Just back from the QM2!

[rebeccalouise]

I just got back to my home in Baltimore and wanted to relay our experience on the QM2.

 

In a nutshell it was great. We met a nice couple, Cheryl and Skip at team trivia on Day 2. As for the other cruise critic members- they were no shows. But this certainly didn't impact our cruise.

 

We loved our inside cabin. This was my third time on the QM2 but my first time ever in an inside cabin (out of 24 cruises). I wouldn't hesitate to book an inside again. I didn't find it at all claustrophobic and really liked the layout better than the balcony staterooms.

 

The pools were great. The passengers were nice. The ship is "shipshape". The bartenders were wonderful- especially Marc from Southampton and Marcos from Uraguay.

 

We really liked the private island and couldn't have asked for nicer weather. Was heavenly. Enjoyed our banana boat ride- but a word of warning- wear goggles and expect to have sore muscles from the workout!

 

The lowpoint of the cruise was the Britainia Diningroom. Our tablemates were wonderful- hi to Ruth, Paul and Johnny! We really enjoyed their company. Had it not been for them I would not have returned to the diningroom again. The service was ATROCIOUS! I don't use this word freely. Our waiter, JoJo, was so rude and uncourteous it was laughable. He never introduced himself or made any attempt to be friendly. He handed us our menus with no comment of any kind. No smile nothing! He seemed annoyed when I asked for crayons for my son to color the kids menu with- especially since it has games and things that require at least something to write with. Never got said crayons but asked the front desk for a pen. Not the end of the world but certainly not very helpful. Last night I asked him for a pen and his response was "I need my pen"- and then he walked away. Fortuneately, Marc the wine steward gave me his without any reservation. We all especially disliked having to order dessert along with our entrays. On all the other lines I have sailed they come back with the menu after you've had your main course. They obviously do this so they never have to return to the table. The assistant from Romania had an edge too. She was nice enough to the kids but just not very pleasant. I really am astounded at how bad they are. Clearly there is no training. I work in a restaurant and we answer a customers request with "Yes, of course" or "Not a problem" or "Right away". Requests were met with rolling eyes and it showed that we were putting him out. Crazy! We asked for simple things like more crackers for the kids and it took far too long. I can't believe anyone likes the diningroom.

 

Don't know how these waiters become waiters on Cunard. The one on the last cruise wasn't well-trained (although he was at least pleasant). The food was good however but we were all really annoyed at the service in the diningroom. The wine steward was very nice but overburdened and it was hard to get a refill on drinks. Really- as I say, the service in the diningroom is by far the worst I have encountered on any cruise. I have always been happy with the service on every other line. Cunard should be embarrassed.

 

The rest of the crew was friendly and helpful.

 

This is our last cruise on QM2 (three times are enough). I had already decided this prior to this sailing, since I found the diningroom service to be poor on my February sailing but did give the diningroom another try. It was worse this time! It is a great ship and if they would just do something about the diningroom service - it would then be the "white glove" experience.

[Brit and proud]

Oh my god a rude waiter ...how sad.....we did hear some people mention that some staff needed some re-training, i cant comment on this except for the ones we came across (wonderfull), so wont hijack your report as it is your experiance's and how you found it...(without this others would not known)

 

We where on QM2 carribean cruise and enjoyed it soooooo much....

 

So glad we didnt follow advice for lower Britania restaurant, we requested upper first sitting and got it.........

 

in process of completing a mega trip report

 

steve aka brian

[Atomica]

So glad we didnt follow advice for lower Britania restaurant, we requested upper first sitting and got it.........

 

steve aka brian

 

Not to change the subject of this thread, but is there something special about the upper section of the dining room? I saw the ability to request it in the Cruise Personalizer but didn't think anything of it...

 

Rebeccalouise, thanks for the handy writeup of your cruise! Sorry to hear the service in the dining room wasn't all it could be...

[David2115]

Not sure the upper tier is any better, i would have thought it depends on the waiters and how well they are trained, our service on 20th Nov. Cruise was also poor and as a result we ate most of our meals in the 4 themes dining areas of Kings Court where the service was 1st class

[totheworld]

so sorry we missed you...I scheduled a last-minute Thai massage that interfered with the get-together. It was truly wonderful--ask for Drainah!

