Whitemarsh

Surely the key concern with any cruise is the actual cruise itself and not the hour or less that you'll spend in any cruise terminal or embarkation tent/shed (whatever).

I'll add that I disembarked in Brisbane at the Grain Terminal in March of this year, the process and facilities seemed fine to me.

Do you think the QM2 will have the same ocean liner

Legacy as the QE2?

I think you're asking me if QM2 will have the same fame and following as QE2. To which the answer is yes. But we've already arrived at that point, QM2 has that following now. Every port she visits in Australia crowds come out to see her. In Hamburg there's a similar (if greater) reaction. Granted, there's zero interest in Southampton and New York, but that can be explained by her repeat presence in those two ports.

There is a thread right here on Cruise Critic entitled 'Where is QM2' - you may be familiar with it - which illustrates to me the interest shown in QM2, which, as nice as they probably are, will never be bestowed on QV or QE.

P.S I can't wait to board QE and check her out. :)

Need ride from phila area to join qm2 in brooklyn on jan 3

I'd avoid hitchhiking if I were you.

Thanks for the review, it's good to hear that everyone is still making an effort with the dress code and that the food and service on board (with a couple of exceptions) is as excellent as always.

Pugwash probably has it spot on when he suggests that the crowded feel was down to everyone attempting to try everything during the one sea day in the itinerary.

Bad luck about the rudeness of the girl at the door (regarding the escort to the suite). If they're going to offer such a service then people shouldn't have to ask for it.

The video was excellent btw, a very good look at a duplex. I wouldn't be put off by the public balcony, if people are staring just give them a wave and a smile, they'll soon move on to something else.

QM2 was designed and built as an ocean liner, but is used a lot more for cruises.

Right:)

The same could be said about the QE2.

Doesn't Liverpool sound much better in a list of some of the ports that the Queens actually visit, e.g. Halifax, Ft. Lauderdale, Southampton?

Let's try it shall we?

New York, Hong Kong, Sydney & Liverpool…..

Hmmm…. I'm afraid I would have to say that I do not think that Liverpool is in the same league as these other global cities, but that's just my opinion. Happy to hear from those who think that Liverpool is in the same league as top rated ports such as New York, Hong Kong, Sydney, St Petersburg and Venice.

The biggest difference I have seen between 2005/2006 and 2011 is the increased presence of the room stewards. In late 2011, I noticed that every morning they roll their mobile stations down the passageways and park themselves for the entire morning and early afternoons outside your door. In 2005 and 2006 I was struck how you barely ever saw your room stewards and they always seemed to have a skill for cleaning your room while you were out of the cabin without ever been seen! Now there seems to be a culture that they are the hallway monitors and you have to get around their carts every time you go in or out of the cabin, because as I said, they are ALWAYS outside your cabin with their cleaning cart. It also seemed like they started their shifts earlier and made a lot of noise. It reminded me in 2011 of being in a Marriott instead of a classy ship.

I noticed that the last suite I had was just a couple of metres down from where the steward parked his trolley for the morning and evening's cleaning of his allocated rooms. I assume they pick a location for the trolley that's handy for all the rooms they need to service. Whilst it's not the most attractive thing to look at, it does need to go somewhere.

I also noticed a decline in dining room service in Britannia in 2011. We had two waiters tag-teaming our table of 6 and one was very qualified but the other one was just terrible - getting the order wrong, slow service, etc.

You'll be pleased to hear that service in the Britannia Restaurant (as of 2013) is excellent - as is the food.

As mentioned by others, the photographers are way more obnoxious than they used to be. My favorite lounge before dinner is the Chart Room, with a great quartet or jazz band playing pre-dinner music. It had a great ambience with a drink, good music, and good conversation. Now, the strobe light from the photographers just outside in the hallway is constantly going off and extremely irritating. Very bad taste of the management to allow that kind of circus environment to intrude into the lounge.

Perhaps I am just lucky, but the ship's photographers that I've come across all seemed to be nice young people just doing a job.

The Chart Room is a fantastic location for pre-dinner drinks. I love it.

Other than those three complaints, I think the ship has held its own well. We are returning to it next week for the Christmas Cruise and I am curious to see how the ship continues to fare.

Have a great voyage, and Merry Christmas.

