Balcony

Inside

Suite

Outside

Cunard Line

Luxury Cruises

Family Cruises

Gay & Lesbian Cruises

Romantic Cruises

Singles Cruises

Cruises for the Disabled

Senior Cruises

Fitness Cruises

Gourmet Food Cruises

New York (Manhattan)

Southampton

Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades)

Nice

Transatlantic

Europe - All

Europe - British Isles & Western

U.S.A.

Caribbean - All

Canada & New England

Baltic Sea

Caribbean - Eastern

Australia & New Zealand

Asia

Caribbean - Southern

Mediterranean

Middle East

Europe River

Europe - Western Mediterranean

Africa

Italy

World Cruise

Germany

USVI

Egypt

Portugal

Spain

Europe - Eastern Mediterranean

Malaysia

France

Nile River

Vietnam

Oman

Thailand

Douro River

Norway

Canary Islands

Belgium

Rhine River

South Africa

China

Seine River

India

Bahamas

Trans-Ocean

Mexico - All

Israel

Caribbean - Western

South America

Turkey

South Pacific

Chile

Hawaii

Brazil

French Polynesia

Netherlands

Cruise to Nowhere

Cambodia

Japan

Transpacific

Norwegian Fjords

Iceland

Indonesia

Mexican Riviera

Panama Canal & Central America

Arctic

Excellent

Very Good

Average

Poor

Terrible

Queen Mary 2 (QM2)

Queen Victoria

Queen Elizabeth

Cunard; Still The Best In The Style of What They Do 

Riga

Queen Mary II

Voyage : M237

Nov. 21 - Dec. 3 2022

The Queen Mary II - A shadow of its past, a ship you don’t wan’t to sail on… 

To anyone who may be considering travelling on the Queen Mary II, please read the following.  I have submitted two emails to Cunard’s customer care and I have yet to receive a response.  Not even an acknowledgment.  And I used their feedback system within their website.  

On November 21st, I was to set sail with my 91 year-old mother for what would be her last trip.  As I wanted it to be extra special, I booked a Queen’s Grill Suite.  The nightmare began on departure day.  We arrived at the very industrial Brooklyn Pier for embarcation.  When we arrived at the requested time, there were already hundreds of people jammed up in lines throughout the terminal which was barely heated.  At the front of the entrance, big sliding doors let in the freezing wind that chilled passengers to the bone.  I had made arrangements with the Cunard telephone representative for my mother to have wheelchair assistance for boarding the ship. When I got to the chaotic scene at the pier, I quickly asked a lady sitting behind a counter where there were a dozen wheelchairs about the process for my mother’s embarcation.  She told me in a rude manner that although it was obvious they had chairs, they had no « pushers » and we had to wait with the others on a chair where the freezing wind reached us every time the front doors opened.  After waiting for close to an hour, my mother wanted to try to walk with her cane as she was freezing.  We got in the tortuous line.  Further down and rounding a corner, a lady appeared and indicated to us that there was a special line for those who needed assistance.  That would have been nice to know!  So, we got into this line where the gentleman assisting was busy watching a football game on his iphone.  In all it took us close to 3 hours to board.  And, to add insult to injury, we were told welcome aboard without being told how to access our room key.  It was a passenger in an elevator who indicated that keys were placed outside the room doors.  So, mom and I resumed our very long walk on the ship.

