Way back when, I believe it was 80-82, cant even remember who we were owned by then, rumors were rife on board about being sold to P&O. Then along came the Falklands adventure. Which put a hold on everything. Before the war Cunards bean counters were looking at EVERY possible way to save money. Every way!!!. You requisitoned 12 pens you got 6. Instead of a big bar of soap in your bathroom you got a little one. Number of towels and quality was reduced. Portions in the restaurants were reduced. Instead of that tray of green beans at your table that would serve 4 it would now serve 2. If you wanted more, of course you got it. Specal orders like baked alaska and cherries jubilee were not offered as often.
All Officers had to fill out time sheets...what you did, how you did it and how long it took and why it took that long. The Cruise Director at the time put in one time sheet that had him working 26 hours one day.
Number of waiters at the Captains Party was reduced so not as many drinks were served. The cheap champagne was pushed instead. Some of the Cruise staff became concessionaire at lower wages and longer hours.
After the war, MoD paid for the refit, or alot of it and QE2 lived to see another time. Make no bones about it though...if the right price had been offered...she would have been gone!
