rog747

Yes, it was, Grrr I messed up uploading the Video - sorry

QA She's very big! Just short of the QM2 and she's longer than some of the most famous ocean liners in the World: SS France, the Normandie and the SS United States. Britannia MDR and the Grand Lobby images below and short video

I did H418 2 weeks SOU to the Med on QA last month. I decided to go last minute and took advantage of a very good late deal on a PG suite, although I was (and quite happy) about to book an Inside sideways on cabin, when the PG suddenly came up and I grabbed it. The first week was 'shaky' in term of food/service and other issues plus one of the Pods broke down so we missed Cadiz and limped to Barcelona for repairs; but the second week was totally different and almost all was pretty damn good. The weather was fabulous throughout. The ship is BIG !, and she is very long, I am sure her cabin deck passageways seemed far long longer than QM2's (I was on her last Sunday for the day on a ship's tour). On QA they seemed to just go on and on, but I was midships and fine for Lift's/Stairs B (no trouble with lifts BTW) which go straight up to the Grill rooms, lounge bar/concierge and Grills Terrace. My fav bar the Commodore Club was a very long walk. My PG 'Suite' ('think' slightly bigger Balcony Cabin here) was fine and comfy, but a wee bit too dark on the decor and hues for me; I really liked the big shower cubicle, but I missed having a Bath Tub. Did I get a 'wow' factor for this room?, sorry no, but it was all very nice and OK. Launderette was almost opposite Deck 4 (very handy) BTW they are not on all decks unliked the other Queens. My Room Steward was a gem, with twice daily cabin servicing (whether I said don't worry or not lol) and with clean pillowcases daily, and new sheets at least every third night. If I was to book QA again (I might, the ship did grow on me) then I would look to book an Aft Britannia grade cabin, which for me is best for the Britannia MDR, the Panorama Pool and sun decks (Aft) and the Artisan Cafe. The Britannia MDR does have a 'wow' factor and I would only choose fixed second dinner seating (20:30) as Open Dining for me was way too chaotic; just not my cup of tea for a Cunard Cruise/Voyage. To sum up, the ship for the Cunard Line Traditionalists (perhaps I am one of them lol) is a bit ''Marmite'' (The Brits here will get the pun) but she grows on you, she has some very nice public spaces indeed, but with perhaps the Queens Room being the biggest let down, and yes, I may go on her again, but not again in Grills, unless a very good deal only in QG came up! She is a departure from the heavy wooden interiors of the other Queens, and QA is more akin to a modern twist on 1930's New York Art Deco with alot of Steel and Black. I'm not too sure she will wear that well.... BTW I was on and off the ship in minutes - both boarding and getting off.

Had a wonderful time with 2 friends on the QM2 for the day last Sunday. Organised visit in aid of Cunard's support of the Prince's Trust (soon to be the King's Trust) About 30 or so of us attended, with free onsite Parking, meet and greet at the Mayflower Terminal before 9.30am when we boarded the Liner just as the very last pax were disembarking. As walked along the Prom deck the PS Waverley which was packed to the gunnels, was being assisted by tugs and they were all waving at us. 5 behemoth Cruise Liners were also alongside in SOU with us, including a Disney, MSC, NCL and Arcadia. Quite a few well heeled Americans were remaining on the ship to return to NYC later that day, including a very nice couple on their 100th TA Crossing on QM2. They have 'lived' on the ship all summer and were now going home! Lovely to see Yo Yo (On board voyage sales executive for over 30 years) who would be eventually showing us around the ship, plus the very aimable Audrey who works with all of Cunard's top TA's in the UK. We then went to the Queens Room for morning coffee, served with lovely warm fresh baked pastries and muffins. Lovely welcome and talk given by the very nice Captain Andrew Hall who is the Master of Queen Mary 2 and he is staying on until November. Back in February I think he after his shore leave. A Harpist was playing as we ate and drank. It was so nice being back on board QM2, albeit for a few hours (last time was on my 2 week TA July 2019 via LPL, Iceland, NF, and Halifax NS). My friends were in total awe of the ship, and although she is now 20 years old and little worn in just a few places she is unique. After doing 17,000 steps (according to pal's iphone/watch sporty thingy on his wrist) whilst seeing most of the ships public spaces, from top to bottom and front to back, plus viewing many cabins and suite grades, my feet were truly Humming (or singing lol) Finally it was time for Lunch in the Britannia MDR lower level in my favourite area, the lovely middle section. The food served was SUPERB, perhaps on a par with much of what I had in PG when I was on QA last month. We had all 5 courses, all served with copious Wine top ups and other drinks. We had smoked chicken terrine with mango, grilled marinated vegetables on black rice with a delicate cumin yogurt sauce, Consomme or leek & potato soup. The fish course was roast cod fillet with a rather delicious and plate licking lobster seafood sauce, and our Mains of Gloucester old spot pork fillet in a very nice sauce. Plus cheeses, coffee and petit fours. The waiters were lovely and they truly enjoyed serving our special group. A great meal worthy of Cunard. We really all then just wanted to grab a comfy steamer chair in the sun on the Prom deck for a nap lol!. A rather nice Cunard goody bag was handed out to all of us which was a nice touch, then we all said our goodbyes. A really nice day out indeed.

