I worked 2 contracts for Cunard on the Qm2 on loan from Princess Cruises. I worked with the legendary cruise director Alastair Greener. It was a completely different experience versus Princess which is always about 85% Americans and Canadians. I loved it. People raved about the food. My biggest difficulty was learning the jargon. At first, guests would say "I feel like a joint tonight". I soon realized that meant a piece of beef for dinner.
It's great to hear your stories from the inside, fascinating! I can quite imagine the jargon would be completely different, and would take some getting used to! Love your anecdote about the joint! Perhaps in the Churchill Lounge it might go down a storm!
The grub on QM2 was world class, exactly what you would expect from a Cunard Queen. Kedgeree, smoked fish, and a mountain of melon, mango and pineapple , washed down with lashings of Earl Grey was a breakfast and a half. 😃
Sorry about that! I'm on the Cunard Queen Elizabeth in October.... promise I'll video that buffet, and will absolutely remember to INCLUDE the desserts and puddings 😇
My wife and I went on the Queen Mary 2 last July - our first cruise. The buffet was great, but you really need to experience dinner in the Britannia Room! The food and service was world class!
@@ritzytravelguide hey mate great videos, just one important question, im a solo cruiser , did you see anyone truly ALONE on a cunard cruise? did you ever see anyone at the main dining room for dinner ALONE? please tell me , eating at the buffet alone isnt a big deal, but what about in the main dining room? thanks mate, great vids im subscribed
@@ritzytravelguide ive noticed there is no one really under the age of 35 i see, which is great as im 40 and i dont really get on with younger people as i find them too loud and annoying, this is one of the upsides of cunard isnt it? an older clientelle right?
@petejames1326 Hi, yes. The majority are an 'older' demographic. The age does vary a bit, depending on the geographic region being sailed. On 'average', you will find most are over 45, with a lot in the 55-80 range. But you will find older and younger than this!
@petejames1326 Hi, Yes very definitely there are solo passengers on all the Cunard ships! If you are sociable and wishing to meet others, you will want to ask for a large table at the main dining room, as you will then get seated accordingly. If you find you don't gel with that group, you can go to 'anytime' dining. And then you will get a different group each evening. There's very eclectic passengers on Cunard these days, from different countries and backgrounds. Most will be chatty. Cruise passengers often want to chat, as there are sea days, comfortable chairs, and hours to fill! Carinthia lounge is great for solos and groups. Good casual place to eat, drink coffee, and all the quizzes are there. The Golden Lion pub is also an excellent, sociable place to meet people, for solos . With good live music, and a chatting vibe.
I didnt realise untill the other day,this buffet also has a daily snack servive between 3 and 5.30 and can be an alternative to the afternoon tea,with also scones, pastries etc. crossing in mid december cant wait!
@@ritzytravelguide I know we got an amazing deal on this december crossing but booked some time ago. Your videos are amazing by far the most detailed look at queen mary 2 Get yourself booked again,maybe see you on board pre christmas this year!
@paulr75 it might well happen! Many thanks for your kind comments about our channel We are aboard Queen Elizabeth, in a few weeks time, for a Mediterranean Cruise. So we are certainly getting our Cunard sea miles in!
Thanks Bill. The buffet is more up to my street. I like the variety of a big buffet but also like smaller venue if inclusive. Do I have to buy a drink at the Carinthia as well Golden Lion to order food? June
Hi June. No, there is no requirement to order a drink at either the Carinthia or the Golden Lion. Feel free to have the complementary food to your hearts content!
Great video! Love your detail! One caution, me Mum was a Scot, so proper English was pounded into me. There are probably just a few Yanks, if that, have any idea what Gammon Ham, Aubergine, and Kedgery are. In fact spell check has risen its ugly head on the those words. still great video, quick to the point, no fluff! Keep up the good work, and stiff upper lip!
Alas, the QE2 hasn’t been owned by Cunard since 2009 when it was sold to and berthed permanently in Dubai. The QE2’s Queens Grill restaurant was open for a while in 2018 and did a fabulous dinner, but the wine was expensive.
@@ritzytravelguide, I worked for Cunard Lines during the time The QEII was in service. The food has come a long long way from then. Thanks for the video.
