QE2 - My First Encounter with the Icon

I just returned home this weekend from my first ever trip to Europe (from Canada) which included a 5 day cruise on the Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2). This was my first sailing on the iconic vessel and my second cruise with Cunard having done the QM2 last year in the Caribbean. I'd thought I'd pass on my thoughts before my memory fades.

First Impressions of The Ship

What can I say other than I now understand why she is regarded as an icon and is much beloved by Cunarders. Sure, she is 40 years old and the many coats of paint and the battered teak deck tells one that she has probably been around the block more times than we care to remember. However, this adds to the ship's charm. The reality to me is that this ship is very well maintained and Cunard has put as much love in retaining her as those who frequently sail on her. I challenge those who say she is old and weathered and lacking of the maintenance of today's more modern ships.

It was love at first sight as I looked out my Southampton hotel room early in the morning and saw the QE2 pull into the harbour and dock at the terminal. Standing closer to her at the terminal, I only wanted to be on her more as I was amazed at how wonderful she looked.

Embarkation

The embarkation at the Queen Elizabeth 2 Terminal had to be the fastest and easiest check-in I ever encountered on a cruise. Quite simply, my partner and I arrived just after 12 noon in advance of the so-called "suggested" staggered time in the ticket package. We flew right through check-in and hung around inside the terminal for less than an hour before they started boarding the ship. We were the 4th group called on board.

More amazing than zipping onboard was the fact our luggage was already in our room waiting for us. That is a first for us.

Our Stateroom

We spent the extra and booked a C1 cabin - the top of the Caronia category of accomodations and a former first class cabin from the days of the class system from what I have been told. Sure, the furniture is a bit outdated as well as the decor and there were scratches here and there. Still, the room was immaculate and I was amazed at the large amount of drawer space and our walk-in closet which I joked about being able to host another set of passengers to sleep in. Putting all our clothes away has been an issue in the past in previous ships but I can happily annouce we had an entire wall of drawers left empty.

I was apprehensive before boarding about having portholes instead of windows. However, I am happy to annouce that I actually loved our portholes (our cabin had 2) which only added to the nautical charm of our much-beloved cabin.

The bathroom - which I believe was renovated at some previous overhaul - was just the best I ever had on a ship. It was a fair size and I loved the art deco wash basin and large mirror. We are shower people so the tub itself was not a necessity but the bathtub was definitely of a fair size.

Fellow CC'ers & Passenger Mix

Our roll call was small but it was fun finally getting to interact in person with the people I've been postine online with for months.

I ran into Annette and her family in the terminal even before boarding and I knew it just had to be her from the avatar. Fortunately, her husband called her as she was passing by so I took that as my opportunity to introduce myself to her.

Besides Annette, I want to thank David and his wife Ruth, Tom and his travelling companions Don and Keith, and Nia and her mother for showing up for the get-together at the crystal bar. Tom and his friends remained our dining companions in the restaurant for the whole voyage and we continued to see David, Ruth and Annette throughout the trip at various points.

The passenger count was mainly British as was expected but that is of no real importance. There were children onboard as this was the August Bank Holiday in Britain after all. However, the Cunard children were the best behaved I have ever seen and I can only recall one obnoxious and unreasonable passenger who was on one of the shore excursions. Everyone - in a variety of accomodations - seem to have boarded with realistic expectations and understood just what this ship was all about and what they were about to get for their money. This was the passenger mix I would definitely love to sail with again.

Getting a bit long so will break this into a second post. Stay tuned for my thoughts on the service, the amenities and shore excursions.

David

Most enjoyable review: looking forward to the next instalment. It is most strange how nearly all Cunard children are impeccably behaved - or perhaps not.:)

First Impressions of The Ship

What can I say other than I now understand why she is regarded as an icon and is much beloved by Cunarders. Sure, she is 40 years old and the many coats of paint and the battered teak deck tells one that she has probably been around the block more times than we care to remember. However, this adds to the ship's charm. The reality to me is that this ship is very well maintained and Cunard has put as much love in retaining her as those who frequently sail on her. I challenge those who say she is old and weathered and lacking of the maintenance of today's more modern ships.

