First batch of post-remastered reviews is in...

[islanderr]

... and they are rather spotty. A lot of downgrades for the process of cruising (embarking, customer service, etc.), to the extent that the actual experience of being on board the QM2 is nearly shouted down. There is a well-nuanced review from Blue Riband, but other writers were not so understanding. Looks like Cunard has some work to do. Here is a link to the reviews (which start with a previously published review by a Cruise Critic staffer):

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=294

Edited July 12, 2016 by islanderr

[resistk]

... and they are rather spotty. A lot of downgrades for the process of cruising (embarking, customer service, etc.), to the extent that the actual experience of being on board the QM2 is nearly shouted down. There is a well-nuanced review from Blue Riband, but other writers were not so understanding. Looks like Cunard has some work to do. Here is a link to the reviews (which start with a previously published review by a Cruise Critic staffer):

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=294

 

On a TA now and the food cost cutting is noticeable. Understanding? What's there to understand, cut backs by Cunard to pay for the remastering.

[Thaxted]

I just disembarked from the July 6 crossing. I'll try to write at greater length later, but I think that Blue Riband's review was on the mark.

 

I wasn't in the Grills, so I can't comment on cutbacks there. What I can say is that my embarkation at Red Hook was swift and uneventful as was disembarking in Southampton. Our refurbished cabin was delightful, the new Kings Court far better than the old, and the Carinthia Lounge a much needed replacement of the tired Winter Garden. There were some glitches along the way, but we had a wonderful time and look forward to our westward crossing in August.

[3rdGenCunarder]

I've just read the reviews, and it seems the main problems are embarkation and disembarkation, especially dealing with Immigration. I have ceased to expect anything less than chaos at these processes. It's a shame, because everything else is great. But when it starts and ends badly, it taints the experience.

 

To some extent, embarkation is out of Cunard's hands. The staff in the terminal are not Cunard employees. The people at the computer terminals are gererally good. but it is annoying to see the rampant incompetence of the "organizers" who manage the queues and the boarding process.

 

One reviewer mentioned that the queue to go through immigration ran the length of the ship and curved back on itself. Same old, same old, going back to QE2. Here again, I have to say it isn't all Cunard's fault. Long-time Cunard passengers know how bad it can be, so they pay no attention to the assigned times and get in line early. So if you're in the second group and go down at your assigned time, you will be behind lots of people who shouldn't be there yet.

 

Cunard staff make no attempt to control the line, pull out people who shouldn't be there. Last year on the 175 crossing, it was a mess. Some people stood in line for over 2 hours. Not me. Fortunately, I didn't intend to get off in Boston, so when I saw the queue, I said a rude word to myself and went to breakfast. It got to the point where the captain announced "please don't stand in the queue. Relax somewhere else and try again when the queue is shorter." That's what I did. Hey, somebody has to go last, right? But if I'd intended to do something ashore that day, I'd have been furious. I think our assigned time was 8:30 AM, and I went through around 1 PM--and no, I wasn't the last one in line.

 

The rest of the comments seem pretty benign. One reviewer (a travel agent) sounded like someone who is never pleased, but the rest didn't make me want to run and cancel our next cruise.

Edited July 13, 2016 by 3rdGenCunarder

[Host Hattie]

I just disembarked from the July 6 crossing. I'll try to write at greater length later, but I think that Blue Riband's review was on the mark.

 

I wasn't in the Grills, so I can't comment on cutbacks there. What I can say is that my embarkation at Red Hook was swift and uneventful as was disembarking in Southampton. Our refurbished cabin was delightful, the new Kings Court far better than the old, and the Carinthia Lounge a much needed replacement of the tired Winter Garden. There were some glitches along the way, but we had a wonderful time and look forward to our westward crossing in August.

 

Thanks for reporting back, I look forward to reading your review.

[new to cuising]

Last year on the 175 crossing, it was a mess. Some people stood in line for over 2 hours. Not me. Fortunately, I didn't intend to get off in Boston, so when I saw the queue, I said a rude word to myself and went to breakfast. It got to the point where the captain announced "please don't stand in the queue. Relax somewhere else and try again when the queue is shorter." That's what I did. Hey, somebody has to go last, right? But if I'd intended to do something ashore that day, I'd have been furious. I think our assigned time was 8:30 AM, and I went through around 1 PM--and no, I wasn't the last one in line..

 

I too was on this crossing. This was the first time I'd experienced on board immigration checks so dutifully turned up on time in the Queens Room to see the immigration officer. I then went to the rear of the line/queue, which was just forward of Illuminations - I decided breakfast would be a better option so joined the queue about 10am (when shorter but allotted time had been 7am) and was on shore within about 30 minutes.

The reason for the delays was apparently due to only two of the six immigration officers tasked with being on QM2 turning up.

Apparently Boston immigration officers don't like working on Cruise ships at weekends especially when the Red Socks are playing at home to the Yankees!

[3rdGenCunarder]

I too was on this crossing. This was the first time I'd experienced on board immigration checks so dutifully turned up on time in the Queens Room to see the immigration officer. I then went to the rear of the line/queue, which was just forward of Illuminations - I decided breakfast would be a better option so joined the queue about 10am (when shorter but allotted time had been 7am) and was on shore within about 30 minutes.

The reason for the delays was apparently due to only two of the six immigration officers tasked with being on QM2 turning up.

Apparently Boston immigration officers don't like working on Cruise ships at weekends especially when the Red Socks are playing at home to the Yankees!

 

Cunard ALWAYS blames the Immigration officers. Have they always not had enough show up??? (I've seen ridiculous queues in San Juan, San Diego, NYC) There were more than two for the 175 Immigration. IIRC, there were two on the upper level near the entrance and two (or three) on the dance floor.

 

How did you queue by Illuminations? The main queue entered at the Britannia restaurant upstairs level and walked through there to the Queens Room. People were in that queue for over an hour.

Edited July 18, 2016 by 3rdGenCunarder