QM2, perhaps no longer fit for a Queen.. Review

[Robbar]

Glad to hear you had your fix and all is well with the world

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Oahucruiser]

Just saw QM2 pass QV in Sydney Harbour, celebrated by a nice fireworks display. I don't care too much if Mary is showing her age - she glided gracefully out Port Jackson into the night.

 

Cunard posted photos of the fireworks and the 2 Queens passing each other in Sydney on their Facebook page. Very nice! http://www.facebook.com/cunard

[QuipMC]

Lovely photos! Thanks for posting the link!

Edited March 13, 2015 by QuipMC

[Solent Richard]

We have recently disembarked from QE after completing an 18 day San Francisco to Auckland sector of QE's current World Cruise. I have heard the above stated 3rd hand before - however on this cruise I met a nice German couple who said that the entire atmosphere of QE changed for the better (for them) after San Francisco. They would not be specific about why they considered this had happened - except to stress that a large number of people had disembarked in SFO and an equally large number of people boarded the ship there.

 

Great Blogs Bazzaw.

 

Kind of makes one realise you are a true cruiser.

[axelskater]

I am also headed out on the July 30th voyage and can't wait. "Mini-fix" :) Until our longer October voyage comes around

[Seago2]

Cunard posted photos of the fireworks and the 2 Queens passing each other in Sydney on their Facebook page. Very nice! http://www.facebook.com/cunard

 

Beautiful, thank you!

[maggiemou]

Hi Melb 1988

I am following the QM2 and the QV/ QE world cruises at the moment and I have to say there is some good things happening on all three world cruises. QM2 looked stunning in Circular Quay the other day.

Next year QE makes a stop in Melbourne and maybe it would be a good chance for you to try a different Queen. :) I am really enjoying the blogs on the world cruise roll call on this forum and it makes me feel I am still on board with the passengers who take time to write about their travels. QE world cruise roll call is very active and I have added some photos for to the thread as Yokohama has had to be cancelled due to the weather. Hope you decide to try QE next year as I will be there. God willing .:D

[melb1988]

Hi Melb 1988

I am following the QM2 and the QV/ QE world cruises at the moment and I have to say there is some good things happening on all three world cruises. QM2 looked stunning in Circular Quay the other day.

Next year QE makes a stop in Melbourne and maybe it would be a good chance for you to try a different Queen. :) I am really enjoying the blogs on the world cruise roll call on this forum and it makes me feel I am still on board with the passengers who take time to write about their travels. QE world cruise roll call is very active and I have added some photos for to the thread as Yokohama has had to be cancelled due to the weather. Hope you decide to try QE next year as I will be there. God willing .:D

 

 

Hi! Thanks for letting me know :) I will have to check it out!

My next Cunard queen will certainly be QE or QV that's for sure! :)

 

Cheers

[ren0312]

Thanks Rob for your reposnse!

As I mentioned, it is a long review so naturally I thought those who are interested will read it and those who aren't wont. It's up to readers and whatever choice is fine by me but it is there regardless. Today it has been published on the main member review page :)

Thanks for the points re how you think it should have been written but I am comfortable with how I wrote it as I basically just sat down and wrote as I thought as opposed to structuring and planning it and then writing it.

 

I highly agree with where you pointed out that everyone has a right to a response and yes I'm aware that reviews, such as mine can often evoke emotional responses. But I must point out that yes, in fact certain people here do dispute my thoughts and recordings which again is fine, but I cannot justify someone telling me that 'my review is factually incorrect' because how can it be when its just a recount of my experience and what it saw. No one can tell me that it's factually incorrect for me to have felt negative about certain aspects of the ship. If I had stated that the ship was too small for example then yes by all means dispute it as we all know that even by today's standards it isn't a small ship, a quick look at the gross tonnage would confirm that. But me stating, again for example, that the service in some areas wasn't great cannot be considered fiction as it is simply a point of view. Everyone naturally is going to have different expectations of what good service even is.

