Princess fans just off the QM2

[Magnum60]

I have heard that both passengers and staff on Cunard can be snobbish, by U.S. standards anyway. Did you find that to be the case, or was it simply good manners that some Americans mistake for pretense?

 

I've sailed aboard QM2, QE2 and Sea Goddess and found the staff from room steward all the way up to the Flag officers to be both friendly and efficent but because you have effectively hired them by booking your QM2 cruise you will usually need to engage members of the staff first if you expect to engage in casual social conversation. I have yet to feel that passengers or staff on any Cunard ship to be snobbish.

[kendon]

On a lighter note...

 

the QM2 is the only cruise ship (ok, oceanliner) at sea with a kennel for pets. It was certainly one of the highlights of our cruise to go up to the top deck and watch the dogs. On our crossing, there were 11 dogs and 1 cat. While only the owners can go beyond the gates to visit daily, we were still able to pet them at the gate. How cool.

[junglejane]

We did a crossing on the QM2 in June 2013 with our 2 DD's who were 16 and 12 at the time. There was a lot about the cruise that we really enjoyed, especially the excellent onboard speakers. Here's the summary from my review:

 

OVERALL OPINION AND COMPARISON TO CELEBRITY/PRINCESS: We came away with the opinion that the QM2 is a unique and wonderful ship. It’s hard to imagine doing a transatlantic cruise on any other ship. There’s just so much to do and explore, and your fellow passengers are obviously well read, well traveled people. This ship was built for crossings, and we assume that crossings are what it does best. By this I mean an emphasis on indoor public assembly spaces and enough space for the ship to feel uncrowded, as well as an emphasis on on-board activities that appeal to a cultured clientele. We think these advantages would diminish on a port-intensive cruise, especially for itineraries that emphasize sunshine. We also prefer the availability of open seating options on Princess and Celebrity. Cunard only offers the open seating option in Britannia Club and the Grills, which are much more expensive. On our last cruise on the Celebrity Silhouette, we booked Aqua Class and enjoyed dining in Blu, a smaller venue with excellent service and open seating. We also like the variety of alternative dining options on the Celebrity Solstice-class ships. For a port intensive cruise, we would also prefer the more relaxed dress code found on Princess and Celebrity where you can wear smart casual attire to the specialty restaurants. Our next cruise destination will probably be a Baltic cruise in summer of 2015. Much as we enjoyed the QM2, I think we will prefer Celebrity or Princess for a Baltic cruise. But I’m sure we will return someday to do another crossing on the magnificent QM2.

 

The whole review is posted at: http://www.cruisecritic.com/v-4/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=223070. By the way, we did exactly as we predicted and booked the Caribbean Princess for our 2015 Baltic cruise. I can definitely see returning to the QM2 one of these days for another crossing, because it was a unique and enjoyable experience. In fact, I can't imagine doing a TA on the Caribbean Princess. My only real complaint about our Baltic cruise was that the atrium area on the Caribbean Princess was incredibly crowded when the ship was at sea. It was downright unpleasant to try to walk through the atrium area. The QM2 is a much better ship for crossing the Atlantic for the reasons I quoted from my review.

Edited August 16, 2015 by junglejane

[Bimmer09]

Kendon, welcome back from your voyage on the QM2.

 

I remember a few months back you and I had to enlighten the doubtful Cunarders on Princess as some of them had warped ideas of the PCL ships and the service that can be found there.

 

I hope you will write more about the experience, either here or on the Cunard board which I still like to read with my morning cuppa (pinkie finger extended).

 

Cheers!

 

Norris

[Pjran]

I have sailed many times with Cunard and Princess, both lines have good points. Cunard wins hands down on room service while Princess has better buffets and I love the International Cafés. I also prefer the croquet and Cafe Carinthia on Cunard and the theatres are magnificent.

 

By the way I am proud to say I am English :)

 

Ps. Forgot to mention I love MUTS

Edited August 16, 2015 by Pjran

[land lover]

Pjarn I take it you prefer to be called English rather than British? I always ask people from England their preference......

 

 

MUTS, good one:)

Edited August 17, 2015 by land lover

[emmak8]

Thanks for getting this discussion started. I doubt Cunard is in my future.

[susancruzs]

Thanks for your post, and I will try the QM2 one day! :)

 

I was on the Emerald Princess last year, Southampton to the Canaries and back, it was an awesome cruise, and I loved the passenger mix. I think it is fun to cruise when there is a majority of other nationalities. Of my 24 cruises, my table on this cruise was the best ever, 7 Brits and me, we had such a good time, 2 men and 6 gals, a variety ages, I spent a great deal of time with 3 cousins. Their stories of 3 gals sharing a cabin at their ages were a hoot.

 

One thing I noticed is how orderly, quiet, easy to get off the ship, no loud people and no complaints, everyone lined up. The following cruise was a totally different story! It was still a great cruise but you could tell the passenger mix on the TA was North American, a definitely louder, more casual cruise. I'm not complaining, just making an observation, I live in the states, we are who we are.

[Linerguy]

My best QM2 story:

 

While sitting in the Royal Theatre, watching a performance by the members of RADA, and a lady with a tote bag, and her husband, sat down right in front of us. While waiting for the show to start, she reached into the bag and took out about a dozen pair of her husband's underwear. Then she held each pair out in front of her, gave them a little shake, and then folded them up. The whole time she was just chatting away with her husband AND the people on the other side of her. They were sitting in the first row of the balcony, and nearly everyone in the theatre could see her.

