QE improvements over QV?

[highcbob]

Hello sailors! What 'improvements' do you notice for the new Queen Elizabeth over QV? Will QE have teak decks unlike QV's miserable plastic decking? What faults from QV have Cunard fixed for their new ship?

[southwestie]

As far as I can see it is a cpoy of the QV a couple of extra cabins put in and are deco design

[guernseyguy]

What 'improvements' do you notice for the new Queen Elizabeth over QV?

 

• Much bigger Lido Deck (because of the near vertical vs raked stern)
  
• Double height in the Garden Lounge vs single height
  
• Britannia Club single seating dining for Britannia (but no champagne bar)
  

 

To be honest I was not that bothered by the lack of teak decks - they are certainly nicer than the plastic, but hardly a 'deal breaker'.

[Lanky Lad]

Boths ships will be much the same the thing that bothers me is the Britannia Club dinning which will be on 2 deck where the Chart Room is on Queen Victoria. (This is my favourate room on Queen Victoria).

 

Seems like there will just be a long passage leading from the Grand Lobby to the dinning room.

[Calliope]

Plastic or teak, I just hope that you can stroll all the way around the boat deck.

[Terrence Richards]

Plastic or teak, I just hope that you can stroll all the way around the boat deck.

 

Hi Calliope,

 

I agree with you. That is a nice feature on the QM2 to be able to walk around the entire ship on Deck Seven.

 

The QE2 had a wrap around deck until you reached the bow of the ship and then you had to climb stairs to get around the bow just below the bridge. As you stood in the middle of this area overlooking the bow, behind you in the superstructure where several windows of the captain's quarters (that was what I was told ....... is that so ...... does anyone else know for sure?)

 

Terrence

[highcbob]

• I was not that bothered by the lack of teak decks - they are certainly nicer than the plastic, but hardly a 'deal breaker'.

 

Hello Peter, always good to hear from you. The issue of plastic decking on QV is:

 

1) it is way too hot (the plastic) in warmer climates where I found myself hopping around (ouch ouch ouch) after getting out of the pool and trying to head for my poolside deck chair.

 

2) Not long after her (QV) maiden voyage - there were quarter size holes (U.S. currency :)) in the plastic decking that appeared either from extreme heat (blistering), or for some other unexplained reason. Plastic is by no means a substiute for teak. It is very sad if Cunard think they can get away with this.

[guernseyguy]

The issue of plastic decking on QV is:

 

1) it is way too hot (the plastic) in warmer climates where I found myself hopping around (ouch ouch ouch) after getting out of the pool and trying to head for my poolside deck chair.

 

2) Not long after her (QV) maiden voyage - there were quarter size holes (U.S. currency :)) in the plastic decking that appeared either from extreme heat (blistering), or for some other unexplained reason. Plastic is by no means a substiute for teak. It is very sad if Cunard think they can get away with this.

 

Ah! Understand the problem! I've only sailed on QV across the Atlantic in a freezing January.

 

IIRC, there were two theories as to why QV got plastic decking - cost and top hamper (weight up top)....don't think we ever got a definitive answer (there was some environmental hooey, but that was rightly dismissed, teak is a crop like anything else, so as long as you replace what you cut there should not be a problem, as there isn't on the rest of the Carnival fleet).

 

Also I don't know why we can't use the passageway forward on the promenade deck - I did at sailaway - but was then politely, if firmly, questioned by a Security chap......suspect its something to do with their convenience, rather than ours..... Perhaps we should add it to our 'wish list' for improvements on Queen Elizabeth vs Queen Victoria:

 

• Teak Decking - not plastic
  
• Wrap around Promenade DEck
  
• Larger Grills Lounge
  
• Others?
  

[southwestie]

Boths ships will be much the same the thing that bothers me is the Britannia Club dinning which will be on 2 deck where the Chart Room is on Queen Victoria. (This is my favourate room on Queen Victoria).

 

Seems like there will just be a long passage leading from the Grand Lobby to the dinning room.

 

 

I agree with you here,Chart room is nice, commpdore club is amazinf as well, I was hopeing that teaks would used and I thought some said they open the deck all the way round for walking on both QE & QV, anyone know any more on this:)

[Host Sharon]

IIRC, there were two theories as to why QV got plastic decking - cost and top hamper (weight up top)....don't think we ever got a definitive answer (there was some environmental hooey, but that was rightly dismissed, teak is a crop like anything else, so as long as you replace what you cut there should not be a problem, as there isn't on the rest of the Carnival fleet).

 

 

 

Arcadia is Vista Class too, but has teak decking everywhere. Plastic is also useless for shuffleboard etc. I see from the current QE plans she should have the wrap around prom deck, thankfully.

[stowaway2k]

In spite of what those of us who have been on QV think... we really just have to wait for Savoia to come along and give us another of those definitive replies on QV and QE ... :rolleyes:

[paulista1950]

"1) it is way too hot (the plastic) in warmer climates where I found myself hopping around (ouch ouch ouch) after getting out of the pool and trying to head for my poolside deck chair."