 

Our service in lower Britannia, late seating wasn't amazing, but acceptable. I am sorry to hear that you had such a negative experience! Our server did not seem to have too many tables (maybe he was new?) so he was able to spend some time with us.

 

The only rude people we met were at the Purser's and Tour offices--I had booked a Cabana a week or so before the trip--but the reservation never came through. The two people I spoke with couldn't have been more dismissive and inappropriate. The good news is that we found shade for my very pale husband. the only person who got burned was me! The lovely Princess Cays made up for my negative experience. I advise buying a noodle from one of the kiosks ($7) and floating all day in the water. (I think that whoever I spoke to on the phone didn't realize the Cabanas were sold out and never told me when I booked. Oh well)

 

Other than that, the only frustration was coming in second in both trivia contests, missing tying for first by one question. Grrrr!

[dadsbdaycruiser]

We also just got back and had a wonderful time... however, even in the Queen's Grill the service was really slow. I don't know what is going on... I'm not that fussy, but 40 minutes to get a menu and to have them order was ridiculous. We sailed on Cunard before, Celebrity, RCCL, HAL... and I have never seen anything like this.

 

Aside from that, it was a wonderful cruise and a beautiful ship. The Q5, Q6 and Q7 cabins in our group were beautiful, and everyone felt totally spoiled. The butlers and others onboard were terrific... I can only think that there must have been something going on in the Dining Room, as I can't imagine this is the norm (there would be a lot more people screaming).

 

My only complaint was the trip was a week too short!

[rebeccalouise]

Hi- I don't mean to sound dismissive of Cunard- there are many good things. That is why the service in the DR was so obvious. Really bad.

[paul1959]

Again, is it the curse of the short cruise? Our service was spectacular for all ten nights in Britannia - even the lunches and a breakfast we had there was great. Our cruise was full, but only 1800 people. Are they just so burned out with 2500 that they start to crack?

Paul

[rebeccalouise]

then Cunard should be prepared for the onslaught. I have sailed Cunard three times now- so it is not an anomoly.

Glad that you had a wonderful experience. The ship is absolutely lovely but they should be ready for more passengers if they are going to have said cruises.

 

Anyway, I am ready for a new adventure. While Celebrity is my favorite- I am trying Holland America this July. After that, if it is a disappointment, I will stick with Celebrity.

[lkmamom]

Hi Rebecca, just wanted to apologize to you and to all of the other cruise critic buddies for not attending the meet and greet. I truly did totally forget about the time and by the time I remembered, it was time for our dinner seating.

 

I agree with some of what you have said and will explain in my own "return from the QM2".

Linda

[EricJ]

Again, is it the curse of the short cruise? Our service was spectacular for all ten nights in Britannia - even the lunches and a breakfast we had there was great. Our cruise was full, but only 1800 people. Are they just so burned out with 2500 that they start to crack?

Paul

 

QM2 has 2592 lower berths and total capacity of 3056. If it was full with 1800, then there must have been 800 cabins each with a solo occupant. If that's the max they can provide good service for, that's still an embarrassment.

[keela1eva2]

I was very happy with my QM2 February 29th Cruise. What I did find out was that a lot of staff had just been on the ship for 4 weeks.

Our asst> waitress and she was very nervous on the first 2 evenings. The next morning she delivered my breakfast and she had such a lovely smile. She told me she was anxious to get everything right but was well supported by her Waiter.

Our service was very good after we mentioned that we would like to have extra coffee as one of the guests at our table asked the waiter at the next table.

I knew that this would be a problem if this was noticed. Never had an issue after this.

I spoke to many of the waiters/waitresses in the Kings Court and almost always they said 4 weeks on ship. This may still be down to the new Victoria but you would think they would have sorted it out by now. May be that as the Victoria was launched in Dec.?? there may be a lot of those on the QM2 have now gone on leave. Just a thought. I would happily sail on her tomorrow and just love everything about her.

 

Sue

[Beyondships]

I was on the March 20 voyage and thought it was very good.

 

There were approximately 2800 people on board, which is more than the double occupancy full capacity. There were many young families aboard with children sharing the cabins. I was pleased to see how well the ship handled this change from her usual demographics. Both parents and children seemed to enjoy the voyage.