When we finally got to our suite, we were tired and cold, and unprepared for the state of things.  When reserving the suite, I made specific requests :  1) wheelchair assistance 2) were there wheelchairs available onboard (I was told no in no uncertain terms) 3) I wanted lounge chaises for the balcony and not sitting chairs as mom would not be lounging in public 4) I informed that mom had mobility issues 5) I requested a dining table by a window.  I had been on the Queen Mary in the past and only had good memories of that voyage

The first thing mom noticed in the room were the filthy, stained carpets.  This upset me.  I then walked out on the balcony.  It was all rusted along the rail, including the walls themselves.  And there were no lounge chaises, just two bulky sitting chairs. The glass railing windows were filthy and baked with salt.  Because of the room configuration, mom had to step up to get into the bathroom and needed a stair in order to access the bath.  I requested the stairs, the chaise, the carpets cleaned and balcony painted.  My stress level was through the roof.  Further, mom tried on the room slippers which were the size of men’s flippers.  One would think that prior to embarcation, there would be quality control about the state of the room.  Secondly, you would think someone would review the file and realize the age of the passenger and ensure the room accommodated their special needs.  The luggage arrived at 6 that night.  The mattresses were well worn and way too soft, and the pillow menu is laughable since the quality of pillows really leaves to be desired.  As well, the furniture in our room as throughout the ship is worn and tired. 

As for the table by a window, the Maître D’ was forthright and explained that it was a first come, first serve basis and that Cunard promotes this possibility to lure bookings.  They could, in order to manage expectations, let passengers know when this type of seating is no longer available, but they don’t.  As with everything on this ship, one realizes that it operates like a little club where basic information isn’t shared with passengers.  Because I was upset by our seating arrangement, the Maître D’ asked us if we wanted something special.  I had no idea what he was referring to.  Well, there is an à la carte menu behind the regular dinning menu from which you can order.  Our dinner mates from the table next to us informed us that the menu is available to all Queen’s Grill Suite passengers.  One more thing that was not shared with us. And did this not stop Cunard from charging the Grills meals to my room.  It happened on 3 occasions.  The second time I had to go to the Purser’s office to obtain a refund even though the cost had been charged to my credit card for which I paid the exchange rate.  The concierge told me it was impossible to get the charge removed from the credit card.  Strangely enough, it posed no problem when they charged my credit card on the last night on board the ship.  Now where is that notion of worry free travel aboard a luxury ship?

When booking, we were give an all inclusive drinks package.  I asked about the package to 2 telephone representatives and two concierges on board.  I got 4 different answers.  I learned the hard way - they give you a vague, brief one-pager in your room which fails to answer basic questions such as “what is the limit?”, can I order more than 1 drink at a time?.  Needless to say, it was all very confusing and costly since I had to figure out the package through making mistakes.  Again, one would expect the concierge or butler to be able to provide you with a complete briefing on what you can and cannot get. 

We were also told by out table mates that there was a special deck (11) for the Grills passengers.  Another omission.  And did I mention that we got stuck in an elevator.  Fortunately, repair service was prompt.  The overall look of the ship feels old and used.  Air circulation is bad.  In fact, my brother who was staying on the 4th floor spent two days without air conditioning.  I woke up every night at 2, covered in sweat.  There was no air at certain periods during the night, at least if felt that way.  As for the food, it is acceptable.  The waiters and staff do a wonderful presentation but at times the quality leaves to be desired.  Oh, and they charge $20 US a day for internet for one device.  What is not said is that the service is at best spotty.  

The one saving grace of this voyage was our butler who did everything in his power to make our stay a pleasant one.  He worked tirelessly to address our complaints and treated us like royalty.  He seems to be the one person who understood what his role was.  As someone who spent her career in major events and celebrations, I cannot state strongly enough that planning is key to any successful endeavour.  When someone purchases a Queen’s Grill Suite, one would expect a complete and thorough briefing on the benefits included during the voyage.  One would expect it to be seamless.  It wasn’t.  Unfortunately, there was no value for money, not even the semblance of it.  I would not recommend this ship to anyone who expects gracious living aboard a ship.  Those days are long gone.

Queen Mary II: A Shadow of its Past, a Ship you don’t want to Sail on…

Rome (Civitavecchia)

We were happy with a Cunard cruise on The Queen Elizabeth in 2019 so we booked this cruise on the Queen Mary 2.

The service was outstanding and the ship is very beautiful. I really like the formal atmosphere of the evening, especially on gala nights.

