Capnpugwash on QM2 after the 2011 refit

[capnpugwash]

This trip really started a few days before the QM2 went into dry-dock, I was completing my final back to back transatlantic crossing and was in a conversation with several people on board. As a result I quite fancied seeing what the changes had been during the refit so I spoke to Dragana who is the future cruise guru and CWC rep on this ship and she arranged for me to be waitlisted to travel. This took absolutely no effort whatsoever on my part, other than waiting. In the intervening days I discovered that I was 56 on the waitlist which to me meant that I wouldn’t be going anywhere, my one trump card is that I live about 60 miles from the port and can be here within 90 minutes on a good day or 75 on a bad one! This would enable me to take advantage of any no-shows that they always have on the boarding day so I had planned and was prepared to sit half packed ready to go awaiting the call today. All of this was circumvented when yesterday Carnival called me to say that they had a cancellation which if I chose to I could take a passenger. The price was reasonable and I was given an upgrade from a D8 to a B2, I jumped at it naturally so I am in an in-hull balcony on deck 5, it really couldn’t be better. The cabins are my favourite and deck 5 is also a great location, I am midway between stairways B and C so am very central to most things.

I was able to pack at my leisure, have breakfast this morning and make my way to the Mayflower Terminal to greet the newly refurbished ship. It looks stunning; the newly painted hull has lost that patchwork quality that it had acquired and the interior is wonderful with an over-riding smell of new carpet. One thing that I didn’t understand was why the QM2 was flying the Royal Mail pennant at the masthead, the only other time that I have seen it was in New York on November 10th just before we sailed to Southampton before the ship was re-flagged. I think that all the public rooms have had new flooring fitted; the cabin corridors look brand new but are the same pattern as before so I am unsure about them. The cabins have the dark brown carpet with black and cream swirls, new light coloured bedding and curtains completes the look and I think that it looks great, I really like it. There has been some criticism of the carpets but most of it stems from those who haven’t seen it, I feel that it is only when seen in conjunction with the other furnishings that one can form a balanced and objective view, this of course won’t prevent many on these boards from doing just the opposite.

I was on board just after 12.30 and having viewed my cabin and grabbed a snack in King’s Court I went for a beer in the pub. This room has been totally redesigned and looks very nice although it now has 4 large screen television sets adorning the walls, they were switched on today with quite a bit of volume but hopefully they won’t make a habit of that as it tends to make it less like a pub and more like an American sports bar. I then took a walk through the spa and it looks very nice with fresh paint and renewed tiling, they have also changed the chairs and stools for comfy looking adjustable beds. I am back in my cabin awaiting the delivery of my luggage, so it must be time to crack open the Pol Acker and hope that this prompts the delivery fairy to turn up.

It has been partially successful as one of my smaller bags has been delivered at 3.30pm, that just leaves the main case which has 90% of my clothes in. I really don’t know why Cunard bother with putting “Priority” on the tags as there seems to be no segregation at all, I am not being a princess about this but they have had my bags for over 3 hours and it just shouldn’t take that long whoever the bag belongs to. The initial announcement for the Passenger Muster has just been made so the time is now 3.45.

The main case arrived 5 minutes before the drill was due to commence so I was able to quickly unpack and head to the muster. It all went well and after it I went for a Bloody Mary to the Commodore Club, the furniture really looks smart with the white leather(y) finish on the chairs and stools and the carpet is good as well. There was quite a crowd of us up there and I had only met a few of them before but we still had a very nice hour or so.

It is just after 6.30pm and we are sailing down Southampton Water, it is very windy outside which will hopefully mean that we experience some wave action in the English Channel. We have a sea day tomorrow on our short trip to Le Havre where we are due arrive on Saturday morning, I have no idea how we are going to take 36 hours to travel the 100 or so miles from here to there. I imagine that we will be traipsing up and down the Channel to just kill the spare time.

I am in the cabin now preparing for dinner at 8.30; the dress code is elegant casual so it doesn’t require too much effort on my part, shirt and jacket plus trousers is something that even I can handle. I met a couple of people in the Chart Room before dinner and we shared an hour or so of good conversation and then I went into dinner. I was seated at a table for 8 which was full, there was Marianne who is travelling alone, John and Karen plus his two daughters Janine and Helen plus another couple who didn’t say a single word throughout the meal. I was the only person drinking wine and it emerged in conversation that the father and his wife were both God squad. It seems that their young Pastor had deserted his flock through the stress of his job so this couple had volunteered to stand in for him at the Christmas services in their community. Of course it is all very noble but it does make for dull table companions and I was delighted to leave at 10.30 after a Caesar salad and some roast beef with a baked potato. I did slip to G32 for something to restore my faith in human nature. This was soon accomplished in the packed disco and I left at around 12.30am, of course we lose an hour tonight so it is actually 1.30am.

