Odds and Ends - Notes on crossing #1

(although it was our 4th crossing)

Some observations on the Eastbound crossing on May 15-22. We're staying aboard to Bruges/Zeebrugge and returning on the 24th.

• The bell is back in the Grand Lobby. Reports were that it was relocated during the refit.
  
• We used the seamstress service for the first time. As they would say in the UK, "brilliant." She was wonderful and the pricing was more than fair.
  
• They are selling a limited edition (1000) of teak coasters made from the replaced teak decking. They're beautiful, if a bit pricey ($75 for 4 coasters in a teak caddy)
  
• We did the Behind the Scenes Tour. Highly recommended. Last year, I arrived to the queue at the Tour Desk the first morning a half-hour early at 8:30 and was far back in the waitlist. This time, I arrived at 7:30 and was #2. (#1 arrived at 7 AM). The last who got in probably arrived around 8:00-8:15.
  
• The refit of the staterooms was a mixed bag, for my tastes
  
  • Pros - big new flatscreen TV, nice new art on the walls and padded headboard.
    
  • Cons - new closet and drawer handles are ugly (to my eye) and uncomfortable to use and, like many hotels these days, they went overboard with decorative pillows and shams. Our little couch was usually filled with piles of pillows
    

  [*]The flowers aboard are pollen bombs. My allergies went crazy - LOTS of lillies.

  [*]The current master is Captain Christopher Wells. What an amusing man! The Cunard World Club reception, which is normally a snoozefest, was delightful, due to the most amusing speech at these affairs I've ever heard.

  [*]Homer has been rubbed so often, his dark accents are gone and he's harder to find on the decorative panel.

Mostly, we were overjoyed to return to the magnificent QM2. It felt like returning home (albeit to a newly re-polished one)

Thanks for your report, enjoy your short trip to Zeebrugge.

Are you saying you were #2 on the wait list or #2 on the tour?

I read it as #2 on the tour.

I read it as #2 on the tour.

Yes, I was #2 on the tour. (Shades of "The Prisoner" for old TV fans)

Other stuff on the refit

• Love the new LED "stars" on the planetarium dome when the room is being used for lectures.
  
• Don't love that the many of the reclining chairs in the room are re-broken
  
• The Carinthia Lounge is beautiful, but I'd rate the light lunch as a near-miss (or perhaps thiiiis close to success). On both of our visits, there were perhaps 2 items that appealed by description and appearance, but one of them was not good. They really could use a printed menu du jour at the tables.
  STILL - given what it replaced, it's a HUGE improvement.
  
• We won't be repeating The Veranda. It was good, but there were some minor issues and fundamentally, it just doesn't seem to be worth the $50 surcharge.
  

-Mark

Yes, I was #2 on the tour. (Shades of "The Prisoner" for old TV fans)

 

Other stuff on the refit

• Love the new LED "stars" on the planetarium dome when the room is being used for lectures.
  
• Don't love that the many of the reclining chairs in the room are re-broken
  
• The Carinthia Lounge is beautiful, but I'd rate the light lunch as a near-miss (or perhaps thiiiis close to success). On both of our visits, there were perhaps 2 items that appealed by description and appearance, but one of them was not good. They really could use a printed menu du jour at the tables.
  STILL - given what it replaced, it's a HUGE improvement.
  
• We won't be repeating The Veranda. It was good, but there were some minor issues and fundamentally, it just doesn't seem to be worth the $50 surcharge.
  

 

-Mark

I was on the same voyage. I tried signing up for the behind-the-scenes tour at 10 a.m. on the first full day. I was put on the waiting list. I was ready to give up hope but a magic letter arrived on Thursday informing me that a second tour would be held on Saturday afternoon. Yay. A total of 17 (!) attendees participated in that second tour.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

(although it was our 4th crossing)

Some observations on the Eastbound crossing on May 15-22. We're staying aboard to Bruges/Zeebrugge and returning on the 24th.

 

• The bell is back in the Grand Lobby. Reports were that it was relocated during the refit.
  
• We used the seamstress service for the first time. As they would say in the UK, "brilliant." She was wonderful and the pricing was more than fair.
  
• They are selling a limited edition (1000) of teak coasters made from the replaced teak decking. They're beautiful, if a bit pricey ($75 for 4 coasters in a teak caddy)
  
• We did the Behind the Scenes Tour. Highly recommended. Last year, I arrived to the queue at the Tour Desk the first morning a half-hour early at 8:30 and was far back in the waitlist. This time, I arrived at 7:30 and was #2. (#1 arrived at 7 AM). The last who got in probably arrived around 8:00-8:15.
  
• The refit of the staterooms was a mixed bag, for my tastes
  
  • Pros - big new flatscreen TV, nice new art on the walls and padded headboard.
    
