QE2 - Faded Glory

Just come back from "The Land of the Rising Sun" Cruise and at the risk of being shot at dawn these were my observations and tips.

 

THE SHIP

 

QE2 is a 40 year old Ocean Liner and not a cruise ship. When she is up to speed she vibrates and lying in bed at night it creaks and rattles. There is a shortage of deck space so if you are going somewhere warm, the sun loungers are packed in tight. If you want one of those lovely steamer chairs - get up early.

 

There is one forward observation area

 

Smokers are everywhere and there is little you can do to avoid them, as you have to pass through smoking areas to get around the ship.

 

Do not worry about booking cabins next to stairways. There are so many stairways that you do not get the usual noise and crowding around them.

 

Our C2 cabin on deck 3 had its own bathroom and tub plus a walk in wardrobe - we could not fault it for space in this range. The steward kept it clean and tidy.

 

FOOD

 

The food in Caronia was fair at best. The food was sometimes overcooked and other times cold. Service was patchy and the coffee terrible. An Officer we dined with said that all the menus were now basically the same with some more staff in the Grills. Wine prices were reasonable and drinks were about £2.25 - £2.75. The drinks were very badly prepared and appeared to have a single measure of spirit. With a G&T the tonic was dropped in to the glass from a great height and was soon flat.- Expect a considerable amount of ice.

 

CLOTHES TO TAKE

 

Ladies - I cannot see that there is a need to spend your money on fancy ball gowns which you may hardly ever wear.This seems to be a load of Cunard hype. These were in the minority with most ladies wearing evening dresses available on the high street plus skirts and tops. (My wife wrote this)

 

Gents - dinners shirts can be expertly laundered for £2.75 and back to you the next day. Do not pay extra for the express service

 

SERVICES AND THINGS TO DO

 

The shows are good, but the sight lines are bad, get there at least a half hour before to get a good seat.

 

The Library and the Librarian are Excellent !

 

The photography is awful !! Every evening you are asked to pose in front of the most awful false backdrops I have ever seen.

 

The Heritage trail with Thomas is a must

 

 

CONCLUSION

 

We heard constant moans and groans from the regulars about standards slipping and an Officer we dined with said that the competition meant that they now had to produce a cruise at a competitive price. My advice is only go on the remaining cruises if you can get a good discount. I would imagine that anything that is not screwed down is going to be looted by the crew or passengers long before the last cruise. The bulk of staff are now all on very short term contracts so keeping up moral and service is going to test management to the full.

 

I do not think it worth paying extra for the Grills

 

Having said all this the QE2 turns heads and while a national treasure is best summed up as faded glory.

 

PS If you do this cruise next year do not bank on being able to land at Spitzbergen.

Just come back from "The Land of the Rising Sun"

 

Japan?:confused:

Hampshirelad, did you bring your observations to the attention of the responsible people on board? And report on the evaluation sheet?

 

I would like to encourage you to write a letter to Cunard about this in favour of all of us.

Carnival should know that "slipping standards" and shortages like they also have been observed on the QM2 do not go unrecognized by passengers. Passengers are not ready for ever to pay premium prices for a product that becomes less.

Just come back from "The Land of the Rising Sun" Cruise and at the risk of being shot at dawn these were my observations and tips.

I don't think you'll get shot at dawn.

QE2 is a 40 year old Ocean Liner and not a cruise ship. When she is up to speed she vibrates and lying in bed at night it creaks and rattles.

woohoo! :D

There is a shortage of deck space so if you are going somewhere warm, the sun loungers are packed in tight. If you want one of those lovely steamer chairs - get up early.

I never encountered a problem getting a chair. Maybe not in my first-choice location, but even in the Caribbean finding a chair was never a problem for me. If one must have a chair as close as possible to the pool, well, this an issue dealt with on any ship, I'm sure.

There is one forward observation area

Can get crowded up there sometimes, but not a big deal

The photography is awful !! Every evening you are asked to pose in front of the most awful false backdrops I have ever seen.

The same on most cruise ships, I believe.

Just ignore it.

Having said all this the QE2 turns heads and while a national treasure is best summed up as faded glory.

The ship may be a bit faded, but her glory is as strong as ever.

As we are heading to the real "Land of the rising sun" in a fortnights time, I'm a bit ashamed to read your comment about QE2s trip to the "midnight sun".

 

We are already booked for a similar trip in 2008 on July 31st, so I'm a bit worried. This is our first and alo last possible sailing on this most famous vessel afloat (at least to me). So I'll hope the best for the trip and to be served like to read in all the other threads in this CC-Forum.

