Hello all,

Just read a good article in Conde Nast Traveler.

A great review if you get a chance to read this article.

JPar Judith

Judith, One of our new members, Cabinclass, who just registered today just came back from three weeks on the QM2. I begged him for a review and I believe once he settles in, he might give us some impressions.

Karen,
George and Gretchen are presently on the QM2 for a 10 day cruise. Upon her return, I'll ask her to provide a review of the cruise and the vessel.
She did call us from the cabin and said that the balcony railing was so high for her, that she couldn't look over - had to look through the railing. This may just be for special people though. She said the boat was enormous but that check-in went remarkably smooth.
I don't know whether or not she'll book MINT when she gets back, but she did say the rooms were nothing compared to the Navigator's - yes, I know MINT is on the Mariner, but the rooms are so much the same. She particularly didn't like the size of the bathroom - said it was too small.

Marty

Marty

Thanks Marty, I am getting a visual of George on that huge ship :ohmy: What's Gretchen's motto? Two steps forward..... I forget how it goes!

Karen,
Two steps forward, drag George....

I did the Maiden Voyage of the QM2 and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's not as classy as Radisson

Greetings all,

Yes, I recently returned from 24 days aboard QM2, roundtrip Rio for Carnival. Unfortunately, I, along with many other passengers with whom I am in touch, have neen laid low by severe colds, bronchitis, strep throat, etc. I'm feeling better now, and so will scribble off some lines about the ship and our cruise...

Firstly, I am NOT a reviewer, and will undoubtedly forget many important and juicy details. Therefore, if you have any specific questions about QM2, feel free to ask away.

I will say from the start that the ship is WAY TOO BIG for our taste, but we knew that going in. I wanted to experience the largest vessel ever built, and the opportunity of having 4 full days and nights in Rio at Carnival was simply a dream come true...

Our taste in cruising is much more on the smaller ships of RSSC, Windstar, Oceania, etc., and we're booked for next October on the final sailing of Cunard's Caronia (650 pax).

Now, some of the salient points:

Embarkation, and disembarkation, in Ft. Lauderdale was a nightmare, just total chaos, but I guess that should be expected when we're talking about 2400 passengers... (altho from what I hear Royal Caribbean is able to pull it off without a hitch...)

Our cabin southbound was a "hull balcony," which I didn't use except occasionally as a private railing. My feeing about this is: if you want a balcony on QM2, spend the extra money and get a "true" balcony. Our stewardess on this leg for 12 days was worthless!!! She hated her job, and it showed! Had to ask repeatedly (3 days) for a small bottle of shampoo, altho she always kept us well-stocked with conditioner and body lotion... Cabin was made up on her schedule, not ours, sometimes as late as 3 PM. Ugh... And the cabin wasn't made up at all our last nite in Rio before our move to:

Cabin number 2, which was a HUGE standard outside cabin with a BIG window. Highly recommended, and a very well-kept secret. Would take the large outside any day, especially on a transatlantic. Cabin could comfortably handle a standup cocktail party for 8 or more... Our stewardess here was a treasure, and beyond superb! Cabin was always ready by the time we returned from breakfast, etc. Sherwin (her name) would easily be a good fit on RSSC, and anticipated our needs before we had to ask... She gets a gold star!

We had 2nd seating, table for 2, per our request.
While we are not by nature anti-social, we do enjoy our 2-tops, and I thank Cunard for getting this right!... Service and food quality in the Britannia dining room was hit and miss. Both our waiter and assistant had boarded with us in Ft. Lauderdale, so were still learning their way around. With 24 days aboard, we all got into a groove together, and while the service may at times have been lacking, their good humor made up for some of it! We were told that a lot of the service problems were actually galley problems; perhaps... Clearly, this is an area that Cunard needs to address, and soon! Kay and I ate all our breakfasts and lunches in Britannia, so cannot speak to King's Court, the casual "lido" type eatery. Had 2 dinners in the Todd English restaurant. All I can say is that the food and service were fabulous, altho too rich for our taste, and portions way too big...
We did not have to pay the $30 pp supplement which has since gone into effect at Todd English. Would we pay it now? Probably not...
Had one dinner at Lotus, Asian fusion. Not good. Had one dinner at La Piazza: extraordinary lamb rack on my plate, mediocre beef on Kay's...

Entertainment: we saw both production shows which were really rather good. Passed on comedians, magicicians, vocalists, etc.

Lectures: from brilliant to dismal... FYI, there were at least 3 lectures a day in Illuminations, the finest lecture venue I have ever experienced on a cruise ship!

Patricia Neal was on board for the first leg; we enjoyed her talk and good company. What an amazing lady and life story!!!

Illuminations also hosts the only planetarium at sea. There are 3 shows in rotation, and we saw the 2 more popular ones. Very nicely done, and recommended.

