QE2 Oct 12th-28th Our thoughts in general

[cunardqueen]

Well folks, now that we have all returned from the above and that the ocean motion has vanished, the unpacking completed (?) and QE2 begins her final year of service with Cunard, what are your thoughts on the cruise(s),check- in, onboard service, standards, passengers mix,food in fact anything at all, are the standards slipping already or did we find the lady still in great shape:)

 

I was a pleasure to meet two of the icons of CC Kindlychap & Gavboy. On personal note l was delighted to meet a couple who l hadnt seen onboard since 1988 and are on the same trip as me next year.

 

A large number of passengers l spoke with were onboard for the 1st time to experience the QE2 and it was safe to say in the main they were very impressed with the onboard experience

 

The yacht club l did find in general very mixed service, and its not as though they were busy! But the service in the Crystal bar was as usual very good, partly due to Theo and Nirvanna..

And the drinking tours with RJMS74 !!!;) for some reason we were never far from a bar ashore or afloat

 

Anyway what were your views......!!! good, bad or other

[Wadadli1]

Darn it, how can I be an icon of CC, Myles? I've not ever been an icon of anything as far as I know. :rolleyes:

 

I am pea green with envy over how long you all were onboard. And anxiously awaiting others' (real!) replies to your post. We'll happily be on her two times next year, and you know how the noobs like to have the surprise spoiled for them rather than finding out for themselves! Well, at least a little.

[rjms74]

surely three icons cunardqueen if you include myself!!LOL!! It was great to sail with you once again onboard the Queen of the Seas & to meet both kindlychap & tjl - my apologies if I have confused this with TAH username - but I mean Tim on this recent cruise onboard QE2.

 

I too will second re great service in the Crystal Bar but my visits were mainly at lunchtimes or early PM so I have to thank both Natasha & Dennis for g8 service here! The Yacht Club service was passable & poor & moreover the Caribbean Group StageZ finished too early i.e. midnight when on lasy year's Autumn Colour's cruise I am sure they played much later!

 

I will post my own review this week & am in the process of writing a letter of complaint my first ever after a Cunard cruise albeit since I tried QM2 which I did not enjoy to Carol Marlowe herself!! I think standards are already slipping & whilst I enjoyed excellent food & service in the Queens Grill as always in other areas onboard I even found my May cruise on P & O better than this QE2 cruise!! Something I would never usually say! Some of my fellow Q grade friends & tablemates had a great first cruise on QE2 & are booked for next year all Signal deck bookings. That being said other friends on both the Signal Deck & Carinthia Suite will never sail with Cunard - having joined their table twice in the QG Rest as their guest I can concur with this - I even thought I was in a different Restaurant! More on this in my review!

 

One things I can say without any question is what a great mix of passengers were onboard from worldwide & I made many new friends / acquaintances + renewed many old ones. & all those suite & cabin parties I went to !!! I also enjoyed many of the ports of call too!

 

Kind Regards,

 

RJMS74

[GAV BOY]

Well folks, now that we have all returned from the above and that the ocean motion has vanished, the unpacking completed (?) and QE2 begins her final year of service with Cunard, what are your thoughts on the cruise(s),check- in, onboard service, standards, passengers mix,food in fact anything at all, are the standards slipping already or did we find the lady still in great shape:)

 

I was a pleasure to meet two of the icons of CC Kindlychap & Gavboy. On personal note l was delighted to meet a couple who l hadnt seen onboard since 1988 and are on the same trip as me next year.

 

A large number of passengers l spoke with were onboard for the 1st time to experience the QE2 and it was safe to say in the main they were very impressed with the onboard experience

 

The yacht club l did find in general very mixed service, and its not as though they were busy! But the service in the Crystal bar was as usual very good, partly due to Theo and Nirvanna..

And the drinking tours with RJMS74 !!!;) for some reason we were never far from a bar ashore or afloat

 

Anyway what were your views......!!! good, bad or other

 

Me an Icon !! :eek:

 

Hi Myles,

 

It was a pleaure to meet you at last :D. Every Cruise on her will now be special.

