QE2: poor state of repair?

[JakeRussell]

I know the venerable old lady engenders a great deal of loyalty amongst her passengers but has anybody noticed what a poor state of repair she's in? This doesn't reflect on the crew, but on the owners. Does anyone know why they're letting her fade away? I've heard that the AC is intermittent, the plumbing untrustworthy and that power cuts are not as infrequent as one might wish. How do recent cruisers feel about her current state of repair? Jake.

[fastship]

Well I'll admit I haven't sailed on the ol'girl in two years but I recently was in Panama and had the good fortune of watching her pass through the Miraflores locks. She looked spotless. Her black hull and white upper works were immaculate. I got a closeup view as my cousin works for the Canal Authority.

[JakeRussell]

Fair enough, Fastship, but a nice paintjob can cover a myriad of sins. Just look at my car! Seriously, though, what's going on with the QE2? I know she underwent a refit last year, but that was purely cosmetic - kind of like sending your Granny for a facelift when she needs a hip replacement. Surely Cunard/Carnival - whoever owns this ship - should be concentrating on both the aesthetic and the essential. After all, how useful is a nice paint job when you're drifting without power in a stormy sea?

[idtdavid]

well, we just got of the Christmas cruise and I have to be honest - the ship is tired. It was my 10th voyage on the QE2 and I am sad to say it was probably my last. Let's face it, the ship is old. It is still elegant, but not as much as it used to be. We refered to our cabin (queens grill) as "Shabby Chic". In it's day it was surely top drawer. It would be very hard to find a cabin that size on a newer ship, but I think I would trade size for comfort.

The air conditioning in our cabin and throughout the ship was unpredictable.

The staff was better than they were last year, but I feel many of the old timers are burnt out and just waiting for their pensions.

So, I would opt for the QM2 for a crossing & Crystal for a cruise.

Thats just my opinion.

[Winchester]

The ship can still work and be nice to travel on if THEY keep up the repairs. And at this time THEY aren't. When I was on for the latest last trans, the carpets were worn on many areas. The chairs in the Chart Room, and I assume other places, since others mentioned it as well, were losing their covering. Doors in my cabin flapped back and forth because they didn't shut tightly anymore.

 

And then there was the power failure on new years. Stuff like that will happen to an old ship, but that may be a hazzard if something bigger fails.

[Reltco]

well, we just got of the Christmas cruise and I have to be honest - the ship is tired. It was my 10th voyage on the QE2 and I am sad to say it was probably my last. Let's face it, the ship is old. It is still elegant, but not as much as it used to be. We refered to our cabin (queens grill) as "Shabby Chic". In it's day it was surely top drawer. It would be very hard to find a cabin that size on a newer ship, but I think I would trade size for comfort.

The air conditioning in our cabin and throughout the ship was unpredictable.

The staff was better than they were last year, but I feel many of the old timers are burnt out and just waiting for their pensions.

So, I would opt for the QM2 for a crossing & Crystal for a cruise.

Thats just my opinion.

 

 

I sailed on her Eastbound in August 1969, East and West in the summers of '72, '74 and '77 and finally Westbound in 1979. I thought I had died and gone to heaven in 69 though I was disappointed in the new upper level luxury suites that eventually took over the Sports and Signal decks. The retaurant that went by the names Brittania (sp?), Tables of the World and currently Mauretania seemed to change names but nothing else. But I always thought it was magnificent when I sailed on her. By '79 the Double Up and Down Room was tiring and though I never sailed on her again, I was glad for the '84 refit only that it kept her in service and updated some of that 60's "space-age" decor. I've seen ships in the Navy as old as QE2 and there's nothing much you can do cheaply. My bet is all the $ is going to QM2 and QV. Sad to say that in the next few years we may see QE2 go the way of Caronia or hopefully Queen Mary. I'd stay on her as a pierside hotel. The purist in me thinks that she is truly the last superliner.

[Richard Schmidt]

I know the venerable old lady engenders a great deal of loyalty amongst her passengers but has anybody noticed what a poor state of repair she's in? This doesn't reflect on the crew, but on the owners. Does anyone know why they're letting her fade away? I've heard that the AC is intermittent, the plumbing untrustworthy and that power cuts are not as infrequent as one might wish. How do recent cruisers feel about her current state of repair? Jake.

