This was our fourth cruise with Cunard three on the Queen Mary and one on the QE2. We still enjoy Cunard but as other people have pointed out there are some issues on the Mary that show neglect which need attention otherwise the ship will deteriorate further. Our balcony had lots of rust visible which showed that there is cost cutting with maintenance. The first voyage there was no rust visible on the ship and daily there were teams around the ship painting sections. Its as if the areas not visible to all the passengers are showing signs of decay. There are areas on the ship where there are holes under the carpeting and its like falling into a pit. There is a large hole right in the centerpiece of the ship the Grand Lobby and anyone could notice. There is a section in the passage on deck four where the floor buckles. The other major issue was a serious stench of sewage mainly in the gallery and in the photo section. At times it was unbearable to go through that area. There were also public toilets around these areas that were always out of order.
We still plan to do another cruise possibly on the QM2 but some serious attention needs to be given to the condition of the ship otherwise it will deteriorate further. We had no problem with the food in Brittania but found breakfast sometimes chaotic depending on which servers we got. Leaving New York on the way to Boston and Halifax the Diet Coke ran out on the second day and the wine steward told me to go and get one at the bar next door. So no extra effort as they work on tips and the more the price of the beverage the more tips they earn so passengers who don't drink a lot of alcohol are basically ignored. So the service depends on your consumption.
I have had excellent service from my cabin attendants in the past but this time it was below par. He did the minimum but no more. After 3 days the ice in the bucket in the fridge was not filled and I had to ask for ice. On the last evening there were no tags for the luggage left to place on the luggage and we had to go and ask as these have to be on the luggage which is left out before midnight. On days we also never received immigration forms that had been left out for passengers who needed them to disembark the ship on those days.
Cabin fine and clean. was missing 12 hangers that are designed specifically for the ship. They replaced these with wire hangers of the cheapest type so needs attention.