Cunard line is a division of and managed by princess cruises?

[SeaMatesNYC]

Now, staff rotates between the two and Princess helps in anyway it can to return Cunard back to a strong brand itself...

 

Good lord! Next thing you know the wait staff in QG will set down your plate with a chorus of "Yummy, yummy!"

 

(Sorry Marlene, too good not to steal your line, even if it was HAL)

[Chelsea1]

This is also what I've been told. :o

 

I was invited to dine at the Hotel Manager's table a couple of years ago on the QM2 and he told us almost exactly the same story. He was transferred to the QM2 by Princess during her inaugral year to improve the service, general hotel keeping and staff morale and was then promoted to Hotel Manager. Before that he spent about 15 years with Princess onbaord and on new build projects. Alastair Greener (Entertainment Director) also served on many Princess ships before joining Cunard. It seems that the technical staff are mainly rotated between Cunard ships but the Hotel staff is drafted in from Princess to manage customer service. As for Hull shapes - nothing wrong with assembly line ships, but some real teak would be nice. My main gripe on QE is lack of a Chart Room in favour of an extended "Costa Coffee" shop. Very Carnival.

[Savoia]

[ QV and the new QE are designed by the in house Princess architect which I find a little less successful. Therese Andersen might not be as gross as Farcus is but it's still highly predictable and kitchy. And it looks very Princess. (I am led to believe it nicer than HAL though)

I believe the Princess/Cunard story now is all about sharing and cutting costs. Financially it might work but it makes it all a little bland.

 

EXACTLY! It was noted when the Icky Vicky first sailed that the layout and some of the decor elements were "very Princess". What should serve to elevate the "ocean liner" brand is instead treated as a theme..there is nothing bar raising or innovative about Cunard in decor or atmosphere. I disagree strongly that Cunard's ocean liner branding with tried and used again and again Vista hulls somehow makes them a 5 star brand. Not when you compare them to the likes of Oceania or Silversea who are far more advanced, and far less crowded btw, in ammentities and design and resemble the "ocean liner" theme than Cunard has to date. I would have included Seabourn but Mr. Arison in his need to prove bigger is better is gutting the brand with larger hull designs. The intimacy and atmopshere that made Seabourn what it was will soon be lost forever. From an exterior the Disney ships look more "ocean liner" than Carnivore has ever produced and why is that? Simple, it would be too expensive to produce..why try and be original when you can be Carnival.

 

When you have the same designer working for both Princess and Cunard overlap is simply unavoidable. Instead of being the leader what Carnivore brands are kitchy and predictable. Each new ship looks so much like the last Carnivore comes across stale and done. I'll give Princess credit, they marketed the QE well...but many predict the QE is hardly sold out, accomodations can be had now probably if you press hard enough..or will come later.

 

With Carnivore it isn't about the product at all..as we see its all a minimal effort on Mr. Arison's part..it's all about the marketing folks.

 

 

 

When you have the same designer working for both Princess

[Savoia]

As for Hull shapes - nothing wrong with assembly line ships, but some real teak would be nice. My main gripe on QE is lack of a Chart Room in favour of an extended "Costa Coffee" shop. Very Carnival.

 

Interesting story with this...Carol Marlow was asked about the plastic planks used on the Icky Vicky on Barry Vaudrin's radio show..she replied that teak was politically incorrect and enviromentally unfriendly. Ok..except at nearly the same time the Eurodam, Carnivore's first floating brick, was having her teak decks sanded down.

 

Sadly, the reason why Icky Vicky has plastic planks stenciled like authentic decking is typical Carnivore. Her budget simply ran out out of money and her designer (Therese Anderson) had to cut corners to get her finished. Now think about it for a moment..the newest addition to the Cunardival would be fitted out with plastic decks, nothing newer or different. Instead Ms. Anderson decides to imitate the look of real wood with plastic because she didn't have the money. Mr. Arison could have floated Cunardival a personal loan to finish the look of the "ocean liner" brand...Instead of finishing the product correctly she sailed out with plastic...plastic decking! I'm betting Mr. Arison is not familiar with the saying "if you're not going to do it right, don't do it at all".

 

With plastic on her decks I am sure everyone will look forward to elegant paper plates and plastic untensils aboard the QE.

[tntornadox]

My apologies, but 'Icky Vicky' sounds extremely childish...

 

If you don't wish to sail these 'cookie cutters'- then don't. I understand the argument, and a lot of people on this very board shared your sentiment until they sailed aboard Queen Victoria and came back with an overall good impression having sailed aboard a vessel that is, to quote several reviewers, 'very cozy and intimate' harkening back to the days of Cunard's 'Green Goddesses' whose prime use was that of cruising... even then.

 

As I have said time and again, without Carnival Corporation- Cunard would be dead within the next few years- QE2 was going to be forced out of service in 2010 regardless. As is mentioned in the great book The Age of Cunard: "Far from becoming bland and Americanized, as so many had feared when Carnival bought Cunard, the line is becoming more and more British in tone and character, perhaps more than it has ever been in the past half-century". Carnival has given Cunard a new lease on life and has finally given it its very own character and brand- far from the hodge podge it had became in the second half of the 20th century.

[Savoia]

Ick Vickycky' sounds extremely childish...

 

Yes, it does but I can not take credit for it. Coined on another board the Icky Vicky really has generated much angst from those who crave Carnival to finally deliver on the promise of the "ocean liner" experience with some level of orignality...instead of the constant level of disappointment Canrivore seems to continiously generate with its design on the cheap approach. Another quote for the Icky is "A Ramada on a raft"...not mine but appropiate.

 

'very cozy and intimate' harkening back to the days of Cunard's 'Green Goddesses' whose prime use was that of cruising... even then.

 

Wow..so the Caronia of 1947 is in the same league as the Icky Vicky..how unfortunate for the memory of the Caronia. I thought the Caronia was a one design, not one of 15 thrown off the assembly line and slapped with a red stack. Was the Caronia designed, managed and run by one of her competitors?

 

As I have said time and again, without Carnival Corporation- Cunard would be dead within the next few years-

 

Yes, yes we know Mr. Arison is the saviour of Cunard..it isn't if they saved them it is HOW they saved them. With so much repetition going on at Carnivore has anyone looked at one of these clones pumped out and said "is this the very best we can do"? I see a level of complatency that has premeated throughout the company. In the end originality and ditinction is apparently too expensive for them...not for their competition though.

 

Cunard a new lease on life and has finally given it its very own character and brand- far from the hodge podge it had became in the second half of the 20th century.

 

Really? I guess the new lease includes being designed and managed by its own competition, put together with recycled elements inside and out, original and entertaining as long as it stays within Carnival's budget..

 

Hardly hodge podge I agree...predictable, stale. tired..thankfully the competition is not afraid to spend.

[philippeb]

It is evident that this thread has deteriorated to the level of childishness ("Icky Vicky") and repetition. I suggest that it be killed, post-haste.

 

No minds are being changed here, folks. Why keep banging your head into the wall (hull)? Do you just enjoy the squishy noise?

 

Philippe