  • Cons - new closet and drawer handles are ugly (to my eye) and uncomfortable to use and, like many hotels these days, they went overboard with decorative pillows and shams. Our little couch was usually filled with piles of pillows
    

  [*]The flowers aboard are pollen bombs. My allergies went crazy - LOTS of lillies.

  [*]The current master is Captain Christopher Wells. What an amusing man! The Cunard World Club reception, which is normally a snoozefest, was delightful, due to the most amusing speech at these affairs I've ever heard.

  [*]Homer has been rubbed so often, his dark accents are gone and he's harder to find on the decorative panel.

Mostly, we were overjoyed to return to the magnificent QM2. It felt like returning home (albeit to a newly re-polished one)

Thanks for the update! So glad to hear the bell found its way home!! I missed it in January.

Agree about the knobs on the stateroom drawers...they are awful on the hands!!

Funny you mentioned the lilies as the scent of them overpowered the whole lobby this past January. I happen to love lilies but they really are pollen machines!! I suppose many ships use them because they last quite a long time compared to other flowers whilst still giving a regal look.

Enjoy the rest of your voyage!! One day I hope to cross to Europe and back; just need to find the time!

What is the charge for the behind the scenes tour?

What is the charge for the behind the scenes tour?

$120. Takes about 4 hours.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

Hi Mark,

We were on the May 10 - 17th westbound crossing with you last year. Has the Kings Court improved both its appearance and its food any? A poster on another thread described it as a "large, cheap cafeteria", with which I firmly concur. We were not impressed with the food, even in the Princess Grille, and we had only one lunch in the Kings Court. That was enough. Subjective, admittedly, but still disappointing.

$120. Takes about 4 hours.

 

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

And worth every penny if you're curious to know how stuff works.

Hi Mark,

 

We were on the May 10 - 17th westbound crossing with you last year. Has the Kings Court improved both its appearance and its food any? A poster on another thread described it as a "large, cheap cafeteria", with which I firmly concur. We were not impressed with the food, even in the Princess Grille, and we had only one lunch in the Kings Court. That was enough. Subjective, admittedly, but still disappointing.

We were very happy with PG food in December. Service was wonderful!

The re-do of KS was disappointing. As I posted on the other thread, KC looks much better now. But I think the food and service were better before. At lunch there were a few pre-made sandwiches in one area, but in the main area, no cold cuts or all the nice cheeses they once put out, so you can't get or make the sandwich of your choice. Or have a plate of cheese and crackers. Salad offerings were pathetic. (OK, I'm spoiled by the salad station on HAL, but Cunard can't even get close)

At breakfast, just try to get a fried or poached egg--I found that those trays were usually empty. They do have scrambled eggs (tasted like powdered) on a warming dish. But they do very small batches of poached and fried eggs. If you want a benedict, you have to get your English muffin, get a poached egg, and ladle on your own Hollandaise from a pot where it's kept warm. They undercook the fried eggs, then put the plate of them under the top-browner to finish them, and still they're disgustingly undercoooked when they put the plate out. Supposedly there are omelets made to order, but when I asked a man standing behind empty frying pans, he directed me to the spot where the fried and poached eggs are (if they are), where there's the pre-made omelet of the day to pick up. And we did NOT go at peak times!

I asked about the cheeses at lunch and got a downright nasty reply from a "suit." I asked for lemon around teatime, and got a snotty, "Of COURSE we have lemon!" from a waiter. And then he walked me around to three places (yes, I had already searched) and didn't find any. So he had to ask someone who sent him to the wrong fridge. Then he tried another fridge and yes, they did have lemon!

Oh, and as for the cheap cafeteria, now the toasting machines are set out at breakfast. You put in your choice of bread and wait for the toast to come out. So goodbye cafeteria, hello Holiday Inn Express.

There are links in the welcome sticky to photographs after the refit, including a before and after set. It should help you decide whether you think the appearance has improved.

Hi Mark,

 

We were on the May 10 - 17th westbound crossing with you last year. Has the Kings Court improved both its appearance and its food any? A poster on another thread described it as a "large, cheap cafeteria", with which I firmly concur. We were not impressed with the food, even in the Princess Grille, and we had only one lunch in the Kings Court. That was enough. Subjective, admittedly, but still disappointing.

I think its improvement was basically in layout, not in offerings. However, since we generally avoid buffets, including King's Court, and we never ate lunch there, I really can't comment on the food.

One thing I CAN say, is to avoid it just before disembarkation. This morning, the Britannia Restaurant had very early hours, so we wound up in KC. Seemingly every passenger onboard was there. And since it's a gathering point, most had rollaboard luggage (that segment was a 2 day RT jaunt to Bruges from Southampton). Sheer chaos!

After reading the posts on the quality of some of the food, I think I will stick with HAL, at least for the long voyages or unless we can afford the PG. The Kings Court sounds awful.

There is no need to use Kings Court if you don't want to, there are plenty of other options.