Because my trip was confirmed so late I have some serious problems with the on board computer system, basically it doesn’t recognise the fact that I am actually here, all bill have to be processed manually which is not really a problem but I am unable to access the internet and so have been unable to do any work today. Hopefully I will remedy the matter tomorrow and will be able to play catch up. I am off to bed now as it is 1.45am.

I slept well with the gentle rocking of the ship and woke at 7.30am, I had no idea that it was that late as it was still pitch black outside and the sun wasn’t due to rise for another 40 minutes. I went to the Britannia for breakfast only to find that whilst I could get porridge, because it is a short cruise the chefs hadn’t prepared Eggs Benedict! It seems a slightly implausible excuse but I was forced to have poached haddock instead which was delicious. I was on a lovely window table which was only marred by the strange passengers that I joined, one of them thought that the ship didn’t measure up to the QE2 and the 5 others were all new to Cunard and had disparate opinions of this ship. They varied from quite nice but not like P&O to being likened to Butlins because there was a queue for dinner last night. Unfortunately breakfast service was a little slow so it was almost 9am by the time I was able to leave.

I had a stroll around the ship to see what else had changed, there is a beautiful Christmas tree in the lobby by the Purser’s desk and some smaller ones dotted around the ship in various places. I have just had a coffee in Sir Samuel’s where they have a new machine, the coffee beans are ground fresh for each cup and then the hot water is forced through them into the cup, it is very nice and is now served with some biscotti and a glass of iced water.

On a separate matter I have just heard that Rob Camby who is the Deputy Captain will be promoted to Captain and will leave this ship on December 19th in New York. He will transfer to P&O and assume command of one of their vessels.

More later

[Whitemarsh]

I was able to pack at my leisure, have breakfast this morning and make my way to the Mayflower Terminal to greet the newly refurbished ship. It looks stunning; the newly painted hull has lost that patchwork quality that it had acquired and the interior is wonderful with an over-riding smell of new carpet. I think that all the public rooms have had new flooring fitted; the cabin corridors look brand new but are the same pattern as before so I am unsure about them. The cabins have the dark brown carpet with black and cream swirls, new light coloured bedding and curtains completes the look and I think that it looks great, I really like it. There has been some criticism of the carpets but most of it stems from those who haven’t seen it, I feel that it is only when seen in conjunction with the other furnishings that one can form a balanced and objective view, this of course won’t prevent many on these boards from doing just the opposite.

 

Well I'll take your word for it regarding the stateroom carpets; they do like awfully busy from what pictures I've seen. I look forward to seeing the real thing in February.

 

Glad to hear that the rest of the ship looks great.

 

 

...I was on a lovely window table which was only marred by the strange passengers that I joined, one of them thought that the ship didn’t measure up to the QE2 and the 5 others were all new to Cunard and had disparate opinions of this ship. They varied from quite nice but not like P&O to being likened to Butlins because there was a queue for dinner last night. Unfortunately breakfast service was a little slow so it was almost 9am by the time I was able to leave.

 

"It's not as good as the QE2"....jeez where have I heard that before? Some really do take their pleasures in finding fault.

[jenno10388]

fantastic to hear your first impressions!! thank you so much.

 

I am also going to be staying in a deck 5 B2 cabin :) have they changed the couch or is it the same?

 

cheers and keep us posted! we love it

steve

[Bell Boy]

Oh my goodness Cap'n, I've only just posted a comment about you .... thought you'd missed the boat ;)

 

 

Bell Boy:)

[capnpugwash]

Oh my goodness Cap'n, I've only just posted a comment about you .... thought you'd missed the boat ;)

 

 

Bell Boy:)

 

Paul, my timing was perfect!

[Norine]

I am also on board and the staterooms are very pleasant indeed, the sofa has not been replaced which is a pity as it looks just a little out of place. The soft furnishings blend in well with the new carpet, far from being jarringly swirly it suits the space rather well I think.

The new carpets and furnishings in the Commore are lovely, I thought initially that the carpet was a bit cool but the cream and soft grey chairs with their small cushions and little tea lights on the tables create a very pleasant atmosphere indeed.

