Just Back from QE2's May 21 Norwegian Wonders Cruise

[seacruise9]

Hi,

 

Last night, we returned home from the QE2's 7-day Norwegian Wonders cruise. The cruise was excellent and we had a wonderful time. We were disappointed that our stop at Flaam was cancelled due to poor weather, but we liked the three ports that were able to visit. We especially enjoyed the full-day Overland to Geiranger tour. The scenery throughout the tour was spectacular! On our tender ride back to the QE2, we got a close-up view of the newly-refurbished SAGA RUBY (former VISTAFJORD/CARONIA) cruising past the QE2. It was wonderful seeing the two former fleetmates meeting in the Fjord. This was an incredible photo opportunity!

 

This was the seventh time that I have sailed aboard the QE2 (I did transatlantic crossings in 1984, 2001, and 2003, and Caribbean or Bermuda cruises in 1996, 1999, and 2000). As before, I absolutely loved the ship. We were very pleased with the food and service in the dining room. The maintenance aboard the ship is generally fine, but the carpet looked worn in many places (especially the stairwells). The ship could use some new carpet. I liked the new Funnel Bar on Sun Deck (added during last year's refit).

 

The atmosphere aboard the ship was a little different because it is now directed toward the British market. As expected, the majority of the passengers were from the UK. Of the 1,742 passengers aboard, 1,427 were from the UK and 126 were from the US. Afternoon tea was still very nice, but it was very crowded in the Queens Room. We met many wonderful people throughout the cruise. A highlight was meeting Bea Mueller (the lady who lives aboard the ship). She is very charming.

 

I spoke to Captain McNaught about the future of the QE2. He said that the ship is in excellent mechanical condition, but that there will be a problem with the increasingly stringent safety regulations. According to him, Cunard is planning to operate the ship until 2010. I asked the Cruise Sales Office about the new stateroom categories for 2006 (M6, M7, etc.). They did not know much about this. The categories are in the computer, but they did not know if certain staterooms were being switched to these new categories or if these will be guarantee categories.

 

We arranged our flights and pre-cruise stay in London through Cunard. Our hotel (Crown Plaza St. James) was nice and had a great location. All of the transfers were very smooth. Unfortunately, the pre-cruise documentation contained some mistakes. The brochure and pre-cruise documents indicated that there would be three types of dress for dinner: formal, informal, and casual. However, there were no casual nights during the cruise (jacket and tie were required every evening). This was fine, but we would have packed differently if we had known this.

 

Overall, we had a wonderful time. We certainly hope to sail aboard the QE2 again in the future. If anyone has any questions about the ship or the ports, please let me know.

 

Chuck

[cruisin'fool2]

Hi,

 

I spoke to Captain McNaught about the future of the QE2. He said that the ship is in excellent mechanical condition, but that there will be a problem with the increasingly stringent safety regulations. According to him, Cunard is planning to operate the ship until 2010. I asked the Cruise Sales Office about the new stateroom categories for 2006 (M6, M7, etc.). They did not know much about this. The categories are in the computer, but they did not know if certain staterooms were being switched to these new categories or if these will be guarantee categories.

 

Chuck

 

Chuck,

 

Did you happen to ask Captain McNaught how much longer he would be aboard the QE2 or about his upcoming secondment to Princess? Thanks.

 

Mike

[carlmm]

Thank you, Chuck, for offering to anwer question. Indeed I do have some because I will go on a similiar cruise later this year:

You said, food and service were good: Can you compare it to earlier sailings or maybe the former Vistafjord/Caronia? Which restaurant did you use?

Some critics complained recently about tea: "No white glove. Small choice and low quality of too early pre-prepared sandwiches. Scones with preapplied jam and cream of low quality. Unfriendly waiters." What was is like?

Did you do a tour in Bergen? Or do you have any other recommendations there?

How was the weather, on sealevel and in the mountains on the Geiranger tour?

How was cruise director, hostess and international hostess?

Thank you if you can find to answer any one of the question and may you be back on board as soon as you wish.

[sandramerle]

Glad you had a good trip. We are going on the Norway Fjord cruise on June 15 and I would love to be in touch with you to find out about the different tours and the weather in that area, which would help with packing.If you could be in touch with me at sanmerle3@aol.com, it would be greatly appreciated

[seacruise9]

Mike:

 

Unfortunately, my conversation with Captain McNaught was very brief. I didn't have time to ask about his transfer to Princess. No mention of his transfer was made during the cruise.