 

I nearly lost it.

[Bimmer09]

Thanks for getting this discussion started. I doubt Cunard is in my future.

 

Hi, I'm just wondering why you think that?

 

Norris

[shredie]

My best QM2 story:

 

While sitting in the Royal Theatre, watching a performance by the members of RADA, and a lady with a tote bag, and her husband, sat down right in front of us. While waiting for the show to start, she reached into the bag and took out about a dozen pair of her husband's underwear. Then she held each pair out in front of her, gave them a little shake, and then folded them up. The whole time she was just chatting away with her husband AND the people on the other side of her. They were sitting in the first row of the balcony, and nearly everyone in the theatre could see her.

 

I nearly lost it.

 

I assume the underwear was clean...:p

[suzyed]

Thanks & in the future we're considering taking a Princess spring TA, tour Europe and return on QM2...it's good to read comparisons of these cruise lines.

 

We are doing just that next April!! We are doing a 21 day Caribbean Princess and returning on the 7 day TA on QM2. This will be our third time on the QM2 and she is beautiful! From what we are hearing, she needs some sprucing up but that will happen after our sailing when she returns to Southampton. Still I am looking so forward to sailing on her once again!

[suzyed]

I have heard that both passengers and staff on Cunard can be snobbish, by U.S. standards anyway. Did you find that to be the case, or was it simply good manners that some Americans mistake for pretense?

 

We have not experience any snobbiness on the QM2.

I have met a few snobby folks on Princess...but whatever....there are snobby people everywhere. Fortunately this seems to be uncommon.

[GUT2407]

My best QM2 story:

 

While sitting in the Royal Theatre, watching a performance by the members of RADA, and a lady with a tote bag, and her husband, sat down right in front of us. While waiting for the show to start, she reached into the bag and took out about a dozen pair of her husband's underwear. Then she held each pair out in front of her, gave them a little shake, and then folded them up. The whole time she was just chatting away with her husband AND the people on the other side of her. They were sitting in the first row of the balcony, and nearly everyone in the theatre could see her.

 

I nearly lost it.

 

She'd just done a load of washing perhaps.

Edited August 18, 2015 by GUT2407

[suzyed]

Lovely!

 

Brilliant!!

[Pjran]

She'd just done a load of washing perhaps.

 

Ah yes, don't think Cunard offer free laundry for Elite. Wish they would they are part of Carnival.

[kendon]

emmak8, if you doubt Cunard is in your future because of pricing...you'd be surprised at the occasional flash fares available.

Edited August 18, 2015 by kendon

[CoffeHound]

On a lighter note...

 

the QM2 is the only cruise ship (ok, oceanliner) at sea with a kennel for pets. It was certainly one of the highlights of our cruise to go up to the top deck and watch the dogs. On our crossing, there were 11 dogs and 1 cat. While only the owners can go beyond the gates to visit daily, we were still able to pet them at the gate. How cool.

 

OMG! Am I weird to say this makes me want to try the QM2 for my next TA? I've often thought I could be almost as happy traveling around offering pet sitting services to all of the CC members while they cruise as I am to cruise myself.

 

OK, so I am weird, but that is why I love dogs because they don't mind.

[loma linda ca a & j]

doubt that the halls & elevators will be empty on 10 may 2016

sailing with over 20+ TA carib princess cruisers taking the QM2

return voyage to nyc

 

assuming we'll be playing cards & dominoes on sea days &

meeting for lunch & drinks with our newly acquired friends;)

[fishywood]

Ah yes, don't think Cunard offer free laundry for Elite. Wish they would they are part of Carnival.

 

Yes, Platinum and Diamond on Cunard receive a 20% discount on laundry service rather than free. But the launderettes on the Queens are free to all, even furnishing free detergent. Perhaps the lady carting around her husband's tidy whities wished to display her victory badge having washed and dried a full load amidst all the machine hogs and their daily single-item visits--not to mention the queue jumpers who just want to toss their bathing costume into a dryer whether already occupied or not.

[qualifiedcruiseologist]

On a lighter note...

 

the QM2 is the only cruise ship (ok, oceanliner) at sea with a kennel for pets. It was certainly one of the highlights of our cruise to go up to the top deck and watch the dogs. On our crossing, there were 11 dogs and 1 cat. While only the owners can go beyond the gates to visit daily, we were still able to pet them at the gate. How cool.

 

Yuck! Can you see this headline in the news coming soon."Dog strain of norovirus spreads throughout the QM2"

[kendon]

The paperwork for those pets are thoroughly checked that I'm sure they are healthier than many of the humans on board. While we were watching, one dog was bit in the ear and three members of the medical center went up to check and treat the poor injured pooch.

 

Really no "yuck" about it.

[skedaddle43]

Yes, Platinum and Diamond on Cunard receive a 20% discount on laundry service rather than free. But the launderettes on the Queens are free to all, even furnishing free detergent. Perhaps the lady carting around her husband's tidy whities wished to display her victory badge having washed and dried a full load amidst all the machine hogs and their daily single-item visits--not to mention the queue jumpers who just want to toss their bathing costume into a dryer whether already occupied or not.

 

I just wonder if they were tighty-whiteys or tighty-wideys? :rolleyes:

[jagsfan]

It's interesting to use the laundry rooms, often there are crew using them, and chatting makes the time fly. I found the staff and crew on QE2 and QM2 to be very friendly and interesting, from Commodore Warwick down to stewardesses. Never ran into standoffish passengers, either. A smile usually begets a smile.