Favourite cabin stewards / stewardesses

[cunardqueen]

   This was back-to-back after the Atlantic crossing, QE2's final December crossing.  I had the wonderful cabin 3006, a  large MO single, attended to by who must have been QE2's most lively, nurturing, loving stewardesses.  Unfortunatley I no longer remember her name.

 

It wasnt by any chance Maria?

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I had 3006 in 2004 and had the great pleasure to be looked after by Maria, she is without  a doubt a Cunard hidden jem,a total professional who cares about "her" passengers like no one else could, for 3 weeks she got to know my quirks probably better than l knew myself. Boy did she work hard in general, But one thing really stood out was her attention to detail, her happy smiling face and that nothing was any trouble,( Not that l asked anything that was trouble) The small things like coming back to your cabin to find it all made up, no matter what the time, l usually nipped  back after breakfast and it was always made up, she pulled out all the stops to organise some "things" for my 100th night cabin party, and ensured the night steward knew what he was doing, the guests (and so was l) were amazed when he started to pour the champagne and kept us topped up, it was a late party, and after we had all gone for a walk round the decks to clear our heads l returned to the cabin to find it had all been cleaned up, he said "Oh Maria has given me my orders for you! "
 It really was a privilege to be looked after by a lady whose nature & personality shone through, and yet to speak to her was always a pleasure and she always had time, no matter how busy she was.
As it happens  the next year l had the same cabin and wrote on the booking form that it would be great if l had Maria to look after me. Not that l seriously expected it, The room steward was good, but the cabin wasn't made up so quickly, once it was after lunch which did surprise me, don't get me wrong he was good, But lacked the extra that Maria had provided.
On the Captains table that cruise the lady sitting next to me was on the opposite side of the deck to me and she had Maria, and she as well couldn't praise her high enough, Both of us made pretty sure that Captain Bates knew how much she was regarded.
I gather she was being moved to the Queen Victoria. But 3006 and Maria l have many wonderful memories of her and that cabin.   

[Stowaway2k]

Yes Myles, that's her.  Maria.
I hope that she's still with Cunard, it would be their great loss if she wasn't.
I was lucky to have her on what was my longest QE2 voyage, three weeks.
She was a real old-school stewardess who took a geniune interest in her charges and strived to make sure we were happy and comfortable.
On our port day in New York, I remember her mentioning that she didn't have the time to go ashore, which was a shame as she needed to pick up some things.  So, I asked her to make out a list and gladly did some shopping for her.
If I remember correctly, her sister was also a QE2 stewardess.

[cunardqueen]

I remember l had trouble with the kilt one night, called on her services and from then on l wasnt allowed to leave the cabin till she had given me the once over and made sure l was ok. One formal night she appeared with a most beautiful button hole flower thing, which she had hand made during quiet spells that day, l was quite humbled by it all.
As a worker in the hotel industry you soon get to know those with a genuine passion for their guests and those who are just doing a job.
I never was a fan of those towel creations, but had to smile when she had done this

Oh while l remember one night after a particulary late night enjoying QE2 l came back to the cabin to find the dead light shut
Now as Kyle will verify the porthole is impossible to reach when standing on the floor and the lean required to get the deadlight closed means that really the only way to get it closed is to clear the desk top and climb upon it. I know this for a fact as l thought it might be fun to try to close it one night, which l did but you have no idea how heavy it was and to try to get it opened and back on the catch took a great deal of effort on my behalf. not to mention the huffing and puffing and the various positions and l really wished l hadnt bothered as the desk and porthole ledge was somewhat cluttered to say the least.

 Anyway went to bed and awoke in the night for no other reason than to think how on earth did she get the dead light closed without moving my stuff, and quite simply it was beyond me how she did it as my stuff hadn't been moved. So l did what any sane person did ordered a BLT and a pot of tea and pondered the situation. In the morning when l saw Maria l asked how she closed the deadlight, she smiled and said Oh its very easy when you know how, l said l had no idea how she did it, she said for me to think about and she would see me tonight before dinner. so all day (yes imagine on the QE2 during the day even thinking how a dead light would be closed) l tried to figure how on earth could she do this and  really couldn't think how she had managed, for a start l would have said l was more agile than her..or so l thought.

Anyway before l headed for dinner she asked me if l had the answer, Well of course l didn't and her answer really was quite ingenious, what she had done was actually taken a digital photo of the clutter, then cleared the desk and porthole shelf,  climbed upon the desk and manoeuvred herself into position to get the dead light closed and then using the photo she had taken had positioned everything back to where it was. Of course it was simple when you know how she did it, she even showed me the "thing" she used to screw it tight shut, l suppose its called  a deadlight closer, but to me it was a heavy thing...
And so the mystery was solved of how she managed to close my deadlight by magic
Ironically on the next cruise in the same cabin my steward needed to close the deadlight, he just moved the clutter aside and left it... Not that l minded, But Maria would have never done that.
That steward was nice and efficient and did all that he did, But as an example the cabin was made up much much later in the morning, and several times it was closer to lunch time, Not that l minded as l know how hard they work, but its these little things that you notice.

 Looking back it over the my QE2 cruises, it was always some trepidation when you opened your cabin door to see exactly what cabin you had, But then again meeting your cabin steward/ess could also be as big a worry, mercifully and it may surprise you l was always secretly pleased to see a female face. Then again lord knows what they thought of their passengers.....   
But you get the idea with the desk top, then the shelf and the porthole shelf......

[Rod]

If you remember, Officers were allowed to bring their wives with them for 3 mths of the year. Deb travelled with our very young son for a cruise...to Djibouti of all places.
They had changed the regs then and we had to be on pax accom. With help from the Hotel staff as they were always good at we had a big cabin on 2 deck aft.
This was in the days of the NUS crew btw.
The Steward , his name was John, do not know his last name, old Cunarder, cannot remember the Stewardess' name...was superb. Got to the cabin knock on the door...i answered...sorry they did not tell me Staff ere going to be here....UH OH I thought! I told himm we needed a crib for the baby...he said he would see what he could do. Another UH OH I thought....
Didn't worry me as I had pass keys to all the storage areas.
10 mins later he arrives with a brand new crib! Still in the wrapping. Introduced my wife etc and told himthat cleaning the room might be difficult as I would be on nights and would be sleeping for a time during the day.. he said we will work around it.
He did the old steward trick of the little wedge of paper in the door frame so that when it was out and on the floor...room was empty.
I never went to sleep on dirty or unmade sheets
In those days there no fridges in the rooms...he found a styrofoam ice chest and made sure it was full of beer. he left a note saying I took the liberty of buying....and a dollar amount...I would leave $5 on top of the amount and get change.
At the end of the trip I tried to give him a tip $100...He said Sir, buy the baby some clothes or something...You and your wife have been an absolute delight to deal with. He figured when Deb got up...would call the room and ask what she and my son wanted for breakfast. Son we had covered....Deb ate like a Queen.....things that were not on the menu, but John got them  specially made!

He was definately "Old Cunard" for the NUS crew
PLEASE NUS...do not take offense!

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Wonderful memories, Myles and Rod! Thank you    .