Final QE Transatlantic - Should I or Shouldn't I?

[Buddy604]

Ok, I'm in a bit of a pickle. A year ago I managed to get an M1 outside cabin down in the bowels of 5 deck for myself and my travelling buddy on the last QE2 transatlantic from New York. All was going well, so I tought, until a week ago when my buddy informed me she had overbudgeted her self and decided not to go.

 

So here I am, one month before final payment day, looking at a $4000 fare for one, plus a few days in London already prepaid (and not refundable - Priceline, sigh).

 

My first reaction was "Damn the price, I'm going!" but now I'm starting to weaken. It is quite a chunk of change for a 10 day holiday, and I'd being going solo, which means sitting around and reading a book a lot. I still have to arrange for a proper tux and more, and once the total bill has piled up, I'll be looking at $6000 - $7000 which would buy an awful lot of days at sea on another line or even on the QM2 in the Caribbean.

 

What do people think? Is the experience on the QE2, down in steerage, so historic that I should jump at the chance? Or am I crazy to spend so much? $7000 wouldn't break me, but it's not an insignificant amount for me either - I'm used to paying less than $250 per day on average for everything when I take a cruise.

[NomDePlume]

So.

How many square inches is that cabin?

[Fifty Dollar Bob]

Ok, I'm in a bit of a pickle. So here I am, one month before final payment day, looking at a $4000 fare for one, plus a few days in London already prepaid (and not refundable - Priceline, sigh).

 

My first reaction was "Damn the price, I'm going!" but now I'm starting to weaken. It is quite a chunk of change for a 10 day holiday, and I'd being going solo, which means sitting around and reading a book a lot.

 

If that ship leaves the dock and you're not with her, you'll regret it. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life.

[yojimbo]

Is it possible for you to switch to a single cabin? I assume this would save you some $$$.

[Buddy604]

Is it possible for you to switch to a single cabin? I assume this would save you some $$$.

Unfortunately, all the single cabins are long sold out - there isn't even an open waitlist available for them anymore.

[Bramcruiser]

I say go and enjoy yourself. If the money is something you feel you can manage then remember the whole point to this crossing and the fact that you'll likely never step foot aboard the QE2 again. I'm sorry to hear your travel buddy pulled out and maybe she should be the one rethinking the incident but then again we really don't know what she really has on the agenda to overdo it herself.

 

I think it would be tight for you over the next few months but if you can swing it I say go for it. London is a wonderful city and I am sure there will be enough roll call members to keep you busy on your crossing.

 

David

[cunardqueen]

Mike,

Have you thought about sharing with someone, its only 6 days, Yes of course its a lot of money BUT it is QE2, if you dont go you will probably kick yourself! Steerage, Well l only ever travel that grade and usually solo, Just make sure you have a large table, its going to be a fun crossing, leave the book behind, you wont need it, the tux must you buy a new one? your photo shows a white one;) wear it !! or look around for a pre owned one, and really to have come so far, do you want to in years go by be saying well l was nearly there, when you can be there, and be part of history.

 

Granted lm on the crossings but lm one of those sad people who cant really see life after the QE2, 22 years ago tonight l was sailing off to NY by myself at just under 17yrs old, right away l got what the QE2 means and she got hold of me real bad and never let go.For that l thank her, l still get goose bumps when l see her and a lump in my throat when l disembark

 

Im sure out there someone is waiting to share a cabin with you on this voyage of a life time!

 

Its just not any old ship or any old cruise, Its the Queen Elizabeth 2 on her Farewell Atlantic crossing, and those two things in itself speak volumes, added to that you will meet a load of the names on here;) , all onboard with the purpose to say Goodbye to a legend and Farewell to a very dear friend

So Mike, come aboard the Queen of the seas for the ride of your life:) its going to be one to remember.

Myles

[safarigal]

I would say still go on the voyage. Looking at the roll call, it looks like you will be in great company. Even if you can't find a friend to share the cabin with you, I'm sure you will find plenty of wonderful traveling companions. This is a chance of a life time, there will never be another liner like her. There is some famous quote about never regretting the things we have done, but only regretting the things we didn't do. If its really not going to break the bank, find a tux and go for it!

 

Lesley

[Buddy604]

the tux must you buy a new one? your photo shows a white one;) wear it !!

A white dinner jacket? In October?? In the North Atlantic??? My god, I'd be afraid of being chucked overboard like some unwashed linen! :eek:

[Highlander0108]

If that ship leaves the dock and you're not with her, you'll regret it. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life.

