QM2's next refit: What would you change?

[mariposa777]

I always thought the Winter Garden would make a great supper club, whether pianist, guitarist, or three-piece band accompanying dinner. Perhaps a small dance area for non-ballroom social dancing. Just my two cents.

 

Jeanne

 

I like this idea!

 

We went to a RADA performance in the winter garden and it was great but lacked a bit of atmosphere as the place was too big for the group gathered to listen.

 

We generally avoided deck 7 completely so didn't use it at all the rest of the trip.

[Salacia]

The QE itinary in the Med is a good example. Very port intensive: not a lot of fuel is used in port, often quite short distances between ports so the ship can sail slowly and use less fuel.

 

Compare with the traditional Med Southampton / Southampton cruise with the long drag to ports east of Malaga.

 

David.

 

David, thanks, that makes sense...

 

On the other hand, when the ship is in port, on-board revenue is drastically reduced compared to what it would be on a sea day. Also, in most ports, the ship is on idle while docked, but still burns fuel (unless there is a on shore electrical plug-in that the ship has been equipped to utilize.)

 

And then there is the matter of fuel burned in ports where docking maneuvers require a larger expenditure of fuel as opposed to tender ports.

 

There is also the matter of port taxes and fees. I'm not clear on where those taxes and fees go, but I have read reports that cruise lines profit from those fees. I'd be very interested in knowing the facts regarding the distribution of port taxes and fees.

 

If I remember correctly, comments have been made that QM2 World Voyage 2015 has less port stops than previous World Voyages? So if port intensive cruises are more profitable, why the change?

 

Just my personal observation, but port stops in warmer climates allow for maintenance on the ship to be done when the ship is docked, such as painting balconies, varnishing deck boxes, painting of interior crew stairwells, and all the things that could not be done well in inclement temperatures. -So there is another reason (other than fuel economy) why cruises to more temperate zones have might have more port stops.

 

And of course, stops that include CCL owned ports is expected to enhance revenue.

Edited October 5, 2014 by Salacia

[sfb]

What difference between restaurant windows QM2 deck 7 and restaurant windows QE QV deck 3 and QE2 boat deck grill restaurant. All have walkers beyond glass.

Answer. No difference.

 

Except.

Seems people behind glass QM2 deck 7 dont want see the masses being permitted to move about ship.

Whereas QE QV QE2 people understand other on board who might want walk promenade.

(We QM2 queens grill passengers if want to know)

On QE2 was promenade. Walkers. Chairs. Lifeboats. Blocking view.

 

What about feelings passengers deck 7 promenade being gawked at talked about by people sat behind glass.

Are people really saying elite few dont want reminded of other 85%? what a message.

 

Position QM2 todd english far worse than grill position.

Cheers.

[Camgirl]

The QE itinary in the Med is a good example. Very port intensive: not a lot of fuel is used in port, often quite short distances between ports so the ship can sail slowly and use less fuel.

 

Compare with the traditional Med Southampton / Southampton cruise with the long drag to ports east of Malaga.

 

David.

 

I hope they don't banish any more ships to the med. There are plenty of us who either can't or don't want to fly or who love the extra sea days sailing to the med from Southampton and back. At the moment the cunard fleet is effectively only two ships for me and many others.

 

I hope to be on qm2 for the first time next year so I can't comment on what to change but am following this thread with interest.

[pmb1]

...

What about feelings passengers deck 7 promenade being gawked at talked about by people sat behind glass.

Are people really saying elite few dont want reminded of other 85%? what a message. ...

Get real, sfb. Britannia diners enjoy uninterrupted ocean views, why can't the Grills?

[balf]

 

On the other hand, when the ship is in port, on-board revenue is drastically reduced compared to what it would be on a sea day. Also, in most ports, the ship is on idle while docked, but still burns fuel (unless there is a on shore electrical plug-in that the ship has been equipped to utilize.)

 

.

 

It's true that fuel is still used in port to run all the ship facilities, but that must be far less than when the ship is underway. And don't forget the tours. In most of the ports last month a big proportion of the passengers were doing tours: the ship was nearly empty. Cunard will strike a very hard deal with the tour operators and I think they are a big earner. As to shop sales I think they catch up quickly when they reopen.

 

David.

