I had an opportunity to visit the bridge, which was very exciting to me.  I always enjoy seeing the bridge, and have spent many hours on the bridge of the QE2.  Queen Mary 2's navigational bridge is the widest bridge on a passenger vessel to date, and filled with all the latest navigational and electronic technology.  Flat screen monitors have replaced the bulky radar devices on many other vessels.  The bridge wings are also the best place to view the whole ship as she makes her way through the ocean.  The wheel used to steer the ship is smaller than most steering wheels in an automobile. 

 

I did happen to venture below decks to some of the crew areas, because I use to work in that environment, and I wanted to see how it was aboard QM2.  A famous and traditional place for Cunard crewmembers to hang out during off-duty hours, is the Pig & Whistle, which is mostly a lounge with a bar, and a place to relax where an occasional game of darts may occur.  Many famous movie stars would often visit the Pig & Whistle aboard the original Queen Mary.  On the QM2 the Pig & Whistle is on Deck One midship.  I did get a chance to wander through the Pig & Whistle on QM2 as well as a visit to the print shop, the photo lab, the crew gymnasium, and another crew lounge.  I also explored some of the forward areas in the bow where the rope storage & winches are, the paint storage room, and the place where huge rolls of extra carpets and furniture are stored.  Of course I wanted to see the engine room, but I didn’t venture that deep in the ship.  I also didn’t explore the vast food storage areas.  The crew basically lives on Deck One forward, and in the catacombs of Deck A.  Deck B has mostly stores, machinery, and laundry, while Deck C is where the engines are located deep in the hull.  From the bottom of the ship to the top, the decks start at “C” Deck, then up to “B”, and “A”, then Deck One, through to the top at Deck 13.  Some decks are taller than others, particularly in the engine room on Deck C, and Decks Two & Three where the major lounges, theatres and dinning room is located.  So QM2 has a total of 16 decks, but she seems much taller than a building with only 16 floors. 

 

The below-deck areas are pretty raw, and don’t have much as far as aesthetics. The pipes, steel bulkheads and water-tight doors are all in plain view.  Because it’s such a new vessel, the below deck areas had a sterile look, kind of like a warship.  I was impressed with how spotless all the work areas were, especially in the room with the ropes and winches at the bow.  There is certainly a contrast between the crew areas and the passenger corridors.   The stairwells in the crew areas were all steel, and the steps were much steeper, whereas the passenger stairwells are posh with fine carpet, and had beautiful artwork at every landing.                

 

Suggestions

An interesting questions posed in the press conference, to Micky Arison, was if there were any changes he would make to the vessel now that it is complete.  Mr. Arison said surprisingly, there are very little changes that would be made to the ship. The whole idea behind constructing such a vessel as the Queen Mary 2, was to create the perfect modern ocean liner.  Vast amounts of thought went into the layout and design, and to date, although there could be some minor changes made here and there, the QM2 is everything the designers hoped she would be.  The dream has become a reality, and the ship itself is spectacular. There are some desperately needed changes in service standards that must be addressed, however.  The service in the Britannia Restaurant was slow, and the cuisine was not memorable, which leads to a suggestion for Cunard to step-up the quality of the cuisine, and the training of the waiters.  The ship itself has to now live up to it's size, royalty, and legendary statis, by perfecting the quality of the service onboard among the service staff, particularly in the restaurants.  Cunard has a challenge ahead of them, because many of the crew onboard QM2 are new to working aboard a cruise ship and particularly aboard a luxury vessel.  The crew that are working aboard QM2, are very proud to be there, however, and they are working hard to do all they can to provide the absolute best possible service.  It was evident that the crew are very proud of their ship, and are striving to exceed the expectations of the passengers, but if there are not enough crew members to service the large numbers of passengers, then there is a problem with the balance in the passenger / crew ratio.  We weren’t aboard the QM2 long enough to truly make an in-depth evaluation of the changes that could be made, but from what we did see, the facilities are wonderful, and there is great potential for perfection once Cunard Line invests in fine-tuning the quality of service and operations among the onboard staff.

 

Having been a passenger aboard the QE2 in 1988, and a member of the crew in 1992, I have first-hand, and in-depth experience with the quality of service aboard this ship.  I have also monitored countless cruise-reviews from passengers who suggested that the level of service and the quality of the dinning experience aboard the QE2, was not where it should be for the money people pay to vacation aboard this luxury ship.  As much as I enjoy the QE2, I must admit that the level of service and quality of the cuisine falls short, when compared to what other cruise lines have to offer.   With the introduction of the QM2, I was concerned about the level of service and overall quality of dinning, because the capacity of the Queen Mary 2 is greater than that of the QE2 and Caronia combined.  Cunard Line has more than doubled it’s overall passenger capacity with the introduction of the QM2 alone.   One step I know Cunard is making to address these issues is with a program called “White Star Academy”.   A five week intensive program designed to teach and train crew members about Cunard’s service standards, lifesaving, emergency procedures, fire safety, and the company’s general orientation.

 

There was something I thought could have been different aboard the ship regarding the area where the large suites are located, both forward and aft.  Throughout the entire ship the carpeting in the passenger corridors are the same, a light beige carpet with black trimming and a circular designed imprint.  The carpeting is very nice and has a rich feel to it, however, I felt that there could have been a different style of carpeting to differentiate the areas of the more upscale suites, or perhaps a special lounge area leading to the suites, providing a more exclusive, upscale environment.  As it is, you wouldn’t know that you are standing at the door of a suite, because the carpeting is identical throughout the ship.

Conclusion

Few ships in the history of men, ships, and the sea, have captivated the masses like the R.M.S. Queen Mary of 1936.  Built at a time when ocean travel was the primary means of traveling across the Atlantic from one continent to another, the Queen Mary was a marvel of the master shipbuilders and the realization of a dream.  The Queen Mary was built for comfort, safety, speed and luxury.   There were many superlatives that described the Queen Mary, but the one intriguing feature about this great ship was that it seemingly had a personality, or a soul that could be felt by those who visited the ship.  Just as some people can sense that the ocean itself contains a personality, the same can be said of the Queen Mary, especially when she was at sea in her element.  Is it possible to reproduce this “personality” when building a ship?  What is it that gave the Queen Mary her charm that has endured for nearly 70 years?   Is it possible for the new Queen Mary 2 to be blessed with a similar endearing quality?

 

As a Queen Mary historian, I have studied the ship in Long Beach, explored nearly every nook, and for nearly 30 years, after having collected and read every book I could find on the ship, I have developed a unique passion for the history of this great ship.  If I were to sit down and design from scratch the perfect successor to the Queen Mary, in my wildest dreams, it would look very close to what was built as G32 at Chantiers de l’ Atlantique Saint-Nazaire.  After having visited the ship, I have concluded that the QM2 has exceeded my expectations for the perfect successor to the original Queen Mary.  I suspect that QM2 will also inherit the mystique of the original Queen Mary, but so far the jury is out, and we’ll just have to wait and see if this great vessel will come alive in the hearts of the masses, just as the original Queen Mary did.  I am thrilled by what I have seen.  The Quality of the workmanship, the well thought out design and layout of her public spaces, are first-class.  The Queen Mary 2 is truly a ship with epic proportions.  Other cruise ships may be constructed that are longer, wider, and taller, but it will be an enormous undertaking to exceed the charm, the royalty, and the heart, that the Queen Mary 2 has already received.  Once again, a Cunard Queen will carry on the legend, the romance, the history and tradition of a trans-Atlantic crossing.