Just back from our 10 day QM2 cruise

Just returned from our 10 day cruise and thought I would share some good and some bad as they say. Keeping in mind that everyone has their own ideas on what they like and dislike. We were on 11th floor A-1 Britania

So that having been said here is my 2 cents....

We used Dial 7 service the entire time in NY and when we departed the ship. I have only great things to say on this car service. There were 4 adults with lots of luggage and we required a mini van each time. They were always there and in constant communication with you and reasonable for NY. Definitely recommend them.

We stayed at the Waldorf in NY a beautiful old hotel definitely in need of some repairs and very expensive food. However that is expected in NYC.

We took advice from this board and did the double decker bus which was a very good way to see all of the city. We spent the next day taking the

ferry over to Ellis Island which has a first stop at the statue of Liberty. It was a must see for anyone who has not seen her up close.

The boarding for the QM was uneventful although the lines were a bit longer than expected but there are a lot of people on this ship.

Let me just tell you the ship is absolutely beautiful and may take days to familiarize yourself and be able to get around. The ship is BIG.

After boarding and being able to go to our cabin there was a 1/2 bottle of champagne (POL) The room was a bit smaller than I expected but I guess my expectatations were a bit high. There was plenty of closet space the shower was quite small but functional. Our luggage seemed to appear

instantly. We met our cabin attendant and sorry to say that was one of the two times we saw him the entire 10 days a bit disappointed with that

however the one day I did call for ice a lady appeared about 10 minutes after my call and fetched the ice and was hesitant on taking my tip!

The amenities for the bathroom include shower cap, shampoo, conditioner,

shower gel, soap, q tips, cotton balls. There were plenty of towels daily.

The on boardactivities are many so plan your days carefully. We found not enough time to do everything we wanted. We did go to a few shows and found the singers and dancers from the ship very good. The comedian was great. The casino was nice and plenty of things to do there.

I might add that there are many bars with different types of music at night. We did the planetarium the first show. It was interesting some people said they were falling asleep and some stated some shows are better than others. However I thought it was interesting to see once.

The food. I am not going to expound to much on this as everyone has there own opinion. I felt it was ok nothing special. We were in the main dining room right next to the Captains table and the seats were great 1st floor. People were complaining that the 2nd floor was hot and stuffy. Our service at dinner was very good. Maria tried to make all things enjoyable.

However we learned not to rock the boat by asking for something other than what was on the menu. As on other cruises they always have steak,

shrimp cocktail and some other basics you could order every night we did not find this AT ALL on the QM2.

My biggest complaint has to be the set up and management of the buffet area. As I call it UTTER Confusion. People walking around with trays, cups of hot coffee not knowing where to go or which room they were in. I cannot believe that there were not more accidents. The coffee/juice stations are backwards no flow for the amount of people going thru. My best suggestions for this area is find a TABLE first leave your napkins and some paperwork and go get your food then everyone knows where the table is and you can come back to one location. They open and close stations at the wink of an eye. It is crazy!

As is the case on all cruises some people were rude and some were very nice. There were quite a few older people on this ship no question about it. And the few children that were on the ship I felt sorry for. The parents just seemed to want to get away and drink at the bar and let the children fend for themselves. Not a ship for childrenin my opinion.

ONE THING NOT TO MISS IS THE TEA. It was wonderful and the scones (however you want to pronounce them were fantastic). Yum tried to get the recipe but just could not. If anyone has the recipe sure would appreciate it. They were the best I have ever had. Dont miss the tea at least one day it is an experience.

I did find that most of the employees seemed very unhappy. They did not smile much. There were some that were great. Like Devlon who made fresh eggs in the morning and pasta for lunch had a great attitude and was tipped for it. However he was leavening and going home after a short term on the ship.

Employees just did not seem happy on this ship.

Had a great facial and massage at the spa. It did not seem that crowded.

there were specials every day at quite a reduced rate. So watch your daily paper.

The tour of the galley is very interesting you have to have a ticket so try and get one early. There is no charge but you need a ticket. Eating at the chefs galley where the chef prepares the dinner in front of you was a

disappointment and the food was even more so. We did not go to Todd English however we heard both pros and cons for that restaurant. Again personal taste.

For all those wondering about bringing liquor on board. We had no problem

at all. It really did not seem to bother anyone. We had wine and drinks in our room with friends most nights. The price of liquor was different in different bars but did not seem out of line at all.