[balf]

I hope they don't banish any more ships to the med. There are plenty of us who either can't or don't want to fly or who love the extra sea days sailing to the med from Southampton and back. At the moment the cunard fleet is effectively only two ships for me and many others.

 

I hope to be on qm2 for the first time next year so I can't comment on what to change but am following this thread with interest.

 

I agree with you completely. When we got home from our two weeks on QE we said "never again"

 

What were we doing getting up at 2am, a time that doesn't exist in our consciousness to be herded like cattle in Manchester Airport, then to have the even worse experience at Rome on the return.

 

To understand what's wrong with these cruises you have to know how package holidays work. Flight to resort hotel in Spain, Portugal, Italy or wherever. Fortnight later fly home, all sold as one package hence the name. So many of us took our holidays like this in the 70s and 80s. Many still do. QE in the Med is identical except that the hotel is the ship, and of course it cruises.

 

This means that every week the ship disembarks and embarks half of its passengers, so you can board in, say Athens on Friday, and be back in Athens again the next Friday And your table companions are constantly changing. And it's always casual dining that evening, no jacket, no tie. So a very different cruise experience that we won't be repeating.

 

This will not change next year when QV takes over from QE. As for Cunard ships being unavailable for no flyers, when the three ships leave for the world cruises things are worse. From early January to early May there is a big blank.

 

David.

[BettyBoop3850]

I and my mom do not like to fly so we do QM2 roundtrip from New York. Would love to see the Baltic and other itinereries than what they have now. Or make it so the QM2 cgonnects with QE or QV and then back on QM2 home.

[JollyJackTar52]

More thoughts?

 

Deck 8

Remove Todd English. 2 new Queens Grill Penthouses aft of 8130 & 8219 with additional balcony space going on top of the deck 7 roof structures. New (Possibly 5 on each side) Britannia Ocean view. Enlarged Play Zone and The Zone in the Middle. New kid friendly bits on the pool here, and the area made more child friendly.

 

Deck 7

Space taken by Grills Lounge becomes additional space for Kings Court. Space occupied by Princess Grill also becomes Kings Court while Queens Grill becomes the new Veranda/Todd English

 

Deck 6

Nicking an idea from PMB1 here, but remove all the Britannia Staterooms aft of the D Stairwell. The new Grills Lounge runs the full width of the ship with entrances either side of the D Stairwell. Further aft, The Princess Grill Restaurant takes one side and Queens Grill Restaurant would take the other. The space currently occupied by the balconies would become a sheltered promenade on both sides to allow access to The Minnows pool without having to go through the Restaurants directly.

 

The Minnows Pool would become a Grills Pool & Sundeck.

 

I reckon you'd loose around 36 Britannia Sheltered Balconies & 14 Britannia Inside, but gain 2 Penthouses with seriously big private balconies gain around 10 ocean view staterooms

[brigittetom]

More thoughts?

 

Deck 8

Remove Todd English. 2 new Queens Grill Penthouses aft of 8130 & 8219 with additional balcony space going on top of the deck 7 roof structures. New (Possibly 5 on each side) Britannia Ocean view. Enlarged Play Zone and The Zone in the Middle. New kid friendly bits on the pool here, and the area made more child friendly.

 

 

That leaves Britanna passengers with no pool, outdoor bar, or sun deck.

[balf]

 

I reckon you'd loose around 36 Britannia Sheltered Balconies & 14 Britannia Inside, but gain 2 Penthouses with seriously big private balconies gain around 10 ocean view staterooms

 

You are joking aren't you?

 

David.

[DDBINK1]

are you referring to this article on cc?

 

Carnival corporation & plc, the parent company of carnival cruise lines, holland america line and princess cruises, among others, has improved its fuel efficiency by 24 percent from 2007 through 2014, resulting in a savings of $2.5 billion in fuel costs for the company.

 

http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/news/news.cfm?id=6012#

 

yes

[Rotterdam]

So do I. Sadly, it is much under utilised room and people wandering in with trays of food when you have found a quiet corner doesn't help! Using it as an extension to the Kings Court is a disaster imo.

 

It could be used as a casual/informal entertainment are during the evenings, when not a quiet bar area - properly resourced & staffed, of course.

 

The tea/coffee area is a good idea too.

