Is the magic going?

[Ubarrow]

We are in the middle of our 6th Transatlantic voyage. Our last trip was 2 years ago.

i think the main difference is the food in the Britannia restaurant. It has declined in quality, as several other posters have noticed. The service is still good but the actual food is often not warm and somewhat tasteless. Kings Court is as good as ever, it’s just the Britannia, which used to be the highlight of the trip. I wonder if anyone has any inside insight as to what has happened “down below”? I suspect that the ingredients are cheaper and the process has been industrialised in a way that has led to a blandness.

Entertainment is ok, but we’ve noticed that the “Thanksgiving Leg” of the Transatlantic is the start of the Winter Caribbean cruises and the entertainment seems to have just joined. It’s Thursday and we haven’t yet seen a female dancer. These things are important!  Other acts are a little under rehearsed. 

The speakers are all excellent although one of the talks was identical to one given two years ago, on this voyage.

All in all, a little of the sharpness and the special nature of Cunard seems to have gone.

The food is the most serious aspect. We are returning on January 3rd Ny to Southampton, if it hasn’t improved then it may be that the voyage we hit Platinum is our final one on board with Cunard. It would be a shame.

[Lakesregion]

Sadly when the bean counters take over any business they tend to ruin it. They killed department stores, have brought air travel to the point where it is difficult to tell the passenger space from the luggage space and they have been working on the cruise lines taking away a little here and a little there. They will continue to do it as long as they can fill the ships under their purview. When that stops it is usually too late for a turn around and the line ceases to exist. Sad but the history of the bean counters do not lie.

[pepperrn]

I agree with all that Lakesregion has said.

 

Oscar Wilde's line that a cynic "knows the price of everything and the value of nothing" applies equally to bean-counters.

Not only with Cunard's own "Audit of Accountants"; you see the results of their actions everywhere, often they destroy all they touch over time.

 

I hope the sheer pleasure of being onboard QM2, esp. when crossing the Atlantic, never leaves me.

Edited November 23, 2018 by pepperrn

[ToadOfToadHall]

5 hours ago, Ubarrow said:

 I suspect that the ingredients are cheaper and the process has been industrialised in a way that has led to a blandness.

 

Last year on the QV, Mrs Toad made this very same observation about Afternoon Tea.

 

Previously, sandwich fillings were things like slices of meat (ham, beef mainly), cheese (but just cheese), and maybe things like prawns. But last year the fillings were mainly "mush". So cheese was bulked out with mayonnaise. The same was true for generic seafood, i.e. a mushy paste that tasted somewhat of fish. I can't recall being offered a ham or beef sandwich, or if I was, it was very rare.

 

And the same goes for the cakes and pastries. Before they were many more individually made items, but last time they were mainly cakes that are made in a large tray and then sliced into individual portions.   

 

So this means that the cost the ingredients is reduced as well as the time taken to prepare the food, hence a cost in labour.

 

The trouble, as has been said above, the bean counters shave a few pennies here and a few there, until your reach a point where you push something over the edge. In this case, Afternoon Tea has been cut back so much that it's not worth bothering with anymore.

 

 

[Camgirl]

Sometimes I wonder if I cruise with the same Cunard as other posters! 

Ok, I have not cruised on QM2 yet, only QE and Q.V., but I have been a diamond member for some time.

We got off QE last week. Ok, the carpets etc were looking tired but she is in dry dock now having those things sorted out.

I was worried about the new menus in Britannia but we both enjoyed the food and our table certainly felt it was up to the usual standard. I did miss a few of my old favourites but there were other new dishes to try that I enjoyed.

As for afternoon tea, the improvement I have noticed over the years have been huge. When we started cruising the sandwiches were poor, the cream a small slug of whipped and the cakes all a square of soggy sponge. I have the pictures to prove it. On the cruise we just finished the sandwiches included small rolls, open sandwiches on a slice of French bread, and better fillings such as smoked salmon or coronation chicken. The scones were accompanied but real clotted cream (in pots) and bonne maman jam. The cakes included mini desserts, fruit cake, little pies in delicious pastry and various chocolate creations. Unfortunately I didn't take photos this time.

Maybe the food on QM2 has suffered but I certainly saw no evidence of it on QE.

 

[Host Hattie]

I know what you mean Camgirl !

