Has Cunard really gone downhill?

[Pennypocket]

Oh Boy!

 

My husband and I have recently booked a partial world cruise on board the QM. This is to be a holiday of a lifetime for us and I can't begin to describe how we feel after reading this "blog". Are you people really serious?:(

 

 

Gugi

 

I would not fear. On the world cruise, everyone seems to kick it up a notch. There is not this 3-7 day cruise mentality and the staff knows that people will be on board a long time and it is best not to get them annoyed as annoyed passengers on long voyages can make life misserable for crew members. The routine seems more relaxed and the service better. Same goes for the level of food etc. So pack up your worries and smile smile smile.

[mainewoods]

Oh Boy!

 

My husband and I have recently booked a partial world cruise on board the QM. This is to be a holiday of a lifetime for us and I can't begin to describe how we feel after reading this "blog". Are you people really serious?:(

 

Gugi,

 

Please don't worry. Even though I was a bit disappointed with my recent cruise (4th of July 2010), I am still sitting here searching the Cunard site for a round trip Transatlantic. I still love her, and want to go on another voyage with her. I am hopeful that this is the exception rather than the rule. I'm sure that with the 2000+ passengers on board, that not all of us were disappointed.

 

I went on some of the other Cruise Critic luxury ship reviews, and I have come to the conclusion that none are perfect. One thing that I still love about the QM2 is her elegance and class. I'm not a fan of all the mirror/brassy/bling decor that some liners pass off as luxury. Enjoy your voyage of a lifetime. She's a beautiful ship.

 

If I had the vacation days (and my bank account) built up... I'd board her next voyage...

[Granny DI]

Gugi,

My sister and brother-in-law felt the same way you do after reading the comments. They almost cancelled their first cruise on the QM2. They decided to cruise anyway and had the time of their lives. They are on the QM2 now and are having a wonderful time. I didn't read the comments before booking the QM2 in Jan. I loved the itinerary and looked forward to not having to fly to and from Europe. I figured if my sister loved the QM2 then I would love it. My sister and brother-in-law have only sailed on the QM2. My husband and I have sailed on 17 different ships. We feel the value isn't there so we probably won't sail Cunard again. There are so many other beautiful ships sailing to all parts of the world now. It's so hard to choose. My sister and brother-in-law plan to sail the QM2 again....so its just a matter of personal opinion....even sisters don't agree!!!!

[Gugi]

I'm smiling, smiling, smiling!!!!!!!

[rafinmd]

Our waiter made copies of all the menus for us. We thought it was a very nice gesture until we read the inscription: Section E, 1,2 EXCELLENT!!!!!

 

I hate to get back to the old "Carnival owns Cunard" argument but that kind of stuff is what I remember from my first (and only) Carnival cruise in 1993. Unless Carnival has improved greatly in the last 17 years or Cunard has had a major deterioration in the last 4 months, there is a BIG difference between Cunard and Carnival.

 

You are taking the time to fill out the survey at the end of the cruise and it's the right time for YOUR honest opinions. If this happened to me, I would write in the comments something like "My waiter service was mediocre and the waiters placed unappropriate pressure on me to give them a favorable review". Cunard has many top-notch crew members and they richly deserve to be rewarded and promoted based on your honest feedback. This cannot happen if people yield to pressure to give undeserved positive reviews.

 

What you observed is totatlly opposite my experience. I could speculate that perhaps with the new ship some people may have been promoted from Canrival to Cunard, and some may need a bit of a nudge to get with the Cunard culture.

 

I have always gotten copies of the menus at the end of my Cunard cruises and have never seen the kind of inscription you got.

 

Roy

[britannia56]

in may we sailed on one of the super-mega ships and there's plenty to contrast.

cunard maintains a restrained decorum that you do not find on any of the more costly lines.

however, i miss the days when you actually had a cabin steward who brought your freshly made tea and biscuits. and other amenities.

the ever present steward who knew what your children were doing at any hour of the day or night.

times change and cunard still offers the best of the old ways.

[moniquet]

I don't really have anything to compare with as only sailed QM2 once. No serious complaints except I thought service and food was better on HAL. I think QM2 is overhyped and that leads to disappointment. Still enjoyed the cruise and was excellent value for money. The whole cruise industry is cutting costs for cheaper prices, something has to suffer. Everything has been dumbed down compared with 10 years ago.

