JUST OFF THE QM2 - What’s Changed, What Hasn’t

[mbfletcher]

On 5/15/2022 at 8:47 PM, Jack E Dawson said:

 

JUST OFF THE QM2 - What’s Changed, What Hasn’t 

Dee and I just disembarked the May 8th - 15th  Westbound QM2 Crossing today arriving Brooklyn at 6:30AM this morning. 

Let me start off by saying that it was a wonderful voyage and that the QM2 Crossing experience is 95% back to pre-COVID. For us, the enjoyment level was 100% back. The mood on the ship, by passengers and crew, was positive, upbeat and fun. I had intended to post this and invite questions as we went along but WiFi is so bad on the QM2 that it just made it impossible. 

CHECKIN: We arrived at the Mayflower Terminal at about 12:15PM. After dropping off our luggage we got into a very long queue. The line moved quickly and within 10 minutes we were inside the terminal. Masks were required. 

Cunard has divided the check-in process into 5 stations. At the first station our documents were checked to ensure we had the 5 mandatory items; valid passports, up to date vaccination cards, negative COVID test certificate, health declarations and boarding passes. From there we were put into a second queue that took us to a person, at a  stand, who checked our passports again. She then handed us over to another representative, sitting 2 meters away and behind the normal  check-in counter, who did the traditional checkin. Evidently- our uploaded photos were good enough and that 3rd stage of check-in took about 2 minutes. After that we were directed to zone seating areas as boarding had not actually started. We had no more than set down when Grill’s passengers, along with Diamond and Platinum members,  were invited to board.  Seeing as we were NOT in that group we settled into our seats. However, about 20-25 minutes later our zone was invited to proceed to Security, the 4th station. It probably took no more than 5-7 minutes to go through the airport style machines. Security then exits you right to the up escalator and the gangway. There we were surprised to find a long queue that was barely moving. Finally, after about 15 minutes, we got to the to the gangway and discovered that people were only allowed to cross onto the ship one person/couple at a time where their boarding pass was carefully and slowly scrutinized by a security person. Behind this security person there stood the Cunard bellboys dressed in their red uniforms.

COVID: During the check-in process everyone was given a letter from Cunard that stated that as of May 6th (two days earlier) mask were no longer required anywhere onboard the ship with the one exception of the clinic. The letter went on to say that while masks were now optional, they were recommended. For us, this was a wonderful surprise while for others I’m sure this was a bit alarming. We noticed that on embarkation day, most passengers continued to wear masks. By the mid point of the voyage, probably fewer than 10% of the passengers were wearing masks. That percentage was a bit higher in the Royal Court Theater and in Illuminations. However, throughout the entire trip, ALL of the ship’s crew wore masks while inside and outside. The second big surprise for us was being told that we would not need a negative COVID test to enter the United States, when we arrived Brooklyn as long as we were not flying back out to an international destination. We were very surprised to hear this and I actually confirmed it at the Purser’s Desk 3 times. 

Seating is still blocked off to allow for spacing in all areas of the ship. Also, in the Chart Room, Commodore’s Club and Golden Lion, sitting at the bar was still not allowed. This really made it difficult to get a seat, during prime times, in these  3 locations. The Golden Lion has also pulled out a few tables in order to separate the performer’s area from passenger seating. . During lunch time, getting a seat in The Golden Lion was a real challenge. This brings me to a sore point. Despite there being limited seating with high demand in the Golden Lion during lunch service, there were usually 3-4 tables occupied by passengers playing cards, reading books or just staring out the windows. They were neither eating nor drinking. I thought this was a bit inconsiderate under the circumstances. 

On our first morning at sea, we noticed that there were 8-10 cabins on the Port side of deck 11, our deck, that passengers had not checked into. We could tell because the welcoming paperwork and room keys were still in the mail slots outside the cabin doors. It took 2 days before these items were picked removed. I suspect that these cabins were for passengers who either failed their pre boarding COVID tests or had not gotten tests done in time. 

