwhelming.

 

As has been said by those above, there was a small, but noticeable contingent wearing masks (me included).  I ate in the Kings Court in the evening and Britannia for lunch during port days, and room service for breakfast.  It worked okay except for lunch in Rotterdam.

 

For some reason the maître d' decided to seat everyone really close together on one side of the restaurant when the restaurant was empty.  I have no idea why.  Even if Covid wasn't an issue on ships, why seat strangers right next to each other on tables for eight, when you have a restaurant that is 135ft wide, with so many empty tables?  It just doesn't make sense.  This is meant to be a luxury cruise ship, not Wagamama (where everyone sits together on benches).  It felt like eating in a barracks rather than on a luxury cruise ship.  I did make my feelings felt politely, but it was like I was communicating with a brick wall.

 

I checked on Deck 5 during the cruise, and all the starboard side cabins from 5009 aft to 5097 were blocked off, so 5 deck starboard side wasn't accessible from either A or B stairways.  So, by my reckoning that is 45 cabins, so space for less than 100?  I checked down on 4 deck and elsewhere on the ship and couldn’t find any more closed off spaces.  The fire doors were shut for the closed off area with large signs saying not to enter unless in an emergency, but on one occasion I did see a guest leave the cordoned off area and he wasn’t wearing as mask.  So not sure if the protocols on board are working.  I heard plenty of people coughing and spluttering.  I thought more people were wearing masks by the end of the voyage, but perhaps I had just seen more people over the course of the four days.

 

The food was okay, nothing exceptional.  In the Kings Court, especially at dinner time the choice seemed very reduced and there was a lot of repetition.   It wasn’t self-service like on the QV in the summer, you were served by the King’s Court staff.

 

The Daily Programme is in a different physical format that on the QV when I was on her in August.  Is this something specific to the QM2 or do all the Queens now have this format?  On the QV it was a folded A3 double sided programme, with lots of space for text about each activity in the programme.  The QM2 version was much more condensed and just a list with very little detail.  I didn't like it.  Are they trying to wean us of the printed programme in favour of the online version?  It's disappointing as this new printed version is not as good.

 

The one thing that surprised me was the physical condition of the ship.  She will be twenty next year so I wonder if she is starting to show her age?  The crew were very active painting areas of the ship, but the upperworks and vertical (inaccessible) surfaces of the ship were looking very weathered and rust-streaked.  I know she regularly crosses the Atlantic but she was looking noticeably tired.  The hull, especially at the bow was covered in rust, and looking at the balconies, particularly the underside of the balconies above were bad, with lots of rust on the pipework.  The lifeboats, on their orange topsides were faded by weathering and the sun.  When on the observation deck under the bridge I could see the boards on the ceiling/underside of the bridge broken and sagging, and the (I presume escape) hatches from the bridge were rotten and had been poorly repaired.

 

But it wasn’t just the outside, in my cabin the inside of the door to the balcony was rusty, with peeling paint.  The area around the door handle on the outside was uneven with thick, multiple layers of repaint.  Handles (on the desk drawer and one of the wardrobe doors) were broken/hanging off.  The sofa was clearly dirty and worn.  The bathroom smelt of the shower curtain (I never understand how a “luxury” cruise line can have shower curtains).  In the library there were broken black-out blinds at the front overlooking the front of the ship.  In one of the corridors there were missing lamp shades.  During the last night, the steam generation system was shut down for seven hours (actually eight as we put the clocks back) for “essential maintenance”, so there was no hot water during that time.  In the Kings Court, drinks and ice machines were broken and inoperative for the entire four days.  Three of the “Commodore’s cufflinks” – her spare propeller blades – were missing from the fo’c’sle deck, so had been used to replace her existing propeller blades.

 

She is a lovely ship but everywhere I looked I could see that she is getting old and Cunard are working her hard.  She really needs a refit soon.

 

The crew were working hard, but there were always trolleys in the corridor long into the afternoon so perhaps the ship is understaffed as on one day my room wasn’t tidied until the afternoon.  I have no other criticisms of the crew as they were all working very hard, apart from the maître d.

 

I hope people don’t think I am being picky or overly critical, as I had a lovely voyage on the Queen Victoria in the summer, but just found this one very disappointing.  I am not quite sure what to put for my Feefo review.