 

Dear Jake,

 

I do not know who you have been talking to, but I was on the ship on her December 2004 crossing, and her "state of repair" was excellent. I did not see worn carpeting, nor did I have any trouble with plumbing or A/C. What I did experience was the last real trans-Atlantic ocean liner managing beautifully in Force 8 gales, with 10 to 12 meter waves, without ever reducing speed. It was a wonderful crossing. QE 2 is the last of her kind, a descendant of the Aquitania and Mauretania. The crew was attentive, the food excellent, and nobody on board was whining about the lack of a climbing wall or the absence of chrome fixtures or strobe lights. People wore tuxedos without referring to them as "Monkey Suits" or complaining about the fact that there were no "denim days" on the ship. If you want a gleaming, Las Vegas hotel avec water, try the Queen Mary 2. You'll love it, and will never be confronted by the possibility you may find a part of the ship that actually looks like... a ship. Jake, you have a couple of years, max, to be one of the last people to experience a classic trans-Atlantic ocean liner, provided you book on the QE2. After that, it's the "Ceasar's Palace on a Hull", courtesy of the Princess Cruise Lines. Do me a favor: book the Queen Mary 2. More room for me and my cigar in the Chart Room on the QE 2.

 

Richard

[mufi]

Sad to say that in the next few years we may see QE2 go the way of Caronia or hopefully Queen Mary. I'd stay on her as a pierside hotel. The purist in me thinks that she is truly the last superliner.

 

Not so sad. Caronia is actually having new lease of life and after her refit will still for quite a few years be sailing on with new owners Saga. For those who like the smaller ships and can reach the age restriction, she will be quite some cruise ship.

 

David.

[transat_jon]

sO She is an old lady and has bother with her waterworks. The power loss on 01Jan05 shows she is having some problems getting around too.

 

**************************************************************

 

I was on the 15Dec04 Westbound and also did not notice worn carpets and furnishings. We did have plumbing probelms though, our basin was blocked and the shower was either hot or cold with little inbetween, it took a couple of days to fix the basin and we could live with the shower.

 

In Nov04 I was board also and the toilet did not flush well, hot water was lost from most of the ship one afternoon and they put so much chlorine though the water system towards the end of the cruise you could not drink it.

 

On deck in December the caulking was not in as a good a condition as it should have been.

 

All that aside both trips were fantastic!

 

****************************************************************

 

Richard, one thing you might not have realised : on the 15Dec04 crossing we were down to 20 knots one night and 16 knots on another.

[stowaway2k]

Dear Jake,

 

I do not know who you have been talking to, but I was on the ship on her December 2004 crossing, and her "state of repair" was excellent. I did not see worn carpeting, nor did I have any trouble with plumbing or A/C. What I did experience was the last real trans-Atlantic ocean liner managing beautifully in Force 8 gales, with 10 to 12 meter waves, without ever reducing speed. It was a wonderful crossing. QE 2 is the last of her kind, a descendant of the Aquitania and Mauretania. The crew was attentive, the food excellent, and nobody on board was whining about the lack of a climbing wall or the absence of chrome fixtures or strobe lights. People wore tuxedos without referring to them as "Monkey Suits" or complaining about the fact that there were no "denim days" on the ship. If you want a gleaming, Las Vegas hotel avec water, try the Queen Mary 2. You'll love it, and will never be confronted by the possibility you may find a part of the ship that actually looks like... a ship. Jake, you have a couple of years, max, to be one of the last people to experience a classic trans-Atlantic ocean liner, provided you book on the QE2. After that, it's the "Ceasar's Palace on a Hull", courtesy of the Princess Cruise Lines. Do me a favor: book the Queen Mary 2. More room for me and my cigar in the Chart Room on the QE 2.

 

Richard

 

Well said Richard! For those who are uncomfortable in surroundings that aren't sparkly, shinny, fresh, and brand new, fine, QE2 is not for you! I very much enjoy and appreciate her understated sophistication and elegance. Yes, she's old! So what? A chair that's a little threadbare, a bit of carpeting that worn, that's not going to ruin my holiday, I'll leave the whining and pouting to others.