During the Crossing we heard 5-6 passenger names paged. They were told to return immediately to their cabins and call the Pursers’s desk. We also saw one cabin on our deck being cleaned by a Has-Mat team. Sections of decks 4, 5 & 6 were blocked off. We assumed these cabins were being kept available for anyone needing to quarantine. Unfortunately we missed the first part of the Captain’s welcoming message so we did not hear how many passengers were onboard. My guess is around 1500. We did hear that there were over 1000 crew members. We had the same waitstaff and steward staff the whole voyage. There was no self service in the Kings Court. All of the various group classes were conducted. The QM2 staff were constantly cleaning and sanitizing the whole ship. All in all, the COVID restrictions had very little impact on our voyage. You could tell that everyone was very glad to be sailing again. 

ENTERTAINMENT: The entertainment was excellent, everywhere. There also seemed to be a few more entertainers than normal. I wonder if these extra performers were in case others got sick. It made for a very rich experience. The Insights speakers were very good. Lord and Lady Howard. were both speakers and on the last day held a joint Q & A session that was very entertaining and surprisingly personal. I had heard them speak on a previous voyage but felt privileged to hear them again. Captain Rick conducted a 4-part series on the Concorde that was excellent and very eye-opening. He was also kind enough to make himself available in the Library each afternoon for small Q & A sessions. The other speakers also held individual meet and greet sessions in the Corinthian Lounge. Trivia, Bingo and Bridge sessions were all very well attended. 

I can’t say enough about the Queen Mary 2 singers and dancers. They did 3 different fantastic shows and are all so talented. Also the QM2 musicians did a great job. We especially enjoyed the Big Band night in the Queens Room.

FOOD & DRINK:

We love the food on the QM2 and this trip was no exception. In fact, I would say that this was the best food we have ever had on the QM2. The selection was very diverse and everything perfectly prepared. On 2 occasions I ordered off-menu items with no problems. I also noticed one night that the table next to us ordered fried shrimp off-menu in addition to their regular entries. This was all in the Britannia Restaurant. 

I meant to take some pictures of the bar menus but forgot. However, prices seemed to be about a dollar or so more per drink from what we paid on our last Crossing in September of 2018. The bartenders were very generous with their pours. My go-to Manhattan on the Rocks night cap in the Commodore’s Club always came as a double with no extra charge. We received a full bottle of my beloved Pol Acker on embarkation day and a second full bottle arrived at the mid point of the voyage. That was special. 

SERVICE: The service, as usual, was outstanding. I had ordered flowers for embarkation day for my wife since it was also Mother’s Day. I was worried because I had received a note from Cunard that, due to the high demand, some flowers might be delivered the next day. But when we walked into the cabin there were the flowers and they beautiful. Dee was so happy. I had also snuck aboard Mother’s Day cards from all the kids. She had a wonderful time reading the cards. The flowers stayed fresh the whole voyage. Well done florist department. 

Our cabin steward, Joselino, was outstanding. Although we kept a varied schedule, the cabin was always immaculate and he handled every request easily. He really help to make the trip special. Joselino also gave us a lot of good advice on dealing with the changes onboard due to COVID. Service in all of the restaurants and bars was also excellent. It seemed to me that there were more supervisors in sight. 

DRESS CODE: Here is where there were some surprises. I knew that jackets were no longer required for men in the MDR on casual nights but was surprised and sometimes shocked at what I did see. On the first night about 50% of the gentleman did not wear jackets. At first it seemed strange and disappointing. Oddly, of the half that did wear jackets, a surprising number wore ties, more than I’ve seen on casual nights on my 2 previous Crossings. There was also a small handful of gentleman who wore golf shirts (polo shirts) not tucked in. Fortunately they seemed to get the message pretty fast and by the end of the trip I saw only one individual still wearing a golf shirt. There was one couple, looked to be in their 30’s, who wore jeans and they weren’t even nice jeans. They looked like what Dee and I wear to work in the yard. This was really over the line but apparently they were allowed to get away with it. On formal nights, the good news was that almost all of the gentleman wore tuxedoes. Maybe 90%-95%. Those that didn’t wore dark suites. The ladies were really in spectacular fashion every night. Everyone certainly rose to the occasion on both of the formal nights. So while the men appeared to dress down somewhat on casual nights, the women certainly did not. On formal/gala nights, everyone took it up a notch compared to our last Crossing. 