Would you really include Liverpool with such cities as St Petersburg, Venice and Sydney? As nice as Liverpool probably is, it's a bit of stretch to include it with cities of that stature.

London, Paris, Rome, and Liverpool??…..it just doesn't sound right.

Good Morning Barry, Now I will stray from your original question. I admire your clever internet search to find the NYC crime map. But I want to emphasize that, a bit surprising to many, New York has become one of the safest cities in the US. I feel way safer there than ever before, and I have been traveling to NY for 40 years. Huge areas of Manhattan are now super-safe, and quite clean as well for such a dense crazy city. New York is way safer than my hometown, Oakland, and way cleaner than the city across the Bay, San Francisco. Now I know that crime in the US is a shameful issue and that the incidence of US street crime far exceeds that in Australia or Western Europe. But statistics show that New York, and especially Manhattan, have become quite safe. As far as a possible hotel location recommendation, for the sake of convenience, I recommend Times Square, Midtown, Chelsea, Soho, West Village, or Columbus Circle. If you are staying more than 3 nights, you might want to look for an apartment on one of the internet vacation apartment rental sites.

New York is a relatively safe city. But there's no guarantee that it will stay that way.

The OP was referring to changes since 2004.

 

David.

Which includes the years between 2004 and the present year.

Well the sky may have fallen for some, but I can't see that a huge amount has changed between 2010 and 2013.

Changes I have noticed are:

• No more free caviar in the Princess Grill.
  
• No ATM in the casino.
  
• The drink stirers are no longer the blue and gold embossed Cunard ones.
  

That's all I can think of at the moment. I should mention that none of these changes ruined any of my cruises…..of course all due respect to anyone whose cruise was ruined by these changes.

Sorry, but I could not resist......the only thing that has not changed is the group VIBES (?) same group, same songs every day and in most venues on QM2. We were on QM2 earlier this year and whether at the outdoor pool or indoor pool, the same exact songs were played...AND they were the same songs as when we first went on her (I believe) in 2009. I just could not believe it.

Very true, and so boring of Cunard. One thing you forgot to mention is that some of the band members are unchanged. It must be a special kind of hell to have to play 'Red Red Wine' over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.

Hi Sally,

 

I'll give some thought to great souvenirs to take home, although I'm sure many here will come up with better ideas than me :o , however meanwhile, one thing to avoid IMHO, if they still sell them (I'll check next weekend) is the crudely made, heavy model of QM2, around 8 ins long. Not only are they very badly painted (esp around the bow), they show a large pool on deck 13 that simply doesn't exist on QM2. If they were "two for $1" they'd be over-priced.

:) I bought one of them. I like it, but yes it is badly painted. They should have something better.

The QM2 hoodie is the souvenir I have gotten the most use out of. Very warm and comfortable.

The maître d' and/or his assistant arranges the final seating at all tables, the computer may play a part but only in compiling the list of names and details from the passenger files.

I've just remembered that the maître d' does have everyone's age on his computer for the purposes of allocating tables. I noticed this when I had a squiz at his computer when I was choosing another table to dine at.

The more I think about it, the more it seems likely that they do age match to a certain extent, where possible.

btw, here's a link to all our pix Collection: Cunard Queen Elizabeth Mediterranean Cruise http://ow.ly/rpL40

 

venice, dubrovnik, corfu, athens, ephesus, rhodes, santorini, sicily, amalfi, positano, pompeii, rome. Queen Elizabeth.

Loved the photos of the ship, thanks for sharing them.

If you ask for 2, 4, 6 or whatever and you have booked early/paid the most then I would expect you to get preference in your request (seems very reasonable).

I agree, that would be the most equitable method.

So what I mean is, if two separate couples ask for a table of 4 then how do Cunard allocate that table of 4 ? How do they match the 2 couples ?

 

That's why I suggested nationality (language) and/or age. I've no proof, but I've always noticed that nationalities seem to be sat together (I may have imagined that of course).

No, I don't think you are imagining it. My last couple of voyages have all involved tables of Australians, with one table compromised of Australian's residing in the same state.

Maybe there is more to it than just the computer slotting everyone in? Although, my most recent voyages have all been itineraries that included Australian ports, which resulted in heavy representation of Australians amongst the passengers. Whereas on the transatlantic there were no Australians at my table.