Did Orvieto and local lunch last month from QA - a super day out - long day - but a very pretty drive through stunning Umbria - decent lunch too - only 20 of of us the coach Orvieto is a gem Or, the undiscovered city of Bagnoregio - awesome too... Others just had a wander around ''CHIVITA VEKHIA'' for the day - all very pleasant if you dont want to go far.

Have a super time - 21 days plodding around the Med is my idea of bliss...QV does some nice port calls.... Yes Sept heavy rains in the Barcelona/Pyrenees area are well known for bubbling up, and the big Thunderstorms can be lethal. I was on QV in Sept 2010 from SOU to Venice and a thunderstorm followed us the whole way.....as soon as we left Cannes then Livorno Rome Messina and Corfu!

A day in Manhattan..... You CAN do it on your own.... My take would be to get off at the earliest self-disembark time usually around 7am so you can quickly clear immigration and walk over to the nearby ferry service over to the Wall st district, lower manhattan. Research for a breakfast diner.... Do some homework of the main sights and or shops you want to see - maybe Times Sq, Broadway, 42nd St, Macy's, St Patrick's Cathedral on 5th ave, Bloomingdales, and a walk up to Central Park. Hail a cab back to the ferry terminal.... If you want to see or go up the Empire State (which is close to Macy's) then you need to pre book your tickets. You could also do an early tour over to Ellis Island - the boats for this go from near the ferry from the ship. Again you must book. The boats will sail past and likely call at the Statue of Liberty island.

I was merely stating the obvious (especially to Cunard first timers) it would be most prudent to familiarise oneself with all the locations and that includes the decks of all of the safety equipment...

Have a lovely time - the ship will grow on you... In cadiz I was due to do the Cunard Seville on your own bus transfer then had my own private guide booked to visit the Cathedral, the Palace and the old Jewish quarter but our Cadiz call was cancelled and we went directly and slowly direct to BCN for repairs. In BCN I took the ships tour to Sitges seaside town, which was very nice to get away from the City. In Rome - I booked the tour with lunch to Orvieto (hilltop cathedral village in Umbria) which was great...and a lovely drive to get there

As such today 'Life Boat drill' on Cunard is pretty much virtual You get asked ASAP to attend your allocated muster station (also shown on your key card as a letter ie: muster station D) to get your card scanned by a crew member who will be there anytime up to about an hour prior to sailing, they do state a cut off time, ie:16:30 - If you don't do this then they will come looking for you! It's up to you now to watch the in-cabin safety video, (note your lifejackets are in your wardrobes and how to put them on correctly) and to assess where your Muster Station area is in relation to the lifeboats, which are all on the Prom deck. (QA QE QV on deck 3 and deck 7 on QM2) I quite miss the old days of the boat deck gathering and lifejacket demo get-together...

If Auckland call is part of a 'segment' then other pax (and often crew) will be disembarking and new pax will be embarking the ship, therefore Immigration/Customs controls will be there in-situ for Cunard. I would have thought then it should be possible to get off there rather than Sydney - cannot fathom why Cunard would refuse TBH

Steering back on Topic....lol Is there anyone in Grills on-board QA now can report back to us that all is well on the Terrace and that service is good ? Is she still in cold waters?

