So obvious that MR M had NO IDEA what QE2 was or is....he is solely responsible for ruining cruising in the UK,..( sorry thats my opinion
I think when you consider just how much of a boom there has been in cruising. My first trip was in 1986 when cruising was much less popular and cruise brochures were relegated to the lower shelf in travel agents and then it was Cunard or P&O and that was about it, maybe CTC lines. You paid your fare as quoted in the brochure, no discounts or on board credit and everyone knew how much you were paying by the cabin you had
The standard of passenger was l always thought much higher than some of todays standards, back then the people l seemed to meet had saved up for a one off cruise, and there didnt seem the one upmanship that goes on these days, the dress code was idiot proof, formal or informal, now look at the shambles we have and it isnt even enforced.
Ok so a lot of folks dont want the stuck up formal atmosphere white gloved afternoon tea. they see the ship as only a means of getting there and the various ports are the destination (can you imagine that) And for them there are Island cruises, RCI,and the Carnival Fun ships.
Lets face it QE2 on a one night or 2 nighter the service can hardly be 5 star.The yacht club was a frenzy with drinks served in warm glasses,The crew didnt really like these short taster trips & attitude of the some of the staff who assumed you were out for a party, it changed when they realised you knew the score, sitting down for breakfast with a table of 5 who all were Thompson cruisers who rated it above dear old QE2 and when the fried eggs arrived and they were still very raw,Heck they couldnt even cook the eggs properly was the response. They couldnt appreciate that this was history in the making, the atmosphere and all that had gone before them, the gents even had the brass neck to wear the tie loose and the top button undone, such things may be the norm on other ships, But this was dear old QE2, MY ship and no one had the right to make any adverse comments about her.
The brand CUNARD was always a very good brand, you were assured that things would be done as they should be as has happened since the start, Now the brand Cunard has the youngest fleet in the world, and while that may be a nice publicity stunt, I tend to think on it like this, with youth comes a certain kind of naive ness, they are not quite worldy wise or have the correct ways with them, Where as with age & QE2 came the wisdom of years behind her, a product that outshone the rest and a customer loyality that could only be envied.
So perhaps we are now seeing the new face of Cunard, (or is it Princess or p&o or Carnival)We hear them all in phone calls or letters they go on about white star service when it suits, but we had better service years ago, the staff smiled because they wanted to,not because they had to, they greeted you by name because they knew you, not because they had to remember who you are, and the special parties were just that bit more special.
Cruise princess l fear we have seen cruising at its best and now its on the downward slope to Carnivalisation, If someone had said to me 10 years ago the future is downloadable forms and bag tags , l would have smiled and probably agreed with them, safe in the comfort it would never apply to a Cunard voyage, and now look what we have! and l hate to go onabout it
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Its a funny thing progress, it usually invloves cost cutting and the emphasis that it gives a better service.
Around this time of year l used to always get quite jittery with the awaited launch of the latest QE2 brochure, and when it arrived there was always the blind panic as what voyages could be made,the agents get in on the act with low prices and we are the best so book with us attitude and to pre register to register for a voyage then latterly it was so hyped up the pulse rate would increase and lm surprised l never dropped with heart palpitations.
But l think when we reflect on our dear old QE2 and her final voyages going on sale and how quickly they sold out for what was for a 40 year old ship, Compared to the new hype with these newer ones and that a voyage on a ship we know little about can sell out quicker than a classic ship we all know and loved, Perhaps this tell us something about the way the Carnival cruising lark is going, One thing l know for sure, Its not Cunard as we know.
Anyway enough of my ramblings l still have to go and look at this years brochure to see what l missed out before next years arrive, and lord knows when that will be opened up.
