Jack E Dawson

Actually, your challenge is just the opposite. There is so much to do on the QM2 that you will tend to over stuff the burrito. My suggestion is to get all of your "fill the wine glass to the top" days out of your system on the trip over. On the return trip is when you will stop and smell the roses, oops, I mean the salt air. Enjoy the deck chairs on the promenade deck, spend an hour in the hot tubs on deck 8 stern terrace with a few glasses of champagne. Let the Atlantic Ocean and the Greatest Ship afloat fill your senses. As for NYC, I would suggest skipping Macy's and having brunch in Central Park at the Boat House. Make a reservation, arrive an hour early and enjoy a few glasses of champagne in the bar where you will meet the most interesting people from around the world. Then, spend 2 hours in a parrallel universe of pleasure. The Boat House is strictly a May - October experience. If I'm wrong, the first glass of champagne on me. If you've had a second glass, either in the hot tub or at the Boat House, well then, I'm right.

Jack Dawson

aka Harold

Crusierking is right, the Golden Lion is your best bet. But here is a better bet, the NFL will be the last thing on your mind.

Go Packers

Sorry, didn't do the gym but we did power walk the promenade deck every day but once and felt very comfortable going down in gym type clothing.

At the beginning of May we took the E-W TA out of Southampton. We opted to spend the weekend before in London then take the Cunard sponsored motor coach on Monday morning to Southampton. One block from the bus terminal is the Majestic Wine Store (164 Buckingham Place Road, Victoria London). We popped in there on the way to the bus terminal and picked up 5 bottles of wine. This is a large full service wine store with very good prices. Spent $51. Of course there was no problem bringing these on board. Now you would think that 5 bottles for a 7-night cruise would be enough but we did find it necessary to purchase additional wine by the glass on the ship. Usually a glass at dinner and then a glass or two in the Queens Room during the evening dancing. We found the Cunard house cab to be very nice and consistent with normal restaurant prices for a house wine. On a few nights we ended our evenings with a drink in the Chart Room or Commodore's Lounge with either bourbon or a liqueur. These drinks were always around $8 which we found very reasonable for top shelf brands like Jack Daniels and Grand Marnier.

Any further update on this change? What about on the QE? We were on the QM2 E-W 5/8-15 TA and VC was still the champagne of record.

Dear 3rdGenCunarder

I had to go back and look at the pictures we took and sure enough, it was Pol Acker that was left in our stateroom. We thought it was very good and really appreciated such a nice gift.

There is NO DOUBT that we will take more cruises (2019???). Hopefully we can get some of our friends to come with us as well. At this point we will probably stay on Cunard but will continue to use the real-world posting Cruise Critic for insight and guidance.

Harold

My wife and I just completed the May 8th – 15thEast to West Crossing on the QM2. It was an amazing time. I thought it might be useful to share some of our experiencesand thoughts from this trip, especially for those who might be taking theirfirst ever cruise or their first ever voyage on the QM2. This was our firstever voyage on any cruise ship. We spent two years planning the trip incelebration of our 40th wedding anniversary.

WHAT WE DID RIGHT

Chose the QM2 – While we’ve never been on any other ship,the QM2 was exactly what we were looking for at this point in our lives andexactly the environment we wanted to celebrate this special occasion. The QM2felt brand new. The ship, its crew and the onboard experiences offered exceededall of our expectations.

Cruise Critic Cunard Board – We spent the last two years reading postsand asking questions on the Cunard Board. It’s probably impossible not to havea great time on a QM2 voyage but the insights and advise we received from thosewho generously post on Cruise Critic allowed us to make the very most out ofour time on the ship. We were able to avoid a lot of rookie mistakes.

Britannia Club – This was our hardest decision but for us itturned out to be the right decision. Having no set dining time made ourafternoon activities a lot more relaxing. The Britannia Club dining also had anadditional page of dishes that were available every night if the dailyBritannia menu failed to excite. I ate off of this page twice and also on two occasions I added the seared scallopsfrom the Club menu to the fish of the day on the Britannia menu. Club levelalso guarantees an unobstructed balcony view. Our room, 12022, was an excellentlocation. There are other minor benefits to Britannia Club. Because of a salegoing on at the time of our booking, it cost us about $800 more to be in theClub level, well worth it to us.

East to West Crossing - Without that extra night's sleep on five of the nights we never would have made it. AN East to West crossing is 10 hours longer than the reverse course. That's an extra half day on this wonderful ship.

Cunard Coach – Staying in London at the Victoria DoubleTree by Hilton and taking Cunard bus to Southampton made for a relaxing way toget to Southampton. The hotel is two blocks (4-minute walk) from the busstation. Once there the service took control of our bags all the way to ourstate room. We also felt that if there was heavy traffic or a breakdown, theQM2 might grant us a little extra time before departing because we were using aCunard service. We probably could have saved a little money arranging our owntransportation but again, we were looking for a stress free holiday.

Port Side – Booking a room on port (sunny) side of ship is a must, especiallywith an early May crossing. We were fortunate to have had nice weather all buttwo days and really enjoyed our balcony. A glass of wine on the balcony beforedinner became a regular part of our routine.

