melb1988

Thank you Melb1988 for the detailed review, and for others who also posted. We are doing a TA on the QM2 in May, and so recent info is useful. (As is knowing I'd best bring those kitten heels to navigate the hallways on formal nights.)

 

You can enjoy an overall experience without turning a blind eye to reality. I find the post quite fair and even-handed...with constructive and "actionable" observations. Hopefully Cunard cares enough to monitor resources like CC...though I'll not hold my breath in that regard! ;)

I can assure you that you will have an enjoyable trip on her regardless of what I have pointed out as we still had a great time onboard and were sad to leave!

Melb1988, I've read your review with interest and I believe that the QM2 is in need of a lot of love, care and due attention which hopefully she will get when she is in dry dock. In the meantime we are prepared to accept her faults and are only to happy to sail on her (well, I know I am :D) whenever we get the chance.

 

Our last crossing was in December 2014 and we were upgraded from an inside cabin to a balcony with obstructed view on deck 8 (another source of moans from some people). We were thrilled with the cabin as it meant we could open the door and get fresh air and we could actually see the sea; however, just in front of the door was a slight depression (not as bad as some of the potholes we've encountered) but we didn't care.

 

With regards to the crew. We found them all charming and only too happy to help. Our dining table steward (Britannia) was always very attentive and if we had a problem with the food he would simply whisk it away and return with whatever we wanted, no questions asked.

 

Kings Court also seems to bring out the worst in people when they write reviews. I actually don't mind it, perhaps I'm easily pleased. DH and I have learned not to take the first thing you see but to walk round the whole of the KC before making your choice. We had lunch there most days and I honestly can say we never had a bad meal. The Golden Lion is wonderful, if you can get a seat!! The one grumble I would have here is that people seem to just sit there for ages without either food or drink so it is difficult to find a table. No easy solution to that one.

 

Perhaps next time you write a review you should put on a tin hat before you post it. I did, what I thought was an honest review for our trip on P&O's Oriana and I was 'flamed' by people who are not willing to accept that not everything is perfect, even when it stares them in the face.

Glad to hear you enjoyed your trip onboard! As did we!

We also felt that many people just sit in the golden lion during lunch hours (and not actually order any food) which does make it difficult to get a seat, but when we managed we really enjoyed the food!

I can't understand why certain people feel the need to 'flame' people for posting their review.. Apart from being childish and rude of them, isn't the purpose of this site to provide informative reviews of all things relating to cruise ships!? Oh well, for every one 'troll' I like to think there's plenty of other people who are glad that they have such reviews available to them. I know I am! I come to this sight to research different ships all the time :)

brigittetom, I have to agree with you - I didn't report my 'tripping' either. If Old Him hadn't be there to steady me, I would have gone down like a sack of potatoes dressed in a formal gown (how's that for a mixed metaphor?).

 

After that event, I never again wore heels more that 2 1/2 inches while on board: it might not be pretty, but then neither is a broken ankle. Good luck to those who wear 4 inch heels while on board.

 

Oh and just to mention, think about navigating those pot holes in four inch heels while the ship is experiencing severe weather:eek:

Better safe than sorry! :o

I'm starting to think that perhaps no one has reported their fall as to not 'cause a fuss' the crew are probably un aware of them although I would imagine many of them have taken the same tumble..

Hope the captain doesn't wear heels :D

Axelskater, trust me on this. Soft spots are not a problem.....in the lower hallways, there are a few areas where "sinkholes" describes it better. A high heel wrong step can result in disaster which it almost did for me. I have never actually seen anyone fall either but i didn't report mine and I'm guessing it's only a matter of time. The old saying......it didn't happen to me so it's not my problem. :)

One of the major problems is that because they are underneath the carpet, they are a complete suprise when you step in one! There's no warning or anything to indicate them... Lucky for people like us on these forums who are actually willing to admit to them! Much to some peoples disbelief or refusal to believe that unfortunately there are some faults with the QM2 currently :o

I'm certain you are not the only one who has had a stumble! I can't imagine someone with a walking stick or a frame doing much better if they came across one!

Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts! It was great read and I appreciate your honesty!

Although you had a few negatives, the ship sounds in top notch condition and the crew seemed fabulous! It's reviews like this that make me super excited to try QV/QE one day (hopefully soon!)

Thanks again :)

Difficult topic to get involved in as I know that it has been an emotive post! What I will say is that QE and QV are in a significantly better overall condition than QM2. QM2 is the most magnificent ship in the fleet but there are elements that do need refurbishment.

