Eastbound crossing review

This only happened at dinner, second sitting. We tried a couple of times to say something but it didn't sink in. We had a great time with our table companions and none of us wanted to make a fuss. (typical English!).

Breakfast in the dining room was good. We ate lunch in the pub ( great steak pudding!).

I would have spoken to the Head Waiter or even the Maitre d'. Your waiter obviously required some re-training and if the maitre d' doesn't know he can't do something about it.

And something will be done about it. One evening last September our dinner waiter and assist. waiter were dancing as fast as they could so was the team at the adjacent station but another station near them had hardly any diners in their section. These waiters just stood at their station. I've seen waiters who weren't busy come over to another station and offer to help which these two should have done.

The next day I spoke to Stanley Williams the maitre d' about it and Stanley thanked me and said obviously they had some training issues. I was told the following week that the matter had been addressed. When I spoke with Stanley I made it clear I wasn't complaining but making an observation.

Ok, so how much was the hotel night? and the transportation? You can barely get a hotel for 150 pounds let alone transportation and food. sorry, doesn't add up

The cost is per person, ie £300 for a couple (pounds not dollars) I can eat and stay in a top hotel in London for less than that. But you are missing the point, Cunard say they are offering top class travel and dining, that is what is wrong. If I wanted cheap cafe type meals I would cruise with a lesser line at a lesser cost. We choose to pay more for a top class trip and did not get that!

Maybe we should not believe the advertising But in England adverts are supposed to be truthful!

QM2 pretents to be a British ship. In fact it is a Carnival ship aimed at the US market - fake British like anything pseudo ethnic in the US.

I'd agree with that. It's an American ship/cruise line trying to be British.

The cost is per person, ie £300 for a couple (pounds not dollars) I can eat and stay in a top hotel in London for less than that. But you are missing the point, Cunard say they are offering top class travel and dining, that is what is wrong. If I wanted cheap cafe type meals I would cruise with a lesser line at a lesser cost. We choose to pay more for a top class trip and did not get that!

Maybe we should not believe the advertising But in England adverts are supposed to be truthful!

I wonder wether you can recommend a restaurant seating 1.000 diners in a session serving a better quality than QM2.

If you want more than that you will have either to produce a feasable concept for such an operation or accept to travel Grills.

And you are lucky to have experienced cafe type meals of this quality at a London restaurant.

We ate lunch in the pub ( great steak pudding!).

Well, based in this comment: How can you judge real good food if you enjoy dishes like this one?

I never ever eat in a pub. Your complaints are really so working class.

Without inside knowledge it can't be done, but I suspect the bean counters have got the meal budget down to almost prison meals levels.

 

I agree with you but wish Cunard would drop this "fine dining" thing. OK you don't starve, but neither do the inhabitants of HMP or most other countries.

 

David.

David, I do not believe that HMP serves meals at the level of BR.

Well, based in this comment: How can you judge real good food if you enjoy dishes like this one?

 

I never ever eat in a pub. Your complaints are really so working class.

Well, la-di-da.

Here's to the working class! God help us all if everyone decides not to work! Cheers, -S.

(But it is helpful to know that we won't encounter cunardaddict in the Golden Lion Pub.)

I'd agree with that. It's an American ship/cruise line trying to be British.

My experience of cruise lines is limited...please, what is a British cruise line? Is it P&O - I've read a lot about that line, but that is also owned by CCL.:confused:

Well, la-di-da.

 

Here's to the working class! God help us all if everyone decides not to work! Cheers, -S.

Salacia, your ironics detector failed.

Salacia, your ironics detector failed.

Oh darn, not again! :eek:I'm going to return the blasted thing to the manufacturer and see if I can get my money cheerfully refunded!:)

I didn't follow the pricing on your particular crossing but if it needed a lot of late price slashing it would explain the lower food budget. This is not an excuse but others have noted that food quality is affected by the average price paid on board.

I find this incredible. I cannot see Cunard, or any other business for that matter, making micro-adjustments in their product or service, based upon the level of profitability on one particular voyage or period.

To do so would surely risk their future reputation...to say the least....:confused:

I find this incredible. I cannot see Cunard, or any other business for that matter, making micro-adjustments in their product or service, based upon the level of profitability on one particular voyage or period.

To do so would surely risk their future reputation...to say the least....:confused:

It's not my speculation. A poster who manages ships for a cruise line says it's standard practice:

Food budgets vary dramatically between different cruise lines. But they can also vary dramatically within a single fleet - depending on the ship, the itinerary, and the average fare price for a voyage.

 

Most of the Carnival cruise line ships budget around US$8.50 per passenger per day, for all the food you can stuff into your pie hole in 24 hours. NCL has a similar budget.

 

RCCL is on par with Princess, at about 11.50 to 12.50 per passenger per day. Celebrity and HAL are a bit higher.

 

European cruises tend to have higher budgets, as do World Cruises and Grand Voyages on some lines.

