I was recently on a Queen Elizabeth cruise to Alaska, and found the service to be excellent in every way. Princess Grill was a delight and it’s staff bent over backwards to make every meal a memorable one. Only complaint I had is that the Spa is becoming rapidly outdated and a few things were out of service or needed repair.
Hi Adrian, We embark on QE on Monday (family of five). We are a little apprehensive but just wanted to give Cunard a go after enjoying both Princess and P&O, having only recently got into cruising ;) Wish us luck.
Currently trying to enjoy the change of itinerary 🤪 due to the Cyclone. Instead of Whitsundays, we have visited Eden and now on our way to Mel, Adl and Port Lincoln…
Thank you for this video! I've booked a 10day to Alaska aboard Elizabeth coming up this summer and am really looking forward to it! Quite sorry to hear you had such a bad time with service. I do hope this is not the case on a longer cruise as that would make it horrendous. All in all, super excited for the cruise! Looking forward to more videos from you as well!!
We did a 14 days Christmas cruise to NZ in December . 98% satisfying! Ship is beautiful, most staff helpful and pleasant. There were couple of staff who did not impress, but that is to be expected , they are only humans after all. So…. Will we cruise agan on Cunard?- i hope so! ❤
Often when cruising, there are a few bad eggs among the crew that just don’t seem to want to be there. In this case, it was the complete opposite. There were a few good eggs.
Pretty sure Carnival purchased Cunard in 1998 not 2008 as you mentioned. QM2 was launched in 2003 and Mickey Ariston of Carnival was the driving force behind her creation. Personally found Queen Elizabeth wonderful to sail on. We had a great time. We’re now waiting to board QM2 later this year and will follow up with voyages on Victoria and Anne at some point.
Can’t recall where I found the date I mentioned in the video, but happy to stand corrected. Carnival Corp acquired a 68% stake in Cunard in 1998 and completed the acquisition in 1999. Glad you enjoyed your time onboard QE, others report similar positive experiences. It’s almost more of a shame that it ranks as the single worst cruise experience I’ve had. I will however make an effort to at least experience a QM2 TA when possible. Thanks for watching.
I sailed just once with Cunard, 1983 trans-Atlantic on board the Queen Elizabeth 2. It was my first visit to the USA so there was a great sense of excitement. Over all I enjoyed the voyage as long as I forget about the food, which was nothing special and the service, which was mostly very poor indeed - even to the point of rudeness. So maybe nothing much has changed in 40 years? I am booked to sail on Queen Anne in June. She will be the largest ship on which I will have sailed, so that will be an interesting experience. It is nice to know that she will not be stuffed with that awful mix of Victorian, Edwardian and Art Deco styling that is aboard the Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria. Will I like it, or will I have to wait another 40 years before taking another Cunard voyage .......???
I have not travelled Cunard, tbh it has never appealed. However I think it could be the 3nt cruise mindset of the crew, too short to get to you know you, to get any reward by way of tips, so why bother? We had a similar experience on the Celebrity Solstice back in 2018 on their inaugural 3nt cruise to nowhere out of Sydney. Have no wish to repeat it. Hence our trips are mainly 10+ no matter which cruise line we go with.
I am rather surprised by the number of negative experiences on Queen Elizabeth. My wife and I were on Queen Elizabeth's Christmas/New Year Melbourne-New Zealand-Melbourne cruise. This was our 5th Cunard cruise (2 x QM2, 1 x Queen Victoria and a previous Queen Elizabeth cruise in Australia - all pre-COVID). We were in Queen's Grill but we found the service throughout the ship was exceptional. Other passengers we met on the cruise including those in Britannia were also impressed with Queen Elizabeth including dining. I can't recall anything negative being mentioned. There were quite a lot of families on board with thankfully well-bahaved children. Please realise that cruise lines generally cater for different segments of the market. There's the cheap-and-cheerful like P&O, lines that exclude children such as Viking, lines that specifically market for children like Carnival and Disney, expedition cruise lines, high-end cruise lines, floating shopping mall super-sized ships (6,000 passengers plus - the horror!} and small cruise ship lines, so its important to undertake research (including the cruise line's webpage, Trip Advisor, Cruise Critic, etc) to make sure that that your cruise line of choice is going to provide you with your wanted experience. Years ago, I read of a man who bitterly complained to his travel agent that there were too many children on his just undertaken voyage. The cruise line - Disney. Have we experienced problems with staff on Cunard before? - yes. In 2014, the chill between the Commodore bar staff was colder than the ice in the cie bucket. On Queen Victoria in 2016, our Queens Grill restarant waiter apparently didn'y like women all that much so my wife was oftten ignored. Our table neighbours from the USA also experienced the same problem but apparently had read him the riot act. to behave with politeness. On our recent Queen Elizabeth cruise, Cunard went overboard (pun intended) with decking the ship's interior with Christmas decorations - and in the atrium on Christmas Eve there were even Christmas carols performed by a choir made up by the ship's officers. There were possibly more Christmas decorations on Queen Elizabeth than were probably installed in Melbourne's CBD by Melbourne's city council. Will we travel with Cunard again? Most certainly. Queen Anne will be the next at some indefinite time. In the meantime, we've got other upcoming voyages over the next 2+ years with Scenic, Silversea and Regent Seven Seas.
Terrific. Thank you for sharing your experience. If it wasn't for comments such as yours, I would readily avoid Cunard based on the 3 days I experienced onboard. Having cruised with Silversea, I know what true 'White Star' service is and should be and what I experienced was nothing of the sort. It seems apparent they do have it within them to provide said service, but for whatever reason, were incapable of doing so during our voyage. Happy cruising.
We travelled in the Queen's Grill on this sailing and completely agree about the service. The food was fine but nothing memorable. We saw our butler once. I really like the ship, the cabin, the activities and entertainment were good but would probably look elsewhere next time too. This was our 5th sailing on Cunard and with each cruise, we feel the standards have declined.
We recently sailed on QE for 14 nights in Princess Grill and I have to say, we had a great trip. We were well looked after in the PG restaurant and despite some repetition in the amuse bouche, the constant changing menu & the beef / lamb share dishes were fantastic. I am salivating now thinking about some of the favourite dishes we had! And the service from the staff was great too; offering advice on dishes as we asked and nothing was ever too much to ask for. I would be happy to cruise PG again - in fact the friends we made at the table next to ours are doing so in a couple of weeks & are very much looking forward to it.
I think it really depends on personal preference. This ship may not appeal to all but she’s our favourite! We’ve just returned from our 2nd QE 7 night cruise and loved both and would definitely return. We enjoyed getting dressed up each night, didn’t have any problem with service in the Britannia restaurant or any of the bars. In fact one night I didn’t fancy anything on the menu and so they brought out a special dish for me, plus my brother didn’t like our assigned table and they promptly moved us ( you just need to ask). Only problem was once in room service where something different to what we ordered arrived but it was after 10am and the breakfast menu had finished so kind of our own doing- every other time was magnificent. I think it really caters to over 50’s which is perfect for us. Very few children on board and loved dancing to a full orchestra. If you’re wanting to bring kids or are in the 20-40 age group we had a fun time on Carnival and Princess ( and you could party all night) As for staff, they really looked after my 90 year old mother in law and could not have been more helpful- my preference is not to be bothered or have staff pushing you to buy ( like on other cruises) so I think they are wonderful, had no problems receiving what we needed when we asked.
That’s terrific. I’m so glad you had a great experience. We unfortunately did not. The ship is beautiful, but if the crew experience we received is indicative of longer cruises onboard Cunard ships, then I would avoid the line entirely in future. Having said that, plenty of people have commented about their pleasant interactions so it seems the line is capable of catering for their customers when they wish to. Happy cruising!
