QM2

Tags

Atlantic, Canada., Cunard, Food, Halifax, Ocean, Ocean liner, QM2, Restaurant, Samuel Cunard, Sea, service

For our return we decided to take an ocean liner back to North America instead of flying. The Cunard Company now owned by Carnival Cruises has the Queen Mary 2 sailing from Southampton to NYC and back. The ship carries about 3000 passengers and for us it was the biggest ship we had ever taken. The other companies we cruised with where Crystal, Azamara and Holland American, on ships holding from 800 to 1100 passengers. We love Azamara and all the trips we made with them.

To go to Southampton from London you have several options, the distance is 128 km, the travel time is about 90 minutes depending on traffic on the highway if you go by bus or car. By train the train station in Southampton is not in the docks area so you need to take a taxi for the transfer. There is also no links between Heathrow airport and Southampton.

We compared prices and options and chose a private chauffeured car to go from our Hotel Bailey’s in London to Southampton. It took under 2 hours for our trip in a very comfortable Mercedes S class.

On arrival at Southampton embarkation was very well organized and took about 30 minutes.

If you travel with Cunard be ready to be bombarded non stop with publicity telling you how absolutely fantastic they are and no one compares to them, blah, blah, blah. This was a very big red flag and we should have known that if you need to repeat endlessly how fantastic you are, there is an obvious problem.

The majority of the passengers were British 1650 of them, then Americans 620, Canadians at 450 and then Germans, Italians, French and other nationalities. Notices on board were in German and English. Why?

The staff of the ship is mostly Philippino, gone are the days when they were all Brits or Irish, I will tell you why later, then some Eastern Europeans in management and the Ship Officers are British. This being a very big ship it took several days to get familiar with the various decks and where things were located, you could get lost easily.

The ship features many vignettes of the Cunard line and of the various ships and its personnel through the ages who help make the company name. That was when Cunard was owned by Cunard and not some foreign entity, it was also a time when Cunard still abided by British Labour Laws and rates of pay and before they decided to change the Flag on the ship to one of Convenience, which changes the pay scale and work hours.

Cunard today is no longer the company it once was, the world of the Ocean Liner is run on maximum profit business plan and so we felt we were being nickel and dime to death. Breakfast in the morning if you wanted a cappuccino you had to pay $4.50 and go get it at the bar some distance away. The service is also not what it once was, it is mostly serve yourself nowadays. We were rushed though meals, there was nothing leisurely. Order quickly and make sure you put in your wine order before you order your meals because you may get your wine by dessert time. The dining room Britannia had a very unsettling constant vibration. The Maitre d’ assured us on the first night that the speed of the ship was the reason for this unsettling vibration but once we attained the regular 21 knots it would cease, nope it continued to vibrate badly. The food was bland at best, not inspired at all despite the claim of exciting menu choices. The only time we experienced anything better was the evening we went to The Verandah, which is the premium restaurant of the QM2.

The entertainment on board is of OK quality, stuck in 1960 variety model, nothing to write home about and highly forgettable, certainly not world class as claimed by Cunard. Same with their so called World famous speakers, I expected Henry Kissinger, not so. The hype surrounding the shows is a little ridiculous. The various musical groups on board performing where either playing too loudly and/or not well, false notes, etc. with the exception of the Jazz group who played in the Carinthia lounge who were of superior quality. Helen Leek was also a great pianist and a woman of talent who gave recitals.

The QM2 was refurbished in Hamburg, Germany in June 2016, at least all the public rooms and restaurants where, am not sure about the cabins. The cabins are larger than the usual cruise ship cabin and the bathroom is nice, it was very quiet on our deck.

So when Cunard says they exceed your expectations, no they don’t, I expected a nice crossing of the North Atlantic in the style of bygone era, leisurely pace, superior food and no pressure or demands to conform to the expectations of Cunard, after all who is paying for the trip. Every announcement was always on the tone of the nanny scolding, for your safety and security blah, blah, blah, I finally remarked to someone that I was starting to feel there was something wrong or dangerous about this crossing or the boat. They were truly treating us like little kids, which is grating. Even telling people what was appropriate to wear on board. I can understand requirements for a jacket at dinner or on the special night a black tie, but beyond that I found it insulting. Given that the average age on board is 65+, it is inexplicable.

Upon embarkation our luggage was to be delivered to our Stateroom, I discovered one suitcase and one garment bag missing. After one hour of looking around I went to the service desk and found the missing bags just left there, so I had to carry it myself to my cabin, so much for their legendary White Star Service.

In the Port of Halifax, N.S., Canada, statue of a true Haligonian, Samuel Cunard.

I would not recommend Cunard which is now owned and a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation. The business plan is profits first and the rest later. That is not the way to enjoy a crossing or a cruise.