 

QM2 is still a super ship:)

[Granny DI]

Rafinmd,

We did not give the waiter a good review. We wrote "STAR" cards for our wine steward, cabin steward and the person who taught the great computer classes. I heard many years ago that crew members would rather have wonderful things written about them instead of a tip if they had to choose. We give both. :)

[rolfecms]

The order in which people are served is, to me, the least important thing one should worry about with regard to service--in fact, it seems to me sexist and old-fashioned (although a harmless custom) for women to be served first. If this is the biggest problem encountered, I think the service must have been pretty good.

 

Sorry, but certain things distinguish proper table service from the plain old restaurant variety - and the specific rules are not subject to anyone's moral relativity judgments. I'm no etiquette expert, but I do know that the main dining room table service on Celebrity is superb - and I definitely expect the same on a premium-priced cruise line such as Cunard.

 

And that means the ladies are always first given the menus as well as served each course. This method obviously means more steps for the waiter - it is certainly not as efficient as just plopping things down on a first-encountered basis, or God help us, just handing the plates across the table to each guest. It may make it easier (as well as cheaper on labor costs), but it is not what I believe I'm paying for.

 

We're looking forward to our first Cunard experience on the QE transatlantic in January and you had better believe we'll be comparing notes. It's things like this that will determine if we are repeat Cunard passengers.

 

Cunard, are you listening?

[Camgirl]

Just over a week since we got off QV. There were staff in training for QE - they told us on the programme they broadcast on the TV, otherwise we certainly would not have noticed. We had impecable service in the Brittannia, with superb food (and the ladies were given the menus first and were served first every time). Our steward was helpful and attentive whilst unobtrusive. Staff throughout the ship were fantastic. I only saw one person on one evening who did not follow the dress code (and he was approached by staff and asked to comply), many people had made hats for the Ascot ball and masks for the Masked ball, everyone looked superb in their evening wear. We even had extra classical piano and jazz band concerts put on due to popular demand. We had a fantastic cruise and would really struggle to find any faults whatsoever. I find it such a shame that people have to moan so much about their holidays all the time. I honestly would find it very difficult to think off anything that could have been done to improve our cruise.

And yes, we have booked again for next year.

 

Sarah

[Granny DI]

Rolfecms,

Excellent comments. It is is nice to know there are still people who can distinquish between proper etiquette and simply "slinging hash" to the minions. BTW we rate Celebrity above Cunard.:)

[Gugi]

Many thanks for your input

[MadScientist_01]

Rolfecms,

Excellent comments. It is is nice to know there are still people who can distinquish between proper etiquette and simply "slinging hash" to the minions. BTW we rate Celebrity above Cunard.:)

 

I feel some sympathy with the staff, as this idea of 'etiquette' that is bandied about on here is a very abstract concept.

I have seen a waiter at a restaurant get bawled out by a lady (I use the term loosely!) for pouring wine for her husband/partner to taste, and demanding to know why it was offerred to him and not her as this was sexist.

Just because you and I have a regard for a certain set of rules, this does not make them universal - anyone who wants to go back to the etiquette of fifty years ago also has to accept the societal roles that went with that time as well, and I think the people who want that will form a very short queue!

[flag fan]

I feel some sympathy with the staff, as this idea of 'etiquette' that is bandied about on here is a very abstract concept.

I have seen a waiter at a restaurant get bawled out by a lady (I use the term loosely!) for pouring wine for her husband/partner to taste, and demanding to know why it was offerred to him and not her as this was sexist.

Just because you and I have a regard for a certain set of rules, this does not make them universal - anyone who wants to go back to the etiquette of fifty years ago also has to accept the societal roles that went with that time as well, and I think the people who want that will form a very short queue!

 

You expressed my views on this much better than I did.