There seems to be a few people here that cannot bare the thought that Cunard could possibly have some negative points and there for feel the need to try discredit you or tell you are wrong for feeling a certain way. So I stand by what I've said because It was my vacation, my experience, my review and if I did feel a certain way about something, then by all means I have the right to state it here without another member telling me basically that 'im wrong' and that they know better or worse make it out that I am lying for some

Unknown reason?

 

I appreciate your example using the aeroplanes and if good service alone is what makes your flight enjoyable then that's great. Me on the other hand, I expect not only good service but a well maintained and presented product. Sure, a pretty flight attendant with a big friendly smile who gives you extra peanuts is nice but it doesn't overide the fact that there's gum on my seat, the tray won't come down or the seat won't recline. She's done her bit for you perfectly but what about the airlines bit in ensuring that a certain level of product quality is maintained? In my opinion, it's abit of a cop out for a multimillion dollar airline to say to themselves 'yeah the plane is shabby, but we'll just ask the flight attendants who we don't even pay much to make up for the short comings of the plane itself and of coarse still charge the passanger full price'. Seems to be the general direction of big business these days, spend less, rely more on those at the bottom and still charge the customer more and more. And that's just not on in my opinion. I as a customer expect all round high quality if I am paying a premium price for a so called 'premium product', no excuses. If you cannot offer the premium product as described then lower the premium pricing. Simple and ethically right! Of coarse all that is just my personal opinion, you may and by all means have the right to fell differently. I am a firm believer in the saying 'you get what you pay for' and With Cunard you certainly pay! That's for sure..

 

I assume your refrence about tripping is in refrence to the potholes on QM2, they certainly didn't ruin my holiday that's for sure! But again is it responsible of Cunard to even allow these holes to remain!? That is concerning for me as it is a safety issue and we are all aware that Majority of Cunards passangers are older and I can't seem to understand how a company (any company) could be absolutely fine with having such unseen dangers lurking around the ship. It's a lawsuit waiting to happen but furthermore don't they even care that someone may hurt themselves? It's beyond me..

 

I guess what I'm trying to say and the main message of my review is that yes I had a lovely time onboard and yes I will travel Cunard again and again (QV/QE until I know QM2 has received it's refit), but there's no denying (in my opinion) that the QM2 has been allowed to slip in many different areas and I simply cannot justify why. There is no valid excuse in my opinion for most of the issues I pointed out and I personally believe the only reason why the ship has said issues is because Carnival is trying to see just how much they can get away with and just how much we're willing to put up with inorder to save some cash. If you can no longer offer a premium product then thast absolutely fine, don't market it as a premium product and no longer charge premium prices. But don't take us loyals for fools and assume we'll put up with anything and everything and won't say 'boo' because of our love for the Historical Line.. That's just not on and we don't deserve it.

 

I wonder in what state the Queens and the SS United States were in during the last years of their service, when in some cases you had only a few hundred passengers per trip.

[melb1988]

I wonder in what state the Queens and the SS United States were in during the last years of their service, when in some cases you had only a few hundred passengers per trip.

 

 

I believe it he already been mentioned in this thread by some someone and apparently they weren't too good at all!!

I would like to research it more though, I've actually been trying to find photographs of the interiors of the ships at the end of their careers! Would be interesting to see I think as we are so used to the immaculate photos usually put in books etc.

[foodsvcmgr]

I have previously described the state of the QUEENS by the mid 60's, quite threadbare but with excellent service and food.

 

UNITED STATES on the other hand was immaculately maintained, in part through huge government subsidy, but her crew were often surly and prone to strikes, and her food tailored to American tastes was often criticized as being inferior to the European lines.

 

Unlike my visit to QE, I do have many interior shots from a visit through US while her interior fittings were being sold off in 1986. In some areas it was like she had just left service, albeit 17 years prior, notes on the desks, piles of linens, etc. - very surreal.

[Jordy]

Great reading all, thanks for the information, I too am boarding next week in Sydney and am eagerly awaiting to see what has changed/stayed the same, our last time on QM2 was also the circumnavigation of Australia.

