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

[david,Mississauga]

1 hour ago, techteach said:

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

 

I shall be watching this closely as it does affect us. We have a Vancouver-based Alaska cruise in June and a call in Halifax in October.

[PCM]

Clothes and 'Porters!.

Can I ask, please, as I cannot remember...

( Did a quick search. )

For men's suits, do you keep them on a hanger and put them in a suit bag, such that they can be transported on a rail, at arrival as many hotels do?

Would you include shirts, or instead, pack them rolled?

Any guidance MUCH appreciated!

[Lanky Lad]

23 minutes ago, PCM said:

Clothes and 'Porters!.

Can I ask, please, as I cannot remember...

( Did a quick search. )

For men's suits, do you keep them on a hanger and put them in a suit bag, such that they can be transported on a rail, at arrival as many hotels do?

Would you include shirts, or instead, pack them rolled?

Any guidance MUCH appreciated!

I always pack my suits and shirts folded not rolled. They don't have rails so if you bring a suit bag you would need to carry it. It will also need to be scanned at security.  

[Luv2Crus40]

Thank you for the extensive and detailed info.  We're sailing July 1st.  It sounds as if first seating is still fixed,  which we prefer.

Do you know if the Pools are salt water or fresh water?  Thanks.

[Jack E Dawson]

3 hours ago, Luv2Crus40 said:

Thank you for the extensive and detailed info.  We're sailing July 1st.  It sounds as if first seating is still fixed,  which we prefer.

Do you know if the Pools are salt water or fresh water?  Thanks.

I do not Luv2Crus40, we only use the hot tobs but I’m sure other will respond. 
Jack

[Jack E Dawson]

Folks,

As the Original Poster of this thread, I feel it has been a bit hijacked. My purpose was to pay it forward for all of the help and good advice we got from CruiseCritic by letting near future QM2 cruisers know what they might expect onboard so their trip might be more enjoyable. While I can only ask please, if your discussion is about whether or not Cunard is a luxury cruise line, or some other topic, you may want to start your own thread. 

Thanks

Jack

[Host Hattie]

I did move the original additional comments to a new thread but it didn't seem to take !

 

I'll try again.

 

[Jack E Dawson]

Thanks HH, didn't mean to keep you up late.

Jack

[Host Hattie]

13 minutes ago, Jack E Dawson said:

Thanks HH, didn't mean to keep you up late.

Jack

No problem, it's not that late here, this isn't exactly a 9-5 gig at the best of times !

[Host Hattie]

It's difficult to find an appropriate place to split comments but I've done the best I can.

 

Do you want me to tidy up our last few comments @Jack E Dawson ?

[Weebo15]

16 minutes ago, Jack E Dawson said:

Folks,

As the Original Poster of this thread, I feel it has been a bit hijacked. My purpose was to pay it forward for all of the help and good advice we got from CruiseCritic by letting near future QM2 cruisers know what they might expect onboard so their trip might be more enjoyable. 

Thanks

Jack

Thank You Jack,

As someone embarking on their first ever Cunard trip on QM2 tomorrow, I've found your posts on this thread incredibly helpful.

[Jack E Dawson]

1 hour ago, Weebo15 said:

Thank You Jack,

As someone embarking on their first ever Cunard trip on QM2 tomorrow, I've found your posts on this thread incredibly helpful.

Congratulations Weebo15. Enjoy your voyage and would love to hear your first impressions of traveling on the QM2

Jack

[Jack E Dawson]

1 hour ago, Host Hattie said:

It's difficult to find an appropriate place to split comments but I've done the best I can.

 

Do you want me to tidy up our last few comments @Jack E Dawson ?

I think we are OK Host Hattie. Thanks

Jack

[david,Mississauga]

 I don't like using my tablet unless absolutely necessary and prefer to use the provided computer terminals, so can I ask if the computer room is still there? If it wasn't free as a perk from the World Club I wouldn't bother with Internet at all. I know from experience it is still slow on the desktops, but I have heard fewer complaints about the computer room than about the wi-fi.

[Jack E Dawson]

1 hour ago, david,Mississauga said:

 I don't like using my tablet unless absolutely necessary and prefer to use the provided computer terminals, so can I ask if the computer room is still there? If it wasn't free as a perk from the World Club I wouldn't bother with Internet at all. I know from experience it is still slow on the desktops, but I have heard fewer complaints about the computer room than about the wi-fi.

There were desktop computers in the Library that were being used by passengers. However, I don't know what all they were able able to do on those computers. I did not pass by the computer room.

Jack

[ICEX21]

On 5/16/2022 at 11:12 AM, PCM said:

Sorry - missed that. Thank you.

To answer this, there wasn't a talent show, but there was a passenger participation song and dance show on the return journey back to Southampton as a couple I knew who were staying on board were telling me about it yesterday.

[Jack E Dawson]

3 minutes ago, ICEX21 said:

To answer this, there wasn't a talent show, but there was a passenger participation song and dance show on the return journey back to Southampton as a couple I knew who were staying on board were telling me about it yesterday.

