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Queen Mary 2 (QM2)

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Queen Victoria

Thoughts on QV 316, Northern Spain & France

Kusadasi

I couldn't afford a Christmas cruise so opted for this one. Really wish I hadn't as so many things in the room went wrong all cruise and on the last night KPOP/Bollywood music blaring out on deck one which could be heard from the lifts by the atrium.

Cruise Director thought it was fine to have this music disturbing everyone because it was motivational! What a load of claptrap. He then lied about me to a manager who was useless and really obnoxious to me when all I did was point out where the music could be heard. It shouldn't have been on in the first place.

What I did notice was the misogynistic attitude towards me over this.

That was the problem on this cruise, staff with attitudes that were hostile, supervisors and managers taking a hands off approach and anything being allowed with shoddy standards. There were many staff working to good standards but not enough. I sailed on Victoria in September and this could have been another ship from another cruise company. It certainly wasn't Cunard's standards people expect.

Now to my room. First cruise card didn't let me in. I asked for the batteries to be replaced but they wouldn't do it as after all experienced pax are not supposed to know more that staff are they?

Toilet was filthy and seat stained with urine. Steward used the same cloth from the toilet to wipe handles on his way out and also to get soap from the dispenser with contaminated gloves! This after flushing the toilet several times with the lid up. This toilet had not been cleaned properly in months.

Safe failed on day 1 and it took 3 people to finally change the batteries. 

Lock in door was faulty and door out of alignment but after being aligned the lock would unlock plus the handle was very stiff and it took 2-3 attempts to get it to move. In the second week of the cruise it was finally sorted with the whole mechanism being taken apart after a manager came in to look at it and couldn't get out of the door!

Within the first week door batteries had to be replaced.

Tapping noises were 2 different things one the gangway and then the pilot. This within 2 minutes of reporting to the pursers desk. I am not stupid at 23.00 and 07.00 I have never known tapping and clanging on metal to release a gangway plus the ship was going too fast to embark a pilot and no sign of a pilot boat from my window and the door was directly beneath me.

Then the air con stopped and front desk were useless. Told it was fixed but is wasn't. Turned out the motor had packed up affecting a whole zone on the ship.

Management biased and misogynistic when the CD lied about what I said re the loud music. No acknowledgement it should not have been on anyway. This is a lazy don't bother me attitude and just accept what we provide without speaking up.

The ship needs a turn around team to sort it out and a change of management in the back office who never once contacted me about all the problems.

Every horizontal surface in the room was coated with thick dust and there was also a duty free box from the previous occupants under the dressing table.

The worst cruise I have ever had on 22 years.

Cunard this was a disgrace and women cruising on ships should not be treated with such disdain.

I didn't get 6 days out of a 12 night cruise with out something going wrong and it was consecutive days either.

In the Chart room a female waitress spent her time chatting instead of serving.

Managers didn't want to know if there was a problem and they are a disgrace to the company.

Dreadful standards and attitudes from many staff including managers

First time with cruising Cunard , cruising during Christmas and cruising just my wife and I . The ship queen victoria is excellent with their food and beverage. Great food , superb customer service and ambiance. Entertainment was awesome and the ship is very well maintained. We definitely would cruise with Cunard and recommend it . Our cruise was during December 11th to December 23rd , 2023 . Itinerary Southampton  , Spain and Portugal . The selected ports on this itinerary were awesome cities and the timing for the holidays decorations were spectacular . The weather was nice at southern cities of Spain . All port cities we visited during this trip the locals were very friendly welcoming and hospitable . The difference options given by the cruise-ship for tours were very diversified . All the tours my wife and I selected they all had excellent tour guides very informative friendly and courteous  .

Awesome Christmas Voyage !

We chose to be in Queens Grill, in a cabin on deck 4 at the aft of the ship.  Not our first time in QG but we were clearly trusting on hope over experience as our previous experience was very poor but time heals.