The nautical maps were also incorrect, geography is not Cunard’s strong point. Canada was shown somewhere in the North Pole region, Newfoundland was described as an Island, as if it was still a British colony. We passed Halifax on our way to NYC, it did not appear on the map, despite the fact that it is the birthplace of Samuel Cunard and he still has relatives living there.  A large statue to Samuel Cunard graces the docks in Halifax where the cruise terminal is located. However it was pointed out to us where the Titanic went down.

Titanic is down there, thankfully no iceberg in sight.

Now this is not to say that all was bad, no, we did have time to read great books we brought along, saw some fun movies, Zootropolis,  Hail Cesar with George Cluny and While we’re young, something we rarely do. We met great people, we had charming dinner companions and met lots of truly delightful people, we slept a lot, and walked the deck which was a great easy exercise. The ship also had a truly impressive wine list, some rare finds and great years. There was also a large collection of Ports some where 170 years old. The various bars on board had just about every alcohol you can think of and a great collection of single malt scotch.

Walking daily on Deck 7 was great fun watching the ever changing sea. The light on the water from grey to dark blue to royal blue all in a few minutes, then suddenly see rainbows and the Sun shimmering on the water making it silver white.

Because we had a large contingent of British people on board, I started to notice the accents, truly some of them I could not understand, it was thick. I was told that some of them come from the region at the border with Scotland. So we just smiled and nodded a lot.

An alumni of Trinity College Dublin, notice the colour.

At the front of the ship, no not modern sculptures but emergency spare propeller blades.

On deck 7 at Sea 

At 5am in the port of New York, our arrival.

The early morning arrival in New York at docking across from Governor’s Island.

From New York we went to LaGuardia which is undergoing a massive rebuilding and the whole airport is in shambles. We flew to Toronto for our connecting flight to PEI.

On our approach to Lester B. Pearson International Airport, Toronto seen from above.

Waiting on tables 2 styles

Tags

Food, Restaurants, Rome, service, waiters

This is a very good article by John Henderson who lives in Italy.

I wholeheartedly agree with him on eating in a restaurant in Italy and how very different it is from eating in a restaurant here in Canada or the USA. I much prefer the Italian approach.

By: John Henderson

If I could introduce one aspect of the Italian dining experience to America, it wouldn’t be the tomatoes so sweet I eat them like apples or the rich extra virgin olive oil or prosciutto as lean as an Italian model. It would be Federico. Federico is a waiter in my favorite pizzeria in Rome.

It’s not because he serves a pizza in which the dough levitates for three days, giving it a fresh, thicker crust, not to mention the restaurant its name. It’s because Federico is a typical Italian waiter. I came with my two best male buddies. We talked male talk. We talked about soccer and women and, this being Italy, wine, food and art. Not once did Federico come over and refill our water glass after we took a sip. He knew we hadn’t spent the week in the Sahara. When we took a piece of bread he didn’t refill the basket. We didn’t look homeless. He didn’t come over twice asking if the food was good. This is Italy. He knew the food was good.

In other words, he is not a Canadian or American waiter. One of the most overlooked pleasures of dining out in Italy is the service. While this may flummox North American tourists who demand to be waited on in Italy like Caesar and Cleopatra, Italian waiters’ laid-back approach is more appetizing. Federico represents what wait service in Italy is all about: Respect. Professionalism. Efficiency. Kindness. Patience.

Wait service in the U.S. is all about: Tips. Overbearingness. Tips. Questions. Impatience. More tips. When I eat, even if I’m alone, I want to be left alone. Waiters should be like soccer referees. They should do their job without being noticed. In the U.S., many waiters are as ubiquitous as table knives yet not nearly as sharp. They think they’re freelance writers, that they’re paid by the word. I once dated a woman whose daughter worked for one of those awful chain restaurants found in every suburb in America. During training, they told her that by the time the customer enters the door and leaves, the waitress must have at least 23 contacts. That’s not wait service. That’s one refilled Coke away from a stalking charge. I’ve been harassed less in Turkish carpet shops.

The difference between Italy and North America is eating in Italy is much more of an experience. Rome is not a bar town. It’s a restaurant town. People in Rome linger more over a meal. They don’t have reservations at a show. They’re not hitting the bars afterward. They are there to spend the evening. Waiters here know this.

A few years ago I met some friends at a Trattoria in Trastevere, the old Bohemian neighborhood across the Tiber River. We sat there from 8 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., well past closing. When they swept up around us, the owner came by with free limoncello and biscotti. If we weren’t in a hurry to leave, they weren’t, either. I’ve been in restaurants in New York where waiters nearly put timers on your table to buzz you when it’s time to go.