MISCELLAENOUS: 

Laundry Rooms – OPEN

Watercolor Classes – YES

Wine/Cocktail Tastings – YES

Dancing Classes – YES

Bringing Liquor on Board – UNRESTRICTED

Hot Tubs Open – YES

Elevators Restrictions – 4 PEOPLE AT A TIME

Second Seating – NO, STILL OPEN SEATING

Tea Brand Served – TWININGS

Bath Products – CONDITIONAR NO LONGER PROVIDER

BOTTOM LINE: We had a great cruise, loved every minute of it. Staff, ship and the North Atlantic all did themselves proud.

I’m sure I’ve forgotten a few things so please let me know if anyone has any specific questions.

If there was someone else who was on this same cruise, I would love to hear your observations.

 

Thanks,

Jack      

thanks jack

we are on the qm2 on sunday. providing we pass our covid test .

must say so far cunard web site and service is 1/10 . web page is terrible at best, tried going into it will different browsers, 

we are a group of 4,  two couples,  our booking was crossed referenced, we have the same dinner bookings,  cabins practically next to each other . but Cunard gave us a arrival time of 1.00 pm and our friends 15.15. not ideal as we are travelling in the same car.

trying to change this by e mail or call was impossible. Our agents told us all  to turn up at 15.15.

Let's hope cunard don't tell us "you're late".

Let's hope the crew are better than admin. From your experience check in went smoothly.

A few questions if possible please. You say the entertainment was good. Was there any top acts about , on a previous cruise we missed kike dee by one day .

Was the Verandah restaurant open . Can't book on web.

You made a comment about drink prices, on that note many drinks do seem a bit pricy but it is the QM2, for instance a 250mm glass of Sancerre is $ 17.50. And we have the drinks package capped at $12 a drink. Will be getting around this by having a small glass hopefully. 

Thanks martin.

[exlondoner]

11 minutes ago, mbfletcher said:

thanks jack

we are on the qm2 on sunday. providing we pass our covid test .

must say so far cunard web site and service is 1/10 . web page is terrible at best, tried going into it will different browsers, 

we are a group of 4,  two couples,  our booking was crossed referenced, we have the same dinner bookings,  cabins practically next to each other . but Cunard gave us a arrival time of 1.00 pm and our friends 15.15. not ideal as we are travelling in the same car.

trying to change this by e mail or call was impossible. Our agents told us all  to turn up at 15.15.

Let's hope cunard don't tell us "you're late".

Let's hope the crew are better than admin. From your experience check in went smoothly.

A few questions if possible please. You say the entertainment was good. Was there any top acts about , on a previous cruise we missed kike dee by one day .

Was the Verandah restaurant open . Can't book on web.

You made a comment about drink prices, on that note many drinks do seem a bit pricy but it is the QM2, for instance a 250mm glass of Sancerre is $ 17.50. And we have the drinks package capped at $12 a drink. Will be getting around this by having a small glass hopefully. 

Thanks martin.

 

I would ignore the agent and turn up at 1, but be prepared for there to be a lot of people there. Nobody will send your friends away though.

[theartfulcodger]

Oh a heads up to anyone travelling back from New york that need a fit to travel test DO NOT PAY for test there are loads of free testing sites all over the city just ask them for a fit to trave test they will email you with all relevant paperwork you need to board.

[mbfletcher]

exlondoner . I would ignore the agent and turn up at 1, but be prepared for there to be a lot of people there. Nobody will send your friends away though.