I recently sailed on QE2 for three weeks, the Dec. crossing followed by the Caribbean cruise and I wonder if all these posts complaining about QE2's condition, as I thought she looked gorgeous, inside and out! What do people expect when they book a 35 year old ship?? Either people are greatly prone to exageration, or are simply too spoiled, bored, or overly sensitive, but I find all the quirks and foibles of QE2 to be endearing. The air conditioning that I've heard people complaining about didn't bother me the slightest. Were we on the same ship? QE2 does have plumbing issues, such as leaks, as she has had for many years. It's no secret. It's no big deal. At all. Why let it bother you? Rust spots? Yes, of course! She's a ship! The deck crew is constantly touching up, as they should, and as they do on EVERY ship. NO ship is immune to rust. Period. Why is it upsetting to see it on QE2?

As for her short, and insignificant power loss on New Years, this is not a sign of her imminent end. P&O's Aurora, a four year old ship, is making headlines right now for her world cruise being delayed for 10 days, and possibly cancelled, because of mechanical problems. Several months ago, passengers were called to boat stations when the Rotterdam lost power for four hours in a hurricane. Just a hurricane, like the ones QE2 slices through like a hot knife through butter. Another P&O ship, the Pacific Sky, had to turn back to port a few months ago and the cruise cancelled, after a thirty hour delay, because of mechanical problems. The point is, IT HAPPENS! QE2's problem was minor, and no, she was not adrift in stormy seas as one poster said. I know, I was there. It was only for two hours, in a low swell. This does not spell her doom, as people want very much to believe.

QE2 is an easy target because of her age, and her iconic status. It's human nature to want to trash and target an icon. We see it every day. It's the same as when a star athlete has a bad day, when an actor stars in a bad movie, people are so quick to gleefully trumpet the end of their career.

How sad when people are ready to turn their backs. Fair weather friends?

If you want bright, shiny, sparkly new, don't sail QE2. If your style is a brand new mini van rather than a classic Mustang, don't sail QE2. If you strive for that large cookie cutter tract house with the faux facade instead of the older elegance of the historic district of town, don't sail QE2. If you have no sense of adventure, of living for the moment, if you don't understand that newer and bigger does not necessarily mean better, don't sail QE2.

If insignificant, minor issues don't ruin your day, if you prefer the real thing to a pretender, then QE2 is still there, waiting for you.

Sure, there are only a few years left. Yes, her glory years are over. But QE2 still has something that QM2, and no other ship will ever have. Actually, the internet is ripe with constant complaints about QM2, will she even ever have any glory years?

 

Just my two-cents worth folks...just my own humble opinions.

 

Kyle

[idtdavid]

I didn't read any complaints about the lack of a rock climbing wall or strobe lights. Just honest opinions and valid complaints.

[mtbny7]

I was on the Christmas cruise as well.

 

I thought the ship was somewhat threadbare and the plumbing was odd in places; but I still love her. She is akin to an older home.

 

After 14 voyages since 1999 (and one in 1997), the magic still works for me and I will sail on her until the very last moment.

 

Michael

New York

 

 

PS:

 

A. Hello itdavid, I miss our Bingo days. How are you?

 

B. To all: What happened to Vic's post about the Christmas cruise?

[Richard Schmidt]

sO She is an old lady and has bother with her waterworks. The power loss on 01Jan05 shows she is having some problems getting around too.

 

**************************************************************

 

I was on the 15Dec04 Westbound and also did not notice worn carpets and furnishings. We did have plumbing probelms though, our basin was blocked and the shower was either hot or cold with little inbetween, it took a couple of days to fix the basin and we could live with the shower.

 

In Nov04 I was board also and the toilet did not flush well, hot water was lost from most of the ship one afternoon and they put so much chlorine though the water system towards the end of the cruise you could not drink it.

 

On deck in December the caulking was not in as a good a condition as it should have been.

 

All that aside both trips were fantastic!

 

****************************************************************

 

Richard, one thing you might not have realised : on the 15Dec04 crossing we were down to 20 knots one night and 16 knots on another.

 

You are correct, Jon. I remember now waking up in the middle of the night when we were experiencing the 12 meter waves, and I noticed the ship had slowed somewhat. Still, she handled the seas beautifully. Thanks for the reminder and the correction.

