V and S

We sailed out of NYC on 6/3, and had a great cruise. We looked for the maintenance issues so often referred to here, but really felt we had to look for them. It's all in your choice of focus, I guess...

We adored the thalassotherapy pool, steam, sauna, loungers and used them every day. We were in PG and, like most everyone else, found the food delicious and the service excellent. We had afternoon tea in the Queen's Lounge every day, and that was a highlight for us. In the PG, much more attention was paid to my husband than to me, and at nearly every meal something I'd requested (i.e., milk for tea) was forgotten and had to be asked for again! He has a gluten allergy, and that may be why--they may have been trying to ensure he got his needs met. That was the only negative thing we have to say about the cruise, except that we booked white star luggage service, and when our bag arrived, it was badly ripped--Cunard does not tell you in advance that they do NOT cover luggage, only contents...

We had 18 foot waves, and although we certainly felt movement (we were on deck 10, forward), it was not unpleasant. I had been concerned about this. The ship is remarkably stable. The weather was fine, clear most days and sunny, and the wind on deck was fierce, but it didn't keep us from using our balcony, sometimes wrapped in blankets. Oh, the sea! We once saw a few small whales...

We went to the ballroom 2 nights, and felt intimidated there by the excellent dancers. We've taken 2 years of ballroom lessons, but found ourselves nervous out on the floor amidst dozens of couples who were nearly professional in their style and ability. I noticed we were not the only ones hanging back, either. Not sure what Cunard could do about that, to be more welcoming to everyone somehow. We did take the dance classes and found them to be excellent.

We didn't notice people not dressing up; actually, I don't remember seeing too many not dressed up. In the PG dining room, everyone was dressed appropriately every night.

Overall, it was an excellent cruise and a wonderful experience, waking up in England!

Those staying in SF for the Super Bowl are going to be shocked at how far it is from SF to Santa Clara...and by how much traffic there is even without the Super Bowl...we live nearby and will likely be heading out of the Bay Area at that time!

That being said, many hotels in SF don't open their online bookings so far in advance, so they just show as 'no availability' for entire months (e.g., the Huntington).

Thank you both. That sets my mind at ease!

We are sailing on our first QM2 transatlantic on 6/3, and are very excited. We booked the upgrade-to-suite promotion last fall, and all that was left at that time was a PG2 guarantee (we were first on the guarantee list). Having a bit of motion sensitivity, I was nervous about being assigned a forward stateroom, but the reservation agent assured me "all Princess Grill cabins are mid-ship" (I now think she was thinking of the other Queens). We wanted to sail in a PG suite and, for the price of a balcony, it was a fabulous offer, so we booked the guarantee.

Early this week, we received our stateroom assignment-- it is 10007, right at the front of deck 10. We know we cannot change our cabin, as it was booked as a guarantee because nothing else was available when we booked.

We have sailed to the Mexican Riviera on both Princess and HAL, and I once had some difficulty in moderate 12' seas, midship, deck 6--took ginger, motion-eaze, ate lightly, etc. and was okay, had some dizziness. But I have walked the forward, high hallways on both lines and felt a lot more motion.

I've read threads here regarding the stability of QM2, and am wondering if anyone has sailed that far forward on a QM2 transatlantic on deck 10, and what your experience was. Perhaps I am just seeking reassurance. :)

I empathize with the OPs fear of flying. I don't like it, either! But there is a pilot who is now a social worker with a great website and an online forum and a lot of free resources-- he operates the SOAR program and also wrote an inexpensive book. I've read a lot of the website and have gotten through half the book and am now willing to fly (almost a miracle). We are sailing over to the UK on the QM2 in June and flying back via Iceland to break it up a bit.

About the kennel being sold out, it seems to me quite a lot of people cancel just before and at final payment date, 90 days before sailing.

Icelandair and Aer Lingus are two airlines I know of who offer one-way fares for the same cost as 1/2 a roundtrip.

Just noticed today that, according to the Cunard site, the deck plans for QM2 change if one is taking a voyage after 5/10/15. ? Didn't compare them. Just wondering if anyone knows-- is maintenance or are repairs coming up onboard or something?

I've stayed at the Goring once, and it is among my top 3 hotels in the world. The service is just beyond. We're staying there again after our TA in June, and I cannot wait. If you are staying over a weekend, they often have special rates over the weekend, as well.

I did a lot of research regarding which airline to fly one-way back to the US from Europe (as we are sailing QM2 over and booking our own air back). AerLingus and Icelandair are the only two carriers I could find who offer one-way fares at 1/2 the cost of the round-trip fare. We are looking forward to visiting Iceland for a couple of days -- there is no fee for stopovers -- and it breaks up the flight. One can also cancel quite late if one should change one's mind and want to sail, instead. ;)

We just got back from Martinique. We went there on a HAL cruise, on the Noordam. It was wonderful! We really liked the island. We made the mistake, though, of renting a car. I say it was a mistake because we thought we could make the loop north to St. Pierre and then down the center of the island, visit the gardens, and then get down to the south to the beach. Well... the roads in the mountains are very winding, so it takes a long time to travel. We decided not to stop at the gardens because there were tour buses there, and we don't like to run into mobs of people in port. We did get down to the beach. We went to Diamant, and that was beautiful. We met a French man who moved there 2 years ago and never left; he was very nice and interesting.

If we ever go back, we will probably hire a driver. My best advice is don't try to do too much on Martinique.

Martinique is very charming, flowers everywhere, and everyone we met was charming. My husband does speak French, but really, I think the way one is treated in Europe and on Martinique depends upon the way in which one approaches those who live there.

Before getting back on the ship, we bought a couple of pastries from the bakery across the street from the pier and took them back to our balcony... they were fantastic!!!

Greetings, everyone. We are thrilled to be sailing the Odyssey for the first time, celebrating our two "big" birthdays. When we saw the DVD and read all the information here and elsewhere about the line, we knew Seabourn was for us.

If anyone would be willing to share their referral coupon with us, we would be so grateful. We live in Northern California, and come swell or high water, we will be sailing on December 10th! :)

Veronica and Steven

ladyvkt@yahoo.com

My husband and I were on Disney on part of our honeymoon. He has a wheat sensitivity, but not celiac disease (which is the serious gluten allergy). Well, the cruise line was trying its best, I suppose, but they would not let him eat anything with the slightest trace of flour in it, and flour is in almost everything... so they would bring him (gasp) a plate of wheat-free spaghetti noodles.

With nothing on them.

Just the noodles.

No matter what he said, just the noodles...

We stopped eating in the dining room. :)