 

Having been on QV and QE either side on our trip on QM2 (a full back to back voyage) we all agreed that the Lido/Kings Court offering was vastly superior on the baby queens. The Hull really doesn't look good and I have photoshopped it in my pics in the last year as it spoils the look of the stunning ship! When you have the most famous ship in the world, that draws an audience wherever it travels and is much photographed, the exterior should be kept better.

 

Compare this with QE and QV, even before their dry docking, neither had this issue. It is the best ship in the fleet and the most magnificent but I agree the pools, hot tubs and the floors of the lower deck of the main corridor are showing wear. Likewise the lifts are showing much more wear than QE/QV and look more Travelodge than 5 star hotel. We all know the issues with the seats in Illuminations, which have existed for years. I adore the ship and Cunard but there are areas of the ship that need work.

 

People would be quick to highlight these areas if it was P&O or another cruise line but Cunard is the premium line and we should expect QM2 to reach the standards of QE and QV which in my opinion are immaculate. I honestly feel if I wanted to show Cunard as a consistently 5 star product throughout, then I'd choose QE or QV. QM2 has 6 star areas but some 3 star areas. Love her dearly and as a result I can forget those areas that need work but I can see someone who is less blindly in love than myself, would notice the lines. Queens Grill isn't cheap, it's far from it and so you can expect the best, we are talking a cost that is only affordable to people used to staying in 5 star hotels and flying business class. I find the prices on Cunard for standard rooms, to be very good value but the premium paid for the Grills is significant and therefore if I could afford it I would expect to feel extra special. I've always received fantastic service in Britannia, so the Grills needs to feel really special to justify the premium and butler service should be attentive

Well said! :)

Is there a copy of this tasting menu available? What is the cost?

I believe there is photos of the menu online here and there, sorry I haven't got any links :( but you could probably find them using Google search!

The costs are about $7 for apertizer and $12 for mains (give or take a few dollars) they are very reasonable and the food/service top notch! We were sorry we didn't try it more often during our voyage :(

perhaps a semantic issue but

 

ships do not go into dry dock to fix things inside the ship. it is EXPENSIVE to be in a dry dock ... VERY EXPENSIVE. a ship enters a dry dock to inspect and replace/repair thigs you never see .... inlets and outlets thru the hull below the water line ... attachments point for the trust pods .... the pods themselves etc etc. a ship does not need to go into dry dock to replace carpeting - owners want to not pay the dry dock for one hour of dd time more than absolutely required.. however much of this sort of work interior happens when the ship is in dry dock as the ship IS out of service and it is easier to complete then. For obvious reasons this is also a good time to clean and paint the bottom - usually the entire hull.

 

& dry dock is not a "when we feel like it" thing. I don't know about the specifics outside of the US, but in the US the SOLAS regulations are the basis for US regulations enforced by the Coast Guard. For a vessel to load passengers in the US, the ship must have been dry docked (with all associated underwater hull inspections) 2 times in the past 5 years (different details for new construction of course) viewed at the date of the loading (sliding window). 'dem's da rules . . . US anyway

 

sometimes a dry dock session becomes a necessity ... an 'unscheduled' dry docking. a pod goes fubar .... not much can be fixed w/out a dry dock .... But worn carpets or a leaking pipe? No dd required . . .

Although true that General maintanance does not require dry docking, it seems that minimal maintance has been taking place during viyages.. (Yes we all see painting and other random works occurring here and there but the overall quality still presents as if nothing has been attended too)

The ship is dry dock when a major refit is needed. Just like the last in 2011 and just just the QE/QV had last year. So yes in fact, the ship does need to be dry docked for any significant work to be done inside as any time significant work has been done inside on a Cunard ship, it has been whilst it is dry docked.. It seems Cunard only does major internal repairs when it is dry docked, otherwise the issues I pointed out in my review would not exist.

"Charging through the North Atlantic" is, I suppose, a matter of comparison. From the first crossing in 2014 the QM2 took six days. Most of our crossings on the QE2 were five days. Our first in 1973 was a half day less because it left Southampton 12 hours late yet arrived on time in New York.

 

The sensation of speed experienced on deck was exciting, but the five-night crossings always seemed too short. It seemed you just unpacked and got used to the ship and it was time to pack again. The seven-night crossings are just fine with me.

I agree it would have been quite a sensation to experience a high speed service but also agree that it would perhaps make the crossing feel too short? My 10 nights onboard seemed to go so quickly!!! I can only imagine how 5 must have felt.