Slight drift, but please indulge me re QA Dining... I agree the Club dining room on QA is large and not like the more intimate QE and QV rooms. I personally was not that keen on the BC dining room on QA, nor did I like the location, nor the low ceilings. I would not book it... I was in PG on my recent 2 week cruise and there are some real howlers of dining tables, both large and small ones. The back area of the PG is undesirable, there also many partitions and you may end up next to one; I honestly preferred the much more open plan Queens Grill dining room which was rather lovely and very light. If I were ever to go Grills on QA again then it would only be in QG. I also was not a huge fan of the PG Suites, sorry! Stanley, (my PG Maître 'D) kindly, after the dreadful embarkation lunch, relocated me at dinner to a nice '2' just one row back and facing the window. I much preferred this table to the larger '6', often left half empty, by the 'bins' (at the back of the restaurant, right next to the galley service door, crashing and banging with lots of foot traffic). I would rather now dine alone on this nicer '2' looking out to sea than sit on the other one. My new table mates all around me were simply delightful, the tables being close enough to be almost 'seated together'. I had booked last minute, so I can see why I first got a naff table (I had requested to be on a '4') and both Stanley and other MD's I knew, and chatted to later during the cruise, all mentioned that table allocation priority is now much to do with the date of booking your cruise and the type of fare you paid. The Britannia MDR is impressive, and has some lovely tables. I am thinking of joining my old friend on QA in NOV to Spain, she is in Britannia, booked in second sitting. The M'D in Britannia (on the upper level, Open seating) who I knew, said to me, ''When you come on the ship again, don't do open seating, you won't like it, and it's too chaotic''. OK, so this was almost a month ago, and I gather the open-seating situation may be improving, somewhat, but I will not be ever doing it. Hope this helps.

Indeed - I have just done a helpful post on just that, plus added the Casino ''pinch point''. QA for folk with some mobility issues

quoting: What a difference on Queen Anne's Grills terrace. Morning coffee/tea self service, a water dispenser infused with lemon or oranges. Fresh fruit skewers to eat. Mid morning strawberries and cream. Afternoon tea served on the terrace later followed by a chocolate ice lolly or small bowl of ice cream. Drinks menu and bell put on table for table service in the afternoon. What a difference! What a difference indeed, from our 2 week Med cruise on 28th July which compared the Grills Terrace service comparable to that found on the Marie Celeste! (Things did get a lot better by the end of the cruise) I'm very pleased and heartened that they are at last delivering the product.

Cheers - I was writing in that vein for us folk like me who are a tad bit doddery LOL ! BTW there is (I am sure you noticed) also a quirky bottleneck pinch point getting past at the Casino and opposite it at the 1840 bar on deck 3, if one is using a WCHR/Scooter or a walker).

It's gonna most likely be nice and warm for you. Risk of TSs at that time of year though. A warm water cruise! If this is your first time in Grills: (you will love it) In QG for breakfast and lunch most ladies are dressed quite smart casual and it is OK polo-shirt and nice shorts are fine for men. Evenings tend to be be dressier in QG with the ladies looking wonderful, and on Gala (Formal) nights 99% of men dressed in black-tie (Tuxedo). On deck, or on Tour/ashore in the day times dress to be comfortable! There are free Launderettes on the ship (not on all the decks though) and the laundry wash sheets are provided. You do not need beach towels. A pareo is handy to put on to go from Grills Terrace walking to the pools or to pop down to the Buffet etc. Plenty of nice towels in your bathroom) changed twice a day if you wish) Plenty of boxes of tissues. The toiletries are quality Penhaligon and are very nice and mild with Hand soap, shower/bath gel, shampoo, conditioner and body lotion - all are in filled large pumps (No throwaways) If you prefer a hand soap bar then take one. Ladies might want to take a better more powerful hair dryer.

