QM2-failed on many fronts including safety

Sailed 22-29th May 2022 to Norway, 7 nights roundtrip from Southampton. Excited to sail for the 3rd time with Cunard and our first on QM2. There was a major problem with stateroom cardkeys not working and distinct lack of public announcements as to what to do. Many guests, some very elderly, waited in line at the Purser’s Office for a long time. Mood on board between the guests was best described as ‘angry’. We, and many other guests, did not report to our muster stations because we did not have a Cardkey to swipe. There was no follow up. I have reported this to the Bermuda Maritime Agency.
White Star Service was distinctly lacking – sommelier at dinner didn’t know much about any of the wines, other than that many of them were out of stock (we were asking for a bottle of red under €45) and seemed to be just waiters told to don a sommelier’s jacket. When we finally managed to order a bottle that was in stock, it arrived at our table just after our pudding did. This was not isolated to just the first night.
Noted that the ship needed maintenance – water stain marks in ceiling panels, bits held together with lorry straps, pools and jacuzzis not in operation.
Bars just before dinner were crowded, but we found a seat and waited for 20 minutes before a waiter could serve us. What was galling was that an officer, and his party of guests (possibly his mum) arrived, sat down and was immediately attended to…Many of the cocktails (one of the highlights of any cruise) were unable to be mixed because they lacked ingredients.
The entertainment offering was, on this cruise, heavily biased towards piano and classical music.
Overall, the material quality of the ship, the service received and her general feeling of being crowded with poorly-trained staff impacted on our enjoyment. What rescued our holiday was chatting to other guests and enjoying their company and stories.
Apologies that this review sounds so negative, but Cunard really let us down on this holiday and the Purser’s Office did not want to hear or record any of our concerns, particularly about the lack of enforcement of attending a muster station.