Our cabin vibrated when the ship was underway, and was impossible to sleep in on several nights of the cruise.  I went to resolve this issue and was given a "sleeping cabin" in addition to our QG cabin.  It was midships but on another deck so if we had to bale in the middle of the night, we had quite a journey.  Cunard are fully aware of the issues with this set of QG cabins on decks 4 and 5 but still sell them.

The QG restaurant had a high ratio of staff to diners and was generally OK.  OK? you say, isn't this supposed to be the pinnacle of dining at sea?  If it is, then this makes me sad.  Yes, you get some preparation at table and you can ask for anything (I tested this and it was well done), but it was, at best mediocre.  When we returned home we went to a local restaurant and had a far better meal than any on QV, which, considering the cabin cost is appalling.

Entertainment is very tired.  An example being "a night of Irish music" which was very kitsch and included a sign along of that ancient Irish tune "Daisy" - it was excruciating.  In the pub, there was supposed to be a night of "rock" which turned out to be an opportunity for the players to practice their jazz solos - designed more for them than us.

Despite being previous devoted fans of Cunard, this cruise and some recent Queen Mary 2 Cruises, have forced us to give up on them, including cancelling our Queen Anne cruise in May this year.  An end of an era, started 20 years ago on QE2.

In sadness, they have lost their way and, in doing so, lost us as customers.

Last time on Cunard after 20 years

19th cruise with Cunard and very impressed.

Le Harve & Rotterdam

From embarkation onwards was great.

Dining in QG with Deepak and MJ as our waiters.They were friendly and professional.

Ordered off menu a few times (seafood cocktail; various lobster dishes; rum baba and baked Alaska) and no issues at all.

Butler was lovely and you could set you watch with her canapé delivery everyday.

1l of spirits each provided as requested within 3 hours of ordering.

Welcome truffles and bottle of champagne waiting

Cabin steward kept the cabin clean and immaculate 

Didn't make to to Bruges due to the weather so over night stay in Rotterdam

Walked to the Delft district and spent some time there and then the ubiquitous market

Both enjoyable

Amazing experience.

Ship immaculate and restive decorations the epitomizes Cunard by not being gaudy or over powering.

Did one show only and that was good.  Never attended the lectures - customs man and a Concorde pilot.

Enjoyed the grills lounge and the concierge was as always helpful and pleasant to talk tomwhen she wasn't busy.Overall amazing.

Amazing Grills Experience - Le Harve & Rotterdam

We chose Cunard because it was named as a Northern Lights Cruise. We wanted to see Norway, Northern Lights and Viking Villages. 

The Cunard transfers to get to the ship and back were seamless. Great flights, the shuttle service was on time and accommodating both directions. The ship onboard and offboard process was seamless and easy. 

The cabin steward and purser staff were very helpful and friendly. The wait staff in the Brittania were subpar compared to other cruise ships. They learned our normal drink order habits but didn't learn our names or act at all friendly.  They were very robotic. I think perhaps each waiter had too many tables. 

The food wasn't very good. Maybe I'm not used to British tastes. But to me it was very bland. They selection wasn't as varied as I've had on other cruises. 

 -The Brittania formal dining was nice and had selections that sounded nice like Beef Wellington, Lamb, Steak, etc. They were ok but not the fabulous food you expect. Even seasoned travelers on "The Queens" said the quality of the food had diminished from previous years.

-The Lido buffet general consisted of leftover selections from the night before. You had 2 choices, the buffet line of hot food and salads or the pizza/pasta station. We were amazed that there were long periods of time that the Lido had zero food available. This was especially a problem when you got back from a shore excursion and needed a late lunch. If you missed the window, you had to wait for Tea time food or wait for dinner. No food at all in the gaps.

-The Golden Lion had good burgers and fish and chips. It should be larger because people really craved this type food vs the Lido or Brittania dining.

-High Tea (extra cost or a certificate) was good and greatly enjoyed.