The coffee in the wine bar was by far the best however you have to pay for it. The rest of the coffee was down right horrible so if you like tea I suggest you drink that. Ha

We had a great time just a bit disappointed as our expectations may have been set a bit high. I am glad I went to see this beautiful ship.

The balconies seemed to be a big issue for lots of people as they were not told about the obstructed views our balcony on 11 was fine.

If anyone has any questions please ask away as that is how I found out many things. Thanks to so many people on this board.

Pat

Pat,

Thanks for the report. We are sailing March 10 - probably identical itinerary. 10 days etc. From what we have read, King's Court is fine for breakfast bagel, fruit etc. Lunch at the pub? or at the pool? or at the Boardwalk cafe? Any thoughts on these?

Did you enjoy the Commodore Club? What about the Balls? How was adherance to the dress code? In some of the pictures I saw, I was surprised to see so many men not in black tie, or sitting at the table sans coat.

If you had to pick...What was the BEST thing (tea?) and the WORST thing.

Thanks

Paul

Paul,

The Kings Court is all part of the buffet area for breakfast/lunch if you do not go to the dining room. Yes it is perfect for breakfast. There is a wide assortment of breakfast food. The fruit is wonderful daily pineapple, cantalope, melon, grapes, bananas, grapefruit watermelon apples many varieties and lots of other canned fruit. Yogurt is there but not a great assortment there is a no fat plain not very tasty the strawberry was good. The bagel or english muffin was the choice of our group on a daily basis. Not a lot of variety though plain bagels and english muffins. There was coffee cakes and muffins

I never tried them but others thought some were good some not so good.

Lunch at the pool was actually very nice. Small and limited. Hamburgers, chicken or salads and fruits which were perfect for us.

Commodore club was a must see. My husband loved the cigar bar.

We did go to the balls and to see the orchestra it was very interesting.

The music was great. The dance floor was very crowded with lots of

older ladies and the escorts that are hired by the ship to dance with the ladies. It was actually kind of cute to watch them.

Dress Code. It appears that they let go one of the formal nights.

The men in our party pretty much brought dark suits. It was pretty mixed

for formal wear and dark suits in the dining room. I would say the majoirity had on dark suits. Try to get seating on the first floor if you

get the least bit warm. The best was the tea and for sure the worst was

the total chaos at the buffet area and the supervisors that are at each station appear to resemble guards watching their staff pick up the dirty dishes they are not very friendly there is a lot of walking from one part of the buffet to the next but again when you go in get your seat first and leave some things at the table. We would go get our silverwear, napkins and glass of water and place it on the table and then go get our breakfast. Try to go to the tea when they have the harpist or music as it is entertaining to watch people get up and dance.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Enjoy your cruise the ship is beautiful.

Pat

Pat

Thanks for the time taking to let others know. We sail 10th March

You mention different bar prices, i was led to believe by the this site that all prices are the same, obviously not. How much did they differ.

Another mention of below par service, but you are like me you make mention of the better staff by name.

In the Britannia what sitting did you have, we have 1st so hopefully if we get the top area it wont be to hot, but i will manage it with my jkt on.

You say you tried to not rock the boat by asking for items not on the menu...ie steak, shrimp.....how did this rock the boat ? as 1 of our party is very particular about their food and a steak would be spot on now and again

Brian

Hi Brian

Did you use Dial 7 to get from the airport, if so did they meet you inside the terminal.

Chris and Pam

Thanks for the balanced report Pat. I think you've gave a fair impression of the ship. I think the King's Court area is a mess in that it is just not laid out well in terms of traffic control but otherwise I felt the ship was big but intimate througout. So I give thumbs up to the design for the most part. To each his own regarding the balconies - I had one of those "in-hull" ones and it suited me fine but I know a lot of people dislike them. Of course, being on the 11th deck - could anything obstruct your view?:)

Interesting about your views on the employees. While I felt I had a better cabin steward on the QE2 and the one I had three years ago on HAL was absolutely the best ever I never got the impression the workers were unhappy. But the crews change every now and then and the last trip on the QM2 was two years ago. For example, I've heard so much about how the QE2 has been let to slide and my experiences on her last summer was just the opposite. So I guess its all a matter of timing as I understand that cruises can be vastly different on the same line and same ship at different times for a variety of reasons.

