O Mary, you've changed

[rsquare]

Just off M236, my first time on QM2 since January 2020.  There have been changes, most not for the better.  Here’s a list for anyone contemplating their own return to the Mary:

 

Bathrooms now have big pump bottles of hand soap, shower gel and skin conditioner instead of the little containers of stuff and bar soap.  Contents continue to be provided by Penhaligon’s Quercus brand.  The pump bottles deliver a frustrating quarter-inch of their contents on each squirt so trying to put shower gel on a washcloth to use for soaping up in the shower is an exercise in frustration.  Bar soap is available from your cabin attendant, but in my case, took two days to show up. 

 

The Daily Programme has shrunk down to about 4 x 11 inches, with each activity or show allocated a single line with name, starting time and a little color block to reassure you that watercolo(u)r lessons are not stage shows.  Down at the bottom, in another box, is a single line of what the Insights speakers are presenting, with no bio material.  It is still usable, but not as usable as its full-sized predecessor.

 

For diabetics dining in Britannia, there are no longer sugar-free (years ago) or low-sugar (more recently) desserts.  Other than that, I will say that the consensus at my table of experienced QM2 passengers was that the quality of the food has significantly improved, although the annoying “landscape mode” menus remain, awkwardly dueling for space with the menus of those seated on either side of you.

 

At breakfast in Britannia, there is no longer a server circulating with a basket of breads and rolls; these have to be ordered from your waiter, thus effectively curbing the impulse to have that second croissant.  If the food in Britannia has improved, the service has deteriorated.  Either they can’t find serving staff (possibly because the former 6-month contracts have now been extended to 9 months), leading to the sight of section managers (or whatever the guys in dark suits are called) waiting on tables alongside the waitstaff, or the bean counters at Carnival House have squeezed down dining room headcount.

 

The Duty Free shop is gone; you can still buy bottled booze on the ship, but there is no pretense that you are getting a bargain on name brands.

 

Room steward namecards stuck in the mirror are gone; not just my experience, but that of everyone I asked.

 

No more use of Verandah as a private waiting room for debarking Diamond passengers.  I used to look forward to picking up the day’s New York Times there on my westbound crossings.

 

No Queens Room parties for World Club members, or Senior Officer parties for senior members (I am Diamond).  I admit to having mocked these in the past, but I found myself unexpectedly missing them.

 

And saving the best for the last, apparently we won’t have Pol Acker to kick around anymore.  My DC cabin was furnished with a blanc de blancs called Duc de Valmer Brut.  Whether this is an improvement on or a step down from Pol Acker, I leave to others to say (see, for example, https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2894578-good-news-and-bad-news/); I took the unopened bottle with me for use on New Year’s eve.  I should also note that two tablemates at Platinum level reported receiving Pol Acker, so we may be in a transition period.

Edited November 21, 2022 by rsquare
momentary agrammatica

[Red Ray]

And not one of those changes would put me off sailing on her. In fact the improvement in the quality of food is a big plus in my eyes.

[neeuqdrazil]

Another M236 disembarker here. 

 

I also found the new Daily Programme significantly less useful and informative than the old style. 

 

I only ate in the Brittania a few times (between seasickness the first few days, and not being enticed by the menu on most of the others), but I also found that service was a step down. 

 

On the first night, I had been assigned to a table for 6/8 (I didn't get close enough to count heads), despite having asked for a table for 2. I went back and stood in line for ages to speak to the maitre'd, who assigned me to a new table, which, when I'd been escorted there, had another couple already sitting at it, who had been assigned there just for that night (open diners, presumably), so I was shuffled off to another table for that night. 

 

I did appreciate that the Kings Court was still primarily served, rather than being self-serve (at least for the hot items.) 

[s.s.France]

I was on a QG westbound TA recently and I attributed most changes to covid measures, I actually prefer the pump botttles for soap.  I missed the reception party, but I am sure it will be back, as maybe the departure lounge will eventually. But we just stayed in the cabin after breakfeast and deboarded at the assigned time. Food and service in QG was as good as it always was. Ship needs a thorough refit, but thats another story. Had a great crossing.