 

The last three have been the most memorable though, as you know Myles i was onboard in June when Captain McNaught made the momentous announcement of her sale to Dubai.

We had an incredible send off from Trondhiem that day. It would of bought tears to your eye`s.

Then i was invited to my first "Wardroom party" and then of course the icing on the cake, an invite to Captain McNaught`s quarters for drinks.

 

Then the " 40th Anniversary Voyage" where i had the pleasure of meeting many CC`ers. Also where i first met Mrs McNaught and Steven , my first Cabin Cavalcade and the kind invitation from Captain and Mrs McNaught to finish in their quarters, where we were all so kindly welcomed. My first visit to the bridge,an incredible experience. The whole occasion is one i will never forget.

 

Then 12Th -14th October, when i had the pleasure of meeting yourself, your Mum and Dad, Margaret and of course Maureen (my adopted Mum)

also Andi from the boards. Mrs McNaught and Steven were present again as well and i was very lucky to be back on the Bridge for Sailaway.

 

In my opinion the experience get`s better and better.

 

Im looking foward to all my remaining Cruises onboard, in particular though im looking foward to the Tandem crossing with "Queen Victoria", where i will have the pleasure of meeting more of you, including the legendary "Kindlychap" :eek:

 

I intend to make the most of her !! :D There will never be another "QE2" !!!

 

 

Gavin

[Kindlychap]

Darn it, how can I be an icon of CC, Myles? I've not ever been an icon of anything as far as I know. :rolleyes:

 

You can be the sidekick of an icon, if you like!

 

Myles is a canny chap - trying to get Richard and me to post a review so he can just add his comments.....

 

But, in the same light, we had a wonderful time, and felt that although there were a couple of issues, the ship itself was still the same old QE2. Certainly, the penthouse service was exemplary - as always - and the two waiters in the Queens' Grill were excellent.

 

Matthew

[cunardqueen]

Angela, Of course all replies are welcome real or not!!

 

My parents throughly enjoyed the mini cruise and having heard nothing but QE2 for the past 20 years from me l wasnt to sure if they would "get it" when they walked down the gangway, but im pleased to say they did "get it" and were whisked away by a steward to their cabin.

Some things that really impressed them with QE2 was that it smells like a ship! the quality of the actual tea for afternoon tea, the scones, the quality of food and service in Mauretania, their ruby wedding anniversary cake, thanks to Marios was extra special:) not to mention the various passengers they met and the table guests who were superb;) . It was of course a great delight to me to have them onboard and show them just how special QE2 is.

Only now do they realise just why l love QE2 to bits.

[KarenR_UK]

We had an incredible send off from Trondhiem that day. It would of bought tears to your eye`s.

 

you mean this one from Aalesund (18th June 2007) ;)

(sorry to those who have seen it before but I never tire of watching it)

 

 

It was a wonderful sailout

[GAV BOY]

you mean this one from Aalesund (18th June 2007) ;)

(sorry to those who have seen it before but I never tire of watching it)

 

 

It was a wonderful sailout

 

Thanks Karen, i remember it well , Sob, Sob, :(

I think i could see myself !!! :eek:

Gav :cool:

[GAV BOY]

Darn it, how can I be an icon of CC, Myles? I've not ever been an icon of anything as far as I know. :rolleyes:

 

I am pea green with envy over how long you all were onboard. And anxiously awaiting others' (real!) replies to your post. We'll happily be on her two times next year, and you know how the noobs like to have the surprise spoiled for them rather than finding out for themselves! Well, at least a little.

 

 

Your an Icon to me Angela !!! ;) :p

Gav :cool:

[KarenR_UK]

Thanks Karen, i remember it well , Sob, Sob, :(

I think i could see myself !!! :eek:

Gav :cool:

 

unfortunately, I know you can't see me, I remember running up the starboard side of the ship & hearing the music finish as I got about 1/2 way:rolleyes:

Karen

[cunardqueen]

Myles is a canny chap - trying to get Richard and me to post a review so he can just add his comments.....

 

My review is really quite simple, awesome,superb, need l say any more? perhaps l may do a review, then again what could l add that hasnt been added. Just thought that this would give folks a chance to add some tit bits without a full review.