 

You may be wrong , but you may be right as Billy Joel said.

Not sure I want to take the risk ,  we may  get a little Hitler.

Is your statement based on common sense or experience.

Edited May 20, 2022 by mbfletcher
left out word

[exlondoner]

7 minutes ago, mbfletcher said:

exlondoner . I would ignore the agent and turn up at 1, but be prepared for there to be a lot of people there. Nobody will send your friends away though.

 

You may be wrong , but you may be right as Billy Joel said.

Not sure I want to take the risk ,  we may  get a little Hitler.

Is your statement based on common sense or experience.

 

Both. I'm not wrong. I have never found the people at checking anything but courteous and charming, if not always brilliantly organised.

[tv24]

Jack:  You also have my thanks for your comprehensive report, which is helpful as we board a westbound crossing on June 22.  Thanks!

[QM1]

Thank you for your report, its very helpful after those 2 dreadful years since that notorious "Chinese import".
We are looking forward to board QM2 for the Norway cruise next month. Just one thing that came to my mind when reading: you mention "no self service" in Kings Court. Did they employ extra staff? I thought there is a shortage of manpower. Are soft drinks still free in King´s Court or do you also have to order them and pay extra?

[Jack E Dawson]

4 hours ago, mbfletcher said:

thanks jack

 

we are a group of 4,  two couples,  our booking was crossed referenced, we have the same dinner bookings,  cabins practically next to each other . but Cunard gave us a arrival time of 1.00 pm and our friends 15.15. not ideal as we are travelling in the same car.

A few questions if possible please. You say the entertainment was good. Was there any top acts about , on a previous cruise we missed kike dee by one day .

Was the Verandah restaurant open . Can't book on web.

You made a comment about drink prices, on that note many drinks do seem a bit pricy but it is the QM2, for instance a 250mm glass of Sancerre is $ 17.50. And we have the drinks package capped at $12 a drink. Will be getting around this by having a small glass hopefully. 

Thanks martin.

mbfletcher,

We were also a group of 2 couples. Our friends, who have never sailed on Cunard before, had a 2:15PM boarding time, we had a 3:15PM boarding time. I was a little surprised at this since we are Gold level and had a better cabin grade. I called Cunard and the agent told me that boarding times are random for everyone except Diamond, Platinum and Grills but she said that we should show up at 2:15 with our friends. However, when we finally arrived Southampton we realized that the luggage for the 4 of us was not going to fit into one cab. When the hotel booked our cab they informed us that we had a noon pick so we went with it. At the terminal it became pretty obvious that the majority of the passengers also showed up between noon and 1:00PM. Our friends dutifully showed up at 2:15PM and boarded in half the time we did. We had breakfast with some folks one morning who showed up at 3:15PM and boarded in under 20 minutes. At no point did anyone in the checkin process care what our checkin time was.

Regarding the entertainment, I can't say enough about the wonderful performances of the Cunard singers and dancers. They did 3 completely different shows and just blew us away. They have definitely taken it up a few notches. the other performers in the Royal Court Theater were Suzanne Godfrey - Flutist, Mikhail Shilyaev - Classical Pianist, Phil Melbourne - Comedian, The Revolvers - 60's Rock Music Review. In other venues around the ship were there was a jazz trio, a father daughter duo doing Beatles and Stones music,  a father and son duo doing folk and Irish music and Paul Paul Garthwaite with his 22-string guitar, one of our favorites. There were also other performers mentioned above.

As to drink prices, London Pride on tap was $3.80, a Cosmo was $11.00 and a Manhattan (Makers Mark) was $12.50. These prices do not include the auto gratuity.

Jack

 

 

[muggo11]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!  We board the QM2 on June 22 in Hamburg, heading back to US after 4 months in Vienna, Paris, Andorra and Germany. We are even more excited, having read your post. 
 

