Things you never expected to see on a Cunard Cruise.

[Cunard Fan]

I was wondering if anyone had experienced or witnessed something whilst

on a Cunard cruise which they just didn't expect to see. On our last

trip on the QE2, a med cruise last year, we were in the Yacht Club one

night listening to the DJ playing the records when the, I think it was

the Entertainments Manager/Officer, came into the DJ booth and started

to have a full blown punch up with the DJ in front of those dancing and

those sat around the booth! They had to be separated by other crew.

About 20 minutes after it had died down a ships officer came in and was

questioning the bar and wait staff. Never heard what it was about or

if there were any repurcussions (I would have thought so). I know one

lady sat next to us was disgusted and left the Yacht Club immediately.

This is just one thing I certainly didn't expect to see on a Cunard

cruise! Any other 'Tales of the Unexpected' out there?

[mtbny7]

From the moment that the Vikings crossed the Atlantic there have been jackasses at sea.

 

Even in the "glory" days of Cunard they were aboard... as long as there have been people there have been jackasses/drunks/mentally unstable folk/meanies/etc.

 

 

Having said that, here's one thing that disgusted me on my Aug 27 westbound crossing of Queen Mary 2:

 

My pal Mark had told me, "You'll be so impressed by the grand hallways on 2 and 3 Deck that lead to the Britannia.... the sense of space and luxury in these passages harkens back to the Normandie..."

 

I was so excitied to see these spaces full of people at sea in the evenings (I had seen them on a daytime ship tour in New York months ago). Well, I was HORRIFIED to discover that at night (all nights!) they are filled with cameras, backdrops, flashbulbs, and miles of duct-taped wires on the carpets... all so passengers may spend money to have a photo taken!

 

Why is this allowed to take place? If Cunard wants to make the money (which is fair enough) why can't they set up a photo studio ( a la SEARS) somewhere? The people who'd like a picture can go there and line up for one.

 

Side note: Also, why use cheezy backdrops? Why not use the interior of the MARY as a backdrop? Wouldn't that be nicer and more memorable? I thought Cunard spent top $$$ on decor. Also, I paid to sail on the Queen Mary 2... why would I want a picture in front of the staircase from another ship?

 

It was really so very tacky......

 

Michael

 

PS: Oh! and in the day they use the space as a bazaar to sell $10 watches, $5 trinkets, and "gold by the inch". How elegant... :-( ...... <sigh>

[yojimbo]

Michael,

 

I agree with you that all the photo commotion detracts from the elegance of an evening on QM2.

 

I'd love to hear you other impressions of QM2.

 

Jim

[eroller]

I was wondering if anyone had experienced or witnessed something whilst

on a Cunard cruise which they just didn't expect to see. On our last

trip on the QE2, a med cruise last year, we were in the Yacht Club one

night listening to the DJ playing the records when the, I think it was

the Entertainments Manager/Officer, came into the DJ booth and started

to have a full blown punch up with the DJ in front of those dancing and

those sat around the booth! They had to be separated by other crew.

About 20 minutes after it had died down a ships officer came in and was

questioning the bar and wait staff. Never heard what it was about or

if there were any repurcussions (I would have thought so). I know one

lady sat next to us was disgusted and left the Yacht Club immediately.

This is just one thing I certainly didn't expect to see on a Cunard

cruise! Any other 'Tales of the Unexpected' out there?

 

 

Actually, I would be surprised to see this on a Carnival cruise ... and in fact I never have. Interesting. It seems there have been a lot of "crew issues" on QE2 lately. I wonder what is up?

 

Personally, I never expect to have a cabin infested with little flying moths on QE2. I did, and very little was done about it. I think QE2 is an amazing ship, but I was very surprised how poor the customer service was onboard. I'm thinking (hoping) that mine was not a typical experience which is why I'm sailing on her again in January. Interestingly enough, I had no problems with customer service on QM2. Go figure.

 

Ernie

[sfo-john]

I totally agree about those photographic backdrops. I pretty much loved every minute of my last crossing on QE2, but I remember thinking they should just choose some sort of backround of the actual ship, maybe using the Queen's Room. I especially thought that the Titanic staircase backdrop was silly and at this point kind of dated.

[eroller]

I especially thought that the Titanic staircase backdrop was silly and at this point kind of dated.

 

 

It's amazing, every cruise line in the world uses that Titanic backdrop, from Carnival to Cunard, Royal Caribbean to Celebrity. I have a group photo taken in front of it back in 2001 on the wonderful NORWAY. It's time for it to be retired.

 

Ernie

[Ken_W]

It's amazing, every cruise line in the world uses that Titanic backdrop, from Carnival to Cunard, Royal Caribbean to Celebrity. I have a group photo taken in front of it back in 2001 on the wonderful NORWAY. It's time for it to be retired.