I haven't been on QM2 for 3 years but we enjoyed the new menus on our recent Queen Victoria trip, perhaps the execution isn't as good on QM2 ?

We haven't been to Afternoon tea for a long time but Mr HH collected some sandwiches and cakes from the Lido one afternoon when we were late back and they were lovely, mostly individual cakes.

[Wordzz]

The last time we were on QM2 was June of this year. Prior to that we were on board in February/March. Both times we felt the standard of food in Britannia was actually better than it had been for a while. And our experience of the afternoon tea (which we did multiple times on both voyages) was also excellent. The service in Britannia was also superb, including from the sommelier, an area that is often weak in our experience.

Just goes to show that we are all different and that it's hard to please everyone!

[jonnoguy]

On our QM2 crossing last year we noticed a very marked improvement in the food when we moved tables.  I'm not sure why this would be the case - maybe the waiters being better at picking up good plates of food from the kitchen and quicker at delivering it (as it was definitely hotter too)?  We moved from upstairs to the lower level of the restaurant so, maybe this was closer to the kitchens.

[majortom10]

Sorry but we did a roundtripTA in Oct/Nov and also did the same cruise in 2016 and thought the food in the Britannia restaurant was excellent and just as good as our first roundtrip TA.

[Host Hattie]

16 minutes ago, jonnoguy said:

On our QM2 crossing last year we noticed a very marked improvement in the food when we moved tables.  I'm not sure why this would be the case - maybe the waiters being better at picking up good plates of food from the kitchen and quicker at delivering it (as it was definitely hotter too)?  We moved from upstairs to the lower level of the restaurant so, maybe this was closer to the kitchens.

That's an interesting point jonnoguy, especially when one of the complaints is about food temperature.

The couple at the next table to us on QM2 one year sent their main course back because it wasn't warm enough. Ours was fine.

 

 

[Keuka Lake Sailor]

I just did the Nov 4th 2018 crossing, Southampton to NYC, and found the food in the Britannia to be just great.  I ordered the steak off menu one night and it was out of this world...……..my tablemates were somewhat more difficult - fussy - than I had experienced on other crossings:  "I need a large print menu"   " I want extra vegetables"  " I want extra green vegetables"   " I want hot mustard" " I want two lobster tails for my starter."  However, lovely people all and I had a good time with them.  The waiters satisfied every request, no problem...………..They disagreed one night on the scones at afternoon tea, one days offering better than another, I could not see any difference.  Kings Court great too!!!

[Yoshikitty]

4 hours ago, Wordzz said:

The last time we were on QM2 was June of this year. Prior to that we were on board in February/March. Both times we felt the standard of food in Britannia was actually better than it had been for a while. And our experience of the afternoon tea (which we did multiple times on both voyages) was also excellent. The service in Britannia was also superb, including from the sommelier, an area that is often weak in our experience.

Just goes to show that we are all different and that it's hard to please everyone!

 

We‘ve been on QM2 last June and found Britannia food as good as always.

 

we‘ve been with Celebrity recently and first hand experienced what a different Chef makes of a difference. While one year ago, the food in Aqua (same ship like this year) was mediocre at best, this year, it was simply amazing!

 

So, it may well be, that Britannia was below standard in October/November maybe after the contract end of the current Chef, this all goes back to normal.

 

I have no issues speaking with the Maitre D‘ if we are unhappy with the food a d it sometimes helps. For sure a larger number of complaints will be forwarded to the higher levels.

Edited November 23, 2018 by Yoshikitty

[ToadOfToadHall]

5 hours ago, Camgirl said:

Sometimes I wonder if I cruise with the same Cunard as other posters! 

 

So do I.

[eroller]

I just disembarked QM2 on Nov 18 after an Eastbound crossing.  As usual it was quite enjoyable.  I do feel the food was not as good as two years ago when QM2 just came out of her refit.  Frankly I felt that was probably the best food I've experienced onboard.  Also there are new menus, which combine the appetizer and salad.  You can still order both, but it seems an attempt to get you to order less.  Overall service was excellent as always, although one day at lunch the waiter stacked the salad and main course.  I might expect that on Carnival but not Cunard.  We had lunch one day in the Verandah, which is now a steakhouse.  It was the free Diamond lunch so I can't complain too loudly, but it wasn't a steak I would ever expect to pay extra for.  Perhaps the dinner steaks are better?  