 

Dear Peter can you help me to get a correct image of QE2s real standard?

 

Would be great to hear from you and from all the other QE2 buffs that it's still a great ship.

 

Best regards

Sorry - Land of the Midnight Sun Cruise

 

At least it peaked through the clouds now and again

QE2 is a 40 year old Ocean Liner and not a cruise ship. When she is up to speed she vibrates and lying in bed at night it creaks and rattles.

And... the problem with this would be...? Seriously, I love to fall asleep listening to her sounds. And the vibration doesn't bother me, either (yes, I've had cabins far aft).

 

The food in Caronia was fair at best. The food was sometimes overcooked and other times cold. Service was patchy and the coffee terrible. An Officer we dined with said that all the menus were now basically the same with some more staff in the Grills.

This is a shock. I cannot believe that people who spend all that money for Grills cabins would put up with a mere Caronia menu--not that there's anything wrong with Caronia food in my experience. We've always had good food on QE2, be it in M, C, or P (never made it up to Q) dining rooms. Yes, the variety increases as you go 'up' but the quality is always good.

 

Ladies - I cannot see that there is a need to spend your money on fancy ball gowns which you may hardly ever wear.This seems to be a load of Cunard hype. These were in the minority with most ladies wearing evening dresses available on the high street plus skirts and tops. (My wife wrote this)

"Ball gowns" are bulky and very few women take those. But I have generally seen very good formal wear on both men and women on QE2. This is the first time I've heard this comment about QE2--I don't consider formal dress Cunard hype.

 

Sorry - Land of the Midnight Sun Cruise

At least it peaked through the clouds now and again

 

You can't blame Cunard for the weather. We've done Midnight Sun twice. The first time it was Midnight Cloudy (no sun even peeking through for days). The second time we had Midnight SUN for several days.

 

Why do you think she won't go to Spitsbergen again?

Kathy

As we are heading to the real "Land of the rising sun" in a fortnights time, I'm a bit ashamed to read your comment about QE2s trip to the "midnight sun".

 

We are already booked for a similar trip in 2008 on July 31st, so I'm a bit worried. This is our first and alo last possible sailing on this most famous vessel afloat (at least to me). So I'll hope the best for the trip and to be served like to read in all the other threads in this CC-Forum.

 

Dear Peter can you help me to get a correct image of QE2s real standard?

 

Would be great to hear from you and from all the other QE2 buffs that it's still a great ship.

 

Best regards

 

Hi,

I returned from the "Voyage of the Vikings" trip on the 24th June, and it was the best Cruise i have been on, everything was perfect even the weather (maybe we were lucky) :D

 

The QE2 is my favourite ship and by the time she retires i will have sailed on her 15 times, she is beautiful.

 

I am on the same trip as you on the 31st of July 2008 and look foward to meeting you onboard, i will speak to you over the coming days and months

 

regards,

 

Gavin :cool:

QE2 is a 40 year old Ocean Liner and not a cruise ship. When she is up to speed she vibrates and lying in bed at night it creaks and rattles.

 

Some of us actually think the idea of sailing on an ocean liner is actually a good thing! I've been on board at 30 knots and she is as smooth as anything. What sort of speeds are you talking about?

 

There is a shortage of deck space so if you are going somewhere warm, the sun loungers are packed in tight. If you want one of those lovely steamer chairs - get up early.

 

This is a function of the ship being a liner. If you want a cruise barge then there are many alternatives.

 

There is one forward observation area

 

Whilst it would be nice for her to have a forward facing lounge it isn't (now) going to happen. Having said that there is a wonderful view from the Sun Deck, and it is a great place to hear the whistle.

 

Smokers are everywhere and there is little you can do to avoid them, as you have to pass through smoking areas to get around the ship.

 

I'm of the view that you are making a bit too much of this. Yes, the Golden Lion and the Casino are very smokey but the rest of the ship is basically okay. My wife is of the view that all smokers should be keel hauled, but she's almost always happy. We do avoid both the pub and the casino though.

 

The food in Caronia was fair at best. The food was sometimes overcooked and other times cold. Service was patchy and the coffee terrible. An Officer we dined with said that all the menus were now basically the same with some more staff in the Grills.

Well, for a starter the Queens' Grill has an entire a la carte menu that isn't available on the rest of the ship. I'm not sure how this counts as the same menu. Yes, the basics are similar, but the Galley for the Queens' Grill is separate, so the food is of a very high standard. I'm afraid your officer isn't really au fait with the range available - but then as I understand even the Captain only dines in the Queens' Grill when invited by a passenger then this is perhaps understandable. Was he a deck officer, engineering officer or hotel officer?