The quirks of QA....especially if a little or having more limited mobility. Yes, Cabins on the QA deck II (and those on 10 too, both of which are all forward) have the quirk of having to go down and up again (using A lifts only) as you cannot walk outside from the front of the ship to the back on 11 due to the Grills sun deck in the middle. On 10 outside you have some outdoor seats and the Wellness Cafe but again you cannot walk to the aft of the ship, nor can you access the B lifts. Deck 9 has the big middle Pool, and then the Artisan Buffet then you can get out to the aft Pool. if you have a Cabin on deck 9 (again these Cabins are all forward only with A lift access) and want to walk aft, you have to do so by walking around the pool, which leads into (on one side only IIRC the starboard) to the Artisan Buffet, and the B lifts. TBH, I almost booked a very forward cabin and have some limited mobility and thank goodness I did not. QA is a BIG ol' ship and almost as long as the QM2, in fact QA is longer than the SS France and the Normandie. My tip would be to book a Cabin further aft (if one is travelling in Britannia Class) as the C lifts go straight down to the MDR on 2 and 3, and up to the Artisan and aft pool on 9, or if you are located near the B lifts this gives you easy access to the grand lobby/bars/lounges and theatre on 2 and 3. The Prom deck is on 3 and has access to it from all the Lifts.(C lifts at starboard side only). If you want the Library and Commodore Club on deck 12 it's best to walk along deck 2 or 3 forward to lifts A to go up there. This could be wiser (if mobility impaired) than walking forward along the Cabin decks 4 to 8 as the corridors often are semi blocked with the housekeeping trolleys. Only the A lifts on the port side go up to the outdoor deck and Sky Bar on 14. I would not book a Cabin on 9, 10 or 11 for all these reasons. Looking forward to reading more!

Here's the thing, whether you like it or not, Cunard does have an upgraded class of cruise travel (In fact they have 2 'upper' classes, being BC Britannia Club, and the PG/QG Grills) and as such they have sold the Grills class upgrade for many many years now since QE2 days. The Grills cabins also give you various perks in the Suites (as does BC too). The perks and upscale of booking these upgrades then gives you exclusive dining rooms, with A' la Carte food options, a Grills lounge with your own Concierge, plus a dedicated Grills outdoor/Sun Terrace deck area. Apart from that, along with everyone else on board you all have the run of the ship. Cunard's upscale Grills offering is really no different to the upgraded class offerings on MSC or Celebrity - both of which have segregated sundecks, pools, spa/other bar lounge and dining areas. The MSC Yacht Club and The Retreat on Celebrity the sundecks/pools have keycard entries. In fact when you read all their info, those lines' are actually offering more private and exclusive areas than Cunard! Thus I have no idea why anyone would or should get upset over 'Class' segregation these days on a Cunard ship, save for the fact that the Cunard Line brand is an old fashioned name and some will automatically and perhaps foolishly think of the old days of class systems... To put it this way: If you board a BA or Virgin flight with an Economy class ticket, you cannot then expect to go and sit down in the Premium or Club Business/Upper Class Cabins and eat and drink your way through their offerings, nor does it give you the right to use the dedicated toilets in the Business Class section. Thus why do or would some folk have any issue with the dedicated private Grills Terrace on board QA >? TBH, I (jokingly) wished I had not brought up subject now re the Grills Terrace free-for-all that occurred on the H418 28th July 2 week cruise LOL! As it happened the key code door entry locks were eventually fitted so frankly I cannot see what anymore fuss is about. IT WAS a very busy cruise with almost 2900 pax on the ship, and many were of a much younger crowd, with lots of Teens and kiddies (that was OK and all were pretty well behaved and it was nice to see them enjoying themselves). I do not normally choose to cruise in peak School Hols times but this was for me just a getaway after recent Surgery. My only caveat is that on QA I would prefer the aft Pavillion Pool/Bar could be Adults Only.