 

I'll be the first to admit that at times I have a Somewhat Differrent sense of humor, but I would miss the Titanic backdrop if they retire it. My partner and I have been on six cruises/crossings to date and we have six nearly identical photographs -- same Titanic backdrop, lighting, composition, angle and tuxedos -- that take up the first six pages of the vacation photo album. I love to watch people's faces on those rare occasions when they ask to see the vacation pictures as they flip through those first six pages, as we say, "Oh yeah, that was on Carnival, oh, remember Celebrity and oooh, remember, that was the first time on Cunard...." in response to seeing six nearly identical photos.

 

It looks like there's some sort of Picture of Dorian Gray thing going on as we age almost imperceptibly (I like to think) from picture to picture and our friends, who are relatively forgiving, indulge us. I've never been quite sure if they appreciate our sense of irony or just think we're strange, but they indulge us.

[Jeanne S]

From the moment that the Vikings crossed the Atlantic there have been jackasses at sea.

 

Even in the "glory" days of Cunard they were aboard... as long as there have been people there have been jackasses/drunks/mentally unstable folk/meanies/etc.

 

 

Having said that, here's one thing that disgusted me on my Aug 27 westbound crossing of Queen Mary 2:

 

My pal Mark had told me, "You'll be so impressed by the grand hallways on 2 and 3 Deck that lead to the Britannia.... the sense of space and luxury in these passages harkens back to the Normandie..."

 

I was so excitied to see these spaces full of people at sea in the evenings (I had seen them on a daytime ship tour in New York months ago). Well, I was HORRIFIED to discover that at night (all nights!) they are filled with cameras, backdrops, flashbulbs, and miles of duct-taped wires on the carpets... all so passengers may spend money to have a photo taken!

 

Why is this allowed to take place? If Cunard wants to make the money (which is fair enough) why can't they set up a photo studio ( a la SEARS) somewhere? The people who'd like a picture can go there and line up for one.

 

Side note: Also, why use cheezy backdrops? Why not use the interior of the MARY as a backdrop? Wouldn't that be nicer and more memorable? I thought Cunard spent top $$$ on decor. Also, I paid to sail on the Queen Mary 2... why would I want a picture in front of the staircase from another ship?

 

It was really so very tacky......

 

Michael

 

PS: Oh! and in the day they use the space as a bazaar to sell $10 watches, $5 trinkets, and "gold by the inch". How elegant... :-( ...... <sigh>

 

 

Wish they would get rid of that cheezy Titantic Staircase backdrop - how tasteless as well as on midships deck 5 on QM2, the tribute to the Carpathia with all the assorted misery and dying that took place in the "Icy North Atlantic." We did not need to be reminded of this each time we got on and off the elevator.

[Jeanne S]

Actually, I would be surprised to see this on a Carnival cruise ... and in fact I never have. Interesting. It seems there have been a lot of "crew issues" on QE2 lately. I wonder what is up?

 

Personally, I never expect to have a cabin infested with little flying moths on QE2. I did, and very little was done about it. I think QE2 is an amazing ship, but I was very surprised how poor the customer service was onboard. I'm thinking (hoping) that mine was not a typical experience which is why I'm sailing on her again in January. Interestingly enough, I had no problems with customer service on QM2. Go figure.

 

Ernie

 

 

Have sailed on Carnival twice and been impressed with the staff actually.

[Jeanne S]

The band playing "Who Let the Dog's Out" in the Queens Room on QM2.

[mtbny7]

The band playing "Who Let the Dog's Out" in the Queens Room on QM2.

 

 

 

WHAT!? HAHAHAHAHA

 

ohmigod......

 

 

 

Michael

[Transatlantic Tom]

It looks like there's some sort of Picture of Dorian Gray thing going on as we age almost imperceptibly (I like to think) from picture to picture and our friends, who are relatively forgiving, indulge us. I've never been quite sure if they appreciate our sense of irony or just think we're strange, but they indulge us.

 

Ken:

 

Using the Dorian Gray reference, then presumably you and your partner are looking younger and younger in person !!!

 

Tom:)

[Jeanne S]

WHAT!? HAHAHAHAHA

 

ohmigod......

 

 

 

Michael

We were on a Caribbean Sailing and the Sail away deck party from Barbados was moved from the AFT pool to the QR due to rain. So everyone was dancing to the beat of the Q32 Band (Disco and Caribbean Line Dancing mostly). After they played In the Navy, the Dollar Dance and WMCA, Who Let the Dog’s Out Followed, with the un-amused portrait of Queen Mary looking down on us. If I was blind would think that we were on RCCL as this tune gets played by the pool all the time.