As for being called a sidekick:eek: l have been called many things but sidekick is a new one on me :)

[Kindlychap]

As for being called a sidekick:eek: l have been called many things but sidekick is a new one on me :)

 

I actually meant Angela, who had been forgotten in all the excitement......

 

Matthew

[Bramcruiser]

Well folks, now that we have all returned from the above and that the ocean motion has vanished, the unpacking completed (?) and QE2 begins her final year of service with Cunard, what are your thoughts on the cruise(s),check- in, onboard service, standards, passengers mix,food in fact anything at all, are the standards slipping already or did we find the lady still in great shape:)

 

Anyway what were your views......!!! good, bad or other

 

Well Myles, I hardly am an expert and only sailed on the QE2 for the first time in my life this summer after only 3 previous cruises. Of the three, one was my first on the QM2 (Dec 2006) which also served as my introduction to Cunard.

 

To be quite frank - before going on this year's voyage - I had mixed feelings about what to expect. On the one hand I heard about how wonderful the QE2 is and how wonderfully kept it is after all these years. Then I hear the chatter about it being an old ship with quirks such as bunk beds, portholes, odd layouts, leaky plumbing, tired rooms and service just not being what it used to be. So what is a newcomer supposed to expect?

 

Thankfully, I fell in love with the QE2 on day one. Sure, the layout is quirky as its a remnant of the era the ship was built in and when they had the two class system in place. Still, I didn't notice any wear and tear that would let me think the ship was not being maintained well and in fact I found it in fairly decent shape. The public rooms have no wear and tear from what I've seen and my cabin had a certain charm to it. The lack of a balcony and the fact I had a porthole didn't bother me at all - I loved the porthole actually. Something nautical about it all.

 

Food and service. I always said from my QM2 trip that Cunard had the best food I had although I did find some odd quirks in the service. Well I am happy to say the food was just as exceptional, if not better, on the QE2 and the service was definitely absolutely outstanding compared to all my previous experiences. Now I was in Caronia but I understand that the differences between restaurants on the QE2 is slight.

 

Check in? My partner and I sailed right onto the ship so to speak without one delay unlike the fiasco at Ft. Lauderdale getting onto the QM2. I loved the personal attention one got boarding in that an attendant personally takes you to your cabin and takes the carryons from you. On the QM2 you literally had to find your own cabin on your own.

 

Add the bars and shops to the mix and I would say that the QE2's selling point today is the service one gets. If standards have fallen then they must have been absolutely exceptional. However, they are superior compared to much of what I have experienced in the mass market travel industry.

 

Passenger mix? Well my QE2 trip was short and not far from home port so it was mainly a British crowd of various ages and family status. My partner and I were perhaps one of the few North Americans on board but that never bothered us.

 

Overall, I think the QE2 is in great shape for a 40 year old ship and I very much look forward to being on her one last time next year before her retirement.

 

David

[pnhmrk]

I had mixed feelings about what to expect. On the one hand I heard about how wonderful the QE2 is and how wonderfully kept it is after all these years. Then I hear the chatter about it being an old ship with quirks such as bunk beds, portholes, odd layouts, leaky plumbing, tired rooms and service just not being what it used to be.

 

I don't think anyone would disagree with any of those points. The layouts are "odd" but they are also very good. I have only had one cabin where there was too much space (and none where there was not enough) and that was because there was nothing else they could do with it!

 

The quality of service is not as good - you don't get your bed changed both in the morning and at midday and then, when the cabin is turned down for the night, the beds made up with sheets over the blankets.

 

What you are getting though is the feeling of age and luxury that goes with that particular ship. It's far more than just the nuts and bolts of the ship it's the world wide reputation for elegance.

[Wadadli1]

You can be the sidekick of an icon, if you like!

 

Myles is a canny chap - trying to get Richard and me to post a review so he can just add his comments.....

 

But, in the same light, we had a wonderful time, and felt that although there were a couple of issues, the ship itself was still the same old QE2. Certainly, the penthouse service was exemplary - as always - and the two waiters in the Queens' Grill were excellent.