Shipboard activities were geared towards a very gentrified and older crowd. There were many art lectures, history lectures about British subjects, etc. I really expected more lectures about Norway/Vikings/etc. The only one was the intro for each city and what tours were offered. There were also Bingo/Trivia/Bridge games. The one that I did enjoy was a watercolor class on each sea day. The evening entertainment in the theater was low budget singers and dancers. There was one juggler/comedian who was funny and one old guy comedian who told REALLY old jokes. I wish the ship had a covered/heated pool but alas it was outdoors and closed for obvious reasons. 

The stops in Norway were great. We saw the Northern Lights which the crew would announce if they became visible from the ship. We really liked the Polar Park excursion in Narvik. We were sad that were diverted from Haugesund to Stavanger due to high seas. We missed out on the Viking Village excursion due to the change. (Cunard promptly refunded our payment for the Haugesund excursion) I know, you can't stop the weather. We went to Stavanger instead which has a great history. Cunard quickly posted an alternate set of tours to choose from. Luckily, we booked the Leisure bus tour with waffles and coffee as it was really cold and rainy the day we were there.

Northern Lights / Norway / all things British

We had a fabulous time on this Northern Lights cruise and readers can look up my Live From thread on the Cunard boards for more detail.

We sail with a toddler which is unusual for Cunard but their kids club is great. Our child is under 2 so we have to remain with her in the kids club during the day but between 6 and 11pm, they put out travel cots and you can leave your sleeping child while you head out for the evening. You get issued with a pager when you drop off your child and must return if they wake and the staff are unable to resettle them. This is a great service and is included in the price. 

Embarkation at Mayflower Terminal was smooth. There was no queue at check in but a bit of a queue for security. The security queue kept moving though and we were on board swiftly. It always feels like coming home when we step on a Cunard ship so got settled quickly, visited our muster station and headed to the Lido for a snack.

The Lido isn't the best buffet at sea but you will always find something tempting. And after being on P&O Britannia in the summer, it was nice to go back to a ship with a free ice cream machine. 

Food in the Britannia restaurant was generally good and they did an absolutely fantastic job of cooking no salt food to order for my toddler. We ordered mostly from the main menu for her with the occasional meal from the children's menu. 

We also had lunch in the Golden Lion a few times which is always enjoyable. The portions aren't huge which is good for the waistlines. We all know what the sea air does to your clothes!

The ship is in generally good condition but I did notice some threadbare carpets in places. However, I never felt like the ship was tired or needed a lot of TLC. Certainly I'm looking forward to being back on board her next year.

The ports on this voyage were good although the Northern Lights chasing tours were a bit hit and miss. It all seems to come down to the guide on each coach. But I did see the lights on the trip and we saw them several times from the ship itself. We were very lucky to have so much activity - the Northern Lights is by no means guaranteed.

All in all we had a fantastic time and are excited to be back on Cunard soon.

Excellent Northern Lights cruise on a beautiful ship

After 15 cruises on P&O, X, MSC & Royal Caribbean we decided to try a Cunard cruise. We have found PO standards have degraded in the last 2 years and 3 cruises.  We started our Cunard experience on a short cruise to Amsterdam and were really pleased with the experience and so glad we tried them. Will definitely be up there on the list of preferred cruise lines going forward. 

Queen Victoria reminded me of Oceania my first cruise with P&O

Arrivals was spot on, nice welcome from all staff, room was ready, bags put into the room for us, nice touches in the room. Staff were always very attentive and you could tell there was a much better ratio of staff to passengers.

Lovely food in buffet, main dining room and speciality. 

Pros (over P&O)

Food in buffet is so much better

Wine waiters

Better service

Evening turndown

Better toiletries and touches in room

After dinner chocolates every night

Afternoon tea 

Smaller ship with proper promenade 

Nibbles at the bars 

Canepes at the bars 

Cons

Price of drinks

Entertainment

First time cruiser on Cunard - very pleasantly surprised 

Several years I started a series of blogs relating our adventures[and misadventures] of cruising with someone who has walking difficulties ie my husband.

