QE2 QG vs QG on Present Cunard Ships

[cruisercrazy69]

How does the food and ambience compare?

[Louise D]

Since QE2 was retired, I have only travelled on QM2, so have no experience of the other two ships.

 

However, as to the food, the QG on QM2 is still using virtually the same menus as had been used in QG on QE2. I had a lot of favourite dishes on QE2 and can still find them being served on a regular basis in QG (and also in PG) on QM2. The menus in QG on Cunard have always heavily relied on old classic dishes, so don't expect any of the latest trends in cookery. However, it is nice to see the old skills of table-side flambe still being used, which have largely died out in modern restaurants.

 

As to the "ambiance" a lot of this does depend upon fellow passengers, as much as the "look and feel" of the restaurant itself. I have been very fortunate in my fellow passengers, both on QE2 and QM2. Obviously, if the passengers are feeling great about their cruise experience, this rubs off on the restaurant staff and they will all do their best to satisfy you.

 

I do notice, however, that there are less staff in the restaurant than on QE2 and they work harder because they have responsibility for more tables. However, on QE2 the waiters in QG did have a rather leisurely lifestyle, and spent a lot of time sleeping and enjoying themselves between meals. I was speaking to a former QE2, QG waiter who now works sometimes in PG and sometimes in QG on QM2 and he laughingly recalled that their working systems on QE2 as being very different. "That was the QE2" he said.

 

I was looking at some old papers from my voyages on QE2 the other day and it did reinforce to me how much extra I was paying for QG on QE2, compared to what I am paying for QG on QM2 for my next 5 week voyage. QG on QE2 was considerably more expensive in those days. Also, I find the Q5 and Q6 accommodation on QM2 far better than Q2 or Q3 accommodation on QE2, including in regard to large balconies and a much bigger stateroom.

 

So on balance, accommodation in QG on QM2 is better than it was on QE2, the restaurant on QM2 is quite similar, the food is quite similar, there are fewer waiters on QM2, but overall they do a good job. So I keep coming back.

[keithm]

How does the food and ambience compare?

Never being on the QE2 I can't comment. The Grills on QM2 were always outstanding. We never had just an "acceptable" meal, they were always outstanding. Going off menu was never an issue.If it was an Al a Carte menu, we ordered the dinner special no later than lunch, otherwise we gave at least a days notice.

[BigMac1953]

We've travelled in PG & QG on QE2, QG four times on QV and QG twice on QM2.

 

Which is/was best? Impossible to say.

 

The various restaurants all had their own merits. Even in PQ on QE2, when we requested a dish for the next day (after the menus had been printed) the Maitre d' told us he would "see what he could do" and went on to ask what other specialities we might like. Sure enough, when we entered the PG next evening, he popped over and handed us the menus and asked us to note that there was a change to the original and our request was now available and printed on the menu.

 

Unlike some comments I've read from some Britannia travellers, I would say that occasionally the portions are too big. For example, last year we had four family members together. My wife and I ordered Beef Wellington. It would easily have satisfied all four of us and we had to leave some. The next week, we ordered the same thing again for all of us, but they did it again and sent two this time.

 

Which one is best, a BMW, a Jaguar or a Mercedes? There will be dozens of opinions and not one of them will be wrong. Each has its own individual qualities.

 

Doesn't help, does it?

 

Stewart

[Jim Avery]

There were, generally speaking, more celebrity types on QE2.:eek: Nowadays, the celebs take private jets. :D