 

Richard

[sfo-john]

Perhaps I boarded the QE2 for the December crossing having already decided that I was going to enjoy each minute and be able to overlook any flaws, because that's pretty much what I did. Of course I noticed a few bits worn and torn and cracked here and there, but as stated numerous times above, it all comes with being a 35 year old ship. To be honest, my first impression (and this was my first time on QE2) was how subdued and refined she seemed inside. She seemed dignified and even the remnants of her original late 60's style I found to be charming. I even was pleased with my inside M grade cabin (3053). It had lots of wood panelling and was very cozy. I had no problem with any shortcomings or quirks that I noticed, although I could see how someone who was expecting a modern, glitzy mega-ship may have been disappointed. I don't want to be on a ship that exactly resembles a resort. I still think that QE2 is a "must do" for anyone with any interest in the ocean liners of the past. For others, I guess she may fall short in the "wow"factor department. I was thoroughly engaged, relaxed and amused for the entire six days.

[idtdavid]

I think it is important to make a distinction between "Crossing" on the QE2 and "Cruising" on the QE2. There is nothing else like a crossing on the QE2.

The ship was built to take everything the North Atlantic can throw in it's path, and it does. The atmosphere is completely different on a crossing. There are no ports. The weather is cool, so air-conditioning is not really a major concern. The passengers a crossing attracts are different than those on a tropical cruise. Passengers who choose to do a crossing usually do so for the unique experience of a "vintage" liner clipping across the

Atlantic at 28 or so knots. I think that when you are on board for that crossing "experience" you are more likely to forgive the faults. But, when you're on board for a what is billed as a luxurious holiday cruise and spending a lot of money, more than most other luxurious holiday cruises, you're expectations are different. Am I making sense or am I just rambling?

Also, as long as I mentioned money, it also depends on what class you've booked and how much money you're spending on your cabin.

 

p.s. Hey Bingo Boy! Doesn't it suck being home?

The depression hits the morning after you return home when it's 10 degrees outside and you have to make your own coffee!

[mufi]

I don't think that which "class" you are in has anything to do with the experience of sailing on QE2. She just has an atmosphere that is unique among all the the others and this can be enjoyed by all aboard. No, she is not for everyone, but this applies to the floating skyscrapers as well.

 

David.

[mufi]

Just as an addition to this, P&O have just abandoned the world cruise on Aurora. She will be back in Southampton tonight and the pax will be off home in the morning. Anyone ever remember this happening to QE2?

 

David.

[Rotterdam]

The QE2 was built as a dual purpose liner(crossings & cruises) but primarily as a Transatlantic Liner. She is the last of her breed that existed for over 100 years.

 

Most people take "cruises" as is the popular fashion today. If they do a crossing it is probably on a CRUISE SHIP, not a TRANSATLANTIC OCEAN LINER.

 

The transition of the FRANCE to the NORWAY changed that liner into a ship that focused on warm weather cruises. Her deep draft kept her away from the piers in ST THOMAS USVI & required dredging of the harbor in Mami, her new home port in the 1980's . That same draft gave her a smooth sail to & from Europe.

 

No matter the clothing one wears or the cocktails being drunk(champagne) most passengers today will not know what it is like to sail on an OCEAN LINER unless they sail in QE2.

 

To that end - The QE2's black hull has played havoc on passengers getting dressed for dinner while the ship did warm weather cruises from the start. Yes the ship is past her prime & any sailor knows the mechanical & engineering problems with any boat or ship.

 

But should you be fortunate to sail the classic Transatlantic Crossing in QE2 - its a wonderful, beautiful, marvelous, fun filled experience. Every evening it is a joy to return to your staterooom & sleep in the comforts provided. Yes she is aged - but she has served us quite well with a honourable career - I'll miss her when she does not return to sail up the Hudson River. But before that - I'll walk her Boat Deck again!

[mtbny7]

Nice words, Rotterdam!

 

Michael

NYC

[Richard Schmidt]

The QE2 was built as a dual purpose liner(crossings & cruises) but primarily as a Transatlantic Liner. She is the last of her breed that existed for over 100 years.

 

Most people take "cruises" as is the popular fashion today. If they do a crossing it is probably on a CRUISE SHIP, not a TRANSATLANTIC OCEAN LINER.

