KitKatK

 

7) Would you recommend deck 4,5 or 6 for inside cabins?

I've always found Deck 5 to be the quietest since it's between two other decks of cabins. No public spaces above or below.

9) Lastly: Is it normal for me to be SO excited about this trip, like a child going to Disney? I don't think I've EVER looked forward to a holiday so much, and I've been pretty much spent every waking minute looking at YouTube clips and reviews. Is that normal!!??

Absolutely! Enjoy every minute of your planning. I think that's half the fun!

KK

Magandab, you absolutely rock that "frumpy" dress! It looks great on you! Very figure flattering!

 

Even some of the brands mentioned earlier as "non-frumpy" do nothing for me. I think we are all different shapes and different sizes and so it only makes sense that it takes different cuts to flatter our own unique bodies. I am tall and lean so when I try on many misses sizes (specifically bottoms), they are cut too wide in the hips for me. Does that make me inferior or superior to anyone else? No. It just makes me different. And that’s okay. That’s why there are so many different options out there. We can all find something that works well for us without having to resort to being tacky or judgmental when someone else has a different opinion of a clothing brand.

Well said, kellanne! :)

KK

I've looked online and can't seem to find out if Coldwater Creek is closing just the stores or everything. I'm hoping they are restructuring to keep the online business. I've bought a few items online over the years but the only luck I've had in a store was 2 years ago in Florida when I got a dress and a t-shirt.

 

Dh wants to hop over the border for his upcoming birthday weekend. Guess I better check out store locations for a last look.

 

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I was in their Christiana, Delaware store on Sunday and the salesperson told me the entire business was being dissolved. Very sad!

KK

Here is the frumpy dress I just got from Coldwater Creek. My dogs like it too!

 

 

I also ordered two more pair of their Whisper Flannel Pants, bringing my total to 5 - all different colors. They fit me perfectly, are comfortable, look sharp, and are LONG ENOUGH.

I think the dress and color look very pretty on you, Amy.

"Opinions" are one thing, but when continually condescending and putdown posts come veiled as such, please call it for what it really is - simply rude and frankly, tiresome.

KK

Congrats moggi! Kennel space is limited, so I'm very happy that your dog's passage has been confirmed.

 

Just to mention, you might be surprised to find on QM2, that a few of the most 'posh' people actually prefer an inside cabin. One tablemate (a noted NY physician) told me the best sleep he gets happens on an inside cabin on QM2 and prefers those accommodations to a suite (to each his or her own :)) Cheers, -S

Yes, congratulations on your and your dog's bookings!

Our inside cabin sleeping experiences could not have been better - very cool, dark and quiet. My friends and I all likened it to sleeping in a tomb, though, thank goodness, we have no real personal experience to speak of! :eek:

Enjoy,

KK

Thanks K,

 

I guess my wife will need an extra blanket if we go with a twin bed setup; I'm the source of heat usually :p

 

Sound like we have a plan.

 

Cheers!

LOL! The duvets on the QM2 are very warm and cozy, and the beds are the most comfortable on which I've ever slept. Between no outside light in the inside cabin and the quiet of our Deck 5 cabins, we would have slept long past breakfast each morning if it wasn't for my alarm clock. And even with it, we often thought I must have set it incorrectly because it seemed to go off way too soon after our heads hit the pillow each night.

Easily the best nights' sleep to be had on the high seas!

Enjoy,

KK

Thanks everyone! I had typed a much longer reply but my IE locked up and I lost it but the general crux of it was THANK YOU :)

 

I feel that we will be just fine in an inside cabin, given the responses you have provided. What with the excitement of a TA plus the excitement of returning home plus the chance to finally sail on a Cunard vessel (I worked on P&O for three years) I think we'll just be happy to be on board :cool:

My two friends and I (all adult women) have managed perfectly well in an inside cabin on a couple of sailings. And I agree with Colin_Cameron that it will definitely be easier for you to maneuver around the cabin with two twins and the upper bunk than with the beds together.

Enjoy and congratulations on your return home,

KK

I agree. No, this was just a HAL rep. I did ask to speak to someone in Mariners, but this guy said he could help me. I just emailed the Mariner Society. Hopefully, someone will reply. It's only 1:15 in Seattle!

 

Just got the email in time to add on. Yes, as of May 10, Prinsendam Vista Suites will quality for double points. That answers why the person on the April sailing won't get the bonus.

 

So, May 10 is the date when people will get double points for Catgory A on Prinsendam. This was so easy...why didn't we think of this a couple of days ago???

Thanks for verifying that for us, Linda. We'll be in a Vista suite on the Prinsendam for the May 24th sailing, so it's nice to know we'll have made it under the wire to get the bonus suite points!

KK

I have stayed in Vista and Signature suites - no suite bonus. Only Neptune Suites and Pinnacle Suites get bonus days. In other words, those that pay and do not take upgrade or up sell for the suites that have access to Neptune lounge will be the only ones that get the suite bonus.