Say for example if the QM2 fell behind schedual on a transatlantic crossing, would they speed her up to whatever speed was required to get her to the other side on time or what they just allow her to be late? I find this interesting to think about..

I see it more as women in high heels vs men in big flat shoes. Deck 6 has an especially bad spot that almost took me down the first evening and sent my evening bag flying. I mentioned it to a cabin steward and he said "yes ma'am, you have to be careful". That's fine advice for after you've fallen and know where it is but no one expects the unexpected. I find it amazing that no one has taken a bad fall.....and a twisted ankle would certainly be the end of elegantly dressed. :)

Gosh! Thanks for sharing!

It is strange that these potholes have not been sorted out ASAP as in any shore based establishment (in Australia at least) this would be considered a health and safety hazard and it would be considered breaking the law to not adress the issue within a certain amount of days once discovered! The owners (or whom ever responsible) would then be charged extreme fines by not complying with healthy and safety laws and could even face court action. So who is governing the sea is what I would like to know!?

Ahh ! melb 1988 , I did have a sneaky suspicion that you were in the customer service industry from your original posting. A Qantas Trolly Dolly no doubt ? ;)

 

You may find the following of interest then, as to why crew members (public rooms) don't keep canvassing guests for drinks, when a guest has initially refused.

 

The Bar waiters have a 'particular service delivery style' that's unique to Cunard and it protects the guest from being pestered with over sell every ten minutes or so ;)

 

It works like this;

 

The guest refuses a drink - The crew member places the small paper cocktail napkin face down, ie. the Cunard crest facing down. That's an indication to their colleague that the guest has been already been canvassed.

 

The guest has been canvassed and requests a drink - The paper napkin is face up, ie. with the crest showing , an indication to colleague that an order has been taken and their beverage is on the way.

 

:) Bell Boy

It's nice to know they receive such training :)

Are they also told to argue with guests, lie that they are 'hotel managers' and then inform the guests its 'their job to make the guest spend more money' whilst sipping from a glass of wine and smoking a cigarette in uniform? Or is this just part of the normal white star service practice? :o

I can see you are rather offended by my review, but I stand by it. Hopefully more loyal Cunard customers will speak up and admit the short comings of the line so that they will act and return to the way they were that made us all fall in love with the line to begin with. Unfortunately it's people like you who cannot admit that the standards have dropped that make Carnival think they can continue on with letting those standards drop and that we will all put up with it. Please choose another line if you are happy with low standards as I want Cunard to return to its historically famous high standards.

Ps: I doubt the current staff on QM2 know any sort of un spoken gestures that help them gauge what the guest needs or wants as that requires knowledge of your job and an understanding of the job description.. To me, they were mainly all just there because they were placed there and are after some cash with no knowledge of the History of the line and the expectations of those whole sale on it. Basically what I'm saying is, Carnivals poolside bar tender today, QM2 churchills attendant tomorrow. Gone are the days of The QE2 staff who took pride in their job onboard such a famous line!

'What cognac would you suggest with this cigar?'

Response, 'hmmmmm I dunno, pick one?'

Yes that actually happened...

It's time to do yourself and all of us other Cunard fans a favour and admit to yourself that standards have dropped and help with the effort to get the line back on track rather than trying to discredit my honest review of how I found the QM2.

Thanks

I don't know if you have sailed with RC but I have. The ship was certainly in much better condition than that of the Cunard flagship at present. And if you want another opinion about another cruise line and another ship. We recently sailed aboard the P&O ship Adonia. Again the condition of the ship was vastly better, the service near perfect and the food way ahead of our last voyage on QM2.

 

So we wait for the refit. Let's at least hope that they spend some money for once and return her to the condition she was in during the early years of her life.

 

Personally I'm not holding my breath.

 

David.

Couldn't agree more!

Potholes? There was an unevenness in the main passage way on Deck 2 which was corrected during the refit I mentioned. This was due to original poor workmanship by the builders and their contractors.

 

Are you saying that the problem has arisen again?

 

Where's my mate Pennbank when I need him?:):)

There's potholes everywhere! Deck 2, deck 3, in random corridors! I stepped in a big one just outside the Queen Mary suite located at the front of the ship..

The surfaces just feel rather uneven in a lot of areas some of the tiles in King court also move when you step on them. It's not much of a worry for a young guy like me (I was able to correct myself quickly when I tripped) but it is a worry for 90% of the other passangers, the elderly!

Melb1988

 

According to Cunard FAQs (ask.Cunard.com) the next refit for QM2 is December 2016.

