Review of Mediterranean Delights - May 5 to 19

[wombat34]

This is my first attempt at writing any kind of cruise review and therefore I hope that any readers will be kind to me with their constructive criticism!

 

Mrs. W and I have just returned (on 19 May) from the Queen Elizabeth “Mediterranean Delights” voyage and thought readers might be interested to hear our thoughts and observations. This was our first voyage on the QE, although we have travelled with Cunard on several times in recent years.

 

The check in procedure on 5 May at the Ocean Terminal was a little more protracted than on previous occasions, but nevertheless, there were no particular obstacles and we were on board by early afternoon. As one might expect, it is easy to compare the ship with her slightly smaller sister (and if you will forgive me, I shall make such comparisons in this note). We found that many fellow passengers still like to compare every ship against the Queen Elizabeth 2, but I feel that this is somewhat unfair as the latest style of cruise ship/line, their clientele and general ambience have moved on since the QE2’s heyday.

Although Mrs. W and I are by no means spring chickens ourselves, it was obvious at check-in that the vast majority on this particular voyage (and more so than on any other voyage that we have undertaken) were very much “Club 65-80”. Not that this matters one iota of course!, but maybe it appeals more as it is the time of year when the Mediterranean is not too hot nor too crowded and is within school term time

 

Once aboard, it was a relatively simple task to navigate our way around the ship, as the layout is so very similar to the Queen Victoria. Upon boarding, our impression was that the ship is “wider” without being “longer”, and thus the main thoroughfares along the length of the ship appear less crowded. The other immediate, noticeable feature is the art deco style, which is much lighter in tone that the QV, with tans and golds and light greens, compared to the QV’s deeper and richer reds and browns interior décor. This is particularly evident in the Royal Court Theatre and Grand Lobby.

 

In many places aboard the ship, such as the Commodore Club, Yacht Club, Queens Room, Britannia Restaurant and Library, it would take a practiced eye to tell immediately which of the two smaller Queens one was aboard. I was a little worried that the “removal” of the Chart Room and inclusion of the Britannia Club restaurant might make for less socialising space, but the layout, with the much enlarged Café Corinthia, quickly allayed this fear.

 

The other main comparisons can be drawn on the upper deck. The Garden Lounge is a delight – it has a cosier feel that the QV’s Winter Garden (although the roof does not slide open) and appeared particularly popular with many guests. There are also comfortable chairs and sofas outside, around the pool area, which do much to entice the swimmer and observer!

I was rather disappointed with the recreational area at the front of the upper deck – although this space is used for the bowling, paddle tennis and croquet lawns, (which incidentally were sparsely used) it does not lend itself to a good viewing area for forward travel, for example when leaving port. However, the larger aft deck area (due to the box-like stern) did compensate for this somewhat and there is now ample room for photography, socialising and dancing during the sailaways (not to mention for those passengers who like to toast themselves to a crisp under the Mediterranean sun). The fact that we can walk all the way around the ship on deck 3 is a definite plus.

 

Overall, the food and the service were of an extremely high standard, with just one or two small complaints. We did find the service in the Commodore Club to be unacceptably slow on occasions. There was also a permanent smell of cigarette smoke at the beginning and end of the passageways leading to our stateroom. (Thankfully, this did not permeate into the Stateroom itself). The waiters in the Britannia Restaurant for our evening meals were, as ever, immaculate, friendly and efficient, and our sommelier was the most knowledgeable and helpful that we have ever encountered aboard. Our one small gripe with regard to the restaurant breakfast and lunch service was that the waiters were far too keen to take plates away, particularly when other diners on the table were still eating.

On two occasions, some of our dining companions did find the steak rather too tough, but this was not a problem that I, personally, encountered.

 

Although not gamblers, we found the Casino to be virtually empty through a very large proportion of the voyage, both during the day and during the evenings. Whether this is because the machines no longer pay out winnings to the sound of a clatter of chinking coins thus enticing fellow guests in to see who has won a jackpot, or because we British are less “enthusiastic” than our American cousins, I’m not sure. (For those readers who may be wondering, any winnings are now credited to your on board account via your cruise card which is inserted into the designated slot in the machine. However, beware, as bets placed may also be debited directly to your account by the same means).

 

The officers and crew were ever friendly and smiling and it warms me that they all, from the senior officers to the most junior deckhands, acknowledged us with a cheery “Good Morning” (or somesuch, depending on the time of day). Captain Well’s midday reports were both informative and amusing. Our steward kept our Stateroom immaculate and, so as to reinforce my point above, seemed to appear from nowhere to wish us well, whenever we entered or left our room. I would also make a special mention of the band which played superbly and worked tremendously hard throughout, playing a wide variety of songs for all tastes.