The shops have been completely re-thought and are much more pleasant to browse with more sellable articles, it would seem that the e-mails requesting ideas on this area and what should be on sale have been taken onboard.

[northernsailor]

Sounds good Cap'n - did they rectify the shower handles in all the thousands of cabins so they match the QE2?

 

No eggs benedict :(

[capnpugwash]

Sounds good Cap'n - did they rectify the shower handles in all the thousands of cabins so they match the QE2?

 

No eggs benedict :(

 

It seems that they have, the photographic shop has had a run on Panasonic cameras as well!:eek:

 

Update no 1.

As today is a sea day, Todd English was serving lunch and I took advantage of the complementary lunch there. As usual it was excellent and I had my normal starter of Fig and Prosciutto flat bread followed by Peppered Salmon, 2 glasses of Hunter Valley Sauvignon Blanc washed it all down nicely. Gyorgy the waiter came to see what I wanted for dessert and I really fancied a little cheese, he said that unfortunately they don’t have cheese at lunch so I settled for ice cream. 5 minutes later he brought some biscuits and butter along with a knife and fork. I said to him that I obviously wasn’t having the ice cream then, he answered that they try to go the extra mile which I thought really encompassed the ethos of Cunard in just seven words. The cheese duly arrived and it was enough for 4 people, I did my best but there was still enough left to feed a small African village for a couple of days. It was only then that I started to regret my decision to book the champagne afternoon tea today.

There have been some changes in TE during the refit, they are not cosmetic but rather affect the charges that they make. In the past there has been a $20 cover charge which has now been dispensed with; instead the menu has itemised prices by each dish. The starters run from $5 to $7, entrees from $10 to $12 and desserts from $5 to $7, the fallen chocolate cake costs $7. The diamond level perk is unchanged as far as I know.

It is now 1.45 and I need to rest up so that I can face the tea at 3.30pm. I have just heard from Claudio who runs the spa that he is prepared to do a deal at $55 for a three day pass which is a nice result so after tea I will head there and detoxify for an hour or so.

This evening is a formal dress code and is the only formal evening on this short trip, the Captain is having his cocktail parties for passengers in Britannia so the bars should be fairly empty before dinner.

More later

[BlueRiband]

...One thing that I didn’t understand was why the QM2 was flying the Royal Mail pennant at the masthead, the only other time that I have seen it was in New York on November 10th just before we sailed to Southampton before the ship was re-flagged..

That I don't understand either. Cunard removed all references to "RMS" in QM2's US press documents and when the question was raised on their facebook page it got deleted instead of answered. If she was still RMS why would they not say so?

 

Glad you got a great deal and in one of your preferred staterooms at that. (Except no Eggs Benedict - bummer.) For the people taking a short "teaser" cruise however, a voyage of 100 miles in 36 hours is not the true experience of her sea handling capabilities. We look forward to more first hand reporting as you make your way around the ship.

[newjoisey]

the capt.s reporting does make one feel they are there. they seem fair and balanced. i think he has written books before

[Whitemarsh]

the capt.s reporting does make one feel they are there. they seem fair and balanced. i think he has written books before

 

Yes, but more impressive is his stamina. Late evenings (like 2am) in G32 are followed by early breakfasts in the Britannia dining room; I don't know how he does it. :)

[sammythedog]

yay more pugwash! Hope you get some better dining companions and your eggs benedict!

[philayl]

Yes, but more impressive is his stamina. Late evenings (like 2am) in G32 are followed by early breakfasts in the Britannia dining room; I don't know how he does it. :)

Yes the Capn's constitution and stamina are to be admired, we don't realise the suffering he goes through to provide with these reports, long may he reign!:rolleyes::D:D:D

[bobby1119]

Delighted to hear that Robby Camby has been promoted to Captain, but sorry to see him leave Queen Mary 2. Perhaps he will rotate back again as Captain sometime soon.

 

I sat at his table during a Norway cruise sandwiched between eastbound and westbound crossings from New York last year. He was a great host.

 

He is well deserving of this promotion at his young age of 35.

[Route6A]

What a delight to find you are back on the Queen Mary 2. An early Christmas present! I'll enjoy your every word.

[Cruise Liner Fan]

Cap'n, Have fun on your QM2 cruise and have you ever considered writing a book about all of your cruise travels? I really think that it would make for interesting reading and some other Cunard passengers have done like this woman known as the QE2 Diva.Her name is Mary Mastony she can sing opera which I have seen and heard her do aboard QE2 and QM2.I have a few of her books which are about the world cruises she took aboard QE2 and is interesting reading.Mary got the name QE2 Diva from one of the wives of the QE2 Captains. Regards,Jerry

[Jimsgirl]

If everything on the menu is now priced individually, are we to assume that the Diamond perk of a "free lunch" now has a set limit for the total bill, and that passengers now have to "add" up the cost before they order?