 

Carlmm:

 

We dined in the Mauretania Restaurant (late seating). During the days in port, the Mauretania was closed for lunch. Thus, we had lunch in the Caronia Restaurant on two days. I think the food and service were comparable to what I have experienced other times aboard the QE2. The food and service were similar to what I found on the QM2 last year, but they weren't up to the standards that I experienced on the SAGAFJORD and VISTAFJORD during the mid 1990's.

 

We went to afternoon tea in the Queens Room on three different days. The room was crowded, but the tea was nice. Waiters came by with trays containing a variety of sandwiches and trays with a variety of desserts. Although the scones were pre-made with cream and jelly, I thought that they were tasty. We met some Queens Grill passengers who attended tea in the Queens Room rather than the Queens Grill Lounge (thus, they must not have thought the tea was too bad in the Queens Room). Most of the waiters were friendly, but we encountered a few who were not. Also, there was live music during the tea. Because there were usually events in the Queens Room before the tea and a majority of the passengers were British, the tea was very crowded. However, we usually waited to attend tea until about 4:30. By this time, some of the people had already left and seats were available.

 

In Bergen, we did the "Best of Bergen" tour in the morning. This was a fairly standard city highlights tour. After the tour, we had lunch on the ship. We returned to Bergen after lunch for a couple of hours. Cunard ran a free shuttle bus from the ship to the downtown area. It was nice doing a tour that only lasted half a day so that we had time to explore the port on our own.

 

The weather was cool in port. I usually wore a sweatshirt and a jacket. The weather was usually pleasant, but there were some brief showers. Because the cruise was far north, the days were very long. For instance, in Alesund the sunrise was at 4:11 and sunset was at 10:54.

 

The cruise director, Ray Rouse, was excellent. I had several lengthy (and very enjoyable) conversations with him. I did not have any contact with the hostess or international hostess.

 

I hope this information helps. Please let me know if you have any further questions.

 

Sandramerle:

 

I will send you a message. I would be happy to try to answer any questions that you might have. Because I saved copies of the Daily Programs from each day, I have a lot of information about the cruise.

 

Chuck

[seabourndt]

i'm going on my 1st qe2 cruise on july 30th to iceland and norway, intested in the tours you took. shame you did not get to flaam. geiranger i thought about the mountain farm. island tour in allesund. looked at the ones in bergen thought i'd do something my self any ideas

david

[seacruise9]

During our cruise, we did the following tours:

 

Bergen--Best of Bergen (morning tour);

Hellesylt/Geiranger--Overland to Geiranger (full-day tour); and

Alesund--Highlights of Alesund (morning tour).

 

The best tour that we did was the Overland to Geiranger tour (spectacular scenery). We liked doing the half-day tours in Bergen and Alesund. After the tours, we had lunch on the ship. We then went back to town to explore the cites on our own. In Bergen, Cunard ran a free shuttle bus from the ship to the downtown area. In Alesund, it is a short walk to the shopping area.

 

Please let me know if you have any further questions,

 

Chuck

[carlmm]

Hi Chuck,

 

thank you very much for all the answers!

One more question, please: Is tea still served on deck, too?

[Blazerboy]

Hey Chuck, great review, and good to meet you on board. Sorry we didn't see you the last evening.

 

I'll just add my thoughts to your review.

 

My input: we did enjoy the tea in the Queen's Room several days because of the music. For a nice quiet tea, the Queen's Grill Lounge is nice, but we wanted to hear the music, especially the harpist, in the Queen's room. But Chuck is right, it was very crowded, with people scouting out seats as early as 3:00 p.m. As well, Tea was served in the Lido and in the Pavillion, so you could, I suppose, "have tea on deck," but I didn't see anyone serving it out there.

 

We thought that the service was excellent. Our first time in Queen's Grill, so we were very impressed with both the service and the quality of the food- the worst meal was the tableside Duck a L'Orange, and it was only bad by comparison. I eat a lot of fish and was pleasantly surprised by the preparations- not overcooked, which is so easy, especially with previously frozen fish.