@@ritzytravelguide , I sailed on The QEII, and the Cunard Ambassador, no others. The food was wonderful. I have no complaints. All gourmet meals, but the buffets didn't have 500 choices lololol. Sometimes, less is more.
If you enjoyed this video, please do leave a comment in the box! By the way you can watch our latest video on Cunard here: ua-cam.com/video/VwicqlGFqOo/v-deo.htmlsi=O9suMAuSuN05_KMM
The new queen Anne only has a small buffet, ujme the gigantic ones one Mary Liz and Victoria. These buffets are the absolute mainstay of the ship (I know I've done loads of trips on them) I rely hope cunard havnt made a great mistake......
Okay, since you asked, I'll cut and paste my review that I had previously placed on another UA-cam Video: DOES MICKY ARISON EVER TRAVEL ON THESE CRUSE SHIPS? My maternal grandmother traveled this route in the 1890s immigrating to America -- so this vessel and its route piqued my curiosity - ergo I booked passage from Southampton to New York. Simply stated, the food was awful and the service was below average. If you tried to eat regularly in the King's Court Buffet you would be completely overcome by how bland the food was. The portions are small and most of the food seems stale. In the King's Court Cafe', the Hamburgers and Hot Dogs seemed to be mostly filler and were pre-cooked and taken out of a hotel pan and then re-heated and then served. The ice cream was much more like Ice Milk. If you like geriatric food - mostly Jell-O, then this is the cruise for you. And the room service is roughly the same questionable fare as the King's Court. Worst of all was the Britannia Main Dining Room. When we entered the dining room on our first morning on board it smelled like urine - that's right, urine. My companion said it was probably just a bad fish smell, but whatever, it was just terrible. If it wasn't for the regular pay-as-you-go eateries on board, you would have been completely sick of the food by the time you arrived at your destination. Our room was fine and the ship itself was amazing. But I'm afraid the ship's services and especially the food were more like a bad Carnival Cruse option than the classic very distinguished Cunard Line of old. Micky, if you're reading this, please do something. Even a McDonald's and Starbucks on board would have been a vast improvement, and McDonald's and Starbucks suck. Oh, Sir Samuel's had the best Flat White and Table Service of any place on board. There, I said something nice. @@ritzytravelguide
@@Jayhavens1 you are entitled to your opinion,but I suspect your comments on the food are perhaps wildly exaggerated . There have been many posts of the ship starting to look a bit old in parts,but reviews on the food qulaity are in general consistent. Unless things have gone down hill rapidly in an extremely short space of time,I Trust the review ritzytravelguide to be fairly accurate
I understood from another video that the buffet was not free, but apparently it is? I was appalled at the idea that I'd have to pay extra if I didn't want to dress up for caviar at dinner! Personally, while I would dress nicely on board, I'd much prefer to tuck into that imaginative buffet quite often, over eating in the dining room! I sailed on Cunard's Carinthia in 1967 - I can tell you, the food was NOT memorable! but being 19 at the time, the trip was!
The buffet is quite handy if we have forgotten to pick up a pastry in the MDR at breakfast to take to the Chart Room for morning coffee. But we'll dress down if we've no intention of leaving the house!
Cunard offers free room service, and I believe it's around the clock. I think many cruise lines have abandoned such service, but it's still offered by Cunard.
@@ajs11201 You are absolutely right, and I overlooked to mention that. Very few cruiselines still offer room service in the fare. Likewise there is no pressured upselling once you are onboard to buy drinks packages or alternative dining at the Verandah Restaurant, nor tours. They leave it totally to you. Unlike the other lines who hassle you the moment you board. I applaud Cunard for this. It's how things should be.
@@ritzytravelguide I really offered the comment in response to David and his forgotten pastry--if you plan the night before, they'll bring it right to your door. My husband and I were on QM2 a few years ago; he's a late sleeper, and I'm an early riser..... so as I'm up looking over the day's activities, it's a wonderful treat having some coffee and a muffin or sweet roll to tide me over until he wakes up and we can get a proper breakfast. 🙂
@@ajs11201 Thanks but we don't eat or drink in our cabin. Other than the turn down chocolates and water for re-hydration of course. Much prefer sitting in a restaurant being served.
