QM2 crossing review

[Bedruthen]

We got off QM2 on 15th, after a very calm crossing and a medical diversion to Halifax. In terms of our experience, we have taken 8 transatlantics ( a dislike of flying does that to you!) and this was our third trip on QM2 in the last 12 months. We had just, in November, taken the Sky Princess repositioning cruise.

The one thing that really struck us was the decline in the food offering onboard. The Kings Court buffet was sparse and the main dining room food was often of lesser quality. I don’t recall ever sending food back on Cunard before, but did so twice over the 7 days. The duck a l'orange was a very dry leg, which was a struggle to separate from the bone and the steak was too tough to cut. The fact that we had recently enjoyed exceptional food on Sky Princess perhaps only served to highlight the decline, but nevertheless we were underwhelmed with the food and that was an unusual experience for us. It has made us question our future cruise plans, so I will be interested to hear whether others notice a similar decline.

 

We also contracted Covid, as did a lot of others and given the amount of coughing onboard before we caught it, it would seem that not everyone is testing and reporting.

Edited December 16, 2023 by Bedruthen

[mumoftwo]

Hope you were ok with Covid - what is the procedure and policy on board now?

[watsonbeau]

Returned 15th after the round trip to Caribbean departing Southampton Sun 19 Nov so onboard for what was in effect a 3 in 1 trip, in Britannia class.

 

No complaints to be honest and found staff as always fabulous and the food lovely - we were open dining and also used Kings Court for dinner a few times and went in Verandah one night, but didn’t try the Coriander etc in evenings so can’t comment on those. Enjoyed Boardwalk in afternoons while in Caribbean. Did a few afternoon teas in Queens room which we enjoyed and fits in well with open dining - we always used to go 1st sitting so usually missed teas as times too close together.
 

Thought there were good choices in buffet - minor issue was the ice facility in one or two water machines stopped working on occasion - ice bucket with cubes/tongs provided though.
 

When you think of food prices/eating out prices in UK, I thought the cruise was excellent value for quality/quantity provided.
 

Only thing I missed were toasted muffins - didn’t see any about but maybe just didn’t spot them.

 

We avoided Britannia on departure days from Southampton and NY and used KC buffet - around 7pm as 6pm seemed busiest time. One recommendation would be to book your evening meal for every night in advance at start of trip - can always change or cancel later - as we started off  booking daily and found there were no early slots around 6 - 6:30pm in Caribbean sector once all had boarded in NYC for that part of the trip. Not an issue as we either ate a bit later or used KC.

 

Captain Hall was excellent in his broadcasts and did a great job at Halifax - QM2 did not berth as no there were no fenders at dockside, so to avoid any damage he manoeuvred in close in the harbour and the passenger was taken off by tender across a short distance.

 

Some good Insights lectures - Bill Miller and Derek Tedder very good and some up to date films in Illuminations - Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning, Barbie, Oppenheimer. First week was the Literature Festival so that was very busy for those into authors etc.

 

Saw a few shows in Royal Court but did find the band/singers sometimes very loud and seemed to be fighting each other. Quite a few people were I thought rude coming in half way through or leaving part way through - disrupting others in the process. 
 

Spent most evenings in Commodore usually after show/theatre if we went and had good service in there from staff. 
 

We didn’t catch Covid and never heard it mentioned but there was certainly coughing in theatre and lectures, and a few wearing masks.
 

I did think the cabin stewards were overloaded - apparently Britannia ones had 18 cabins to do twice a day - previously they had 12 - nonetheless ours was very good and cannot fault.

 

So no complaints overall from me but appreciate we all have different experiences and expectations. 

 

Sadly have now got three more now booked onboard, QV and a round trip on Queen Anne !

[Victoria2]

Just shows how opinions can vary on the same subject eg food in this case and more pointedly, the buffet.

 

[Pushpit]

10 hours ago, Bedruthen said:

We also contracted Covid, as did a lot of others and given the amount of coughing onboard before we caught it, it would seem that not everyone is testing and reporting.

I'm sorry to hear that and I imagine that it must have greatly impacted your Crossing. I hope you have fully recovered.

 

I am onboard QM2 at the moment, and a fairly regular Cunarder, I'm not really noticing a reduction in food quality and certainly not quantity. Admittedly I am eating in Britannia, rather than Kings Court, but I pass through Kings Court often enough.

 

For the Covid side, I think we are going to have to get used to this as a winter illness, given the nature of the virus (and I work in the field in immunology). And given that only the particularly vulnerable are getting vaccines now. So in terms of taking a Cunard sailing, it's essentially the risk we all face. We can't rely on testing since the transmission rate is highest around day 3 of the infection and a big chunk of those infected will have little or no symptoms at that point. If you have no symptoms realistically you aren't going to test, but you can pass on a highly infectious respiratory virus.

