The QM-2 – The Final Verdict – Don’t Waste your Money!!!!!

One of the comments that Delta Airlines makes during a flight is that flyers have lots of choices when flying to any destination and to thank them for their patronage.  I suppose this public relations gimmick is also a reminder to the staff to provide customer service to its patrons.  I think Delta overall succeeds in this effort, something they have worked hard to do over the last decade in a world of real time stress, exacting timelines and fierce competition.

In the same spirit, I’ve been asking myself these last twelve days whether the pluses on the QM2 outweigh the minuses as far as my interest in returning to Cunard, at least the QM2, as a guest on a future cruise. Indeed, there are many pluses!  The Queen’s room, the Orchestra and vocalist, the dance savvy guests are the best reason for cruising on the QM2.  But other areas consistently provide great customer service including the housekeeping services in the room, the dining room – Britannia, morning and night, and the one bar that we frequented just prior to dinner every night.  In addition, the quality of the nightly entertainment is also excellent. 

But there were lots of inconsistencies in quality and service that made the QM2 experience unequal and unpleasant.  These included the Kings Court Buffet, the Front Desk, and the Social Director.  A special mention is made over the quality of the food at the Kings Court buffet, which was inconsistent, and truly mediocre overall.  To be sure, the selection of salad items was truly appalling; a better selection could be found at low-end restaurants like Ruby Tuesdays.  I love salads but could not stand the paltry selection more than once during the cruise as choice for the main course for lunch. 

A very unpleasant experience at the front desk prompted this blog that would otherwise not have materialized.  I received about as bad a treatment as anyone could get, certainly not at the level of a luxury cruise liner trying to serve its patrons.  One bad incident can reverse all of the good and kindness that was shown during the trip.  Unfortunately this is something that happens in real life all of the time.  Fortunately for Cunard, they have a lot of dedicated repeat guests that overlook the apparent deterioration in service and quality that has befallen Cunard over the last decade or two.  Ironically, the general consensus is that as costs continue to rise, service and quality continue to spiral downward.

And so I asked myself as I hobbled back to my room, how do the pluses and minuses line up in terms of my recommendation for those interested in the possibility of cruising with Cunard and the QM2.  And then I suddenly realized that that was the wrong question to ask.  The pluses are indeed irrelevant. 

There are so many choices in cruising available to the general public, and ships continue to be built at an alarming speed.  Don’t bother accepting a mediocre cruise lines like Cunard.  Cunard needs to reinvent itself back to the quality cruise line it was 175 years ago.  For now, don’t waste your money on Cunard.  Try something else and let me know what you think.  It’s amazing how some bad reviews can alter the tide of travellers and significantly affect revenue and cash flow but the reverse is also true.  As in most organizations, success and reputation provide a thin veil of comfort until the roof suddenly come crashing down, always too late for anyone to do anything about it.  You are only as good as your last cruise.  Wake up Cunard before its too late!