Bring Wine – We brought 4 bottles of wine on board. We bought them at a winestore one block from the Double Tree in London. This saved us roughly $150. Wedrank the wine on our balcony and while sitting in the deck chairs on the PromenadeDeck.

Table for 6 – We were lucky to have great tablemates. There was a couple fromAustralia, a single from London and a British single now living in Phoenix.With 6 people it was easy to carry on a table conversation and avoid awkward silencesthat might occur with a table of 4.

Canyon Ranch Spa – We saved generally about 40% takingadvantage of the daily specials from the Canyon Ranch Spa. For example, my wifehad an 80-minute full body massage including hot stones for the Friday dailyspecial price of $149. The normal cost was $280.

WHAT WE DID WRONG

Bag Size – Because we were traveling through Spain the week before departingon the QM2, we choose to travel with 4 carry-on bags that we didn’t have tocheck with the airlines. Our fear was thatthe airlines might lose our bags and all of our evening/formal wear. Draggingthese four bags around and finding places for them in the overhead storage binswas a pain in the butt. Next time we will just pack two large bags and take ourchances with the airlines.

WHAT WE DID RIGHT THAT WAS WRONG

Power Strip – We brought along a power strip to give us extra 110V outlets onthe ship. Not necessary, there were 4 110V outlets in our cabin. More thanenough.

WHAT WE DID WRONG THAT WAS RIGHT

Changing Tables – Somehow we misunderstood and thought thatour Britannia Club table was only assigned to us for dinner. So each morning ataround 9:15AM we would mosey into the Britannia restaurant and ask the maitred' for a table for two by a window and each morning that is what we got.Because we are not morning people, a table for two worked out perfectly for us.

Dress Code – The hot tubs on the Deck 8 Terrace (Stern) is a great place torelax. However, getting there can be a challenge. Cunard dress code says thatone should wear proper clothes over your bathing suit to and from the pool. Ifneeded there are changing rooms at the pools. However, we chose to only whereour bath robes over our swim suits. This was a lot easier and avoided dampclothes on the trip back to the cabin. We would then take the hallway on Deck11 (we were on Deck 12 which does not run the length of the ship) all the wayback to the D Elevators and drop down to Deck 7 as there is no direct access toDeck 8 Terrace from Deck 8 except through the Verandah Restaurant. On the portside of the ship near elevator bank D Deck 7 is a hidden stairway that leads upto Deck 8 Terrace.

AVOID THE CUE

I once had a boss tell me that what was wrong with me was that Ididn't like doing reports. To which I replied, "it gets worse, I don'tlike standing in lines either."

Here is how to take the Q out of the QM2.

Afternoon tea and the Planetarium – Wait till mid-cruise to startgoing.

Lunch in the Golden Lion - Wait till 2'ish for lunch (try London Pridebeer)

Breakfast in either the Britannia or King's Court - Get there after9:10AM

Doing laps on the Promenade Deck - Noon till 1:30PM it is relativelyempty

Evening Shows in the Royal Court Theater - Get there at 8:15PM.Upper level right side first row. Enjoy the relaxing room and have a drink fromtheir bar service.

Laundry Room – Noon

THINGS THAT SURPRISED US

The crew works very very hard and represents more than 50 countries.They are very bright, well informed and genuinely friendly. They take greatpride in their work and were a huge part in making our crossing so special.

The ship is alive with music from noon on.

A lot of the passengers are great dancers. If you are not, still getout on the dance floor. We only had one couple criticize us. In their defense, we (actually me) are really bad.

The Royal Theater singers are extremely talented.

Despite the endless bashing on CC, we loved the complimentary bottleof Prosecco.

SUGGESTIONS

Have an assigned direction for passengers doing laps on the PromenadeDeck. About 95% went counter-clockwise but for some reason there were always afew going the opposite direction and making it difficult for the rest.

There was no Irish music. Maybe offer that in the Golden Lion after10:00PM

The hot tubs on Deck 8 Terrace (stern) are not hot, in fact they arejust warm. This is a great spot to relax and watch the world ocean goby.

We will always treasure our crossing on the QM2. It was everything we had imagined and more. A special thanks to Miss Victoria Kiss. We look forward to our next adventure on this great ship.

Harold Green

aka Jack Dawson

Just returned yesterday from May 8th-15th west-bound crossing on the QM2.

The temps were in the 60's most days. We had two nice sunny days and the rest were mostly cloudy. We were able to use the outside hot tubs on the stern terrace deck 8 all but 2 bad weather days. On those 2 rough and excessively windy days we used the indoor pool and hot tubs on deck 12. This area has a glass ceiling that offers plenty of sunlight.

Harold Green

Just returned from the May 8-15 west bound crossing on the QM2. We choose to use the Cunard sponsored bus from London Victoria Bus Station. The night before we stayed at the DoubleTree just two blocks from the station and walked to the there the next morning in about 5 minutes time. We arrived at the station at 10:30AM and departed on our bus at 11:00AM. Our luggage was taken from us at the bus station and managed all the way to our state room.