We all realise the Deck 11 walkaround possibility for all passengers is a glaring design issue, and that is that the private Grills Terrace is smack in the middle of it with 2 x Infinity hot pools on both sides, plus the B Lifts/stairs exit/entry doors on Deck 11 are only out to the Grills Terrace, Starboard side only. Why this was never thought of as a potential 'issue' who knows... There are plenty of rather nice opens spaces to sit and lounge upon around the aft decks on 9, 10, and 11 for all Passengers, plus more spaces forward on 11, 12, and 13, it's just the Grills Terrace is (and rightly so should be exclusive) right in the middle of being able for all to wander around the top of the ship. As such, QA is an 'out of the box' HAL hull design, with some Cunard enhancements and additions, such as the Grill Rooms etc on the top decks... I cannot fathom if any redesign could be feasible, but I am not a Ship Architect. If nothing can, or will be done, then it's just going to have to be accepted as one of the few 'quirks' of QA...

I would say (and agree with OP) yes underwhelming, it is the lack of a wow factor and dullish dark appearance (you cannot think QE and QV Verandah Restaurants glamour here) Think airline lounge here. However, white table cloths would def enhance it vastly. The food is good (Steaks, Dover Sole etc) but there is little atmosphere that could make you imagine you were in a New York or USA Steak House.

Sorry, yes that was sort of what I meant re using the word 'newer' - many thanks for Clarifying !

You might not have said this on the July 28th Med cruise LOL! The 'Through Traffic' was actually beyond a joke, it was like Holborn Tube in the rush hour, OK not quite LOL! and then of course 'sunbed wars' broke out from all of the many non-Grills guests who took up daily residence on the Grills Terrace. BUT, it was all finally sorted out OK, first with Lanyards, more sterner No-Entry signs, and finally the 4 digit key code and door handle was a very easy but long awaited solution for peace and tranquillity to return. You will be fine on your next trip, I'm sure! Plus, this was a high season school holiday time very busy cruise with 2882 pax on board! BTW I see you are local to me in Dorset - if you ever would like to meet up to say hello that would be a pleasure, perhaps fish' chips at Chez Fred lol!

Storm force 6 is a classification on the 'newer' Beaufort Wind Scale, which is used by international weather forecasters to measure wind speed and power. On the Beaufort scale, force 6 is classified as a strong breeze with winds between 22–27 knots. Other characteristics of force 6 winds include: Larger waves, 8–13 ft seas, Whitecaps. A Storm or whole Gale is Beaufort 10 A Strong severe gale is 9 A near Gale is 7 and a fresh Gale is 8 Happy sailing!

Ditto to much of what you say about QA - she is a tad ''Marmite'' but she grew on me, so will I sail on her again? Yes, possibly, but as you say too, it would have to be the right itinerary, on the right dates, and at the right price. On my 2 week trip to the Med a few weeks ago I chose to be in Grills (PG) and things started off really very shaky with the food quality/the service/food temperature/menu choices, BUT things vastly improved after a few chats, and by the second week much of our dining was top notch as it should be. I went to the very nice and rather stylish Britannia MDR (for a Dinner and Breakfast) to eat with an old friend who was also onboard for this cruise, and staying on the one after to Norway, and the Maitre 'D there on Deck 3 upper level (who I knew) and he said I'm sorry it's so chaotic! Then we had ''SunBedWarsGate'' and the Grills Terrace service, and access doors debacle - both thankfully eventually sorted out by the end of our trip... To add my take to your scribe: Now where was I? Things still to be fixed: The Lift doors are still too quick for a lot of people, not just the infirm YES, I can concur to that, the Lifts do need a few seconds more I mentioned that we were 'underwhelmed' by our visit to Sir Samuels and I heard similar from other people. One of them summed it up, "It's amazing the difference something as simple as tablecloth makes." This is billed as a fine dining experience..... Deffo ! White Tablecloths and linens should be de rigueur in there...even fine NYC and LA Steakhouses I go to have nice white starched table linens I hope Cunard will take note here... However, it's the things that can't, or won't, be fixed that make Queen Anne our least favourite Cunard ship. True The Promenade Deck, Sadly, I agree with you, but we all knew what we were going to get on this new ship (an enlarged HAL Pinnacle) no seats. no real sea views. Just a lifeboat museum The Queen's Room, I agree not a patch on QV/QE's Low ceilings, often very warm, ''Conference chairs'' laid out for additional seating, not a good look The Theatre, a perfectly functional space. I actually liked the Theatre pretty much!