 

It was love at first sight as I looked out my Southampton hotel room early in the morning and saw the QE2 pull into the harbour and dock at the terminal.

I'm so glad you enjoyed your cruise!!!

I know exactly how you feel! Our second TA was probably our fourth or fifth time on QE2, and we were in Soton early and spent the day there. We had lunch outdoors at a pub and chose a table looking down the Solent. I saw a little smoke, then a speck of red, and I knew who it was! It is a thrill to watch her pull in. My heart beats faster just thinking about it. She's the real deal, no mistaking that swooping bow!

The passenger count was mainly British as was expected but that is of no real importance. There were children onboard as this was the August Bank Holiday in Britain after all. However, the Cunard children were the best behaved I have ever seen

Yes, I've noticed that, too. Must be the influence of the proper English nannies.

This was the passenger mix I would definitely love to sail with again.

Cunard attracts an interesting group of people, and that's part of the fun of sailing on QE2.

Kathy

My continuing thoughts on my first QE2 trip.

Service Onboard

This is definitely where the ship still shines. Don't get me wrong - I enjoyed the QM2 for what she is and had great service on that ship. However, I must admit that the much-talked about outstanding service on the QE2 was self-evident on this cruise and I will definitely admit to this as to what makes the QE2 stand out from her sister and the rest of the cruise industry.

We noticed that the majority of the service personnel are older than on the QM2 on average and thus the years of experience the crew has generally adds to the quality.

Our Caronia Restaurant staff was outstanding and I was ready to kidnap Anil and Ansolette and take them home with me. :D

Of course there is no such thing as perfection but we found a mainly superior package of service in the different bars and shops visited during the voyage.

Decor and Amenities

What can one say? If you are looking for ice skating rinks and rock climbing you are going to be sorely disappointed. If you are looking for a party atmosphere you will also be disappointed. Fortunately, there are cruise lines that cater to that. If you seek a traditional classier approach to travel then Cunard is well worth looking into.

The decor is not overtly modern and I must admit that the QM2 will definitely appeal to those seeking the look of something modern. However, that doesn't mean no one has touched the QE2 since 1969. In fact, I found no wear and tear on any seats or carpeting in any of the public areas.

The public spaces are odd and the traffic flow doesn't always make sense in light of today's class-free ships. This was the only ship where after day one I still had trouble trying to figure how to manoeuver around. It was obvious that the flow of corridors and stairwells are the remnants of the earlier days when there was still a class system on board. The QM2 on the other hand was much more user friendly in terms of traffic flow - with the exception of that odd King's Court.

Sadly the stage and theatre space lacks the grandeur and sophistication of the new theatres on board the ships of today but if you can live with the fact that this is still a ship from the 1960's then you learn to put up with it.

I preferred the Queen's Room on the QM2 as being more grand but this room on the QE2 as well as the Midship's Lobby are the closest thing you will have today to hark back to the era when the QE2 was considered a space-age ocean liner. You will think that Stanley Kubrick could have easily filmed 2001 there.

Shore Excursions

We booked Cunard shore excurisions for each of our three stops. One was cancelled.

We loved our short intro to Bilbao, Spain and wished we had just a little bit of time to stay behind and explore more. We did the excursion to the Guggenheim museum which we felt was better than the one in New York City. However, modern art is not to everyone's taste and even I question some things that people call art. Still we had a great time and would have no problem going back to Bilbao in the future. Our tour host was also wonderful and she and I had a great conversation towards the end about Canada and Spain.

Our excursion in La Rochelle, France was cancelled so we ended up spending the day in town on our own. First, let me say the town is quaint and quite picturesque. A lovely place to walk through and shop but there really isn't much more beyond the surface as far as we were able to tell.