 

In order to staff Queen Victoria about one third of the staff were brought over from QM2. As a result, there are quite a few newbies on QM2. In addition, a number of the veterans are now going on leave.

 

Also, ship crews tend to operate at their best when they are following a routine. This winter, the routine for QM2 has been 10 day cruises to the Caribbean. While there was one other 4 day cruise and a couple of 14 day cruises, this voyage was a departure from the normal routine.

 

In addition, it required an extraordinary effort. In order to make it to Princess Cays and back to New York in four nights, the ship had to be going at nearly full speed. No other passenger ship, except QE2, could have done it. The fact that weather conditions were not ideal the first evening did not make it any easier, yet no one seemed discomforted nor were any services curtailed.

 

The extraordinary effort required of the ship was the same as the effort required of the crew. On the sea days, there was a full program including a formal night the first night and three Easter services during the day on the return. At Princess Cays, the crew had to off load food and equipment into the tenders and set up barbeques, buffets etc. on the island. Meanwhile, most of the restaurants and facilties on board remained open for those passengers who stayed on board. In the evening, all of the crew, passengers and equipment that had been brought ashore were tendered back to the ship and a full evening program was conducted on board. This kind of effort puts a strain on the crew.

 

Despite all of this, the team at my table in Britannia were excellent. The waitress was very pleasant and always willing to bring addditional items or to mix and match items from the menu as requested. Her assistant was very efficient. Also, I had most of my other meals in Britannia and had no problems with the service at any of the open seating tables. Finally, my room stewardess was also very good.

 

In the end, all of the people that I spoke with said that they were hoping to return in the future, which is a strong indication that it was a good voyage.

[QMCruise]

We also had a great time on this trip.

 

We got to trivia on day 2 just as it was beginning, so we didn't want to interrupt and ask who else was with Cruise Critic. Once trivia ended, the room emptied out quickly, so getting to meet anyone else there became an impossibility.

 

As to dining in Britannia, we had a great experience each evening. We were at a table for 6 at table 78, downstairs, right at the base of the grand staircase, and were seated with two other friendly couples, who helped to make our dinner experience so enjoyable. Our waiter Vasilica and his assistant, junior waiter Ruslan both did a wonderful job attending to our needs. In fact, after the first night, Vasilica already had our drinks at the table by the time we arrived for each night's dinner. When we needed any type of explanation as to specific menu items, both waiters were more than kind enough to help us out. At dessert on the first night, Vasilica recommended ice cream along with the angle food cake, as he said it would be a bit dry by itself. Turned out to be excellent advice! After dinner, they removed all of the extraneous plates, silverware, etc., and after combing the table for breadcrumbs, brought back the menus for us to make a dessert selection. Unlike at other tables, we were not asked for our dessert order along with our other menu selections.

 

There were one or two instances where the wrong salad was brought, and it was changed immediately. Also, one of our tablemates, after trying a soup, asked for something else, and it too was changed immediately with no trouble at all.

 

I wouldn't hesitate to take another cruise on the QM2 - in fact, next time I'd like to bring a group along, so we can all enjoy her!

[bobbisbobbles]

We too just just got back from the Easter cruise. The ship was beautiful, and we enjoyed our cruise very much. We had an A1 balcony room, and were very pleased with it. We sat at table 42 for dinner, and was more than happy with our dining experience. The waiter was there with our menu within a few minutes after we sat down, and we had no unreasonable wait for our food between courses. The quality of the food was as good as any that have had on any of our previous cruises on other cruise lines. The cruise met our expectations, and our only disappointment was the fact that quite a few people did not conform to the dress code. We love to dress up, and was looking forward to people watching and seeing all of the beautiful gowns and jewelry. There were some nice outfits, but not much jewelry, and quite a few people that were totally clueless on style. For some reason, some women think that if an outfit does not have legs, then it is a dress, so if you have on a dress, you are dressed up.:eek: During the day, lots of people looked like real slobs. We were appalled. Maybe because this was a short cruise and the price was considerably less it attracted a lower class of people or something??? All in all we had a wonderful time, and think that the ship's crew did an excellent job. The only thing that would keep us from giving this cruise a 10 would be the fact some of the other passengers were not quite up to the high standards of sophisticatation and class that you would expect to find on a Cunard cruise, so it took away from the elegant event that we perceived that we would experience. Maybe we should try a trans Atlantic?