I agree with some other reviews that  food in the buffet is better than food served in the formal dining room.

We were told by Cunard employees on the phone that mask is only required in the theater and medical office but when we got on board, mask was required everywhere indoor except when sitting in restaurants or lounges.

Their website is still saying  "Face – while we highly recommend that guests wear masks on board, they are only required in the theater, cinema, or if you visit the medical center. "

I think private businesses can have any requirement they like but it should be spelled out in the contract at time of purchase except when there is regulation change from the authority.

Beautiful ship

First cruise on the Queen Mary 2 since the pandemic. We have cruised 19 times on her and the last time in January 2020. We were anxious to go back and this itinerary was perfect, and experience the changes that Cunard has advertised.

1-The "New" Spa called "Mareel" is replacing Canyon Ranch and is a complete disappointment;  a real downgrade from Canyon Ranch:

No masseur was available, only little giggling masseuses better trained to give you aggresive sales pitches for expensive spa products and services. Unpleasant management of the spa, with managers implying that you know nothing, should shut up and pay for their services. Attitude not acceptable.

As a consequence, I could not have my daily massage like in the past. Complete disappointment and misleading description of the Spa on Cunard collateral and websites.

2-The "New" system for WiFi and Internet access simply does not work, is expensive and clumsy to use if you manage to connect from somewhere around the ship.

No signal in your stateroom, no signal in many areas and public rooms.  

Expensive plans, absolutely not worth the poor service provided when available. 

3-A new system of seating in the main Britannia Restaurant for the second sitting: An open door to long lines and chaos but fortunately for us, this sailing was not fully booked. The very obliging Maitre d'Hotel gave us a permanent table after  requesting it. Thank you to him for accommodating us on this point. It was great to have your waiter and your sommelier all along the cruise.

4-A more relaxed dress code allows gentlemen to go without a jacket on informal nights. This translates in old men wearing too tight, short sleeves beach shirts. An appalling show which damages the unique vibe of this otherwise elegant ship. Very soon we will see shorts and tank tops around.

Cunard image is all about a certain style and elegance, and Cunard should be careful to maintain this as it is what makes the difference with other cruise lines.

Still a Grand Experience

Having returned from a very enjoyable cruise on QM2 15 day round-trip Ft Lauderdale, I can report with only 1600 Passengers, Cunard did all they could to contain any outbreak of covid with mandatory mask wearing but sill a large number of passengers were taken off the ship at different ports with covid and others confined to their staterooms for 5 days for tests, having been traced as a covid contacts. I guess if Cunard could not contain it with mandatory masking then all the other cruise ships sailing right now will have many case of covid onboard? Let the future sailor's be-aware.

Apart from that, the food and service was excellent and the shows with first class entertainment. The ship was in good condition despite a for  a few areas that need more maintenance. All-in All, Cunard are the best at what they do and it was a real welcome back after 2 years of no cruising on Cunard... I look foreword to their 2024 world voyages when they are announced in the hopes pandemics will be gone by then?.

Kusadasi

We looked forward to this cruise as it marked my retirement and my wife’s birthday, we had had to save for this one and had handed over our hard earned cash with pleasure we loved being cosseted by Cunard’s attentive staff. This would be the 12th or so cruise and our second 28 night cruise with them. So we knew what to expect. Lovely.

We joined the QM2 as scheduled following a Covid test each. The ship looked great the welcome was great and nice to see some old faces. We sailed on time and we both remarked how good it was to be on board again. 

Due to Covid 19 the rules on the ship had unsurprisingly changed. Even the muster to stations had changed, now just a walk through your muster station and a continuous video on the cabin TV on how to fit a floatation device, we did not even hear the ships hooters as before. 

The Covid rules on board were draconian despite us all having to have proved to have been vaccinated and negative before we boarded. 

