June 15 Med Cruise

[trams]

Is anyone who went on this cruise going to share in their experieces?

[SamanthasDad]

Is anyone who went on this cruise going to share in their experieces?

 

We have only just finished unpacking. Next week I will be back at work, so will have plenty of time to put some notes together.

[NovaScotian]

Good Morning, My wife and I were on the June 15 Med cruise and we really enjoyed ourselves. It was our first cruise so we did not know what to expect. We stayed in a B2 cabin on deck 5 with a sheltered balcony. The cabin was very nice and our steward kept it nice and tidy. The sheltered balcony was good though you had to stand to see through the opening.

 

I believe we had five formal nights, but we missed one to go to Todd English(my opinion is it's not worth the upcharge). We were at the late sitting, at a table for 8. The ships Doctor joined us on three occasions and the head nurse on one night. We had great table mates, a couple from New York, a couple from near Southampton and a couple from sydney Australia.

 

We had breakfast and lunch in the Kings Court mostly, made it to breakfast in the Britannia once. Spent a lot of sea time aft on Deck 8 lazing in the sun, reading and drinking. The best Bar service was on the outside bar on Deck 8, Sydney and Paul both very attentive bartenders, they knew how to earn a tip. We went to some shows and to the hat ball and the masked ball, the dance floor was always full, people really had some awesome hats and masks for these nights. I must say there were many lovely gowns on the ladies, but some very strange colour combinations of ties and cumberbunds on a few of the gentlemen.

 

We were told that the ship was to full capacity, but the only time you noticed this is when you retuned from a shore excursion the same time as many buses, and were reboarding. Ther was often a lineup for elevators, as there were many handicapped and older passengers as well. Being on

deck 5 we only were a couple decks either way from where we spent most of our time.

 

We often had pre dinner drinks at the Golden Lion and with the exception of one waiter the service here was not to good. We went to the Commodore a couple of times it has a wonderful forward view, but the wait staff were stuffier then the chairs. Keeping in mind that we found the vast majority of the staff(hospitality and deck) to be very open and friendly. I enjoyed the library and my wife used the fitness room a few times( I used it once). If you want to do the laps on deck 7 you should get up early because it is soon littered with strollers who will keep you off your pace.

 

We met many fellow cruisers and heard varied critiques from the veteran cruisers on the QM 2 experience. Many felt it was to big and that the staff were not experienced enough. Others really enjoyed it and had their expectations met in every way.

 

We had shore excusions in every port and some were good, others not so good. Next time we will have a feel for what goes on and be able to make better decisions on excursions and concentrate on what we want to see.

Overall it was an enjoyable way to celebrate our 25th anniversary. We have lots of great pictures and met some wonderful people on our first cruise.

 

Joel

[Norfolk Brit]

I was also hoping for a Med review, so many thanks.

 

Any possibility of expanding further on the organised tours please?

 

Thanks and regards, Mary

[SamanthasDad]

I have put together a few quick notes on our med cruise last week. I am quite happy to go into more detail if anyone has any specific questions.

 

Embarkation

 

Our documentation stated check in was 2:00, I think we got there at about 1:30 and breezed thru check in and security Straight onto the ship, as there weren't any queues.

 

We were escorted to our suite by one of the waiting staff who was in the grand foyer. I think the only reason that we were escorted was because we were in a named suite and had been given a red card with the suite name on at check in. They did not seem to be offering to show anyone else.

 

Stateroom/Suite.

 

We were in the Queen Anne Suite which is directly above the Commodore Club. So we had fantastic views out over the bow. The suite is extremely spacious and has a full size bathroom with a large whirlpool bath. As we were travelling with our 17 month old daughter the fact that we had two separate rooms was a godsend when it came to her daytime sleeps. The suite had two separate entrances so one of us could come and go without disturbing her.

 

The suite does not have a balcony, but this was not a problem for us as it was more secure for Samantha, who would have wanted to be outside all of the time.

 

The Butler is a nice additional feature of the suite, but it all depends on which one you get. We got to the stage where we felt uncomfortable about asking her for anything as it seemed that we were getting in the way of her doing her job. We complained, and Sheena was assigned to us for the rest of the trip. She was absolutely brilliant and could not do enough to make our trip enjoyable and relaxing.