 

We actually didn't do many tours- we were disapointed about missing Flaam, but might go back next year for the cruise that goes to Iceland and Norway(we missed that port on our trip last Fall) At Gerainger, we took the Eagle's Bend short tour, which was really more about photo ops, but fun. This allowed us to do see the transit down the fjord from the decks of the QE2. As someone pointed out though, we could have done that on the way out before dinner. Our tablemates did the overland that included the trip to the glacier, and highly recomended it. In Bergen, we wondered around on our own, but seemed to hit many of the highlights- the funicular, the fortifications, the church, the restored old wooden buildings that house both shops and artists' studios, and the fish market. We also wandered around the University of Bergen. Lunch at the fishmarket was wonderful- I think the restaurant was Ned's- but quite pricey- $140. for the two of us- one appetizer, two entrees and two glasses of wine! Delicious though, and the memory our only real souvenir. Bergen is easy to do on your own. In Allesund, we did the same thing, but had lunch on board. Chuck's right, the ship was right in the center of town. We did hike up to the view point- 419 steps up, and 419 down, but worth it for the view. Helped take care of a few pounds we'd gained. There are benches along the way, so you don't have to hike up non-stop.

 

The ship itself was definitely a big part of the reason for the trip, and it really is like coming home again. A few people complained about the maintainance, but, while I could see a few spots here and there, I was impressed overall, and tried to remember that this IS a ship, afterall. The new stage for the shows in the Grand Lounge seems a lot nicer, and the shows themselves were more entertaining than before- I usually wonder by for about three minutes on my way to the Yacht Club, but found myself lingering longer this time. The Captain seemed in good spirits, so I, too, avoided the conversation about his secondment. He did make several jabs at the QM2, but all in good fun.

 

We stayed at the Crowne Plaza St James after the cruise, and thought it was great, and we booked on our own, directly on their website, not through Cunard. Probably helped that London was having great weather for the two days we were there, but the location seemed good for exploring- we even walked from the hotel for an evening out in SoHo. The Indian restaurant in the Hotel is very good, but try its sister restaurant, Bombay Brasserie, in Bailey's Hotel, just off the Glouchester Road in South Kensington- they have a prix fixe luncheon buffet which was quite nice, and not such a shock to the wallet.

 

Andrew

[seacruise9]

Hi Andrew:

 

I'm sorry that we didn't see you on the last night. Packing took longer than we expected. The cruise went by much too quickly! I agree with your comments above.

 

Carlmm:

 

Although we always had afternoon tea in the Queens Room, the Daily Programs stated that tea was also served in the Lido, the Pavilion, and Sun Deck (weather permitting). Although I was not on the Sun Deck during tea time, I am guessing that it was served near the new Funnel Bar.

 

Chuck

[donaldo]

To Seabourndt; We are also to take our first QE2 cruise on July 30, hope it lives up to expectations.

To Balzerboy; Can you elaborate on your 'worst meal' experience, was it the food, the service or .....? We are within Q grade and will be dining in the Queens Grill so am interested in your comments. Can you also kindly advise average wine prices in QG, just so I clear enough on the plastic prior to embarkation, thanks?

Can QG guests dine in the other restauarnats or do you have to stick to your 'allocated' restaurant? Thanks in advance. Don Miller. don_a_miller@yahoo.co.uk

[Blazerboy]

Don, I'll post here as well as e-mail, in case others are interested.

 

Let me clarify that the duck was good, just not as good as other meals. I prefer my duck breast a little pink, and this was thoroughly cooked. It wasn't actually a bad meal, just not as much to my tastes as all the others. But it could also be that, after caviar, foie gras, lobster bisque, etc., I wasn't that interested in more rich food! Service was phenomenal- we had Oliver Lau (there are two Olivers in the Grill at present) and Mariusz as our waiters, and Dennis as our assistant maitre d'. Along with Andrew, the maitre d',Victoria and Raquel who both helped with caviar garnishes and the cheese course, we were extremely well taken care of- that I remember their names speaks volumes, as I usually don't!

 

Claude was our sommelier, and was very good at recommending wines. We had some lovely whites- white burgundy from France and chardonnays from California, and they were in the $25. to $35.00 range. We had many nice reds, but they were more in the $35 to $50. range. Our tablemates ordered some Chateau Neuf du Pape, which was really lovely, but I'm not sure about the price. Claude, who is from South Africa, recommended wines we'd not had, both from South Africa and Australia, so it was a nice sampling. One thing for you to remember is that the wines are charged in U.S. dollars, so for you, might be quite a bargain, given the current state of the exchange rate!