 

Here in Brazil (warmer climate) we use to leave our flip-flops close to the pool when taking a dip.:D

[balf]

Wish they would find the space for a proper cinema.

 

David.

[guernseyguy]

I see from the current QE plans she should have the wrap around prom deck, thankfully.

 

Unfortunately the QV deck plans show exactly the same - but in practice, its not.

 

Kyle - yes, we await Kevin's pronouncement on how the Queen Elizabeth staircase is just the same as Carnival Dream.....well, it goes between two decks - QED!

[Host Sharon]

Unfortunately the QV deck plans show exactly the same - but in practice, its not.

 

Kyle - yes, we await Kevin's pronouncement on how the Queen Elizabeth staircase is just the same as Carnival Dream.....well, it goes between two decks - QED!

 

Are you looking online or in next year's brochure?

 

http://www.cunard.co.uk/QE_Flash_deckPlans/default.htm

[Beyondships]

Hi Calliope,

 

I agree with you. That is a nice feature on the QM2 to be able to walk around the entire ship on Deck Seven.

 

The QE2 had a wrap around deck until you reached the bow of the ship and then you had to climb stairs to get around the bow just below the bridge. As you stood in the middle of this area overlooking the bow, behind you in the superstructure where several windows of the captain's quarters (that was what I was told ....... is that so ...... does anyone else know for sure?)

 

Terrence

 

The windows on QE2 did indeed look into the Captain's quarters. It had a large living room/office that was used for parties in the days when the senior officers held parties in their quarters. They were great parties.

 

With regard to differences between QV and the new QE, the question in my mind is whether QE will have the same seakeeping properties as QV. There seems to be agreement by all those who have driven her that QV has superior stability and maneuverability over the earlier Vistas. QE carries through much of the QV design but there will be extra weight in the back due to the additional staterooms. Will this help or hurt - - stay tuned.

 

With regard to teak, I have been told that Carnival Corp purchased a large amount of teak several years ago at a good price and that explains why teak has been used extensively not only on Carnival Cruise Lines ships but on other Carnival Corp ships. This supply is reportedly now petering out. I would note that the promenade on the new Carnival Dream is not teak although there is teak on some of the upper decks.

[guernseyguy]

Are you looking online or in next year's brochure?

 

http://www.cunard.co.uk/QE_Flash_deckPlans/default.htm

 

Online they look the same....

[phillipahain]

The plans online are not the same

 

They have removed the Toilets that were to the rear of the Chart Room on the QV

 

and replaced them and the Chart Room with the Brittania Club exclusive dining on QE

 

Hence the loss of the Chart Room means less Public seating areas which on sea days are so vital and heavily used

[guernseyguy]

The plans online are not the same

 

With respect to the wrap-around promenade (the subject under discussion) they are. The earlier poster had inferred from the QE deck plan that it would be wrap-around - I was pointing out that the 'non-wraparound' prom on QV is presented identically on-line as QE's....

 

For the rest of the ship, of course there are differences....

[bobby1119]

How about an exact-sounding replica of QE2's horn?

 

Haven't sailed QV yet, so I can't add much to the QE wish list. I would like to see teak on QE and all flat panel TVs. Cunard sells themselves like Tiffany's but sometimes delivers like K-Mart.

 

From what I read here about QV and from what friends who have experienced her have said, I am eagerly looking forward to the voyages I have booked.

 

In the meantime, I am jumping ship, so to speak, next month for a nice 12 day jaunt down to the Caribbean and back on Explorer of the Seas.

 

With all the anxiety about air travel ramping up again in the aftermath of the recent Delta incident, a cruise without having to fly was very appealing to me.

 

Happy holidays all!

[Cruachan]

Not long after her (QV) maiden voyage - there were quarter size holes (U.S. currency :)) in the plastic decking that appeared either from extreme heat (blistering), or for some other unexplained reason. Plastic is by no means a substiute for teak. It is very sad if Cunard think they can get away with this.

 

Personally, I don't have any serious objection to the use of the "linoleum" per se. What I absolutely cannot understand, however, is what kind of mighty brain it took to decide to paint lines on it to make it look like planks. I think the true plank was the one who thought up the idea. If it were nothing but plain plastic sheeting it would simply be another modern material and, despite not being teak, it would be relatively inoffensive to the eye. As it stands, it looks like something that has been borrowed from theme park replica of an "ocean liner". It fools no one and simply look utterly cheap, tacky, trashy and nasty.

 

Here's a photo I took of one of the mysterious holes. My personal theory is that these are caused by empty drinks glasses being left on the deck. The thick bottom of the glass acts as a lens and the sun burns the hole in the plastic.

 

J

 

[ovccruiser]

I may be wrong, as usually I am:D, but plastic decks were used on QM2 in two areas, forward, where the propellors are on show, and also up on the observasion deck,11. Passengers tend not to take drinks to these areas, so theory of used drinks glasses causing the problem maybe relevant on QV. I also wonder whether the use of lino in these areas had a contributing factor in its use on QV

[KingoftheQueens]

The windows on QE2 did indeed look into the Captain's quarters. It had a large living room/office that was used for parties in the days when the senior officers held parties in their quarters. They were great parties.

