Thoughts on current Queen Elizabeth sailing

[Brummel]

I am a World Club Platinum member currently on board the Queen Elizabeth on the way to Barcelona.

 

My thoughts:

 

The service and the ship itself are immaculate. Despite it being your standard cruise ship hull and layout, the Art Deco interior is lovely and from the outside the ship looks like a ship and not a floating amusement park. 

 

The entertainment is okay but, in my experience, bested by both Holland and Princess. Cunard has never been known for its dazzling entertainment, but that's not what it is - or used to be - about.

 

The "Insight" lectures are almost without exception boring PowerPoint regurgitations by presenters with zero stage presence, few insights, and no clue how to engage an audience. I know they are uncompensated, so I guess you get what you pay for, but these used to be much better.

 

The food in the MDR is uninspired, repetitive and no better than your typical slightly upscale local restaurant - and can take forever to reach your table. Again, Holland and Princess equal or exceeds. This may be just on the QE as a friend just off a QM2 transatlantic crossing says the food on that ship is the best it has ever been. The chefs on the QE are certainly capable of 4-star cuisine; you just have to pay a stiff surcharge in the specialty restaurants to get it.

 

The once-vaunted Cunard dress code is a dead letter. Instead, there are a set of "requests" and "suggestions." The MDR, which only a few years ago required men wear a jacket and tie, now timidly hopes you will consider wearing a collared shirt and trousers without holes.

 

That Cunard doesn't give a rip about any dress code is evident.  You will see men bellied up to the Golden Lion's bar and in the Commodore, Lounge in swim trunks and flipflops, next to Cunard staff who say nothing.

 

Enjoy the Gala Nights while you can. In ten years, tuxedos and gowns will be quaint oddities.

 

Cunard used to be exceptional and special. Now it is just another cruise line.

 

Sic transit gloria mundi.

 

 

[fourmile.ranch]

1 hour ago, Brummel said:

 

That Cunard doesn't give a rip about any dress code is evident.  You will see men bellied up to the Golden Lion's bar and in the Commodore, Lounge in swim trunks and flipflops, next to Cunard staff who say nothing.

Ok, ok, ok. Grace for the subjective nature of food and entertainment. But I am also on this voyage and spend a great many hours a day bellied up to the bar in the Golden Lion because it's simply too hot and humid to be outside. I have yet to see swimwear next to me and I'm quite sure you're not referring to me personally. But even if this were true GL, Cafe Carinthia, casino, Yacht Club and Lido do not have a dress code. These spaces are open to everyone. The Commodore does enforce as I was asked to leave to two nights ago when the clock struck 6:oop. And for what it's worth, I've found both the food and entertainment superb - did you not see the 10:oop show last night? The whole house was on its feet with the most raucous applause I've ever heard on Cunard! Amazing show but I heard the early crowd was far more subdued.

[Brummel]

Fourmile.ranch writes:

 

"But even if this were true GL, Cafe Carinthia, casino, Yacht Club and Lido do not have a dress code."

 

Not correct. Even in the mealy-mouthed worded What to Wear: Smart Attire section of the Daily Programme ("...we ask that you wear smart attire."), guests in those venues after 6:00 pm are asked to "...please refrain from wearing shorts, sports attire, swim wear or sleeveless t-shirts outside of the gym, spa and deck spaces." Granted the after 6:00 pm part is not explicitly stated but is clear from the intent and context. Even without dress codes per se there must be standards. To think otherwise is to concede those venues to the People of Walmart.

 

"These spaces are open to everyone."

 

Not so. Even absent a dress code, nudists can be assumed to be excluded.

 

(Sorry, fourmile.ranch, couldn't resist! 😁)

[fourmile.ranch]

32 minutes ago, Brummel said:

Fourmile.ranch writes:

 

"But even if this were true GL, Cafe Carinthia, casino, Yacht Club and Lido do not have a dress code."

 

Not correct. Even in the mealy-mouthed worded What to Wear: Smart Attire section of the Daily Programme ("...we ask that you wear smart attire."), guests in those venues after 6:00 pm are asked to "...please refrain from wearing shorts, sports attire, swim wear or sleeveless t-shirts outside of the gym, spa and deck spaces." Granted the after 6:00 pm part is not explicitly stated but is clear from the intent and context. Even without dress codes per se there must be standards. To think otherwise is to concede those venues to the People of Walmart.

 

"These spaces are open to everyone."

 

Not so. Even absent a dress code, nudists can be assumed to be excluded.