Public rooms and ship design: well layed out once you get your bearings straight. (We are talking about 150,000 tons, here.) Many reviewers have said that the ship never feels crowded. I respectfully disagree. There were often crowds, depending on room and function...

Ports: we could care less about any port in the Caribbean, so I won't even mention them. We did enjoy our day in Salvador da Bahia, which is easily done without a paid shore excursion. But the star attraction was Rio, and it is truly amazing, and gorgeous. Our nite at the Sambadrome is one we will never forget, and I thank Cunard for our reserved seat tickets. We could have gone back for a 2nd nite but we were done in from the nite before: 9:30 PM to 7:00 AM, and it was still going on.... and on....
We had a private guide/driver for 2 full days in Rio: Pedro Novak who is highly recommended, and not expensive at all. We would use his services again in a heart beat... If you're interested I can give you his email address.

That's about it. We thoroughly enjoyed our cruise, and made lots of new friends. We probably will never sail QM2 again, it's just too big. But all-in-all an unforgettable cruise experience. And Rio is Rio...

Respectfully submitted,

Donald

Donald, I will probably never sail on the QM2 so I truely appreciate your review.
Just what is a hull balcony? Is that like a French balcony with no space for chairs?
I also find the planetarium to be an interesting concept!

As for Patricia Neal, I met her in a restaurant once! (In our tiny PA city)

Karen,

The hull balconies are within the hull itself. It's more of a cutout, than a traditional balcony in that it doesn't extend out from the ship. The balcony was large enough for 2 loungers and a table, so not like a French balcony. But when you sat in a lounger you were looking at a steel bulkhead, with the opening and railing above. You could be sitting and look up at the sky, but you need to be standing to see the water. From inside the cabin, you could look out thru the glass door and window to this area, but in truth it's a rather dark and depressing space...

Donald

Karen,

The hull balconies are within the hull itself. It's more of a cutout, than a traditional balcony in that it doesn't extend out from the ship. The balcony was large enough for 2 loungers and a table, so not like a French balcony. But when you sat in a lounger you were looking at a steel bulkhead, with the opening and railing above. You could be sitting and look up at the sky, but you need to be standing to see the water. From inside the cabin, you could look out thru the glass door and window to this area, but in truth it's a rather dark and depressing space...

Donald

Sorry for the double post. I didn't do anything, really...

Donald

Just returned from QM2 10 day 3/6-3/16 Carib. Expected a lot of defects based on reviews on web. Happily, not the case. Embarkation still bad but debarkation was fine. Had a B1 balcony, true balcony vs. hull. Cabin was smaller than we normally take but adequate. We had our friends in B class so had to take it to be able to dine together. Ship has a class system like QE2. Not to my liking but the way it is. The food and service we received was excellent in the Britannia dining room. Our table was in the atrium section and perfect to enjoy the grandiose
view. We were the first to be charged $30 pp for Todd English. Food and service..outstanding. Went twice. The other alternate venues,Lotus, La Piazza,Chef's galley just ok..liked Britannia better. The production shows were wonderful. Best ensemble of singers & dancers we ever experienced including Crystal, RSSC etc. Planetarium was terrific. Shows were like the Haydn in NY. First for any ship. Ship is so big that we had to tender several times. Ship draws 33ft of water!. But smooth as silk, captain had to tell us when we were doing almost 29 knots..you didn't know you were moving. And that's not top speed.Some staff new and need more training but time will improve that. Ate bkfasts and lunches in King's court..food very good and big selection.Interestingly, captain told us he reads cruise critic because he wants to learn from what passengers are saying. Overall, different kind of feeling than other cruise ships but very enjoyable. Looking forward to doing a crossing and then picking up an RSSC ship in London.

I am amazed how many do not know that Cunard is owned by Carnival Cruise Corp.


JPar

Phil,

Good to hear from you.


JPar

Karen,
I love the avatar - I know it has to be you who did it!! How do I copy it to use again?

Received phone call from St. Thomas this A.M. and here's her review: " GET ME OFF THIS TUB !!"
To say the least, Gretchen is NOT pleased. She has promised to provide a fuller review upon her
return, but suffice it to say as of now, she aint pleased! <img border="0" alt="[rofl]" title="" src="graemlins/rofl.gif" />

Actually Marty it will always show up when you post.
John

John,
Did you do that? I think it's great! For those of you who have never met me, the avatar looks just like me, hence the name "Sheik!"

thanks again!!

Marty

John and I are having so much fun with you, Marty!

I can't wait to hear Gretchen's report :ohmy:

Marty,

That would be Sheik Yabouti???

Gatowoman,
You're obviously a Frank Zappa fan - no, not sheikh Yabouti - remember he lost! Rather Sheik
Marty - he always wins! Nice to know you're out there slugging away - makes the "little Grey Cells" percolate as Hercule Poirot would say. Can't wait to meet you.