[Ken_W]

...then presumably you and your partner are looking younger and younger in person !!!

 

In the dusk, with the light behind me.... sort of. Him too.

 

Back on topic, though, I wonder what type of music was looked at as inappropriate by some passengers in the 1920's and 30's, back in the age of liners as transportation. In The Long Weekend, a social history of Britain between 1918 and 1939, authors Robert Graves and Alan Hodge document the fact the there was a a thread of popular opinion holding that American jazz was degrading and degenerate (you could speak like that back then, as pompous as you please, and still be taken seriously) and a threat to civilization. The vehemence of those holding that opinion (strongly opposed) was proportionate to the popularity of the music (strongly in favor).

 

Me, I'd rather hear Take the "A" Train than Who Let the Dogs Out? any time, but in 75 years, when popular music consists of three electronic beeps, followed by a bloop and synthesized buzz saw mixed over a background of bat screechings, it's possible that Dogs may be looked at as a melodic classic. I don't think so, but then again I won't be there to argue the point, will I?

 

And as long as we're here, I have to admit I too was disappointed by the music in the Queens Room on QM2 during teatime in April of 2004. Sat there for hours waiting to hear one note of Noël Coward played, just one. North Atlantic, check, Cunard, check, Queen, check, tea, check... Coward, zip. Sure, lots of Gershwin, Berlin, Porter, even Vincent Youmans, but no Bitter Sweet? Shocking lack of tradtition! ;)

[Jeanne S]

In the dusk, with the light behind me.... sort of. Him too.

 

Back on topic, though, I wonder what type of music was looked at as inappropriate by some passengers in the 1920's and 30's, back in the age of liners as transportation. In The Long Weekend, a social history of Britain between 1918 and 1939, authors Robert Graves and Alan Hodge document the fact the there was a a thread of popular opinion holding that American jazz was degrading and degenerate (you could speak like that back then, as pompous as you please, and still be taken seriously) and a threat to civilization. The vehemence of those holding that opinion (strongly opposed) was proportionate to the popularity of the music (strongly in favor).

 

Me, I'd rather hear Take the "A" Train than Who Let the Dogs Out? any time, but in 75 years, when popular music consists of three electronic beeps, followed by a bloop and synthesized buzz saw mixed over a background of bat screechings, it's possible that Dogs may be looked at as a melodic classic. I don't think so, but then again I won't be there to argue the point, will I?

 

And as long as we're here, I have to admit I too was disappointed by the music in the Queens Room on QM2 during teatime in April of 2004. Sat there for hours waiting to hear one note of Noël Coward played, just one. North Atlantic, check, Cunard, check, Queen, check, tea, check... Coward, zip. Sure, lots of Gershwin, Berlin, Porter, even Vincent Youmans, but no Bitter Sweet? Shocking lack of tradtition! ;)

 

Just returned from a "Jazz Cruise" on Radisson (which actually was Big Band but they played "Harlem Nocturne" and all those great standards.

 

I noted that on our May 4, 2004 sailing - the Gershwin, Porter, Berlin. In Nov, 2004 there were Correlli Concerto Grosso's and Vivalldi at tea time and the 30's music in the evening.

[Vic The Parrot]

we have six nearly identical photographs -- same Titanic backdrop, lighting, composition, angle and tuxedos -- that take up the first six pages of the vacation photo album. I love to watch people's faces on those rare occasions when they ask to see the vacation pictures as they flip through those first six pages, as we say, "Oh yeah, that was on Carnival, oh, remember Celebrity and oooh, remember, that was the first time on Cunard...." in response to seeing six nearly identical photos.

 

 

 

 

But how can you tell which is which???

 

 

:confused: ;)

[2moose]

I was wondering if anyone had experienced or witnessed something whilst

on a Cunard cruise which they just didn't expect to see. On our last

trip on the QE2, a med cruise last year, we were in the Yacht Club one

night listening to the DJ playing the records when the, I think it was

the Entertainments Manager/Officer, came into the DJ booth and started

to have a full blown punch up with the DJ in front of those dancing and

those sat around the booth! They had to be separated by other crew.

About 20 minutes after it had died down a ships officer came in and was

questioning the bar and wait staff. Never heard what it was about or

if there were any repurcussions (I would have thought so). I know one

lady sat next to us was disgusted and left the Yacht Club immediately.

This is just one thing I certainly didn't expect to see on a Cunard

cruise! Any other 'Tales of the Unexpected' out there?

two things that come to my mind with a smile is 1- the elderly lady that came to the buffett breakfast completely naked and was gently covered with a table cloth and gently returned to her room and 2 the young man with the frosted hair that came to the buffett breakfast wearing only a thong or something smaller than a thong and was ejected immediately. better than the entertainment at nite!!!! best regards to all!!!!