QM2 TA June 10-17 Review from a First-Timer

[camelotcats]

Having read some mixed reviews, the uproar over the failed inspection, and some of the …. How shall I call it … intolerant postings regarding proper dress and comportment when travelling with Cunard that have been on this board, I felt somewhat compelled to write a review of my recent TA from New York to Southampton, June 10-17.

 

First, some background: My husband and I are in our mid-thirties and were first-time cruisers. We left the children with the grandparents and decided to head off to the UK to visit family. I read the Cunard forums here on CC pretty obsessively, and did a lot of research before we ever embarked. I especially enjoyed Peppern’s review and Flickr page, as it gave me a good point of reference when I was reading other reviews. I was also a follower of Capn Pugwash’s many adventures this spring and summer.

 

After two days with the grandparents, we flew into LaGuardia and caught a cab to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. We dropped our luggage off with the porter and walked inside to the check in. Check in was quick and easy, and we were directed to a nice open area to await our boarding time. When our number was called, we went through the hall, got our pictures taken, and were soon on the ship. We were directed to the elevators to find our room and we were off. In all, I was impressed with how painless check-in was. One hiccup: our room key had not been properly activated on land, so our steward (Carlos – he was awesome) let us into our room, then told us we had to go to the purser to get the cards fixed. The line at the purser was quick, and we were soon back in our rooms with working keys.

 

Soon, our suitcases were in the room, and DH and I set about unpacking. The closets were very roomy, and we had no problems fitting all of our clothing into them with room left over. DH’s shirts had gotten kind of wrinkled, but with some hanging, most of the wrinkles came out. He just hung the shirts in the bathroom while he and I showered in the morning, shook them out, and by dinner, they looked fine.

 

After packing and having a glass of the Pol Acker to celebrate, Dh and I went upstairs to the King’s Court to have a light lunch. It was crowded, but we easily found a seat, which was nice. The food was nothing to write home about, but it was plentiful, and as I expected for buffet food. I am not usually a fan of buffets, but this one seemed to be well kept and clean.

 

After lunch, DH and I went exploring for a few hours. WE went to al of the decks and went looking for all of the areas we had heard mentioned by others. We found the pools and viewing decks, saw where the grills were, Todd English, and got ourselves acquainted with the layout of the ship. Too soon, it seemed, it was time to go get ready for dinner.

 

We were seated at the first seating for dinner at a table of eight. All of our tablemates were there by 6:15. We watched the ship go under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge from the dining room, unfortunately, but we had an instant rapport with our tablemates. Dinners were to become a real highlight of the crossing for us as we all got together and discussed our days. Felipe, our waiter, and Konstantin our sommelier were on the ball and fabulous. Dh and I got the soft drink packages for our cards, and alternated nights between soda with dinner followed by drinks in the lounge, and wine with dinner. Konstantin treated us courteously and was prompt with our drinks no matter what we had to drink. Felipe made recommendations every night, but never made a fuss if we ordered something other than his recommendations. One night, our food was salty, and another night my pork was a little dry, but overall, dinner was a great time and we enjoyed the Britannia restaurant immensely.

 

After dinner, DH and I wandered around the ship some more, and then headed back to our room. We were tired after a few days of traveling and wanted to go to bed early. We filled out the breakfast room service card and were quickly off to sleep.

[camelotcats]

The second day of our voyage, we woke a little before room service was to arrive and got the room looking a little more presentable. The breakfast we ordered was nice and it was well made, but we hadn’t anticipated it being so chilly on the balcony. We felt that the room was kind of small to eat comfortably in, so this was to be a one-time occurrence, but we enjoyed it.

 

After breakfast, we headed down to Illuminations for the lecture on Shakespeare. This was to become a daily ritual, as I felt that the lecturer was an excellent speaker, and really enjoyed her perspective on Shakespeare. WE also attended the lectures on astronomy, which were very informative, but more dry.

 

After the lecture, we headed to the Britannia restaurant for lunch. WE had lunch most days here, and met a lot of very interesting people. We had some great conversations, and really enjoyed meeting the people that we ate with. Some were seasoned cruisers and gave us great advice, others were new to cruising like us, and we shared our new discoveries with one another. It was usually a great time.