 

Unless the upgrade gods smile upon us again, we won’t ever be travelling in this class of suite again. Having peeked into a couple of princess grill staterooms (we only paid for P2), I think that they would have been more than big enough for us, and we could never justify the added expense of a Q3 suite.

 

Dining

 

We dined in the Queens Grill every night during our trip. We had considered Todd English for my wife’s birthday, but having previously read a few reviews and feedback from fellow diners in the Grill we decided that we could not get better service/food than what we were getting.

 

The service was brilliant 95% of the time, but there were times when a waiter would not been seen or couldn’t be summoned for up to five minutes. A couple of times our used plates stayed in front of us for over 20 minutes after we had finished the starter.

 

The choice of food was good, we had the à la carte menu in addition to the main daily menu and they were happy to make anything that we wanted if those menus didn’t cover our requirements. This was especially good at lunch time when all we felt like was a toasted sandwich or something plain. Also having a single seating meant that we were able to go into the grill at any time.

 

The dress code didn't seem to be followed very strictly. We even saw jeans in the queens grill on a formal night.:eek:

 

Room service was very hit and miss, I don’t think that they got our order right once. Usually we received more than we asked for, or they would forget something obvious, like no milk when we wanted cereal in the morning. We never received breakfast at the time it was ordered. It was usually 20 minutes late. This did not help when we had an early excursion and had to sort Samantha out and feed her before taking her to the Play Zone.

 

On sea days or when we didn’t have an excursion we had breakfast in the grill. It was very quiet so we had the full attention of the wait staff, who were also very good at keeping Samantha amused and we would some times not see her for 10 minutes as she “helped” them in there other jobs around the restaurant.

 

Childcare

 

This was one of the reasons that we booked the Queen Mary 2. The staff were absolutely fantastic, and kept Samantha well entertained and busy when she was with them. They also looked after her while we were away on excursions.

 

Entertainment

 

We only went to a couple of shows. They were good, not West End quality, but entertaining enough.

 

Excursions

 

Cannes : Total Riviera Experience

Nice, which has lots of quaint back streets and a colourful market.

Eze is very beautiful and has some great views.

The casino at Monte Carlo was a complete farce. There were hundreds of tourists trying to get in all at the same time. It took 20 minutes just to queue and get in. Once we were in there were only two tables open, so no chance to gamble. Because of these delays our time in the old town was shortened.

 

Florence : Arts of Florence.

We picked a day when there was a train strike. It took aver 2.5 hours to get into Florence. So we were rushed a bit when we were in the museums. Also the documentation stated that we would have the afternoon to ourselves. We ended up with 45 minutes which was not enough time.

 

Rome : Historic Sights of Imperial Rome

This was a great tour that covered a few of Rome’s highlights. There wasn’t enough time spent at the Coliseum. But considering what was included it wasn’t too bad.

 

Casino

 

We don’t gamble a lot but thought we would try out the casino. I went to a roulette table, it took a few minutes to get the croupier to acknowledge my existence and give me some chips. She was definitely having a bad day and didn’t want to be working, I couldn’t understand a word that she mumbled. I started with $50 and walked away 10 minutes later with $150 J. I’m not sure if all the staff are that rude, as I didn’t go back.

 

Disembarkation

 

Went smoothly, It did help being one of the first off as we had the suite.

The only problem was trying to navigate a trolley around all the bags and getting around the 70+ year old dears having trouble with their trolleys.

[travel-to-go]

The dress code didn't seem to be followed very strictly. We even saw jeans in the queens grill on a formal night.:eek: .

 

So I am assuming that this was some hapless sailor rescued at sea after having been viciously attacked by pirates and left with nothing but a pair of jeans, which he tied together, and blew most of his last breath into to make a suitable life ring, which he then floated in for days, until rescued by the crew and passengers of the Queen Mary 2, which could see that this was no mere ragged flotsam, but some wealthy chap of obvious bearing and class. The passengers being quite classy themselves, and would never conciously notice a fellow dressing improperly, and realizeng that after Lord-knows how much time with his poor brain frying in the salt and the sea and the sun, he probably did not realize what he had on, and, as it would never do to embarass him publicly, a note was dispatched to the social hostess to have her procure a fine tuxedo for the next formal evening, and discreetly slip it into his room, with compliments of "the Queen" (Mary 2)

 

Am I not correct here?