 

(Sorry, fourmile.ranch, couldn't resist! 😁)

Touché on my over-broad interpretation but the 'after 6:oop' IS explicitly stated and everything that follows one assumes falls under it. But you'll be happy to hear that at near midnight I'm still at the GL bar and out of the seven of us here three are in dinner jackets, two in dress shirts, one in a polo and one in a tee. Although now that I look, Mr. Tee is in cargo shorts so I concede your point! 🤷🏻‍♂️ (I'm not Mr. Tee, btw). Enjoy your voyage, I know you posted how much you were looking forward to it!

Edited August 30, 2023 by fourmile.ranch
Attachment

[rmsEtruria]

45 minutes ago, Brummel said:

Fourmile.ranch writes:

 

"But even if this were true GL, Cafe Carinthia, casino, Yacht Club and Lido do not have a dress code."

 

Not correct. Even in the mealy-mouthed worded What to Wear: Smart Attire section of the Daily Programme ("...we ask that you wear smart attire."), guests in those venues after 6:00 pm are asked to "...please refrain from wearing shorts, sports attire, swim wear or sleeveless t-shirts outside of the gym, spa and deck spaces." Granted the after 6:00 pm part is not explicitly stated but is clear from the intent and context. Even without dress codes per se there must be standards. To think otherwise is to concede those venues to the People of Walmart.

 

"These spaces are open to everyone."

 

Not so. Even absent a dress code, nudists can be assumed to be excluded.

 

(Sorry, fourmile.ranch, couldn't resist! 😁)

“The People of Walmart”? Wow . . . we wouldn’t want to be caught in the same room, let alone at the same table, with people who shop there, would we?

[Victoria2]

1 hour ago, rmsEtruria said:

“The People of Walmart”? Wow . . . we wouldn’t want to be caught in the same room, let alone at the same table, with people who shop there, would we?

We all have different attitudes to life, can't help it as its human nature whatever life has thrown at us, but taking that phrase for example, it helps to have an insight into any reviewer's attitudes and experiences to life and other people when taking varied  accounts and reviews  into consideration.

 

That is why, I need to 'know' the person before I give real credence to opinions.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 30, 2023 by Victoria2

[LittleFish1976]

I've always found at least one of the lecturers on board gave an interesting, even engaging talk. I think it's a bit tough to say they're uniformly boring. It's a shame if your current trip has such uninspiring talent.

Edited August 30, 2023 by LittleFish1976

[seasickphil]

It just shows you, how two people on the same cruise can have completely contrasting opinions. Most things in life are subjective and this seems to be the case here. As part of the quote says, you can please some of the people some of the time but not all of the people all of the time.

[Victoria2]

24 minutes ago, seasickphil said:

It just shows you, how two people on the same cruise can have completely contrasting opinions. Most things in life are subjective and this seems to be the case here. As part of the quote says, you can please some of the people some of the time but not all of the people all of the time.

Absolutely which is why, in order to be able to evaluate opinions, it helps to have some background experience of those giving of their opinions.

 

Those of Cunard 'old school' experience are possibly not going to be as appreciative of the tweaks now apparent, post Covid and before, and opinions  might well be coloured by their reminiscences and regret of changes on present day Cunard.

 

[exlondoner]

11 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

Absolutely which is why, in order to be able to evaluate opinions, it helps to have some background experience of those giving of their opinions.

 

Those of Cunard 'old school' experience are possibly not going to be as appreciative of the tweaks now apparent, post Covid and before, and opinions  might well be coloured by their reminiscences and regret of changes on present day Cunard.

 

There are things that are simply facts, such as being as to go and change to appropriate dress before returning to the Commodore Club. But lots of other things are impressions. If it annoys you, you may well notice a few people in frayed denim shorts at dinner in the restaurant (why would you do that, but never mind) and think the dress code is crumbling, even if 90% of people are impeccably conforming. I, on the other hand, would probably not notice a few improperly dressed people, unless they were very close to me, or drawing attention to themselves in some other way, among the gorgeous array of glamorous black and white garb on a gala night.

Edited August 30, 2023 by exlondoner

[seasickphil]

6 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

Absolutely which is why, in order to be able to evaluate opinions, it helps to have some background experience of those giving of their opinions.

 

Those of Cunard 'old school' experience are possibly not going to be as appreciative of the tweaks now apparent, post Covid and before, and opinions  might well be coloured by their reminiscences and regret of changes on present day Cunard.

 

 

Most people do not like change especially if it's for the worse, this is certainly the case for us as we get older.😅

[Victoria2]

35 minutes ago, seasickphil said:

 

Most people do not like change especially if it's for the worse, this is certainly the case for us as we get older.😅

That is very true and I for one don't particularly like the tweaks happening on Cunard now but there is a difference between bemoaning the past and letting it colour a realistic view on present day Cunard.

