African Queen Sunset Cruise On The Zambezi River

A very disappointing cruise, and I will never sail on Cunard again.

WHY YOU NEVER WANT TO CRUISE ON CUNARD’S QUEEN ELIZABETH What I have to say probably applies to all of Cunard’s ships, but my personal experience was confined to a recent 21-day cruise. Dangerous weather eliminated three of the planned ports-of-call for which Cunard cannot be blamed. That aside, it was by far the worst cruise I have ever been on. Where to start? This QE trip was a repositioning cruise, hence the extraordinary number of “at sea” days with no onshore opportunities. Originally scheduled for twelve, we ended up with 15 (out of 21) days with nothing to look at except empty ocean. As someone keenly interested in wildlife, I looked forward to a rare opportunity to see whales, dolphins, and a host of oceanic bird species rarely if ever seen on or even from land. Thus: Problem No. 1. This ship was designed with no public decks overlooking the bow, which is the ideal spot from which to see and photograph wildlife. The one area on the bottom deck facing forward is reserved for crew recreation and is strictly off limits to paying passengers. Requested permission, stating my reasons along with biologist credentials to use this facility just after dawn on occasion, was denied in writing by the captain. My steward could use it, but I couldn’t. Windowed areas overlooking the bow on the highest decks are unsuitable for binocular or camera usage because of obstruction or distortion. Problem No. 2: FOOD: While admittedly subjective, most experienced travelers who are discerning and appreciative of decent food would rate dining on QE way below par for cruise ships. Tasteless comes to mind; “lousy” would be my preferred term. Some of this has to do with Cunard, whose venerable and famous liners have been known for their lamentably poor food since the start of the 20th century. Let’s face it, there are no laudable “English” restaurants as there are Chinese, French, Italian, or even Indonesian (a personal favorite) or Mexican. The best restaurant in London for decades has been Connaught Grill, but you will not find anything but Continental food served there. I had trouble finding anything to look forward to in those 62 meals provided, whether it was at The Lido buffet (complimentary to all passengers), or at the more exclusive (and costlier) restaurants. At their most exclusive Verandah Steakhouse ($70 cover charge per person), they sufficiently ruined three attempts at a medium-rare filet mignon to the degree that the head chef felt compelled to come out and personally apologize – to my embarrassment and sympathy (he seems not to have had adequate training or even proper tools such as a meat thermometer). Now to be fair, they did do a few things right. Their rolls were, I felt, exceptionally nice (often the best part of the meal), and there was real cream available with coffee everywhere (no half-n-half) along with milk. The fresh fruit was adequate, but the canned fruit was abominable. To summarize: We all know that two things are required for delicious food - the very best and freshest ingredients, and great care in its preparation. Some would consider presentation a third, but I don’t find that essential to enjoying delicious food. I have had to-die-for lobster rolls handed to me on a paper napkin. Where Cunard really fails is in quality. Everything they serve seems to be the cheapest available: The smoked salmon has no flavor as was the case with virtually everything else. They made nice soups (reliably hot only at the beginning of the buffet seating, however), with names like pumpkin, asparagus, etc., but if you closed your eyes, you could not have detected any of these ingredients. They all tasted and looked exactly alike except for the tomato. The food is artfully prepared. Deserts, baked goods, and fruit are all appealing to the eye, but every one of them lacks the flavor that comes from high-quality ingredients. Cheapness prevails throughout every aspect of this ship. Shampoo, soap, in-room coffee, writing materials (available only in super-deluxe staterooms) – everything. They charge extra for everything -- ice cream (which is so low in butterfat as to be more like sherbert), and even coffee or tea anywhere but in the buffet; a coke or club soda will be an extra charge everywhere on the ship, and of course, all alcoholic beverages. Sadly, after just a couple of days on board, there was absolutely nothing I looked forward to eating at mealtimes, and couldn’t wait to get home to my wife’s cooking. WORKING STAFF: Like most cruise ship companies, Cunard hires its working staff from every conceivable Third World country to obtain the cheapest labor on the world market. The Philippines and India are Cunard favorites. These mostly young people serve as cabin stewards, waiters, kitchen staff and do routine maintenance. Despite the low pay and primitive on-board living conditions, they are extraordinarily friendly and willing to assist passengers in every way possible. They were a true highlight on this and every other cruise I have been on. They seem extremely glad to have these steady jobs despite the long absences from families back home, which they largely support. SENIOR STAFF are mostly British, and especially those on the bridge, are more aloof than any others I have encountered. The captain is never seen mingling with passengers – unlike the days when trans-Atlantic steamers had First Class passengers who developed personal relationships with all the senior officers on the ship. Class distinction is still very much alive in today’s England, and it is reflected in their cruise ships where we passengers are “NQ” (not quite) according to the familiar British phrase. ACCOMODATIONS: Even in my “upgraded” balcony cabin, the room was smaller than on comparable ships (e.g. Holland America, Princess, Azamara), with cramped bathrooms and cloth shower curtains. The cost to have Wi-Fi use for a single phone or tablet seemed excessively high on this voyage: $462 for “standard” (which I found inadequate for sending email photos), and $630 for “premium” service (which I presume is better). I do not have comparative costs on other cruise lines. One of the really discouraging things about Cunard is that they never seem to learn from, or correct their mistakes. Two examples: 1) The elevators on the QE have three call buttons instead of the customary two – UP and DOWN. The third button, on top, is supposedly to reach top decks unreachable on other elevators. None of this is explained with signage, and consequently, people press these buttons randomly. This leads to elevators routinely stopping at unwanted floors to the annoyance and delay of riders. 2) Another major problem happens often when eating at The Lido buffet. If you return to the food area to get another roll, dessert or whatever, the eager staff will remove all your food and utensils, and you will return to a completely empty table. This engenders a colossal waste of good food, and a major annoyance to passengers. Upon boarding, if instructions were provided in the accompanying literature as to how to signify that your table or place setting is still in use, all this could be avoided. Placing your napkin on your seat or hanging it over the back of your chair are just two possible solutions. Lastly, there are only two sets of washing machines/dryers on each deck, with hundreds of people on each clamoring for their use. With each load taking nearly two hours, and with restricted hours for usage, you can imagine the chaos this created. Disgraceful. On a 21-day cruise, the need to do regular laundry was acute, and the mayhem unforgivable for a ship that has been in service for 16 years. More than enough time for Cunard to fix the problem – they didn’t bother. Stay away!