 

The transition of the FRANCE to the NORWAY changed that liner into a ship that focused on warm weather cruises. Her deep draft kept her away from the piers in ST THOMAS USVI & required dredging of the harbor in Mami, her new home port in the 1980's . That same draft gave her a smooth sail to & from Europe.

 

No matter the clothing one wears or the cocktails being drunk(champagne) most passengers today will not know what it is like to sail on an OCEAN LINER unless they sail in QE2.

 

To that end - The QE2's black hull has played havoc on passengers getting dressed for dinner while the ship did warm weather cruises from the start. Yes the ship is past her prime & any sailor knows the mechanical & engineering problems with any boat or ship.

 

But should you be fortunate to sail the classic Transatlantic Crossing in QE2 - its a wonderful, beautiful, marvelous, fun filled experience. Every evening it is a joy to return to your staterooom & sleep in the comforts provided. Yes she is aged - but she has served us quite well with a honourable career - I'll miss her when she does not return to sail up the Hudson River. But before that - I'll walk her Boat Deck again!

 

Well said, Mufi and Rotterdam. I'll miss her, too. Her last Trans-Atlantic crossing will be mine as well. I have no use for the hotel-barges that pass for ships these days.

 

Richard

[fastship]

Do give the QM2 a try for a transatlantic crossing before you dismiss her.

I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

And she can handle any seas the QE2 could handle-believe me I know!

Remember, many of the old guard dismissed the QE2 when she debuted and said she would never replace the Queen Mary or Queen Elizabeth. Well they were wrong, no?

[transat_jon]

You cannot compare Queen Mary, QE2 and QM2, they are too different.

 

The QM2 is all right in it's way but she is just another modern ship, only much bigger. She uses off the shelf components and a fairly standard high speed ferry hull. She is a modern ship made to look like an older ship.

 

The QE2 has a hull shape crafted by John Brown, quite individual for the specific requirements needed by a cruise liner. It is one of the thickest hulls on the ocean today. The propulsion system was custom built and the navigation and control electronics were highly sophisticated and experimental, luckily successful.

 

Queen Mary is a glorious masterpeice of art deco with enormous horse power. She was built to be the largest, fastest, one of the grandest ships ever built. Her interiors were designed by artists an built by craftsmen. Everyone must visit her in Long Beach to see what I mean.

 

 

The Queen Mary was built how she was because that was how you built a great ship then, the QE2 was decorated in the bright colours fashonable in it's era using the latest technology.

 

The QM2 in comparison has been decorated to look like a ship from an era long since gone and it does not sit that easily to me. I have travelled on QM2 and will again but give me QE2 any day and I would swap three QM2s for one Queen Mary.

[Jimsgirl]

Perhaps I boarded the QE2 for the December crossing having already decided that I was going to enjoy each minute and be able to overlook any flaws, because that's pretty much what I did. Of course I noticed a few bits worn and torn and cracked here and there, but as stated numerous times above, it all comes with being a 35 year old ship. To be honest, my first impression (and this was my first time on QE2) was how subdued and refined she seemed inside. She seemed dignified and even the remnants of her original late 60's style I found to be charming. I even was pleased with my inside M grade cabin (3053). It had lots of wood panelling and was very cozy. I had no problem with any shortcomings or quirks that I noticed, although I could see how someone who was expecting a modern, glitzy mega-ship may have been disappointed. I don't want to be on a ship that exactly resembles a resort. I still think that QE2 is a "must do" for anyone with any interest in the ocean liners of the past. For others, I guess she may fall short in the "wow"factor department. I was thoroughly engaged, relaxed and amused for the entire six days.

 

I was very pleased to read your comments, I will be on QE2 in May for trip Southampton/Rome/Southampton ,Cabin 4182 and again in Jan 2006 Cabin 4087 for 49 day segment of World Cruise, I know these cabins are small, but I travel solo so do not think I will have problems. I am sure the demographics of the passengers will be very different on these two very different trips.

I am looking forward to being on a "real" ship again. My first sea journey was in l954 on a liner the "Cilecia"(Anchor Line) on the Karachi to Liverpool run, we dressed for dinner everynight and danced on deck under the stars!

 

rafex1@earthlink.net

[Rotterdam]

at this point in time the QE2 is singular. There is no other OCEANLINER sailing today.

 

Tho QM2 does have some beautiful & noteable attributes, she was built for todays "cruising " public.

