Reviews of QM2 voyages : A Taste of France, November 2010

[Jem]

Part 6

After a wash, we went out onto the balcony which was bathed in sunshine to find ourselves berthed at the Ocean Terminal in Cherbourg.
Time for day two of our exploration of RMS Queen Mary Two.
First port of call was the outside lift with panoramic views covering decks 7 to 11.

[Jem]

Part 7

We then went for a stroll around the Promenade on Deck 7. The deck chairs and wooden deck look lovely in the sunshine. I noticed the Ocean Terminal was flying 3 flags, French, A prefecture flag?, and our Union Flag. It was nice to see the Red Ensign flying from our stern.

[Jem]

Part 8

After the Promenade we took the lift up to Deck 13. Almost but not quite the top deck. There was a good view of the marina in the distance and up here in silver letters was our vessels name. I can well imagine having  amazing views of the North Atlantic Ocean from here when doing a Transatlantic run, one day in the not to distant future I hope to!

[cunardqueen]

Great review so far and nice to see the pics as well, How did your brother Steve enjoy QM2, is he a keen cruiser as well?

[Twynkle]

I can well imagine having  amazing views of the North Atlantic Ocean from here when doing a Transatlantic run, one day in the not to distant future I hope to!

That is good news and sounds very promising, Jem!
Hope that you won't need to wait too long.

[Jem]

Part 9

Then we went down to deck 8 and outside to the Terrace Bar for a drink and amazingly there were four people in the Jacuzzi, too cold for me!!
After lunch in Queen’s Grill we returned to our cabin for an hours nap. All this exploring does take it out of you.
By late afternoon we were off on our final foray of Queen Mary 2.
We went down to deck 2 to have a look at the Grand Lobby. Impressive looking up the grand staircase towards the mural of the liner. When you actually take a good look at this amazing vessel and the attention to detail, it’s easy to see why she cost around
$800 million to build.Steve and I then had our picture taken by the ship’s bell, as you do!

[Jem]

Part 10

Then up to deck 3 to have a look at the Queen’s Room. I really quite liked this place.
Also visited on deck 3 where the Britannia Restaurant and further forward The Royal Court Theatre which was impressive.
I then took the special wheelchair lift that took me to, Images on deck 3L. Some quite famous photography portraits of film stars. Some on sale for $1,000’s of dollars! I passed!! At the end of the long room was a very good model of QM2 in a glass case.

[Jem]

Part 11

I took these photo’s showing one of the gangways. I was interested by it’s age (I’d guess late 40’s or early 50’s?) and the mechanism.
It was then back to the cabin for afternoon canapés.

[Jem]

Part 12

Oh yea, nearly forgot, this is the leather bound manual you have in your stateroom explaining everything available on board. The 2 cards are the security ID’s your given which can also be used for purchases, mine was about to be rather busy that final evening!! Well I had to buy something or more to remind me of this dream I was in!
It was then time to get wrapped up again as we departed Cherbourg and headed out into the Channel.

[Jem]

Final Part..........

We then ordered room service for our evening meal. When Eduard our butler arrived with our food I managed to have a chat with him about QE2 and QM2. He’d been with Cunard 18 years and still missed QE2 and said she should not have been sold as all she needed was her rooms to be refurbished and she could have easily sailed on another 10 years. He liked the ‘I Love QE2’ badge and said someone had given him one. He was enjoying his time on QM2 as she was still a real ocean liner.
Steve and I then got ready for our final evening aboard. First stop were the ‘Mayfair’ shops on deck 3. Where I bought various key rings, fridge magnets, for family and friends, a QM2 teddy bear for my wife Christine. I myself, I bought a small model of QM2 and a fridge magnet.
It was then onto deck 3L, Images. Where our ‘Official Photo’s’ were waiting to be hunted down among the hundreds on display! Eventually located ours and purchased the photo along with a special frame to put it into which included a lovely photo of QE2 and QM2 sailing side by side. Now has pride of place next to the wedding photo.
We then made one final visit to the Golden Lion Bar on deck 2
Our final visit was to Churchill’s on deck 9. Here I finished off with a large Havana cigar. A nice treat as I very rarely smoke now days. Here I have my only real criticism of the whole trip. Churchill’s was packed, the lighting was very dim and the place felt dingy. Seems like smokers are still the lowest of the low then?