I had the same experience with rude, uncaring staff, particularly at bars and the pub--you have to wait forever to get drink/food service. Purser's desk staff were also rude, ignorant, and outright lied to me over missing onboard credit. Anytime dining was also poorly-run, with no clear lines for checking in, line-cutting, and hosts who left the check-in station to seat people and check on tables. I also wanted to buy some alcohol, but the shop was left unattended while the guy went on break, and they had no price list. Maybe the long itineraries, going between Oz/Alaska/Europe, make the crew more dispirited and bored. I also found the buffet hugely disappointing and limited. They have nice touches, like Wedgwood china, wide selection of affordable beers, free champagne in the stateroom, an amazing library, and ballroom dancing for those into it, but as with you, the uncaring, brusque service just sort of ruined it all for me--I can't remember ever being smiled at on the ship. I feel more welcome on Holland America, very similar ships and passengers, but with more pleasant and helpful staff.
I sailed on Queen Elizabeth in December and it was wonderful. The crew were friendly, professional and helpful. I loved it because it's how cruising should be.
I came back from Queen Victoria a week ago and cannot agree. The service was exceptional. Like a different league in comparison with my three MSC-cruises.
We have sailed on Queen Elizabeth twice....1st time before Covid and again early 2023...while it's not our favourite cruise line...we do it to step out of our comfort zone a little...and the service was ok...anyway we board QM2 next month for 10 days from Freo....am curious curious now to see how that one goes...😮
This service staff complaint is not the first time I have heard this. I would have thought management would have addressed this because as you say it can leave a lasting negative impression of the ship, the cruise and the line. Did you mention your service concerns while on board the ship? Thanks for the review. nicely done and edited. One hint...between the end of a sentence and the beginning of the next one try to ensure there is a brief pause in the audio track...about the length of a normal breath...other wise the rhythm can seem rushed. Cheers looking forward to more excellent reviews.
It is a shame that poor service is experienced by anyone, especially for someone on their first experience with the line. We have had 10 voyages on the QM2 and four on the QE - in all "classes" from Britannia to Queens Grill. Perhaps we have been lucky, but have not experienced poor service. I hope something hasn't changed on the QE since our most recent cruise of a year ago. We are returning to the QE in three weeks. As far as formal wear on the QM2, there is no doubt that the Atlantic crossings are at least a little more elegant than on cruises, but a man does not have to wear a tuxedo. This is outlined in the information. Although the majority (including me) do wear a tuxedo on gala nights there will be many men in a suit and tie. This is not new because I noticed the same even way back in the 1970s on the QE2, although almost every gent in First Class wore real formal wear. Women always seem to be well-dressed, even on informal (smart) nights and we don't hear them moaning about it, unlike some men.
I sailed on her just before the pandemic from Melbourne to Brisbane and she was fantastic with all staff I encountered friendly and attentive. My guess is they are still skilling up their crew after the shutdown and may have been short staffed which is bound to stress any crew
We sailed on QE prior to COVID. I don’t recall any problems with the staff at that time. I thought it was quite quaint and lovely that in the evening, the room where the afternoon tea was held would have a band playing old time music, and older couples were there doing ballroom dancing. Something not seen on other ships.
There are definitely some lovely parts of the cruise experience that I enjoyed, particularly in the tradition of afternoon tea and ballroom dancing. The service was the only let down on our particular voyage but it seems as though others have had good experiences. Perhaps it's just luck of the draw!
Thank for the review. What a shame you experienced poor service 😢 I have cruised Cunard three times now and never experienced poor or rude service. I have three other Cunard cruises to booked already. Maybe you should give Cunard another chance?
I do think the short cruise experience didn't help matters. I'd be open to cruising with Cunard again, although likely something super unique like the transatlantic crossing on QM2.
You don't need tuxedos on transatlantic. It's no different from other voyages; tux or suit for men for the Gala nights. Women do not need full length dresses.
Agree with everything you said Adrian not a happy crew. We went on Cunard to experience a different type of cruise. A huge disappointment cold food in the Golden lion never went back not given the full menu for lunch in the dining room. Food in the buffet was warm at best. Three days was more than enough will not bother again
This is the third RUclips channel that has commented on less-than-spectacular service from Cunard crew (see also Emma Cruises and Cruising with Ben & David). Most of the complaints seem to involve an understaffed and overworked crew - which would certainly explain a poor attitude. I hope this isn’t becoming a standard business model for the company because I recently booked an Alaska cruise with Cunard for next year. I should state that I sailed with Cunard last summer and did the Transatlantic crossing on Queen Mary 2, and I thought the service was excellent (although I’m generally pretty low maintenance as a traveler).
Thanks for watching. I’ve seen similar reviews, and a lot of comments that echoed my experience. However, there have been plenty that disagreed - so with any luck, your cruise will be smooth sailing on the service front (and hopefully the ocean front as well). For what it’s worth, I would love to try a TA onboard QM2.
I really enjoyed Elizabeth . I likes the formality of it . We never felt uncomfortable with anything . We had a reserved table each night (window seat) which we enjoyed. I’m sad you didn’t get a great experience. I’m keen to do another before Cunard leaves our shores
She's a beautiful ship! Based on what I've been reading, some people have had brilliant experiences and others haven't - maybe it's just luck of the draw lol.
Have sailed twice with Cunard, 2 nights (Melb to Syd)on QM2 and 14 nights (Syd to PNG)on Queen Elizabeth, both prior to Covid. QM2 was a little too formal for our liking but QE was one of the nicest of our 24 cruises. Beautiful ship, great food and wonderful crew. Sorry to hear that things have changed since 2020.
Had 12 nights on the Queen Victoria in December and everything was outstanding particularly the service (and I’ve plenty of other cruises under my belt to be able to draw a comparison)
Glad to hear it, and to know that Cunard can in fact deliver on their promise of service excellence. It's a shame they were incapable of doing so during my voyage.
@@TheCruiseandTravelGuy well head on to Queen Victoria and take a seat in the Chart Room and if Alvin is still around you’ll get the attentive service you expect with a smile added.
@@TheCruiseandTravelGuy Ah that’s the life! We are doing a Fred Olsen to Norway out of Newcastle in March so I’m hoping the North Sea behaves itself. Looking forward to more of your reviews too.
Hi Adrian, thanks for the review. My partner and I are sailing on QE in February, so have been reading all reviews about what to expect, pack etc. we are interested in the dress code on a Cunard vessel, after completing multiple cruises on other ships, we not used to the greater level of formality on a cruise especially in the dress code. We are sorry to hear the crew service was poor, hopefully this will not be an issue when we cruise. However, the QE cruise is for 7 days and we are really looking forward to it. Thank you for all the videos you make. It helps with our travel planning.
Don’t know if you’re familiar with Emma (of the EMMA CRUISES channel) but she pretty much agrees with you about her reluctance to try Cunard again…just Way too much structure and she also found the service abrupt and a bit rude
I never take much notice of Emma because I find her so structured and tunnel visioned. I have done a previous 33 day cruise on QE2 and thoroughly enjoyed it. We will be doing a 34 day cruise on the new Queen Anne in 2025 and we are both so excited.
Thanks for this review - its told me all i needed to know. I was looking into Cunard as an option since my partner and I are trying all of the cruise lines (RC and Princess so far, Virgin this Feb), but i'm not interested in paying a premium for formal nights and lacklustre service. Thanks for taking one for the team!
Maybe Cunard is not the line for you but we did our first cruise before Christmas and loved it so much and the staff we meet were amazing and could not do enough for us so we have booked another cruise with Queen Elizabeth before Christmas this year
I would agree with just about all you have said. Having done the round trip Transatlantic crossing on QM2, our route and places visited made it an amazing experience. Our food was good, our restaurant staff lovely and most others encountered were friendly. There were, however, several aspects that we felt made the cruise no different and sometimes worse than other cruises we have taken. Most significantly, we received 'onboard spend' which was almost entirely taken back during the first 24 hours as service charge! Several drink items were not available from the start or quickly sold out. And although our cabin was of a size comparable with other cruiselines, I have never had such a compact bathroom, which impacted on use and comfort. We enjoyed the route immensely, however we won't be rushing back to Cunard.
Disgraceful. Hard to describe service as there was NONE, no one was interested in serving. Sad, as Cunard had a reasonably good name in cruising business. Never again. Will sail on other ships.