For anonymity I call him 6.

You may remember the 70s series about Steve Austin an astronaut who was severely injured and rebuilt with bionics to the tune of 6 million dollars.

Well as a result of Rheumatoid arthritis hitting him in his 40s he has had replacement hip surgeries totalling nearer £6000.[although rising]

We took to cruising around 2008 as a low mobility option to travel and were hooked ,cruising at least once a year and making some great friends along the way.

A brain haemorrhage in 2019 added insult to injury but we still managed a round UK and Ireland cruise that year.

That turned out to be our last cruise for a while for obvious reasons.

We both have a quirky sense of humour so this review is light hearted but focusing on issues relating to walking difficulties.

We decide against flying after our last cruise in July resulted in airline losing our luggage for 10 days,delayed flight and very bumpy

Even with wheelchair assistance it’s just too much hassle

We have cruised mainly with NCL but last year did back to back transatlantic Southampton New York and thoroughly enjoyed it so booked end October Southampton to Spain and Portugal to celebrate his 62 birthday

We had spent the previous week babysitting whilst daughter and son in law went to a child free wedding then stayed at an Airbnb nearby to enjoy as much time as we could with our granddaughters.They live 260 miles away 

Grandaughter A [age 3]loves to hitch a ride on Grandas mobility scooter 

Grandaughter B[age 1] hasn’t clicked on yet but may be fights later

We headed down to Southampton 60 miles away on Thursday night to spend night in Holiday Inn express just of M27

It’s a large hotel but car park very full probably with cruisers but only 6 disabled car park spaces

Breakfast was included next morning but the buffet was disorganised chaos

Hopefully not a sign to come of upcoming cruise.

Our boarding time for Queen Victoria was 1.30 but checkout from hotel was 11

As part of booking we chose complimentary cruise parking with CPS and set GPS for Queen Elizabeth2 terminal

I set cars GPS and 6 set google maps on his phone which contradicted each other

However both got us lost and by time we eventually found correct gate 4[not marked on outside which ships were docked there we were a bit stressed!

Once we found correct place it was a very simple matter of driving into terminal where CPS personel took photos of car and took our car key

They informed us that as we would be returning to Mayflower terminal our car would be driven there

We unloaded cases onto a trolley and went to luggage drop a few hundred yards away

It was now 12 noon and there was a line of people standing outside

However we saw a sign for disabled assistance to left of them so went in that door where we directed to take a seat

The pleasant gentleman explained that as we were only silver level we may have a wait but no worries-we had a seat,water dispenser available and relatively quiet

6 was having what he calls”strokey moments” when he can get a bit overwhelmed-mainly due to   getting lost on way there

12.30 we were invited to go to desk at end of line of seats to check in for wheelchair assistance

Unfortunately they couldn’t find his name on list despite sending forms back in February

The guy was very nice and added his name manually but the letter he gave us was very hectoring and stressed how failure to follow correct procedures could result in denying boarding

Very annoying when we had in fact done so and caused 6 to write official letter complaint to Cunard on return.

We had a lovely lady called Marie assigned to us as wheelchair pusher who would accompany us onboard to our cabin

She took us to the pre security area where suite and priority passengers were waiting to be called

There was a bit of a delay as there was late disembarkation of passengers on previous voyage

Once they started the call for suite guests and working down list Marie fast tracked us with rest of wheelchairs to security

Unlike at airport he was not required to leave wheelchair[or more to the point remove his boots which can be a real issue to get back on without aid of seat and shoe horn!]

