QE2 24th August 5 nighter

[Navaleye]

Good to see you over in these more genteel surroundings Pontious! Look forward to seeing you on board! I'll refrain from spilling the SJ thread over to Cruise Critic :) :eek:

[kevankiki]

that kind of thing can cause chaos, my ex had the same initial as me and one of my oldest friends decided to call us M&M, the birthday card I had received for 20 years suddenly started coming addressed to my other half and not me!!

 

You don't think when you name your children do you? I was more concerned about avoiding anything starting with S as our surname begins O'D :eek:

[kevankiki]

368 days to be exact! But who's counting?:D

 

I am sure we can round up some others in a year's time. Good luck to those departing on this year's voyage.

 

David

 

I'm counting! :D

 

Hope those that are departing tomorrow(!) have a great time, I think this is a lovely break with very pleasant ports, relax and enjoy!

[pnhmrk]

There were several thousand people there to see us off (and she had been there in May too) so hopefully it will be the same for you, its always nice having a little wave at the people wishing they were standing where you are!

 

Mark - I agree, Bilbao was a wonderful place - had they sorted the gangways out by the time you went - In May there was only the one and it was taking up to an hour from getting to the quayside onto the ship!

 

Also - how many Captain's Receptions were there? There are normally 4: Grills, Caronia and 2 Mauretania; in May they had lumped the 2 Mauretania parties together so I suspect that they were a crowded mistake.

[kevankiki]

Also - how many Captain's Receptions were there? There are normally 4: Grills, Caronia and 2 Mauretania; in May they had lumped the 2 Mauretania parties together so I suspect that they were a crowded mistake.

 

Sorry to butt in here but they lumped the Mauretania parties into two on this one as well, which made it far more crowded than the previous week when we were also on, they had two then! I can only assume it was because it was a 6pm sailing, whereas the previous week I think it was a 5pm sailing?

[Pontius Navigator]

Just back home from the first QE2 cruise but not the last. Great service and problems fixed immediately.

 

Thanks to this blog (Mark) 2 of our party got matress toppers when they wanted.

 

I had a problem in the Grand Lounge. The arms of the chairs are black and sticky and this marked a tropical suit and my dress shirt. Even before I had finished complaining they told me to get my room steward to get them dry cleaned - and back the same day.

 

Light in shower u/s, again fixed PDQ.

 

Unlike a competing ship, the trip was not over until we got in the car to go home!

[kevankiki]

This is going to sound very sad, but I 'relived' our 5th August trip by peeking at the webcam on the Cunard web site each day. I could almost pretend I was sat in my cabin with the TV on channel 3 (shame I wasn't able to go up on deck) :D

[Navaleye]

Pontius, I agree. The crowd was a bit subdued and I noticed a pong or two, but overall it was very enjoyable despite the lacklustre weather. May I suggest trying the QM2 next time? Same service, but without the bits going wrong quite as often, plus the lower grade cabins compared to the Mauretania cabins on the QE are in a different league.

[Bramcruiser]

This is going to sound very sad, but I 'relived' our 5th August trip by peeking at the webcam on the Cunard web site each day. :D

 

Almost as sad as someone who woke up every morning thinking where they would be at the same date next year on this voyage. :)

 

What can I say? It gets us through the day!

 

David

[kevankiki]

Almost as sad as someone who woke up every morning thinking where they would be at the same date next year on this voyage. :)

 

What can I say? It gets us through the day!

 

David

 

Actually that had crossed my mind too, and since I had been to all the ports this only served to feed my imagination further, I'm hoping this gets me through the winter (I hate winter!)

[Pontius Navigator]

May I suggest trying the QM2 next time? Same service, but without the bits going wrong quite as often, plus the lower grade cabins compared to the Mauretania cabins on the QE are in a different league.

 

Hi, now that is interesting. I can't comment on the cabins but of course that it what you would expect for a cruise ship rather than a liner. The other bit however is not hwat we heard. Indeed everyone we spoke to suggested quite the reverse.

 

Given your experience (seriously) I would welcome advice on location for best cabins etc. You were about the same distance forward as us albeit inside and one deck higher. I noticed a distinct slap as the bow wave occaisionally struck the curve of the bow. Other than that our cabin was as quiet as a grave. OTOH my SinLaw was 'upgraded' to a Caronia cabin 4156 from a lower number M1 and had machinery and creaking noises all the time. In the end they were given ear plugs.