I'm sure it could not be the eccentricities of those who, having paid the price of a Queen's grill passage, are arrogant enough to think they are entitled to wear whatever they damn well please! Oh no! That could not be!

 

<VBEG>

 

Karie,

Who would be scandalized and utter a quiet tsk, tsk, wondering whatEVER was he THINKING! ;)

[Norfolk Brit]

Thank you Samantha's Dad, for taking the time and trouble to post your very interesting review. Great help to us when planning which tour excursions to opt for.

 

Thanks again, Mary

[trams]

Thankyou Samantha's Dad for the info', pleased that you enjoyed the cruise. This too will be our first experience of cruising.

 

I am hoping that embarkation will be smooth as we have a P suite (upgraded from an A cabin)

 

What time did you actually sail? I would like to pass Cowes in daylight as I lived there in my youth.

 

Nova Scotia who was on the same cruise "believes" they had five formal nights. How many did you actually have?

 

Were there activities on board on port days?

 

Did you only participate in three excursions?

 

What % of people kept to the dress code in the Grill dining rooms?

[trams]

One more question Samantha's Dad. Do the cabins have British 13amp sqare pin sockets?

[SamanthasDad]

I am hoping that embarkation will be smooth as we have a P suite (upgraded from an A cabin)

We went about half an hour earlier than requested. The were no queues at the grill checkins and very short queues at the brittania check in. The longest queue we had was for the lift from the 3rd to 10th deck. we had to use the lift as we had Samantha in her pushchair. We tried to use the stairs at every opportunity to help burn of a few extra calories.

 

What time did you actually sail?

I think that departure time was 6pm. I didn't even realise that we were moving until I looked out of the window and the view had changed.

 

Nova Scotia who was on the same cruise "believes" they had five formal nights. How many did you actually have?

There were four formal nights, one informal and the rest were casual.

 

I read the cunard documentation which said that the first and last nights were casual, sea days would be formal and the others would be informal. Which equals two casual, three formal and seven informal.

 

We had packed for seven informal evenings and ended up with one. I wish that they had told us this before we sailed!

 

Were there activities on board on port days?

There seemed to be a full program during port days. things like the shops and casino were closed.

 

We used the Spa on one of these days. It was quiet compared to the sea days (and cheaper). The massage I had was one of the best I have ever recieved.

 

Did you only participate in three excursions?

The other ports that we stopped at were close to the main centres or had short free shuttle bus ride. So we just had a wander around.

 

What % of people kept to the dress code in the Grill dining rooms?

Some of the Americans take on Formal was probably not the same as the British, also alot of what I saw proved that money does not buy taste.

 

I would say that 99% of people in the grill were dressed to code (or their version of it). There was only one case of jeans that I saw, and those jeans were propbably designer and cost twice what my tux did.

 

Do the cabins have British 13amp sqare pin sockets?

The suite that we were in had about five of them. From what I have read there is at least one in every stateroom.

It might be advisable to take a mutiplug board if you have more that 1 electrical item.

[SeaFlint]

Samantha's Dad, we may have been on the same Monaco bus... Funny, we were also two parents of only 45 or so kids and we must have crossed paths. Anyway, did you not receive a very fair partial refund for the Monaco problems? Perhaps that was only for our bus (5, I think) where we stood for 45 minutes waiting. But, in all truth, these were not really CUnard's fault, though certainly their responsibility. In general, we found that they jumped to the possibility of taking responsibility for anything amiss. And while a very small part of the Monaco experience could have been better, the entire tour was excellent and Cunard's treatment of the problems above reproach.

 

We crossed from NY, did the Med and crossed back. Maybe I'll go in to this at greater length, but there was a BIG difference between what we called "the crossing" v. the "cruise" and in the passengers between "Crossers" and "cruisers". Not to imply anything negative, at all. But the passengers seemed to be onboard for different reasons. And we found that the crew also expected different "types".

