jimmybean

DH and I have always traveled "inside" on the QM2 and have been quite happy doing so. There is nothing about an "atrium inside" that seems more appealing to us than a "plain inside cabin."

…Once on the ship, there are so many pleasures and joys, it isn't like having a window in your cabin (with curtains drawn as Pepper has said) will mean very much to you or capture your attention.

There are lovely public spaces where one can have views of the sea, or engage in people-watching, or just enjoy the ship's decor. Time in the cabin, for us, is about resting, sleeping, or changing clothes.

Have a wonderful voyage, in whatever accommodations you choose!

Jimmybean

Do you have specific rooms booked or have you booked guarantee rooms? Cunard say insides and BY categories will be refurbished next year.

 

Queen Mary 2 will be refurbishing the following grades in 2016 dry dock:

• All Grills Suites

• All Britannia Club balconies on Deck 12

• All Britannia Balconies on Deck 12, Deck 11 and Deck 8

• All Britannia Obstructed Balconies on Deck 8

• BU/BV Grades of Britannia Sheltered balconies on Deck 6

 

Queen Mary 2 will be refurbishing the following staterooms in service over 2017:

• Remaining BZ/BY Grades of Britannia Sheltered Balconies on Deck 6

• All Britannia sheltered balconies on Deck 4 and Deck 5

• All Britannia Ocean Views

• All Britannia Atrium Views

• All Britannia Insides

Thank you, Ray66, for sharing this information.

I would simply have a cocktail and consider myself well excercised :D.

Yes, Brigitte : ) There is that approach, too. …which I agree has its merits.

Jimmybean

Have done 20+ cruises with princess and p&o considering a cruise on Cunard due to the itinerary wondered what is there loyalty programme and would any of my past cruises count towards this, also do they award military benefits like p&o and princess.

Sorry, no carry-over of loyalty programs from other cruise lines.

Cunard does give on-board credit for military persons (either retired, or served in war zone, or current). A nice benefit, which is appreciated.

Happy Sailing!

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2016/02/08/anthem-cruise-ship-storm/79997114/

Whoa !!!!

How wonderful for you to be having your first voyage on such a marvelous ship! I know the four of you will enjoy yourselves immensely !!!!

My advice is to listen to your father's advice. : )

He is familiar with ship travel as well as things that will entertain you and your husband--your personal tastes.

Also, there is a daily Programme, left in your cabin each evening, which gives a schedule of ship's activities and entertainment. You will find that days pass quickly, even if your main goal is just to relax. There are spa services, walks on deck, recently released movies and just time for your family. In port, there will be tours to take, things to see, and probably some shopping.

Time will fly by and you will disembark with wonderful memories.

I wonder if pod-problem is with the same pod (# 3), reoccurring, or if this is a different one ??? (I didn't pay attention, if this was mentioned before, sorry).

My understanding is that re-fit is not about mechanical repairs. Those seem to be addressed on a "as needed" basis.

Keep us updated!

Wonderful voyage! Wish I was aboard….

We have seen gentlemen in kilts a number of times on the QM2 and thought them to be quite "fetching" (if that can be a correct term for smartly dressed male??? Probaby, there is a better description, but not at the tip of my tongue).

I would encourage a kilt, by all means, as not just "okay" but as wonderful formal attire. Agreeing with Salacia: kilt beats a tux, in my opinion, too.

There was a significant outbreak of noro virus when we sailed on the QE in 2013 in the South Pacific. Rumor had about 75 passengers infected. The CDC had us fill-out a questionnaire (I think querying food selections during the voyage).

Cabins on either side of ours were affected (and were attended to by special crew members).

The stewards washed the outsides of all the cabin doors and door handles regular intervals, in addition to the other comprehensive cleaning measures, which were stepped up.

We were very impressed by the efforts of crew.

DH and I were diligent with hand-washing and we never became ill.

Preventive measure do work.

I hope current passengers on the QE either avoid infection or, if they have noro virus, feel better soon.

I think a ship would be perfect for traveling with children. There is always "something" if a child beomes hungry at odd hours. Very convenient!

Have a wonderful voyage!

We are booked on our first cruise on the QE in June to the Fjords (9 night).

Would be really grateful for some recommendations from experts that have already experienced the QE.

We are looking at booking a wine package but as neither of us are big drinkers we are looking into the 4 or 6 bottle package. Can anyone tell me whether if we only drink part of a bottle one evening whether they will take it back and have it ready for another evening and also whether we can have the wine delivered to our table in both the Britannia restaurant and the buffet?

Also we are considering the soft drinks package as it seems very good value.

 

Another big decision seems to be which excursion...if any to book. Can anyone recommend any trips and do all passengers book the Cunard excursion or venture out on their own and what are the pitfalls? We have looked into the Flam railway trip and Cunard are charging $120 per person and the Railway direct seems to be approx £34 per person.