 

That is how I feel to this day, having backed out of the tandem QE2/QM2 tandem crossing back in 2004. You will regret it.

 

With that said, when I walked off the ship in January, I had a feeling that I wasn't quite ready to say goodbye and I eventually found a way onto the ship on the final farewell cruise around the UK, with a little prodding Myles. Way back in October, I just could not get on the final crossing for anything and had booked the QM2 instead. Now having the dilemma of having to pick one cruise do to finances, I canceled my QM2 booking to be back on my obsession, QE2 in September. I am booked in 5 deck and at a rediculous price and in the same boat, so to speak as you. My spouse cannot take the time off to go. Rather than pay the single supplement, I am taking my son along for the trip of his lifetime and it is on the greatest, most famous ship in the world.:) It's only money and she will be gone forever. If you need someone to fill the room, I suspect you could easily find a fellow CC'r here that would do anything to get onboard.

 

-KenM

[Guest Anorak33]

We just debarked QE2 yesterday after 12 days Southampton to Spitsbergen in a Q3. We hadn't been on QE2 in 4 years or so.

The ship looked OK from a distance, closer up there were a number of battlescars evident, not surprising after 40 years I guess.

The wood decks need recaullking, sprung in some places.

Some repainting was going on around the ship but she does look a bit tired generally outside.

Carpeting in excellent condition, public inside spaces are as good as I've ever seen them.

Very smooth when under way, even at 29 and a half knots one night when we were making up for a late departure.

 

Queens Grill a bit of a disappointment for us, it wasn't our first time there but service and food had gone well down.

No fresh lobster any more, steaks weren't good, fish was variable, the Beef Wellington was poor - however when we earlier had a special order of Beef Wellington it was superb. Chateaubriand was excellent.

Caviar is available nightly but not promoted unless you knew to ask.

No silver service for vegetables unless you had a special order dish the veg came on the plate from the galley.

The Maitre D blames Princess for reducing their supplies. He hardly spoke to many passengers, he and his assistants were very quiet and just loitered by the entrance mostly looking glum.

 

Our Q3 cabin (2071) was worn out, however not much worse than last time in a different Q3, it wasn't clean when we arrived but was cleaned properly when we mentioned it to Janice the deck supervisor. The stewardess has been on 19 years and is despondent. Only 4 crystal glasses in the cocktail cabinet and they were't clean. Last time we were on they weren't clean either but at least we had a full set for entertaining.

 

Many of the crew are somewhat despondent about their prospects, they have to go where they are told to mostly, they think that will be QV in the main.

Many other crew are retiring or just giving up, pay in dollars is not exciting these days.

 

Anyway we didn't expect much better than we got so we were not disappointed and had a great time overall, specially for what we paid it was a great deal,we were sad to get off for the last time.

 

I missed out going on Concorde even once and have regretted it ever since so if you want to do this then go for it!

[SanNic44]

Go, my friend. This is a trip not to be missed. Your destiny awaits and it may be that you meet someone new or an old friend. Either way, make the voyage, not the excuses.

[QM1]

We just debarked QE2 yesterday after 12 days Southampton to Spitsbergen in a Q3. We hadn't been on QE2 in 4 years or so.

The ship looked OK from a distance, closer up there were a number of battlescars evident, not surprising after 40 years I guess.

The wood decks need recaullking, sprung in some places.

Some repainting was going on around the ship but she does look a bit tired generally outside.

Carpeting in excellent condition, public inside spaces are as good as I've ever seen them.

Very smooth when under way, even at 29 and a half knots one night when we were making up for a late departure.

 

...

 

Anyway we didn't expect much better than we got so we were not disappointed and had a great time overall, specially for what we paid it was a great deal,we were sad to get off for the last time.

 

I missed out going on Concorde even once and have regretted it ever since so if you want to do this then go for it!

 

I can fully underline that, and I also regret that I never made the QE2/Concorde journey to NYC.

The QES is a bit tired in places after 40 years, but she´s leaving in style. What liner ever looked so great after such a long time of service?

And that why I say: Go! Until your very last days you´ll remember having been on the very last TA on the famous QE2.

Whats the alternative, 2 times 2 weeks budget holidays in the Caribbean? Oh, come on!

I´ve been in a similar situation like you. I always wanted to experience the QE2, but my wife doesn´t enter ships at all. So in the end I went alone, just a few weeks ago, payed the double occupancy premium, and don´t regret a minute!