The QM2’s buffet? We were aboard her last year (2022) and the buffet was pretty average and comparable to anything that P&O or Fred Olsen could offer. Better off in the main restaurant.
I worked 2 contracts for Cunard on the Qm2 on loan from Princess Cruises. I worked with the legendary cruise director Alastair Greener. It was a completely different experience versus Princess which is always about 85% Americans and Canadians. I loved it. People raved about the food. My biggest difficulty was learning the jargon. At first, guests would say "I feel like a joint tonight". I soon realized that meant a piece of beef for dinner.
It's great to hear your stories from the inside, fascinating! I can quite imagine the jargon would be completely different, and would take some getting used to! Love your anecdote about the joint! Perhaps in the Churchill Lounge it might go down a storm!
The grub on QM2 was world class, exactly what you would expect from a Cunard Queen. Kedgeree, smoked fish, and a mountain of melon, mango and pineapple , washed down with lashings of Earl Grey was a breakfast and a half. 😃
Not many ships still serve kedgeree!!
It was wunderbar; and yes, you bad 😮for not letting us see the desserts!
Sorry about that! I'm on the Cunard Queen Elizabeth in October.... promise I'll video that buffet, and will absolutely remember to INCLUDE the desserts and puddings 😇
Best Travel Guides 👌 and believe me, we've watched a lot!
That's so kind of you to say, many thanks indeed!
My wife and I went on the Queen Mary 2 last July - our first cruise. The buffet was great, but you really need to experience dinner in the Britannia Room! The food and service was world class!
Both are excellent!
@@ritzytravelguide hey mate great videos, just one important question, im a solo cruiser , did you see anyone truly ALONE on a cunard cruise? did you ever see anyone at the main dining room for dinner ALONE? please tell me , eating at the buffet alone isnt a big deal, but what about in the main dining room? thanks mate, great vids im subscribed
@@ritzytravelguide ive noticed there is no one really under the age of 35 i see, which is great as im 40 and i dont really get on with younger people as i find them too loud and annoying, this is one of the upsides of cunard isnt it? an older clientelle right?
@petejames1326 Hi, yes. The majority are an 'older' demographic. The age does vary a bit, depending on the geographic region being sailed. On 'average', you will find most are over 45, with a lot in the 55-80 range. But you will find older and younger than this!
@petejames1326 Hi, Yes very definitely there are solo passengers on all the Cunard ships! If you are sociable and wishing to meet others, you will want to ask for a large table at the main dining room, as you will then get seated accordingly. If you find you don't gel with that group, you can go to 'anytime' dining. And then you will get a different group each evening.
There's very eclectic passengers on Cunard these days, from different countries and backgrounds. Most will be chatty. Cruise passengers often want to chat, as there are sea days, comfortable chairs, and hours to fill! Carinthia lounge is great for solos and groups. Good casual place to eat, drink coffee, and all the quizzes are there.
The Golden Lion pub is also an excellent, sociable place to meet people, for solos . With good live music, and a chatting vibe.
My wife and I did prefer the buffet for all our meals. The choice was excellent.
It's a good quality selection!
You know it's a British ship when it has more than one flavor of hot tea available.
🤣
I didnt realise untill the other day,this buffet also has a daily snack servive between 3 and 5.30 and can be an alternative to the afternoon tea,with also scones, pastries etc.
crossing in mid december cant wait!
I'm tempted by a pre Christmas crossing too! They're doing some good deals on the Christmas run-up!
@@ritzytravelguide I know we got an amazing deal on this december crossing but booked some time ago.
Your videos are amazing by far the most detailed look at queen mary 2
Get yourself booked again,maybe see you on board pre christmas this year!
@paulr75 it might well happen! Many thanks for your kind comments about our channel
We are aboard Queen Elizabeth, in a few weeks time, for a Mediterranean Cruise. So we are certainly getting our Cunard sea miles in!
@@ritzytravelguide Have a fantastic trip around the med,and hopefully see you on board QM2 mid December
Thanks Bill. The buffet is more up to my street. I like the variety of a big buffet but also like smaller venue if inclusive. Do I have to buy a drink at the Carinthia as well Golden Lion to order food? June
Hi June. No, there is no requirement to order a drink at either the Carinthia or the Golden Lion. Feel free to have the complementary food to your hearts content!
