QE2 v. QM2

[Kindlychap]

They invented stubborn!! ;)

 

Can I put a word in for my lovely wife here?

 

She, like me, had a brief look over the Queen Mary 2 in New York in April 2004.

 

She didn't come with me. I know I'm going to have a job getting her on board - once her mind is made up that is it.

 

The Spa leaflet was my best argument, and that seems to be working. I've pointed out some of the attractions of the Queens' Grill too - at least as far as I am able.

 

Whilst I love her to bits, changing her mind is..... Well, she was known as a one date wonder before she met me. Because one date was enough to decide yes or no........

 

Matthew

[Wadadli1]

Can I put a word in for my lovely wife here?

 

She, like me, had a brief look over the Queen Mary 2 in New York in April 2004.

 

She didn't come with me. I know I'm going to have a job getting her on board - once her mind is made up that is it.

 

The Spa leaflet was my best argument, and that seems to be working. I've pointed out some of the attractions of the Queens' Grill too - at least as far as I am able.

 

Whilst I love her to bits, changing her mind is..... Well, she was known as a one date wonder before she met me. Because one date was enough to decide yes or no........

 

Matthew

 

I don't understand. One date with you and it couldn't be anything other than Yes, yes? ;)

 

You've got me sold on the QM2. I'm even taking a short 4 night jaunt before our 10 nights to the Caribbean. I fully expect the 4 night one to be just fine, as it has already been discerned that the Memorial Day trip was an aberration. Are you listening, Smooth's husband? Don't give up the ship yet!

[travel-to-go]

Plan...I am going to let it go for a while, approach a try again a little later down the road! In the meantime I will enjoy just reading the wonderful reports you all post here.... Final confession, I really enjoy the posts on the bow-ties!

SD,

Wait until some brochure comes in the mail with an "offer you can't resist"

I have been on the Labor Day cruise (4 day to Nova Scotia) and there were no service problems whatsoever!

I think in addition to whatever perception of the double ordering, I think there could be a few other things that perhaps crew members did not want to mention. The night before the Memorial day sailing, there was a charity ball to benefit the New York Opera and the Brooklyn School of Music. Many crew members had the night off and increased the nightly take in a few Brooklyn haunts (as has been shown in pictures posted here) It may well be that there was a change of some crew, getting off of their contracts and new coming on. It seems to me this may also have been the beginning of the AA category, such that the best were drawn off to this new category and there were some personnel changes and moving around to different stations. I know that Matthew indicated that they had all come from Queen's Grill, but can't help but think there had to be some logistics changes. The fact that this was a "warm water" itinerary, as opposed to the Nova Scotia 4 day may change a few things. Also, the fact that this was a beginning of the summer trip for Americans where there may have been a bit of pent up Winter feelings may have changed how people acted. A change in the passengers behavior would certainly have an affect on the crew's ability to react to it.

 

I have been reluctant to mention this, pointing myself up as a pig, but I certainly do not think the multiple entree ordering caused the problem. That sounds like on person's snarliness towards the excess shown on board. I can imagine it must be horrifying to people who come from countries where food might be precious at times to see the horrendous waste that goes on along with the la-di-da attitudes of some on board. But in my over ten years of sailing on Cunard, and a few other lines also, I think this behavior (ordering multiple entrees) is pretty much standard. On my very first Cunard cruise (indeed very first cruise) if I could not choose between entrees the Maitre D' (who had taken over when our waiter broke his arm on a motorbike in Dominican Republic) would instantly say, Ahh! You can't decide, I will bring you both. Other times, I would want, say, one lobster tail with a filet, surf and turf, if you will, very common on restaurant menus, or other diners, big lobster buffs would want more than one lobster. In fact, it seems to me, what I have seen is that, on Lobster night this is more the rule than the exception. (I am not one of those multiple lobster people) I won't say that I have multiple entrees every night. In fact, there may be the occasional night the entrees do not appeal (I am a finicky eater- Something common in fat people- We would starve before eating what we don't like, but hooboy! Katie bar the door if it's something we DO like! See Stanley Schacter, ca1972) so I don't buy the bit about multiple entrees. It seems to me that that is a constant occurance, and they are more than prepared for it! The only time I have had someone look askance at my request for multiple, was once on CARNIVAL, at lunch when I wanted a small bit of the pasta which was a main entree, as a side to the fish entree that I was having. It was presented to the waiter that way. I was told I could ONLY have two entrees and must take the entire plate. I advised them I did not want the entire meals, with all of its accoutrements, but only wanted the fish with a small side of the pasta. that was not an unreasonable request, or would not be for Cunard. They would either bring both and "decant" at the table, or do so in the kitchen. Carnival's serving methods in the kitchen differ, and it would indeed screw them all up to do that. so the "gentleman" yells across the room, THIS WOMAN WANTS TWO WHOLE ENTREES!

I was never so mortified in my life. Might as well have yelled, HEY! THE FAT CHICK WANTS TWO PLATES! (One reason I will never darken carnival's door again. I only did it because the owner of my travel agency is a big Carnival (and Disney) fan, and we sell a lot. I did a short four day, just to show I'd done one. Never again. It was horrid, all the way around. And I have been on ships that declared bankruptcy shortly after our cruise, and were not maintaining very well.)

 

So I just do not buy that this caused service to be slow. This is not an aberration from most cruises I have been on, seen, or heard about. Even if others may not have done or experienced it. (BTW, I rarely do deserts. So which is worse, two entrees, sometimes I share this with someone else who wanted a taste of something but had their heart set on not missing the (fill-in-the-blank) or always having deserts, or even wine with every meal. I try not to judge, and always lose weight or maintain on a cruise. I have never gained weight on a cruise.

 

So mark this experience up to some fluke- A fly in the ointment (hmm, not a good analogy when talking about food, is it!)

 

SD, Tell your husband you heard it was a new crew getting their feet wet on this short, beginning of the summer cruise. Surely there must have been at least one such person on board that meets that description so you won't be lying! <G>

 

Karie,

who is so sorry you had such a negative first time experience. It almost feels personal, as I love Cunard so much, and my experiences have always been much better (and I am very tolerant- things do sometimes go wrong!)

[clara1]

Absolutely not very boring and no waffles or pancakes !Food service excellent but I was a little testy when my lobster was tough!

[Kindlychap]

I don't understand. One date with you and it couldn't be anything other than Yes, yes? ;)

 

Her friends were amazed when she announced she was seeing me again. The rest, as they say, is history!

 

Matthew

[Kindlychap]

It seems to me this may also have been the beginning of the AA category, such that the best were drawn off to this new category and there were some personnel changes and moving around to different stations. I know that Matthew indicated that they had all come from Queen's Grill, but can't help but think there had to be some logistics changes.

 

It certainly wasn't the beginning of AA, which started after the world cruise.

 

Of course the kitchen can cope with some people ordering more. But if the majority are doing it, and then complaining of slow service, then the result is bound to be chaos.

 

Civilised people expect that if they ask for something out of the ordinary, then they will have to wait. Waiting wasn't acceptable by those on the Memorial Day cruise.

 

Having spoken to a number of the crew directly, it is the combination of the greed and the "now" attitude that caused the problem.

 

Matthew