 

My only real issues were drink prices ($15.47 for a 2 oz pour of rum & diet coke), the very poor internet (should have been upgraded during the refit), and the timing of the Diamond party.  Instead of a morning party, it should be an elegant evening affair  before dinner.  Just a preference on that one.  

 

I still love the ship and experience, and look forward to many more sailings on this great ship.  

[Fairgarth]

15 hours ago, Lakesregion said:

Sadly when the bean counters take over any business they tend to ruin it. They killed department stores, have brought air travel to the point where it is difficult to tell the passenger space from the luggage space and they have been working on the cruise lines taking away a little here and a little there. They will continue to do it as long as they can fill the ships under their purview. When that stops it is usually too late for a turn around and the line ceases to exist. Sad but the history of the bean counters do not lie.

 

Oh my!  I have to come to the defence of the bean counters.  I'm a CPA.  I have talked to bean counters in the airline industry but can't speak for cruise lines or department stores.  It ain't the bean counters, it's Marketing.  See, if one airline squeezes in an extra couple of rows and charges ten dollars less, you all go for it.  Does that include you, Lakesregion?  In order to compete, all other airlines have to match on fare and reduce unit costs by doing the same.  So it's one thing after another, none of it driven by bean counters.  We simply report and analyse what happened and Marketing has to define the product and set the prices.  If you want better service and more space you could go Business Class but do you?  No, you don't.  Air passengers are extremely price sensitive and always have been.  Airlines which have tried to offer a superior product at a higher price have not survived, so I'm told.  I'm like other cruise passengers.  I want the cruise experience I enjoyed on my first cruise 17 years ago but I hate paying more than I paid 17 years ago.  Ain't gonna happen.

[rakkor]

I'm with Camgirl on this one - I'm just off the Victoria and I had reservations about the new menus, but once on board I found the food in the Britannia to be excellent for all meals. The portions were perfectly sized and I'm a big lad but I never left the dining room feeling like I could eat more. My only dissapointment, and this is a minor criticism, was that the petit fours lacked a little imagination.

 

Also the warm canapes served in the Commodore Club were the best i've had on any cruise, I really enjoyed them.

 

I scanned the menus from our cruise and placed them on my blog - there's a link below if you're curious

[tag1000]

Food is so subjective.   I was on the QM2 this past June and I found the food perfect in Britannia.  That said, there was a couple next to me who hated absolutely everything that was put in front on them.  Seriously everything went back to the kitchen and their behaviour was vile.   Made everyone around them so uncomfortable.  What was particularly awful was the way they spoke to the waiters.  To their credit the waiters were so professional- not even blinking an eye.   How they held their tongue was beyond me.  Even the head waiter got an earful but he was also so professional  Again for me I found each meal was wonderful!!

[Cats2010]

I have done various trans-atlantics and cruises on Cunard ships. I wonder what makes one believe that the magic of QM2 might have gone simply because the food was not up to his expectations, especially when plenty of alternatives are available. 

 

[carlmm]

Is the magic going?

 

I have sailed on the last five ships under the Cunard flag. It  is just not the same anymore. The style. The elegance. In all the public rooms. Every night all night. The attentiveness to detail. The level of service. Highly trained professionals often having worked for Cunard for many years everywhere. No carnival-style music and clusters of beer bottles at the pool.  If you look at the dining room:  As examples: Lamb chops and kidneys for breakfast, seven courses and caviar for dinner, as a matter of course. Daily individually prepared menus for every lunch and dinner. Perfect soups, broths and sauces created from scratch not from industrial products. No need for "themes" on formal nights. Recognition of past passengers. Champagne and good music at every sail away, no coloured mass-produced mixed drinks. If you look at bar and wine prices: They used to be very reasonable. Now e.g. the price of a bottle of wine has quadrupled. Live music long after midnigth. Senior officer parties that were conducted as something special. ... ... ...

 

There have been a number of improvements, eg. on average bigger rooms and the choice of hot canapees, but the later is at the same time an example of an at least partial cut back after a temporary improvement.

 

Well, I could list many positive things about Cunard, but as the question of the thread is "Is the magic going?" my answer is unfortunately: A lot of the "magic" has already gone.

 

 

Edited November 24, 2018 by carlmm

[majortom10]

39 minutes ago, carlmm said:

Is the magic going?