Just spent our 6th Christmas on QM2 (our 7th cruise on QM2 so far). We have done a mix of Britannia Club and Princess Grill accommodations for these holidays. We have always been impressed by the quality of the food, the cleanliness of the ship and the attention of the crew. Given that we have spent nearly 100 nights on the ship we often know crew members around the ship. We have always been surprised at how they remember our names and are so enthusiastic to welcome us back. My parents have also been on QV and QE quite a bit and found their experience to the same as QM2. Hopefully the crew was having a rough weekend and they are doing alright again.
@@scottb9026 thank you! Enjoy your cruise, Alaska is incredible either way! The one place in the world where I think the destination easily trumps the ship.
Hi Adrian. I wasn't sure how you'd fare aboard QE. Cunard has been getting low marks for a while now, not just on QE. Dan and Jay have been quite scathing about Cunard as of late. And they are quite good at what they do regarding their travels. I find, sometimes, that some cruise reviewers go whole hog in preparation for a certain cruise/destination they are about to take, that once they get there, their expectations are dashed to the ground. Because they have set the bar so high, that if a particular cruise does not rise to that occasion, as they expected, the review goes down the toilet. I've seen this happen numerous times over the years. (Gary Bembridge is at the top of that list) I'm sad QE did not prove to be the cruise (I had hoped it would be for you). Cunard under the Carnival umbrella cheapens the whole experience. I don't think main line Carnival junkies would do well on a Cunard ship, at all !! Me thinks you might check out the Grand Dame, QM2 one day, if only to experience a transatlantic crossing once in your life, it is a bucket list experience for sure.
I just got off five nights on QE. My third trip on Cunard. Loved it for the most part, but I agree about drink service. Getting a drink in the buffet was just impossible, never found a waiter once - annoying to be drinking breakfast juice with dinner when I bought the soft drink package. Not good enough. On another note, don't miss the Queen Mary 2. A beautiful, one of a kind ship.
Had this erratic sort of service, way back in time, aboard the QE2!!! Obviously things haven’t changed much! It really wasn’t a very thrilling experience, and I wouldn’t want to repeat it!👎👎👎
Without reading your review, I'll just tell you that no cruise ship afloat today can offer the elegant beauty, feel and genuine luxury of the magnificent ships of the golden years. Comparing the original Queen Elizabeth with today's ugly monstrosity, is like comparing Passalacqua on Lake Como with Butlin's holiday camp
We cruised on the Queen Elizabeth i n February this year a 12 night cruise. Our first and likeloy our last time with Cunard. The service was in most parts terrible. the waiters in the Main dining room with 1 exception were disinterested occasionally rude and most nights we were treated as an inconvenience and couldn't get rid of us fast enough. Service was extremely busy and busily and hurried. The guest service staff were rude and dismissive. Anything that was asked of any crew member seemed to be treated as a massive inconvenience. Such a shame because it is a truly beautiful ship and we were hoping to cruise with them again.
Thanks for sharing your experience. That echoes my time onboard too, it’s unfortunate that they can’t seem to get it right. Others have had better experiences (see other comments on this video) but so many have also had similar experiences to us as well. For me, it means I’ll be avoiding Cunard going forward.
I have had no issues with Queen Elizabeth staff. I found the staff very helpful, courteously & professional. I did a Christmas 14 day cruise in December/January 2019/20 from Australia to New Zealand return also I would do this cruise again on Queen Elizabeth 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟⭐️. Don’t forget the staff are working under pressure as they don’t get much or anytime off.
I was on the QE for 16 days in October of 2023. I think my days of sailing with Cunard are over. This was my fifth voyage with Cunard, the first being in 2018. I get the impression that they are understaffed, and that there may be some problems between management and staff. Cunard's standards of service have definitely fallen since 2020. And Cunard, it seems to me, no longer touts their "Sense of Occasion" anymore. The Britannia Restaurant was too warm, uncomfortably warm. Clothing standards (dress code) are not enforced at all. I saw some very slovenly dressed passengers in every venue after 6 p.m. which I would expect on a Carnival cruise ship, not a Cunard ship. Not one of the ice machines was operational in the Lido for the entire voyage. There was a shortage of salt and pepper shakers in the Lido everyday. Also seemingly a shortage of silverware. Most of the time, there was no librarian on duty in their splendid library. Was everything poorly done? No. The ship itself is very beautiful and well-maintained. Afternoon Tea was delightful. The food and the wines in the Britannia each evening were very good. My stateroom was great. But the Captain and his crew were not even in their full uniforms on the night of the Captain's champagne reception, and the reception was not held on a Gala Night. What gives? It's expensive to sail on Cunard ships. I'm no longer going to shell out with Cunard, as they are not providing the top-notch authentic British ocean-going sailing experience which I used to thoroughly enjoy.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience onboard QE too. Sounds like there are definitely a few issues and shortcomings that should be addressed by the company.
Have just sailed on Queen Elizabeth- crew were extremely rude, very poor service, bad food would never go on Cunard again, ever!. Celebrity cruises better value for money.
White Star Service is blatantly FALSE ADVERTISING. Carnival took over Cunard in 2005. We sailed on QM2 and whilst it was a magnificent ocean liner the service was CARNIVAL. Old time Cunarders complained loudly and often on board. LOL Your impressions are absolutely CORRECT it does not live up to it’s old reputation - at all. Nice to hear that people still dressed up though.
I have experienced 3 cruises on Queen Elizabeth over the past 18 months. I travel in Queens Grill. My only negative experience with crew members was with the butler on our first and third cruise. We were on Deck 7 for the first and third cruise. The third cruise was in February this year and the butler boarded on outright rude. His assistant though was always smiling and cheerful. The serving staff in Queens Grill restaurant and lounge were great. Speaking to other guests in Queens Grill we seemed to have lucked out as the others were very happy with their butlers. I am booked on a 23 night cruise in October 2024 and am really looking forward to being looked after again. This time we are booked into a suite on Deck 6. I am sorry you and some other passengers had a bad experience with some of the crew but I think that is not the normal for this ship.
Thanks for sharing your experiences. Glad to read you’ve had a much better time onboard - I really want to as well, but was disappointed it wasn’t to be during our voyage.
We did a 3 night Melbourne Burnie Sydney in March on the QE. We did not experience any issues with the staff. We have travelled extensively and have high expectation for customer service. We found the staff pleasant and were able to chat to several staff when they were not busy, and got to know them. We were not fans of breakfast in the Lido simply too busy for us, but breakfast lunch and dinner in the Britannia was amazing . So much so we have another 138 nights booked between the Queen Anne world voyage a med cruise on QV Scandinavia on QA and Alaska on QE.
From experience, I believe you are incorrect in stating that tuxedos and ball gowns are required on QM2 on a transatlantic sailings. For a gentleman, a dark suit, or blazer and trousers would be appropriate for gala nights
The Cunard website says: Formal suits are only required on board a Transatlantic cruise on Gala Evenings Make of that what you will but not having sailed on QM2 during a transatlantic cruise, I’ll defer to your experience. Ta.
Dress. My experience of dress on a TA... Was that EVERY evening we had to wear jackets ( for men). We were told on occasion, to put it back on when we took them off in the bar after dinner.
We just got off Queen Elizabeth, and agree with your comments about the crew, they were not very happy and you could tell they did not want to be there. We only found a handful of crew that were happy and willing to interact with the guests. Brittania restaurant was very hurried and not what we expected, any requests were dismissed as an inconvienience. We had waited so long to cruise with Cunard, we were so disappointed, we also came to the same conclusion as you in relation to P & O.
Firstly, must say we love your informative and honest videos. Queen Elizabeth is our favourite cruise ship, but we do get your criticisms having also observed many of the points you raised, particularly some indifferent staff and lack of waiters. That said, the ambiance of the ship and layout, fantastic entertainment and activities, the large range of available drinks, Lido and Veranda speciality restaurants etc etc, make the positives far outweigh the negatives and the cruise experience is what we make it. We are in our 60s and the age demographic of the ship resonates with us. It is a shame that Cunard will no longer based the QE in Australia beyond the next summer season. Looking forward to watching your next video release.
Outside the service, and I agree that service on P&O is excellent, even if the product can be lacking, I wouldn't sail with Cunard. The 'service charge' not being included in the fare is a big issue for me. The other is the need to dress up after 6pm. Whilst I don't dress as a bogan, so to speak, for dinner, I'd still rather my jeans or nice shorts and polo. However, I can see the appeal for some.