 

With regard to differences between QV and the new QE, the question in my mind is whether QE will have the same seakeeping properties as QV. There seems to be agreement by all those who have driven her that QV has superior stability and maneuverability over the earlier Vistas. QE carries through much of the QV design but there will be extra weight in the back due to the additional staterooms. Will this help or hurt - - stay tuned.

 

With regard to teak, I have been told that Carnival Corp purchased a large amount of teak several years ago at a good price and that explains why teak has been used extensively not only on Carnival Cruise Lines ships but on other Carnival Corp ships. This supply is reportedly now petering out. I would note that the promenade on the new Carnival Dream is not teak although there is teak on some of the upper decks.

 

Close. The area behind the windows was the Wardroom. It also housed the Officer's Mess. The bridge was directly above and the Captain's Sea/Day Cabin was adjacent to that. For those who aren't of a nautical persuasion, the Officer's Mess is where they eat their meals. (unless they are hosting) The Wardroom is the bar and lounge area for the Officers. The Captain is not permitted to enter unless he is invited by a Wardroom member (Officer) or the President of the Wardroom. If you were lucky, as I was, you could be invited to pre dinner drinks (by one of the Officers) with the Officers in the Wardroom. QE2 did this once per trip, and it was limited to around six guests per Officer. A pretty exclusive club! Note that the Captain could not invite anyone, and would only be permitted to join in if invited by another Officer! And you are right to say they were great parties! Sadly, QM2 and QV do not have Wardrooms. QE won't either.....

 

Pip-Pip!

[stowaway2k]

Close. The area behind the windows was the Wardroom. It also housed the Officer's Mess. The bridge was directly above and the Captain's Sea/Day Cabin was adjacent to that.

 

The previous poster was correct in that the windows in question were those of the Captain's quarters.

Above them is the bridge, below them is the wardroom.

 

Towards the end of

you will go past the entrance to the wardroom, up one flight of stairs and into the Captain's quarters. Then, a peek out the windows onto the public deck.

 

:)

 

.

[Beyondships]

Close. The area behind the windows was the Wardroom. It also housed the Officer's Mess. The bridge was directly above and the Captain's Sea/Day Cabin was adjacent to that. For those who aren't of a nautical persuasion, the Officer's Mess is where they eat their meals. (unless they are hosting) The Wardroom is the bar and lounge area for the Officers. The Captain is not permitted to enter unless he is invited by a Wardroom member (Officer) or the President of the Wardroom. If you were lucky, as I was, you could be invited to pre dinner drinks (by one of the Officers) with the Officers in the Wardroom. QE2 did this once per trip, and it was limited to around six guests per Officer. A pretty exclusive club! Note that the Captain could not invite anyone, and would only be permitted to join in if invited by another Officer! And you are right to say they were great parties! Sadly, QM2 and QV do not have Wardrooms. QE won't either.....

 

Pip-Pip!

 

Not to quibble but to quibble - - the Wardroom was on Boat Deck. (Its entrance was through the doorway marked "authorized personnel only" at the top of the A stairway. When the authorized personnel only door was open, which it was almost all the time, you could see the beveled glass door to the Wardroom from the forward entrance of the Queens Grill). The Captain's quarters were one deck above that and one deck above the Captain's quarters was the bridge.

 

In order to get from port to starboard (or vice versa) at the forward end of the ship when making a circuit of the ship outdoors, one had to walk up a flight of stairs from Boat Deck to the next deck. Thus, at the top of those stairs one was one deck above the Ward Room (and one deck below the bridge). The windows that looked out onto this area were from Captain's quarters.

 

The Captain's sea cabin is not the same as the Captain's quarters. The sea cabin was a small room behind the bridge where the captain could get a few minutes sleep during those times of rough North Atlantic weather when he had to be on the bridge (or nearby) almost continuously.

 

The Wardroom parties were not the same as the senior officer parties. The wardroom party took place on the last night of a crossing and accordingly were informal (defined in those days as jacket and tie). Guests were anyone that a member of the Wardroom wanted to invite. It is true that the Captain could not invite people to these parties as he was not a member of the Wardroom. However, his secretary was and so . . .

 

The senior officer parties were on the thrid formal night of a crossing. The captain, the cheif engineer, the hotel manager and the doctor each had a party. Each of the parties had a reputation. The captain's party typically included all of the VIPs onboard. The hotel manager's party was known for its excellent food. (These were held originally in the hotel manager's quarters but later in the Boardroom and still later in the Yacht Club). The chief engineer's party was known as the most boisterous. (These were held in his quarters adjacent to the captain's quarters). The doctor's party was held in the area immediately adjacant to his office on Two Deck (not in the hospital). They were known for years for having the most young women and so as soon as could politely be done, quite a few junior officers would slip away from their senior officers' parties and join the doctor's party. Later, after a change in medical personnel, the doctor's party became known for its good wine.

 

QM2 does have a wardroom. However, it is too small for parties and does not have the interesting decor of the one on QE2, which had many items that had been donated to the officers during the ship's travels.