Marie then pushed wheelchair up a pretty steep ramp way onto the ship and checked us off at our muster drill station before depositing us at our stateroom where she pointed out safety hazards such as ridge up into bathroom before bidding us farewell

Our cases had already arrived so at 1.30 were able to unpack and sit out on our balcony to enjoy sunshine and embarkation traffic

Time  to crack open the half bottle of Pol Acker in our fridge

We found room very well situated

Balcony cabin near forward and very near front elevators/stairs

2 decks below spa 

4 decks above Golden Lion pub where we would plan to spend time

On our previous QM2 Transatlantic we met a lovely lady K who was travelling with her childhood friend

we were delighted to learn she had persuaded husband C to join her for his first cruise on this voyage

they had taken coach option with Cunard and messaged to say they were stuck in traffic at Oxford

again on QM2 we spent most evenings in Golden Lion pub listening to Watson Duo,husband and wife pianist and vocalist who were also on this ship

they were playing 4-5 so went to see them and reintroduced ourselves

we had first sitting at 5.45 in Britannia restaurant

we were asked if we wanted a table for 2 or to share

we chose former and were led to table by window where we could see QM2 passing by on way to her refit in Hamburg

Dinner was complete with 3 course by 7.10 and found seat outside chart room where we were joined by a lovely couple waiting to go into their second sitting

we were also joined by K and C who had joined ship in plenty of time and spent rest of evening chatting before heading to bed 

Saturday at sea

The clocks had gone forward an hour which caught people unawares.

I turned up to art class at 10am but several people turned up an hour late

The class was repeated at 2pm each sea day so had a second chance

The classes themselves are free but if you don’t bring your art equipment you can purchase for $35

This is good value as you get watercolours brushes pencil eraser and sharpener as well as pad of watercolour paper.

The ship was rocking and rolling and when the captains announcement came that we would be skipping Vigo the next day for safety reasons it was no great surprise.

I found 6 11.30 at corner of chart room and went up to Lido for a light lunch-not many people around probably being sick in their cabins

Those up and about were staggering around

I had visited the spa the previous day and signed up for embarkation day special of 100 minutes full body massage and mini facial

Also included voyage long access to thermal suite for $189[normally $149 on its own]

As an incentive to book a series of 3 massages I got complimentary massage oil and cooling gel it was suggested to use morning and night to enhance effects of massage.

I then spent 40 minutes in thermal suite watching the water in pool slosh around in  response to the rough sea conditions

I had tried to avoid the complimentary facial rejuvenation consultation ie botox sell but was reminded on leaving spa-oh well could be a laugh so rebooked for 2pm next day

Tonight was first gala night-black and white so returned to cabin to shower

6 returned after remaking acquaintance with Gino who was bar waiter at Golden Lion on QM2 

He is now working on board Queen Victoria in Chart Room and on board with his fiancée who he met on QM2

It’s nice to see the efforts people make to get dressed up on Gala nights especially as still experiencing rough seas

We got a table for 2 in quiet area next to window so could watch the show that was the waves crashing up and down!

After dinner we went to chart room and waiting for football to finish on screens in Golden Lion

The Watson duo were due on 815 but football running late

We spent rest of evening in there and paired up for quiz with K and C for the quiz[we came nowhere near winning!

  Sunday

Today should have been Vigo but instead another sea day and so art class at 10am

6 was heading to breakfast and turned on tv to check navigation channel and it said 7.30am instead of 8.30-he said he would check as there had been no notification of time change-in fact it was indeed 8.30

The seas were a lot calmer just gentle rocking of ship

People in hot tubs although not brave enough for pools!

After art class I found 6 outside chart room and we listened to the Captains daily noon announcement

He confirmed better weather forecast and gave interesting history of Galicia coast we were sailing by

I had fish and chips in Golden Lion then headed 1.15 to Royal Court theatre for a presentation on new ship Queen Anne which is still being furbished

We have booked her for next August to Sweden and Norway

I then turned up for my facial rejuvenation consultation with Dr Jorge

H took an imaging camera of my face which shows areas of sun damage etc and said that my skin care regime is working as not too much to worry about-thank you Temple spa

However he recommended a thermal treatment which would last up to 3 years at cost of $3000

No thanks!