 

The Med excursions met or exceeded any reasonable expectations someone could have had for visiting major attractions for only one day. And as we commented after having trouble with a shortened tour in Barcelona (shortened by the operator and NOT by Cunard), for every minor negative there were 150 positives where there might only be 100 under the best of circumstances. Those "extra" 50 positives trumped the very few "problems".

 

If I get time I'll post details that folks might find useful. Probably easier to answer any questions. But I will say that if you can, please try both a cruise and a crossing. And if you have only done one, then you should also try the other. Both worth it. And very different.

[SamanthasDad]

did you not receive a very fair partial refund for the Monaco problems?

I think that we were on bus 9. I complained to the the tour office about the delays, and was told that the tour manager would contact us that evening or leave a message. We didn't hear from him for 24 hrs, so asked again. He finaly got back to us, and after about 10 minutes of discussions, he offered a 25% refund.

 

What did bus 5 passengers recieve? I got no impression that the refund was automatically given out, and he only gave it to me to get me off the phone.

 

Yes I agree that a couple of negatives, mostly out of cunards control, didn't prevent us from enjoying our tours and the cruise as a whole.

 

But I will say that if you can, please try both a cruise and a crossing. And if you have only done one, then you should also try the other. Both worth it. And very different.

My choice would have been doing the crossing, but as it was my wifes 40th I thought that she should be making the decisions:) .

 

so as you did both back to back, what are the difference between "Crossers" and "Cruisers".

[SeaFlint]

Samantha's Dad, We did not ask for a refund. Not for that trip, nor the Barcelona tour shortened by an hour at the hands of the tour operator (BOTH over the protests of the Cunard rep on the bus). I just reported that the Cunard rep on the bus had asked us to tell the purser and so did so when I was passing through. And then they credited my accounts (two adjoining staterooms-four people) and sent me letters to my cabins telling me what they had done.

 

Crossers v. Cruisers. Well, I'm going to cobble together my impressions and those of the crew we spoke with about it (many, actually), try to keep it short and also qualify it all (cover my tail) by saying that it was a very general impression and certainly did not either apply to all nor in any was change the trip from good to bad or bad to good...

 

The Crossers seemed to be there more to just be on the ship. The ship at sea was the destination. The Cruisers were perhaps there to go on a neat cruise to the Med that was ALSO on the QM2 with all its attractions.

 

On the crossing over it was mostly Americans and Brits and there was an overwhelming politeness and good-humor. The cruise included many more folks from around the world, where manners (sometimes including the understanding of taking turns and the use of elbows), habits, etc. were different. There was less overt politeness (though NOT to the extent that it was BAD, just the difference between 99 and 100, not 50 and 100) and we saw fewer smiles, though still saw many. Certainly fewer of the looks of pure joy at just being at sea aboard the QM2.

 

To add in the crews' oberservations, the spending habits were different. Summarized as "Crossers were willing to spend whatever it took to enjoy being aboard the QM2 on a crossing" and "Cruisers were looking to make very sure they got full value for every dollar they spent". The tips were smaller and fewer, too, I was told. But none of the crew comented on this with any sense of liking it less.

 

Now that I may have offended anyone, I MUST stress that I did not think that the one was better than the other, nor did the passengers or crew who discussed it in passing. Just different. Sort of the difference between the joy of eight hours of peace vs. the joy of eight hours of excitement. All joyous yet very different.

 

In any event, we loved all three legs, all three groups of passengers and all the tours in the Med. So much so that we booked both crossings and the Norway "cruise" next June, are trying to convince ourselves to go on the 4-day "getaway" to the Caribbean (which MUST be very much a classic "cruise") at the end of those three legs are looking for any excuse to get back aboard.

 

Ah, yes, the Commodore... It seems that the Pilot WAS in charge of the ship when she backed over the pod. However, the Pilot did not have enough insurance (spelled S.N.A.F.U) to cover the damage. So Cunard had to turn to its own insurance. As a result of their requirements, the Cunard Captain (Commodore Warwick) had to be responsible. And that required he be "fired". I cannot think of another captain who went down with/for his ship who actually lived. So, while a sad tale, there is some nobility to it and a fairly happy ending.

 

The man who told me this commented that Warwick was a great master who knew what his ship was and used her accordingly. He did not shrink from bad weather as another captain is known to do (though not the captain on our voyage). And actually loved the heavy weather.