 

The Transatlantic voyage is unique & totally different from a modern cruise. For those of us that treasure a "Liner" QE2 truly is "The Only Way To Cross". The weather usually means the passenger spends most of the voyage indoors & keeping occupied never seemed to be a problem(especially considering there is the Atlantc Ocean from start to finish). Perhaps sailing to & from 2 of teh greatest ports in the world contributes to the voyage along with New York City itself, teh Hudson River, THE STATUE OF LIBERTY. Then knowing you were staying in or just leaving Europe where most of our ancestors came from.

 

QE2 is spectacular in her design & ability to handle anything the Oceans of the planet have tossed at her.(The France was a "roller". My beloved ROTTERDAM V also was a great Ocean Liner).

 

I wish I could do a world cruise on QE2 before she retires.....she is just the right size & the people she attracts are always intersting & fun.

 

And last but not least - one more stroll on the Boat Deck before I retire for the night - all those beautiful stars & that sea air.

[Richard Schmidt]

Well said Richard! For those who are uncomfortable in surroundings that aren't sparkly, shinny, fresh, and brand new, fine, QE2 is not for you! I very much enjoy and appreciate her understated sophistication and elegance. Yes, she's old! So what? A chair that's a little threadbare, a bit of carpeting that worn, that's not going to ruin my holiday, I'll leave the whining and pouting to others.

I recently sailed on QE2 for three weeks, the Dec. crossing followed by the Caribbean cruise and I wonder if all these posts complaining about QE2's condition, as I thought she looked gorgeous, inside and out! What do people expect when they book a 35 year old ship?? Either people are greatly prone to exageration, or are simply too spoiled, bored, or overly sensitive, but I find all the quirks and foibles of QE2 to be endearing. The air conditioning that I've heard people complaining about didn't bother me the slightest. Were we on the same ship? QE2 does have plumbing issues, such as leaks, as she has had for many years. It's no secret. It's no big deal. At all. Why let it bother you? Rust spots? Yes, of course! She's a ship! The deck crew is constantly touching up, as they should, and as they do on EVERY ship. NO ship is immune to rust. Period. Why is it upsetting to see it on QE2?

As for her short, and insignificant power loss on New Years, this is not a sign of her imminent end. P&O's Aurora, a four year old ship, is making headlines right now for her world cruise being delayed for 10 days, and possibly cancelled, because of mechanical problems. Several months ago, passengers were called to boat stations when the Rotterdam lost power for four hours in a hurricane. Just a hurricane, like the ones QE2 slices through like a hot knife through butter. Another P&O ship, the Pacific Sky, had to turn back to port a few months ago and the cruise cancelled, after a thirty hour delay, because of mechanical problems. The point is, IT HAPPENS! QE2's problem was minor, and no, she was not adrift in stormy seas as one poster said. I know, I was there. It was only for two hours, in a low swell. This does not spell her doom, as people want very much to believe.

QE2 is an easy target because of her age, and her iconic status. It's human nature to want to trash and target an icon. We see it every day. It's the same as when a star athlete has a bad day, when an actor stars in a bad movie, people are so quick to gleefully trumpet the end of their career.

How sad when people are ready to turn their backs. Fair weather friends?

If you want bright, shiny, sparkly new, don't sail QE2. If your style is a brand new mini van rather than a classic Mustang, don't sail QE2. If you strive for that large cookie cutter tract house with the faux facade instead of the older elegance of the historic district of town, don't sail QE2. If you have no sense of adventure, of living for the moment, if you don't understand that newer and bigger does not necessarily mean better, don't sail QE2.

If insignificant, minor issues don't ruin your day, if you prefer the real thing to a pretender, then QE2 is still there, waiting for you.

Sure, there are only a few years left. Yes, her glory years are over. But QE2 still has something that QM2, and no other ship will ever have. Actually, the internet is ripe with constant complaints about QM2, will she even ever have any glory years?

 

Just my two-cents worth folks...just my own humble opinions.

 

Kyle

 

Thank you for the posting, Kyle. You make a great defense of the QE2, and any friend of this great vessel is a friend of mine. I am trying to book the trans-Atlantic crossing that is part of her 2006 World Cruise. One more dance with the girl I love.

 

Richard