 

Wine prices were reasonable and drinks were about £2.25 - £2.75. The drinks were very badly prepared and appeared to have a single measure of spirit. With a G&T the tonic was dropped in to the glass from a great height and was soon flat.- Expect a considerable amount of ice.

 

Why not ask for less ice? Why not ask to pour the tonic yourself? I always do the latter, as I can make a tonic last several measure of spirit...... A whole bottle of tonic and the drink is sent back......

 

CLOTHES TO TAKE

 

Ladies - I cannot see that there is a need to spend your money on fancy ball gowns which you may hardly ever wear.This seems to be a load of Cunard hype. These were in the minority with most ladies wearing evening dresses available on the high street plus skirts and tops. (My wife wrote this)

 

Gents - dinners shirts can be expertly laundered for £2.75 and back to you the next day. Do not pay extra for the express service.

 

Very bad advice, unless you have a spare. Whilst it will very often come back the same day, there is no guarantee that it will. It isn't much extra anyway.

 

The photography is awful !! Every evening you are asked to pose in front of the most awful false backdrops I have ever seen.

 

Politely smile and say "no thanks". It's all you'll need to do.....

 

We heard constant moans and groans from the regulars about standards slipping and an Officer we dined with said that the competition meant that they now had to produce a cruise at a competitive price.

 

I'd love to know which officer this was - was he a deck, engineering or hotel officer?

 

I do not think it worth paying extra for the Grills.

 

Your review reads as a new passenger. If so, how on earth are you qualified to give this opinion? If you are not a returner, then you should say what experience of the various restaurants you have. From nine trips in the Queens' Grill I would say that you get a superb service, at least from the top grades.....

 

Having said all this the QE2 turns heads and while a national treasure is best summed up as faded glory.

 

PS If you do this cruise next year do not bank on being able to land at Spitzbergen.

 

Why? Who says?

 

I find your review very difficult to equate either to the same trip last year or my transatlantic this last January. Nor do I think that it fits with most of the regulars that I know, who still think the ship is gorgeous.

 

Matthew

The QE2 is an acquired taste. If you've been on big flashy modern ships then what you get on QE2 is very different from that. The people who sail on her tend to do so because they like that old world charm.

 

Smokers are everywhere and there is little you can do to avoid them, as you have to pass through smoking areas to get around the ship.

 

I believe this problem is found by anti-smokers almost everywhere.

 

Do not worry about booking cabins next to stairways. There are so many stairways that you do not get the usual noise and crowding around them.

 

All these stairways, particularly the ones that only go through two or three decks are one of the ship's charms:)

 

An Officer we dined with said that all the menus were now basically the same with some more staff in the Grills.

 

That's right - the are the same (with the exception of the hot appetiser that's not on the menu of the Mauretania). The Grills also offer the chance to eat "off menu" and pick from a second list of dishes or just decide what you'd like.

 

Expect a considerable amount of ice.

 

Remember she's owned by Americans now:D

 

Gents - dinners shirts can be expertly laundered for £2.75 and back to you the next day. Do not pay extra for the express service

 

I always pay for the express service on the penultimate day - that way I can have my dress shirts laundered before I get home.

 

The Heritage trail with Thomas is a must

 

This cannot be stressed too much:)

 

We heard constant moans and groans from the regulars about standards slipping and an Officer we dined with said that the competition meant that they now had to produce a cruise at a competitive price.

 

Standards have been slipping since 1992 (my first time) at least.

 

I do not think it worth paying extra for the Grills

 

Agreed. But if you also want the bigger, more luxurious, cabin then it could be worth it.

 

Having said all this the QE2 turns heads and while a national treasure is best summed up as faded glory.

 

A glory that won't be there much longer. If you've not sailed on her then fit a trip in while you've still got chance.

Standards have been slipping since 1992 (my first time) at least.

 

And the Policemen getting younger......

We heard constant moans and groans from the regulars about standards slipping and an Officer we dined with said that the competition meant that they now had to produce a cruise at a competitive price.

 

This is the key sentence I am concerned about as it comes from an officer and regulars.

The reason why I think this can be correct is my experience on one of the last cruises of the Caronia. Standards had slippled, food provided was less good etc. than in the better days. This was common observation by regulars. Inquiring officers and hotel staff about this we also got the answer of reduced budgets and the head quarter requiring several cuts in food items and service.