[Alslc]

4 hours ago, richard_london said:

I was on this cruise as well, so having read everyone's comments above, here are my observations/thoughts.

 

 

 

This was my eighth cruise with Cunard and probably my most disappointing (sadly).  I like others had to use a FCC, so this wasn’t my first choice.  Zeebrugge isn’t a good port, as everything is a reasonable bus ride away.  I like Rotterdam, but it is an itinerary I have done before and won’t be repeating.  For reasons I explain below I felt the whole voyage atmosphere rather flat.  The inclement weather on the last sea day didn’t help as everyone was forced to stay indoors for most of the day.  I was relieved to get off in the end, which is not how I expected or wanted to feel.  The experience was underwhelming.

 

 

 

I arrived for check-in at 15:00 and the Mayflower Terminal was pretty empty.  So I was able to go straight through to check-in.  There the lady said that they'd had computer system trouble earlier, so was having to check people in twice.  I was straight through security and on to the ship.

 

 

 

There was a book of condolence on Deck 3 by the Queen's portrait (by the Champagne bar) and one in the library.  Whenever I was passing either, there was usually someone signing in.  On deck two, the video display boards near the purser’s desk was displaying a memorial message.  Televisions in public spaces were carrying the broadcasts of the news.  I’m not sure how much the mood on board was affected by the news of the Queen passing away, but it may have played a part.

 

 

 

Sail away was fairly muted, no sounding of the whistles at any of the ports.  Later we were told this was out of respect for the Queen.  (MSC sounded their whistle departing the previous day and Anthem of the Seas on the same day did, however).  In fact, generally things were more muted – the daily programme - and sailaways were quite unspectacular.  When leaving Rotterdam, as it was after first sitting for dinner had started, there were very few on deck, and it was all rather underwhelming.

 

 

 

As has been said by those above, there was a small, but noticeable contingent wearing masks (me included).  I ate in the Kings Court in the evening and Britannia for lunch during port days, and room service for breakfast.  It worked okay except for lunch in Rotterdam.

 

 

For some reason the maître d' decided to seat everyone really close together on one side of the restaurant when the restaurant was empty.  I have no idea why.  Even if Covid wasn't an issue on ships, why seat strangers right next to each other on tables for eight, when you have a restaurant that is 135ft wide, with so many empty tables?  It just doesn't make sense.  This is meant to be a luxury cruise ship, not Wagamama (where everyone sits together on benches).  It felt like eating in a barracks rather than on a luxury cruise ship.  I did make my feelings felt politely, but it was like I was communicating with a brick wall.

 

 

 

I checked on Deck 5 during the cruise, and all the starboard side cabins from 5009 aft to 5097 were blocked off, so 5 deck starboard side wasn't accessible from either A or B stairways.  So, by my reckoning that is 45 cabins, so space for less than 100?  I checked down on 4 deck and elsewhere on the ship and couldn’t find any more closed off spaces.  The fire doors were shut for the closed off area with large signs saying not to enter unless in an emergency, but on one occasion I did see a guest leave the cordoned off area and he wasn’t wearing as mask.  So not sure if the protocols on board are working.  I heard plenty of people coughing and spluttering.  I thought more people were wearing masks by the end of the voyage, but perhaps I had just seen more people over the course of the four days.

 

 

 

The food was okay, nothing exceptional.  In the Kings Court, especially at dinner time the choice seemed very reduced and there was a lot of repetition.   It wasn’t self-service like on the QV in the summer, you were served by the King’s Court staff.

 

 

 

The Daily Programme is in a different physical format that on the QV when I was on her in August.  Is this something specific to the QM2 or do all the Queens now have this format?  On the QV it was a folded A3 double sided programme, with lots of space for text about each activity in the programme.  The QM2 version was much more condensed and just a list with very little detail.  I didn't like it.  Are they trying to wean us of the printed programme in favour of the online version?  It's disappointing as this new printed version is not as good.

 

 

 

The one thing that surprised me was the physical condition of the ship.  She will be twenty next year so I wonder if she is starting to show her age?  The crew were very active painting areas of the ship, but the upperworks and vertical (inaccessible) surfaces of the ship were looking very weathered and rust-streaked.  I know she regularly crosses the Atlantic but she was looking noticeably tired.  The hull, especially at the bow was covered in rust, and looking at the balconies, particularly the underside of the balconies above were bad, with lots of rust on the pipework.  The lifeboats, on their orange topsides were faded by weathering and the sun.  When on the observation deck under the bridge I could see the boards on the ceiling/underside of the bridge broken and sagging, and the (I presume escape) hatches from the bridge were rotten and had been poorly repaired.