 

I just confirmed this with HAD for my upcoming sailing in April. (Also did not qualify on Prinsendam in July)

This has not been true in my case. My cabin mates and I have stayed in the following HAL cabins, and we automatically received the suite bonus for all three sailings:

Zaandam Verandah Suite AA6163 - Alaska - Aug. '10, now Vista Suite A6163

Maasdam Verandah Suite B176 - Canada/New England - May '12, now Vista Suite A176

Zaandam Verandah Suite AA6139 - Hawaii - Oct. '12, now Vista Suite A6139

KK

I wouldn't dream of telling anyone they should be parasailing or at the beach rather than in a souvenir shop. Who am I to have an opinion what someone else should do? Not my business.

Wonderful post, sail!

Thanks for sharing your great shopping stories and on-point explanation.

KK

I went alone to Bermuda and didnt do anything more than a tour and walk around. So, not exactly the most exciting vacation. Word of advice to anyone taking a cruise alone, do it on a ship that caters to solo cruisers.

 

It would be a few years until I met my wife, and then I decided to try cruising again, going to more exciting locations and doing the fun excursions, hooking me.

 

Side note, Im not blaming anyone for my lack of enjoyment on that first cruise. Ive actually looked at that cruise and ship several times recently looking for a quick getaway. We are both more experienced cruisers now and know how to make a vacation great.

Glad to hear it and thanks for the explanation!

KK

My first was Royal Caribbeans Grandeur of the Seas in 2005. I went to Bermuda. It did not hook me, in fact I was a little disappointed.

 

However, when I met my wife we decided to take a western Mediterranean cruise on the Norwegian Jade in 2010. That hooked us both. It started in Barcelona, went to Monaco, 3 stops in Italy and Palma de Mallorca before heading back to Barcelona.

I'm curious to know what you were disappointed with on your first cruise and what you liked so much about your second cruise that it got you hooked.

Thanks,

KK

Who is talking about "settling" or "giving up"? I haven't given up at my age trying my best to look as nice as possible but I do NOT believe that women need to be harder on themselves and I disagree with the judgmental ideals that others try to foist up us. YOU want to be harder on yourself - go right ahead but I'm of the belief that we can all be our best selves without competition or comparison. I've spent my entire life trying to live to standards to please OTHERS - now I please myself.

I wholehearted agree! Thanks for saying exactly what I was thinking too!

Happy holidays everyone,

KK

Have a wonderful Holiday every one

 

I am moving house Jan 17, so looking forward to making new friends in 2014, both when cruising and "at home".

 

Lynn

Happy Holidays to you too, Lynn!

Good luck with your upcoming move. I hope all goes smoothly for you!

KK

I've been using the Sound Oasis Travel Alarm Clock that I bought from Magellan's well over 5 years ago and love it! It plays 19 sounds, includes a dual-voltage AC adapter and 4 foreign adapter plugs, or works via 4 alkaline AA batteries. It comes in a leatherette carrying case and is very small (5¼'' x 3'' x ¾'') and lightweight. The sounds are so realistic, my traveling companion woke one morning on board thinking we'd slept with the porthole open - LOL! The "Harbor Cove" sound was the culprit. ;)

The only downside is that it is a bit pricey at $89.50, but I feel I've gotten my money's worth many times over for the number of times I've used it.

Here's the link to it on Magellan's site:

http://www.magellans.com/sound-oasis-travel-alarm-clock

KK

WHAT ...afternoon tea is now served in kings court...say it aint so. are you sure on this ?where do people dance ? the music makers set up where?

Naturally, you get only the tea, sandwiches, scones and sweets in King's Court. For the rest, you must go to the Queens Room.

KK

In the very early days, afternoon tea was held in the Winter Garden. Truly lucky to find a seat then! It soon changed to the Queens Room.

Afternoon tea has always been served in the Queens Room. But in the early days, it was served in the Winter Garden as well. What's changed is that it's no longer served in the Winter Garden, but in King's Court now instead. Truly sad...

KK

When I noticed that Cunard does summer transatlantic, I thought why not do a cruise from NYC over to London, spend a few days there, then fly back to the US. That way he would only have one trans-Atlantic flight, and I could get him for sure a nice seat on VA.

 

So I am curious what others think? Is this a good plan? And how is Cunard compared to HAL and Celebrity? We love both those lines.

 

What about the flights? I haven't flown trans-Atlantic in years.

 

Thanks in advance....

 

Bryan

I'd actually recommend doing the opposite of your plan, if possible. Fly from NYC to London, spend your time there, then sail westbound back to NYC from Southampton. I did this just this past summer with my elderly mother & it worked out wonderfully! We got the tiring flight over with at the start of our trip, then gained an extra hour for 5 of the 7 days on the crossing back home. She loved every minute of it and we came home very well rested.

Enjoy,

KK

I once watched an elderly woman in line ahead of me at a hotel's breakfast buffet pick up a Boston cream doughnut with her bare hands, despite there being tongs there on the plate, stick her thumb directly into the chocolate glaze and then place the doughnut back on the plate. As she was looking to make another choice, I held out the tongs to her and said pointedly, "You ARE taking that doughnut you just stuck your finger in, aren't you?" She gave me the dirtiest look and ran away from the buffet. Needless to say, I used to tongs to throw the doughnut out. What a waste of a good doughnut!