[chrystine]

We were on the March 20th sailing too. We regret missing the team trivia on Friday afternoon. We had early sitting dinner and it was taking my husband and son forever to get dressed in their tuxedos. By the time they were done, we had a few minutes for pictures before dinner. We did not make it to the captain's party either.

 

Unfortunately, we too had terrible service in the Brittania dining room. Our servers were incredibly slow, forgot parts of orders often and told us condiments were not available (i.e., horseradish for prime rib, drawn butter for lobster) when we observed tables nearby being served those same items. I did see servers that seemed terrific in the dining room though. I guess it is just luck of the draw.

 

Pros- Beautiful, classic ship; nice lounges/pubs; good drink/wine selection and pricing; Todd English (outstanding); cabin space/storage was adequate (we had 2 inside cabins); planetarium (when it was actually working)

 

Cons- Food selection and quality (average); dining room service; encountered some rude staff; entertainment not impressive; buffet layout was a mess; small pools; inadequate storage space in cabin bathroom; kid's club rarely followed schedule; spa facilities and pricing

 

Despite the above, overall, we had a nice cruise and if the price was right we would sail on her again.

[keelhauled]

We too just just got back from the Easter cruise. The ship was beautiful, and we enjoyed our cruise very much. We had an A1 balcony room, and were very pleased with it. We sat at table 42 for dinner, and was more than happy with our dining experience. The waiter was there with our menu within a few minutes after we sat down, and we had no unreasonable wait for our food between courses. The quality of the food was as good as any that have had on any of our previous cruises on other cruise lines. The cruise met our expectations, and our only disappointment was the fact that quite a few people did not conform to the dress code. We love to dress up, and was looking forward to people watching and seeing all of the beautiful gowns and jewelry. There were some nice outfits, but not much jewelry, and quite a few people that were totally clueless on style. For some reason, some women think that if an outfit does not have legs, then it is a dress, so if you have on a dress, you are dressed up.:eek: During the day, lots of people looked like real slobs. We were appalled. Maybe because this was a short cruise and the price was considerably less it attracted a lower class of people or something??? All in all we had a wonderful time, and think that the ship's crew did an excellent job. The only thing that would keep us from giving this cruise a 10 would be the fact some of the other passengers were not quite up to the high standards of sophisticatation and class that you would expect to find on a Cunard cruise, so it took away from the elegant event that we perceived that we would experience. Maybe we should try a trans Atlantic?

Yes, I would absolutely agree that on these short cruises there is a lower, perhaps income level (???) than on other cruises. Definitely, trannies have the best possible mix of pax. I would strongly advise you to try one of these! Happy sailing!

[bobbisbobbles]

Perfectly said, Keelhauled. Part of the attraction of Cunard is being able to dress to the 9's and be in the company of others who do likewise. If this not appealing to a person, they should find a more informal cruiseline. By not conforming, they are ruining the grand experience for others.

[stryker1969]

why would you not demand to switch to a different table with a different waiter? Im sure the Maître d'Hôtel would know which waiter to pair you with. It is your vacation be assertive next time im sure you did not get the cruise for free

[lkmamom]

Our family of three also just returned from the "taste of Cunard" cruise. I am really not sure if it was a true taste of the Cunard experiance. I plan to post a formal review in the cruise reviews.

 

I would like to offer another perspective on the reasons for possible "rudeness" of crew. We actually did not experiance that in any way but after talking with our room stewardess briefly and watching what went on in the Brittania at dinner, I can truly understand if crew was not smiling all of the time. Our cabin was situated amongst many very young toddlers. Now I love children we have one who is now grown. Toddlers make messes, that is what they do. And when there are very young children in addition to double what there is usually in a cabin, the work is doubled, sometimes tripled for those responsible for keeping one's room tidy. It really does not take a lot to please our family. I am a cleanaholic, so I usually tidy up our cabin each time we cruise. Just give us some clean towels and we are happy. Our room stewardess worked so hard to maintain the standards that I know she follows with every passenger. She was truly, though we did not get to see her much, the best that we have ever had.