 

 

 

But it wasn’t just the outside, in my cabin the inside of the door to the balcony was rusty, with peeling paint.  The area around the door handle on the outside was uneven with thick, multiple layers of repaint.  Handles (on the desk drawer and one of the wardrobe doors) were broken/hanging off.  The sofa was clearly dirty and worn.  The bathroom smelt of the shower curtain (I never understand how a “luxury” cruise line can have shower curtains).  In the library there were broken black-out blinds at the front overlooking the front of the ship.  In one of the corridors there were missing lamp shades.  During the last night, the steam generation system was shut down for seven hours (actually eight as we put the clocks back) for “essential maintenance”, so there was no hot water during that time.  In the Kings Court, drinks and ice machines were broken and inoperative for the entire four days.  Three of the “Commodore’s cufflinks” – her spare propeller blades – were missing from the fo’c’sle deck, so had been used to replace her existing propeller blades.

 

 

 

She is a lovely ship but everywhere I looked I could see that she is getting old and Cunard are working her hard.  She really needs a refit soon.

 

 

 

The crew were working hard, but there were always trolleys in the corridor long into the afternoon so perhaps the ship is understaffed as on one day my room wasn’t tidied until the afternoon.  I have no other criticisms of the crew as they were all working very hard, apart from the maître d.

 

 

 

I hope people don’t think I am being picky or overly critical, as I had a lovely voyage on the Queen Victoria in the summer, but just found this one very disappointing.  I am not quite sure what to put for my Feefo review.

 

 

Hi Richard, you are spot on! I had the same feelings, you elaborated them much better than I did. The Maitre D' didn't seem really proactive and I had to request a different table every time he was giving me a table. Funny enough he wanted everyone on the left side of the restaurant for a reason he probably knew. As you rightly said, being crammed in a single area of the restaurant was far from nice. 

In regards to the Covid situation I felt the 14th and the disembarkation day quite a lot of people were coughing around. Yes I know that cough is quite common and given how miserable the weather was the last day I can imagine that could have played a part. 

 

You are not too picky, I recently was on QV and the Maitre D' Aziz and Sandro were true gems! 

[showingdiva]

If you think our inclement weather on the final Channel morning was bad, when I returned home, our port (Edinburgh) had an unexpected visitor on Saturday morning - Hurtigruten's Maud.   She was supposed to be making her way up to Norway, but on Friday night / into Saturday morning, they encountered horrific weather in the Channel (bear in mind this is a ship used to the northern most parts of Norway and the Antarctic), and the captain sensibly made the decision to head for a port.   By the time she docked on Saturday morning and I arrived for work around 8am, I actually saw passengers touching the tarmac on the dock as they got off the gangway.   By their own admission, a lot were "terrified" at the ship rolling / pitching all night.

[bigjo1]

We were on the cruise before this to the Fjiords and had glorious weather and saw them at their best however I would agree with all the points regarding the state of QM2 and the poor service offered by the crew. 
We have been cruising for several years on various lines but this was the worst we have ever experienced. The rust everywhere was really concerning - some windows seemed to beheld in  paint alone as the seals were all broken! Our balcony was dirty and rusty- didn’t look as if it had any cleaning or maintenance for months- I was literally scrubbing everything with alcohol wipes to try to improve it and although it did remove the dirt obviously the rust remained.

The Kings Court food was very repetitive- and nowhere could I find sandwiches or rolls for a light lunch- the actual layout and position of this buffet is also not well thought out out. Every morning and lunchtime we would hunt for something to eat and the take ii to theCarinthia lounge just to be out of the mayhem and despite the fact my husband needs a walking stick and is visually unstable on his feet not one member of staff offered to help him whilst I carried the plates to the said lounge.
We were first sitting at 6.00 pm and not once did we leave the table before 8.15 due to the slow service- one evening it was 8.55! not once was my chair pulled out for me or my napkin placed on my lap- small things I know but it makes a difference. 
I could go on but just suffice it to say we were not the only ones who found the ship and service to be poor and not up to expectation- it was all other passengers talked about in lifts and ashore . 
We have sailed on QV previously and absolutely loved it/ one of the best ships we have sailed on but unfortunately we cannot say the same thing about Cunards flagship.