Incidentally if we had proved positive (for Covid) Cunard would there and then given us a 125% cruise voucher. Something we were not aware of. Other obfuscated information included the fact that we could have postponed this trip to later on. None of this information could be found, on the Cunard website prior to the cruise.   

Basically the Covid rules were similar to those being relaxed in the UK at the time. Wear a mask all the time, with no exceptions at all, except when in your cabin, eating or drinking. Fair enough. However the Covid precautions were strangely varied in their application:

If sitting in the pub, other bar, without food or drink you did not have to wear a mask! But in the theatre we all had to wear our masks and sit a seat away from others, so we were all socially isolated (wear masks – no exceptions!) Worse no drinks allowed in the theatre so the rusty comedian just got worse despite his valiant attempts we all appreciated his efforts and applauded. Our stress levels started to go up this was not what we had expected. My wife was actually having an asthma attack and got told forcibly to replace her mask and to move from the seat she had slumped into by a member of the crew.

QM2 was only half full! We had been told it was full even as we went through boarding. In fact the staff / crew outnumbered the customers (not guests as on previous trips). 

The customers were mostly fellow British 95%+ with a few Americans and Europeans. Why? We discovered the following: Some reasons we already were aware of. 

The ship had been refused entry in New York due to an on board Covid infection – this was in the news in the UK (Daily Mail) but the following were not generally known.

The ship had been due to go to Hamburg to pick up European customers to join the cruise to the Caribbean but German authorities denied port facilities so QM2 sat in dock in Southampton for the 7 days before we joined – this was not known until we boarded.

The previous cruise to the Caribbean had been denied landing rights anywhere due to Covid breakout on board, quite rightly! This information was restricted to certain newspapers in the UK – we did not know. According to the Captain, in front of fellow customers in the theatre, the customers who broke this news are now on a list of customers not welcome on Cunard anymore!!!! Those American customers who were affected were flown home and compensated as were all other customers, quite rightly! 

It must have been a dreadful experience and here we were sailing on a similar cruise.

The food in the restaurant was acceptable but not spectacular as previous, the puddings more like Fred Olsen’s, predictable. The set dining with a group others to get to know over the coming 28 days discontinued, but only for the second sitting! So opportunities to make new friends limited severely, more social isolation. Added stress.

Our children asked if I could post pictures of the trip on WhatsApp, which I would have done but could not do due to lack of connectivity. Previously this would have not been a problem from the QM2 as internet access was generally very good. On previous cruises with QM2 I had remotely connected to the servers at work from mid-Atlantic! I am a fully qualified IT systems Engineer with 40 years’ experience of computer communications. However and despite the Wi-Fi being 100% in quality and bandwidth, locally, the actual uplink via satellite was severely throttled to less than 9600 bps – worse than a dial up connection of the early 1990’s! So no internet and personally no way to continue with duolingo. As an example it took 45 minutes to do a 3 minute lesson!!

Being a platinum member of Cunard’s world cruise club I had a 120 minute internet access package, my wife had another 120 minutes, so sufficient for most of the cruise, but the rate of usage meant that I should need another package within 3 days and on Cunard that is not cheap and would have meant added unnecessary expense. 

The rules on the ship and the lack of entertainment, there was no karaoke, dancing or choir amongst other things was raising the stress levels for us both and for my wife in particular. She had two asthma attacks in the first 48 hours due to the stress of having to wear masks all the time with no exceptions! In England at the time she was exempt. She only had one prednisolone puffer with her – she very rarely needs it. Add to this that we could only remove our masks fully in the cabin (deck 6 port side balcony etc.) Stay in the cabin for 28 days? Stress.

There was little entertainment worth seeing only 4 balls to dress for in the whole 28 days – normally it would have been 2 – 3 times per week, again due to Covid, no issues with that. To make life more tolerable for the customers the liquor store was open and booze could be taken back to the cabins to keep us subdued – something never allowed before. 