 

After lunch, we went looking for a nice quiet place to read, and ended up finding it in the commodore club. This was also to become a daily ritual. Every afternoon, we would head up to the commodore club, grab a table and chairs by the window and read for a few hours. We usually had the same waitress, whose name I unfortunately forget, and she would joke with us when we saw her in the halls. It was a great atmosphere, and I can see why so many CC members love the commodore club. We ended up trying a bunch of their specialty drinks over the course of the week. Frequently, we would end up back in the commodore club after dinner for a nightcap, as there was always a great view of the sunset right before they pulled the shades.

 

Our first formal dinner was on the second night, and everyone at the table dressed accordingly. Dh had brought his tux, but most of the men at our table were in dark suits with business shirts and long ties. This seemed to bet he norm rather than the exception at dinner, at least at the early seating. Most women were dressed nicely, though I saw as many in cocktail length as I did floor length dresses. In general, I felt that the majority of people made the effort to dress according to dress code, and it made for a very nice atmosphere. One evening, I had been told, a man had come into the commodore club in jeans and a shirt, and it had been suggested that he “might be more comfortable” if her went back to his room and changed’” so they were enforcing dress code. One night, my dress tore at dinner, so I ended up changing into a very dressy top and satin slacks (My other dresses were at the drycleaners). I felt like I was dressed OK, even for a formal night.

[camelotcats]

I am not going to go over a day by day, as many of our days were the same, but I will hit some of the highlights from the rest of the week:

 

Most of the days, people dressed relatively casually during the day. I saw lots of jeans, shorts, flip-flops, hiking shoes, sneakers, and tee shirts. However, evenings, most of these went away, and people dressed according to the dress code. This is not a cruise for someone who does not like to dress up, as I feel you will really miss out if you spend all of your meals in the king’s court. We did have one dinner in Todd English. It was really nice, and the food was lovely, but we missed our tablemates and the conversation.

 

Over the course of the week, we went to a few shows, the Canterbury Tales put on by the RADA was terrible and everyone we spoke to agreed that it had not gone over well, though I heard that the RADA’s presentation of Much Ado About Nothing went well. We saw one of the shows on the third night, and it was nice, but not enough to make me want to see any more of them. The Julliard performers were on the ship, and we caught a few of the Jazz concerts and the quartet playing.

 

We had some champagne in the Veuve Cliquot Bar. Though it was nice, we felt that we were not treated as well there as in the commodore club, and ended up sticking with the commodore club. We never made it to the pub, as there always seemed to be something going on with lots of people when we were there. We also never made it to Sir Samuel’s, though I would have liked to have eaten there.

 

Most of our breakfasts were in the King’s Court. I am not a big breakfast eater, and they were great for my daily fruit and toast with tea breakfast. Dh had a big breakfast every morning and said his breakfasts were excellent. At breakfast, having multiple food stations really spread out the people and shortened any lines that may have formed.

 

We only went to afternoon tea once. We really enjoyed it, but as Dh said, "Oh, here's wehre all the people have been hiding!" It was nice, and as an American, I enjoyed the scones, cakes, and sandwiches, which seemed just lovely...especially the scones. :) Tea was the only time we really got an idea of the number of people on the ship. Usually, it felt like there weren't many people around, which was great. In general, I really enjoyed the tea, and we would have gone back if there hadn't been so many people there. It felt ver loud and crazy, and you could see that the crowds were starting to get to the servers, especially the people near us who were being very demanding and complaining loudly and seemingly without taking a breath. we were seated out of the way, and would have felt very claustrophobic if we had been int he middle of the crowds. The harp was lovely, though, and when you could hear it, it gave a really nice tone to the afternoon.

 

We saw the tabletop sales, but we didn’t end up buying anything. I didn’t really think they “ruined the atmosphere” of the cruise, but they did seem kind of out of place with the rest of the ship. We enjoyed the champagne art receptions in the gallery. I was somewhat disappointed in the quantity of art in the gallery and felt their selection was very limited and rather pricey for what they were showing. I am a big art lover, but Dh and I were really shocked by the prices of much of the art they were showing, even for the name artists they were representing. Full disclosure: we did end up purchasing a piece that we loved. It is due to arrive in a few weeks.