The service charge can be removed completely if wished by seeing the pursers desk on your first day and you give money to those who you feel have given good service. We chose Queen Elizabeth for the type of cruise ship it was with my husband in jeans during the day and dressed up in the evening
My wife and I sailed on the QE last summer - 39 days from Vancouver to Barcelona. We found the service to be amazing for the duration of the cruise. We have sailed on several other cruise lines and Cunard was the best.
Adrian, I thought your review was balanced and fair. I have been on all of the current Queens and have decided that I'd prefer to travel with Celebrity
Thanks for the review. I always thought this is one cruise line that would have an elevated service experience, as it’s kind of posh. Also interesting about the daily auto tips out of Australia. I can’t remember, but do you know if NCL have the daily service charges on their cruises out of Australia for those that have booked in Australia?
The last I read, gratuities or service charges are included on NCL bookings made in Australia for Australian departures. I believe it’s still the case. Thanks for watching.
I would love to sail on the new Queen Anne and it would be my first experience with Cunard. Wishing that you will sail on her and give us your comments!
There were some late night food offerings in the Lido buffet, although I never visited myself I did hear there were a few items on offer. The pub and one or two other venues were reportedly open to "late" according to the schedule, but they would still close before midnight from what I saw... quite early.
ABSOLUTELY NOT interested in a cruise line that remains in the antiquated past - the dress codes are not for the Australian (or really any other market) which attracts families or relaxed wear - hence why RC, Celebrity and Virgin dominate the market. Cunard is ceasing AU cruises - and until it gets into a more modern relaxed fear, it can remain not for me
I'm not particularly dressy, but I really loved Cunard - & I was on the very last cruise before the Covid shut down. I ended up getting room service for the last 5 nights because there was someone at dinner who was progressively having a spicy cough. I didn't have any poor service - & I'd gladly continue to cruise with Cunard over the other 4 Carnival brands I've sailed dozens of times with
It will be interesting to see if Cunard lessens its more restrictive dress codes over time. Already they've instituted "gala night" instead of formal night, so I suppose that's something. I think it will ultimately always remain a formal cruise line, steeped in tradition and people will ultimately cruise with the line that is most comfortable for them.
Thanks for watching. There are some mixed reviews, and I think we just happened to get the short end of the stick on our particular voyage. I believe the 'short cruise environment' contributed to the poor service experienced onboard.
@@TheCruiseandTravelGuy that is something that I have heard party cruises do not teend to attract the regular patrons and maybe the staff dread that too which may have contributed to the lackluster service
I’ve sailed on all the Cunard’s ships a number of times, always found them great. Chatty nice staff, attentive waiters etc never had a problem I’m guessing it’s what you want and what you expect.
Based on numerous other comments on my video, my experience wasn’t unique. I’m glad to read you’ve had a different experience - but that doesn’t diminish mine or that of others.
@@TheCruiseandTravelGuy I’ve also read many positive posts, like most people say it depends what you want out of your cruise. Totally personal experience we all like different things.
We did a 3 night Cunard cruise Feb 2023 have to say we had a similar experience to you with the crew.. we put it down to being only 3 night cruise and tired staff.. hearing this maybe not
On the service issues, I sailed on Holland America's Volendam last year. While I didn't really have any overtly negative encounters, I got the impression that the hotel department was understaffed, and a lot of the crew were new and inexperienced, especially in the main dining room. I suspect what happened during COVID is a lot of the experienced workers that got laid off didn't want to come back, so now they're ramming new people through training to make up for staff shortages. Basically every recent review I've seen on Cruise Critic, for a variety of lines, all have the same complaints, which adds support to my theory. Shame because I was considering Cunard's Alaska itinerary.
Been on a couple of Cunard cruises (both PG) and they were both fantastic.... Poor service in Grills? ...you have to be kidding! We have two more booked and after being on a couple of RC trips we seem to have found our place. .....** A bit of constructive criticism. ... Maybe work on your delivery a bit. Sounds very robotic like AI.
Absolutely, it was some of the worst service I’ve received onboard any ship. Particularly in comparison to my experiences in The Retreat on Celebrity, Azamara and Silversea. A complete and utter letdown. The ship is lovely though.
@@TheCruiseandTravelGuy - HAving said that we were having breakfast in PG one morning and the young waiter near us farted....... there were some funny looks being shared around....lol
Must have travelled on a different Queen Elizabeth to you. We took the Freo to Melbourne cruise last year and found the staff busy but helpful especially in the MDR. My sister did not like what was on the main menu one night and they went and arranged for her to have something else to eat. They allocated us our own table and by the second night knew what drinks we preferred and brought them straight away. They did not look unhappy to us. Our room staff were friendly and helpful but not over friendly as they were working. I chose to take Queen Elizabeth because of it's old world charm and it did not disappoint. We found we were so busy that we did not have enough time to do everything we wished. Sadly we had to miss out on somethings as they clashed with other things we wished to do. Cruises are what you choose to make of them. We loved the food and started of with breakfast in the Lido (one day had room service instead) and finished the night with late supper at 11pm in the Lido. Our group ranged from 20's to 70's and everyone enjoyed themselves immensely so much so that my sister is taking her family on Queen Elizabeth in March so they can experience it and we go on Queen Elizabeth again in December. We think it is sad that Queen Elizabeth is to no longer to cruise after 2025 in Australia and New Zealand.
Sounds completely different! It was one of the worst onboard experiences I’ve ever had, but I’m glad that Cunard seems to know how to operate on longer voyages. I suspect the 3 night cruise duration really impacted the overall service quality.
While haven’t sailed on Cunard I just got off the Disney Wonder a couple of cast members (crew on Disney are former Cunard employees and let’s say were less than flattering about Cunard .
I was recently on a Queen Elizabeth cruise to Alaska, and found the service to be excellent in every way. Princess Grill was a delight and it’s staff bent over backwards to make every meal a memorable one. Only complaint I had is that the Spa is becoming rapidly outdated and a few things were out of service or needed repair.
Glad to hear things have improved. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Hi Adrian,
We embark on QE on Monday (family of five). We are a little apprehensive but just wanted to give Cunard a go after enjoying both Princess and P&O, having only recently got into cruising ;)
Wish us luck.
I hope you enjoy the cruise! Let us know how you get on.
Currently trying to enjoy the change of itinerary 🤪 due to the Cyclone.
Instead of Whitsundays, we have visited Eden and now on our way to Mel, Adl and Port Lincoln…
@@DavidM-pd9oi not quite the tropics! Though with what’s expected hit up north, I think it was for the best.
Thank you for this video! I've booked a 10day to Alaska aboard Elizabeth coming up this summer and am really looking forward to it! Quite sorry to hear you had such a bad time with service. I do hope this is not the case on a longer cruise as that would make it horrendous. All in all, super excited for the cruise! Looking forward to more videos from you as well!!
Glad it was helpful! I hope you enjoy your cruise and I do think a longer voyage will make a difference. Plus, Alaska is incredible!
We did a 14 days Christmas cruise to NZ in December . 98% satisfying! Ship is beautiful, most staff helpful and pleasant. There were couple of staff who did not impress, but that is to be expected , they are only humans after all. So…. Will we cruise agan on Cunard?- i hope so! ❤
Often when cruising, there are a few bad eggs among the crew that just don’t seem to want to be there. In this case, it was the complete opposite. There were a few good eggs.
Pretty sure Carnival purchased Cunard in 1998 not 2008 as you mentioned. QM2 was launched in 2003 and Mickey Ariston of Carnival was the driving force behind her creation. Personally found Queen Elizabeth wonderful to sail on. We had a great time. We’re now waiting to board QM2 later this year and will follow up with voyages on Victoria and Anne at some point.
Can’t recall where I found the date I mentioned in the video, but happy to stand corrected. Carnival Corp acquired a 68% stake in Cunard in 1998 and completed the acquisition in 1999.
Glad you enjoyed your time onboard QE, others report similar positive experiences. It’s almost more of a shame that it ranks as the single worst cruise experience I’ve had. I will however make an effort to at least experience a QM2 TA when possible.