The ride took two hours and the bus was clean, comfortable and had a bathroom. We probably could have saved a few dollars arranging our own transportation but it was worth the peace of mind that if anything happened to delay our arrival Cunard would have held the ship, at least for awhile.

We arrived at the departure terminal at 1:00PM, showed our e-tickes and were given a green card with the letter "T" on it designating our processing group. At the time they were on green "A". It took about one hour for our group to be called up for processing. The waiting area in the terminal is comfortable but sparse. Fortunately there was food and drink available for purchase, including liquor. There are a few tables around the food area. The prices were fair. While waiting we shared a table and some interesting conversation with a young couple from outside of London. There were dressed in formal wear from the Titanic era and the time passed quickly.

Once called up, the actual processing took only a few minutes as did the security screening and then we were on the ship. Everyone we dealt with was friendly and professional. All things considered, I don't see how the process could reasonably be improved.

Harold Green

GREAT photos. Thank you so much. We are taking our first cruise ever on the same May crossing this year. I wonder if you could add some comments regarding the weather. We have a balcony cabin and wondered if we will actually use the balcony. Of course I know there is no guarantee that our May crossing will have similar weather but any insight would be appreciated.

Does anyone have any thoughts on how the $40,000,000 fine against Carnival by the U.S. EPA might trickle down and affect Cunard operations? Will the budgets be tightened on the Queens?

Jack Dawson

Is Global Entry available in NYC when clearing U.S. customs?

We will be doing an east to west crossing on the QM2 next year.

Thanks

Thanks Salacia, I appreciate your advice. It's been my experience that the smoothest seat on an airplane is directly over the wing in coach. Yet somehow I continue to be drawn to first class when the opportunity presents its self.

My wife and I won't even be "new" to cursing until we set foot onboard the QM2 on May 8th of 2016. Although we have cruised and raced our own sailboats for the past 40 years we are still very much overwhelmed by this new adventure. Imigiane, having a toilet that doesn't need to be pumped out after each use. What other luxuries will we find aboard the QM2:) As a life-long career road warrior I have learned that one's flying experience can be so much improved by knowing all of the little tricks and in&out of the airline world. Now we find ourselves the newbie's in the cruising world. It's what we don't know that we don't know that worries me. The posts on CruiseCritic have been extremely helpful and very enjoyable to read. Having access to whole lifetimes of cruising experience is great. We can't wait for the Captain to give the order for Mr. Murdock to take her to sea.

Thanks again

Thanks.

I've just sent the info to my TA.

Am currently booked on the QM2 May 8th TA in BC.

Maybe can afford PG???

What is the POLAR system?

Thanks

Your sense of adventure for your 10th anniversary says a lot about you. I would strongly suggest delaying your cruise to May and do an east to west crossing based on your past experience. Enjoy both the interior and exterior of this great ship. Unfortunately Cunard just finished a balcony upgrade promotion but would still suggest a balcony booking. We have booked through United Airlines cruise program which has saved us considerable money and scores us 30K frequent flyer points. Im sure all of the airlines have some sort of cruise program. Ditto on the southern (port) cabin. As far as the age concern, you will find your younger crowd in the G-32 lounge after 9:00pm.

A TA on the QM2 is something you will remember for a lifetime.

My wife is very sensitive to cigar smoke. Since Churchill's is entered through the Commodore Club is there an issue with cigar smoke wafting into the bar?

Thanks Stewart. Midnight to 1:00AM will work fine.

My wife and I occasionally enjoy finishing an evening off with a late night cocktail. On the QM2 how late is the Commodore's Club or Corinthian Lounge open?

Thanks

Is the menu in the Verandah restaurant the same every night. So far all of the pictures I've seen posted on CC of the menu are all the same.

This is GREAT information and obviously took you a lot of time and effort to put together. My wife and I will be taking our first ever cruise next year on the QM2 TA E to W. So many of our questions were answered in your report. Thank you very much.

Thanks Pepperrn. The more detailed information in your link was exactly what i was looking for.

Will be doing a TA on he QM2 in Britannia Club. Does the new kettle come with a selection of coffees and teas or should we bring our own supply on board?

Is there a charge for the afternoon tea in the Queens Room?

Thank you Pepperrn. Your answers gave us the exact clarity we was looking for. Especially appreciate your added advice about the last formal night. We feel there is just so much that we don't know that we don't know but it will be an adventure finding out.

My wife and I are making an east to west TA crossing on the QM2 next May. This is all very new and there seems a lot of information to take in. However, there are a few issues I cannot get clarity on from the Cunard website. The community's help on these questions would be greatly appreciated.

1. Is the food in Golden Lion's Pub, Veuve Cliquot Bar, Carinthia Lounge, Sir Samuel's, Commodore Club and King's Court buffet included in the fare?

2. If we bring wine on board can we consume it outside of our cabin in open areas such as on the promenade deck or sports deck?

3. Is a la carte dining available in the Britannia Club restaurant?

4. Is breakfast available on the last morning before disembarking?

5. Is the menu basically the same each night in the Britannia restaurant?

6. Do you clear U.S. Customs on the boat before docking?

Thank you for your help.

Harold