We don't usually eat there because I'm not a fan of buffets but the rare occasions we have the food hasn't been awful by any stretch of the imagination. Rare roast beef is a favourite on embarkation day.

After reading the posts on the quality of some of the food, I think I will stick with HAL, at least for the long voyages or unless we can afford the PG. The Kings Court sounds awful.

I feel I need to speak up in defence of Kings Court. Maybe it's me, but I don't think it is as bad as people say. It's a very rare day when we haven't found something to eat. However, I would point out that we've only had lunch or a snack, the very occasional breakfast and never dinner. Food was okay and finding somewhere to sit has never proved to be a problem. Lack of trays is just plain stupid but we cope. Crew were always on hand to help people with their plates. One lunchtime we were sat within stretching point of the drinks machines. DD wanted a cold drink and a waiter overheard her and immediately went and fetched it despite her saying she would do it.

I feel I need to speak up in defence of Kings Court. Maybe it's me, but I don't think it is as bad as people say. It's a very rare day when we haven't found something to eat. However, I would point out that we've only had lunch or a snack, the very occasional breakfast and never dinner. Food was okay and finding somewhere to sit has never proved to be a problem. Lack of trays is just plain stupid but we cope. Crew were always on hand to help people with their plates. One lunchtime we were sat within stretching point of the drinks machines. DD wanted a cold drink and a waiter overheard her and immediately went and fetched it despite her saying she would do it.

"Okay" is just the word I would use to describe the food in Kings Court. It's not distinguished by any means, but then buffets rarely are. We've learned to avoid it for breakfast when it's far too frantic, and we've never considered going there for dinner. But we've usually found it perfectly adequate for lunch, especially when we don't want to linger over our meal or when the menu in Britannia doesn't interest us.

Sent from my iPod touch using Forums mobile app

Although, as I said, we're not buffet fans (especially my husband) - when we've infrequently caught lunch there, it was fine. Much better than some experiences in food offerings (NCL) and hours/attitude of certain other lines (looking at you, Celebrity). Based upon very limited experiences, I'd rate it as somewhat below HAL, Princess, and Crystal. But not "horrible." What WAS problematic (and still IS to an extent) was the layout - much of which is dictated by the necessary structural design of the ship.

If you don't want to go to King's Court, the pub lunch in the Golden Lion Pub is excellent, the Restaurant's available, and since the refit, the Carinthia Lounge offers a selection of lighter fare.

- Mark

We were on Deck 8bover Christmas and so KC was a convenient step away for when we didn't feel like taking the time for a breakfast on Britannia. No complaints from here. Convenient omelets and eggs fried to order in addition to the daily steam table offerings.

I did tow journeys on the QM2 after the refit and yes the KC looks much better. That said I was hardly impressed with the food. In my opinion it had gone down. Too many stews and I thought the desserts were boring and some stale. I also did not like that it you wanted pancakes they were available all by themselves in the far aft section of the KC. If you wanted pancakes, bacon and sausage that involved a visit to the main section of KC and the a five minute walk to the aft section to get the pancakes. Now by the aft section I mean the area just opposite the Princess Grill. In the evening there was barely anything to eat. Hate to say a few nights when I was feeling a bit peckish there was nothing. Truth be told I am a fussy eater but I didn't have that problem before on previous QM2 trips. I did hear a lot of people say the KC food had vastly improved so this is just my experience. On the positive side I thought the food in the MDR had vastly improved. Had some really excellent meals.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

If you don't want to go to King's Court, the pub lunch in the Golden Lion Pub is excellent, the Restaurant's available, and since the refit, the Carinthia Lounge offers a selection of lighter fare.

 

- Mark

Is the Carinthia Lounge a fee restaurant?

Is the Carinthia Lounge a fee restaurant?

The food is available at no charge. They usually offered some very nice pastries [better than in KC, IMO] along with light savory options [bBQ Chicken flatbread, a salad, light sandwich etc].

They specialize in ports/Madeiras/sherries for their drinks and those obviously are extra cost but there is no pressure to order if you choose not too. They do have a decent selection though so we did order a few times whilst listening to the stringed quartet.

The food is available at no charge. They usually offered some very nice pastries [better than in KC, IMO] along with light savory options [bBQ Chicken flatbread, a salad, light sandwich etc].

 

They specialize in ports/Madeiras/sherries for their drinks and those obviously are extra cost but there is no pressure to order if you choose not too. They do have a decent selection though so we did order a few times whilst listening to the stringed quartet.

That sounds like a very good alternative to the KC. Thanks for the info.

Mark, a delicate topic, but during your crossing, did you hear any reports of a missing passenger (man or woman overboard?) - S.

Mark, a delicate topic, but during your crossing, did you hear any reports of a missing passenger (man or woman overboard?) - S.

No reports at all, nor any course deviations.