 

We never tried to change restaurants, as we were dining with friends, but I've heard that you can- not sure though if you can do it for just one meal. Somewhere on the boards I read about people preferring to eat in either Princess Grill or Caronia, but I believe they switched for the entire trip. In the past, we've dined in Princess Grill/Britannia Grill which we liked very much, but enjoyed ourselves this time and wouldn't have wanted to switch. I've seen postings that called the food too fancy and "over-wrought" in Queen's Grill, but we didn't find it so. But I love food, so I was there for the whole experience- I can always diet later! I chatted with one veteran Cunard passenger (I won't call her a "Cunarder," as so many here do, because that makes her sound like a ship!:D ) who was traveling with a friend in Caronia, rather than her usual Princess Grill accommodations, and she was disappointed in her restaurant, mostly about choices on the menu. We never ate in the Lido, as, on past trips it didn't impress.

 

Have a great trip- we were almost on that cruise until my brother had the nerve to schedule his wedding day on the 31st- we might try it again next year!

[rjms74]

Donaldo,

 

I have a recent QE2 winelist of 20+ pages I could email if you like & also the QE2 a la carte menu & a sample menu from my last QE2 October cruise in the QG Restaurant.

 

Blazerboy - glad to hear you had a good trip - I note you have dined previously in the Princess / Britannia Grills - woudl you say that the PG Restaurant is comparable re service & quality of food to the QG Restaurant - I ask as I am in the PG Restaurant next month on board for a 12 night cruise & have only dined in the QG Rest. / & Caronia on previous trips. I also note that the Maitre D' was Andrew - is the A. Nelder who is usuallyin the PG Restaurant as it is usually David Chambers as MD in the QG Rest & sometimes someone called Colin - who is very miserable! One other question was the bar tender in the QG Lounge Bar Brian (he sounds Liverpudlian) who again is not overly friendly towards guests?

 

 

Kind Regards,

 

 

RJMS74

[Blazerboy]

RJMS74-

 

I thought the food and service in PG/BG excellent, but I will admit that the service in QG was just that much more. Yes, it was Andrew Nelder as Maitre d'- the former Maitre d' from BG went to the QM2 nore than a year ago. Not sure about any of the others. We didn't have any interaction with the barman in Queen's Grill Lounge, just the servers, who were very pleasant.

 

The a la carte menu is much more extensive in QG, but as we mostly ordered from the menu of the day, I'm not sure it's that big a deal. But it was nice to have the option. Certainly the caviar was something we had often. For example, last time in BG, it was caviar served on a smoked salmon rose as the a la carte option every night- In QG, it was traditional caviar service with the usual accompaniments. Not sure if that's a change acrosss the board, or one of the differences. We did really enjoy the two smaller dining rooms (PG/BG). On the other hand, QG has the advantage of being able to see out Port or Starboard. And you'll still have use of the lounge.

 

Andrew

[donaldo]

For RJMS74, yes please, if your ISP permits such size files, I think mine permits receipt of such size, I do not have winzip in case you were to zip the file.

email is don_a_miller@yahoo.co.uk thank you in advance.

[whylion]

RJMS74,

We are planning to go on Norway/Iceland cruise at the end of July. Having a look at the wine list ahead would really help us make choices -- we could even look a few of them up before we go. Would you send this if you get a chance?

Thanks,

Whylion

[Jimsgirl]

There is a big difference between Queens Grill and Mauretania dining, even from the embarkation, you are segregated into "First and Third class" passengers and treated accordingly. I was on May 2nd Med cruise.

 

Afternoon tea, no choice of which tea, scones were pre- prepared, and dry, as too were the finger sandwiches. waiters were inclined to be "could not care less," seemed certain tables got service others just got the brush off. Certainly whatever event was before the tea, the people just stayed on, and those going just for tea found themselves "on the outside looking in"

 

Service in the Mauretania was slow, and often unwilliing. Tables without napkins, or the right setting of cutlery. at breakfast. Items listed on menu and chosen got the response"we have none " or came up hopelessly wrong. Eggs Benedict and 2 Large Breakfast sausages arrived as scrambled egg and no sausage. another time Western Omelet arrived as 2 link sausages and baked beans. There is simply no excuse for this on Cunard. On morning I waited 35 mins and never got a thing to eat, waiter said he was "very busy" in the end I left the dining room as hungry as when I went in .