 

"Queen Mary 2 is scheduled for refurbishment in December 2016. Queen Mary 2 was previously refurbished in December 2011.

 

Please note that these dates are subject to change."

 

We originally booked for the 2016 QM2 World Cruise but when I was told by Cunard in the UK that the refit was being pushed back a year, we cancelled and booked on the QV 2016 World Cruise instead. We just felt that QM2 already was feeling tired when we travelled on her in April/May last year and didn't want to be disappointed on our special trip.

 

Maybe there is a positive reason for the postponement in that a more major refurbishment is planned (we filled in a survey about big changes to Kings Court). We will certainly travel on QM2 again after the refit, as we do love the ship.

 

Will

Oh god, I don't think she'll last till December 2016 without a big sinkhole opening up in one of her floors! :(

But agreed that this may mean a major refit is on the cards! As in one that may even see Kings Court completely overhauled!?

We will also sail again after the next big refit! I love the ship! It just needs fixing up that's all!

Hoping for those who plan on sailing her this year and next (pre refit) there is some good care sails to help fill the ship or at least acknowledge that she isn't exactly in the best state to be charging people full price :)

To the best of my knowledge QM2 had a mini-refit in Autumn 2011. I reported on it on my blog on completion of a Christmas and new Year cruise onboard her...

 

http://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2013/09/25/queen-mary-2-caribbean-christmas/

 

"The areas that had undergone the scheduled refit , (I would prefer the word ‘refurbish’) included her staterooms, clubs, restaurants, bars and play areas. It effectively refreshed and enhanced those areas ensuring the continuation of the Queen Mary 2’s elegant and stylish image.

 

The refurbishment replaced the equivalent of 10 football fields of carpet and 18 miles of fabric (according to Cunard) while the oceanliner’s 1,310 staterooms and suites were redecorated with new carpeting, curtains, bedspreads and furniture".

 

That, if my calculations can be relied upon, is 3 years and 4 months past.

Correct!

But my question is when's the next one? as it is desperately needed..

I'm fearing that someone may be electrocuted by the water that drips from the ceiling down into the wall mounted lights along deck 9 corridor or someone may break a leg in one of these many random pot holes that seem to have been an issue both before and after the 2011 refit..

Or what about the replacement of those old and outdated couches in the britannia staterooms that Shanks felt the need to state 'these will be replaced very soon as we didn't have enough time to do it during the refit' a few days after the refit was completed? Still waiting...

Good morning Mel B.

 

Thank you for returning with this second personal Cunard prognosis.

 

Alas the underlying theme that greets me again is one of cost and, quite frankly, I just glaze over.

 

May I respectfully suggest that any comparison, no matter how tentative, between Royal Caribbean and Cunard denudes all argument of all credibility.

 

http://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2013/09/17/independence-of-the-seas-the-nation-of-why-not-queue/

Why can't Royal Caribbean be compared with Cunard in refrence to how they maintain their fleet? If you feel it's a bit below you feel free to replace Royal Caribbean with any other Line you wish, chances are that line would also present their flag ship in a much better way than Cunard. I was simply using Royal Caribbean and Princess as refrence.

As pointed out, major Cunard fan here, of all Cunard ships, throughout history... But even I will not blatantly lie and say the QM2 is in good condition when it is not just to protect their reputation.... Why? Because the current state of the QM2 is not the Cunard I know and love. I don't want to see them go down this path.

I must admit it is funny to see someone take a shot at Royal Caribbean when the last Royal Caribbean ship I went on was the nearly 20 year old Rhapsody Of The Seas and that was in better condition than Cunards flagship.. Tell me 8 years ago that I would be saying that and I wouldn't believe you.. Well here we are, in reality!

I was just looking at some photos of QE in Sydney from the other day, she looks just as new as she did the Queen named her! She's sparkling!

What's the latest theory on when we think the QM2 is to be dry docked? Or do we actually have confirmation now? I remember a few possible dates were being thrown around on these forums before I left to meet up with her.

In the perfect world, I'd love to see ships dry docked annually! (Never going to happen these days but one can still dream)

Thanks for the replies everyone, and again apologies for my review being so long!!

Very interesting findings re the so called 'hotel manager' but then again I'm not suprised as the way she was acting was not what I would consider a person worthy of such a role! She's obviousl just said it to try back up her argument. Regardless of who she is, it wasn't right.