Anyway if I were to consider it the last place I would have it done is on a cruise ship where unable to get follow up!

There was a hair show in the atrium where 4 hairdressers from spa were giving 4 women a makeover and giving advice on correct way to shampoo and condition

We were invited to attend for a free scalp and hair consultation in spa

3.15 there was a crafts meet up where can chat to other guests whilst knitting,sewing or whatever crafts you have brought along

A few people turned up expecting supplies to be provided and were disappointed

Cunard are missing a trick as selling mini cross stitch kits etc could be extra income for them as with the art supplies

6 had checked back my emails and confirmed I had returned the special needs form back in February but no confirmation of receipt

After dinner I went to Pursers office to check whether definitely on list for disembarkation

There was a harpist playing so sat and listened for a while

Unfortunately had to move on after an elderly man was talking absolute bilge to his companion

It was distracting enough for me but even worse for 6

As a result of his stroke he is unable to filter out conversations and hears all sounds in a room at the same intensity

This can be helped slightly buy use of earplugs and sitting with back to wall but wasn’t helping here

We moved up to Commodore lounge to listen to the Watson Duo with a more mellow song set

Unfortunately we found another idiot sitting alongside him also talking rot at top of his voice so decided to call it a night.  

Monday

We woke to find we were docked in Lisbon with a great view of the city from our balcony.

It was a warm sunny day 20 degree C

We had an overnight stay here and had planned to meet up with a friend who lives in Lisbon that evening

However 6 was having what he calls a fuzzy day which is also a side effect of his stroke and he recognises the signs to take it easy

Doubled with the fact his arthritis was acting up we decided to stay on ship.

NCL Dawn was docked alongside and obviously disembarkation day as lots of taxis lined up to ferry passengers onwards

6 went to find a spot to relax on quiet ship as most people had gone ashore

I headed for Thermal suite and was only person in there

Afterwards I found 6 and we went up to pool deck where a few people were enjoying pool in the sunshine

We found the adjacent Winter Gardens bar with covered roof and had a quiet drink before heading to Lido buffet for lunch

I had another massage booked for 12.30 which was again very enjoyable

Afterwards I went for my complimentary scalp and hair consultation

No hard sell but recommended scalp exfoliation/pre shampoo

Will give a go but will find something cheaper when get home!

I found 6 resting up on the balcony after having had his weekly injection that keeps his inflammatory arthritis at bay

We spent rest of afternoon watching activity on dock below

We had our usual restaurant table and were all done by 6.45 so headed to Chart room to people watch

I decided to head to theatre to watch the 8pm show-land of make believe -leaving 6 in bar as he doesn’t do shows!

It was a lively 45 minute fun production to be repeated at 10

I collected 6 from the chart room and we headed up to the Commodore lounge where were joined by K and C for rest of the night  

 

Tuesday

Lisbon

Today 6 is 62 year old

I asked him how old he feels and he replied 75

That’s an improvement on yesterday when he said 100!

We sat outside Chart room which was busier than yesterday

K and C came past and said they had been out on deck but it was cold.

We had lunch up at Lido buffet overlooking port

Wet and windy with lots of umbrellas and raincoats on show

Lisbon is very reminiscent of San Francisco with hills and trolleys and of course the bridge spanning the River Tagus

Today the bridge was obscured for a lot of the time with rain clouds

Plenty of tuk tuks driving around but looked a very cold day to be doing that!

