October 18th Westbound

[sfo-john]

Here’s my somewhat scattered review of the October 18th – 25th westbound crossing. My tenth crossing but first review…

 

After a three year gap I was quite excited to check out the newly spiffied up Queen Mary 2. I was travelling with my husband and some old friends, who were both newbies to Cunard.

 

Boarding at Southampton went smoothly, though we got the priority boarding to due our World Club level. I think we were on the ship by about 1pm or so. The luggage arrived soon after that, though the White Star shipped bag didn’t show up till about 4pm. After unpacking we went up to the newly reconfigured King’s Court, chose some snacks and then found a seat in the lovely new Carinthia Lounge. They also had some nicely plated snacks to choose from and the new incarnation is very comfortable. It is a little meandering in form and looks like quite a bit of furniture, but it’s so much better than the Winter Garden was and seems to be quite a success. It was heavily used throughout the crossing at all times of day and was my favorite place for breakfast. The redesign of the King’s Court is a huge improvement and the flow of people around the buffet area is much smoother now.

 

We lucked out with a sunny sail away, though being mid October the sun didn’t stay out too long and it got chilly soon after that. I like to stay out on deck as long as possible, as there’s not land to be seen again till New York, though that proved a bit different this crossing.

 

Cabin:

We had an in hull balcony, #6157, and it was very comfortable and looked smart with the new carpet, bedding, etc. The new flat screen TV was great, though it being fastened to the wall now we did hear our neighbor’s late night TV watching coming through. It didn’t keep me awake but could be annoying to some. Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever slept so well on board as I did this time. Oddly, the new drawer and cabinet pulls are kind of awkward and sharp. They’d be great for opening a bottle of beer… The steward, Butch, was super sweet (and not terribly butch) and seemed to always be out in the companionway hard at work. He did an excellent job and was a pleasure to interact with.

As a side note, our travel companions had an inside cabin, #6222, and while overall very satisfied, they did comment on the noises heard overhead (King’s Court) that sounded like prep work being done that woke them up every morning at 6am or so. Luckily, they’re early risers, but it’s something to consider about what part of 6 Deck you book. I think most of the outside cabins would be safe from the overhead kitchen noise.

 

Britannia Dining Room (late seating):

We had a table for four (#88) on the main floor of the dining room on the port side. Our servers were professional, friendly and accommodating. I found the food to be improved from three years ago. The portions are sensibly sized yet satisfying and pretty much all of our meals were delicious. Standouts were duck breast and the lobster tail/chateaubriand combo. There were lots of excellent fish and seafood choices as well. The big improvement was the presentation of the sides and the plate overall. I felt in the past the vegetables (usually broccoli and carrots, previously) were just sort of thrown on the plate, but now they are a little more artfully plated along with whatever the starch for the evening is. Trendy without being pretentious. The only clunker was the Salmon Wellington, which was overcooked and quite dry. I couldn’t finish it. I did miss a few of the classics that they’ve taken off the menu that I think really belong there for a crossing: Beef Wellington and Baked Alaska. That said, all of our desserts were great. The cheese plate in Britannia is sort of a joke and it would be nice if they offered something a with a bit more variety or they brought around at least a small tray to choose from. I’m so glad they still offer petit fours, no matter how full I am. It’s a nice touch. The sommelier was very helpful and patient and seemed to handle his busy area very well.

 

We had all of our lunches in the dining room and mostly stuck to lighter fare with reserve saved for dessert. Breakfast was in the King’s Court or Carinthia and that was just fine. I feel like they’ve changed the croissant recipe in the last number of years and they’re dangerously good. Luckily they’re slightly smaller than full size. My husband is Asian background and he’d really love it if there were a few more Asian option there, especially at breakfast.

 

Random:

-Tea in the Queen’s Room was just as I’d remembered, though we only did it twice. Just lovely. Otherwise we did self service in the King’s Court, which got the job done so that we could move on to play bingo or do whatever. Cheesy as it is, we love bingo on board!

-We didn’t get a massage this time (they’ve gotten very expensive) but we did do a three day spa pass, which was a real bargain and we loved spending time there.

-The captain’s reception/cocktail party was enjoyable as ever. I do think they should have some sort of representative of the hardworking Filipino cabin staff when they introduce the various people on stage. I think they’d get a huge round of applause. Just a thought.

-The snacks brought around in the bars before dinner still exist, though less and less of the warm ones.

-Even with the new cabins on 13 Deck it feels like there are just acres and acres of deck space to roam around, most of it teak clad. I hope it stays that way, as it’s really one of the finer points of this gorgeous ship.

-The Grand Lobby is all the better since the elevators are gone and seemed to be more of a place for passengers to spend time.

-As others have pointed out, the bookshop is not what it was. There were some liner related titles but much less than before. The library is still the best at sea, though.

-Disembarkation was quite slow, though it mostly wasn’t the fault of Cunard. Even without the delay we weren’t scheduled to get off the ship till 11:15, which seems a little much. At 11:45 we finally just told a fib and said we had an appointment and needed to get off the ship. Once in the shed there was a line that took about 20 minutes.

-Music on board was just fantastic from classical to Dixie Land Jazz and the entertainment in the theater was something new anyway.

-The internet was painfully slow and painfully expensive. I had to do some work while onboard and it was very frustrating, though I had been warned by Ernie R.

-That medical emergency the first morning out was a first for me. How surprised I was to wake up and see land followed by the captain’s announcement and the helicopter making its way toward us.

 

It was a pleasure to sail on board this great ship again and my newbie friends were entirely impressed and ready to book again. I’d give it a 9 out of 10, though I’m certainly a friendly critic.

Edited October 28, 2016 by sfo-john

[Host Hattie]

Thanks for posting your first review.

[bazbov]

Hello sfojohn. Thanks for posting about your cruise experience,pleased your friends enjoyed it too. Happy cruising. :)