CELEBRITY VS QM2... CONTINUED

Further to the posting about how these 2 comapre, this was a posting by FANG who ahs a lot of experience with Celebrity - and really liked QM2:

" I have just returned from the QM2 (Jan 29 cruise). My wife and I have been on Celebrity 13 times. On Celebrity we usually book a suite. We have been in all of the different suites on Celebrity, except the Celebrity Suite (due to no balcony).

On the QM 2 we booked a B2 stateroom. I will say that it would be hard to compare the suites on Celebrity to the Princess/Queens grill suites on Cunard. I say this because of the Grill rooms that a suite passenger would have access to on Cunard. When we travel with my daughters we have booked connecting concerge class cabins.

I would say that the interiors of the QM2 are much better than any Celebrity ship. I was amazed at how stunning the public areas are on the QM2. We loved the Golden Lion, Chart Room and Sir Samuels Wine bar. The major draw back about the QM2 is the pool areas. We spent time at the Terrace pool, and found it very complicated just to get to. Our cabin was on deck 11. The only way to get to the Terrace pool was for us to go to deck 12 then walk down three flights of outside steps to deck 8 or go to deck 7 and climb up outside steps to deck 8. There is a walkway on deck 8 but one must go through Todd English.One nice thing about the pool areas on QM2 is that their Hot Tubs are actually hot!! Not so on Celebrity were they are warm at best and most of the time cool. I also believe that QM2 are heated alittle and they are fresh water. Not so on Celebrity.

The food I thought was better on QM2. Not much so but still a little better. There is much more choices on QM2. At lunch on Celebrity all lines at the Buffet area serve the same items. On QM2 the Kings Court has four different options. It was very nice. QM2 did not have waiters to carry trays and find empy tables in the Kings Court like they do in the buffet area on Celebrity. The service is about the same on Celebrity as QM2 with one major exception, being the dinning room.

Our service at dinner was poor. Perhaps the worst I have ever had on 20 cruises (even American Hawaii was better). Our waiter did not even introduce himself. Perhaps it is because all tips are added to your bill and they don't think they have to be good. I do not know.If the QM2 did 7 night cruises again out of the Florida we would cruise on her again in a minute. Hopefully that will happen in the winter of 2007.

My opinion is that the two lines are very comparable. Celebrity has the edge in service (just because our waiter and asst. waiter were very poor). QM2 has an edge in food (just because there are so many choices).I am sure that in the suites on QM2 the service and food would be much better than Celebrity. However, for the money I do not know if it would be worth it for me to travel that way."