 

Gender rules in social settings that favored women ("ladies") from a century ago were paralleled by business and professional rules that most definitely did not favor women. I think there is nothing wrong with following the old traditions in social settings--ladies first through a door, holding doors for women, being served first, etc., but for a woman to insist on them as the only proper way of doing things is, to me, a tacit acceptance of rules that are out-moded and potentially harmful. Yes, serving women first is a custom, but a change in the custom is not necessarily a sign of slipping standards; it may be a healthy sign of changing standards (to a more healthy egalitarian and efficient system). In any event, I think too many people find an insult where none was intended. I suspect the waiter who served men before women was just not following his training, rather than making a social statement or following a new standard, but I think even if in error, the change is a harmless, and even superior, way of serving dinner.

 

I look forward to seeing for myself later this month how service is compared to my first QM2 cruise 4 years cruises ago. I have yet to experience poor service on any cruise line (6 non-Cunard) and I suspect Cunard will more than meet my (perhaps too lenient) standards.

[vjmatty]

You expressed my views on this much better than I did.

 

Gender rules in social settings that favored women ("ladies") from a century ago were paralleled by business and professional rules that most definitely did not favor women. I think there is nothing wrong with following the old traditions in social settings--ladies first through a door, holding doors for women, being served first, etc., but for a woman to insist on them as the only proper way of doing things is, to me, a tacit acceptance of rules that are out-moded and potentially harmful. Yes, serving women first is a custom, but a change in the custom is not necessarily a sign of slipping standards; it may be a healthy sign of changing standards (to a more healthy egalitarian and efficient system).

 

Good point..... I am often troubled by members of my gender who wish to take the best of both words, gladly accepting today's opportunities in modern society but not wanting to give up the benefits historically granted to them by tradition. While I find it more prevalent in child custody situations it occasionally appears in matters involving chivalry as well.

 

No wonder why some men are so confused about what we want! :)

[Salacia]

Good point..... I am often troubled by members of my gender who wish to take the best of both words, gladly accepting today's opportunities in modern society but not wanting to give up the benefits historically granted to them by tradition. While I find it more prevalent in child custody situations it occasionally appears in matters involving chivalry as well.

 

No wonder why some men are so confused about what we want! :)

 

Please excuse me, but when you speak "about we want", who is the "we"?

[Whitemarsh]

Thank you to everyone that's put forward their opinions and comments so far. I have to say I am reassured that I will - overall - have a pleasant experience on the QM2.

 

Perhaps having never been on the QE2, or experienced the service of 5 - 10 years ago, and therefore having nothing to compare with is something in my favour. I have no idea how good it was, in years gone by, so my expectations are only as high as Cunard's current advertising have set them.

 

Provided we get everything we ask for (for example water at the table within minutes of asking for it - I'm not a fan of receiving basic items like water and bread fifteen to twenty minutes after you've asked for it) and the staff are not arrogant or rude then everything should be okay.

 

Personally I don't mind whether ladies are served first or last, but I do understand that this distinction does matter to others.

 

I will book my longer cruise as the itinerary is something I've always wanted to do. If I have a bad experience this year I guess I'll try and downgrade my cabin selection for the longer cruise. The less money it's costing the more relaxed my expectations will be.

[ILUVMTL]