And if we are not blind, as much as I love the Cunard way, a lower level than the standards one would like to see on Cunard can be detected on both the QM2 and the QE2. Just see the number of reports about bad service on the QM2. Even if others had a perfect service, at least the service is uneven and the number of bad experiences too high. Or take, as a prominent example, the reported charge for caviar in the Princess Grill, unheard of before. Didn't they even withdraw the appetizer, amuse gueule or what ever they called it in the Queens' Grill? ....

Cutting here a bit, cutting there a bit, see what passenger are ready to accept.

 

Now, of course I hope it is not true and Carnival/Princess/Cunard strive to provide a high level experience and react to any reports about shortcomings by an even higher effort.

I agree with kindlychap having now taken 6 cruises on QE2, 5 of which have been inthe Queens Grill both service & cuisine have been nothing short of superb! It is now an old ship and it is unfair to compare her to modern ships but with 4 more cruises planned - all Queens Grill - before she retires I don't think her glory days are over just yet!

 

For the record I have tried QM2 & will not rush back in a hurry to cruise on, also take a P & O cruise each year now alongside my annual cruise on QE2 - my last being the 2006 Autumn Colours crossing / cruise which was my best ever cruise to date! I have also tried Celebrity cruises - but which ship do I return to most - the QE2!

 

Interestingly friends of the family who have travelled on QE2 since the early 1980's and who always book a penthouse Q2 Queens Grill suite still are onboard at least 3 times a year and whilst they admit since Carnival took over there have been cut backs one thing they cannot disagree on is the first class food & service onboard!

 

I too sincerly hope standards to not drop especially as one of my last cruises next year my parents are trying QE2 for the very first time in one of the Q2 suites! It is a concern of mine but surely if Cunard want to encourage any QE2 loyal passengers to the new Queens it is in no-one's interest to let standards drop on the last great ocean liner!?

 

Kind Regards,

 

 

RJMS74

I've now travelled on the QE2 in every class except Princess Grill (perhaps I'll get that as an upgrade on one of my 3 future voyages...). I would say that the service in the dining room and in the cabin is markedly better while travelling in Grill Class, but I have never had poor service on any of my voyages! QE2 was the first ship I ever travelled on (in 2000) and is the standard by which I judge all other ships. I've had much larger accomadations on HAL and Celebrity, but the standard of service was never quite up the Cunard standard. I'll take a faded, creaky Ocean Liner with soul than a flashy, new apartment block that floats anyday!

 

Julia

I'll take a faded, creaky Ocean Liner with soul than a flashy, new apartment block that floats anyday!

 

Julia

 

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!:D

Kathy

QE2 is a 40 year old Ocean Liner and not a cruise ship. When she is up to speed she vibrates and lying in bed at night it creaks and rattles.

 

Those creaks, rattles, rumbles and thrums are her voice, speaking to you through the night... listen carefully, she's tell you her secrets.

 

We heard constant moans and groans from the regulars about standards slipping

 

Echoes of conversations originally held on RMS Queen Elizabeth in 1937, referring specifically to how much better things were on the Mauretania. (On Mauretania, similar conversations held circa 1919 referred to the Imperator, though a few of the old-timers insisted they referred to the Great Eastern.)

 

There are times I'm afraid that if all standards were to suddenly be miraculously maintained, certain "regulars" would have no topic of conversation at all, and perforce fall silent and pensive.

Echoes of conversations originally held on RMS Queen Elizabeth in 1937, referring specifically to how much better things were on the Mauretania. (On Mauretania, similar conversations held circa 1919 referred to the Imperator

 

Oops! Chronology a bit off (even if the general point holds):

 

• In 1937 building work had only just started on the Queen Elizabeth
  
• In 1919 the Imperator joined the Cunard fleet in December - the Mauretania had been in service for 12 years by then.....

Peter

I am a newcomer to Cruise Critic but as I was on the same cruise as Hampshirelad this might be a good occasion for my debut contribution.

 

'The Land of the Midnight Sun' was my 3rd cruise on QE2, the first being 2 years ago so my experience is relatively recent. On this trip we were in the Caronia, as we had been first time around, and I think it is fair to say that the quality of food and the standard of service were very much the same high level. We certainly did not experience any overcooked or cold food - if we had done a quiet word with the waiter would have sorted the problem.

 

Nor did we experience any patchy service that we condsidered to be a real problem - over a two week cruise where potentially one could be sitting down to 30 plus meals there will always be a time or two where things do not arrive at the table quickly or there is a dealy in taking one's order. But again if this becomes a real problem then one can easily have a word with the Maitre D or one of his assistants.

 

Our table attendants worked very hard during the whole cruise and maintained the standard I had experienced on the two previous cruises.