 

As was stated by  exlondoner,   there are facts in situations which are/aren't adhered to but then there are impressions which form opinions, and opinions are subject to experiences and expectations which is why there are some folk whose opinions I value, and those whose opinions I read and take with the proverbial pinch of salt. The trick is to discern which is which. 🙂

 

Edited August 30, 2023 by Victoria2
'when' not 'and'

[exlondoner]

Here is a fact. On the first night of our last cruise, on which there were many younger and first time cruisers, my husband and I looked round the QG, when it was almost full, to count the men not wearing jackets (which is perfectly allowable), and I think we counted three. Whether this says more about their standards of dress or the temperature of the air conditioning I’m not sure. And of course on a different night or ship or in a different restaurant, the result could have been completely different.

[windsurferfirst]

11 hours ago, Brummel said:

I am a World Club Platinum member currently on board the Queen Elizabeth on the way to Barcelona.

 

My thoughts:

 

The service and the ship itself are immaculate. Despite it being your standard cruise ship hull and layout, the Art Deco interior is lovely and from the outside the ship looks like a ship and not a floating amusement park. 

 

The entertainment is okay but, in my experience, bested by both Holland and Princess. Cunard has never been known for its dazzling entertainment, but that's not what it is - or used to be - about.

 

The "Insight" lectures are almost without exception boring PowerPoint regurgitations by presenters with zero stage presence, few insights, and no clue how to engage an audience. I know they are uncompensated, so I guess you get what you pay for, but these used to be much better.

 

The food in the MDR is uninspired, repetitive and no better than your typical slightly upscale local restaurant - and can take forever to reach your table. Again, Holland and Princess equal or exceeds. This may be just on the QE as a friend just off a QM2 transatlantic crossing says the food on that ship is the best it has ever been. The chefs on the QE are certainly capable of 4-star cuisine; you just have to pay a stiff surcharge in the specialty restaurants to get it.

 

The once-vaunted Cunard dress code is a dead letter. Instead, there are a set of "requests" and "suggestions." The MDR, which only a few years ago required men wear a jacket and tie, now timidly hopes you will consider wearing a collared shirt and trousers without holes.

 

That Cunard doesn't give a rip about any dress code is evident.  You will see men bellied up to the Golden Lion's bar and in the Commodore, Lounge in swim trunks and flipflops, next to Cunard staff who say nothing.

 

Enjoy the Gala Nights while you can. In ten years, tuxedos and gowns will be quaint oddities.

 

Cunard used to be exceptional and special. Now it is just another cruise line.

 

Sic transit gloria mundi.

 

 

We have jumped ship from Princess to Cunard. Reading your review is making me wonder if we have done the right thing. We sail on QE on 18th September and I am now very nervous.

[Victoria2]

27 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

Here is a fact. On the first night of our last cruise, on which there were many younger and first time cruisers, my husband and I looked round the QG, when it was almost full, to count the men not wearing jackets (which is perfectly allowable), and I think we counted three. Whether this says more about their standards of dress or the temperature of the air conditioning I’m not sure. And of course on a different night or ship or in a different restaurant, the result could have been completely different.

I remember getting slated when I said chaps removed their jackets on certain very hot  evenings way before 'the changes'.

'No, that's not allowed/doesn’t happen' came from a few. Well it did and staff allowed and encouraged it where we were sitting.

 

My opinion at the time was ‘how sensible' for  those about to expire in the heat, but it was a fact. because it happened. A fact dismissed as almost fiction by one or two, but it was a fact and I gave my opinion.

Edited August 30, 2023 by Victoria2

[windsurferfirst]

9 hours ago, fourmile.ranch said:

Ok, ok, ok. Grace for the subjective nature of food and entertainment. But I am also on this voyage and spend a great many hours a day bellied up to the bar in the Golden Lion because it's simply too hot and humid to be outside. I have yet to see swimwear next to me and I'm quite sure you're not referring to me personally. But even if this were true GL, Cafe Carinthia, casino, Yacht Club and Lido do not have a dress code. These spaces are open to everyone. The Commodore does enforce as I was asked to leave to two nights ago when the clock struck 6:oop. And for what it's worth, I've found both the food and entertainment superb - did you not see the 10:oop show last night? The whole house was on its feet with the most raucous applause I've ever heard on Cunard! Amazing show but I heard the early crowd was far more subdued.

You have calmed my nerves a little - Thank you.

[Victoria2]

2 minutes ago, windsurferfirst said:

We have jumped ship from Princess to Cunard. Reading your review is making me wonder if we have done the right thing. We sail on QE on 18th September and I am now very nervous.

Don't be.

Everyone has opinions but some are more extreme than others. Go with an open mind and have a wonderful time.