Alas, our traveling in weather that has ranged from the teens to 75 degrees didn’t leave room in the suitcases for DH’s tux.  So he shall be in dark sports jacket with a tie. All my fancy, flowy jackets sit in their packing cube, waiting to be released (and pressed).  Watch out, laundry room.  
 

Nick has had his watercolors with him throughout the trip.  He enjoyed the classes on the QV and is happy to hear they are offered on this crossing. 
 

And, yes, the website is truly dreadful.  Bu once on board, all such problems will be forgotten. Now, I just need to make, confirm, and reconfirm a COVID test in Hamburg. 
 

thanks, again, Jack.  You made my day. 
 

 

[olegna]

Regarding evening service in the MDR, was it possible to share a table with anyone?

 

We are traveling as a couple but would enjoy sharing a table with others.

 

Was this happening to your knowledge?

 

Thanks......

[Jack E Dawson]

10 minutes ago, muggo11 said:

Thank you, thank you, thank you!  We board the QM2 on June 22 in Hamburg, heading back to US after 4 months in Vienna, Paris, Andorra and Germany. We are even more excited, having read your post. 
 

Alas, our traveling in weather that has ranged from the teens to 75 degrees didn’t leave room in the suitcases for DH’s tux.  So he shall be in dark sports jacket with a tie. All my fancy, flowy jackets sit in their packing cube, waiting to be released (and pressed).  Watch out, laundry room.  
 

Nick has had his watercolors with him throughout the trip.  He enjoyed the classes on the QV and is happy to hear they are offered on this crossing. 
 

And, yes, the website is truly dreadful.  Bu once on board, all such problems will be forgotten. Now, I just need to make, confirm, and reconfirm a COVID test in Hamburg. 
 

thanks, again, Jack.  You made my day. 
 

 

Half the fun is the excitement building up to he trip muggo11.

Have a great voyage.

Jack

[njguy_south]

Has the Pavilion Pool reopened? (In earlier posts, it was shared that is was closed due to mechanical issues.)

 

Also, is the Spa still adhering to the 2 hour sessions, spaced throughout the day?

[Jack E Dawson]

1 hour ago, olegna said:

Regarding evening service in the MDR, was it possible to share a table with anyone?

 

We are traveling as a couple but would enjoy sharing a table with others.

 

Was this happening to your knowledge?

 

Thanks......

Yes, you can share a table with anyone in the MDR. We shared a table for 6 and a table for 4 with strangers. This was at breakfast. At dinner you are able to do this at the Anytime seating.

Jack

[Jack E Dawson]

54 minutes ago, njguy_south said:

Has the Pavilion Pool reopened? (In earlier posts, it was shared that is was closed due to mechanical issues.)

 

Also, is the Spa still adhering to the 2 hour sessions, spaced throughout the day?

The Pavilion Pool and hot tubs were all open. The outdoor pools were closed but the outdoor hot tubs were open. 

Yes, the spa is adhering to 2 hour sessions. I think it was $35 per session. About half way through the voyage Dee and I each received a $40 gift certificate for services at Mareel. Dee had her hair washed and blown out. It was $45 plus $10 tip for a net cost of $15. She had this done on the Friday Gala Night day. They did an amazing job hence the generous tip. Dee said everyone at Mareel was very nice.

Jack

[njguy_south]

Outdoor pool closed because of the weather (too cold)?

[Jack E Dawson]

37 minutes ago, njguy_south said:

Outdoor pool closed because of the weather (too cold)?

Maybe, but it was also drained. 

Jack

[david,Mississauga]

On 5/16/2022 at 9:47 PM, Jack E Dawson said:

Disembarkation was very smooth. We did self-disembark.

...

 

 

On Cunard's site there is a notation that everyone 18+ must take an antigen test 24 hours prior to disembarking in New York. Was this actually the case?  (Apologies if this was answered but I couldn't find it if it was.)