 

Anyway, there you go... "Crossers" v "Cruisers" (I am both, I guess) and the mystery of Commodore Warwick.

[SeaFlint]

I don't know your schedule, but the ship arrives with enough light to take a long, good look at the Isle of Wight and a look at Cowes as you pass. The ship leaves with enough time to do the same.

 

If your schedule permits, you can take the Red Funnel jet boat and make it to Cowes in 25 minutes, spend time there or anywhere on the island, and then take the quick ferry back. The cab ride to and from the QE2 dock is very short. My son and I popped over, went to the castle, dawdled our way back and STILL made it back to our cabins by 1:30p.

 

Lovely place. You were fortunate to have spent time there.

[Bojeanne]

I'd like to respond to the original posting on this thread, and add my views and comments about the June 15 Mediterranean cruise.

 

Overall: A simply wonderful cruise. Lots of sea time to just relax and enjoy being on the water, lots of time each day and night to enjoy the ship, the decks, the swimming, the sunning, the spa, the restaurants, etc. Port visits were rushed, but that's to be expected, and I did see some beautiful parts of the world. Service onboard the ship is excellent, with staff always there to clear a plate or wipe a table. Great entertainment all around.

 

Best memories: Reclining comfortably on padded lounge chairs on Deck 7, watching the waves go by, seeing dolphins off the bow, swimming in the Deck 8 pool, swimming and relaxing in the Spa Pool, dinner at Todd English, enjoying the shows and the Planetarium, feeling completely uncrowded almost everywhere I went, coming "home" to my cabin after a day on land.

 

Did not like: Kings Court (disorganized, not enough food choices, too crowded at peak times), too many formal nights, too much stability of the ship (I like to feel the movement of the water). Also, why no place to eat on deck? The one area with tables had no umbrellas.

 

Embarkation: Best I've experienced on a cruise. Long line at Southampton, but it moved quickly and check-in process was swift and well-organized.

 

Cabin: I had a hull balcony cabin on deck 5. It was roomy, impeccably clean, had lots of closet space, a very comfortable bed and pillows, and the bathroom was well equipped and stocked. The hull balcony was as expected -- nice when standing, a little gloomy when reclining. I would opt for either a more expensive, open balcony next time, or just a window. Not worth the $$ for the hull balcony.

 

Cabin attendant: Fantastic. Kept up with cleaning and tidying, kept us in fresh towels all the time, and responded to requests almost instantly. Could not have asked for more.

 

Dining in Britannia: Very good marks for cuisine and presentation, wait staff is efficient but could use training in food ingredients, beautiful room, wonderful ambiance, loved the harpist and violinists, excellent desserts.

 

Dining in Todd English: Excellent! Best rack of lamb I ever tasted. Great, friendly, knowledgeable service, great food, definitely worth the extra $30 pp. But why was it half empty? Maybe Cunard should lower the cost to $20 pp.

 

Dining in other alternative restaurants: did not do it. Opted for Britannia. Could not see a reason to dine in the cafeteria, even if it was prettied up with tablecloths and candles, since the choices at those restaurants at lunch were not so great (except for the Carvery).

 

Kings Court: too crowded at lunchtime, not enough choices despite having all that room, salad bar ran out. However, I liked the fact that I could stop by Kings Court almost any time of day and find a good snack, a sandwich, a great piece of pie or cake, or a slice of pizza.

 

Canyon Ranch Spa: Loved the therapy pool. Bubbly and warm and not at all crowded. For a small premium ($29/day) I was able to use the pool and hot tub, sauna, foot bath, take a shower, etc. I did not go for a massage, but using the therapy pool was all the massage I needed to feel absolutely fantastic.

 

Shopping and auctions: Did not do too much shopping, as the stores are all pretty much high-end, but I did take advantage of the sale tables for t-shirts, gold-by-the-inch, etc. I did my shopping in the ports, mainly.

There were the usual art auctions, plus a couple of diamond auctions, which was unusual. I didn't partake, but I think some people had fun at those.

 

Casino: I lost $20 in the slots and quit. But wow -- the QM2 casino is huge. I'm sure you could lose a lot more with a little practice.