[BklynBoy8]

 

We sailed in September in PG for 14 days and didn't sail since 2017 and so happy to have been back onboard.

 

We had no problems with all the topics mentioned above and dealt with the alternative changes that were made.

 

We knew before hand the changes and just adapted to them to enjoy our sailing and heard many others agreed with us.

 

Our Dining Room staff was superior with their service from Servers to M'd. 

 

We would always agree to changes made to better protect us and understand the times conditions we are under that was not going to alter our vacation...

 

Times have changed and we have to assist by agreeing to make it work.  

[shippmates]

I was on QM2 in August and I requested a diabetic diet.  Every night I would pre order my meals along with my dessert.  I would pick 2 items and they would make one of them sugar free.  Several nights I order a blueberry or peach crumble with sugar free ice cream.  This was not on the menu but they make it for me when I ordered it.  It was delicious and one of my favorite dessert.  I found several no added sugar desserts in the Kings Court.

[BklynBoy8]

1 hour ago, shippmates said:

I was on QM2 in August and I requested a diabetic diet.  Every night I would pre order my meals along with my dessert.  I would pick 2 items and they would make one of them sugar free.  Several nights I order a blueberry or peach crumble with sugar free ice cream.  This was not on the menu but they make it for me when I ordered it.  It was delicious and one of my favorite dessert.  I found several no added sugar desserts in the Kings Court.

 

Ditto...they did bend over backwards to accommodate us on our sailing. IOHO...We really miss the staff and remember them well.

[Lakesregion]

Seems from the comments here and other places Cunard is really making an effort to maintain standards for the expensive and very profitable upper end of the cabin set but is reducing a lot for the rowers. Guess they feel this group has no where else to go and still sail Cunard. 

[Covepointcruiser]

Actually the menus for the Britannia and recent photos show a wonder selection of foods better than I experienced in 2019.    It’s sad the OP had a bad experience as most passengers are quite happy.

[Pear Carr]

Had no complaints with Britannia dining experience on Queen Victoria 23.9.22-7.10.22. Excellent service - as good as we have had in both Queen and Princess grill - and happy with quality of food/menus. 

[ace2542]

16 hours ago, rsquare said:

Just off M236, my first time on QM2 since January 2020.  There have been changes, most not for the better.  Here’s a list for anyone contemplating their own return to the Mary:

 

Bathrooms now have big pump bottles of hand soap, shower gel and skin conditioner instead of the little containers of stuff and bar soap.  Contents continue to be provided by Penhaligon’s Quercus brand.  The pump bottles deliver a frustrating quarter-inch of their contents on each squirt so trying to put shower gel on a washcloth to use for soaping up in the shower is an exercise in frustration.  Bar soap is available from your cabin attendant, but in my case, took two days to show up. 

 

The Daily Programme has shrunk down to about 4 x 11 inches, with each activity or show allocated a single line with name, starting time and a little color block to reassure you that watercolo(u)r lessons are not stage shows.  Down at the bottom, in another box, is a single line of what the Insights speakers are presenting, with no bio material.  It is still usable, but not as usable as its full-sized predecessor.

 

For diabetics dining in Britannia, there are no longer sugar-free (years ago) or low-sugar (more recently) desserts.  Other than that, I will say that the consensus at my table of experienced QM2 passengers was that the quality of the food has significantly improved, although the annoying “landscape mode” menus remain, awkwardly dueling for space with the menus of those seated on either side of you.

 

At breakfast in Britannia, there is no longer a server circulating with a basket of breads and rolls; these have to be ordered from your waiter, thus effectively curbing the impulse to have that second croissant.  If the food in Britannia has improved, the service has deteriorated.  Either they can’t find serving staff (possibly because the former 6-month contracts have now been extended to 9 months), leading to the sight of section managers (or whatever the guys in dark suits are called) waiting on tables alongside the waitstaff, or the bean counters at Carnival House have squeezed down dining room headcount.