 

In the dining room, we shared a table with a family that also had two children, one of which was a very active two year old. Once again, we love children but to have to dodge him while trying to serve passengers and then keep up with the demands of asking that he be fed pasta promptly, was no easy task. If I had to clean up after that little kiddo every evening, I would not be really happy either. Our waiters were excellent. Our food was served promptly and always hot/cold. They did not have a lot of time for small talk but they were always polite and respectful.

 

I saw many very well dressed passengers on this cruise with unreal manners. I don't care if you dress in gowns every night with jewels everywhere, if you do not have the manners to match, it does not mean a lot. I thought that most, attempted to dress to what they felt was formal. The Black and White Ball was lovely and even our 18 yo loved watching the dancing. We did follow the dress code and it was not a problem, we love dressing up. I think passengers expected the usual Cunard excellence and in honesty, should have expected it, but with the amount of passengers and ages of children, it was just not an easy task. Cunard should really re-evaluate limits on numbers of certain age groups of children.

 

To be honest, I knew that this cruise was not going to give us the view of Cunard that we were looking for. I have read the reviews of others and the scenario always seems the same. Our family always follows the dress codes that are asked of the cruiseline, but we have never had a cruise ruined by what other passengers chose to wear on a cruise. I understand the traditions of Cunard. I also understand that those traditions are dear to many that are long time customers of Cunard but the times they are a changing and to expect everyone to abide by a dress code is just not reality. There is always going to be someone that does not dress the way that you thought they should have dressed. That is just human nature. Our limo driver shed some very important light on the future. He told us that the city of New York will very shortly require the limos to only drive hybrid cars. There are not a lot of large hybrid cars that can handle multiple suitcases and people. Airlines are limiting what passengers can carry. My DH was not really happy with all that I brought for this trip but to follow the dress code, along comes a lot of clothing and shoes (boy that really got him:eek: ). I can see the day when cruiselines will be a little more "forgiving" of dress on formal nighs.

 

I would like to thank those that helped with my many questions prior to the cruise. I would also like to apologize to my fellow roll call cruisers. I honestly forgot about the time of the meet and greet and by the time I remembered, we were seated for dinner in the Brittania, I am so sorry I missed meeting you.:o

Linda

[rebeccalouise]

In my case, it was a four night cruise. On night one the service was lousy. The next night I didn't go back. The third night I went because our tablemates had mentioned that it was her birthday on the 22nd. So I wanted to celebrate with her. Again the service was crappy. Why didn't I ask to switch at this point? Because we would all have had to ask and I don't think one should have to ask. My tablemate had already made it known to the maitre d' that the service was bad. Instead of him improving- nothing changed. So we did attempt to pursuade the waiter to be better.

 

I understand what you mean about kids. In our case, the 3 year old was a dream. He was no trouble. My seven year old knows how to behave. There were not crackers and mess everywhere.

 

I have traveled on all the lines and they love kids. We have had waiters bend over backward and they genuinely love the kids. They comment that they miss their kids.

 

Naturally, one can't make a blanket statement. We were not demanding at all. In fact, we were treated poorly from day one. Sorry if the waiter was overworked but it wasn't because of us. Even the wine steward was no where to be found. I can tell you if my parents had been on board they would have been very disappointed with that aspect- they drink wine and spend lots of money on wine. So this would have hurt Cunard as much as them.

 

Again, I really had a nice time in general but I know many people enjoy fine dining and they don't deliver "fine dining" on Cunard. My last experience in February was equally bad. So this isn't a one time- one waiter thing.

[lkmamom]

Rebecca, I really hope that you did not think that I was referring to you. I was referring to the people at our table with the very active child. Trust me, he was really out of control.I think that the parents were a little embarassed but just did not control him. They were great tablemates. We liked them a lot, it just was not a great situation for their children.