via Tripadvisor

Could be so much better

Boy this could be awesome. But it wasn’t. It’s a sunset cruise. Anyone who has ever seen a sunset knows that the best part is the 30 minutes after the sun goes down. That’s when the sky is at its best. So on this trip what happens? As soon as the sun goes down they scarper back to base, hugging the shore line (so you can’t see the after sunset sky) and you are back docked well before the sky truly turns orange. In a nutshell this trip starts 45 minutes too early and finishes 45 minutes too early.

Response from the operator: Dear Guest, Thank you for taking the time to share such detailed feedback about your African Queen Sunset Cruise experience. We’re pleased to hear that you saw the potential for the cruise to be an exceptional experience, and we genuinely appreciate your specific observation regarding the timing. We understand your point that the period immediately after sunset can offer some of the most beautiful colours in the evening sky, and that this is an important part of the sunset experience for many guests. We are sorry that the timing and return route did not allow you to enjoy this part of the evening as you had hoped. Your feedback is valuable, and we will share it with the relevant team and review the current cruise schedule and operating arrangements to better understand whether improvements can be made. We appreciate you bringing this to our attention and hope that, should you visit Victoria Falls again, we will have the opportunity to provide you with the experience you were expecting. Warm regards,

via Tripadvisor

Scam/Fraud - book the boat trip from another operator

This vendor is a fraud, there was no booking for us despite paying well in advance. They became un-communicative when it came to the day of the activity. The boat trip is recommended but do not book with this particular operator.

Response from the operator: Dear Guest, Thank you for sharing your feedback. We are sincerely sorry for the frustration and disappointment you experienced. We take your concerns regarding the booking, payment, communication, and arrangements for the day of the cruise extremely seriously. We understand how upsetting it would be to arrive expecting a confirmed experience after making payment in advance, only to discover that there was an issue with the booking. We would like to assure you that we are conducting a thorough investigation to establish exactly what transpired, including reviewing the booking confirmation, payment records, communication, and arrangements made with the service provider and booking platform. We regret that your experience has led you to describe the situation in this way. Our priority is to establish the facts and ensure that any issues identified are addressed appropriately so that our guests can have confidence when booking with us. If you are willing, please contact us directly with your Viator booking reference so that we can investigate your individual case and follow up with you personally. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused and appreciate you bringing this matter to our attention. Kind regards,

via Viator

Extremely disappointing experience

0/5 Avoid this vendor! We booked and paid for the cruise, but no one showed up to pick us up. When we made our way to the boarding location, as at this point we still believed there must have been some kind of pick up mix up- but then we were told we weren’t even booked for the cruise. As we had proof of a booking on TripAdvisor and proof of payment the staff at African Queen Sunset Cruise were kind enough to try and help us contact the vendor, but despite their efforts, we received no response. The manager Miriam went above and beyond trying to figure out how to assist us but even though she is highly knowledgeable and experienced she couldn’t get hold of the service provider - It feels like we've been scammed. Do yourself a favor and avoid this service!

Response from the operator: Dear Guest, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We are deeply sorry for the distress and disappointment caused by what should have been an enjoyable evening on the Zambezi. We sincerely apologize that your scheduled pickup did not arrive and that your booking could not be located upon arrival, despite having a valid TripAdvisor confirmation and proof of payment. This is not the standard of service we strive to provide. We would also like to thank Miriam and the African Queen team for their professionalism and genuine efforts to assist you on the day. Please be assured that we are conducting a full investigation to determine exactly what transpired, including reviewing the booking records, pickup arrangements, and communication between all parties. We take this matter very seriously and are committed to identifying the cause and preventing it from happening again. If you have not already been assisted with your booking or refund, we kindly invite you to contact us directly with your TripAdvisor booking reference so we can follow up on your case personally. Kind regards,

via Tripadvisor

Switch to the rhythms of the sounds of natural habitat nature as it sounds silence musical tunes Zambezi river gives right defin

A glimpse on the Zambezi river sun set boat cruise deep to nature as elemental part as one explore the musi oa tunya national park

Response from the operator: "Thank you for your wonderful review! 🌅🚤 We're thrilled you enjoyed the magical rhythms of nature on the Zambezi River during the Lion King of Victoria Falls Sunset Cruise. There's truly nothing like witnessing the golden sunset while gliding through the waters, surrounded by the beauty of Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park. We appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you aboard again for another unforgettable experience! 🌿✨ #SouthernDynastySafaris #ZambeziSunsetCruise"

via Tripadvisor