[Jack E Dawson]

3 minutes ago, david,Mississauga said:

 

On Cunard's site there is a notation that everyone 18+ must take an antigen test 24 hours prior to disembarking in New York. Was this actually the case?  (Apologies if this was answered but I couldn't find it if it was.)

No David, a negative test was not required to disembark. I was very surprised when told this on the ship. It is hard to believe that a cruise ship, with known COVID cases onboard, was allowed to pull into New York and disembark 1500 passengers without any testing requirement. I actually checked with the Purser's Desk 3 times confirming this. I was told that the only people requiring testing were those who were immediately flying out on International flights. When we went through Customs the issue wasn't even raised. 

Jack

[david,Mississauga]

12 minutes ago, Jack E Dawson said:

No David, a negative test was not required to disembark. I was very surprised when told this on the ship. It is hard to believe that a cruise ship, with known COVID cases onboard, was allowed to pull into New York and disembark 1500 passengers without any testing requirement. I actually checked with the Purser's Desk 3 times confirming this. I was told that the only people requiring testing were those who were immediately flying out on International flights. When we went through Customs the issue wasn't even raised. 

Jack

 

Thanks so much, Jack. I learned long ago not to believe everything on Cunard's website or what the California office tells people.

 

The voyage I am concerned about is Quebec - New York. We intend on flying back to Toronto the same day of arrival. Although that is international,  airlines consider this "trans-border" rather than international.  So we shall see.

[techteach]

I’m wondering is going to happen on the New York to Boston, with the stop in Halifax. Will people have to test prior to visiting Halifax?

[Sabrina66]

Hello Jack, you mention that 5-6 passengers were required to immediately return to their cabins and contact the purser’s desk - does that mean that during the voyage there was a mandatory onboard testing of all passengers? Or do you think they were identified as close contacts of someone who referred themselves to the medical team?

[Jack E Dawson]

1 hour ago, Sabrina66 said:

Hello Jack, you mention that 5-6 passengers were required to immediately return to their cabins and contact the purser’s desk - does that mean that during the voyage there was a mandatory onboard testing of all passengers? Or do you think they were identified as close contacts of someone who referred themselves to the medical team?

Sabrina66,

There was no random or ship wide mandatory testing. I suspect that you are correct that these were close contacts of passengers who had tested positive. The announcements were usually made mid to late morning, 4 bells then the announcement. I know that this is a serious situation but i still found it amusing how when those 4 bells sounded you could hear a pin drop in whichever room you were in. Then the big group sigh of relief if your name wasn't called. By the mid point of the cruise Dee and I figured that even if we did catch covid (we had had our SECOND booster 4 weeks before boarding) we probably wouldn't test positive before reaching NYC so we started to really mingle at breakfast and lunch as well as in the evenings and of course in gossip central, the launderettes. In talking with a fair number of passengers, my best guess is there were very few cases of COVID on board, maybe between 10 - 20 tops. Again, this is just a guess. No one spoke of losing their waiter or steward and all of the performers/speakers were there throughout the voyage. I can tell you that we did not see a single crew member without a mask or wearing their mask improperly either inside our outside on the deck. There were staff with bottles of hand sanitizer everywhere  and they were not timid in dispensing it. I would swear those folks were being paid on commission. 

Jack

[david,Mississauga]

6 hours ago, techteach said:

I’m wondering is going to happen on the New York to Boston, with the stop in Halifax. Will people have to test prior to visiting Halifax?

 

At the moment there is no testing required for entering Canada, whether by air, land or water. 

[Lanky Lad]

On 5/16/2022 at 7:36 PM, Jack E Dawson said:

Thanks Lanky Lad, I have no doubt that you will have a great voyage. 

On our walk this morning Dee and I both noticed that there seemed to be a younger demographic on the ship, specifically more people in their 50's. Would be interested in what you observe. 

Jack

I can confirm the age group does seem to be slightly younger than on previous trips. 

[techteach]

@david,Mississauga Thank you for that wonderful information! I hope it stays that way.