 

But repositioning cruises attract bargain hunters who quite often pay a bit less for their cruise. On these voyages, the pricier food items are offered less often, or removed altogether.

and here:

 

The daily feeding budget for every cruise line is based on how much you pay for the cruise.

 

In the Caribbean, where the semi-professional tourists are paying $299 for a 7-day cruise, the food budget is quite low and limited.

 

In the Med, where more experienced travelers are spending $100 or $200 per day (or more)for a cruise, the cruise line can afford to purchase better quality food and more variety for them...

I can understand that a cruise line may have different food budgets for trips that generally have higher (Mediterranean) or lower (Caribbean) average fare bases. However, it seems a bit extreme that the line may adjust the food budget for a particular cruise/crossing based on the average fare price for that particular voyage.

Do we know if that level of constant food budget tweaking really takes place?

I can't see why it wouldn't. Give the executive chef a daily budget for a given cruise and make him earn his stripes.

I can understand that a cruise line may have different food budgets for trips that generally have higher (Mediterranean) or lower (Caribbean) average fare bases. However, it seems a bit extreme that the line may adjust the food budget for a particular cruise/crossing based on the average fare price for that particular voyage.

 

Do we know if that level of constant food budget tweaking really takes place?

Hi RemPuck. Just to mention that not all Caribbean have lower fare bases. For example, the Holiday voyage on QM2 is higher priced than many voyages - and yes, my experience has been that the food is better on that cruise.

In past years, the so-called Fourth of July cruise NY->Halifax<-NY was also more expensive per diem compared to many other cruises. And again, the menu was consistently better to reflect the higher premium fare.

A few years ago, we booked a QM2 Caribbean cruise well in advance, which sold out fairly quickly. The cruise immediately following did not sell out - and closer to sail date, the rates were less than half of what we paid for the previous cruise. So we booked the second cruise for a back to back, 22 days in total. There was quite a difference in the food served on the second (bargain) cruise. To me, it was quite obvious that adjustments had been made to the food budget.

Based on my personal experience, I agree with previous posters who made the observation that the menu/food is adjusted according to revenue from fares. Makes sense, doesn't it? -Although it is unfortunate when we pay full fare and find the food is not what we expected. Perhaps that is the attraction to added cost dining venues? One way or another, the cruise line will find a way to maintain profits (and gigantic salaries for the head Honchos).

On the plus side, I've always lost weight on a cruise - the food isn't as good as what we eat at home, but then again, we aren't preparing food for thousands! :)

Cheers,

Salacia

So it is true then...:(

Oh well...live and learn....:rolleyes:

Oh darn, not again! :eek:I'm going to return the blasted thing to the manufacturer and see if I can get my money cheerfully refunded!:)

Refunds are only granted when function was dead on delivery:D

- the food isn't as good as what we eat at home, but then again, we aren't preparing food for thousands! :)

 

Cheers,

Salacia

So very true, but how do you explain the many "food was excellent" reports we get here?

David

So very true, but how do you explain the many "food was excellent" reports we get here?

 

David

Home cooking isn't always on the best level. So this classifications may be based on a very individual rating scale.

Well, based in this comment: How can you judge real good food if you enjoy dishes like this one?

 

I never ever eat in a pub. Your complaints are really so working class.

We have very good pubs in England, one local one with a Michelin star. We eat there on a regular basis and enjoy the food very much. We also eat at restaurants at the top end of the scale when travelling.

I feel sorry for you if you think that the best food can only be found in expensive restaurants.

Your last comment about me being "working class" is possibly a very good reason to avoid Cunard, snobbery is alive and well.

We have very good pubs in England, one local one with a Michelin star. We eat there on a regular basis and enjoy the food very much. We also eat at restaurants at the top end of the scale when travelling.

 

I feel sorry for you if you think that the best food can only be found in expensive restaurants.

 

Your last comment about me being "working class" is possibly a very good reason to avoid Cunard, snobbery is alive and well.

I've not eaten in the Golden Lion Pub either, but only because I've not been in the mood for the fare offered there.

As for "working class", well, Cunard does sell me PG tickets. I guess one's US dollars are just as green whether one earns them or inherits them.

Those of us who love to sail on QM2 are disappointed to find that a first timer's experience was far below advertised expectations. And quite frankly we're disappointed as well and complain if the experience isn't as advertised.

For you neither the ship nor its passengers were worth what you spent. So farewell, and I hope you enjoy your next Celebrity voyage.

We have very good pubs in England, one local one with a Michelin star. We eat there on a regular basis and enjoy the food very much. We also eat at restaurants at the top end of the scale when travelling.

 

I feel sorry for you if you think that the best food can only be found in expensive restaurants.

 

Your last comment about me being "working class" is possibly a very good reason to avoid Cunard, snobbery is alive and well.

Most pubs resemble midieval standards of hygiene and food quality, as well as the behaviour of the staff and guests. I do prefer to have a higher standard. My thing, not yours.

The working class remark was just ironically. I have to work too.