 

We attended a number (but not all) of “Cunard Insight” talks, which, as ever, were authoritative and interesting. Similarly, we did not attend every Royal Court Theatre show, although those we did see we thought were good, without being spectacular or particularly varied. This was not a view shared by some fellow passengers we talked to and who thought the shows were generally rather poor, and we did observe a number walking out mid way through a couple of performances.

 

One or two regular activities seem to have disappeared, or at least been reduced, eg daily flyers drumming up business for seminars for teeth whitening, art auctions, etc, but I was glad to see that others still remain, such as the tables of tat and napkin folding. The dress code was very well adhered to throughout the voyage, which was good to see. There is such an elegance about the ship when everyone is in there formal attire.

 

The ports of call ranged from the large to the small, from the picturesque to the industrial. A very short summary of each is described below:

 

Gibraltar – Not really sure why the ship stops here, especially on a Sunday, as it is pretty much closed, other than the Duty Free shops. (Perhaps I have just answered my own question!). Mrs. W and I decided to go Dolphin Watching, and this turned out to be a total delight.

Ajaccio – A pretty Island and an interesting town.

Civitavecchia/Rome – having visited Rome on two occasions recently, we decided to have a lazy day, just seeing a little of the countryside

Santa Margarita – A charming little port, although a long wait to get tendered ashore

Livorno/Florence – We went to Florence for the day on our own, and found it to be full of Americans, students and scaffolding. Nevertheless, the architecture and culture won the day.

However, there was a Bucks Fizz reception on the quayside awaiting every returning coach. We thought this a lovely idea and it was very well received by all the guests.

Cannes– Another tender port, but without the delay experienced two days earlier. It was the middle of the film festival, so the town was buzzing and we enjoyed it tremendously, both the town itself and looking out for Hollywood stars. We were even filmed for French television!

Barcelona– Not a favourite city and so we ventured to Montserrat. Fascinating, and as the weather was kind, absolutely stunning views from the mountain.

 

So, overall, a trip to experience Cunards’s newest ship and which definitely lived up to expectations Perhaps she needs a few more months to develop a character all of her own, but I am sure that will come.

 

Incidentally (as I know this is a recurring theme in these boards), a note about tipping. We spoke to the purser just before disembarking the ship and were informed that “nearly everyone” had opted out of the auto-gratuity charge and they “had never known so many to opt out before”. According to the purser, tips given to the room steward can be kept by them, but tips given to bar, waiting staff etc should (should being the operative word), be pooled for the benefit of all staff.

 

And finally, to Helen and Tom and Brian and Pam, if you are reading this, thanks for your company and making the last night so memorable!

 

Fairstar – Southampton to Adelaide, July 1966

Southern Cross – Melbourne to Southampton, October 1968

Carnival Spirit – Alaska, June 2002

Queen Elizabeth 2 – Iceland/Norway, June 2007

Queen Victoria – Baltics, July 2008

Queen Mary 2 – Southern Caribbean, November 2009

Queen Victoria – Mediterranean, June 2010

Queen Victoria – Mediterranean, November 2010

Queen Elizabeth - Mediterranean, May 2011

Yet to come - Queen Victoria - Venice to Fort Lauderdale, November 2011

[hazel949]

Thank you so much for posting that, it was a lovely review.

 

We are leaving next week for our trip aboard QE and I had been getting a little concerned about reading some cruise critic reviews of her and there appeared to be a lot of disparaging remarks about the service and it was really disconcerting.

 

However, your reivew helped eased my concerns.

 

We, as your American Cousins can't wait to enjoy British Hospitatility!

[Oahucruiser]

What a wonderful, comprehensive and positive review! We went on her maiden world cruise and agree with you on every point. She is a beautiful ship with easy flow, great service and friendly and efficient staff. I'm so glad you had such a great experience!

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the review, sounds like you had a great time.

 

Kirk

[north east girl]

Hi, Thanks for the brilliant review, we were on the voyage before you and loved the ship.

 

Also did the Dolphin Watch last year, glad we did, saw lots of dolphins a, very relaxing excursion.

 

Catherine

[jcruizer]

I too enjoyed my trip on the QE World Maiden Voyage. We are doing the QV Mediterranean June '12 so your report was very interesting for us. Especially comparing the 2. Thank you:)

[Whitemarsh]

Great review. It makes me look forward to cruising on the Queen Elizabeth in 2014.

 

It will be interesting to read the other reviews on this voyage. It's always so strange to me that some can have a wonderful time, like yourself, and others will have the worst holiday of their lifetime - and we will get to read about it in the member reviews, right here on Cruise Critic.