Yikes about the Waldorf being "in need of some repairs". After much humming and hawing we decided to blow our dollars at that same hotel in October as the end product of our westbound transatlantic. I knew the hotel and the food were going to be more than pricey but I am hoping the maintenance issue is small and not of the "complete makeover" variety.

Again thanks for the review. I still hope to return to the QM2 in the future and I think you are correct in that having high expectations sometime lead to some disappoitment. After having no expectations on our HAL cruise in 2005 and loving it we went with the "Cunard is even better" attitude and ended up liking the QM2 but not loving it and felt there might be something wrong with us. So far we have stuck with Cunard -admittedly, I fell in love with the older sister Elizabeth - but think now I'll have more realistic expectations on a go forward basis. Sometimes the second cruise is much better than the first.:D Any ideas as to whether you will try the QM2 again at some point?

David

I enjoyed reading your QM2 review, ShopinPat. We are leaving in April on what I presume is the same ten day itinerary. Were there any excursions in any ports that you would either recommend or avoid ?

Also regarding King's Court, if you have been on any Princess cruises is the buffet service area much like theirs ?

I find that on Princess ships the buffet sections tend to be places with passengers going in many different directions trying to obtain food selections. At times it can be chaotic. :eek: That I don't look forward to.

Right now, I'm scouring the Cunard board reading all the posts I can to learn everything possible about QM2 . It's more fun for me to know ahead of time what to expect !

Connie

I understand what you mean about Princess's buffet layout, but no QM2 is not similiar to the Princess lay out, it is worse!

You mention different bar prices, i was led to believe by the this site that all prices are the same, obviously not. How much did they differ.

Drink prices are the same in every bar. The price of beer was the same also. Now a double manhattan cost more than a gin and tonic, etc.

Paul

Nice to read your report on QM2, I am doing the trip on April 6th and I am certainly looking forward to it. This will be my fourth time om QM2 and I have always found the service excellent. The negative reports that are being banded around at the moment, may be down to the introduction of QV as many of the "best" staff are are that ship from both the QE2 and QM2. There may well be 50% new recruits on both QM2 and QE2 so the reason for grumpiness, staff not quite 100% sure what they are doing. I am sure that will change in the future, I hope:D My first trip on QM2 was on a short cruise in April 2004, an early cruise in the life of the ship, but the one that got me hooked on cruising.

Drink prices are the same in every bar. The price of beer was the same also. Now a double manhattan cost more than a gin and tonic, etc.

 

Paul

Apologies for being irrelevant, but a double Makers Mark Manhattan costs more than Jim Beam!;)

(P.S. thanks for the balanced review. Kings Court should be gutted and turned into a penny arcade! Princess Lido buffet is a walk in the park compared with the complete and utter chaos of the QM2 buffet. That said, you can always avoid it and dine in the dining room. I viewed KC simply as a passageway to be negotiated to get from A to B, hopefully without accident.)

The Kings Court at lunch time produce some of the best stir fry meals that I have ever tasted, and I have had my fair share I can tell you. Regarding the seating, I think most people tend not to look too far for a seat after obtaining their food. A short walk in either forward or stern direction will produce as much seating as you need.

Alcoholic drinks in the different bars are on a par or slightly cheaper than the average UK establishment.

I have made enquiries with Cunard and have received authority for anyone who has a complaint about the QM2 or the food to send me their ticket and I will travel on their behalf. Spending money would also be appreciated.:p Happy Cruising.

'Share what you know, learn what you don't'

Hi All,

I will try to answer all questions if I miss one please re enter and I will catch it.

Brian, as to drink prices beer and mixed drinks were about the same we did find that the difference in prices was for after dinner drinks however there was not a great difference. The wine did have a gap in prices and I was surprised that you can not get a lot of wine by the glass in the dinning room. I thought that strange.

As for rocking the boat. Everyone is programmed in the main dinning room for what is on the menu. No, steak and shrimp was definitely NOT on the menu every night nor every other night. One night the men tried to get

lobster as they had missed it the night before and it was a definite no someone asked for something else and they call the maitre d over and he

said let me check which was his panned answer and then came back and said no to every last thing we requested. So our joke was if it is not on the menu dont ask for it. I complimented a dessert one night which was mascarpone cheese (It was to die for order it if it is on the menu)

I told the maitre d and asked if that would be served again. His response

I will see but no promises. I know he probably did not ask. Whereas we were on Celebrity and someone asked at the table for some jewish soup and sure enough they served it one night it wasnt great they said but they went out of there way to prepare it. That is what I call service.