 

The Duty Free shop is gone; you can still buy bottled booze on the ship, but there is no pretense that you are getting a bargain on name brands.

 

Room steward namecards stuck in the mirror are gone; not just my experience, but that of everyone I asked.

 

No more use of Verandah as a private waiting room for debarking Diamond passengers.  I used to look forward to picking up the day’s New York Times there on my westbound crossings.

 

No Queens Room parties for World Club members, or Senior Officer parties for senior members (I am Diamond).  I admit to having mocked these in the past, but I found myself unexpectedly missing them.

 

And saving the best for the last, apparently we won’t have Pol Acker to kick around anymore.  My DC cabin was furnished with a blanc de blancs called Duc de Valmer Brut.  Whether this is an improvement on or a step down from Pol Acker, I leave to others to say (see, for example, https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2894578-good-news-and-bad-news/); I took the unopened bottle with me for use on New Year’s eve.  I should also note that two tablemates at Platinum level reported receiving Pol Acker, so we may be in a transition period.

They have also altered the menu at Sir Samuels there is no Dark or White hot chocolate anymore. At least their wasn't in August. They are also leaving keycards at the room in that mail slot as well. At least they did at Brooklyn

[ace2542]

1 hour ago, Pear Carr said:

Had no complaints with Britannia dining experience on Queen Victoria 23.9.22-7.10.22. Excellent service - as good as we have had in both Queen and Princess grill - and happy with quality of food/menus. 

Service on QM2 wasn't the best. Wine waiter didn't come every night and we were not always offered sauces like apple sauce or horseradish every night depending upon the meal. And they seem to have less staff on duty as well.

[Wordzz]

Perhaps there's an element of pot luck to it, but our personal experience, having been on QM2 three times this year, always in Britannia, has been really good; no complaints about either the quality of the food (excellent) or the service we have received (attentive, friendly and all we could wish for). 

 

Agree totally about the new-style daily programme, which we find paltry and unhelpful. And as for the 'enhanced' Internet... 

[rsquare]

2 hours ago, Wordzz said:

Agree totally about the new-style daily programme, which we find paltry and unhelpful. And as for the 'enhanced' Internet... 

Internet wasn't bad in the public rooms, just in peoples' cabins.  I often had to stand in my cabin doorway halfway in the corridor in order to log on. 

 

Diamond members get essentially unlimited internet for $5 ($135 WC credit toward a $140 unlimited package), which isn't a bad deal. 

 

The downside, for me, was that internet access wasn't terribly stable; sometimes I could log in and have connectivity for an hour or two, sometimes I would get logged off and have to keep logging on in order to send individual e-mails.

[BklynBoy8]

 

I always read reviews which I take to heart personal opinions of other CC'ers but I still always wonder.....

 

"Was I on the Ship as they were?" But as said...... I do honor other's opinions and experiences.

 

 

[exlondoner]

2 minutes ago, BklynBoy8 said:

 

I always read reviews which I take to heart personal opinions of other CC'ers but I still always wonder.....

 

"Was I on the Ship as they were?" But as said...... I do honor other's opinions and experiences.

 

 

Well, it depends, doesn’t it? I read one that complained that QG breads were of only two types, white and brown. Now, in a way that is true, those are the colours bread tends to come in. But there are plain, seeded, flaked, salted, cheesy, and sometimes tomatoey, many of them in both colours. So that statement seems unworthy of much respect. 

[BklynBoy8]

Just now, exlondoner said:

Well, it depends, doesn’t it? I read one that complained that QG breads were of only two types, white and brown. Now, in a way that is true, those are the colours bread tends to come in. But there are plain, seeded, flaked, salted, cheesy, and sometimes tomatoey, many of them in both colours. So that statement seems unworthy of much respect. 