I sailed on the QM2 in 2008 and the QV in 2010. I of course recognize that particular voyages and particular staff differ and so I can not know how representative my experiences are. Thus I make no claims other than that I will attempt to describe and compare my own experiences. In terms of food and service I found the QM2 to be superior to the QV. In both cases I ate in the Britannia dining room at the late sitting. On the QM2 voyage the menu choices were uniformly to my liking; many nights making a choice among intersting options was difficult. The food was consistently very good, sometimes excellent. The service was very attentive within the constraints of a waiter and one assistant waiter serving four six-top tables. The waiter and the assistant worked very hard to provide good service but they were sufficiently stressed that sometimes I declined to ask for what I wanted. Often it was difficult to find the sommelier after initial orders were taken. Overall the ambiance, the quality of the food, and the efforts of the servers made the total experience very enjoyable - at least four stars, maybe a bit more. On the QV this past January the experience was very different. First, the ambiance of the Britannia on the QV can not compare to that on the QM2. In addition I found the menu choices to be very disappointing, rather pedestrian; often it was a struggle to find an agreeable selection. The quality of the food itself ranged from bad (needing to be sent back, something I almost never do in a restaurant) to slightly better than passable. Nothing was excellent, often food was cold when it arrived. (One night several in our party carried drinks down with them from the Commodore Club and then ordered refills. The refills were so inferior that they had to be sent back twice [i thought my companions were being overly critical until I finally tasted their drinks and found myself concurring with their assessments]). The service while not terrible, was not up to the service I had experienced on the QM2. Again one waiter and one assissant and, I believe, four six-top tables. There were long periods between courses, food was not prepared as ordered, servers did not remember diner preferences (those on the QM2 did remember our preferences). In their defense there was an outbreak of norovirus on the voyage resulting in the closing of the Lido. However, although virually all non-Grills passengers ate in the Britannia, four six-tops still equalled 24 diners. Overall the dining experience was not always pleasant, and was markedly less pleasant than that on the QM2. Two, maybe two and a half, stars. Although there are features of the QV that I prefer to those of the QM2, food and service are not among them. I am booked on the Queen Elizabeth's maiden TA in January and am looking forward to seeing how food and service compare. I should add also that between my two Cunard voyages, in 2009 I sailed on the Sea Princess. I found the food selection and quality on the Sea Princess to be superior to that of the QV and just a touch below that of the QM2. Dining room service on the Sea Princess surpassed that of both the Cunard ships. This time one waiter and one assistant had three 8-tops. I'm not sure how much effect that might have had, after all, still 24 diners. The timing of courses was fine, food was always hot, nothing was ever sent back, everything arrived as ordered. Most importantly the servers appeared unrushed, attentive, and remembered all of our preferences from the first night. Food, three and a half to four stars, service, five stars. Overall, the experience was just about on par with that that of the QM2 but noticeably higher than that of the QV. The service of stewards and bar personnel was similar (very good) across the three voyages. I must say that with the exception of the C&W music in the main Sea Princess bar and the elegance of the decor, I found the Sea Princess experience surprisingly similar to the Cunard experience. The biggest difference was in fact the passengers. No question the Cunard passengers were more sophisticated, cosmopolitan, international, and interesting. The upshot for me: No question I remain a Cunard enthusiast, and even though I am worried that food and service are slipping, I still find the whole experience tremendously enjoyable and I am very happy for the time being to focus on the positives!

[Granny DI]

There is no "perfect" ship, "perfect" cruise or voyage. Everyone has a different idea of "perfect". We all keep looking for our "perfect". My husband and I have sailed nearly "perfect" cruises but not the "perfect" one...we are still searching. We have lived and worked all over the world so we've already had many wonderful experiences. We still want to see and experience more. We also have our "bucket list". Since we love sailing we're hoping to cross off many of the items in our "bucket list" by sailing. The Land of the Midnight Sun Voyage crossed off one of our items, so now its on to the next one. The Qm2 wasn't the right fit for us and we knew it almost immediately. We enjoyed the ports in Norway. We lived in Norway for many years so it was like going home. To us the QM2 was just like so many of the other ships we'd sailed. We were looking for the very special QM2 written about in the numerous books we read....we didn't find her so we're disappointed. Many of you love the QM2 or Cunard we do not, but that's what makes the world a wonderful place. We're now thinking of Slovenia, The Black Sea, Australia, Asia ....so many places and so many ships. We can't wait!!!!!

[Savoia]

Has Cunard lost it's way and are the claims of exceptional "White Star Service" even further from reality than one might generally suppose?

 

 

Cunard, from an outsider looking in, makes an interesting case study. As was pointed out within Carnival many synergies are combined within the brands which makes sense. But it has also been pointed out that there have been too many combining of operations which has come at the expense of the brands.

 

With Cunard Princess took over and instituted standards of operations on many levels including the catering. After the less than trouble free debut of QM2 Carnival placed Princess in charge of Cunard. I am not sure what constitutes "White Star Service"..what can one point to and say "that is White Star Service?" it is a wonderful idea on paper but seems more words than action.