 

 

Removing / changing the WG is just another step in Carnival Corp (aka Carnivore Corp) stripping of the personality of ships. And adding a slide etc for the pool & children is ridiculous - why would they change the QM2 into another RCCL / NCL ship. The quality onboard has been in decline for many years now - we take fewer cruises - especially on Carnivore Line ships.

[sarafinadh]

I know this is terribly pedestrian, but the shower curtains are dreadful.

 

I mean, really? Who thinks that the optimal dimensions of a curtain exactly match the opening they are trying to cover?

 

The one in our head needed to be three inches longer and ten inches wider.

 

The floor flooded every time we showered and there was nothing we could do to prevent it. It was a soggy mess.

[Underwatr]

Towel on the floor usually works for us. Wasn't there one folded on the shower sill when the steward cleaned the bathroom?

 

It looks as though at some point they decided to economize and shrink the shower curtain by 3 or 4 inches. There are unused clips in the track that suggest a longer curtain was once installed (they could be spare clips).

 

BTW, the showers on the Vista ships are about 2/3 the size of QM2's.

Edited October 16, 2014 by Underwatr

[sarafinadh]

There was a bath mat and we used it, but it was totally insufficient for the amount of water that splashed out. You could either position the curtain closer to the shower head so it didn't spray out there, or closer to the far side of the opening so it didn't spray out there. If you positioned it in the middle it sprayed out on both sides of the curtain and was even worse. But prolly most of the water was off the bottom of the curtain. Since it was only "just" as long as the opening it shifted in and out with the least movement, rather than staying mostly put inside of the shower. And that just sheeted the water straight down the curtain and onto the floor. When we finished showering and drying we used our towels to sop up the mess, which meant we had to have new towels each day, rather wasteful. Perhaps ours was smaller than most, I hope so. Be forewarned if you stay in stateroom 5027, which was in all other respects is a lovely cabin. I felt like Russel Crowe, only with fewer animals aboard ; -)

[balf]

I'm told the shower is a tight fit for two.

 

David.

[sarafinadh]

You were told right!

Tight, but not impossible ; -)

[balf]

Obviously that explains the leaky shower curtain problem.

 

David.

[DDBINK1]

In the past I just had the butler hold the curtain closed while I showered. If one side was opened he would block the gap with his tux coat while I got clean. Such is the life of a properly trained British Style Butler. ;)

[sarafinadh]

Nope ; -)

 

With two we could take turns holding the curtain somewhat in place.

 

Seriously.

[Underwatr]

At the risk of repeating myself, don't complain about the shower stall on QM2 before you've cruised on QV/QE.

[FennoExpress]

I was pondering this question while doing the dishes and before reading what others had suggested. It seems to be that many of us are on the same track and I hope Cunard will do something more than just replace some couches and shower curtains. Here's my list.

 

Do not touch:

• Britannia Restaurant
  
• Commodore Club
  
• Library
  
• Deck 7 promenade
  

Do touch please:

 

• Winter Garden
  

 

 

Regatta Bar/Splash Pool

Three times onboard and never seen them used. Waste of space really, do something better? Maybe. If a subtle retractable roof could be incorporated without changing the exterior lines of the Ship, the Winter Garden could move here to make space for an enlarged Kings Court?

 

This is a great idea. The WG need more light and less plastique, I'm thinking along the lines of Normandie's WG. It could easily fit in the space of the Regatta/Splash and the Sports Centre. I'm sure a discreet retractable roof could be fitted and opened in warmer climates, to make this an al fresco lido/bar.

 

 

• Deck 7 & 8
  

I would move the QG to the space currently occupied by TE, ditch the PG and move KC to the Grills place. The forward part of the current KC-space would become a posh Extra Tariff-restaurant open to all and included in the PG-grade fare. Forward of this would be a speciality cuisine restaurant or two, more clearly separated from the buffet than the current KC evening eataries. A Midships Bar in what would be left of the current WG space, this could work as a seperate cafe during the day. And all along the port side of deck 7 a long gallery leading from the Spa to the KC/Lido entry.

 

• Theatre
  

I would like to see if a QE-style theatre would work on th QM2. For me the current space is a bit too plain and '90s glitz, not ocean liner style.