 

Many thanks

Yes, they will label your wine and bring back partially consumed bottles at dinner the next night. You can also arrange to have your bottle meet you at a specialty restaurant, if you decide to dine away from the main dining room.

There are port-specific Cruise Critic message boards that have postings we have found helpful in the past. You can learn which tours were particularly nice and if you can have a good port visit without booking a tour. Also, there are voyage specific boards where you can link with other passengers (if you wish) and book a tour that is not arranged by Cunard. There is usually cost saving in this, but booking a tour through the ship, also has advantages.

Sounds like you will have a very nice cruise!

I'm with David---reacting with some disbelieve that that seats are now ALL in good-working order! We have noticed broken seats for YEARS and YEARS in Illuminations… Well, very good news---which after some shock, I'm willing to accept. : )

I agree that the Planetarium shows are basic, but we have enjoyed them over the years and think others will enjoy them in the future. Illuminations certainly stages many different kinds of entertainment---I'd like to see the planetarium shows to continue to be part of this.

Austcruiser84, thank you for being our eyes and ears aboard the QM2. Thank you for your report on Illuminations! Thank you for conveying positive news!

Ditto Trevor for adding your confirmation!

Jimmybean

Hi jrobertthomson,

Often the earliest boarding time is the busiest and most chaotic. You are not the only one thinking about boarding as early as possible. In terms of "ship boarding" early-boarding always seems more popular than late-boarding...

If your parents are elderly, the whole experience would be easier for them if you wait until between two and three o'clock. Missing a couple hours on the ship could be more than balanced by avoiding the crowds and having the first impression be much more on the calm-side than harried.

Just a thought…

The earliest we have ever boarded (in Brooklyn) was 11:30.

Remember, passengers with loyalty status and Grills accommodations will be processed first---and, throngs of priority boarders will arrive at the terminal "early."

Have a wonderful time traveling as a family! Let us know how your parents find the QM2.

Jimmybean

Post Refit Deckplans are here.

 

http://www.cunard.co.uk/Documents/2016-2017-deck-plans/QM2%20Deck%20Plans%20for%20Web.pdf

 

Now with "Corinthia Lounge", "Verandah" labels in their correct places. Also worthy of note:-

 

• Glass Lifts in The Grand Lobby / Kings Court are gone - which we kind of knew
  
• Sports Centre's new location is shown. It's now by the steps as you go up to Deck 13 from the Pavilion Pool - Might be a bit windy unless there will be more structural changes up there?
  
• Veuve Cliquot Champagne Bar is now just labelled "Champagne Bar"
  

Thanks for posting this information, JollyJackTar52.

Hi everyone. Sorry not to have updated you. To be honest, the loss of some of the items in my bag has me incredibly distressed and I have been avoiding the subject altogether.

 

My bag has not been found. The CCTV footage was reviewed and they never saw my bag on the footage (apparently). The other passengers were eventually contacted and their bags were returned to them. They were not questioned about my bag and Cunard refuses to do so, DESPITE having told me on multiple occasions that they believe these people took my bag. The reason for this is that, legally speaking, they are only allowed to contact customers twice about lost property. Given that they emailed these customers twice (but never made positive contact or received a response), they consider the matter closed.

 

Cunard's guest relations representative got in touch with me (at my request, having emailed the Cunard president) to let me know that they feel really good about themselves for having done such a thorough job of looking for my bag. He refused to apologise for having lost it, because of course they claim no responsibility. He refused to hear my complaint that the Holland America Group lost property team have been rude and unhelpful. When I explained that I had asked to speak with a supervisor in early November and that she NEVER contacted me back, he suggested that she had done the right thing because she couldn't have helped me anyway.

 

I do not believe my bag is going to be returned to me.

 

I also can no longer recommend Cunard or any of the Holland America Group, as their attitude to this ordeal has been dismissive at best.

 

That's the update. I will, of course, update this forum if something changes but I can't imagine that it will.

Thank you for the update, Leralie. I understand your distress from the lost of personal items. I would feel the same way. I would also be upset because the realities of customer service are so unsatisfactory. Your bag didn't not fall off the face of the earth and logical suggests what happened to it. It is an aberration from the experience most people have while sailing on large ships---but it happened to YOU, so (of course) it has been devastating and disappointing. Shame on whoever has your bag in his/her/their possession. I hope you have a string of exceptionally good luck in your life to balance this.

You should be able to do as you wish. Departure time will be announced in advance and returning to the ship on time is the only thing required.

Have a wonderful voyage!

ob-la-di-----ob-la-da :d

I never could sing on-key. Thanks for the chorus, brigitte : )

Have a great voyage, newjoisey !!!!

On occasion, people die on the QM2. This just helps even things out.

La de da and life goes on….

So much better than sitting at the airport for hours and hours! What a good and workable solution!