I've noticed a few replies imply that perhaps the negative points I pointed out weren't negative at all and that I am just one of those negative people who can't be pleased... For starters we received many comments from other guests on how delightful we were as fellow passangers, how up beat and happy we were. We even engaged in conversation about those other passangers who seem to be negative their whole voyage.. Why even bother going on holiday if you can't enjoy yourself? I cannot stress enough that that is not the case with us! I know the type of passanger that is being referred to and that is not who I am. Working in customer service myself, I understand how it feels to be mistreated by people who have nothing better to do than make your life difficult when you're working. I am not one of those people. We enjoyed our cruise and we're happy onboard, as I mentioned the issues I pointed out weren't the type that destroy holidays they were simply issues that I felt needed to be pointed out to those who may be interested in this forum! Being an experienced cruiser and also a ship buff, I believe I know what is considered right and wrong in regards to how a ship is presented, maintained and run by its crew. Some things were right! Some things were wrong and something's were terribly wrong. My issue is that what was wrong were things that you would not expect from Cunard which makes it all the more irritating! Simple things such as maintanance should be a top priority on any line let alone the Cunard line. Obviously I understand business in the modern world and it all relates back to budgets and profits etc but when you consider that Cunard still insist on charging almost double that of other cruise lines, how can they justify those fares when they are not presenting a product any better and in some cases worse than the competition?

The topic of speed was mentioned, I too am happy for the ship to run at a slower speed for the sake of reducing cost of fares, but if the current fares are supposedly reduced, I'd hate to see what they would be if the ship was running at higher speeds! On average when I browse Cunard fares, starting prices are usually double of what princess or Royal Caribbean charge for the same trip. The ships of those lines wouldn't run at a much different speed to the QM2 and furthermore on my last trips on Royal Caribbean and Princess I as a paying customer (who paid significantly less than my recent Cunard fare) was presented with better maintaned ships (even though they were older than the QM2) so I struggle to see the justification.

I Love the Cunard line, I have outlined that. For example the negatives I saw onboard still didn't stop me from Purchasing $350 worth of items from the book shop onboard but I am also not blinded by the name and am willing to sit back and say it's ok for them to take loyal passangers for a bit of a joke and somehow justify that the product is so amazing that we should be charged higher fares to travel with them over other lines, because the QM2 that I've just experienced is simply not up to scratch as far as a premium ship.

If we as loyal Cunarders don't speak up, Carnival will continue cutting budgets for Cunard and I don't want that to happen. I want the line to remain premium and somewhat exclusive but don't treat us like fools and claim its premium, charge us premium prices but present is with a non premium product... I think we here are all smarter than that and frankly deserve better than that.

I'm glad to hear QE/QV are in a better state, this gives me hope! But one must question why the flag ship has been allowed to get the way it is. When was the last time the CEO actually toured the ship!? Surely he would be un happy with its state.

May have to give it a go when we are on board, do you need to book?

Definitely give it a go! I found the food to be fantastic and we were in Queens Grill!

You do need to book but as I understand it's never packed out so 90% sure you can always be seated when you show up!

The degustation menu is a pre set menu they offer if you wish to do that, we did and found all the dishes on it deliscious! It was an easy way to get an experience of what the place has to offer. We actually wish we went more than just our last night onboard :( we wanted to try it all after that dinner :)

Enjoy!

The Diamond is nice - recently refitted. However, Princess lacks any meaningful daytime activities. One thing that I'm pleased with is the recent addition of video on demand in staterooms. I wish Cunard would adopt this.

 

I like QE. It's smaller than QM2 but it's better set out. The decor is newer, again courtesy of a recent refit. I think the Britannia Restaurant on QE is nicer than on QM2 and yes, the Grills restaurants are much nicer and have way better views.

 

But the Commodore Club on QM2 is just so much nicer than on QE. It's smaller and therefore more intimate. I love how the blinds are closed at night and you get the candlelight. On QE the space feels cold at night as you have the wrap around windows.

 

QE is a great cruise ship, but I wouldn't use her for a TA. For that QM2 is needed.

I would love to try the Diamond again!! I thought she was a great cruise ship and from what I've seen, looks even better now after her recent refit! I love the japanese retreat additions etc! They are things we would enjoy as we love day spas and all things japanese for that matter :)

I wouldn't cross the pond on anything else other than QM2, that's a given! But then again I am unlikely to be crossing the pond anytime soon on a ship! I would like to explore more of Asia by ship as we really did enjoy Singapore and Hong Kong so much! Cruising is great to see lots of places but then it's nice to be able to spend time pre or post cruise in some destinations you truly want to get to know. I have a feeling we will be cruising Asia next year for sure! It's amazing.