[rjms74]

anorak 33

 

sorry to hear you were disappointed re some aspects of your QE2 cruise & am concerned to read of you report from the QG Restaurant where I will be from next Wednesday on a week's cruise to the Fjords. Was David Chambers onboard? He is usually quite jovial & very helpful - it sounds like morale amongst staff is getting lower as the ship's sailing life draws to an end. I have always found the steaks excellent onboard so am not pleased to read your report & also I enjoy Dover sole whilst onboard - didyou try this & was this ok?

 

I have always thought the ship is very well maintained for her 40+ years including the cabins which yes are tired but very comfortable & spacious. The plated dishes in the Grill have been like this ever since I started cruising onboard back to 2001 unless you order from the a la carte menu. Yes caviar used to be on the a la carte menu but now you just have to ask for it & you can have it nightly or indeed in your cabin on room service withouth charge.

 

 

Kind Regards,

 

RJMS74

[rjms74]

anorak33

 

I was also shocked to read ofyour cabin not being clean as indeed the crystal glasses werent'!!!

 

In my 7 cruises onboard to date I've never experienced any such problems so am perturbed to read this especially at Grill class level!!!

 

Staff morale among all crew members was not brilliant last October & all since the sale announcement in June 2007!!!! It was totally different on my Autumn Colours 2006 Sep 20 night cruise when the ship we assumed would sail until 2010!!!!!!

 

 

Kind Regards,

 

 

RJMS74

[tmcauban]

Are you sure you can't find a traveling companion among your friends?

 

It is certainly an historic crossing, well worth doing, but they do charge a lot in all categories.

Last year, when we went back, after the announcement of the sale of the ship, something was really different on board.

We did go again in April and really did enjoy our cruise, but still you have the lingering feeling that your money could have been spent otherwise.

 

Some considerations that may help you a bit to decide:

 

1-Have you been on the QE2 before?

if yes, you may find her a little bit tired and frayed on the edges...like everybody notices, so is it worth spending all that money for a less exciting experience?

 

2-An M1 cabin is ok and the Mauretania restaurant is fine, but it is not an outstanding experience.

 

3-After all this, the bottom line is: Do you want to spend that amount? and this is really up to you.

 

Good luck and if you go, enjoy...

[Highlander0108]

[quote name=tmcauban;15056804We did go again in April and really did enjoy our cruise' date=' but still you have the lingering feeling that your money could have been spent otherwise.

[/quote]

 

We had quite the opposite experience in January on our crossing. The only lingering feeling I have had was that with several home repair projects still unfinished, the money could have been spent there, but they all can wait and QE2 will be gone before we know it. That bathroom remodel is not important as going on her for one final time.

 

Take the trip and never look back. It will give you a lifetime of memories that are hard to put a value on. i don't think a day goes by without me thinking of some aspect of our time on QE2. Having her up on my screen as my desktop background helps. :) Actually, my only regret is not having the means nor the time to get on the ship earlier in life and more often.

[Guest Anorak33]

anorak 33

 

sorry to hear you were disappointed re some aspects of your QE2 cruise & am concerned to read of you report from the QG Restaurant where I will be from next Wednesday on a week's cruise to the Fjords. Was David Chambers onboard? He is usually quite jovial & very helpful - it sounds like morale amongst staff is getting lower as the ship's sailing life draws to an end. I have always found the steaks excellent onboard so am not pleased to read your report & also I enjoy Dover sole whilst onboard - didyou try this & was this ok?

 

I have always thought the ship is very well maintained for her 40+ years including the cabins which yes are tired but very comfortable & spacious. The plated dishes in the Grill have been like this ever since I started cruising onboard back to 2001 unless you order from the a la carte menu. Yes caviar used to be on the a la carte menu but now you just have to ask for it & you can have it nightly or indeed in your cabin on room service withouth charge.

 

 

Kind Regards,

 

RJMS74

 

Hi

I had obviously forgotten about the plated veg, my apologies.

 

David, Denis and a Bulgarian assistant Maitre d' with a heavy Russian accent and gold teeth who was more than a bit scary. We got the Bulgarian in our corner. David never came round to ask us how things were and Denis was on the other side.

My partner had the Dover Sole. Badly overcooked. When she mentioned it the Bulgarian asked how she wanted it. She said - not overcooked- obvious really. The next day the French chef came to the tables and asked about the various complaints people had. Mostly it was about the fish at that time.The fish improved. Be specific when you order your fish and you probably won't have a problem.