 

Overall they thought our M1 was better than their C class - we suspect that someone had booked the next cruise in their cabin and been offered a back-to-back, hence they got bumped.

 

We particularly liked the way our outside double and the MinLaws inside single could be turned in to a double bedroom suite with its own lobby. Very useful.

[Navaleye]

My advice would be about 3 deck as close to the centre of ship as possible. Your cabin was well placed, mine was extremely quiet, I didn't even hear the anchor drop in Guernsey even through it was a bit further forward. My beef with the Mauretania isn't so much the cabins, but I'm not keen on the restaurant and didn't each it once for the entire trip. I and many others choose to go "Lido Class" (not shown in brochures :)). Luckily the QE2 does a mean fish and chips and a New York cheese cake if you choose to "eat in".

 

The odd quirk about being upgraded is that you tend to get bumped up to the least popular cabins (next to the launderette or lift or the main crew door). The further aft you go you will get more vibration and machinery noise since you are nearer to it. I know from experience that there are plenty of Caronia Cabins back aft.

 

The Grill Cabins and Caronia cabins have extensive (and very nice) wood panelling - these have worn very well. The Mauretania cabins have wood frames around the doors, but were obviously originally decorated in some other material that has fared much less well. Cunard (before Carnival) went to the expedient of having them painted over in magnolia paint. This looks awful and paint spill onto the door frames and picture frames is very tacky. Sorry Cunard, many Mauretania cabins are simply unacceptable and are in need of proper refurbishment. I put up with it if it gets me a very heavilly discounted fare, but its not very forward looking. Cunard have done a good job IMHO of refurbing the public rooms. I did notice that the Golden Lion and Chart Room bars had some strange aromas. All said, it beats being in a tent in Afghanistan any day.

 

As far comparing QE2 to QM2 entry level cabins, well their really is no contest QM2 gets it every time. As you move up the scale the distinction blurs.

[pnhmrk]

My beef with the Mauretania isn't so much the cabins, but I'm not keen on the restaurant and didn't each it once for the entire trip. I and many others choose to go "Lido Class"

 

It's a long time since I've eaten in Mauretania - it must have gone down if you chose not to eat there at all and you thought that The Lido was better:eek: (The Lido's no better than a second class motorway service station)

[SSNORWAY]

I have always found the food excellent in Britannia (QM2) or Mauritania (QE2) restaurants, much better and more varied than I found on Celebrity which everyone seems to rave about. I certainly wouldn't give up the chance to eat there in preference to the Lido either, however that is why the Lido is there to give everyone their free choice.

[Navaleye]

To be fair to the Lido they often do some very good food. I'm a carnivore, so I can achieve my 90% meat 10% vegetable ratio much more easily in the Lido and not spend 2 hours at it. I also enjoy the Indian, Mexican and Spanish food that they do on theme nights.

[Bramcruiser]

Ahhh, the Lido. Well the Lido or its equivalent on any ship can range in quality of food but the style is more like a cafeteria - more upscale we can call it a buffet - in my mind's eye. I did the Lido once for lunch on day one of my last HAL trip and found the quality quite good. However, I much prefer sit-down and full service type of places and thus from the second day onward my breakfasts and lunches were back in the dining room. Besides, I found the Lido bustling with too many people wandering aimlessly about and I just hate trying to fight for a place to sit. I would imagine the quality of the Lido food okay on the QE2 - can't imagine it would be worse than HAL - but I can't see myself there too much. Might give it a try just to say I've been there.

 

I can see though the Lido being someone's choice though and don't fault them for it.

 

Navaleye, I'm just as much a carnivore! But I guess I'd be spending two hours devouring it in the dining room.

[Navaleye]

I was talking about dinner in the Lido specifically. I haven't been to a motorway service station recently, but if they served excellent Prime Rib like they do in the Lido, then I may well take up driving again.

[pnhmrk]

.... and not spend 2 hours at it.

 

You mean that you only spend 2 hours at dinner?:eek:

[Navaleye]

Have kust booked myself an outside "Lido Class" cabin for the 13th Oct. Good deals out at the moment!