QE2 In Her Twilight Years

[desirod]

In the America's The QE2 is priced along the lines of the late

Premier and Regal Empress. My 2003 crossing was a very reasonable

price.

 

Her nightly formal requirements will deter Pete Party Animal and

Heather High Hair.

 

I see her niche as a high culture, eccentric format for academics,

artists, and early career professionals who have smallish incomes and

do not want the floating frat party Carnival offers, and certainly

NOT the Carnival Holiday out of Mobile, AL

 

One takes the QE2 for the wonderful eccentrics who sail her,

excellent sea keeping, and her traditional style. My inside M4 was

just fine.

 

If you sail HAL you meet Aunt Bee, Cunard it is Auntie Mame, Carnival

out of Mobile, you meet Granny on the Beverly Hillbillies

 

Cunard, if you are reading this, let Lizzie finish out her years as a

floating

 

Marais arr4 of the 1990's

NYC East Village of the 1980's

Amsterdam Leidseplien of the 1970's

San Fran Haight Ashbury of the 1960's

NYC Greenwich Village of the 1950's

Left Bank arr6 of the 1920's

 

 

David

[rjms74]

David,

 

I think QE2 is doing very well indeed at the moment & Cunard will be making a big mistake if they retire her too soon with such a loyal following.

 

I also do not consider myself an eccentric but I just enjoy good company, fine food & service which I always get a la Queens Grill QE2!!!! I do frequent both pubs & very fine dining restaurants back at home in the UK & in many cities worldwide including New York one of my favourites, but nothing quite compares to the Queens Grill on QE2 - a very hard act to follow!

 

I have no interest if I am honest to go back on QM2 in a hurry although am interested in trying Queen Victoria being a similar size to P & O's Arcadia - another fine ship!

 

Interestingly having booked yet another QE2 cruise on the recent 20 night US & Canada QE2 cruise I was chatting to Yoyo the Sales Assistant who was very helpful and I asked her what is everyone booking re ship & to which she replied QE2, QE2, QE2!!! No QM2 I said & she replied "the greater interest is in QE2 - she sells herself & everyone knows which cabins & restaurants they want to book knowing the ship so well- I think this speaks volumes & indeed for itself!".

 

Kind Regards,

 

 

RJMS74

[Bramcruiser]

There's a lot of rambling there but overall I think I agree with your points. Although we did our have a very nice time on our Carnival cruise out of Port Canaveral back in the early 1990's - not the Holiday out of Mobile - we still found it rather unlike what we wish to get out of our upcoming Cunard sailing. We found everything on that particular cruise from The Golden Girls (or near like-it sitting at our table which was great fun) to a family I swear was out of Deliverance which I had seen often on the ship and sat next to at a show in Nassau!

 

Actually, I would not quite say Aunt Bee was typical of HAL as I did notice a lot of professionals on that line seeking a relaxed quiet holiday. While HAL does have its fair share of retirees I think the floating retirement home reputation it has is a bit unfair. Although only 42 years old I will sail HAL in an instant if the right cruise comes up. Its perfect for the professional set.

 

I would agree with your analysis of the Cunard crowd - a mix of those from the glory days of ocean crossings who actually remember it and want to hold on as well as the modern day eccentrics who want to go back to those days but mix it up with some twists (maybe I fall into the later). The Cunard crowd has extra money to throw around and everyone wants some sort of cultural experience from the stay. Although I am not sure everyone gets it just because they happen to be on a sailing but the history of Cunard alone is enough to wow me!

 

I find the pricing of the QE2 rather high in comparison to the QM2 and the other cruise lines for similar iteniaries. I find I am paying for a 5 day cruise next year about the same as a 7 day Caribbean sailing on the QM2 in December 2006 and I think my QM2 accomodations are a lot better. However, the QE2 is doing more unique sailings that most North Americans are not accustomed to and there isn't the same level of competition. Far too many ships doing the same runs in the Caribbean and Alaska as far as I am concerned. Therefore, I think the QM2 is appropriately priced. I think its uniqueness in terms of its layout and where it goes is definitely what is fueling the interest in it during its twilight years. I don't see this ship going out with a whimper at all but rather with a lot of excitement about it.

 

Okay, I rambled on now.:D Anyone else with thoughts on the matter?