Unfortunately, we encountered some rude service at lunch which brought back all the stereotypes of the typically rude French which put us into a bad frame of mind and made us rethink about a future trip to Paris. Thankfully, we have the luxury of time to put things back into perspective as we should allow the waiter and fellow patrons of one restaurant be the roll model for all of France.

Our last excursion was to St. Peter Port on Guernsey. This was the iffiest of our stops as history has shown that about 50% of scheduled tenders to this island get cancelled due to wind and wave conditions. Fortunately, it was all a go on the day we arrived. We did the German Military Occupation tour and we had a good time. St. Peter Port is a lovely litte town and its definitely a place that would make a great weekend escape should we ever return to the UK in the future.

Disembarkation

Again, this was on schedule and fast. No problems with customs or transferring back to the airport. The only sad thing being that our cruise came to an end.

The Future

I am happy to say I fell in love with a Queen - her name being Elizabeth 2. Sadly this first encounter came on the heels of the announcement she is being sold. Of which I understand - the ship is 40 years plus and can't possibly last forever.

However, I am also more excited that I did the right thing and booked the final westbound transatlantic to America in OCtober 2008 when it first went on sale. I am not only happy to announce I will be back onboard my new love one more time but that it really does have to be the QE2 to do the transatlantic. I am happy that Cunard has the QM2 but she'll just have to wait until I formally say goodbye to Elizabeth.

David

BRAVO David....wonderful review. Aren't new "Affairs" just the grandest things? So happy yours will continue one more time, just as I await the rekindling of mine on QM2. Really delighted, my friend, that this was all you and Richard hoped for and more.

Thanks for sharing with us all...

Cheers, Penny

Penny’s Affair to Remember QM2 Review

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=471053

November 10,2007...the “Affair” continues....

I

It was love at first sight as I looked out my Southampton hotel room early in the morning and saw the QE2 pull into the harbour and dock at the terminal. Standing closer to her at the terminal, I only wanted to be on her more as I was amazed at how wonderful she looked.

I had the same reaction when I first saw QE2 as well in Fort Lauderdale. Her classic funnel standing tall and dominate above the skyline as we approached the terminal by coach. I actually got a glimpse of her from the air as well approached the airport, flying almost directly overhead the ship. She stood out in a sea of cruise ships in port that day. A HAL ship was docked adjacent to her, and although it was probably the nicest cruise ship in port, it could not compare to the classic lines of QE2, the prominent bow standing proud, waiting to take on whatever the sea could muster. I walked around and took all the pictures I could. Sure you could see the layers of paint in spots, but she stood there in the FL sun, ablaze in the classic Cunard colors. SHe was in excellent shape for being over 30 years old and the constant attention showed. Carnival had recently purchased her and had announced the builting of QM2 shortly before we took our 5 day sampler cruise. It was sheer torture waiting in the terminal for our number to be called for us to board.

Walking onboard, I immediately felt like I had come home to an old friend and the ship was everthing I had envisioned it to be. I was in heaven. I can't wait to go onboard for a final time, which will be bittersweet, in January, when I make my first crossing.

Great review and I feel exactly the same about her as you do.

We will meet in 2008 on her last Transatlantic! Really look forward to that trip now!

Excellent report there David, thanks for saving me the bother :D

You are right about Cunard children being well-behaved. On previous cruises I don't remember seeing many at all, however, I knew there should have been about 160 or so on our last cruise! There appeared to be more families on this time for some reason, couldn't just have been the time of year, since we were on the same cruise during school holidays last year too.

I think something may have been going on during the first evening though, as I received a letter under my door reminding us that parents are responsible for their children, that they should be dressed appropriately, etc. Since Kevin did not receive one of these letters under his door, I can only assume it was because I had the 'child' in my cabin.

Thank you for a wonderful review David. We too have been on QM2, followed by the cruise before yours on QE2, and echo your sentiments completely. And you've had the good sense to book another.......

Mary

I was just thinking about you yesterday, David, wondering when you'd be back. Thank you for your review and sharing your wonderful experience.