[Pear Carr]

Our experience was similar to Watsonbeau - we had excellent service throughout the 26 nights and no issue with quality of food - although some appetisers were minimalist it suited us having 3 courses and can always have extra of whatever you choose.  We opt not to dine in Kings Court, and whilst we enjoyed some very good beef (Wellington, roast and surf/turf) and lamb dishes (roast, fillet, shank) I did not have steak. We chose to dine in the Chefs Galley twice in the last week but think that was more a case of a change of scene and menu - again excellent service, pizza and pasta! We were not aware of covid on board and in fact commented on how few people were coughing - whether due to covid or ‘Cunard’ cough. Sorry your trip did not live up to expectations and hope you make a speedy recovery.

 

 

 

[Host Hattie]

Thank you for the reports all, I hope you're feeling better soon @Bedruthen.

[Bedruthen]

I suspect that having had such excellent food on Princess just 12 days earlier, the direct comparison just made us more sensitive to the difference in the quality of the food served between the two lines. So, for example, where we had duck breast on Princess, Cunard served a leg. Where the International cafe served the most wonderful warm almond croissants, worthy of a French patisserie, the danish pastries on Cunard were somewhat dry and underwhelming.  The budget per capita on Princess must surely be more generous and this was reflected in the quality of the food. We are by no means fans of Princess and are unlikely to return as we found the ship too crowded, amongst other things, so this is by no means a thread singing their praises.

I agree with the other posters that service on board Cunard was as efficient as always.
As to the buffet, well until we saw the one on Princess, we didn't know what a wonderful experience that really excellent choices at a buffet can deliver. 

[AUH]

I was on the same crossing, and I must agree that the food fell short of wonderful in Britannia. I found myself rarely looking forward to meals at Britannia - a number of dishes lacked refinement, being less than ideal in at least one aspect out of visuals, textures and/or taste.

 

Steaks were a particular low point for me, with the sirloin on one dinner having unchewable gristle as well as being quite tough generally, and the "medium" fillet on the Surf and Turf arriving nearly well done; the half lobster on the same dish was also tiny, no bigger than a decent sized prawn once out of the shell.

 

King's Court also paled in comparison to the buffet on Celebrity Edge from August this year, which was similar or better in terms of quality of items, but with seemingly about four times the variety of selection.

 

It was my first ever crossing and had an absolutely wonderful time overall, so I would happily do it again. However, next time it will be either in one of the Grills suites, or I will factor in more dinners in Verandah (which I did enjoy) if I was not.

 

To be fair, the fish and chips at Golden Lion was spot on (with proper chips, not fries), and Carinthia Lounge quickly became my favourite spot for breakfast with the small dishes that were flavourful and beyond the run-of-the-mill.

Edited December 17, 2023 by AUH

[D&N]

Following on from the comment: "Just shows how opinions can vary on the same subject eg food..."

 

I've never been keen on potatoes and wouldn't have chips if they were "proper chips" rather than French Fries. I hate them being peeled as well. Why remove the part with the most flavour and nutrients?

I only eat fillet steak and would order rare if in UK and keep medium for France.

I do like dauphinoise now and again but Cunard's were dry and not very tasty. We cook ours swimming in UHT Cream (a recommendation from a French lady) on the odd occasion we treat ourselves.

[Victoria2]

I don't recognise Cunard's Dauphinoise as  Dauphinoise.  Theirs is a slab of dry, layered sliced potato with layers of onion and I guess, butter?🙂

 

I have my beef [fillet like  D&N]  blue if it's of excellent quality and I am usually OK with it on Cunard but others would look at it and ask for a vet to revive it.

 

I think that's why when we read reviews, we have to read them as the correct but personally subjective opinions they are and it's only when we know, or in this site's case, feel we know the author can we start applying them to  our own future experiences and treat them as objective...if you know what I mean.

[WoorimBeachLady]

On 12/17/2023 at 8:56 AM, mumoftwo said:

Hope you were ok with Covid - what is the procedure and policy on board now?

As I recently enjoyed a bout of Covid on board QE, I assume the procedure is the same on all ships:

 

After my husband tested positive, I contacted the medical centre. As he had symptoms for 2 days before testing positive he was asked to remain in the cabin for a further 3 days - so 5 days from symptoms. While I tested negative I was free to roam the ship. And the same process applied to me once I tested positive. It’s basically an honour system and no further tests were administered by the medical staff.

 

Paxlovid anti viral medication plus consultation was US$ 900.

 

Daily restaurant menus were supplied and food delivered hot and on proper crockery / cutlery. Breakfast via door knob card.

 

Library books, fresh fruit, fresh linen, anything within reason was delivered. Laundry was free.