You'd think someone with her "experience" would know better. She looked like someone's sweet little granny!

KK

Your 'Halifax tourism rep' needs to resign if he thinks that only upper class passengers were buried in Halifax.

In fact very few first-class passengers were buried in Fairlawns Cemetery. Those buried there included a butcher, a boot polisher, a clothes presser, a steward, to name but a few. John Law Hume, the hero violinist is also buried in Fairlawns. Christopher Ward's recent best-seller 'And the Band Played On' gives a brilliantly authorative account as to what happened after the sinking of the Titanic.

It's true that some were evidently buried in caskets and some in body-bags but passengers both rich and poor are buried together in Fairlawns Cemetery. Incidentally, for Titanic enthusiasts and for those interested in seafaring history the cemetery is well worth a visit.

During the tour I had of the cemetery last spring, we were told that because they could afford it, the families of many of the first-class passengers whose bodies were identified had them shipped home for burial.

KK

This weekend my group of two suddenly turned to three so we re-booked an inside with upper berths and I agreed to climb the ladder! I will feel like 10 again like when I was on the old Queen Mary many, many years ago - in bunk beds -tourist class -community bathrooms but such a happy, happy time- thrilled to be celebrating the 10th birthday of the QM2. Will report how it goes with three in an inside.

I hope it will be as much fun for your group as it was for me and my friends. We took an eastbound TA in 2004, then were spending 8 days touring England. One of the ladies volunteered to take the upper berth for the TA, so the other two of us promised she would always have the best bed once we got on land. Our hotel in Bath couldn't accommodate triples (even though they said they could when we booked), so they gave us two rooms for the price of one and she got a room to herself. By then, we figured she could really use the alone time! Ten years sure does fly!

KK

I would appreciate any feedback about the upper berths in the QM2 inside and oceanview cabins especially from any adults who have used them. Are they comfortable? - Ease of getting in and out? Is the mattress the same size as the beds? I am aware space would be cramped with 4 people, even in an oceanview, but fare savings is fairly significant for 3rd and 4th guests versus two adjoining insides. For sure, would not consider doing 4 in an inside. Thanks in advance for all replies...............

My friends and I have used upper berths twice on the QM2. They are every bit as comfortable as the beds. I believe the mattress is the same size as what's on the beds, but don't quote me on that. If it wasn't, we couldn't tell the difference.

During the first cruise (3 people/inside), our steward lowered the upper berth during turndown service each night, attached the access ladder to the end of it and then raised it back up each morning (and took away the ladder) while cleaning our cabin. During the 2nd cruise (3 people/oceanview), our stewardess left the berth down (w/the ladder attached) the first couple of days after cleaning the cabin. Having 3 people share the space, the lowered berth got in our way. We kept hitting our heads on it. So we then asked her to please put it away each morning and she did from then on.

Hope this helps,

KK

I have a question for you ladies. I'm leaving next week on a Canada New England cruise where the weather could be anywhere in the 50's 60's to 70. I just got this great comfy pair of Aerosol flats and wondering if they are too light colored to take with me since it is fall. .They are leather and a very soft pink or fleshy pink tone.

 

I thought they would be nice just to run around the ship in, even if I don't wear them in the ports.

 

I'm trying to keep it down to 6 pair of shoes. I have a two day business meeting in Boston and then seven day cruise, so I think 6 or 7 pair is reasonable. I know some of you ladies travel with only three pair - I couldn't do that if my life depended on it.

 

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If the shoes are comfy, by all means wear them!

FYI, shoes on the bed are considered BAD LUCK!

No need to wish that on yourself! :eek:

KK

That's awesome, what was the best part of it?

So many things; it's hard to choose just one!

I love getting my first glimpse of the ship, boarding with all of the white-gloved attendants, seeing that she's still as beautiful and elegant as I remembered, opening my cabin door for the first time, getting invites in my mail slot, delicious chocolates on my pillow and reading the Daily Programme before bed each night, luxurious treatments in the spa, the pomp and circumstance of afternoon tea (no one does this better!), people-watching on formal nights, the great production quality of the shows... As you can tell, I can go on and on!

If you appreciate "fancy" then you're going to love Cunard!

KK

That's fine, but if you don't want to feel overly full you'll take my advice and skip lunch. It's too much food otherwise.

 

The alternative is to alternate lunch and afternoon tea.

Judging by her recent HAL Alaska review thread, I don't think Sarah will have a problem with that. This girl and her siblings can really put it away! ;)

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1841439

Sarah, I loved reading your HAL Alaska thread and seeing your pictures. The food pics always made me so hungry and overall reminiscent of my own HAL Alaska cruise in 2010. I can't wait to do it again!

I just came home from my 2nd QM2 crossing and enjoyed every second of it. I think you'll enjoy Cunard too. Fancier than HAL, but IMO that what makes it fun.

I can't wait to read a review of your QE sailing!

KK