Thanks for watching.
I sailed just once with Cunard, 1983 trans-Atlantic on board the Queen Elizabeth 2. It was my first visit to the USA so there was a great sense of excitement. Over all I enjoyed the voyage as long as I forget about the food, which was nothing special and the service, which was mostly very poor indeed - even to the point of rudeness. So maybe nothing much has changed in 40 years? I am booked to sail on Queen Anne in June. She will be the largest ship on which I will have sailed, so that will be an interesting experience. It is nice to know that she will not be stuffed with that awful mix of Victorian, Edwardian and Art Deco styling that is aboard the Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria. Will I like it, or will I have to wait another 40 years before taking another Cunard voyage .......???
I hope you enjoy your time onboard Queen Anne. It does look like she'll be a beautiful ship. Come back and let us know how you get on.
I have not travelled Cunard, tbh it has never appealed. However I think it could be the 3nt cruise mindset of the crew, too short to get to you know you, to get any reward by way of tips, so why bother? We had a similar experience on the Celebrity Solstice back in 2018 on their inaugural 3nt cruise to nowhere out of Sydney. Have no wish to repeat it. Hence our trips are mainly 10+ no matter which cruise line we go with.
I do think the short cruise environment contributed. I imagine it would be better on a longer voyage.
I am rather surprised by the number of negative experiences on Queen Elizabeth. My wife and I were on Queen Elizabeth's Christmas/New Year Melbourne-New Zealand-Melbourne cruise. This was our 5th Cunard cruise (2 x QM2, 1 x Queen Victoria and a previous Queen Elizabeth cruise in Australia - all pre-COVID). We were in Queen's Grill but we found the service throughout the ship was exceptional. Other passengers we met on the cruise including those in Britannia were also impressed with Queen Elizabeth including dining. I can't recall anything negative being mentioned. There were quite a lot of families on board with thankfully well-bahaved children. Please realise that cruise lines generally cater for different segments of the market. There's the cheap-and-cheerful like P&O, lines that exclude children such as Viking, lines that specifically market for children like Carnival and Disney, expedition cruise lines, high-end cruise lines, floating shopping mall super-sized ships (6,000 passengers plus - the horror!} and small cruise ship lines, so its important to undertake research (including the cruise line's webpage, Trip Advisor, Cruise Critic, etc) to make sure that that your cruise line of choice is going to provide you with your wanted experience. Years ago, I read of a man who bitterly complained to his travel agent that there were too many children on his just undertaken voyage. The cruise line - Disney.
Have we experienced problems with staff on Cunard before? - yes. In 2014, the chill between the Commodore bar staff was colder than the ice in the cie bucket. On Queen Victoria in 2016, our Queens Grill restarant waiter apparently didn'y like women all that much so my wife was oftten ignored. Our table neighbours from the USA also experienced the same problem but apparently had read him the riot act. to behave with politeness.
On our recent Queen Elizabeth cruise, Cunard went overboard (pun intended) with decking the ship's interior with Christmas decorations - and in the atrium on Christmas Eve there were even Christmas carols performed by a choir made up by the ship's officers. There were possibly more Christmas decorations on Queen Elizabeth than were probably installed in Melbourne's CBD by Melbourne's city council.
Will we travel with Cunard again? Most certainly. Queen Anne will be the next at some indefinite time. In the meantime, we've got other upcoming voyages over the next 2+ years with Scenic, Silversea and Regent Seven Seas.
The entire village that they created out of gingerbread was outstanding. And that's coming from someone who isn't that big on xmas!
Christmas on QE was magnificent! I second your opinion!
Terrific. Thank you for sharing your experience.
If it wasn't for comments such as yours, I would readily avoid Cunard based on the 3 days I experienced onboard. Having cruised with Silversea, I know what true 'White Star' service is and should be and what I experienced was nothing of the sort. It seems apparent they do have it within them to provide said service, but for whatever reason, were incapable of doing so during our voyage.
Happy cruising.
We travelled in the Queen's Grill on this sailing and completely agree about the service. The food was fine but nothing memorable. We saw our butler once. I really like the ship, the cabin, the activities and entertainment were good but would probably look elsewhere next time too. This was our 5th sailing on Cunard and with each cruise, we feel the standards have declined.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience.
We recently sailed on QE for 14 nights in Princess Grill and I have to say, we had a great trip. We were well looked after in the PG restaurant and despite some repetition in the amuse bouche, the constant changing menu & the beef / lamb share dishes were fantastic. I am salivating now thinking about some of the favourite dishes we had! And the service from the staff was great too; offering advice on dishes as we asked and nothing was ever too much to ask for. I would be happy to cruise PG again - in fact the friends we made at the table next to ours are doing so in a couple of weeks & are very much looking forward to it.
Awesome, thanks for sharing your experience and I'm glad to hear they do have it in them to provide a solid cruise experience.
I think it really depends on personal preference. This ship may not appeal to all but she’s our favourite! We’ve just returned from our 2nd QE 7 night cruise and loved both and would definitely return. We enjoyed getting dressed up each night, didn’t have any problem with service in the Britannia restaurant or any of the bars. In fact one night I didn’t fancy anything on the menu and so they brought out a special dish for me, plus my brother didn’t like our assigned table and they promptly moved us ( you just need to ask).
Only problem was once in room service where something different to what we ordered arrived but it was after 10am and the breakfast menu had finished so kind of our own doing- every other time was magnificent.
I think it really caters to over 50’s which is perfect for us. Very few children on board and loved dancing to a full orchestra.
If you’re wanting to bring kids or are in the 20-40 age group we had a fun time on Carnival and Princess ( and you could party all night)
As for staff, they really looked after my 90 year old mother in law and could not have been more helpful- my preference is not to be bothered or have staff pushing you to buy ( like on other cruises) so I think they are wonderful, had no problems receiving what we needed when we asked.
That’s terrific. I’m so glad you had a great experience. We unfortunately did not. The ship is beautiful, but if the crew experience we received is indicative of longer cruises onboard Cunard ships, then I would avoid the line entirely in future. Having said that, plenty of people have commented about their pleasant interactions so it seems the line is capable of catering for their customers when they wish to. Happy cruising!
I agree with your review. Cunard was on my bucket list. I've done it now and won't be returning. The non-service was a real issue.
Thanks Leonie - it really was a problem. Definitely not White Star.
I had the same experience with rude, uncaring staff, particularly at bars and the pub--you have to wait forever to get drink/food service. Purser's desk staff were also rude, ignorant, and outright lied to me over missing onboard credit. Anytime dining was also poorly-run, with no clear lines for checking in, line-cutting, and hosts who left the check-in station to seat people and check on tables. I also wanted to buy some alcohol, but the shop was left unattended while the guy went on break, and they had no price list. Maybe the long itineraries, going between Oz/Alaska/Europe, make the crew more dispirited and bored. I also found the buffet hugely disappointing and limited. They have nice touches, like Wedgwood china, wide selection of affordable beers, free champagne in the stateroom, an amazing library, and ballroom dancing for those into it, but as with you, the uncaring, brusque service just sort of ruined it all for me--I can't remember ever being smiled at on the ship. I feel more welcome on Holland America, very similar ships and passengers, but with more pleasant and helpful staff.
Thanks for sharing your experience. Based on many comments, it seems that HAL offers a similar product with better service.
I sailed on Queen Elizabeth in December and it was wonderful. The crew were friendly, professional and helpful. I loved it because it's how cruising should be.
Thanks for sharing. I’m glad to know they do have it within them. It was definitely not the case during our voyage, sadly.
I came back from Queen Victoria a week ago and cannot agree. The service was exceptional. Like a different league in comparison with my three MSC-cruises.
Thanks for sharing. Glad to hear you enjoyed the opposite experience.
I hate when companies ride on reputations and coat tails of companies from the past.
We have sailed on Queen Elizabeth twice....1st time before Covid and again early 2023...while it's not our favourite cruise line...we do it to step out of our comfort zone a little...and the service was ok...anyway we board QM2 next month for 10 days from Freo....am curious curious now to see how that one goes...😮
Come back and let us know how you go on QM2. I would still love to do a transatlantic on that lovely lady.