 

Once the medical team advised quarantine was over the room was fumigated and the steward allowed to enter.

[exlondoner]

22 minutes ago, WoorimBeachLady said:

As I recently enjoyed a bout of Covid on board QE, I assume the procedure is the same on all ships:

 

After my husband tested positive, I contacted the medical centre. As he had symptoms for 2 days before testing positive he was asked to remain in the cabin for a further 3 days - so 5 days from symptoms. While I tested negative I was free to roam the ship. And the same process applied to me once I tested positive. It’s basically an honour system and no further tests were administered by the medical staff.

 

Paxlovid anti viral medication plus consultation was US$ 900.

 

Daily restaurant menus were supplied and food delivered hot and on proper crockery / cutlery. Breakfast via door knob card.

 

Library books, fresh fruit, fresh linen, anything within reason was delivered. Laundry was free.

 

Once the medical team advised quarantine was over the room was fumigated and the steward allowed to enter.

Just to be certain, while you were negative, were you allowed to use the bars and restaurants?

[Mudhen]

Two years ago, to my horror I tested positive while on the QM2. John was negative. I was packed off to the "naughty room" but John could stay in our cabin. He was allowed to go and do whatever he wanted, anywhere on the ship. All of my meals were bought to my "cell" on deck 4, sheltered balcony.

I could order from our usual Princess grill menus and could have basically any alcohol I wanted (good thing!) After 4 days, I tested neg, two days in a row and was allowed to return to humanity, although for some odd reason, they said I could go anywhere I wanted, but not the dining room. Made absolutely no sense to me. When checking with our Maitre'd, he basically said..."baloney....come to dinner...". Bless him!

I have no idea if any of the above would still be in effect, but have a feeling, once you're negative, you can do as you please.....

[neeuqdrazil]

On 12/17/2023 at 3:15 AM, watsonbeau said:

Some good Insights lectures - Bill Miller and Derek Tedder very good and some up to date films in Illuminations - Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning, Barbie, Oppenheimer. First week was the Literature Festival so that was very busy for those into authors etc.

 

 

How was it on the ship during the Literature Festival? I'm looking at the 13 Nov 2024 TA, which is the Literature Festival for 2024, but I'm mostly interested so that I can be on board for my birthday. While I'm a reader, I'm not a big 'Author' person. 

[WoorimBeachLady]

9 hours ago, exlondoner said:

Just to be certain, while you were negative, were you allowed to use the bars and restaurants?

Yes

[Underwatr]

On 12/16/2023 at 5:20 PM, Bedruthen said:

We also contracted Covid, as did a lot of others and given the amount of coughing onboard before we caught it, it would seem that not everyone is testing and reporting.

Just a reminder that not all coughs are COVID. I picked up "something" on QM2 (I disembarked the day you embarked - sore throat, cough, congestion in sequence over 4 or 5 days beginning just after disembarkation) and tested negative numerous times.
The "Cunard Crud" appeared to be thriving also. No reports of COVID or Norovirus in the Captain's daily messages.

Edited December 19, 2023 by Underwatr

[D&N]

We don't wear masks in most settings now, but still put them on in medical environments where we think we could be close to vulnerable people and feel we should try and protect health workers.  Some places ask for them to be worn. We usually wear them on crowded public transport as well. We always have them with us just in case.

We had quite bad colds/coughs in mid November and tried to stay in as much as possible but wore masks when we had to visit shops. We would never have thought of doing so before but now we have stocks of the things, we think it makes sense to try and contain our germs.

I also discovered during the pandemic that the soft cotton masks that weren't allowed by most airlines are very good for shopping on a cold day in London. I wear one to keep my nose warm when outdoors and take it off when in shops. I think some of the security staff at the doors were a bit puzzled!

[rj1227]

I just completed the westbound TA crossing on QM2. I found it not my "cup of tea," but I do not blame Cunard. It is an iconic trip, and I checked it off my list. The experience just confirmed that I do not like cruising nearly as much as most who contribute to the forums on this website, and unless you love cruising or just want to eat and drink constantly for seven nights, this is not the trip for you. I will also note that I boarded the ship tired because I had just spent two weeks in Europe and that someone was not able to join me so I made the trip as a solo traveler and not surprisingly found the crossing to be a "couples" event.

 

I do have some critical comments to offer that are hopefully constructive: 

 

1. Unlike many of you who do TA crossings, I found relatively little to do during the day except eat and drink, which I did not want to do too much of, especially during the holiday season. And in part for that reason, I hated the 25-hour days on the westbound crossing. I found two of the lecturers excellent. I should have taken the bridge lessons offered. But line dancing, ballroom dance classes, bingo, and trivia do not appeal to me. I would have welcomed classes or events featured on cooking, wine, and certain types of whiskey.

