Comments on "Why QEII for first time

[rafinmd]

. My first Cunard Crossing was on QMII in 2007, and I found the experience pleasant but cold and impersonal. I vowed never again to do it unless there was either an itinerary of special interest or a crossing which fit into other plans.

 

 

Interesting commentary. Can you clarify what specifically made your first QMII voyage cold and impersonal and whether that changed on your subsequent voyages. How does that cold and impersonal gauge stack up against your QEII voyage?

 

I'm a bit of a loss about how to respond to this. rolfecms, our cruising histories have followed different paths, and we don't really have specific common cruise histories I can use as a common yardstick, although I am considering Celebrity as the likely provider of a cruise out of my home port of Baltimore. I also see that you are considering a Cunard cruise, and you should know that my 7th voyage with them is booked, so any negative comments I make should be taken in that context.

 

Prior to QMII, most of my cruising experience has been on smaller, more intimate ships. The largest of the ships I have regularly sailed have been Crystal's which are in the 900 passenger range, so I am accustomed to fairly personal service. Aside from those, most of my cruises have been on much smaller ships, especially American Canadian Carribean Lines, a company using extremely small ships. Since you are from Chicago, you will understand how small when I say my last ACCL cruise went from Chicago to New Orleans via the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. The thing I remembered most about the impersonal nature of QMII was that no Cunard employee ever addressed me by name the entire 6 days of the crossing, and one event really made that stand out. There was a vacationing ACCL crewman on that crossing, and on embarkation day he walked up to me with "Hello Mr. Ferguson". Without that contrast, I'd probably have barely remembered that no Cunard employee had done the same. In answer to the rest of the question, on my other crossings the relationship with the crew has been less personal than I usually expect, but not quite as much as on the first crossing. I do not remember the QEII experience being diffferent, but I was so taken with the history of the situation, I'm really not sure either.

 

Bear in mind that while I have 4 voyages to date with Cunard, my experience is confined to crossings and therefore pretty one dimensional. I considered responding privately to you, but think other, more experienced Cunarders should have an opportunity to respond as well.

[Host Sharon]

I am surprised by your comment that no-one addressed you by name. Even on a four night cruise on Queen Victoria, by day 2 the bar steward in the Commodore Club not only addressed me by my name but remembered what I liked to drink. I hope your future Cunard voyages leave you with better experiences.

[pepperrn]

Prior to QMII, most of my cruising experience has been on smaller, more intimate ships. The largest of the ships I have regularly sailed have been Crystal's which are in the 900 passenger range, so I am accustomed to fairly personal service. The thing I remembered most about the impersonal nature of QMII was that no Cunard employee ever addressed me by name the entire 6 days of the crossing,

 

Hi,

I am sorry to hear that you feel disappointed with the service you've received with Cunard. I've been lucky, the only time I can really remember bad service was in Sir Samuels one morning with my parents, we ordered pastries and had to wait so long for them to arrive we could have nipped out to the Britannia, had lunch and returned to have them as desert. Quite seriously, any longer and we would have got up and left.

 

As regards being addressed, I think we all have different expectations. On this side of the pond it is still unusual for staff in shops, hotels or restaurants to look at the name on the charge card and then address customers by name. It does happen; it's happened on occasions to me, but in my experience, rarely. So rarely indeed that, when I am addressed by name, I notice it. Its not something that has ever worried me a great deal frankly, either way.

 

One experience I will relate here, in 2006 I took my first crossing on QM2 and, in the Commodore Club, there was a steward who remembered my drink after the first night. Only I, in my little group, never had to order my next drink (they all changed their drinks each visit) it came each time exactly as I liked it.

My next trip was on QE2 and then, 13 months after my first QM2 voyage, I boarded her again, this time for a Carribbean cruise. The steward wasn't in the Commodore Club this time, he was working in the bar on deck 8 overlooking the pool. As I approached this bar for the first time he looked up, smiled and said "Good afternoon Mr ***, can I get you your usual?". This was after 13 months and many thousands of passengers remember. I was astounded.

I recieved the same high service on all subsequent voyages on QM2.

Recently I enjoyed the Commodore Club on QV and, whilst not addressed by name, once again the stewards noted my usual preference (and another of my group who had a favourite drink) and I didn't have to ask on each visit. To me, that is service.

 

Anyway, those are my thoughts, we each have our own expectations as I said. Thank goodness we are all different! Bon voyage for all your future voyages.

[Cruachan]

On this side of the pond it is still unusual for staff in shops, hotels or restaurants to look at the name on the charge card and then address customers by name. It does happen; it's happened on occasions to me, but in my experience, rarely. So rarely indeed that, when I am addressed by name, I notice it. Its not something that has ever worried me a great deal frankly, either way.

 

Pepper,

 

I'm absolutely certain that you've hit on the key to the problem there. The one organisation on this side of the Atlantic that seems to have adopted a completely different attitude is the NHS, where they now appear to address you by your Christian name from the minute you're admitted.

 

J

[rafinmd]

Pepper,

 

I'm absolutely certain that you've hit on the key to the problem there. The one organisation on this side of the Atlantic that seems to have adopted a completely different attitude is the NHS, where they now appear to address you by your Christian name from the minute you're admitted.

 

J

 

Cruachan and Pepper, thank you for your explanation.

[The Real PM]

Pepper,

 

I'm absolutely certain that you've hit on the key to the problem there. The one organisation on this side of the Atlantic that seems to have adopted a completely different attitude is the NHS, where they now appear to address you by your Christian name from the minute you're admitted.

 

J

Frankly, I don't believe that ship personnel should address passengers by name, unless requested by the passenger.

[Host Sharon]

Frankly, I don't believe that ship personnel should address passengers by name, unless requested by the passenger.

 

 

I rather like it, as long as it's accompanied by a title, for example on some lines I'm Miss (surname), others Miss (first name).