 

No rep to meet me at Gatwick, no transport to Crowne Plaza, though these were booked through Cunard, Agency told me to "get a cab and claim cost from Cunard" Also "You were only passenger, it is Sunday, no rep is going to Gatwick on a Sunday for just one person". As for transport to Southampton next day, told at 9.15 that rep was double booked and I should "sit in lobby between 12 and 1pm and wait for a

driver to call my name , if you are not there he will leave and you will have to get to Southampton on your own"

 

What ever happened to "impeccable service " ????

[travellady]

Thanks for this review. Sailing the QE2 through the Norwegian fjords is on my list of must do's. This summer is out as we already have an Alaskan cruise planned, but I'm hoping for either next summer or the summer after. Certainly by 2010 if it's true what Captain McNaught said regarding the ship going out of service after that year.

 

Your mention of the Sagafjord sent me back to its maiden voyage, in October 1965. I was on that voyage from Norway to New York and though I was only 10, I clearly remember entering New York harbor that overcast October morning and being greeted by many fireboats and Crown Prince Harold boarding. My Viking blood has kept me on the sea ever since.

[donaldo]

Thanks for the wine list, bar drinks and glass lists, very helpful, some favourites appear some do not, but at least I know to clear the plastic by hom much, thanks, looking forward to the menus. Don

[rjms74]

Whylion, Please could you post your email address and I can of course email you the wine lists / bar drinks menus.

 

Kind Regards,

 

RJMS74

[sweep]

We are booked on the QE2 for October 15th and will be dining in the Caronia restaurant. Can someone please tell me how the single sitting works? Are you allocated a table? If so what happens if people choose to eat at different times? If it is open seating, how easy is it to get a table for two?

 

Has anyone tried the C5 cabins?

 

Any information gratefully received as we have not been on this ship since 1993!

[seabourndt]

after months starting my own post and only finding one coming, i happen to look at this one and find 2. hope we can meet up at some point. where is whlion from?

my 1st qe2 cruise, done lots of other cruises QM2,CORONIA,CROWN DYNASTY,DISKO,SONG OF AMERICA,NIEUW AMSTERDAM,MELODY,NORWEGIAN DAWN,COSTA VICTORIA,MINERVA2,FUNCHAL,GOLDEN PRINCESS, AND MANY OTHERS. NOT HAD MY TICKETS YET. AM IN 3006 PLEASE CALL ME.

DAVE

[kevinsac]

Damn....I was horrified to read about the lack of service described by Jimsgirl. Cunard should be above that. On Cunard, no one is "just a passenger," even if booked in the lowest category cabin. I first sailed ont he QE2 in August of 1969 and although it's now been 2 years since we sailed on her, I have never heard a story like that.

 

The rest of the comments make me homesick for the QE2 again. My S.O. and I have been on the QM2 several times since she was launched, but the QE2 will always be my favorite.

 

We are a family which has traded restaurants on several of our cruises. Granted, I think we always sailed either QG or PG cabins, and if there was room available, we were always allowed to "trade down," whether for a night or two or for the whole cruise. We also were allowed to invite friends whom we had met on board, even if they were assigned to other restaurants. From what I remember, if the request was reasonable and with some advance notice, they would jump at the chance to accommodate us.

 

(Just an FYI....back in the 70's, there was an international restaurant rating company. Hey...I was a teenager:rolleyes: , so I don't remember which one, but similar to Zagat's or Michelin. There were several consecutive years when the PG received international recognition, and the QG did not. I can remember that on several World Cruises, we were on the Signal or Sun Deck, yet Mother still had us seated in the PG for the entire 3 months.)

 

Those were the days! :cool: Someone else paying for my cruises. Sometimes it stinks being an adult!

[Blazerboy]

KevininSAC,

 

Not to be rude, but Jimsgirl has been trashing Cunard at every turn for a long time. Not sure if it's an agenda, or whether she was just truly unfortunate, but her posts seem a little over the top. Time for a grain of salt here, I'd suspect.

 

Also wanted to say that I miss the days of the parents picking up the bill- we sailed back and forth to Europe during the 60's and early 70's. Still love to be on a ship, but it was nice when others paid the tab!

 

Hope to sail on the QE2 again, but nothing scheduled for next year.

 

Best,

[kevinsac]

Blazer.....I wonder if our paths ever crossed??? I am now early 40's (soon to be mid-40's :eek: ), FOD, was from NC, and sounds like we both spent many days at sea. Back then, mostly QE2. Any of this sound familiar?

 

[i did not realize Jimsgirl was such a whiner.....but it makes sense.....I've never heard of such appalling service from Cunard.]