QM2 now appears to be a gouging exercise, remember that Cunard’s parent company are mostly, if not, completely owned by Carnival Corp. The casino was open for business as was the pub, bars and champagne lounge.

Given this knowledge earlier we would not have boarded. 

We weighed all the stress, the randomly and occasionally strictly applied rules, lack of entertainment, internet and knowledge and decided reluctantly to get off. Fortunately in Lisbon rather than in Funchal due to a storm there. How to get home from Lisbon without flying. So public transport and hire car – here we go.

Cunard customer support (a service shared with P&O) were contacted but really did not want to know and essentially we were left to do our own thing getting back to the UK. Two OAPs one a lady with a replacement knee and hip and the other a gentleman with hypertension plus heavy luggage (four bags were left on the ship and returned to us at Cunard’s expense after all we had paid for 25 more days!) No compensation! 

We discovered in a previous trip through Europe that it is not possible to hire a car in one country and return it to the same hire company in another. So public transport to France and then hire a car. (Bordeaux to Cherbourg).

We complained to Cunard during the return journey Lisbon, Porto, Vigo, Madrid, Valencia Barcelona, Perpignan, Bordeaux, La Rochelle, Normandy, Portsmouth and finally Southampton. We claimed a Cruise credit – which was summarily denied. Why? They also denied a refund essentially 3 nights on QM2 cost us £2000 per night for a $100 service.

The journey back is another but far more enjoyable story! Covid precautions yes, but no stress no asthma attacks.

un unexpected car hire

Our 5th cruise on the QM2 and possibly our 40th cruise overall. The Queen has clearly lost her crown. The ship is aging and needs refurbishing. Seating in the Illuminations theater needs to  be fixed so they stay upright, need to be reupholstered; the public areas need to be kept free of detritus and stray bits of food and/or personal effects; the food in the main dining room was absolutely abysmal with unimaginative menus and either over-salted, over spiced or overcooked depending upon the dish. The meat that was offered, no matter what form of meat, were cheap cuts of meat and the vegetables were of poor quality. Desserts were boring or bland and also uncreative. Specialty restaurant was excellent with wonderful choices, wonderful service and ambience but you do pay a bit for the meal, unlike the dining room where the cost of the holiday cruise is high but the food totally inedible. 

The overall hotel service was poor. Day excursions which were planned well in advance were canceled at the last minute with poor instructions given on how to redeem the cost. Help was nowhere to be found once in port if you needed to find your way to the day excursion transportation and no recognizable shuttle provided to easily get back to the ship. people with disabilities were ignored or shoved out of the way when getting on to or near the buses; simply dreadful operation overall. Caribbean is less than thrilling now because of civil unrest on some of the islands, too many megaships in each port at each time and in our case, ship staff unwilling to assist or not knowledgeable enough. 

As passengers we felt  ignored or simply dismissed as being of any importance on the overall cruise. Only good thing about this ship is the well maintained well staffed and well stocked beautiful library. wish other ships had this as well, such as Celebrity Summit which did away with the library entirely.Shore excursions poorly handled with lots of misinformation by the staff and then corrected. Staff hard to find, rarely in their offices and never respond to any phone calls. Confusing directions for shore trips and shore vendors badly vetted in terms of their transportation. Staff on purser's desk very unfriendly and dismissive. 

We were so disappointed with this trip and the service, we decided to forgo thinking about rebooking a trip to Canada on her. 12 nights was way too long for such mediocre service and awful food, 14 nights would be an absolute nightmare. 7 nights might be passable if Carnival sells Cunard to someone else and Cunard recognizes some of the QM2's major issues.

A Terrible and Expensive Disappointment

Having been on the Queen Mary 2 a few times before we knew what to expect, excellent food, beautiful cabins, and wonderful crew.

What a disappointment: the ship looked tired, there were stains on the carpets in our cabin, the shower nearly scolded me, bits of silicon was missing around the shower tray and taps around the sink, the food was so average KFC would have put them to shame, the entertainment 3rd rate, and the crew didn't look a happy bunch of people, most of the front line staff were so rude.