 

I always look in the basket and tell and point to them which one I wish to have plated. 

 

The same was in PG with the morning danish....so many selections avail......so just point and move on to the meal..

[majortom10]

1 hour ago, BklynBoy8 said:

 

I always look in the basket and tell and point to them which one I wish to have plated. 

 

The same was in PG with the morning danish....so many selections avail......so just point and move on to the meal..

That is what I did on QV in PG recently always a good choice of bread rolls available and just pointed. Never got any further than a polite "no thank you" for pastries and croissants offered at breakfast. Much that I love croissants already eating too much for breakfast without more.

[BklynBoy8]

8 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

That is what I did on QV in PG recently always a good choice of bread rolls available and just pointed. Never got any further than a polite "no thank you" for pastries and croissants offered at breakfast. Much that I love croissants already eating too much for breakfast without more.

 

Ditto.....same moves I did too. Aren't those baskets great. With all they have to do serving us, I never expected the baskets to be reviewed at each meal after the first meal. It was common knowledge. 

[exlondoner]

14 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

That is what I did on QV in PG recently always a good choice of bread rolls available and just pointed. Never got any further than a polite "no thank you" for pastries and croissants offered at breakfast. Much that I love croissants already eating too much for breakfast without more.

We had to begin refusing the rolls at lunchtime after a few days. Such a shame, but capacity is not infinite.

[Victoria2]

20 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

We had to begin refusing the rolls at lunchtime after a few days. Such a shame, but capacity is not infinite.

My claim to a totally inconsequential addition is, I have never had a bread roll on Cunard!

However, my very slim husband makes up for it. Has to be plain white at lunchtime and cheesy for dinner. We were seated on one occasion with a celebrity guest speaker who managed two or three rolls before the first dinner course.  Every day!

 

My lips are sealed!  😄

[exlondoner]

7 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

My claim to a totally inconsequential addition is, I have never had a bread roll on Cunard!

However, my very slim husband makes up for it. Has to be plain white at lunchtime and cheesy for dinner. We were seated on one occasion with a celebrity guest speaker who managed two or three rolls before the first dinner course.  Every day!

 

My lips are sealed!  😄

Please tell me it wasn’t David Gower. Not that I care what he eats, but I would be green with envy if you had shared a table with him. 😀

[Underwatr]

On 11/21/2022 at 10:58 AM, rsquare said:

The Daily Programme has shrunk down to about 4 x 11 inches, with each activity or show allocated a single line with name, starting time and a little color block to reassure you that watercolo(u)r lessons are not stage shows.  Down at the bottom, in another box, is a single line of what the Insights speakers are presenting, with no bio material.  It is still usable, but not as usable as its full-sized predecessor.

I recall that some services have moved to an online presence (for example, booking anytime dining slots). This makes me wonder whether there's any Daily Programme capability in the new online services.

They can reduce the amount of paper distributed if they back it up with an excellent online information source. If on the other hand they just never re-hired the staff that used to publish the 8-page Programme I'll chalk it up to "efficiencies" and know that we'll never see it again.

[canoncruiser]

Well-I have been on QM2 a number of times this year and I’ll be on her again in December; my first crossing was part of the December TA to the West Indies. Since December things have evolved - QV was standing by off Barbados as an accommodation ship for Covid infected crew -who came and went as per their tests. There has been much change since then as the pandemic has eased-subsequent trips on QM2 has seen change for the better-now we can sit at the bar😂 

I suspect many former crew decided they needed a change and did not come back. One sees a number of familiar and friendly staff but there are a lot of newcomers who are training on the job-they’ll work into Cunard or they will leave.

From my experience this past year-things are settling down and smoothing out. 😉

[Victoria2]

2 hours ago, exlondoner said:

Please tell me it wasn’t David Gower. Not that I care what he eats, but I would be green with envy if you had shared a table with him. 😀

I can understand the colouring  but no,  it wasn't David Gower. Unfortunately! 🙁