I also asked for the scone recipe that also was a let me see what I can do. Nothing.

We were at the first seating but keep in mind if you do not like where you are sitting they can move you as someone did that at the table next to ours.

Chris and Pam, we called dial 7 for Laguardia. They were not inside the terminal but they are very exact as the the meeting place and they cont to call you from the car that is picking you up. We used them from the airport, to the ship and from the ship to the airport. They were great. If you do not want to reserve ahead just call when you get there and it takes about 1/2 hour and they will ask cash or credit. I really was impressed with this service.

Make sure you have a phone because they do keep calling you back for their location.

David, as far as the Waldorf goes I loved the Hotel although there was minor issues torn wall paper in the room, lack of powerful air conditioning however the lobby is gorgeous and they certainly know how to take care of your luggage. The location is also great. If you want to do the double decker bus it is right there. The waiter in the restaurant on ground level was wonderful the waldorf salad yummy. I think you will love the Waldorf. It is a beautiful hotel. Make sure you walk the hallway where all the stars pictures are.

Nothing did obstruct our view on 11th, wonderful views.

As for the empl and buffet line we had just come off a Celebrity cruise where they went out of there way to be helpful. I did here rumblings about going to the Victoria and leavening new crew to handle. Again

we had some good some not so good. I do blame that a lot on management as many times I heard them talking down to the employees.

Not good management.

Not sure we would ever do Cunard again. We really are spoiled with Celebrity and Regent(when we can splurge) We leave in Sept on Celebrity to Alaska.

Connie, the buffet area is like no other on any ship that we have been on.

It is very very large and in many different rooms and the times change as to the opening and closing of each area it is crazy and you just keep walking and things change and then there are coffee stations in between. As for the excursions as we have been to the carribean many times we have done a lot of the touristy things however in Tortolla we did take the catamaran snorkel/swim and it was well worth the 59. pp. Some of the excursions are over priced and you can walk 2 blocks up from the ship and get a great tour from a cabbie at 1/2 the price. If you have any questions about a particular island let me know and I will tell you my experiences.

You will have a great time. there is lots to do on this ship.Dont miss the tea and scones even if you dont like tea it is an experience!

The one thing I did forget to tell everyone to bring is a small insulated cup/mug with lid. When you go for coffee or ice tea or water you can carry that around if you want to go to the pool or wherever it is a great idea and I always bring one on our cruises good for hot or cold. Great for excursions too.

Benzowner, I do think you are correct about employees moving to other ships. In fact some of the good workers we found told us that they were leavening after 1 cruise. Not sure why that is and did not want to get into it. However the management on the cruise ship should not have allowed all of the experienced staff to go at once but wait until they trained new staff. I still believe it was poor management.

As for the liquor. We did not find the prices to be out of line at any of the bars. You do get what you pay for if you call premium you pay premium. The latte in the wine bar was under 3.00 for a large. Cheaper than Starbucks! ha And it was very good.

Hope this answers some of the questions if I missed one or you have some more please ask. I find it so helpful on these boards.

I know you will all have a great time. Dont let any of the small issue deter you. I write for informational purposes which never hurts!

Cant wait for my next cruise to ALASKA IN SEPT.

PAT

...I do think you are correct about employees moving to other ships. In fact some of the good workers we found told us that they were leavening after 1 cruise. Not sure why that is and did not want to get into it.

At the risk of irrelevance, may I suggest that talent rises?

SMITHCVS,

As I did not comment on stir fry not sure what your point is.

As for seating I do differ with you there were many days when I saw older people trying to walk to a seat with hot coffee or a tray of food and

not able to find a seat and also it can get very confusing for older people as to where there seats are then walking many many feet to another room to find a table.

I also find it amazing that one could find anyone who feels a particular cruise line is perfect in all ways. If you have more power to you.

Hence the purpose of these boards is information.

We all do have our own opinions and you certainly are entitled to yours.

Glad you enjoyed the stir fry!

Pat

As for seating I do differ with you there were many days when I saw older people trying to walk to a seat with hot coffee or a tray of food and

not able to find a seat and also it can get very confusing for older people as to where there seats are then walking many many feet to another room to find a table.