The Christmas present was, Compared to the Queen Victoria previous years a let down to say the least (A pen set between the two of you) what if there were three people in your cabin?? 

Would we go on the Queen Mary 2 again, maybe if we wanted a transatlantic crossing yes but never  again at Christmas.

Lots of ships are coming out in 2020 and Cunard cannot live on its iconic name forever.

Worst Christmas cruise ever 2019.

The checkin before boarding was efficient and fast.

Stateroom cat. BF with balcony at the 11th deck was very confortable and large enough altough the bathroom was so small but functional.

Britannia restaurant was great but meal was not so special: i never see foie gras or escargots! 

King's court buffet was great altough entries was always the same all the week long. Some waiters was unfriendly and arogant, which is unacceptable.

The steward of our stateroom was also cheeky, and too familiar sometimes.

He brought my suitcase into the stateroom while it was covered in red dust (?) and didn't even pass a rag.

Same at thePursers office where staff was not very welcoming and did'nt make any effort when your mother tongue is not english (french)

The quality of the staff was a real  negative point of the cruise when you know you paid 4000€ for the week.

The decoration of the ship is magnificent and chic without beeing too ostentatious.

Entertainment was poor, as it was always the same show, same movies or same conference several time the week.

Difficult to find a seat to eat at the golden lion pub, as a single person took a 4 seat table just to drink a beer for 2 hours, and waiters didn't say nothing.

Unable to get a baggage tag with "Cunard" logo, (Easyjet or Ryannair does)...

Never received a satisfaction questionnaire from Cunard...

 Atlantic crossing southampton-NY

Just before Christmas we returned to the Queen Mary 2, doing our very favorite itinerary, a Westbound Crossing. As this was a somewhat last-minute “live for today” splurge, we booked into the Queens Grill experience.

Yes, we’ve enjoyed trips on the QM2 six times before and have done eight crossings (counting roundtrips as two) with more scheduled in May 2020 and 2021. Yes indeed, we love the ship and always feel like we’re returning home when we board. This time was no exception and it was great seeing many of our favorite staff - not surprisingly, mostly in the bars. 

But all of these trips were in Britannia class. (Mostly sheltered balconies on Deck 5 or not-too-obstructed ones on Deck 8). We feel at home in those cabins (I know exactly where to put our three large bags) and have enjoyed our meals in the most beautiful dining room on the seas, the Britannia Restaurant.   The Queens Grill category was a wonderful step up from our usual experience. The standard QG “suites” are spacious and comfortable, with a bar and sitting area, a roomy walk-in closet and a bathroom spacious enough for two with deep whirlpool tub and shower. We were looked after by a cabin steward and butler. (The butler was mostly another steward, but was available should we want to host a party in our suite or make similar arrangements.) As usual on the QM2, they were impeccable. Seemingly magically slipping in to tidy our cabin as we left for breakfast or pre-dinner drinks.

The Queens Grill was a wonderful experience. We loved having our table for two for all meals, including breakfast and lunch. (Especially breakfast. We prefer to be served, and I’ve always felt that morning is a time for routine - it was great  having our waiter know that my husband wants coffee and tomato juice and I want pineapple juice and water, no coffee) The basic menu was the same as in Britannia, but the galley in the grills serves roughly 200 versus 2000. I suspect that some portions may be slightly larger. Additionally, there is a second menu of “A la Carte Items” including such items as Tempura Prawns for a starter and main courses like Beef Wellington, Lobster Thermador, and Rack of Lamb. They also encourage off-menu ordering (with advance notice at lunch or earlier)    

Osman, the excellent Maitre d’ was always asking us if we wanted anything including caviar. I’m not a fan, but my husband is. He tried it one night and it’s not like the “old caviar” and was missing the “pop” - both textural and the expected burst of flavor. So he ordered it only once, but we saw the telltale toast racks flying around the dining room to other tables, nightly.  For my birthday, we arranged for a starter of a large plate of chilled shellfish - prawns, lobster, crab. scallops and mussels. Our main course was an impeccable Beef Wellington, carved tableside and dessert was Crepes Suzette, flamed tableside as well. In fact, there was often a regular traffic jam of carts near our table, as a couple of nearby tables were regularly ordering specials - and they love setting things on fire up there! 