 

2. I did eat at night in King's Court. I found the selections less attractive than at lunch, which is to be expected because more people eat there for lunch than for dinner. But I found the meat and fish selections substandard--the beef was tough and the fish was not tasty and once tasted off. I love smoked salmon, which is featured at every meal. You can make a tremendous salad there. And it sounds so minor, but the scrambled-eggs choices in the morning are perfectly done. 

 

3. I found some of the sandwiches at afternoon tea to be dry and mainly bread. 

 

4. The evening entertainment was hit-and-miss.

 

5. Is it necessary to sign a statement after every drink? Why not just show the card and get the drink? I would rather Cunard charge a tad more for the drinks than make you sign a statement so the server can get a tip. 

 

6. Is it really necessary in the library to keep the books in locked selves? 

 

 

[Victoria2]

6. Is it really necessary in the library to keep the books in locked selves? 

 

Many years ago [the early 90's] we were on the second or third cruise of the new HAL Statendam. The content of the so called library was pathetic. Why? Because the library was an 'on trust' affair. Sadly, it was obvious many passengers couldn't be trusted and it was as though locusts had descended and stripped the shelves.

Cunard are right to lock the cases when the librarians aren't there. It won't stop all pilferages but it will certainly make 99.9% of users respect the facility.

 

 

[exlondoner]

34 minutes ago, rj1227 said:

I just completed the westbound TA crossing on QM2. I found it not my "cup of tea," but I do not blame Cunard. It is an iconic trip, and I checked it off my list. The experience just confirmed that I do not like cruising nearly as much as most who contribute to the forums on this website, and unless you love cruising or just want to eat and drink constantly for seven nights, this is not the trip for you. I will also note that I boarded the ship tired because I had just spent two weeks in Europe and that someone was not able to join me so I made the trip as a solo traveler and not surprisingly found the crossing to be a "couples" event.

 

I do have some critical comments to offer that are hopefully constructive: 

 

1. Unlike many of you who do TA crossings, I found relatively little to do during the day except eat and drink, which I did not want to do too much of, especially during the holiday season. And in part for that reason, I hated the 25-hour days on the westbound crossing. I found two of the lecturers excellent. I should have taken the bridge lessons offered. But line dancing, ballroom dance classes, bingo, and trivia do not appeal to me. I would have welcomed classes or events featured on cooking, wine, and certain types of whiskey.

 

2. I did eat at night in King's Court. I found the selections less attractive than at lunch, which is to be expected because more people eat there for lunch than for dinner. But I found the meat and fish selections substandard--the beef was tough and the fish was not tasty and once tasted off. I love smoked salmon, which is featured at every meal. You can make a tremendous salad there. And it sounds so minor, but the scrambled-eggs choices in the morning are perfectly done. 

 

3. I found some of the sandwiches at afternoon tea to be dry and mainly bread. 

 

4. The evening entertainment was hit-and-miss.

 

5. Is it necessary to sign a statement after every drink? Why not just show the card and get the drink? I would rather Cunard charge a tad more for the drinks than make you sign a statement so the server can get a tip. 

 

6. Is it really necessary in the library to keep the books in locked selves? 

 

 

Apart from many of the other things, which may be simply a matter of personal taste, I can see that having to do a trip solo, when you were expecting to have a companion, must have been very dampening to the spirits, and you have my commiserations over that.

 

Did you not eat at all in the MDR?

[Underwatr]

55 minutes ago, rj1227 said:

Is it necessary to sign a statement after every drink?

I had the full range on my recent Caribbean voyage, from not being given a statement, to being given one and not being required to sign, to being reminded to please sign the copy (I think the last was a more junior waiter).

[Winifred 22]

As a regular solo traveller I have never found the crossing or other voyages a couples event but I suppose I am used to being on my own and enjoy my own company and can occupy myself perfectly happily all day and evening. I can appreciate that If being solo wasn’t your original plans it could seem lonely. 

[rj1227]

I did try the MDR. And again I am not trying to be critical of Cunard, which largely delivered on the product it offered. I just learned that I would prefer a different product. The ship, incidentally, is beautiful. I do think that the type of wine and whiskey classes offered by Total Wine would be ideal for QM2 on TA crossings.

[exlondoner]

5 minutes ago, rj1227 said:

I did try the MDR. And again I am not trying to be critical of Cunard, which largely delivered on the product it offered. I just learned that I would prefer a different product. The ship, incidentally, is beautiful. I do think that the type of wine and whiskey classes offered by Total Wine would be ideal for QM2 on TA crossings.

Sometimes they have wine cruises, with lots of wine events. These usually seem to be on cruises to the Med. The other activity which is universally praised, though I have never been involved with it so can’t speak from personal experience, is the water colour classes.