 

David

(another one, not the OP)

[Bramcruiser]

Therefore, I think the QM2 is appropriately priced.

 

I meant to say QE2. Hopefully everyone knew what I meant when I wrote my last piece. It seems no matter how oftern you spell check and read and re-read you end up still posting with errors. Grrrr!

 

David

Actually noticed another one but not bothering to fix it!

[pb82]

Must disagree with you, Bramcruiser, about QM2 vs QE2 pricing. Here are some comparisons from the "2007 Europe Voyages" brochure I received a while ago of the second highest and second lowest per day fares for each ship.

 

QM2 May 6/07 12 days: P2 $630/day; QE2 May 28/07 13 days: P3 $376/day

QM2 May 6/07 12 days: C3 $239/day; QE2 May 28/07 13 days: M2 $185/day

 

QM2 Sept 10/07 12 days: P2 $637/day; QE2 July 31/07 12 days: P3 $380/day

Mm2 Sept 10/07 12 days: C3 $239/day;QE2 July 31/07 12 days: M2 $189/day

 

Are you being quoted the same fares?

Paul

[travel-to-go]

certainly

NOT the Carnival Holiday out of Mobile, AL

 

If you sail HAL you meet Aunt Bee, Cunard it is Auntie Mame, Carnival

out of Mobile, you meet Granny on the Beverly Hillbillies

 

David

 

Now David, What are you saying here about Mobile? I have a cousin who lives just up the road in Daphne. And My Aunt has a condo in Orange Beach (LA- Or Lower Alabama, AKA the Redneck Riviera as it is known)

Oh, and By the way, I don't believe my Granny from the hills of Tennessee (and her husband was called Granddaddy to my sister and I!) ever crossed on any of the Queens, though she lived to be in her late nineties, and was a direct descendant of the Hardwicks of England. She gussied up pretty well, as we used to say, in her Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes. And of course, a right purty hat, much as one might sport for the Ascot ball.

 

Are you saying my family should be on Carnival?

 

Been there, done that.. No thanks!

 

Karie,

Oh, P.S. Although all of the above is true, and BTW, I was born in Chattanooga Tennessee, and we really did call them Granny and Granddaddy, I am just jiving you. I take no offense. After all, I know how smart I am and how much class I have, even if I AM a hillbilly. I'm not ashamed of who I am, in fact, damned proud of it! My Daddy worked for the TVA- Before he went to work for GE, and worked on Nuclear Power plants, The Apollo space ships. Light Military Electronics and SDI (oops. top secret- forget that part!)

 

<G>

Karie,

the Cunard Hillbilly! Yee haw!

[mufi]

Your fellow passengers do make a big difference to the enjoyment of a cruise. Depending on the cruise there is usually a good mixture of nationalities on QE2 and the finest dining companions have always been non British for us.

 

If you want to encounter the true British eccentric though, you need to sail on Swan Hellenic Minerva 2, soon to be no more. The braying voices of the great British eccentric can be heard all over this ship.

 

David.

[desirod]

Hi Karie,

 

I was told that the Carnival format works worldwide with Costa being the European Carnival.

 

I think a pure Southern format cruise would be on a Mississippi River Boat.

 

On my Rembrandt cruise of 2000, 2 of my tablemates were a husband and wife who were professors at Univ. North Carolina, a mother daughter from Birmingham Al: She a retired legal secretary, daughter a pharmacologist. They were a whole lot of fun.

 

Thier manners and ettiquette rivaled a noble European family.

 

David, the Cunard eccentric;)

 

Now David, What are you saying here about Mobile? I

 

Are you saying my family should be on Carnival?

 

Been there, done that.. No thanks!

 

Karie,

Oh, P.S. Although all of the above is true, and BTW, I was born in Chattanooga Tennessee, and we really did call them Granny and Granddaddy, I am just jiving you. I take no offense. After all, I know how smart I am and how much class I have, even if I AM a hillbilly. I'm not ashamed of who I am, in fact, damned proud of it! My Daddy worked for the TVA- Before he went to work for GE, and worked on Nuclear Power plants, The Apollo space ships. Light Military Electronics and SDI (oops. top secret- forget that part!)

 

<G>

Karie,

the Cunard Hillbilly! Yee haw!