[Host Hattie]

I'm sorry that you were so disappointed by QM2.

The Carinthia lounge used to serve light lunches, do they not have food there at the moment? We're not buffet fans so we very rarely use the Kings Court or Lido, there are other options and there is always a sandwich option in the Britannia restaurant.

[exlondoner]

42 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

I'm sorry that you were so disappointed by QM2.

The Carinthia lounge used to serve light lunches, do they not have food there at the moment? We're not buffet fans so we very rarely use the Kings Court or Lido, there are other options and there is always a sandwich option in the Britannia restaurant.

They had light lunches in Carinthia in July.

[exlondoner]

On 9/19/2022 at 8:44 PM, richard_london said:

oor to the balcony was rusty, with peeling paint.  The area around the door handle on the outside was uneven with thick, multiple layers of repaint.  Handles (on the desk drawer and one of the wardrobe doors) were broken/hanging off.  The sofa was clearly dirty and worn.  The bathroom smelt of the shower curtain (I never understand how a “luxury” cruise line can have shower curtains).  In the library there were broken black-out blinds at the front overlooking the front of the ship.  In one of the corridors there were missing lamp shades.  During the last night, the steam generation system was shut down for seven hours (actually eight as we put the clocks back) for “essential maintenance”, so there was no hot water during that time.  In the Kings Court, drinks and ice machines were broken and inoperative for the entire four days.  Three of the “Commodore’s cufflinks” – her spare propeller blades – were missing from the fo’c’sle deck, so had been used to replace her existing propeller blades.

 

 

 

She is a lovely ship but everywhere I looked I could see that she is getting old and Cunard are working her hard.  She really needs a refit soon.

 

 

 

Whatever Cunard are doing, they are not overworking her. She was designed to cross the Atlantic at 28kts. Now she rarely gets above 23, and not even that on cruises.

[bigjo1]

2 hours ago, exlondoner said:

They had light lunches in Carinthia in July.

Yes they had light lunches but they were the same 4 dishes every day and if you did not time it right there would only be one or two items left- this was at 1.00pm which is peak time for lunch- very poor and everyone was complaining

[Host Hattie]

2 hours ago, exlondoner said:

Whatever Cunard are doing, they are not overworking her. She was designed to cross the Atlantic at 28kts. Now she rarely gets above 23, and not even that on cruises.

But she does spend a lot less time in port than ships during regular cruises.

[exlondoner]

44 minutes ago, bigjo1 said:

Yes they had light lunches but they were the same 4 dishes every day and if you did not time it right there would only be one or two items left- this was at 1.00pm which is peak time for lunch- very poor and everyone was complaining

I didn’t hear anyone complain, so probably not everyone. I admit I didn’t lunch there often enough to notice if the dishes were always the same.

[exlondoner]

15 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

But she does spend a lot less time in port than ships during regular cruises.

Indeed, she does, which tends to make her develop rust more quickly. But it is how she was designed to be used.

 

There is a review, possibly of another Cunard ship, I can’t remember, where the writer complains about the ubiquitous smell of paint. This just shows that Cunard can’t win.

[Jacqueline]

I think it’s very possible that two people can have very different takes on the same cruise,

I just got off a short Disney cruise with my grandkids. The first wait 

staff was totally incompetent. We complained to higher up’s and got reassigned to an amazing team, who have been with the ship for nearly a decade.

 

Dress code, people have been complaining about it going downhill for decades.

 

It does seem to be a universal observation that the ship needs a good going over.

 

I didn’t care for the dining in Britannia the one time I was in that class of service, so I am sure that I would like it even less now. But so many people are very happy with it, which goes to show that we all have different preferences.

 

 

 

 

 

[showingdiva]

4 hours ago, exlondoner said:

Whatever Cunard are doing, they are not overworking her. She was designed to cross the Atlantic at 28kts. Now she rarely gets above 23, and not even that on cruises.

 

To be fair, I wouldn't have thought that tanking up and down the English Channel at 28 knots in one of, if not the busiest shipping separation lanes would be a safe idea.

Edited September 22, 2022 by showingdiva