Heres hoping I wont be disappointed.

[brigittetom]

Heres hoping I wont be disappointed.

 

 

Yes, here's hoping. I don't think you will be disappointed in the least. We were on in November and had a wonderful time. No reason to be looking for flaws. :)

[alicia68]

I realize this post is almost a month old but thought I would add my thoughts. I was on a 12 night Canada/New England voyage in October 2014. This would be my 32nd cruise, first with Cunard. I am 45 and was travelling with a friend.Yes Mary could use a bit of work. There were several sink holes and I did see one lady with heels stumble and fall. One evening outside Sir Samuels there were staff trying to do a small ceiling patch as there had been some water dripping. There was a couple places that water dripped from the ceiling and a noticable sewer smell in some spots.

 

Even with these things though I have to say it was my favourite cruise so far. Mary is, and I dont mean to be offensive to anyone, but Mary is like seeing an elderly lady, that you can picture her as a young woman and just know she was stunning. I hope that makes sense. She is by far the most beautiful ship I have sailed on. Afternoon tea in the Queens room was brilliant every day, staff was wonderful. Food is subjective but I thought the dining room was very good, I enjoyed the buffet, food was good however it does get a bit repetitive. So does every buffet on every cruiseline though. Todd English was amazing.

 

As a smoker, that is the only thing I didnt care for. I realize that there are not many of us anymore though. The smoking areas on this ship are few and inconvenient when it is a TA or colder weather cruise. Yes G32 does have a small smoking section however this is never open before 6pm and if there is an event in the Queens room it could be 8 or 9 pm before G 32 is open as they use that venue for a staging area. Normally I dont mind going outside to smoke, but it was freezing and very windy on this sailing, so going outside in formal wear, with hair done was a complete pain. I have to say though, smokers do tend to meet people easier when we are all standing around. I have met some new friends that we all still keep in touch and are planning another sailing on Cunard.

 

On this cruise I met the most interesting people I have on any other voyage.

[Winchester Ranger]

I'm curious about the obnoxious female Hotel Manager - was she British by any chance ? As I was reading your report of her cynical comments my "Britdar" went off.

 

I hate to say this but the rudest, laziest crew members I have ever come across were British employees, from the rude casino croupiers on Carnival Miracle to the ignorant customer service desk members on Celebrity Infinity - it's all the more embarrassing because I'm a Brit myself !!!

[lannp]

The two hotel managers who generally rotate on QM2 are male. I couldn't figure out this person's comment. The majority of crew on the ship are not British and are some of the nicest people I have ever met.

[Winchester Ranger]

The two hotel managers who generally rotate on QM2 are male. I couldn't figure out this person's comment. The majority of crew on the ship are not British and are some of the nicest people I have ever met.

 

According to an earlier post it was this employee :confused:

 

http://www.beyondships.com/QV-Hodgson.html

[Tampa Girl]

 

QE is a great cruise ship, but I wouldn't use her for a TA. For that QM2 is needed.

 

Why not? Why is QM2 needed for a TA?

[turquoise 6]

Why not? Why is QM2 needed for a TA?

I've sailed On the QE. , transatlantic from NY to Southampton in March. Beautiful ship , but we had calm seas .

The QM2 is A true Ocean liner, with double Steel hull and deep draft to sail

In rough seas

Edited May 9, 2015 by turquoise 6
Add word

[Tampa Girl]

Thank you, Turquoise.

[Bell Boy]

According to an earlier post it was this employee :confused:

 

http://www.beyondships.com/QV-Hodgson.html

 

It certainly wasn't Ms. Jacqui Hodgson, She retired with 36 years of service from Cunard on Friday 25th July 2014.

 

Since the retirement of Ms Hodgson, there has been no female Hotel Manager on any Cunard ship ( and certainly not on QM2) until just recently, when Ms Naomi McFerren was appointed to the Queen Victoria as Hotel General Manager.

Edited May 10, 2015 by Bell Boy