[sfred]

I won't jump into the dress code debate except to say that like many others I happily and eagerly put on a coat and tie each evening for a pleasant stroll around the ship followed by a consistently excellent meal.  Admittedly we're in PG on this QE trip, but Mrs sfred and I just commented last night that menus had not repeated once since we boarded in San Francisco. 

 

IMO, presenters and entertainment have been very good.  One thing I used to do in my past work life as a partner in a big consulting firm was to teach and coach junior consultants on how to make presentations.  So unfortunately I cannot help but watch for mistakes by the Cunard insight presenters.  Some could benefit from a class or two on presentation techniques, but most are perfectly acceptable given the challenges of the venue and a diverse audience.  On this QE voyage, the two Canal historians have been great, one having been part of the research team for David McCullough's famous book The Path Between The Seas.

Edited August 30, 2023 by sfred

[LittleFish1976]

1 hour ago, windsurferfirst said:

We have jumped ship from Princess to Cunard. Reading your review is making me wonder if we have done the right thing. We sail on QE on 18th September and I am now very nervous.

Having read the Princess board and the arguments about the right to wear a baseball cap in the MDR, I'd say you'll be fine. I find Cunard to be 'just right' (not always perfect by any means but this is the real world) and I'm very picky.

[NE John]

3 hours ago, windsurferfirst said:

You have calmed my nerves a little - Thank you.

Cunard is far from The Walmart of the Seas and a vast majority of pax fully participate in dressing for Smart Attire and Gala Nights. We fully embrace the dress code. 
However, there was one guy on our TA dancing with an Hawaiian shirt for the first Gala night but properly dressed for the second Gala. To his defense, he was a very good ballroom dancer. There was another one person in the Golden Lion pub one night acting like a drunken fool and he left after a short time. We also saw a vast majority of the ship look and act great. 

On Cunard, you’ll find these one off deviations from the Dress Code or proper behavior but these people shouldn’t distract you from enjoying the nice environment on a Cunard voyage. 
As @Victoria2 said ignore the more extreme posts, or as I call them “flamethrowers”. Anyway, these Walmart posts are just snobby and a off-putting. While not everything is perfect onboard and we get don’t like seeing the behavior of these as mentioned one-off’s, please enjoy the 95% of the Cunard offerings that do work well. 

[exlondoner]

4 hours ago, windsurferfirst said:

We have jumped ship from Princess to Cunard. Reading your review is making me wonder if we have done the right thing. We sail on QE on 18th September and I am now very nervous.

Are you worried about overtly informal dress or finickety and snobbish fellow passengers? I don’t think you need to worry about either, but I would be curious to know.

[rmsEtruria]

10 hours ago, Victoria2 said:

We all have different attitudes to life, can't help it as its human nature whatever life has thrown at us, but taking that phrase for example, it helps to have an insight into any reviewer's attitudes and experiences to life and other people when taking varied  accounts and reviews  into consideration.

 

That is why, I need to 'know' the person before I give real credence to opinions.

 

 

 

 

True, I do not know Brummel. (I recognize the historical allusion in the handle, though.) I do remember a number of earlier posts in other threads, all dealing with proper attire, and most of them quite agreeable. But I thought this contemptuous dismissal of people who shop at Walmart called for a response. If mine was too harsh, I accept your censure.

[Victoria2]

4 minutes ago, rmsEtruria said:

True, I do not know Brummel. (I recognize the historical allusion in the handle, though.) I do remember a number of earlier posts in other threads, all dealing with proper attire, and most of them quite agreeable. But I thought this contemptuous dismissal of people who shop at Walmart called for a response. If mine was too harsh, I accept your censure.

Good heavens, where has this come from?

 

I agree with you, 100%

[chryso]

31 minutes ago, rmsEtruria said:

But I thought this contemptuous dismissal of people who shop at Walmart called for a response.

This might be a misunderstanding.  There is a website called "People of Walmart" where posters post photos of outrageous outfits they have seen worn by other people shopping at Walmart.  This would include people shopping in pajamas or lingerie or other non traditional items.  The way Brummel capitalized "People of Walmart" I assumed he was referring to the website.

[Winifred 22]

11 minutes ago, chryso said:

This might be a misunderstanding.  There is a website called "People of Walmart" where posters post photos of outrageous outfits they have seen worn by other people shopping at Walmart.  This would include people shopping in pajamas or lingerie or other non traditional items.  The way Brummel capitalized "People of Walmart" I assumed he was referring to the website.

I really hope you are correct about the website. I was originally offended by the remark. Walmart customers and employees have as much right to be on a Cunard voyage/ cruise as anyone else.