 

Princess still handles the entertainment one finds on Cunard. Staffing bth in hotel and engineering are done to princess standards. And of course decor on Cunard is still the domain of Princess Cruises (see QV again via the Ruby Princess where some of her decor resides). Cunard's current marketing is directed with Princess Cruises supervision. What is left to Cunard itself can't tell the difference between the original Queen Mary and a Titanic's Queen Mary..literally. Cunard's original Verendah Grill video was ditched after an embarassing image was used. In short, there is a lack of connection with the present marketing staff and the "ocean liner brand" tag line so often used. If the company is going to bill itself an exceptional cruise experience then its customer service needs to live up to that. Playing games with the fares as we've so often read on this forum and not to mention the disasterous response to the volcano issue we witnessed earlier this year hasn't lent itself to a company who has its client's interests in mind.

 

The growing perception is Cunard is indeed a Carnival Cruise Lines company. Cunard needs to concentrate on raising its own bar and not look and operate so much like its sister brands. Make the "White Star Service" stand out and represent the company. Bring its own take on dining, bring a distinct British element to its ships. Not what its competition feels Cunard should have.

 

I'd love to try QV but really no interest in what Cunard is like today..it looks too much like everything else out there. Would I cruise Cunard? Absolutely..would I pay? No way..a bargain fare most definetly but as it stands the current product leaves a great deal to be desired.

[lusitanica]

To us the QM2 was just like so many of the other ships we'd sailed. We were looking for the very special QM2 written about in the numerous books we read....we didn't find her so we're disappointed.

 

The QM2 is a unique ship. She's unlike anything else in the world of sea travel.

This is a technical fact.

So I assume you have confused the QM2 with a different ship.:eek:

[heywood]

The QM2 is a unique ship. She's unlike anything else in the world of sea travel.

This is a technical fact.

So I assume you have confused the QM2 with a different ship.:eek:

 

I know I can't speak for the OP here but whilst the ship may be unique, perhaps the service and ambience is becoming less so. I want to enjoy the whole experience and reading recent threads and posts, something seems to be slipping.

Let's hope that Cunard gets back on course in delivering what it advertises.

[ovccruiser]

Thank you to everyone that's put forward their opinions and comments so far. I have to say I am reassured that I will - overall - have a pleasant experience on the QM2.

 

Perhaps having never been on the QE2, or experienced the service of 5 - 10 years ago, and therefore having nothing to compare with is something in my favour. I have no idea how good it was, in years gone by, so my expectations are only as high as Cunard's current advertising have set them.

 

Provided we get everything we ask for (for example water at the table within minutes of asking for it - I'm not a fan of receiving basic items like water and bread fifteen to twenty minutes after you've asked for it) and the staff are not arrogant or rude then everything should be okay.

 

Personally I don't mind whether ladies are served first or last, but I do understand that this distinction does matter to others.

 

I will book my longer cruise as the itinerary is something I've always wanted to do. If I have a bad experience this year I guess I'll try and downgrade my cabin selection for the longer cruise. The less money it's costing the more relaxed my expectations will be.

 

Water will be in your glass almost as soon as you are sat down. They always serve ladies first which, as a gentleman, I like. The thing that always impresses me is that when they serve the meal, the Cunard Logo is always at the top of the plate furthest away from you. As regards cabin classes, with the exception of the Grills and Club, the majority eat in Brittania unless they eat in Tdd English or Kings Court. Have a great cruise, you will enjoy it I am sure.

[garigoun]

With regard to etiquette, i.e. ladies not being served first etc. This lack is not just on the part of the staff. It is rare indeed to see a gentleman stand when a lady joins or leaves the table. In fact the only people I have seen who routinely practice this small courtesy (apart from the male members of my family) are Germans. And while the obligatory proffered pepper grinder may intrude on the conversation sometimes, a simple 'no thank you' would be preferable to the irritated dismissive gesture with which it is often greeted. Also I have never understood why someone would be in possession of a menu for a full ten minutes and only open it to actually choose something, often accompanied by much discussion, when the waiter is hovering at their elbow.

If one expects courtesy from others then one must perforce practice it oneself.

Gari

[Cruachan]

If one expects courtesy from others then one must perforce practice it oneself.

Gari

 

And that, I believe, is the key. To those who complain about rude waiting staff (something I have never experienced on Cunard), I say, before complaining about the waiters, take a little time out to analyse your own attitude.

 

J