Then before retiring to our cabin we made our visit to the Pursers Office on deck 2. Now here you might think it would become boring queuing to settle up. Well I started chatting to a lady and my brother to this other chap. I’d say they were both retired and comfortable. I talked to the lady about QE2 and the forum. She explained her late father worked for John Brown’s Ship Yard on the Clyde as a riveter. He worked on QE2 and her and her husband used to sail regularly on her. They are veteran voyagers and now travel QM2 quite often. We had a great chat about the old liners too and how sad it was that Concorde was no longer in service. We just clicked, what a wonderful couple! Just wish I could remember their names! Hopefully they’ll visit the QE2 Forum. Finally there was one final treat for Steve’s German purser, as once he realised Steve lived in Germany, his face lit up and they had a good chat in German.
Then we returned to our cabin for the last time and put our cases out ready for collection, as we’d packed them earlier. Then off to the Land Of Nod and every so often during the night I could sense the engines changing their pitch as we manoeuvred around the Isle Of Wight and up the Solent into Southampton Water. By 8.30am we’d disembarked and were waiting at a chilly Ocean Terminal for my driver to collect me and take me home back to Bristol.

Conclusion.

OK, I’ve read some reports where people were not happy with the cruise. I think this stems from QM2 being at the wrong terminal and the vast majority had to be bused from Ocean Terminal to QE2 Terminal and it was a cold day. I checked AIS the ship plotting site before leaving home so knew the problem and rang Cunard as to what to do. This appeared to be news to them as well. When we got to the docks we went to the correct terminal and had no problems. I’ve also read there were queues in the Britannia restaurant and the food was cold. I cannot comment, as for the one and only time and it was to celebrate me getting to 50, I paid extra to travel Queen’s Grill.
However in my travels all over the vessel not once did I meet one surly crewmember or one disgruntled passenger. Every one appeared to be having a great time. Cunard must be congratulated in this day and age by running an amazing vessel and having such great and loyal staff. Long may this fabulous great Ocean Liner RMS Queen Mary 2 continue ruling the oceans of the world.      

[Jem]

Great review so far and nice to see the pics as well, How did your brother Steve enjoy QM2, is he a keen cruiser as well?

Steve had a great time as well. He loves the sea too and misses it living in Bavaria. When we Skyped yesterday he was still amazed by QM2 and how kind every one was.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Thank you so much for a great review, Jem. Together with your photos and what I had read and seen earlier, this is beginning to build up a picture in my mind of a fine ship.

Did you ever get tired and decide that she was just too big? Did you get weary trying to work your way from A to B?

Glad that you met so many people who loved QE2, and glad also that the atmosphere on board seemed good. Being able to embark via the QEII Terminal must have been a special treat, starting the cruise in such familiar surroundings!

[Jem]

Thank you so much for a great review, Jem. Together with your photos and what I had read and seen earlier, this is beginning to build up a picture in my mind of a fine ship.

Did you ever get tired and decide that she was just too big? Did you get weary trying to work your way from A to B?

Glad that you met so many people who loved QE2, and glad also that the atmosphere on board seemed good. Being able to embark via the QEII Terminal must have been a special treat, starting the cruise in such familiar surroundings!

Thanks Isabelle. No I didn't find her too big. It does take awhile to find your bearings though. She never felt crowded and there seemed to be some nice quite places just to sit and watch the view.
Sadly I never made it aboard QE2 but have always admired her from afar. At the QE2 Terminal I did wish it was 3 years earlier and I was about to board QE2 herself.

[Tom]

Wish that could apply beyond the "Grills" side of the operation, where they place the more senior members of the hotel staff.  As you've heard, cold food and spotty service are quite common in Britannia, regardless of what sailing.  The one thing I don't like about Cunard's staff these days is that the vast majority aren't really willing to go that extra mile anymore.  They expect tips and are pretty arrogant folks.  This used to be the exception, with the vast majority being wonderfully friendly and helpful, but that has completely reversed in the past couple of years.  You'll occasionally find great waitstaff, maître d's, etc., but now they're mostly from Pre-Carnival days, and those folks almost exclusively work in the "Grills".

[cunardqueen]

Wish that could apply beyond the "Grills" side of the operation, where they place the more senior members of the hotel staff.  As you've heard, cold food and spotty service are quite common in Britannia, regardless of what sailing.  The one thing I don't like about Cunard's staff these days is that the vast majority aren't really willing to go that extra mile anymore.  They expect tips and are pretty arrogant folks.  This used to be the exception, with the vast majority being wonderfully friendly and helpful, but that has completely reversed in the past couple of years.  You'll occasionally find great waitstaff, maître d's, etc., but now they're mostly from Pre-Carnival days, and those folks almost exclusively work in the "Grills".
 
   

Is this perhaps more noticeable now that QE2 has left the fleet, or perhaps that QE2 did have a loving set of crew members who actually cared about the thing that is called service, a rare thing these days.
 I must say lm surprised to hear that cold food and spotty service are common complaints ! Is this because Britannia is just too big? and granted these newer ships are even larger, but they are not providing the same level of service that Cunard are supposed to be.
 Jem was there anything you didn't like or thought could be improved on QM2 ?