Great video! Love your detail! One caution, me Mum was a Scot, so proper English was pounded into me. There are probably just a few Yanks, if that, have any idea what Gammon Ham, Aubergine, and Kedgery are. In fact spell check has risen its ugly head on the those words. still great video, quick to the point, no fluff! Keep up the good work, and stiff upper lip!
Thank you so much, pip pip 🤣
OMG, I'd spend the whole time in the buffet, and they'd have to wheel me off at the end of the cruise.
I think that happened to some 🤣
Looks totally amazing how anyòne can complain is beyond me i cant wait to go on Queen Victoria soon ❤
Do they have toasters for grilling the slices of bread ?
Yes they do!
They have staff who will toast your choice of bread, and make pancakes or crepes and eggs to order on most cruise ships.
Thanks, lovely video. Do you also cover Cunard's QE II Ocean Liner ?
Hi there. We will be on the QE in a couple of months. So will have coverage of that
Alas, the QE2 hasn’t been owned by Cunard since 2009 when it was sold to and berthed permanently in Dubai. The QE2’s Queens Grill restaurant was open for a while in 2018 and did a fabulous dinner, but the wine was expensive.
@WidleyWesident. Hi, one of these days, whilst on a stop over, I would really enjoy going to take a look at the QE2 in Dubai. For nostalgia's sake!
QE2 is a retired former ocean liner. QM2 is tge only liner in service. Other cruise ships also make transatlantic crossings
Keep up the great reviews,... From a real cunarder
Thanks Steven
@@ritzytravelguide, I worked for Cunard Lines during the time The QEII was in service. The food has come a long long way from then. Thanks for the video.
@mikieanthony777 Great to hear from you! Was the food a little more basic in your times with Cunard? Were you on the Sagafjord and Vistafjord?
@@ritzytravelguide , I sailed on The QEII, and the Cunard Ambassador, no others.
The food was wonderful. I have no complaints. All gourmet meals, but the buffets didn't have 500 choices lololol. Sometimes, less is more.
What a fabulous spread on the buffet. I've only ever cruised before with Tui. I don't think we'll be doing that again. Cheap, rubbish food with them.
Thanks for watching!
If you enjoyed this video, please do leave a comment in the box! By the way you can watch our latest video on Cunard here: ua-cam.com/video/VwicqlGFqOo/v-deo.htmlsi=O9suMAuSuN05_KMM
I still prefer eating in Britiannia vs Kings Court. As a solo traveler you get to meet interesting people there.
🙂
Its a carnival cruise ship. The buffet is standard cruise ship. Its not a scenic or seabourne cruise.
The new queen Anne only has a small buffet, ujme the gigantic ones one Mary Liz and Victoria. These buffets are the absolute mainstay of the ship (I know I've done loads of trips on them) I rely hope cunard havnt made a great mistake......
At 1.30 minutes that is the very small vegetarian section with vegetarian bacon. Cunard do offer one of the better buffets at sea...
Yes indeed, it is an excellent buffet!
On the ship right now --- my review would be quite the opposite of those posted here. So to be polite, I'll follow 'the Thumper Rule.'
Really? Has the buffet been a let down?
Okay, since you asked, I'll cut and paste my review that I had previously placed on another UA-cam Video:
DOES MICKY ARISON EVER TRAVEL ON THESE CRUSE SHIPS?
My maternal grandmother traveled this route in the 1890s immigrating to America -- so this vessel and its route piqued my curiosity - ergo I booked passage from Southampton to New York.
Simply stated, the food was awful and the service was below average.
If you tried to eat regularly in the King's Court Buffet you would be completely overcome by how bland the food was. The portions are small and most of the food seems stale. In the King's Court Cafe', the Hamburgers and Hot Dogs seemed to be mostly filler and were pre-cooked and taken out of a hotel pan and then re-heated and then served. The ice cream was much more like Ice Milk. If you like geriatric food - mostly Jell-O, then this is the cruise for you. And the room service is roughly the same questionable fare as the King's Court.