This service staff complaint is not the first time I have heard this. I would have thought management would have addressed this because as you say it can leave a lasting negative impression of the ship, the cruise and the line. Did you mention your service concerns while on board the ship? Thanks for the review. nicely done and edited. One hint...between the end of a sentence and the beginning of the next one try to ensure there is a brief pause in the audio track...about the length of a normal breath...other wise the rhythm can seem rushed. Cheers looking forward to more excellent reviews.
Thanks for watching. Glad you enjoyed the review.
It is a shame that poor service is experienced by anyone, especially for someone on their first experience with the line. We have had 10 voyages on the QM2 and four on the QE - in all "classes" from Britannia to Queens Grill. Perhaps we have been lucky, but have not experienced poor service. I hope something hasn't changed on the QE since our most recent cruise of a year ago. We are returning to the QE in three weeks. As far as formal wear on the QM2, there is no doubt that the Atlantic crossings are at least a little more elegant than on cruises, but a man does not have to wear a tuxedo. This is outlined in the information. Although the majority (including me) do wear a tuxedo on gala nights there will be many men in a suit and tie. This is not new because I noticed the same even way back in the 1970s on the QE2, although almost every gent in First Class wore real formal wear. Women always seem to be well-dressed, even on informal (smart) nights and we don't hear them moaning about it, unlike some men.
Thanks for sharing your experiences. I’m sure your upcoming time aboard QE will be enjoyable.
I sailed on her just before the pandemic from Melbourne to Brisbane and she was fantastic with all staff I encountered friendly and attentive. My guess is they are still skilling up their crew after the shutdown and may have been short staffed which is bound to stress any crew
We sailed on QE prior to COVID. I don’t recall any problems with the staff at that time. I thought it was quite quaint and lovely that in the evening, the room where the afternoon tea was held would have a band playing old time music, and older couples were there doing ballroom dancing. Something not seen on other ships.
There are definitely some lovely parts of the cruise experience that I enjoyed, particularly in the tradition of afternoon tea and ballroom dancing. The service was the only let down on our particular voyage but it seems as though others have had good experiences. Perhaps it's just luck of the draw!
I did a cruise on QE from Fremantle to Sydney. In October I am doing the Transatlantic on QM2
Enjoy the TA! It’s definitely a voyage I’m hoping to sail soon.
Thank for the review. What a shame you experienced poor service 😢 I have cruised Cunard three times now and never experienced poor or rude service. I have three other Cunard cruises to booked already. Maybe you should give Cunard another chance?
I do think the short cruise experience didn't help matters. I'd be open to cruising with Cunard again, although likely something super unique like the transatlantic crossing on QM2.
You don't need tuxedos on transatlantic. It's no different from other voyages; tux or suit for men for the Gala nights. Women do not need full length dresses.
Great, thanks for sharing that.
Agree with everything you said Adrian not a happy crew. We went on Cunard to experience a different type of cruise. A huge disappointment cold food in the Golden lion never went back not given the full menu for lunch in the dining room. Food in the buffet was warm at best. Three days was more than enough will not bother again
Thanks John. Was lovely chatting with you both onboard. Happy cruising!
This is the third RUclips channel that has commented on less-than-spectacular service from Cunard crew (see also Emma Cruises and Cruising with Ben & David). Most of the complaints seem to involve an understaffed and overworked crew - which would certainly explain a poor attitude. I hope this isn’t becoming a standard business model for the company because I recently booked an Alaska cruise with Cunard for next year. I should state that I sailed with Cunard last summer and did the Transatlantic crossing on Queen Mary 2, and I thought the service was excellent (although I’m generally pretty low maintenance as a traveler).
Thanks for watching. I’ve seen similar reviews, and a lot of comments that echoed my experience. However, there have been plenty that disagreed - so with any luck, your cruise will be smooth sailing on the service front (and hopefully the ocean front as well). For what it’s worth, I would love to try a TA onboard QM2.
@@TheCruiseandTravelGuy You should. It’s definitely a bucket list trip. Plus it’s fun being a blue dot in the middle of the Atlantic on Google Maps.
I really enjoyed Elizabeth . I likes the formality of it . We never felt uncomfortable with anything . We had a reserved table each night (window seat) which we enjoyed. I’m sad you didn’t get a great experience. I’m keen to do another before Cunard leaves our shores
She's a beautiful ship! Based on what I've been reading, some people have had brilliant experiences and others haven't - maybe it's just luck of the draw lol.
Have sailed twice with Cunard, 2 nights (Melb to Syd)on QM2 and 14 nights (Syd to PNG)on Queen Elizabeth, both prior to Covid. QM2 was a little too formal for our liking but QE was one of the nicest of our 24 cruises. Beautiful ship, great food and wonderful crew. Sorry to hear that things have changed since 2020.
Thanks for watching. It seems that some people have had some different and more positive experiences so perhaps it's just luck of the draw.
Had 12 nights on the Queen Victoria in December and everything was outstanding particularly the service (and I’ve plenty of other cruises under my belt to be able to draw a comparison)
Glad to hear it, and to know that Cunard can in fact deliver on their promise of service excellence. It's a shame they were incapable of doing so during my voyage.
@@TheCruiseandTravelGuy well head on to Queen Victoria and take a seat in the Chart Room and if Alvin is still around you’ll get the attentive service you expect with a smile added.
@@gerardmackay8909 perhaps one day. For the moment, I’m setting my sights on other cruise lines for more reviewing fun.
@@TheCruiseandTravelGuy Ah that’s the life! We are doing a Fred Olsen to Norway out of Newcastle in March so I’m hoping the North Sea behaves itself. Looking forward to more of your reviews too.
@@gerardmackay8909 brilliant! I’m sure that will be quite the experience.
Thank you! Appreciate that.
Hi Adrian, thanks for the review. My partner and I are sailing on QE in February, so have been reading all reviews about what to expect, pack etc. we are interested in the dress code on a Cunard vessel, after completing multiple cruises on other ships, we not used to the greater level of formality on a cruise especially in the dress code. We are sorry to hear the crew service was poor, hopefully this will not be an issue when we cruise. However, the QE cruise is for 7 days and we are really looking forward to it. Thank you for all the videos you make. It helps with our travel planning.
Thanks so much for watching and I hope you enjoy your cruise. I'm sure you'll have a better service experience, being a longer voyage. Happy cruising!
Don’t know if you’re familiar with Emma (of the EMMA CRUISES channel) but she pretty much agrees with you about her reluctance to try Cunard again…just Way too much structure and she also found the service abrupt and a bit rude
I love her channel.
I never take much notice of Emma because I find her so structured and tunnel visioned. I have done a previous 33 day cruise on QE2 and thoroughly enjoyed it. We will be doing a 34 day cruise on the new Queen Anne in 2025 and we are both so excited.
Thanks for this review - its told me all i needed to know. I was looking into Cunard as an option since my partner and I are trying all of the cruise lines (RC and Princess so far, Virgin this Feb), but i'm not interested in paying a premium for formal nights and lacklustre service. Thanks for taking one for the team!
Maybe Cunard is not the line for you but we did our first cruise before Christmas and loved it so much and the staff we meet were amazing and could not do enough for us so we have booked another cruise with Queen Elizabeth before Christmas this year
Thanks for watching! Glad to be of service lol
I would agree with just about all you have said. Having done the round trip Transatlantic crossing on QM2, our route and places visited made it an amazing experience. Our food was good, our restaurant staff lovely and most others encountered were friendly.
There were, however, several aspects that we felt made the cruise no different and sometimes worse than other cruises we have taken. Most significantly, we received 'onboard spend' which was almost entirely taken back during the first 24 hours as service charge! Several drink items were not available from the start or quickly sold out. And although our cabin was of a size comparable with other cruiselines, I have never had such a compact bathroom, which impacted on use and comfort.
We enjoyed the route immensely, however we won't be rushing back to Cunard.
Disgraceful. Hard to describe service as there was NONE, no one was interested in serving. Sad, as Cunard had a reasonably good name in cruising business. Never again. Will sail on other ships.
