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by land and sea!!
Reviewed By: bell mbe, sheffield on 19th Jun 2009
Cruise Line: Cunard Cruises	Times cruised before: 10+
Cruise Ship: Queen Mary 2	Sailed: April, 2009
Destination: Transatlantic	Age: 65+

i am dividing my review in individual sections covering all aspects of the holiday pre cruise: a] this "cruise" was entitled "charms of the confederacy" and consisted of a "pre cruise" tour of places in "georgia" and "south carolina" follow by a return to southampton on "qm2" b] i was disappointed at the fact that the tickets for the "tour/cruise" did not arrive at my home until literally "a few days before departure" this frankly is not good enough i feel that the minimum time should be at least 10 days before departure c]i flew [business class delta airlines]to atlanta the flight was excellent,but conditions at atlanta airport were not "customer friendly" first of all it took a long time [nearly an hour] to clear "immigration"[despite having an "electronic visa form"] secondly the almost paranoic "double security procedures" further added to the delay eventually after almost 4 hours from landing i arrived at my hotel.the one redeeming feature was the excellent attitude of our guide [virginia] she was faultless throughout the whole tour d] it was the general opinion amongst the 15 people on the "tour" that to have a long "on coach day" on the second day of the holidat[after a long harrowing time getting to georgia] was not a good idea a half day would have been preferable.having said all of the above,the remainder of the tour was superb..again very well "marshalled" by virginia e] in order to fly to new york to embark on "qm2" we were obliged to leave our charleston hotal at 03.30...a vey early start bearing mind how long we had before being able to embark on "qm2" later that day.perhaps alternative later flights should be considered? f] embarkation was not as smooth[or as punctual!!] as on my previous cruises with cunard.even [as a "platinum club member" once aboard: a] the accomodation was first class,spacious well maintained and of pleasing design b] facilities: i) activities were excellent....theatre shows well varied [i particularly liked the idea of "plays" as well as musical shows"] lots of events throughout the day...planetarium/computer classes and "it" access/demonstrations i felt[as a "seasoned cruiser" that there was something for everyone ii) i am a regular user of a gymnasium when at home ,and i find that the gymnasium on "qm2" is the best one of all the ships on which i have cruised [far better than "queen victoria" by the way!!] i also always purches a 5 day pass for "canyon ranch spa"..excellent value and the staff are most pleasant and helpful iii) as i was in the "princess grill category" i appreciated the special lounge [particularly for "afternoon tea] iv) the food was first class a wonderful variety of choice well prepared an served congratulations are in order v) my disappointment was in regard to the dining arrangements in the "princess grill" as a "sole traveller" i go on cruise to meet and enjoy the company on board...hence my stated preference for a table seating "6/8 people" unfortunately due to the layout of "princess grill" all tables were a maximum of "4" that coupled with the fact that dining was spread out from "6.30 to 9.00pm" meant that on most evening meals i was alone for most of my meal.i appreciate why the layout is as it is but it didn't suit my own circumstances others may have found it ideal vi) it is for the above reason that i took "open sitting lunch" in the "brittania restaurant" and that turned out fine and i have no complaints about that.in actual fact once people found out that i give a substantial number of "lectures on humerous subjects" when i am at home....often,after regaling my lunchtime"table companions" with some of my anecdotes .i was invited to meet up later in the evenings for cocktails as my fellow guests seem to like my "stories"....perhaps i should have contacted the "entertainment director" and volunteered as a "guest lecturer" [ i have nearly 30 "topics" in my presentations!!]!! vii) i must make a special comment about the "concierge" in "princess grill"[ "girlie muega"] she was absolutely superb..every request put to her was dealt with most professionally and speedily.for example i approached "girlie" at very short notice to ask if she could help to organise a "small informal drinks party" on the very next day to celebrate a special birthday..within 30 minutes all the arrangements had been made and invitations sent out!! a first class service and typical of what i term "cunard excellence" i have covered most aspects of my particular experience.on the whole it was an excellent cruise[despite the few "negative points i made earlier..purely as "constructive criticism"] i find "qm2" to be a lovely happy ship and the holiday was all i had hoped for the final point i would make and this is an important one.i find that having to pay a "single supplement" very onerous..it is a factor that i would bear in mind in making any further cruises and should be borne in mind i trust that this "long review" is of interest to you,and should you wish any further clarification of any of the points i have made please feel free to contact me again ken bell mbe june 2009
Quality of Food
lunch "bruttania open sitting" dinner "princess grill"
Entertainment
most enjoyable play "hobsons choice" least enjoyable "shows that were purely "dance routines"
Shore Excursions
most enjoyable: pre cruise tour of "charleston" least enjoyable: long second day on coach tour
Staff
"concierge" ["Girlie muega"] in princess grill most helpful at all times
Children's Facilities	n/a

Onboard Activities
an excellent range..something for everyone
Cabins
first class all round
Overall Rating

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Comment by Macro, Reading (20 Jun 09 08:34) about this REVIEW

The obvious answer is to offer your services as a Guest Lecturer. I understand that the 'payment' is usually a free or very cheap cruise.

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Comment by bell mbe, sheffield (21 Jun 09 09:47) about a COMMENT by Macro (20 Jun 09 08:34)

thanks for your interest and suggestion...well worth thinking about!! best wishes ken bell

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Opinion: Agree Comment by Richard, Lee on the Solent (19 Jun 09 15:10) about this REVIEW

Good afternoon Ken. I certainly enjoyed your review and in particular the QM2 element. One of the problems with receiving ones tickets is that Cunard, in my view quite rightly, forward them in the first instance to the passengers travel agent for checking. I completely empathize with your praise for Girlie Muega, the Grills Concierge, who is one of Cunard's greatest assets. She offers outstanding service to everyone. Indeed, I have emailed her the link for this review, I know she will be thrilled. I can understand your disappointment with the seating arrangements in the Princess Grill. On my last 6 crossings though I have both requested and been allocated a table for 6. I trust all tables for 6 have not been replaced. Happy continued cruising, Richard

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Comment by bell mbe, sheffield (21 Jun 09 09:45) about a COMMENT by Richard (19 Jun 09 15:10)

thanks lovely to hear from you regards ken

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Comment by cunane, inkpen (22 Jun 09 10:37) about a COMMENT by bell mbe (21 Jun 09 09:45)

Yes ! Lets have it for Girlie Muegua ! I've joined her fan club too :-) Paul.

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