 

 

• G32
  

This space needs a total rethinking. Could it work as an Extra Tariff dining venue even though it doesn't have windows? Or maybe open it to become more a part of the Queen's Room?

 

 

• Atlantic Room
  

A wasted space with great views, but maybe too small to be anyting other than it currently is. Maybe a QG exclusive bar?

[sarafinadh]

No complaints here about the stall. Just the curtain ; -) And I am guessing from comments that Himself will have to shave himself if we ever sail on the QV or QE. I shudder at that thought!

 

I was impressed with the over all cabin layout and finishes. The couch wasn't plush, but it wasn't disgraceful either.

 

Reading Fennoexpress's comments I would offer that there is a possible improvement to the library, as nice as it is now. All of the cases lock and secure for the night. Every morning and every evening the poor schmoo who works it has to manually unlock and open ALL of those glass doors.

 

It would be a simple job to wire in electronic locks that could all open and close at the touch of a button. It took him almost 45 minutes to open it all up. People were waiting on him getting to the section they wished to look into. Clearly he was frazzled and feeling the pressure.

 

They wouldn't need to go to the much more complicated effort of installing opening and closing doors. People are easily capable of opening any case that has titles and subjects that interest them, so the doors would be opened by passengers, or the librarian could unlock them all and then manually open the doors, but passengers would have access to the books once the locks were open and wouldn't be waiting around whilst he went thru the stacks each morning.

 

It isn't a big thing but it would make mornings in the library much easier and more pleasant.

 

Regarding the splash pool and regatta bar. I think that is the deck up on top(?), where there is a grill/buffet that makes burgers. On our crossing we had lunch there twice and it was lovely, and there were many other passengers lunching as well. Perhaps at other times it is less used.

 

But on our crossing it was good weather and it was a very nice place to sit and eat excellent burgers. Ask them to stack two raw pattys and grill them together. They managed a very nice rare burger, juicy and flavourful, instead of the dry grey ufos in the buffet tray ; -)

 

I can imagine in hotter climes it would be very busy. Some shade might be needed in that case, Retractable awnings? We wouldn't have wanted to sit in the shade when we were there. The weather wasn't THAT lovely!

 

And I will throw in another thought. How about taking one of these under utilized spaces, or part of one of them and creating a closed smoking lounge with GOOD ventilation and comfortable seating and bar service. Much of the time The QM2 is crossing in very cold weather, even when the weather is nice it is not often warm, especially in the evening.

 

Perhaps that regatta bar space? A lounge and bar and deck space, covered and uncovered, where smoking is allowed and comfortable?

 

As a non smoker myself I value a smoke free environment, but the passengers who are smokers pay the same fares as the rest of us and while they are responsible for their smoking some sympathy would not go amiss.

 

Himself became a smoker at 19, in the jungles of Vietnam when the danger of death by cancer was a possibility so remote as to not even weigh against the immediate threat he and his fellows was facing each day. Attempts to quit have not been successful. He wishes to, but unlike some, has not been able to.

 

It is very possible to find a way to graciously accommodate the (many) passengers with a need for such a space. And a smart accommodation would lessen the interaction and irritation that non smoking passengers have with them.

 

The winter garden was almost unused on our trip. It seems like a good option for a three meal a day premium restaurant space to add some options beyond TE and the pop ups. This is an area where the QM2 is somewhat lacking compared to other ships. Entertainment supper club is an excellent idea ; -)

[pmb1]

...

And I will throw in another thought. How about taking one of these under utilized spaces, or part of one of them and creating a closed smoking lounge with GOOD ventilation and comfortable seating and bar service. Much of the time The QM2 is crossing in very cold weather, even when the weather is nice it is not often warm, especially in the evening.

 

Perhaps that regatta bar space? A lounge and bar and deck space, covered and uncovered, where smoking is allowed and comfortable?

 

As a non smoker myself I value a smoke free environment, but the passengers who are smokers pay the same fares as the rest of us and while they are responsible for their smoking some sympathy would not go amiss. ...

That's a good idea, sarafinadh. I quit a long time ago but my wife smokes occasionally and does not enjoy the pariah treatment on QM2. G32 was so far from our cabin that we bought her a pack of mini cigars so that she could puff indoors in Churchill's from time to time. I'm sure that a dedicated smoking lounge, with its own bar, would make money.