 

Swimming pools: I was one of the few people actually swimming in the Deck 8 pool. And it is a beautiful pool. About 5 ft. deep, which is much better than some pools that go only to 4 ft. There are also an indoor pool and a pool for families, so no pool every gets crowded. I loved that, plus the fact that you could always get a lounge chair, even on the sunniest day.

 

Planetarium: Went to 3 shows. I really liked them, not too long, only 20 minutes. One show was not so great, but everyone should go at least once.

 

Balls: Black and white was pretty good, with lots of people in attendance. Only one or two rebels wore pink. However, after the first couple of nights the ballroom dancing experience got very tired, with only a handful of couples enjoying the 40s music and crooner. The masked ball was better, as the Caribbean band played that night and people obviously had more fun dancing to contemporary, upbeat tunes. However, not too many people had masks on. Cunard just does not do a good job of promoting these events, and people did not know where to go to buy a mask. The last ball was the Ascot ball. Please, Cunard, do away with that one. I spent valuable time in the afternoon decorating my big-brimmed hat with ribbons and bows, only to feel like a moron when only a few other women turned up with fancy hats on. People do not know what to do about this one, and just do not participate.

 

Land excursions: We booked our own guides or just walked around in most ports, but booked the Cunard coach to Rome. Not a good choice, since the trip took over 2 hours each way, and not the 90 minutes as advertised. Then with time wasted waiting on lines at the Colisseum and at St. Peter's, there remained only about an hour for "on your own" time. Not worth it, from my perspective, but others thought it was worth the trip just to see the Colisseum. I'd recommend skipping Rome in favor of something less stressful for those stopping at Civitavecchia.

 

Would I do a QM2 cruise again? Maybe. It would depend upon what else was available to me at the time. I loved the ship, but as mentioned above, it was too stable for my taste. I think a crossing would be a better bet, especially after reading that there does seem to be a difference in the crowd on the crossings. Also, I realize that my happiest memories are on-board experiences, and not the land stops. Maybe some day...

 

Happy cruising,

 

Bojeanne

[2dream4]

I did the med cruise two years ago in August. It was very hot.... make sure you get a room not on the loew two decks ( bottem) it smelled like diesel down there. what otherinfo do you need?

[travel-to-go]

Seaflint,

 

I hope your source on the Commodore and the pod incident is impeccable. I am going to believe so, at any rate. I refuse to believe that the Commodore had to "slink away" and retire in disgrace. i hope that by keeping mum, for the most part, they have allowed most of this to simply be forgotten. The commodore that I know is an honorobale man (IMHO) Mind you, it isn't like we're best buds, but I consider myself a pretty good judge of character. I give everyone the benefit of the doubt, until proven otherwise, and even then some. It was easy with the Commodore. I like thinking that he did the noble thing and took the fall, even though it was not his fault. It seems like the kind of thing a man of the sea and one of his fine heritage would do. I think, though disinclined to be overly stuffy and protocol-laden, I think he is most well versed in etiquette and honor. While his pride might be bruised by such, he will know that those who truly know him, will know the truth, whatever the rumor. those who chose to think the worst, probably are arching at the chance to do so, and most likely more into the tablid shock of the day.

 

I am so jealous of those on the ship right now, who may enjoy the chance to wish him fair (but exciting) seas, as he takes to his new life, and to shrae in what I think awaits them all in Halifax.

 

Thank you for sharing all of the info about your recent trip. It was interesting and thoughtful.

 

And to paraphrase a popular British saying (I hope this isn't crude)

God save the Commodore! (I mean that in a good way!)

 

Karie,

Who thinks the world of the Commodore. Not too many men left on pedestals in my world. He is one of them. (M Dad, god bless him, is the other. Say a prayer, or send good karma his way, all. He is not doing well.)

[SeaFlint]

Karie, I agree with your read of the man. I did not take advantage of the opportunity to have the pleasure of meeting him. But I did have plenty of time to observe him, alone and in company. I had to decide between trooping over and disturbing his meal or missing the pleasure of meeting him (and I may have chosen poorly).

 

Anyway, I was singularly impressed with him, at any rate. And I was more impressed after I heard what I heard of the "Pod Incident". It seemed a noble act, indeed. And I certainly would wish him all the best.