Maid Marion

I think the tipping arrangements are good.

On a cruise I was not happy with the attention of my cabin steward so went to the Pursers Office about a week into the cruise to have them removed. The Purser asked for my reasons and told me that the crew member would have his share of the pot reduced. The Purser asked me to hold on for a few more days. By the evening the attention by my steward had improved to my total satisfaction and it continued to the end of the cruise. The Purser contacted me a few days after my complaint to see if the service had improved and I was pleased to report that it had. Accordingly, I was happy for the full amount to be added to my onboard account.

The system in effect makes the staff members semi self employed and they know they will suffer financially if their service drops below what is expected of them.

I am not booked yet but have heard that Chris Frame, author of several Cunard books is going to be a guest speaker along with Commodore Warwick, one of the former captains.

I recommend:

Steam Lion - A Biography of Samuel Cunard by John Langley.

Samuel Cunard - Pioneer of the Atlantic Steamship by Kay Grant.

Atlantic Liners of the Cunard Line by Neil McCart.

Samuel Cunard and the North Atlantic by T W E Roche.

Also, there are several books available written by former Captains which give an insight to the workings of the line.

There is a good introduction to Cunard in QE2 - a book about the ship written by Captain Warwick who served in the company whose Commodore's uniform is currently on sale on E'bay!

At least the events organizer had the grace to own up to her failure and apologise........

Does anyone know if Cunard have any plans to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the launching of QE2?

I have recently returned from an Atlantic crossing on QM2 after not having been on board for five years. At first I was not sure if I would like the "extended" voyage but any concerns I had soon melted away as I settled in and began to enjoy this great liner. I thought the the standard of service was excellent and that ship was in remarkably good condition. However, I was very disappointed about the state of the windows forward which in some cased totally obscured ocean, the view of which gave me much enjoyment on my several crossings in earlier years.

Notwithstanding, I was pleased to be told by an Officer that the windows were being replaced when the ship next goes into refit.

I know how Cunard has changed. QM2 and the old QE2 are quite different.

 

But I'm curious to know what others think about how QM2 has changed. I first travelled on QM2 in 2004, when she was sparkling with newness. I think she still had some similarities to QE2 during her first few years also in terms of ambiance.

 

But since then, what changes do you think have occurred?

 

 

 

The ship has put on weight - the bridge wings were extended!