 

Matthew

 

I promise to be a clever sidekick, so thanks. Now you will have to tell Gavin the job is taken! And that he's one of the icons and will have to get his own sidekick.

 

You all have really ruined me. The stories, the pictures. I'm a tough old girl but I know I'll be tearing up when I just first see the ship. She sure is a pretty girl.

 

Your sidekick;) ,

[Wadadli1]

Your an Icon to me Angela !!! ;) :p

 

Gav :cool:

 

No, silly, YOU'RE the icon! Although I would volunteer to be your sidekick when the other icon isn't onboard. This sort of thing is allowed, yes? :p

[Wadadli1]

Angela, Of course all replies are welcome real or not!!

 

My parents throughly enjoyed the mini cruise and having heard nothing but QE2 for the past 20 years from me l wasnt to sure if they would "get it" when they walked down the gangway, but im pleased to say they did "get it" and were whisked away by a steward to their cabin.

Some things that really impressed them with QE2 was that it smells like a ship! the quality of the actual tea for afternoon tea, the scones, the quality of food and service in Mauretania, their ruby wedding anniversary cake, thanks to Marios was extra special:) not to mention the various passengers they met and the table guests who were superb;) . It was of course a great delight to me to have them onboard and show them just how special QE2 is.

Only now do they realise just why l love QE2 to bits.

 

You've done well in getting the other boys to reply, and I appreciate reading all your posts. Thank you, Myles. For some reason though the QE2 ones choke me up a little. I'll now just go and quietly read some more, I hope!

 

Paulie and I are going on QE2 two times next year and for me it's a dream come true. I smile often just thinking about it. And we both giggle and grin. Can hardly wait.

 

More personal observations, please. Love your stories.:)

[GAV BOY]

No, silly, YOU'RE the icon! Although I would volunteer to be your sidekick when the other icon isn't onboard. This sort of thing is allowed, yes? :p

 

Yes of course, and we will be onboard together in July !!!! :D

Gav :cool:

[Bramcruiser]

The quality of service is not as good - you don't get your bed changed both in the morning and at midday and then, when the cabin is turned down for the night, the beds made up with sheets over the blankets.

.

 

 

Do you change your bed at home in the morning and at midday?

 

So the QE2 is good enough for me.

:D

 

David

[juliecat]

Yes of course, and we will be onboard together in July !!!! :D

Gav :cool:

 

Gav,

 

How many trips do you have scheduled on QE2 (and when)? I was hoping to be the sidekick to an icon as well!:p :)

 

Julia

[Wadadli1]

Yes of course, and we will be onboard together in July !!!! :D

 

 

Gav :cool:

 

 

Then I will be your humble sidekick then! Hmm. This sidekick business sounds like a lot of fun. Lots of potential....:cool:

[Wadadli1]

Gav,

 

How many trips do you have scheduled on QE2 (and when)? I was hoping to be the sidekick to an icon as well!:p :)

 

Julia

 

I can't say the actual number of trips, but I suspect he's got so many you will be required as another Gavin sidekick. ;)

 

PS: Imagine if we were co-sidekicks on a voyage.....Would he require us to assist him with his kilt!?

[pnhmrk]

Do you change your bed at home in the morning and at midday?

 

Of course;) Don't you?:confused: Doesn't everybody?:confused:

 

I was actually just using it as an example of how the OTT service has been downgraded. There are a multitude of times when things are nothing like as luxurious as they used to be - that isn't to say that the service you get today is in any way bad:)

[GAV BOY]

Gav,

 

How many trips do you have scheduled on QE2 (and when)? I was hoping to be the sidekick to an icon as well!:p :)

 

Julia

Hi Julia,

Im onboard- January 6th

May 5th

July 31st

October 22nd

When can you be my sidekick ;)

Gav :cool:

[GAV BOY]

I can't say the actual number of trips, but I suspect he's got so many you will be required as another Gavin sidekick. ;)

 

PS: Imagine if we were co-sidekicks on a voyage.....Would he require us to assist him with his kilt!?

 

Form an orderly queue Ladies :)