Just spent our 6th Christmas on QM2 (our 7th cruise on QM2 so far). We have done a mix of Britannia Club and Princess Grill accommodations for these holidays. We have always been impressed by the quality of the food, the cleanliness of the ship and the attention of the crew. Given that we have spent nearly 100 nights on the ship we often know crew members around the ship. We have always been surprised at how they remember our names and are so enthusiastic to welcome us back. My parents have also been on QV and QE quite a bit and found their experience to the same as QM2. Hopefully the crew was having a rough weekend and they are doing alright again.
Thanks for sharing your experience. Hope you’re right.
@@TheCruiseandTravelGuy and sorry to hear your experience wasn’t amazing! We are on QE to Alaska in August so I will be watching for happy crew!
@@scottb9026 thank you! Enjoy your cruise, Alaska is incredible either way! The one place in the world where I think the destination easily trumps the ship.
We had a FABULOUS cruise on her in February 23. The only poor service we had was at the afternoon tea.
Hi Adrian. I wasn't sure how you'd fare aboard QE. Cunard has been getting low marks for a while now, not just on QE.
Dan and Jay have been quite scathing about Cunard as of late. And they are quite good at what they do regarding their travels. I find, sometimes, that some cruise reviewers go whole hog in preparation for a certain cruise/destination they are about to take, that once they get there, their expectations are dashed to the ground. Because they have set the bar so high, that if a particular cruise does not rise to that occasion, as they expected, the review goes down the toilet. I've seen this happen numerous times over the years. (Gary Bembridge is at the top of that list) I'm sad QE did not prove to be the cruise (I had hoped it would be for you).
Cunard under the Carnival umbrella cheapens the whole experience. I don't think main line Carnival junkies would do well on a Cunard ship, at all !!
Me thinks you might check out the Grand Dame, QM2 one day, if only to experience a transatlantic crossing once in your life, it is a bucket list experience for sure.
I've never stayed anywhere except a grilles suite. My friend books the cheapest she can get but will bid to get upgraded and often wins.
I just got off five nights on QE. My third trip on Cunard. Loved it for the most part, but I agree about drink service. Getting a drink in the buffet was just impossible, never found a waiter once - annoying to be drinking breakfast juice with dinner when I bought the soft drink package. Not good enough. On another note, don't miss the Queen Mary 2. A beautiful, one of a kind ship.
I would love to sail QM2 one day! Ideally a TA.
Had this erratic sort of service, way back in time, aboard the QE2!!! Obviously things haven’t changed much! It really wasn’t a very thrilling experience, and I wouldn’t want to repeat it!👎👎👎
Consistently erratic! Thanks for sharing your experience.
Without reading your review, I'll just tell you that no cruise ship afloat today can offer the elegant beauty, feel and genuine luxury of the magnificent ships of the golden years. Comparing the original Queen Elizabeth with today's ugly monstrosity, is like comparing Passalacqua on Lake Como with Butlin's holiday camp
👍🏼
We cruised on the Queen Elizabeth i n February this year a 12 night cruise. Our first and likeloy our last time with Cunard. The service was in most parts terrible. the waiters in the Main dining room with 1 exception were disinterested occasionally rude and most nights we were treated as an inconvenience and couldn't get rid of us fast enough. Service was extremely busy and busily and hurried. The guest service staff were rude and dismissive. Anything that was asked of any crew member seemed to be treated as a massive inconvenience.
Such a shame because it is a truly beautiful ship and we were hoping to cruise with them again.
Thanks for sharing your experience. That echoes my time onboard too, it’s unfortunate that they can’t seem to get it right. Others have had better experiences (see other comments on this video) but so many have also had similar experiences to us as well. For me, it means I’ll be avoiding Cunard going forward.
I have had no issues with Queen Elizabeth staff. I found the staff very helpful, courteously & professional. I did a Christmas 14 day cruise in December/January 2019/20 from Australia to New Zealand return also I would do this cruise again on Queen Elizabeth 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟⭐️.
Don’t forget the staff are working under pressure as they don’t get much or anytime off.
Glad to hear your experience. Happy cruising.
I was on the QE for 16 days in October of 2023. I think my days of sailing with Cunard are over. This was my fifth voyage with Cunard, the first being in 2018. I get the impression that they are understaffed, and that there may be some problems between management and staff. Cunard's standards of service have definitely fallen since 2020. And Cunard, it seems to me, no longer touts their "Sense of Occasion" anymore. The Britannia Restaurant was too warm, uncomfortably warm. Clothing standards (dress code) are not enforced at all. I saw some very slovenly dressed passengers in every venue after 6 p.m. which I would expect on a Carnival cruise ship, not a Cunard ship. Not one of the ice machines was operational in the Lido for the entire voyage. There was a shortage of salt and pepper shakers in the Lido everyday. Also seemingly a shortage of silverware. Most of the time, there was no librarian on duty in their splendid library. Was everything poorly done? No. The ship itself is very beautiful and well-maintained. Afternoon Tea was delightful. The food and the wines in the Britannia each evening were very good. My stateroom was great. But the Captain and his crew were not even in their full uniforms on the night of the Captain's champagne reception, and the reception was not held on a Gala Night. What gives? It's expensive to sail on Cunard ships. I'm no longer going to shell out with Cunard, as they are not providing the top-notch authentic British ocean-going sailing experience which I used to thoroughly enjoy.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience onboard QE too. Sounds like there are definitely a few issues and shortcomings that should be addressed by the company.
Have just sailed on Queen Elizabeth- crew were extremely rude, very poor service, bad food would never go on Cunard again, ever!. Celebrity cruises better value for money.
Thanks for sharing your experience, and sorry to hear you had a similar result.
White Star Service is blatantly FALSE ADVERTISING. Carnival took over Cunard in 2005. We sailed on QM2 and whilst it was a magnificent ocean liner the service was CARNIVAL. Old time Cunarders complained loudly and often on board. LOL Your impressions are absolutely CORRECT it does not live up to it’s old reputation - at all. Nice to hear that people still dressed up though.
Thanks! Glad to know that it's a known issue!
I have experienced 3 cruises on Queen Elizabeth over the past 18 months. I travel in Queens Grill. My only negative experience with crew members was with the butler on our first and third cruise. We were on Deck 7 for the first and third cruise. The third cruise was in February this year and the butler boarded on outright rude. His assistant though was always smiling and cheerful. The serving staff in Queens Grill restaurant and lounge were great. Speaking to other guests in Queens Grill we seemed to have lucked out as the others were very happy with their butlers. I am booked on a 23 night cruise in October 2024 and am really looking forward to being looked after again. This time we are booked into a suite on Deck 6. I am sorry you and some other passengers had a bad experience with some of the crew but I think that is not the normal for this ship.
Thanks for sharing your experiences. Glad to read you’ve had a much better time onboard - I really want to as well, but was disappointed it wasn’t to be during our voyage.
We did a 3 night Melbourne Burnie Sydney in March on the QE. We did not experience any issues with the staff. We have travelled extensively and have high expectation for customer service. We found the staff pleasant and were able to chat to several staff when they were not busy, and got to know them.
We were not fans of breakfast in the Lido simply too busy for us, but breakfast lunch and dinner in the Britannia was amazing .
So much so we have another 138 nights booked between the Queen Anne world voyage a med cruise on QV Scandinavia on QA and Alaska on QE.
Thanks for sharing your recent cruising experience on QE.
From experience, I believe you are incorrect in stating that tuxedos and ball gowns are required on QM2 on a transatlantic sailings. For a gentleman, a dark suit, or blazer and trousers would be appropriate for gala nights
The Cunard website says:
Formal suits are only required on board a Transatlantic cruise on Gala Evenings
Make of that what you will but not having sailed on QM2 during a transatlantic cruise, I’ll defer to your experience. Ta.
Dress. My experience of dress on a TA... Was that EVERY evening we had to wear jackets ( for men). We were told on occasion, to put it back on when we took them off in the bar after dinner.
Thanks for sharing your experience on a TA.
We just got off Queen Elizabeth, and agree with your comments about the crew, they were not very happy and you could tell they did not want to be there. We only found a handful of crew that were happy and willing to interact with the guests. Brittania restaurant was very hurried and not what we expected, any requests were dismissed as an inconvienience. We had waited so long to cruise with Cunard, we were so disappointed, we also came to the same conclusion as you in relation to P & O.