For example, we're in our late 30s/mid 40s and when we had a table of 4, the other couple were of a similar age (mid 40s and early 50s) so I just wondered if that was by design ?

Maybe it is, I'm trying to recall observing a table comprised of very elderly and very young passengers (excluding children) and can't seem to recall any. Maybe the computer that assigns the seating arrangements has set parametres that include age matching?

Here's a question: When you ask (or get given) a table for more than 2, how does Cunard allocate people together ? I assume they do it by nationality since it's not going to be much kop if you all can't speak the same language. I wonder also if they do it by other factors - age would be my guess.

Well I did ask once and was told that those who've paid the most get what they want (as in table size and location) and then everyone else is just slotted in by the computer.

I don't believe they match up ages or languages. No crew member has ever given me any indication that this level of detail takes place.

QE has the edp and edt but not Eau de cologne. The parfum is $124 for 100 ml.

The Eau de Cologne was discontinued in the 90's.

Hi there,

I'm aware of one lady getting on in Fort Lauderdale. But there is probably more than just her and you guys.

You've booked a lovely voyage.

My point is that it gives you a choice. So, if you talk to the people on the next table for 2 and they don't seem very interested then that's fine and you can carry on as you were, i.e. you are both on a table for 2. But if they respond in a positive way then all well and good, and you can chat away very easily.

 

But if you are on a table for 4 you might get on very well with the other people or you may not. To give you an example; we went TA back to back and had a table for 4. We got on so well that that the other couple asked us if we would like to join them on their next cruise - so we did.

Since we're talking about it, what are your suggestions in the case where you don't get on with the other people on a table for four?

I wouldn't risk a table for four, much better odds at a table for six or eight.

Cunard is my favourite line. I'm in my mid forties and I've always felt comfortable onboard Cunard. The mix of passengers has a very cosmopolitan feel with a mixture of European and N American. Evenings are more formal and the dress code is usually abided by.

 

The activities during sea days tend to be geared towards intellectual cruiser with things like morning lectures and afternoon tea. As opposed to games in the pool or napkin folding.

Gosh, are you? I thought you were much older; I'm not sure why.

Perhaps it's your username.

I have one outside my house. I associate them with Queensland.

Yes, good idea if it woks for all of us. I never receive anything through the post from Cunard. Not even a Cunarder magazine and I have been diamond member for years. It annoys me as we miss out all because I have an overseas address.:mad::mad:

That's rough. It won't be any consolation, but the Cunarder magazine we get in Oz has to be an abridged version, it's very thin, just a couple of pages.

Well that's new. Sounds like a good idea to me.

"Shan't?" You're so polite! Haven't heard that word in a long time.

Aren't I just. ;)

It's probably all those Enid Blyton books I read when I was a small child.

It started two years ago. Whenever we check-in at dockside to embark any Cunard ship we have a problem which began as mildly amusing, not only for us, but also for those manning the desks which has become quite irritating. It last happened in August boarding QE but happened again today with QM 2.

 

Good morning Mr R and all goes well at check-in. My wife is with me. Which Mrs R is checking in - there is only one Mrs R. But we have two in that cabin - check-in lady says she doesn't know what to do and calls a supervisor who looks in dismay and says I have not seen this before. After much faffing about one Mrs R is deleted until the next time. I went to Reception and they said they'd never come across a phantom passenger before but would advise an officer. I also contacted my Personal Cruise Specialist in Southampton and after investigating with experts came up with nothing. I await the officer's response.

 

Also today at check-in the lady said she wouldn't be able to take our photos because the camera was bust. She told us to get our piccies taken at security when we boarded the ship. I relayed the message at security and they swiped my card and said there is your photo and showed me. It was me but an old photo as the hair line was different. No-one can explain that almost suggesting at security and Reception that couldn't happen!

 

Then on returning to our tidy cabin from the drill prior to sailing there was a man in uniform looking in our wardrobe. He was a bit taken aback when we entered the cabin and said he was checking to see if we were on the ship as there was no evidence that we had boarded.

 

An interesting day!

Oh oh….I wonder. No it couldn't be.

Well what a strange turn of events, but sometimes things just go wrong all at once. Probably best just to get it over and done with. You seemed to have taken everything that happened with good humour, so good for you.