Maybe, the root cause of this change has something to do with complying with requirement for chip-credit cards and chip-card readers???

It is an oddity. Thank you for the heads-up, Underwatr.

I agree you have a win-win dilemma.

But, like loubetti, the QM2 would be my first choice---always.

Sounds like you are leaning towards the QM2, speedwell. Have a wonderful voyage!

Happy Sailing!

Last time we left the car in Brooklyn (2012), the car was there over a month and the attendant had us pay in two parts (for the monthly rate and for the extra time)---but accepted both payments on a credit card.

Nothing unusual.

Maybe, your attendant kept the cash?

I am so sorry to hear that your voyage was interrupted and hope your DW feels better soon.

Anyway, welcome home, Underwatr, and Happy New Year!

Hi Rotterdam,

 

We are all entitled to our personal, deeply-held opinions ("the world is flat", "man didn't walk on the moon", "my bus will arrive on time", "England can win the "World Cup" again" etc).

Indeed many persist in their beliefs in the face of overwhelming documentation provided by experts, or even the evidence of their own eyes. Some do this to be contentious, some enjoy being eccentric, and some truly believe.

I totally agree, she certainly was last of her generation in that she was initially powered by steam (the last Cunard vessel so engined), and that there was a long gap from 1969 until the next liner was built in 2003.

Each of the preserved/museum great ships are, almost by definition, unique. That could be why they have been preserved. SS Great Britain, RMS Queen Mary, HMY Britannia, USS Intrepid etc. But preserving a vessel the size of QE2 or the SSUS is hugely expensive. Will the money be found to preserve both/either? Time will tell, but I doubt it, sadly.

With respect, you are mistaken. QM2 is as much of a liner as was QE2, or put another way, QE2 was as much a cruise ship as is QM2.

As has been said many times, as was said at the time of QE2's launch, and is is well documented, QE2 and QM2 are hybrids; both liners and cruise ships. I said previously "SS France was the last "pure" major liner constructed, and she turned out to be a financial white elephant for the French Line and Government". However, QE2 and QM2 are either BOTH liners than can cruise, or BOTH cruise ships that can do line voyages on a regular basis. They were BOTH built with the same end in mind; to serve equally well as liners on the north Atlantic, and as cruise ships in the winter months. That is the genius of their design. You cannot separate one from the other. Had QE2 not been constructed as a dual-purpose liner/cruise ship, but built as a pure liner, she would have gone the same way as the France after twelve years; she didn't 'cus she wasn't. The proof of this is almost 40 years of service. QM2 was designed the same way, dual-purpose liner/cruise ship. Don't forget, Cunard came very close to copying the huge mistake made by the French Line by ordering a "pure liner" themselves in the early 60s. Thankfully they saw sense and ordered a dual-purpose liner/cruise ship instead; QE2".

QM2 may very well be the last transatlantic liner ever built. But they said that about QE2 and were proved wrong. I know I won't be around to find out!

What extended both ship's lives was huge rebuilding; in the case of QE2 to replace her troublesome steam plant with reliable diesels (she was already totally suited to cruising), in the case of France/Norway, to convert her from a liner unsuited to cruising, to a successful cruise ship (she lost one engine room and two propellers in the process).

Is a ship, permanently tied up to shore (for power/sewerage etc) a "ship" or, as in the case of QM, officially a building?

Indeed, talking of her, if one wishes to walk the decks of a pure ocean liner (tied up to shore) one can do so on board the Queen Mary in Long Beach.

 

I do realise that you are, along with many, many others, inordinately fond of QE2. Just as previously passengers were devoted to the original queens or the Aquitania etc, who saw the QE2 as no replacement for those grand old ladies, those "ships of state".

I hope that you come in time to appreciate QM2 for what she is, a modern reinterpretation of the transatlantic liner, just as QE2 was in her time; again a reinterpretation (in 1969) of a liner.

 

I'd strongly recommend getting hold of a copy of "British Superliners of the Sixties" by Philip Dawson.

 

Many happy sailings for the future; like you I feel there are few things finer than walking the decks of a mighty ship on the North Atlantic :)

 

An early "Happy New Year" to you.

I really enjoyed reading this detailed and informative post, Pepper. Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge with us!

While DH and I had the opportunity to sail on the QE2, we didn't realize the urgency and other voyages (on other ships) seemed better choices at the time…. I find people's passion for the QE2 very interesting. I probably feel similar devotion to the QM2 (without the in-depth knowledge base, unfortunately). I don't really follow things like "pod-talk" with great understanding, but my heart sings at the sight of the QM2 (inside or out, and often just from your lovely photos).

I agree: what a pleasure to sail on the QM2!

Sympathies, HelloKittysMum ; )

Thank you for the photos, Solent Richard.

Sounds like a lovely voyage (any year).

Thanks for sharing with us stuck-at-homes….