 

I have sailed on the last five ships under the Cunard flag. It  is just not the same anymore. The style. The elegance. In all the public rooms. Every night all night. The attentiveness to detail. The level of service. Highly trained professionals often having worked for Cunard for many years everywhere. No carnival-style music and clusters of beer bottles at the pool.  If you look at the dining room:  As examples: Lamb chops and kidneys for breakfast, seven courses and caviar for dinner, as a matter of course. Daily individually prepared menus for every lunch and dinner. Perfect soups, broths and sauces created from scratch not from industrial products. No need for "themes" on formal nights. Recognition of past passengers. Champagne and good music at every sail away, no coloured mass-produced mixed drinks. If you look at bar and wine prices: They used to be very reasonable. Now e.g. the price of a bottle of wine has quadrupled. Live music long after midnigth. Senior officer parties that were conducted as something special. ... ... ...

 

There have been a number of improvements, eg. on average bigger rooms and the choice of hot canapees, but the later is at the same time an example of an at least partial cut back after a temporary improvement.

 

Well, I could list many positive things about Cunard, but as the question of the thread is "Is the magic going?" my answer is unfortunately: A lot of the "magic" has already gone.

 

 

I have also sailed on the last 5 Cunard ships my first being on QE2 in 1997 and whilst I agree that the experience has changed we must be realistic and also realise that cruising is now cheaper than ever before and excellent value for money. Our first cruise on QE2 in 1997 we booked the lowest (cheapest) grade of inside cabin available and we paid over £110 pppn. Yes there are things that have decreased or disappeared altogether but think we have to be realistic with the price of inflation and increase in price of fuel and think that we are expecting things to be the same as they were then for the price it is now is too much to expect. It would be interesting to know what my £110pppn with inflation would be now and at a guess it would probably be a lot higher than what the lowest grade inside cabins are now on Cunard ships. You cannot expect high standards at lower prices you either have to be happy for standards today  at today's price or be prepared to pay a lot higher price and then perhaps you could have Lamb Chops and Kidneys for breakfast and 7 course dinners with  caviar. I have just returned from a roundtrip TA on QM2 in an inside cabin which was not the lowest grade by any means at a cost of less than £80pppn which in anyones mind is extremely good value for money so we have to be realistic and not look back at the good old days through rose coloured spectacles.

[AnnieC]

£110 would now be worth £176.77, according to a random inflation calculator I found on Google.

[majortom10]

3 hours ago, AnnieC said:

£110 would now be worth £176.77, according to a random inflation calculator I found on Google.

According to Bank of England inflation calculator inflation since 1997 has risen by average 2.8% a year and for the latest year available 2017 would be £190.33. So a 14 nt holiday in cheapest Cunard inside cabin would be over £2660 which puts things in perspective of why food etc. has changed since then. If I was paying that amount I would expect higher standards and better food but we are not so we have to accept lower standards for cheaper fares. I know which one I would choose.

[rafinmd]

I wonder if for some of the people who feel the magic is going, some of the initial magic was the thrill of something new.

 

 Roy 

Edited November 24, 2018 by rafinmd

[Thaxted]

We made our first crossing on QM2 in 2011 and have gone back and forth across the Atlantic nearly every year since. In our opinion the food and service in Britannia was just as good last summer as it was the first time we sailed, which only goes to prove, as others have said, that opinions about food can be very subjective. There are some things on board that we think are not as good as they once were; e.g., the bookshop and the changing colored lights in the grand lobby that detract from the floral display. But Kings Court is much improved and the Carinthia Lounge is a welcome replacement of the Winter Garden.

 

As Roy pointed out, there is a magic that comes with experiencing something for the first time. That magic can't be sustained forever. But we've found another magic in the familiarity we experience every time we sail. We're very fortunate to be able to travel as we do and we're very thankful. 

[Kynance]

If you feel that the elements which bring the "magic" for you as an individual disappear or change for the worse, then I can understand you might feel the magic has  gone. Obviously, those elements differ from person to person - hence the variety of responses to the original post. I thought that giving Cunard a miss this year would be easy - but it turned out that by the middle of summer I really wanted cocktails in the Commodore Club again before my 2019 cruise - so I guess you could say that booking a short break for this autumn meant that Cunard were still waving their wand over me... 😀