Neither old nor young, but somewhere in the middle, I found myself wandering aimlessly, feeling just as confused as had I taken a befuddlement pill!;)

Neither old nor young, but somewhere in the middle, I found myself wandering aimlessly, feeling just as confused as had I taken a befuddlement pill!;)

And we tried the tip of one of us bagging a table and the other foraging for breakfast. By the time I'd negotiated the place, I'd completely forgotten where I put the beloved. Haven't seen him since:).

M

And we tried the tip of one of us bagging a table and the other foraging for breakfast. By the time I'd negotiated the place, I'd completely forgotten where I put the beloved. Haven't seen him since:).

 

M

Still wandering about KC, I believe. Saw him two weeks past, carrying trays for old folk.

Lost Husband: Fancy a spot of toast, luv?

Me: Spot this, you old fart!

As for seating I do differ with you there were many days when I saw older people trying to walk to a seat with hot coffee or a tray of food and not able to find a seat and also it can get very confusing for older people as to where there seats are then walking many many feet to another room to find a table.

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am, by any conventional standards, an older person, and I find your contention that I would become confused by having to carry a tray of food a short distance whilst trying to find a vacant table, mildly offensive.

Now, where did I put that little mouse thingy, I had it a minute ago... :) :)

J

Dear Sir or Madam,

 

I am, by any conventional standards, an older person, and I find your contention that I would become confused by having to carry a tray of food a short distance whilst trying to find a vacant table, mildly offensive.

 

Now, where did I put that little mouse thingy, I had it a minute ago... :) :)

 

J

J:

At the risk of irrelevance, please forgive the following silliness meant to break up (but only for a moment) the "Great Debate of the Pros and Cons of Kings' Court":

Now, now, deary. S'all right. We'll find your mousy thingy for you. You just set a spell here and I'll bring your tray over. NOO!! No biting! You'll be sent back to KC to wait tables if you keep this up! Unhand me you lout! That's just not right, OW!! Stop it. Okay, okay...better now? These befuddlement pills sure do kick in fast, don't they?

We'll find your mousy thingy for you. You just set a spell here and I'll bring your tray over.

Michael,

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. You are a saint!

J

Michael,

 

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. You are a saint!

 

J

J:

Please pardon the irrelevant aside, but,

Now you are beginning to appreciate my positive traits. I know I can be quite a cad most times, but that should stand me in good stead for sainthood as far as recent VC decisions. You, me, and Mme. Theresa, sainthood here we come!

And I thought that I was off MY trolley or should it be tray.

Glad you mentioned about the double-decker bus. I live in New York, and I agree that it is a really terrific way to see A LOT of the city in very little time, and especially suited for those who would tire easily from walking. You can also get on and off as you please and take the next one. I have used the Gray Line, which is the oldest of the many.

I was under the impression that you could always get a steak or Caesar Salad in Brittania at dinner-- off menu --. But I never did try, since I could always find something tempting on the menu -- sometimes two !!!

And I agree about King's Court being a mess.

We couldn't tear ourselves away from the bangers and mash in the Golden Lion for lunch. And it gave us a chance to grab a good table for the trivia or the jazz concerts!

Brittania Breakfast was also a bit of a service muddle. And not very good, sorry.

I agree about the activities -- it's a shame they don't repeat them more often.

If you like wine by the glass-- there was a wine tasting (for $65 extra) which we didn't go to. But creatures of habit, we each found a nice tipple and stuck with it.

But thanks for reviving the memories of our delightful voyage aboard QM2.

Pat, thanks for sharing your review. I agree with others that it is very fair and that you reported the things you enjoyed as well as the things that you disliked. Glad you enjoyed your time on the QM2.

We have taken advantage of the "always available" items in the Britannia. Unfortunately, unlike Princess, these items are not posted on the menus. One must know to ask your waiters about these items. But as far as I know, the always available items include steak, chicken and caesar salad. There may be other things included also. On our last cruise in November, we asked about shrimp cocktail. Our waiter said he could arrange it and would we like it the next night. By ordering the night ahead, we enjoyed shrimp cocktail several nights. Now I don't doubt for a minute that Pat and her group were unable to order off the menu. I don't know if they were ordering things not included on the "always available menu" or if the wait staff and the maitre'd just did not want to be bothered. Either way, I am sorry that they were not more accommodating. My advice would be to ask your wait staff on the first or second night what items are offered on the always available list.

Beth