 

When the food wasn't too good we never said anything to the MaitreD' again as we realized thats just how things are and we didn't want a constant fuss.

 

To go into more detail about the steak experience - 3 of us on the table had steak that night. One was excellent, one was just about passable and mine was like shoe leather. I ordered it medium, like the others, but it came overdone, dry and leathery and grey.

I sent it back after giving it a whirl but the replacement came too quickly to have been cooked to order and was nearly inedible.

What I ate of it lay like a brick in the tummy and I didn't want anything else that night.

At the time all I could think was that if I had been in Cagneys on NCL I would have had a beautifully cooked tender juicy steak for pocketmoney cruising costs. And here I was having a really bad one paying about 4 times as much (and if it hadn't been a "deal" about 8 times as much.

On the questionnaire we filled in at the end of the cruise we discussed afterwards what we had put for the food and found we had all put "fair". We had also all put "excellent" for the service.

 

The winewaitress we had was excellent, Kasia from Poland, her husband is also in the QG. They are leaving soon, she has been on 10 years ( mostly PG) and its time to go apparently.

 

One other thing we noticed - the Wine List still has many reasonably priced wines on it. We had a couple of bottles every night, also a 200ml bottle of Cunard 2000 LBV port for two, about $9, very drinkable but watch the sediment.

 

Branika has control of the cheese cart in our corner near the galley "in" door, tables 6 to 12. She is a Serbian girl just left college with an economics degree, shortish with red hair, very funny to talk with.

 

Our waiters were Kishor, tall from Bombay, and Rawi from Singapore who is leaving Cunard to go back to the Raffles Hotel.

 

Enjoy your cruise to Norway, ours was to Spitsbergen but calling at many Norwegian ports on the way there and back.

At Stavanger the P and O Oceana (huge) was there with us and we had the biggest bout of hooting on her departure I have ever known ( and I got it on film with sound). Their passengers has bedsheets hung over the side with messages on like farewell QE2 and were waving Union Flags and singing Rule Britannia.

A wonderful farewell.

[JPEvans]

Ok, I'm in a bit of a pickle. A year ago I managed to get an M1 outside cabin down in the bowels of 5 deck for myself and my travelling buddy on the last QE2 transatlantic from New York. All was going well, so I tought, until a week ago when my buddy informed me she had overbudgeted her self and decided not to go.

 

So here I am, one month before final payment day, looking at a $4000 fare for one, plus a few days in London already prepaid (and not refundable - Priceline, sigh).

 

My first reaction was "Damn the price, I'm going!" but now I'm starting to weaken. It is quite a chunk of change for a 10 day holiday, and I'd being going solo, which means sitting around and reading a book a lot. I still have to arrange for a proper tux and more, and once the total bill has piled up, I'll be looking at $6000 - $7000 which would buy an awful lot of days at sea on another line or even on the QM2 in the Caribbean.

 

What do people think? Is the experience on the QE2, down in steerage, so historic that I should jump at the chance? Or am I crazy to spend so much? $7000 wouldn't break me, but it's not an insignificant amount for me either - I'm used to paying less than $250 per day on average for everything when I take a cruise.

 

I'm booked with Pied Piper Travel as a share. I may have to cancel. Maybe you can take my spot. My e-mail addy is JEvans9797@aol.com drop me an e-mail. I'm booked in an M5 cabin

[Bramcruiser]

I can't compare to pre-announcement cruising on the QE2 as I booked my first ever trip prior to the announcement of the sale but the trip itself took place months after the announcement. Even then, I found the service - at Caronia level but I knew people in Mauretania who found the same - excellent. As much as I enjoyed the QM2 on my first voyage on her I found the QE2 just one step better even if the ship was older and had some signs of age.

 

As for moral I found the staff quite upbeat. The two dining room waiters/waitress assigned to our table were all talking positive (I realize partly it is their job) about the future and wondering if they would be on the new QV or partaking in the history of the final voyages of the QE2. I never found anyone down about the prospect of losing the ship although I am sure the thoughts were there. I am sure some staff would be affected by it all but the masks they all wore were incredible then. Funny but I seem to recall a few crew members on the QM2 who actually told me they preferred the QM2 - okay, those people I think are nuts!:D

 

I can only say what was my first sailing on an already marked ship was wonderful. I never found service or spirits to be downhill and the Pollyanna in me wants to believe everyone will do their best to brave the final voyages this fall. We might find a very unique bonding between passengers (many old-timers returning for a last run) and crew - as far as the rules allow!

