QE2 July 29th 2006

[kevankiki]

I was there too, I hung around til 5.45pm then had to go and get ready for dinner, no sign of any CC banner...I'm still on the ship and have yet to see ssnorway either, I keep wandering past the steps but he is never sat there that I've seen. If anyone is in touch with him then please let him know I am looking out for him :)

[Morgans]

Jim - is it possible to say why won't you be trying Cunard again? You have made me curious now? !

 

 

 

Marge. M

[jimgib]

Marge, we had been with cunard some 3 years ago on QM2 we had a not brilliant cruise, they offered us an allowance to try and retain us as clients. origionally we were told we could use it with seabourne as we didnt want to risk cunard again, however their policy changed so it was cunard or nothing. We didnt want to 'risk' my main cruise with cunard but as the credit was running out we thought lets try a week and pay the extra for a Q2. so that is how we ended aboard, we had gone with an open mind and wanted to become converts. But considering Q2 is high up the list grade wise we found it quiet basic, plus may things not right,

butlers service not what we usually get

internet hardly works

rude staff

housekeeping a waste of time, just try getting an electrician or a plumber!

all in all poor value even at a quarter of the cost.

Glad we didnt use it for main cruise and will revert to tried tested and approved ships in the future.

regards

jJm

 

Kevankiki sorry we missed you trust you are having fun #

regards

Jim

[Morgans]

Thanks for the explanation Jim. Sorry it wasn't what you were hoping for. We shall be going next year so hopefully things will run smoother then! Enjoy your main holiday.

 

Marge M

[tokyo]

We did the one nighter followed by the cruise to Norway. The food and service in the Coronia was very good, but found the service and food in the Lido very poor. We were pleased with our cabin and the steward was excellant. Breakfast in our cabin arrived on the dot and he did everything possible to make our cruise enjoyable.

 

During the cruise I noted many times where staff were off handed or rude.

 

When we arrived at the terminal building I unloaded our luggage onto a trolley and then drove off to find the car park.

 

On my return to the terminal building I expected to find that my partner (with the aid of a porter) had checked our luggage in. This did not happen. Porters were standing just yards away, but not one offered or even asked if she needed assistants.:mad:

 

My partner is disabled, she is not in a wheelchair but needs to take her time when walking. When I booked the cruise I told Cunard and they said there would be no problem. However, a week before the cruise when I asked what we should do about checking in etc I was told that we would have to check in as normal and there was nothing they could do to help her.

I have been on 5 cruises with P and O and have always found the staff and crew polite and helpful.

 

Would I cruise with Cunard again, I doubt it very much. Anyway next year I am going to give Holland America a try, with a cruise to Alaska.

 

As for the QE2, I am glad I have sailed with her. She is a grand old lady.

I have no complaints about her. :)

[mg17uk]

Hello All

 

Gosh! Well I was also on the 29th July Northern Odyssey cruise and I had a great time. I've only just discovered this thread which shows what an ineffectual cruisecritic I am! However, getting back to the cruise, I found the staff most attentive and friendly (particularly in the Princess Grill and Lido restaurants), the on board company excellent, the ports interesting (especially Oslo and Rotterdam, where the send off was very much an event) and the whole experience very pleasurable indeed. So much so that I have booked next year's 40th anniversary cruise on the QE2 round the UK. Contrasting my good experiences with some of the negative points mentioned above just emphasises, in my view, how each passenger experiences his/her cruise in his/her own way - although the QE2, being old and decidedly "classic", has several quirks which may put off some people.

 

mg17uk

 

QE2 (Aug 02, Jun 03, Sept 04, Oct 05, Aug 06)

QM2 (Jan 05, Sep 05, Feb 06)

Caronia (May 03, Aug 04)

Marco Polo (Aug 03, Apr 04, May 05)

Millennium (Jan 05)

Statendam (Feb 04)

Oceanic (May 06)

Thomson Celebration (Sep 05)

[jimgib]

sorry we missed you on board, our problems were not the quirks which i found enlightening, thank god all ships arnt the same. I agree both Oslo and Rotterdam were great venues we had a great time in both. Our main problem was things not getting done as they should be. We cruise lots many times a year, and over the years have used a vast number of cruise lines, I think being british and the long history that cunard has we wanted to be delighted with QE. Its just a pity that the things that were wrong were all things that could be put right at no little or no cost! surely a cruise line should be looking to make their clients so happy that they will return many times again, yes I know many people on here are very loyal followers, we wanted to be, but the product served to us was not upto the standard of many other lines, including some at a lower price point.

I thought Terry Waite was an excellent speaker, and to my suprise Mick Miller was a very funny man.

hope you enjoy the 40th anniv cruise.

regards

jim

[kevankiki]

I have to say that we had no complaints either, well one minor one, no morning tea on disembarkation day - but that's a very minor one really. I was tempted to post here that maybe M class is better than Grill but then my SO said I'd probably get a response saying I didn't know what to expect regarding service :D

 

The food was great, service excellent, apart from one morning at breakfast when things were a little slow. The Assistant MD in the Mauritania (who we nicknamed James Bond) even agreed to my SO and daughter having an alternative meal one night, depite no previous order being made. After that, we had the menus delivered to us each evening so that we could check them and pre-order the following morning if necessary.

 

We couldn't fault the entertainment, those Cunard singers and dancers really can (how did they manage to stay upright during Appassionata? I couldn't walk in a straight line, never mind dance)! In fact, we sat though the three shows again the following week without complaint!!

 

I was also impressed with the lengths they go to in order to avoid an outbreak of the dreaded Norovirus, there wasn't a germ in sight!

 

I was sorry I didn't get to meet any CCers on board, there seem to have been quite a few, and no log book to sign either which was a shame.

 

Would I cruise with Cunard again? Oh most definitely, count me in!!

[KarenR_UK]

housekeeping a waste of time, just try getting an electrician or a plumber!

Jim

 

I remembered this post with trepidation as the lights started to go out in my cabin... but I had a much better excperience

 

The first light, I didn't actually notice until the electritian knocked on the door on the first afternoon and asked if he could replace it (it was very dim) - I guessed the steward, Jun, reported it.

 

The next night, the light in the shower went out - I kept forgetting to report it until the 2nd light in the bedroom went - had visions of wandering around completely in the dark:eek: (it was an inside), so reported it to Jun in a note as I went to dinner (8.30pm) by the time I returned (about midnight) both lights were fixed.

A few days later the shower started to play up - again kept forgetting to report it, but eventually left a note, again at 8.30pm, for Jun. When i returned to my cabin at 10.30, there was the plumber trying to fix it. :D

(was only partly fixed-but they at least tried - a day or two later, passing another cabin saw the plumber again, this time with a 'mate', wiping down the bathroom and shower walls - they (the walls) were covered in a black liquid - looked like oil - glad I didn't have that cabin!)

[Winchester]

TO: mg17uk

If all goes well, I'll see you next year on the QE2 1st 40th anniversary trip.

 

(I expect another one in 2009. We went on about the 3rd trip of the ship in June 1969.)