 

We certainly did not experience 'constant moans and groans' from other passengers either. Maybe we were lucky but if we were then we have been lucky three times and hopefully will be for our two further cruises we have booked on QE2.

 

QE2 is by no means perfect and there are things I find irritating about her but the overall experience is still very enjoyable.

 

David

...Guernseyguy wrote...

 

Oops! Chronology a bit off (even if the general point holds):

• In 1937 building work had only just started on the Queen Elizabeth

 

My point exactly!! They couldn't even wait until the launch, let alone the fitting out.... oh alright, I screwed up, I probably meant Mary, it just came out Elizabeth. Don't you hate it when that happens?

 

 

In 1919 the Imperator joined the Cunard fleet in December - the Mauretania had been in service for 12 years by then.....

 

Really? I thought she was acquired by Cunard later, around 1921, and that upon acquisition she was renamed Berengaria -- so in 1919 they could have gotten all misty about Imperator... I think.

 

Ehhh, what do I know....

I love the creaks, rattles and squeaks of a real ocean liner.

Really? I thought she was acquired by Cunard later, around 1921, and that upon acquisition she was renamed Berengaria -- so in 1919 they could have gotten all misty about Imperator... I think. Ehhh, what do I know....

 

She first sailed for Cunard as the RMS Imperator on 11 December 1919. She was acquired by them in February 1921 and became the first 'Queen' liner Berengaria....sailing for the first time under her new name in April 1921. Six months later she was given a six-month refit and converted to oil. Ironically with all the discussion of how contemporary cruise ships appear top heavy Imperator/Berengaria was - she had tons of pig iron and cement added as ballast in 1913 when new, and during the 1921-22 refit - and all the heavy marble first class baths stripped out.

 

In the end the depression forced her into 'booze cruises to nowhere' earning her the epithet 'Bargainarea' but what finally did for her was her dodgy wiring - cause of an increasing number of small fires which led to the withdrawal of her US Passenger certificate. She was put up for sale but no one would buy her as the cost of re-wiring her was known, so she was scrapped.

 

More than you ever wanted to know.......

I'm intrigued as to why the call at Longyearben was cancelled.

It's very sheltered, so can't imagine it was anything to do with the weather.

I know that these things are in the lap of the gods, but I confess I would have been a bit miffed to be on such a cruise and not be able to visit Spitspergen.

 

PS People who don't like being lulled to sleep by friendly rattles and creaks should maybe stay on dry land?

 

Cheers.

 

Tim.

One must remember that when QE2 was built she was revolutionary in design, she had the most open deck space of any liner before her, her interiors broke from the traditional interiors of the old Queens, and she was built as a dual purpose ship, she can cross the Atlantic ocean with great speed and comfort, and she can go cruising. One point I would like to make clear, the QE2 is not 40, she has been in service 38 years, the fake anniverary cruise that Cunard is having, is to celebrate her launch in 1967 NOT her in service date of May 2nd, 1969!!! We should have all been suspicious of the 40th anniversary cruise as a sign of things to come(meaning that they, Cunard/Princess/Carnival were in a hurry to get rid of the ship).

 

As for the creaks and moans, anyone who is a regular on the ship loves the sounds and vibrations of the ship, I know I do, I can't sleep unless I hear the creaks, moans and feel the vibrations from the engines. I guess you would creak and moan too if you crossed the Atlantic as many times as she has.

 

We also have to remember that the reason all the stairways do not go all the way through the ship, is that she was originally designed as a three class ship, but was re-thought during construction and built as a two class ship, another quirk that I have grown to love about the ship. I also like the small SINGLE cabins on the ship, and I love to stand on the observation deck, under the bridge ,upon departure and listen to the ship's whistle, that sound always gives me a thrill, I get goose bumps everytime.

 

And as for the food, get over it, it's all the same, the exception being that in the grills, one can order off the menu anytime they want. You can get a bad meal at your favorite restaurant from time to time also.

 

Smoking, I'm not even going to go there, it is an eternal problem.

 

QE2 is a glorious ship and will remain as such for the remainder of her days as a liner, and her glory will remain in our hearts forever.

I'm intrigued as to why the call at Longyearben was cancelled.

 

Is that what happened? Did they sail up there and then not stop? Or did they not even sail that far north?

Kathy

These were in the minority with most ladies wearing evening dresses available on the high street plus skirts and tops. (My wife wrote this)

 

Of course we buy off the high street! I am sure your wife wouldn't want to cart huge ball gowns along with her. It's also well known that cruises are slightly less formal than crossings. Don't forget those high street evening dresses still aren't cheap.