Thanks for sharing your experience. Sorry to hear you had a similar result onboard.
Nice video. Sounds like a stuffy way to spend my money...I'll stick with HAL/Celebrity.
Thanks for watching. That’s a safer bet based on my experience onboard.
Firstly, must say we love your informative and honest videos. Queen Elizabeth is our favourite cruise ship, but we do get your criticisms having also observed many of the points you raised, particularly some indifferent staff and lack of waiters. That said, the ambiance of the ship and layout, fantastic entertainment and activities, the large range of available drinks, Lido and Veranda speciality restaurants etc etc, make the positives far outweigh the negatives and the cruise experience is what we make it. We are in our 60s and the age demographic of the ship resonates with us. It is a shame that Cunard will no longer based the QE in Australia beyond the next summer season. Looking forward to watching your next video release.
Thank you so much, I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks also for sharing your experience.
Carnival purchased a controlling stake in 1998 and purchased the remaining shares in 1999, not 2008
Noted
Outside the service, and I agree that service on P&O is excellent, even if the product can be lacking, I wouldn't sail with Cunard. The 'service charge' not being included in the fare is a big issue for me. The other is the need to dress up after 6pm. Whilst I don't dress as a bogan, so to speak, for dinner, I'd still rather my jeans or nice shorts and polo. However, I can see the appeal for some.
The service charge can be removed completely if wished by seeing the pursers desk on your first day and you give money to those who you feel have given good service. We chose Queen Elizabeth for the type of cruise ship it was with my husband in jeans during the day and dressed up in the evening
You made a common mistake: there are four tiers, Britannia, Britannia Club, Princess & Queen's Grill
That’s ok, I dedicated an entire section to discussing Britannia Club. You must have commented before watching through 😊
My wife and I sailed on the QE last summer - 39 days from Vancouver to Barcelona. We found the service to be amazing for the duration of the cruise. We have sailed on several other cruise lines and Cunard was the best.
So glad to hear. Must have been a different crew! Thanks for sharing your experience.
Adrian, I thought your review was balanced and fair.
I have been on all of the current Queens and have decided that I'd prefer to travel with Celebrity
Thank you, Kay. I too would happily choose Celebrity over Cunard for a future cruise.
Thanks for the review. I always thought this is one cruise line that would have an elevated service experience, as it’s kind of posh. Also interesting about the daily auto tips out of Australia. I can’t remember, but do you know if NCL have the daily service charges on their cruises out of Australia for those that have booked in Australia?
The last I read, gratuities or service charges are included on NCL bookings made in Australia for Australian departures. I believe it’s still the case. Thanks for watching.
I would love to sail on the new Queen Anne and it would be my first experience with Cunard. Wishing that you will sail on her and give us your comments!
Thanks for watching. Would love to try out Queen Anne one day!
We cruised QE in the med and had great service 👍 booked again for Alaska this summer
Enjoy! Alaska is incredible 🤩
So the bar closed by midnight, is this normal for other lines as well? What about food after midnight?
There were some late night food offerings in the Lido buffet, although I never visited myself I did hear there were a few items on offer.
The pub and one or two other venues were reportedly open to "late" according to the schedule, but they would still close before midnight from what I saw... quite early.
ABSOLUTELY NOT interested in a cruise line that remains in the antiquated past - the dress codes are not for the Australian (or really any other market) which attracts families or relaxed wear - hence why RC, Celebrity and Virgin dominate the market. Cunard is ceasing AU cruises - and until it gets into a more modern relaxed fear, it can remain not for me
I'm not particularly dressy, but I really loved Cunard - & I was on the very last cruise before the Covid shut down. I ended up getting room service for the last 5 nights because there was someone at dinner who was progressively having a spicy cough. I didn't have any poor service - & I'd gladly continue to cruise with Cunard over the other 4 Carnival brands I've sailed dozens of times with
It will be interesting to see if Cunard lessens its more restrictive dress codes over time. Already they've instituted "gala night" instead of formal night, so I suppose that's something. I think it will ultimately always remain a formal cruise line, steeped in tradition and people will ultimately cruise with the line that is most comfortable for them.
Sad to hear your experience disappointing Everyone I have listened to has been primarily positive
Thanks for watching. There are some mixed reviews, and I think we just happened to get the short end of the stick on our particular voyage. I believe the 'short cruise environment' contributed to the poor service experienced onboard.
@@TheCruiseandTravelGuy that is something that I have heard party cruises do not teend to attract the regular patrons and maybe the staff dread that too which may have contributed to the lackluster service
I’ve sailed on all the Cunard’s ships a number of times, always found them great. Chatty nice staff, attentive waiters etc never had a problem I’m guessing it’s what you want and what you expect.
Based on numerous other comments on my video, my experience wasn’t unique. I’m glad to read you’ve had a different experience - but that doesn’t diminish mine or that of others.
@@TheCruiseandTravelGuy I’ve also read many positive posts, like most people say it depends what you want out of your cruise. Totally personal experience we all like different things.
@@mirandacartwright9213 absolutely. Hence the existence of my channel and my continual pursuit of new and varied cruise experiences to share.
We did a 3 night Cunard cruise Feb 2023 have to say we had a similar experience to you with the crew.. we put it down to being only 3 night cruise and tired staff.. hearing this maybe not
Thanks for sharing your experience!
On the service issues, I sailed on Holland America's Volendam last year. While I didn't really have any overtly negative encounters, I got the impression that the hotel department was understaffed, and a lot of the crew were new and inexperienced, especially in the main dining room. I suspect what happened during COVID is a lot of the experienced workers that got laid off didn't want to come back, so now they're ramming new people through training to make up for staff shortages. Basically every recent review I've seen on Cruise Critic, for a variety of lines, all have the same complaints, which adds support to my theory. Shame because I was considering Cunard's Alaska itinerary.
All been covered hundreds of times previously not sure why anybody would still be making the same comments about Cunard.
Why on earth would you watch the same things multiple times!? 🤣
Been on a couple of Cunard cruises (both PG) and they were both fantastic.... Poor service in Grills? ...you have to be kidding! We have two more booked and after being on a couple of RC trips we seem to have found our place. .....** A bit of constructive criticism. ... Maybe work on your delivery a bit. Sounds very robotic like AI.
Absolutely, it was some of the worst service I’ve received onboard any ship. Particularly in comparison to my experiences in The Retreat on Celebrity, Azamara and Silversea. A complete and utter letdown. The ship is lovely though.
@@TheCruiseandTravelGuy - HAving said that we were having breakfast in PG one morning and the young waiter near us farted....... there were some funny looks being shared around....lol
Must have travelled on a different Queen Elizabeth to you. We took the Freo to Melbourne cruise last year and found the staff busy but helpful especially in the MDR. My sister did not like what was on the main menu one night and they went and arranged for her to have something else to eat. They allocated us our own table and by the second night knew what drinks we preferred and brought them straight away. They did not look unhappy to us. Our room staff were friendly and helpful but not over friendly as they were working. I chose to take Queen Elizabeth because of it's old world charm and it did not disappoint. We found we were so busy that we did not have enough time to do everything we wished. Sadly we had to miss out on somethings as they clashed with other things we wished to do. Cruises are what you choose to make of them. We loved the food and started of with breakfast in the Lido (one day had room service instead) and finished the night with late supper at 11pm in the Lido. Our group ranged from 20's to 70's and everyone enjoyed themselves immensely so much so that my sister is taking her family on Queen Elizabeth in March so they can experience it and we go on Queen Elizabeth again in December. We think it is sad that Queen Elizabeth is to no longer to cruise after 2025 in Australia and New Zealand.
Sounds completely different! It was one of the worst onboard experiences I’ve ever had, but I’m glad that Cunard seems to know how to operate on longer voyages. I suspect the 3 night cruise duration really impacted the overall service quality.
While haven’t sailed on Cunard I just got off the Disney Wonder a couple of cast members (crew on Disney are former Cunard employees and let’s say were less than flattering about Cunard .
That makes sense based on my experience. Thanks for sharing!