QE2 :(
Written: Oct 26 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Total transatlantic adventure, ports
Cons: Food, worn ship
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| NDAK55's Full Review: Cunard Queen Elizabeth II |
QE2 Transatlantic Oct 2000 We boarded the QE2 on October 10, 2000. We had received an email of a great deal of $995 per person for a 10 day transatlantic from Southampton to Ft. Lauderdale and we snapped it. This included air fair to London! The down side was they would pick your cabin. That's okay, what a deal. We were lucky, we were upgraded to an M1, the highest for the Mauritania restaurant. If you know the QE2, you know your cabin designates where you dine. They have about 5 dining areas, two restaurants and 3 grills. We were the lowest as you would assume at that money. I have always wanted to sail across the Atlantic on the QE2 and we figured it was now or never.
Our cabin was not near as small as our table mates'. They had an exceptionally small cabin with an upper and lower birth that I would highly discourage for older people. This 70 year old lady climbed into the upper birth each night, but it was a delight listening to her adventures. The ship is old. I believe she was built in the 1960's. If you have sailed on the new ships you will probably be disappointed. I kept telling myself to stop comparing it to the newer ships and enjoy this experience. There was an odor in the Deck 5 halls. Sewer? Also the delightful couple's bathroom definitely had a bad odor. The whole ship shows wear and tear. You would too if that many people walked on you! I had read that the QE2 had gone through a multi-million dollar renovation last December, but where? Maybe it was in the areas we weren't allowed to go?
The very negative: The food. I am sorry to say the food was not good. There were a few sparkling dishes. The lobster was very good. One night we had a most excellent steak. All in all, I am sorry Cunard, this was the worst food I have had on about 12 cruises. One night, and I was so glad to hear this happened to other people, I put the menu down and there was absolutely nothing I wanted to order! This has NEVER happened to me. Their food seems to be bland also. Most of the desserts were very attractive but with little taste. I love bread pudding but theirs had little flavor, even the sauce. The food in the afternoon teas was much better.
There is little scheduled activity on board. We are use to much more planned activities to attend. Only one trivia a day.
The positive: The crew. This is the best crew I have ever seen. Their attitude is excellent. They are friendly and personable and they seem like they want to be and are not being forced to be nice to the tourists. Some people said they felt like they were very condescending to the people who were not Queen's Grill, but I did not feel this way. Our waiter, David, was excellent. I know they do not want special orders, but I asked for fresh strawberries and I received them everyday except the last, after the tip. Is there a connection? Another waiter, Patrick was excellent.
More positive: The ports. We loved Madeira, an island off of Morocco! Absolutely beautiful. Bermuda was also excellent. It was island we had never seen and this cruise took us there. We also had a chance to spend a few days in London and see a little of England.
Conclusion: Would I do this again knowing what I know now? Yes, I would if the price was right. Cunard gave me a chance to travel to lovely places and cross an ocean I dreamed of. There was an older couple on board from England and I assume very wealthy. This was their 21st voyage on the QE2. They told me they had paid $30,000 for a 25 day voyage in the Queen's Grill, the only restaurant they would dine at. They said that yes, the quality of food had gone down and even the total QE2 experience. This gentleman said this had happened when the company was sold. I can only say that to prompt me to spend more money on an upgrade to go on her again, they would have to improve the food and do a total revamping of the ship. Thank you Cunard for the experience I did have, however, for the money. One sad last note. We were sitting on a balcony at the Hyatt overlooking Port Everglades and watching the cruise ships depart. We watched the QE2 leaving. Were we sad? No, we were not.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
NDAK55
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Reviews written: 3
Trusted by: 1 member
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