We just got off our first QM2 trip last week. It was mighty fine, and we can't wait to travel on QE2 next March/April.

Great review, thank you so much for posting!

Thanks for the review. Makes me even more excited for Saturday when we rekindle our affair. It will be six years to the day on Sunday since we last embarked the QE2.

If you thought waiters in La Rochelle were rude, DO NOT go to Paris. Beautiful city, but the people! Never have I encountered such rudeness! Try further south, somewhere in the Laungedoc Region. Lovely!

Nice Review David...

If only they could sell the Queen Victoria to Dubai and keep QE2 sailing...

The ship truly is amazing....

Glad to see you made it back...

All for now, Tom

Thank you David, for an excellent review. I'm so pleased that you enjoyed your time on the QE2 and that you have another voyage to anticipate. Thanks for taking the time to describe your cruise in so much detail. Welcome home.

Beth

Excellent comments - exactly my first reaction in 2003 for my first TA - I will be back on board Sept 15 for the 40th Ann. and cannot wait to have that "I'm back" feeling. I have been on the QM2 twice, and although it is a wonderful ship, there is something about QE2.

Thanks everyone for your comments. I thought I'd post a picture of what I was able to see from my hotel room in Southampton. This is the QE2 docking that very first morning.

David

WOw David...what a great wake-up call!! Now that must have gotten you up and going fast!! Lovely picture...

Cheers, Penny

Penny’s Affair to Remember QM2 Review

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=471053

November 10,2007...the “Affair” continues....

WOw David...what a great wake-up call!! Now that must have gotten you up and going fast!! Lovely picture...

Yes, and I was on it. About to get off. To make way for David:(.

I thought I'd post a picture of what I was able to see from my hotel room in Southampton.

What a shot:) We only stayed in Southampton on our very first trip and that was at the Hilton - far too far inland for a view like that. I'm sorely tempted to go and stay there again to enjoy that view:)

Thanks everyone for your comments. I thought I'd post a picture of what I was able to see from my hotel room in Southampton. This is the QE2 docking that very first morning.

 

David

Wow! That must have been so exciting seeing her come in like that, and knowing that in just a few hours you'd be getting on!

Great review, and lovely view... Thank you for both! Would you share the hotel's name?

Wow! That must have been so exciting seeing her come in like that, and knowing that in just a few hours you'd be getting on!

It's a great feeling to see her coming in to pick you up.

Our second QE2 voyage was an oddly scheduled June transcanal leaving from San Diego at midnight. So that afternoon, with nothing to do, we went up to a park that overlooked the city. Can't remember the name now. When we got there, we saw people lined up in lawn chairs. Many of the people had cameras with long lenses or binocculars. I wondered what was going on. They were there to see QE2 sail in. It was only the second time she'd ever been to San Diego, so she was met with fireboats and the whole fanfare.

It was great to stand there listening to the oohs and ahs, thinking I'm getting on and the rest of you are just looking!

Kathy

Hi David, wonderful review :) any photos to share?

Sadly, I will never sail on this Queen so I am living vicariously through the reviews.

Where abouts in Canada are you from... not Brampton? (guessing at your Bramcruiser name)

It's So that afternoon, with nothing to do, we went up to a park that overlooked the city. Can't remember the name now. When we got there, we saw people lined up in lawn chairs. Many of the people had cameras with long lenses or binocculars. I wondered what was going on. They were there to see QE2 sail in.

We were joining the QE2 in Istanbul in 1995. She was making an overnight stay there before we joined her. We'd flown out early to see Istanbul before we sailed and were at the Topkapi Palace when she arrived. The crowds were phenomenal and the feeling of relief that "home" was here was astonishing:)

 

It was great to stand there listening to the oohs and ahs, thinking I'm getting on and the rest of you are just looking!

Kathy

How ever did you control yourself from doing that funny face with your thumb on your nose (know the sign I mean?) :D