Service was impeccable also in the Grills Lounge across from the Grill. This also was where Afternoon Tea was served. The items seemed slightly superior to the offerings in the Queens Room (especially the clotted cream) and it was a relief to avoid the mad “Black Friday rush” as the doors open there. (Although the Queen’s Room is breathtaking with the chandeliers, string quartet and parade of liveried servers.)  I also loved the Concierge Lounge which, like the Grills Lounge, is available for both Queens and Princess Grill accommodations. The concierge was able to handle pretty much everything that the Purser’s Desk staff can handle, (plus excursions and planetarium tickets). Plus coffee, tea, and small snacks - including Afternoon Tea items. When the WiFi access point outside our cabin stopped working four days into the crossing, I found it convenient to take my laptop down the hall to take advantage of the speedy WiFi available there AND the comfy chairs. 

Of course, we spent time in our usual haunts. Commodore Club for the LGBT get-togethers and some quiet cocktails in the evening, Before dinner we split our time between our favorite Chart Room Bar (especially on formal gala evenings) and the Grills Lounge. And although lunch in the Queens Grill was delicious, we DID need to do the excellent Pub Lunch in the Golden Lion Pub once.  And, of course, we attended some excellent presentations by world-class lecturers in Illuminations. But wait there’s more (there’s always more on the QM2) - I made a whopping $35 playing blackjack in a couple of brief visits!

  Yes, it WAS a wonderful experience. But, is it like flying, where once you’ve flown First Class, it’d hard to go back to Coach?  Well, there’s a BIIIIG difference between aircraft coach seating and QM2 Britannia cabins. We loved QG, but just booked Britannia cabin 8050 for a roundtrip crossing in 2021.  There’s appropriate value in ALL of the categories, but “plain old Britannia” cabins and dining is very fine indeed.

  I’m already counting the days until our next crossings this coming May.

My Favorite Things - now in Grill Class!

The ship has become tired looking, in particular on the outside. The first impression is rusty and a tad shabby. It can now longer be described as luxurious (there are too many truly luxurious ships out there now).

The passenger population consisted of a primarily older age group, with many of 70 years plus. A huge number were immobile, infirm and with conditions that led to emergency evacuations by helicopter, detours off route and subsequent delays, hospitalisation, a call for blood donations and one death. Too many Zimmer frames, mobility scooters, sticks and wheelchairs. The ship felt like a floating nursing home, rather than a luxury liner. This was an aspect which is not advertised in any of their marketing material or on their website, featuring only well-dressed models.  Not to mention a nasty respiratory virus which was brought on board and spread very quickly, overwhelming the medical department. It was not what I wished for on a holiday. 

Shore excursions were oversubscribed, which made them less enjoyable. Some of the islands visited were still recovering from the devastation through a hurricane 2 years ago. The impact was that buildings were still in disrepair, shops had shut and the local population were intimidating and pestering in order to get ones custom. 

Generally I felt the calibre of passengers had changed.  Only a few years ago this particular cruise had professional people as passengers and their families, who dressed and behaved the part. It has come down a lot in every aspect and at times it felt like the local Council Estate was on holiday. I saw women drinking from refillable bottles, hidden in their handbags, in the Ballroom. I saw miniature drinks bottles being hidden with only mixers being ordered. I could go on. It felt very downmarket. In the end I was glad to get off and get home.

Not as luxurious as one is led to believe

Filters

1-10 of 165