You want to know how to wait a table? Follow how Federico treated our’s. I arrived ahead of my friends and he said, “Buona sera, John.” He remembered my name. I hadn’t been there in two months. I didn’t even remember his face. He put me at the same table and remembered what I ordered. When my friends arrived, he handed us menus and then left. He didn’t immediately ask us what we wanted to drink. We hadn’t even said hello yet. When we were ready to order, I merely looked up and he caught my eye. He came over, took our order, brought the wine, then took our pizza orders. He went away.  When the pizzas came in less than 10 minutes, he left. We didn’t see him again until we ordered more wine. We didn’t see him after that until we asked for the check.

The only reason I noticed him is after two years in Italy I have become very appreciative of Italian wait service. I notice that I notice it. I asked him about his philosophy. Federico has only been a waiter six years. He’s not the veteran waiter you see in many trattorias and pizzerias. But they share the same approach, as if they all came off a conveyer belt in Tuscany. “I want to let you enjoy your meal,” he said. “Be kind with a smile but don’t be obsessed with the client.” Many North American waiters act as if we’re on fire. Why do they try to be our best friend? Their smiles are as phony as a beggar’s.

A good waiter in a Roman restaurant is always there when I need him; he’s never there when I don’t. He comes when I raise my hand as if signalling a bus to stop. I once asked why do waiters leaves us alone. “You are together and I wanted to give you privacy,” he said, almost with a American-style shrug. American waiters, waitresses, did you hear that? It’s real simple. We’re at your table to talk to each other, not to you. If I want to discuss wine with you, I’ll ask you. I’ll ask for more bread and more water. If there’s water still in my glass, why are you refilling it? What am I? A camel?

A waiter in North America is paid for his service. If he works five hours, he’s paid five hours. In Italy it’s different. It’s a salary starting at 1300 Euros per month. That’s a huge difference. Most Roman waiters make waiting a career. In  North America, it’s rent money until they finish school or they publish their great novel.

So thank you, Federico and others, for your great service. As for all the waiters and waitresses in Canada and the USA, learn this phrase you should know in the oft-crude Romanaccio dialect: Magna e scappa. (Go away.)

My computer died

Tags

Apple, cars, Computers, dealership, MAC, Rideau Centre, service, Wine

My 4 year old Mac has serious health problems. Some of the letters on the key board no longer work. So I took it in to the Apple Store for a look and a diagnostic. Funny how the Apple store is a lot like a car dealership, lots of shinny things flashing at you.

You could get this or that, a new product which allows you to do all kinds of things at the speed of light. The things is, if you sit down and think about it for one moment, ask yourself what do I use my Mac for exactly? What functions are most important to me. In my case it’s Gmail and then this blog, the third would be Skype which has nothing to do with Apple. I also like to write documents on a separate program. That’s it.

So the young man at the Apple store calls me and says that the original estimate of what needed to be done to bring my computer back to life went from $250 dollars CDN to $1000 dollars CDN. There are more problems than anticipated despite the fact that the original prognosis looked good. It has to do with a liquid spill, red wine, some 3 years ago while reading ancient Hebrew texts. Which goes to prove that Ancient Hebrew texts, wine and Apple computers are incompatible. Lesson learned.

Guess what a new computer similar to do one I have is only $1019. dollars CDN. So the young man says to me, do you want to go ahead with the repairs, there is no guarantee it will work. I strongly suspect at this point that the policy of Apple is to try to get you to buy something instead of trying to repair your computer.

I wish something could be done but it’s a case where you cannot get a second opinion since there is no one to go to.

The Apple Store is very much in the corporate image Apple wants to give of itself, all the staff are young, under 35, mostly young men, white, wearing the Apple uniform of a blue T-shirt and jeans. You come in report to staff, who does not acknowledge you as much as simply ask your name, you made an appointment online to see someone at the genius bar, you are always addressed by your first name, you are just another customer, staff will assign you to the long table where 20 customers can sit, side by side and discuss there problems with another staff, the genius bar. The conversation is fast, there is a lot of noise and you must pay close attention. I ask them to repeat pointing out that I did not hear what they said, so much background noise, nor fully understood them.

Apple makes no accommodation for the fact that older customers may not fully understand what they are talking about since their speech is peppered with technical jargon. The Apple store does get older customers who are usually more moneyed the the young crowd who will have a iPhone and are looking for a cheap quick fix.

It is too bad that I have to replace my computer but I really do not see what else I can do. What is strange is that the car dealership has the same approach, they do not want to repair your car, they want to sell you a new one, I have received bi-monthly calls since I purchased the car 4 years ago about a trade or buying a new car.

What corporations like Apple fail to realize is that I would not go to their store simply to browse or look at new product because despite the sleek look, it is unwelcoming and Apple is clueless about that. Their flag ship in Ottawa also offers a lot less services than 5 years ago. Less staff, less helpful, more focused on sale and the front area which use to welcome customers has been abandoned and everything happens at the back with as many as 100 customers jammed in the genius bar area.

At this point I always wonder what would it be like if I was shopping in the USA. I am pretty sure the experience would be very different simply based on my own personal experience through the years in various American shops and cities where service standards are higher and different.