 

Will this a la carte pricing also be used on the QV?

 

I think it will mean that inthe next few weeks we will hear that Diamond members will no longer get lunch at TE as a "reward"..

 

Since there are quite a number of Diamond members on this board an answer from TE or Cunard will be appreciated.

[bobby1119]

Cap'n, Have fun on your QM2 cruise and have you ever considered writing a book about all of your cruise travels? I really think that it would make for interesting reading and some other Cunard passengers have done like this woman known as the QE2 Diva.Her name is Mary Mastony she can sing opera which I have seen and heard her do aboard QE2 and QM2.I have a few of her books which are about the world cruises she took aboard QE2 and is interesting reading.Mary got the name QE2 Diva from one of the wives of the QE2 Captains. Regards,Jerry

 

Hi Jerry,

 

Her name is Mary Mastony, and I believe she lives in NJ.

 

I had the opportunity to observe this Diva, Disco Dot, Bea Muller and many other Divas of both sexes during my 108 days on the QE2 world cruise in 2007! :rolleyes:

[gentlemancruiser]

Hi Jerry,

 

Her name is Mary Mastony, and I believe she lives in NJ.

 

I had the opportunity to observe this Diva, Disco Dot, Bea Muller and many other Divas of both sexes during my 108 days on the QE2 world cruise in 2007! :rolleyes:

 

Mary Mastony - OMG that name makes me smile. What a character.

I had just one trip on the QE2 and what I really remember of the trip was Mary while on a shore excursion, screamming at a bus drive in Catagena Columbia to STOP THE BUS, STOP THE BUS!!! (she wanted us to pick up Maureen Ryan) who was in the city shopping. The bus was full at the time and headed on city tour. :-)

[Cruise Liner Fan]

Hi Jerry,

 

Her name is Mary Mastony, and I believe she lives in NJ.

 

I had the opportunity to observe this Diva, Disco Dot, Bea Muller and many other Divas of both sexes during my 108 days on the QE2 world cruise in 2007! :rolleyes:

Thanks,Bobby. Regards,Jerry

[Oahucruiser]

Your silent dining companions may be the same ones that we had on the April crossing; they never said a word during the entire seven nights and the wife had a cold and blew her nose constantly. Not pleasant.

 

I'd love your opinion on the carpet and the rest of the décor in the Champagne Bar. That, from photos, looks like the "busiest" redecorating of all. Thank you!

[bobby1119]

Mary Mastony - OMG that name makes me smile. What a character.

I had just one trip on the QE2 and what I really remember of the trip was Mary while on a shore excursion, screamming at a bus drive in Catagena Columbia to STOP THE BUS, STOP THE BUS!!! (she wanted us to pick up Maureen Ryan) who was in the city shopping. The bus was full at the time and headed on city tour. :-)

 

LOL. That's like her!

 

QE2 had many characters like that. My travel agent, who used to work for Cunard in direct sales in the "good old days," always says that QE2 was a magnet for nuts and eccentrics. Present company included, I guess.:D

[JWB.ESQ]

Ahoy, Cap'n:

 

Glad to hear you were able to squeak in for this sample voyage. We have one of the giant C1 cabins for the 12/19 trip.

 

If you have a moment, could you mention to the Commodore Club staff that we have 18-22 CC members converging on their portside seating area at 14:00 on December 20th? I'll be in touch with onboard staff on the 19th, but it can't hurt to give them more advanced warning.

 

Many thanks, much obliged, and have a great (short) voyage.

 

John

[Mr_Phoebe_Cat]

I'd been following the refit on the Cunard blog and it's great to have the inside story. Sounds like they've perked her up nicely.

 

I wish I had a pound for every time I've heard [adopts Eric Idle voice] "Oh, it's not like the QE2" on board.

 

We need to get you on the wait list for the Baltics then - the three of us will miss you on that one for sure!

[Whitemarsh]

I wish I had a pound for every time I've heard [adopts Eric Idle voice] "Oh, it's not like the QE2" on board.

 

But what would you do with your trillions of pounds? If you also had a pound for every time someone mentioned 'cost cutting', then you'd be the richest man in the world - in 10 minutes!