Worst of all was the Britannia Main Dining Room. When we entered the dining room on our first morning on board it smelled like urine - that's right, urine. My companion said it was probably just a bad fish smell, but whatever, it was just terrible. If it wasn't for the regular pay-as-you-go eateries on board, you would have been completely sick of the food by the time you arrived at your destination.
Our room was fine and the ship itself was amazing. But I'm afraid the ship's services and especially the food were more like a bad Carnival Cruse option than the classic very distinguished Cunard Line of old.
Micky, if you're reading this, please do something. Even a McDonald's and Starbucks on board would have been a vast improvement, and McDonald's and Starbucks suck.
Oh, Sir Samuel's had the best Flat White and Table Service of any place on board. There, I said something nice.
@@ritzytravelguide
@Jayhavens1 Hi, many thanks for getting back, and taking the time to post that. It's good to read comments from all sides.
@@Jayhavens1 you are entitled to your opinion,but I suspect your comments on the food are perhaps wildly exaggerated .
There have been many posts of the ship starting to look a bit old in parts,but reviews on the food qulaity are in general consistent.
Unless things have gone down hill rapidly in an extremely short space of time,I Trust the review ritzytravelguide to be fairly accurate
I understood from another video that the buffet was not free, but apparently it is? I was appalled at the idea that I'd have to pay extra if I didn't want to dress up for caviar at dinner! Personally, while I would dress nicely on board, I'd much prefer to tuck into that imaginative buffet quite often, over eating in the dining room! I sailed on Cunard's Carinthia in 1967 - I can tell you, the food was NOT memorable! but being 19 at the time, the trip was!
Yes, the buffet is definitely free!
The buffet is quite handy if we have forgotten to pick up a pastry in the MDR at breakfast to take to the Chart Room for morning coffee. But we'll dress down if we've no intention of leaving the house!
good tactic to pick up that pastry!
Cunard offers free room service, and I believe it's around the clock. I think many cruise lines have abandoned such service, but it's still offered by Cunard.
@@ajs11201 You are absolutely right, and I overlooked to mention that. Very few cruiselines still offer room service in the fare. Likewise there is no pressured upselling once you are onboard to buy drinks packages or alternative dining at the Verandah Restaurant, nor tours. They leave it totally to you. Unlike the other lines who hassle you the moment you board. I applaud Cunard for this. It's how things should be.
@@ritzytravelguide I really offered the comment in response to David and his forgotten pastry--if you plan the night before, they'll bring it right to your door. My husband and I were on QM2 a few years ago; he's a late sleeper, and I'm an early riser..... so as I'm up looking over the day's activities, it's a wonderful treat having some coffee and a muffin or sweet roll to tide me over until he wakes up and we can get a proper breakfast. 🙂
@@ajs11201 Thanks but we don't eat or drink in our cabin. Other than the turn down chocolates and water for re-hydration of course. Much prefer sitting in a restaurant being served.
Its only food you wont starve
What, no kippers. My English mother would be most disappointed.
Actually, fairly sure there were kippers, perhaps I didn't film them!
Is buffet included in the package price?
Hi, yes buffet is included
The asian woman is so Hillarous looking like a real food connoisseur. 😂
Looks fascinating but don't want to dress up just to go on vacation
Hi! No need to dress up for the buffet! No dress code for that section 🙂
@@ritzytravelguide I'll keep watching your channel...I'm a buffet addict...
Question: I bring my wine on board, pay the corkage fee, but find the bottle has gone off, do I get the corkage fee returned?
The QM2’s buffet? We were aboard her last year (2022) and the buffet was pretty average and comparable to anything that P&O or Fred Olsen could offer. Better off in the main restaurant.
But can you get a decent cup of coffee, NOT from a machine?
So you're English on a British ship and at 4:32 you say "French Fries" not "Chips"
I thought it would be all bland British food? Nice surprise.😊
Ok… you got me! Looks fabulous! Now please send me a couple of free tickets for me and the Mrs..If you don’t…YOU ARE MEAN! Don’t tease the monkeys!!!
I hate buffets I would expect better on that ship... And ughhhhh tea bags no leaf tea?
Seems like not the ship for you then!
What a stupid question!!!!
Should I rephrase the title to 'How good is the buffet?' 🤣