Would love to do it on Queen Elizabeth to see what she's really like, I do always hear good reviews! If not her then we would probably be looking at Royal Caribbean (Qantum or Allure) or Princess (Diamond or Sapphire) unsure if Royal or Regal Princess will be doing Asia?

But Elizabeth is definitely the next Cunard ship I will be sailing on when ever that may be.

How do her staterooms/suites compare to QM2's in your opinion?

It's been my contention for some time that Cunard/Carnival are squeezing the maximum revenue out of the ship: cash cow is the way I would put it.

 

We sailed on QM2 quite soon after she was commissioned, many of the crew were ex QE2, the ship was immaculate and the food and service was very similar to what we remembered from earlier sailings aboard QE2.

 

The ship is obviously in need of a complete re fit.

 

I will have more hope when they sort out the joke seats in Illuminations.

 

David.

I have been told she was much better at the start when QE2 was still fresh in their minds!

The money isn't an issue. But I figure I can spend the fare difference on shipboard experiences and other things to entertain myself.

 

It's about cost benefit for me.

Fair enough, makes sense :)

I see you have travelled on Diamond a few times, I enjoyed that ship when I went on it! Would like to hear your thoughts? Also your thoughts on QE vs QM2!?

I figure Grills would be worth it again if I travelled with someone. But as a solo it is rather superfluous to my needs. I don't need a butler (which is really just a glorified steward), I prefer showers to baths, and fancy dining does little for me (especially doing it every day - a little too much indulgence for my liking).

 

I'm tempted to go QG again, but will likely stick to my Britannia booking. Britannia Club is another option, but there isn't much information out there about it for me to make an informed choice. Again, being solo, the whole dine at anytime option is a disadvantage compared to fixed sitting times. At least I don't have to dine alone consistently.

I didn't realise you would be traveling solo! Go Britannia then as the grills really is too much for just one person!

I think if I had to go solo Id only be in an inside cabin as the solo supplement just makes the cost of the grills fares rather ridiculous! Unless money is not a problem..

AustCruiser84

You will enjoy your trip on her regardless of the issues I pointed out! They're not the type of things that ruin holidays, just the type of things that you don't really expect from a Cunard ship.

It's funny that you comment on the age issue. I'm 30 and my first trip on QM2 was when I was 28.

 

Despite being mistaken as a crew member by a number of passengers on various cruises I've taken (not just with Cunard), I've never found staff to ignore me or speak ill towards me.

 

Rather, I've always found most staff to be extremely friendly on cruises. I've been on QM2 and QE and have generally been impressed by the service I've received. I'm hoping that will continue during my 32 day Cunard binge over Christmas and New Year.

 

Back to the matter of being mistaken for crew, I realise I could have some fun with that. Fellow passengers have given me excellent comebacks that I must try out some day :)

We often get mistaken for dancers by other passangers which I funny!

Usually the staff aren't 'rude' as such because we're young, rather normally they are more informal towards us which sometimes can be nice in way but at other times can be rather annoying as we still expect top service considering we have paid just as much as everyone else regardless of age.

Your view on smokers doesn't bother me as everyone is entitled to their opinion and I can accept that, but like I said, we had non smokers telling us not to smoke in the smokers area.. That's just not on. I never saw anyone smoking outside of the smoking areas other than the guests in the duplex suites which Cunard obviously allowed as they had the black ash trays which must have been provided to them.

I didn't feel much vibration in the grills lounge but this trip was probably the smoothest we had ever felt of any cruise, the water was like glass the whole voyage, the ship was also only averaging 14 knots which as we all know is quite slow for QM2 so I assume the engines really weren't being pushed causing vibration.. It's also a shame that on QM2 the grills dinning rooms having boring views of other passangers walking past. I hear the view on QV/QE is great!

We did enjoy our cruise! But that's because although there were lots of issues, we were never going to let them take over the whole experience and ruin it! I've always believed that a cruise is just as much about what you make it as it is what the ship and its crew is offering you. We had friends onboard from our last trip which was a nice suprise so it was great catching up with them every night etc! We made sure we had fun :)

Of coarse I will travel Cunard again, but they do need to rectify these issues as they are very basic problems that can be easily fixed if they actually tried. Definitely will be trying QE/QV next time though.. We won't be trying QM2 again untill we know she's had a refit/overhaul. She's just not worth the money at this stage.

I say upgrade to the grills! We've decided that unless we can afford the grills we won't be sailing Cunard.