I spent an hour in the Thermal suite which was busier than yesterday when I was the only one there

6 managed to get online for his monthly support group for stroke survivors and was entertaining the group with tales of our cruise so far[especially the rough seas]

We joined K and C for afternoon tea at 3pm-first time we have done it and was fun

We tried not to eat too much as restaurant 5.45

We had requested our usual table and the waiter remembered it was his birthday

As we exited River Tagus to the Atlantic the seas were a bit choppy but I managed to take part in online fan performance class in our cabin

The rest of the evening was spent in the Queens room where the Watson duo were playing

On deck 2 was a lot more stable

On Qm2 last year we spent a lot more time in Golden Lion pub but found it too noisy with sports screens on most of the time so we visited a lot more of available bars such as Commodore club and Chart room

Thursday at sea

I had intended to do the 10am art class but woke up at 10.10

6 had already gone

We were crossing the Bay of Biscay and unlike a few days previously it was calm seas and sun shining.

I found 6 out by the Lido pool and he looked puzzled when I said had missed art class as it was now only 9.40

My iphone and watch had reset itself to Paris time!

Getting my art kit I headed to the class

Packing up my watch said 12 noon so only 30 minutes to my massage so headed up to Lido to grab a bite to eat

They were still setting up as was only 11.05 -my watch had reset to Paris time again!

I found 6 by Pavilion pool and when we confirmed was actually lunch time headed back to Lido buffet

We were approached by Seeven our attentive wine waiter from Britannia restaurant who now knew to provide our usual drinks within a few minutes of sitting down!

It would have been rude to refuse a drink so we didn’t.

I had my 3rd and final massage then went to the 2pm art class to finish off work had started that morning

Time to return to cabin to shower change and pack in record time so could leave cases outside door whilst we went for our final restaurant meal

We found a harpist playing in lobby deck 1 and stayed to listen

In fact 6 found it so soothing he has taken to listening to harp music at home along with other soothing music when he needs to calm his “strokey brain”

I headed to bed 9.30 after calling at Golden Lion to say goodbye to K and C who would be getting a coach back to Manchester in the morning.

6 stayed out a bit later and experienced the silent disco where people in headphones were belting out HIHO Silver Lining with no apparent backing!  


Friday-disembarkation-BOO

Time to go home

There was no note on disembarkation info as to what time to leave stateroom and we didn’t fancy the scrum at breakfast so decided to hang out in our room till we were kicked out

Our disembarkation time was 9.30 and we had instructions to meet 15 minutes before in Connexions room deck 1.

Our previous Cunard trip last year 6 tested positive for Covid on morning of disembarkation.  Our instructions were to stay in cabin util rest of guests were off ship then we would be escorted off separately

It was a bit surreal to get knock on door and confronted by 3 ships employees in Hazmat suits 

1 to push wheelchair and the other 2 with sanitising backpacks to spray in our wake!

8.50 the steward knocked on our door obviously wanting to get started on cleaning 

We headed downstairs and could see Connexions room next to exit of ship .Very convenient apart from the fact that queues of people waiting to scan their cards to get off were blocking the entrance-QV staff should have thought that one through and picked a room on other side

There were several wheelchair bound people trapped and eventually an officer cleared a way for us all to get to that room

We recognised the staff in there as same ones as at beginning of voyage so obviously Port of Southampton staff

This time 6 name was on the list and we were directed to wait -we found a relatively quiet corner where he could put on his headphones and create a bit of isolation.

Several people were complaining that they had been told to go to card room on deck 3 instead so had missed their earlier disembarkation time

There were a lot of people needing assistance so patience required

His name was called at 9.50 and we were escorted off ship and right to car park directly opposite the ship

We were on the road by 10.15


An update on the mess up with wheelchair assistance

6 sent a complaint via the contact us link on Cunard website

We got a response that it had turned up in the flights assistance department[no wonder didn’t get a response about sending form!]

They forwarded to customer services and we got a reply 

It seems this is not an isolated incidence and apparently in future there will be a new aspect on Manage my Booking

Sailing on Quenn Vistoria with Walking Difficulties

Our 5th time on QV and our 7th with Cunard  we have always gone Grills for an expensive treat but,due to rapidly falling standards and rapidly increasing prices in Grills, we opted to try Brittania Class and were pleasantly surprised.