 

I do have a question for you. You have gone on a lot more cruises than we have. Was the food the same on the Cunard cruises? We honestly did not feel that it was that great. Princess and HAL has them beat by a landslide. Our salads and soups were awful. The dressings were very watery and there was no meat or vegetables (as was described in the menu) in any of our salads or soups.The entrees were okay, nothing special. We ate in the Kings Court once, never again. I could not believe the manners of people like dropping tongs and then putting them back into the serving bowls. One lady walked along from station to station picking up food and eating it along the way and then putting things back she did not care for. No tray, no plate just eat and run. There were hand sanitizers everywhere and not a soul used them. On HAL everyone is offered a squirt at the door and the food is placed on your plate by the staff. For an upscale cruiseline, this surprised me. Granted, we only had lunch there once but once was enough for me.I know that Cunard cannot screen their passengers for manners but there are health safety measures that need to be considered no matter how many passengers onboard.

 

I just cannot justify paying extra for a longer cruise with Cunard based on what we experianced. Maybe we did not get the true experiance but if we did not because Cunard cut corners, shame on them.

Linda

[PianoManNYC]

I could not believe the manners of people like dropping tongs and then putting them back into the serving bowls. One lady walked along from station to station picking up food and eating it along the way and then putting things back she did not care for. No tray, no plate just eat and run.

Linda

 

Oh dear! That is horrific! I presume that you alerted staff that such food that had been contaminated in this manner must be taken away and disposed of. I have never witnessed such behavior on Cunard or any other line, but I would surely have insisted the dish be taken away.

[rebeccalouise]

Rebecca, I really hope that you did not think that I was referring to you. I was referring to the people at our table with the very active child. Trust me, he was really out of control.I think that the parents were a little embarassed but just did not control him. They were great tablemates. We liked them a lot, it just was not a great situation for their children.

 

I do have a question for you. You have gone on a lot more cruises than we have. Was the food the same on the Cunard cruises? We honestly did not feel that it was that great. Princess and HAL has them beat by a landslide. Our salads and soups were awful. The dressings were very watery and there was no meat or vegetables (as was described in the menu) in any of our salads or soups.The entrees were okay, nothing special. We ate in the Kings Court once, never again. I could not believe the manners of people like dropping tongs and then putting them back into the serving bowls. One lady walked along from station to station picking up food and eating it along the way and then putting things back she did not care for. No tray, no plate just eat and run. There were hand sanitizers everywhere and not a soul used them. On HAL everyone is offered a squirt at the door and the food is placed on your plate by the staff. For an upscale cruiseline, this surprised me. Granted, we only had lunch there once but once was enough for me.I know that Cunard cannot screen their passengers for manners but there are health safety measures that need to be considered no matter how many passengers onboard.

 

I just cannot justify paying extra for a longer cruise with Cunard based on what we experianced. Maybe we did not get the true experiance but if we did not because Cunard cut corners, shame on them.

Linda

 

it is hard for me to answer definitively. I did the 6 night TA last August and my little boy and I ate all our meals in the Kings Court and it was very good. On both of the 4 night cruises that I have done the Kings Court food was almost always the same. very boring food.

 

As for the main diningroom- I liked the smallish portions (lost a pound on the cruise) but the menu was very limited. I liked my escargo but not the mussels- which were served semi-cooked (that's how they wanted them)- yuck! Anyway, the food wasn't the problem for me in the diningroom. It was good. It was the service for me that was the problem.

 

After sailing many different lines- I have to say that the service was neither polished or polite. Maybe others had a better experience than mine.

[lkmamom]

Pianoman, absolutely yes, I did tell someone right away and I also asked the lady if she needed a plate. She was not the only one, she just really stood out to me with her amazing bad manners.

 

Rebecca, thanks for your reply. Sorry that you did not recieve adequate service. You are right, there really is no excuse for that in any situation. These cruises seem to not work out well for either side of the coin, staff/crew or the passengers in some cases. For us, we wanted to experiance the beauty and wonder of the QM2. We had seen so many specials on the travel channel about this ship and for me, I have read so many glowing reports on cruise critic. I have to say, there has never been a BAD cruise for us. We love cruising. The QM2 is an amazing ocean liner and we are all so glad that we had the chance to sail on her. If we sailed on her again we would most definately book a different larger cabin and to be honest, I am not so sure it would be worth the extra investment.

 

I take a little offense to those that said these cruises were for lower class people. In our situation, we actually spent close to the equivalent of what we would have paid for a longer cruise on some of the other lines adding in transportation costs and hotel fees. True, the rates for the QM2 were lower but remember, just four days and one stop.