 

To our OP - do it! I'm beginning to think your cabinmate made the wrong choice!:)

 

David

[cunardqueen]

I never found service or spirits to be downhill and the Pollyanna in me wants to believe everyone will do their best to brave the final voyages this fall.

 

I know speaking with the Hotel Manager his intention is to keep the high standards of service and have the old girl go out on a high! as opposed to a count down to doom and gloom.

Did anyone do the farewell trips on the Canberra? l wonder how the mood was on her towards the end? or indeed has anyone done farewell cruises before? Can we expect a very upbeat mood or doom and gloom among the passengers ?

 

Mike whats your thoughts with all the recent posts? lm sure whatever you decide we are behind you.....

[Buddy604]

Mike whats your thoughts with all the recent posts? lm sure whatever you decide we are behind you.....

Myles, I can say I am leaning towards completing the trip now, but I'm leaving myself some room to think it all through. I'm not usually this much of a drama queen (well, not online at least!) but I'm moving on to grappling with wardrobe, so I think that may be a good sign.

 

Funny thing is that several people spoke of the Concorde, and that has struck a chord with me, but from the other side. You see, I did grab a couple of trips on the speedbird in her last year - I had booked them before the retirement announcement, but flew close to her end. It was certainly interesting to experience it in as much as having done it, but, truthfuly, the physical experience is not unlike a three hour flight, in coach, in a 737. Many of the unique Concorde aspects had long been removed - no gift, stationary, certificate, etc. The service was friendly, but you still had to wait for the drinks trolley to pass if you needed to hit the washroom. :D I did it becuase I'm a total airplane nut, but I guess, in retrospect, the one thing I was purchasing was mainly a hedge against future regret.

[Guest Anorak33]

I know speaking with the Hotel Manager his intention is to keep the high standards of service and have the old girl go out on a high! as opposed to a count down to doom and gloom.

Did anyone do the farewell trips on the Canberra? l wonder how the mood was on her towards the end? or indeed has anyone done farewell cruises before? Can we expect a very upbeat mood or doom and gloom among the passengers ?

 

Mike whats your thoughts with all the recent posts? lm sure whatever you decide we are behind you.....

 

The Hotel Manager was very much in the background during our 2 weeks, caught a glimpse of him at several of the cocktail parties but that was it. I was kinda tied up at the cocktail parties with some people I knew so I didn't approach him during the brief minutes he was there.

 

Talking of people we met again on QE2 QG has any member ever met an exceptionally elegant Japanese lady called Miss Katsuko?

Katsuko often used to have table 6, in the corner, when she travelled on her own but now has a friend she travels with.

Katsuko was with us this time, it was her 49th cruise on QE2 and she was presented with a nice bouquet by Capt. McNaught at a little party we attended. Previously some years ago she cruised with her mother, and has received many small gifts over the years, not surprisingly.

Katsuko's formal dress is traditional Japanese and I would challenge anyone to find a more elegantly dressed and sophisticated lady on the ship.

If anyone is interested I will attempt to post a photo.

[Fifty Dollar Bob]

Staff morale among all crew members was not brilliant last October & all since the sale announcement in June 2007!!!! It was totally different on my Autumn Colours 2006 Sep 20 night cruise when the ship we assumed would sail until 2010!!!!!!

 

Other than a clear sense of loss for a wonderful ship, there was no problem with moral in either January or April. This was particularly evident in April, when the staff were wonderfully helpful and friendly.

[rjms74]

anorak33

 

Many thanks for your interesting posts re my query on food & service in the QG Rest. I'll report back myself when I get back from my week's Norwegian cruise & 8th & last cruise onboard! As it's my parents' first with Cunard if there are many issues like you've highlighted I will be complaining both onboard & when I get home although as I've discovered in the past even Cunard's highest management do not seem to follow the view that the 'customer is always right'!!!

 

This lady you mention Miss Katsuko wouldyou say she was about late 60's early 70's in age? I do remember seeing a very smartly dressed Japanese lady on my last Fjords cruise back in 2005 immaculately dressed & she was dining in the Queens Grill as were many other Japanese guests at the time they even had their own tour guides both male & feemale who used to use their laptop in the QG lounge enjoying their pre-dinner drinks. Apparently the Japanese love the Fjords cruise. The lady I remember was also at sailaway dancing with the gentleman hosts! If she was at your table in the Grill & had done so many cruises on QE2 surely she would not have accepted over cooked food or 'leathered' steak?

 

 

Kind Regards,

 

RJMS74