ICEX21,

Things are just so fluid right now with COVID restrictions. I think we were fortunate that our Crossing was the first to drop masking requirements. Even though we still choose to mask in the theaters, we found the atmosphere on board to be pretty relaxed. Was that your experience. 

Jack

[ak1004]

9 minutes ago, ICEX21 said:

To answer this, there wasn't a talent show, but there was a passenger participation song and dance show on the return journey back to Southampton as a couple I knew who were staying on board were telling me about it yesterday.

And it aas absolutely amazing!!

[ICEX21]

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      

Hi Jack,

 

What a great opening post! I wanted to do something similar but I've only just returned from our trip and I've been struck down with covid.

 

This was my first ever crossing and also the first time I'd ever been on a ship that wasn't a day tour. The experience itself was just magical, it definitely surpassed all expectations for me, so much so I am looking to book another transatlantic crossing for next year!

 

Unfortunately our experience of embarkation day was a little different to yours. 

We arrived at our allocated time and encountered some confusion as to where where  to drop our bags off having been given 2 different answers for the same cabin number. 

On a positive note, while waiting for my brother-in-law's vaccination documents to be confirmed which took 2 hours (a very long story) we did meet a couple who were bringing their dog along and another dog owner who was bringing along his very loud American bulldog. Both groups became friends of ours on board and we're now looking to meetup in the near future :).

 

I absolutely agree with your assessment of the service on board, my only gripe being the service in the Golden Lion which was very under-staffed at times, we sat next to one lady who had to wait 45 minutes when it wasn't busy along with delays of up to 30 minutes at times for our drinks when it was.

 

In regards to the announcements you heard, not all of them were for close contacts, I do know of one person that bought a Lemsip sachet from the shop, whose name was then announced and upon returning back to their cabin they received a phone call asking why they had bought the Lemsip! They were then asked to isolate for 1 day and take a pcr test. This happened on the 2nd day of boarding.

 

Like yourself, I found the dress code quite surprising. I expected a lot more people to put in an effort on the gala nights, although this definitely changed towards the end of the crossing.

Interesting you also noticed the couple in jeans who we spotted pretty quickly lol.

 

For my first time, this was a brilliant crossing and I hope to have many more like it. I'm glad you and your wife also enjoyed it 🙂

[ICEX21]

24 minutes ago, Jack E Dawson said:

ICEX21,

Things are just so fluid right now with COVID restrictions. I think we were fortunate that our Crossing was the first to drop masking requirements. Even though we still choose to mask in the theaters, we found the atmosphere on board to be pretty relaxed. Was that your experience. 

Jack

I really wish I could change my name on here...

 

Yes that was definitely my experience as well, although I was still pretty cautious and wore my mask when travelling around the ship unless I was on my own or outside.

Wearing a mask genuinely doesn't bother me to be to be honest, it's just become second nature for me.

 

One point I forgot to mention in my above post, I too noticed people sitting in the Golden Lion around lunch time and not ordering anything, they were just reading their books or on laptops. It was already quite difficult to get a seat!

[Jack E Dawson]

11 minutes ago, ICEX21 said:

Hi Jack,

 

What a great opening post! I wanted to do something similar but I've only just returned from our trip and I've been struck down with covid.

So good to hear you enjoyed your first Crossing. Dee and I had hoped that we might have had a chance meeting onboard. I think we may have been close a few times. We saw/heard the American Bull Dog. We were just heading into security when they were coming into the terminal and getting their initial document check. We were in the first seating and had a window table on the upper level on the starboard side. We also plan to do another Crossing next year but it will be a last minute booking (inside of 90 days) and driven by pricing.   Jack

[Jack E Dawson]

ICEX21

Also wanted to mention that Dee got COVID last week. That just confirms our decision to move forward with life but try and make smart decisions.

Jack

[ICEX21]

25 minutes ago, Jack E Dawson said:

So good to hear you enjoyed your first Crossing. Dee and I had hoped that we might have had a chance meeting onboard. I think we may have been close a few times. We saw/heard the American Bull Dog. We were just heading into security when they were coming into the terminal and getting their initial document check. We were in the first seating and had a window table on the upper level on the starboard side. We also plan to do another Crossing next year but it will be a last minute booking (inside of 90 days) and driven by pricing.   Jack

I think we were quite close at one point in the Commodore club, but to be honest I could only vaguely remember your face from this forum so I didn't want to take the risk!

 

Me and my brother-in-law weren't hard to spot, we're off Indian descent and had Scottish accents 😂.

 

If you look at the prices right now, they've jumped up by almost 25% from what I paid for this last crossing. A sign of the times I think..

 

I do hope Dee gets well soon!

Edited May 30, 2022 by ICEX21

[Jack E Dawson]

16 minutes ago, ICEX21 said:

I think we were quite close at one point in the Commodore club

Would this be you or your brother-in-law? Sorry about the quality/lighting of the photo.

Jack

[ICEX21]

17 hours ago, Jack E Dawson said:

Would this be you or your brother-in-law? Sorry about the quality/lighting of the photo.

Jack

The below is a picture of us 🙂

 

I'm on the right, I can't even remember why we decided to take a selfie in the corridor beside the cleaning equipment lol.