Boarding was QE2 Terminal and was a bit shambolic because ,as usual,lots of people ignored their allocated time turning up hours early and the place was manic with long queues for everything.

Once onboard we made our way to our cabinon 4 deck which was as expected,clean and comfortable.a tiny bathroom and a the much vaunted shower curtain.Our Steward Irmin,introduced himself and he was a gem and a credit to Cunard.

We had booked a cabin at the start of the bulge so had a huge balcony which on closer inspection had white paint spots all over it and some pretty bad rust on all stancions and around the edges.

Nice horn battle with QM2 as she sailed past and off we went soon after.

Freedom Dining option worked for us,always given a nice table at the back either by a window or close to,pays to be nice to the Maitre 'D. Staff were hard working,very pleasant and the food was well presented and good quality.Nowhere near the choice available in QG but,what there was, was excellent.

Captain broadcsat to the ship that due to bad weather in the Bay of Biscay and having to skirt around it we would not be going to Vigo,such a shame as the cruise had only 2 ports so we were reduced to one,overnighting in Lisbon.

Entertainment was enjoyable and varied,the Watsons were brilliant as were the Irish Folk Duo,the piano playing crooner in the Commodore Club we suspect was employed to clear the room of guests so the staff could finish work!

The only real criticism we have was the shuttle bus into Lisbon,we had walked into Lisbon the first day which took about 10 minutes,the next day we caught the shuttle and arrived in the center 55 minutes later after enduring a stuffy,hot journey where no A/C or ventilation of any kind was switched on and which caused a few of the more elderly a lot of unnecesary discomfort,beware!!

Annoyingly,the standard of dress is a joke amongst quite a few guests and the fact Cunard do not enforce it is contributing to a lowering of standards,not a snooty comment, just fact!

The Verandah was fantastic,Lido Buffet was fine Golden Lion still a great place for lunch.

Ships interior still elegant and impressive,outside the hull is in need of a lot of TLC, QV is showing her age!

Captains Cocktail Party was a nice affair.

Overall we had a nice time,even with too many sea days,QV is a lovely ship with a great crew and Brittania was fine,we won't be using Grills again,we can do 2 or 3 cruises for the cost of 1 in Grills.,a no brainer!!

Pleasantly surprised but,beware the shuttle bus!!     

Since my husband passed away, I have travelled on 6 Cunard cruises as a solo passenger. Since COVID the first thing that you notice is the lack of staff which makes things awkward for solos.

On the first evening there used to be a solo travellers get together where the Social Host/Hostess and Dance Hosts would make you feel welcome (with a glass of bubbly) and get you talking to other solo travellers. On this cruise  this was unhosted, and two groups of 6 ladies that already knew each other turned up - not my idea of solo travellers.

Solo travellers coffee mornings were always hosted - no longer. At least you can help yourself to coffee from a flask (on the QM2 you don't even get coffee as they hold it in the corner of a lounge where you have to pay for coffee, but at least they have hosts).

In the Britannia restaurant, things get even worse. I always request fixed dining on a large table for solo travellers when booking, I have only ever achieved this once on this ship, in 2018. Whenever I was lucky enough to get fixed dining I was always put on a table with 3 couples and one solo. On my last 2 cruises on this ship I have been put on Freedom Dining. I have ended up being put on a table for two with a total stranger or being put on a group table with - you guessed it - 3 couples and one solo. 

Pre COVID there used to be 3 waiters per serving station, now there are two. The Sommeliers now seem to have to cover twice the number of tables and are rushed off their feet. It is difficult for them to provide a level of service commensurate with the service charge. 

After the first day the ship ran out of decaffeinated tea bags. They took some more on board in Cadiz - a Spanish make - but these ran out very quickly.

I am booked on the Queen Anne in June next year but I feel like cancelling.

No longer welcoming for solo travellers

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