Francophile

With regard to the question raised about the legal authority of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, here is the information:  https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/specificlawsregulations.html

Concerning ordering off-menu, I found that on my QG crossings, I was unable to successfully get anything that I asked to have.  It appeared that there was a set menu for off-menu orders, and I found myself the target of Dover Sole upselling.  (We joke about the twice-cooked Dover Sole on QM2).  On the other hand, I have always succeeded with off-menu orders on PG where staff seemed delighted to be of help. 

I wanted to add that the fellow passengers in QG were not Hyacinth Bouquets, it was the maitre d' who was particularly sniffy.  You find the HB's in all ranges of accomodation, unfortunately.

Apart from the obvious difference in the size of the Suite what are peoples opinion of the difference  between the Princess grill and the Queens Grill experience on board the Queens? Have people preferred the food in one restaurant than the other? Whilst the Queens Grill has a slightly different Menu and a greater choice on the a la carte do you think the quality of the food or service is any different? Personally for the difference in price I have found the food as good in the Princess Grill but would be very interested to hear what other people think. Do you think the standard of the Grills restaurants vary between the three Queens? 

20 hours ago, tv24 said:

We would definitely go for a quick crossing as our objective is to get to or from Europe and to avoid jet lag and unpleasant air travel.  But I think we are odd balls and there is a very limited market of customers like us.  I perceive that Cunard's crossing customers prefer a leisurely crossing with more days on the ship so it becomes something akin to a cruise.

It would be interesting to understand how many people take QM2 to get across the pond without having to fly vs. the percentage for whom it is only a cruise vacation.  I do think that those of us who take the ship for transportation are in the minority; however, I have met plenty of others who do so as well.  I would also appeal to the vacationers to remember that she is still a true ocean liner and not a cruise ship, per se, and to be aware that there are those for whom it is "simply" (and I hesitate to use that word in connection with QM2) transportation.

Cunard Queen Mary 2 twice: three hours in Hamburg, two hours Capetown.


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I couldn't in good conscience disembark in Bermuda under these circumstances knowing I am considered "less than" by law. May their Supreme Court and pressure from Carnival and others lead to a better human rights outcome. It's a beautiful island otherwise.

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I would say round-trip!

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Wow, interesting discussion.

 

For me, I find the food in Britannia underwhelming. I think that Is directly related to the different levels of dining offered depending on cabin. So for me I appreciate that on Hal I eat the same food no matter what cabin I am travelling in. I can choose to pay more for the pinnacle grille no matter my stateroom.

 

The small interior Neptune lounge does in no way compare to separate decks and dining rooms. And yes the PG for breakfast is nice.

 

I am not against choice or paying for more, I just was very underwhelmed by the food in Britannia. So call it class or perks. But if you are only in a balcony you will eat far better on HAL.

Having sailed on QM2 in every level of cabin (save the apartments), I cannot for the life of me ascertain any difference in the food served between Queens Grill, Princess Grill, Brittania Club, or Brittania. Queens offers a very limited off-menu selection. That's it.

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We've done a couple of QM2 crossings- I believe the write-up was fair and generally accurate. The thing is, if you have the time, QM2 is the best way to cross - much cheaper than first, or even business, class air - and far superior to the typical purgatory of a coach flight.

We've done 8 or 9 crossings on QM2 and I wholheartedly agree. Why would you choose to cross any other way if you had the time and resources? I think she's the most beautiful ship afloat and she's an ocean liner to boot!

The food is meh, in my opinion. HAL's is better. I'll never understand Cunard's "thing"about pepper. Just give us a small pepper grinder on the table and be done with it! It's not gold!

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The dress code police are a legend /authority in their own minds..and only exist on the HAL boards here.

Ha! Check out Cunard's discussions sometime! Lord have mercy!

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Such sad news. We will miss you, David.

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I would say, as a Platinum Cunarder, that in general most of the problems I've experienced have been with embarkation. I'm not sure how much control the company has over the management of the process but it's been from acceptable to ugh! to downright awful. While Southampton has its plusses, I do think the lack of an ATM, postal service, and VAT refund handling leaves a lot to be desired. The only other bad experiences were encountering bad manners and a Hyacinth Bucket/Bouquet attitude among a few passengers but that can generally be managed, as in the rest of life.

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Use a VPN. TunnelBear works as do others, like ExpressVPN. I had the same problem in France. It's irritating to be forced to pay for a VPN to see your own country's Cunard web page though.

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I think the distinction for us in the U.S. is accurately described by airplane classes of service. You get more space the more you pay, you get a couple of "business class" lounges and you're segregated in dining rooms. QG also comes with a butler. It's a little hit and miss. Some are excellent, others less so. You eat when you want in both the Grills and Britannia Club instead of having one of two dining times in Britannia. Mind you, the most elegant space in my opinion is Britannia by far. In spite of what you might infer from CC's boards, people are not much different no matter where you dine. Personally, I think the QG restaurant is the least interesting from an interior design point of view. The option to choose "off menu," in spite of the advertising, is pretty limited to standard Western (or Chicken Tikka Masala) dishes, in our experience. Non-European dishes appear to be a major challenge, in spite of the range of nationalities represented in the kitchen. I think that's a lost opportunity for those of us who live in a more cosmopolitan environment.

So, choose to pay on the issues of space and flexibilty. That would make sense. Whether some few see it as a matter of social class is of no importance and it won't affect you whatsoever.

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You make it sound like a 1950's boarding school, no wonder so many people are anxious about cruising with Cunard.

 

 

 

DAVID.

"Like" (from a Platinum Cunarder). The attitude exhibited above is so tiresome. Experience it for yourself. These folks don't own the ship. You will love it.

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Check with your carrier to see if it offers service on QM2. If it does, you'll pay ~ $2.50 per minute.

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While I began my QM2 voyages wearing a tuxedo, I have now gone simply to a black suit with white shirt and black bow-tie. I use her as transportation, not as a cruise. I am not alone in this and that is, after all, the purpose of an oceanliner. I travel for months at a time and a tuxedo is a particularly useless bit of clothing for normal life. At least with a black suit, you can use the jacket seperately. I was very surprised to see gentlemen in Scottish kilts on formal nights. I chose therefore, as an American Indian, to wear "formal" American Indian attire of my tribe one evening. Some people clearly did not approve. Apparently there is a double standard at work. Their tribe is okay, but yours is not. I also had the occasion to add a man's opera scarf to my tuxedo on a few occasions and received what I considered inappropriate comments on my attire from other men on two occasions who apparently thought men should not wear scarves. My advice is to do what you need to do and don't worry what others think. Believe me, a lot of what passes for formal on Cunard isn't exactly tasteful. Nothing like the PR photos would have you believe.

Never heard of that one, but while we're discussing gross wines, does anyone remember Boone's Farm???

Sure do. Same as Annie Green Springs.

One more thing not discussed. On other crossings with other companies (Azamara, Crystal, Seabourn) we have had both faster internet speeds AND unlimited access pricing. Cunard is quite behind in this respect.

We've used Dial-7 for years and have never had a problem.

Don't forget Annie Green Springs!

As a fellow introvert, I can say it's never been a problem! Rest easy!

We also enjoyed it in November and hope it becomes a regular offering. What's not to like?

Dag Foppe! Ik hoop dat je zal doen met ons mee! Het zou heerlijk zijn je te zien zo spoedig na de laatste keer! Jammer dat Edgar niet met je kan komen vooral sinds hij zo goed salsa doet! Zal dat misschien veranderen? Tot ziens, Ron

We use QM2 primarily for transportation--and we always enjoy the experience.