[travel-to-go]

Hi Karie,

 

I was told that the Carnival format works worldwide with Costa being the European Carnival.

 

David, the Cunard eccentric;)

 

Well, okay, now David. You are forgiven.

I did a four day once on Carnival. But I draw the line at Costa! <G>

 

Karie,

Yeehaw, signore!

[Kindlychap]

Well, okay, now David. You are forgiven.

I did a four day once on Carnival. But I draw the line at Costa! <G>

 

Karie,

Yeehaw, signore!

 

Not quite sure what is wrong with Costa?

 

Can anyone enlighten me?

 

(One of my colleagues sails with them tomorrow!)

[Morgans]

I don't for one minute think that Costa is the European equivalent of Carnival. Costa is highly enjoyable, full of entertaining Italians and also offers delicious Italian/European food options. We have met some extremely pleasant Italian passengers who were most interesting. The only thing which wasn't to our taste was the entertainment which we didn't think was very good at all. Granted it is a different offering to Cunard, but still provides an interesting Cruise experience with a strong European/Continental twist. Nothing like Carnival at all.

[pnhmrk]

The only thing which wasn't to our taste was the entertainment which we didn't think was very good at all.

 

We've never been with Costa, but we could say that about the QE2!

[Morgans]

Touche ! ! (Good point!)

[desirod]

I don't for one minute think that Costa is the European equivalent of Carnival. Costa is highly enjoyable, full of entertaining Italians and also offers delicious Italian/European food options. We have met some extremely pleasant Italian passengers who were most interesting. The only thing which wasn't to our taste was the entertainment which we didn't think was very good at all. Granted it is a different offering to Cunard, but still provides an interesting Cruise experience with a strong European/Continental twist. Nothing like Carnival at all.

 

The older Costa ships are very elegant. The Romantica's interiors are by Pierluigi Cerri and quite beautiful.

 

The new ships are clones of the Carnival Destiny with 3 yellow oil drum funnels. The interiors are done by Joe Farcus in the garish style.

[Morgans]

I still maintain that Costa is not like Carnival - the ships are not as garish as those in the Carnival fleet - Joe Farcus or not. I wouldn't want to sail Carnival again but would be quite happy to go on a Costa cruise - especially in the Mediterranean as I'm talking about the whole cruise experience from a European perspective. Perhaps we had better agree to disagree.... (let's not get on to the subject of MSC!!!!)

[pnhmrk]

Let's not get on to the subject of MSC!

 

Motor Sports Club?:confused:

[desirod]

I still maintain that Costa is not like Carnival - the ships are not as garish as those in the Carnival fleet - Joe Farcus or not. I wouldn't want to sail Carnival again but would be quite happy to go on a Costa cruise - especially in the Mediterranean as I'm talking about the whole cruise experience from a European perspective. Perhaps we had better agree to disagree.... (let's not get on to the subject of MSC!!!!)

 

I have yet to sail Costa or Carnival. MSC from my understanding is a European cruise format NOT dumbed down for Americans. I would love to sail the Romantica, but have no interest in the Destiny clones.

[dougnewmanatsea]

the ships are not as garish as those in the Carnival fleet - Joe Farcus or not.

I don't know, COSTA CONCORDIA's interiors look as garish as anything I've seen from Carnival, and I won't even mention MEDITERRANEA's atrium with all those creepy-looking jellyfish :eek: ...

 

Like the Carnival ships, some of Farcus' Costa creations are more garish than others.

 

Now, as David says, the older Costa ships are a whole different story. COSTA CLASSICA and ROMANTICA have the best interiors of any ship since the 1960s.

 

Poor COSTA ALLEGRA - whose interiors were nearly as great as CLASSICA/ROMANTICA (and decidedly more unconventional) - just got re-decorated in a "neo-classical Italian" style for the Chinese market. Sacrelige! Almost as bad as what has been done to QE2 in the past 30-odd years ;) .

 

(let's not get on to the subject of MSC!!!!)

Why not? A most fascinating firm. I think MUSICA looks nicer than any of the Carnival-designed Costa ships, and indeed probably on par with the last real Costa ship, COSTA VICTORIA (which was partly designed by Tillberg and rather less daring than MARINA/ALLEGRA and CLASSICA/ROMANTICA).