 

 

We attended the wine tasting and the Scotch tasting. I really enjoyed the Scotch tasting, as I am not a scotch drinker, usually. I found it to be pretty informative, and the people attending were a fun loving group, so we had a great time. For the wine tasting, we ended up with some people that were just there for the drinking, were disappointed in the amounts of wine we were served, and complained the whole time about there being “too much talking and not enough drinking”. I think we would have enjoyed it more if we had been seated elsewhere. Also, when we came in, the waiters tried to seat us at five different tables, and every time, the seats were “being saved” for people who never showed up, as the waiters seated us, then had to set up a whole fresh table for the people who came un after us. Over all, it left a kind of bad taste in my mouth.

 

The true highlight of our trip was our vow renewal ceremony. We renewed our vows on Wednesday evening. A number of our dinner table mates joined us, which was so wonderful. Captain Paul Wright was a great guy and really a fun person to be around. As he retired upon the ship docking in Southampton, he told us our ceremony was to be his last, so it was emotional for all of us. Afterwards, we shared a bottle of champagne and took pictures all over the ship. As a result, there are a lot of strangers who shared our voyage who have pictures of us posing around the ship. They served us our cake as dessert after dinner, and it was very tasty. In all, it was an experience to remember.

 

On the last day, Dh and I had decided to do self-disembarkation, so we got into the queue and were right off the ship. Disembarking was again, super easy, as they had done all of the immigration stuff during the cruise, so all we had to do was pass through, turn in our cards, and walk tot the taxi stand. We caught a cab to the train station and were off to Waterloo.

 

Overall, We both felt that we had a wonderful time. Most of the potential problem areas and times of confusion were expertly handled and easy. Everything was clearly laid out and self-explanatory. Yes, there were some hiccups, but that is to be expected. Something is going to go wrong at some time, and it is up to you to decide whether to let it slide or have it mar your whole trip. For us, the issues were minor, the unpleasant people provided good stories for later, and we had a great time. I would really recommend the TA to many of my friends and relatives, and we plan on many more cruises in our future. Next time, we may even bring the kids along.

[William Dean]

One evening, I had been told, a man had come into the commodore club in jeans and a shirt, and it had been suggested that he “might be more comfortable” if her went back to his room and changed’” so they were enforcing dress code.

 

Excellent to hear. And so delightfully put! :)

 

WD

[William Dean]

Overall, We both felt that we had a wonderful time. Most of the potential problem areas and times of confusion were expertly handled and easy. Everything was clearly laid out and self-explanatory. Yes, there were some hiccups, but that is to be expected. Something is going to go wrong at some time, and it is up to you to decide whether to let it slide or have it mar your whole trip. For us, the issues were minor, the unpleasant people provided good stories for later, and we had a great time. I would really recommend the TA to many of my friends and relatives, and we plan on many more cruises in our future. Next time, we may even bring the kids along.

 

Thank you for a well balanced review. I agree - it isn't ever the case that everything is right or everything is wrong.

 

Very glad you enjoyed a transatlantic - it is an expensive addition you are acquiring!

 

WD

[TransatPhd]

Thanks for the comprehensive post! I feel warned about the tea & excited about a Scotch tasting.

[pb82]

Thanks, camelotcats, for taking the time to write such an insightful and delightful review. And by all means bring your children along next time.

[rgaudet]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us. Enjoyed your review. I did my first cruise and first TA this year too and can't wait to go back. So the question is, are you hooked?!

[Mr_Phoebe_Cat]

Tea was the only time we really got an idea of the number of people on the ship.

 

Thanks for taking the time to post such a balanced review. The only tip I can offer here is go VERY early (there was a handy seat near the picture of the Queen outside from memory!) - and if not on a TA, we most enjoyed afternoon tea on port days when it was less manic.

[camelotcats]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us. Enjoyed your review. I did my first cruise and first TA this year too and can't wait to go back. So the question is, are you hooked?!

 

Thank you for reading! We are definitely hooked!

 

Thank you for a well balanced review. I agree - it isn't ever the case that everything is right or everything is wrong.

 

Very glad you enjoyed a transatlantic - it is an expensive addition you are acquiring!

 

WD

 

Excellent to hear. And so delightfully put! :)

 

WD

 

I thought it was an excellent way of asking someone to change without being confrontational. It is an expensive addiction, however, I have to admit, my balcony room was less than the one-way flight back to the states. Oof. I wish the hubby had had the time off work to take an extra week for the TA home.

[camelotcats]

Thanks for taking the time to post such a balanced review. The only tip I can offer here is go VERY early (there was a handy seat near the picture of the Queen outside from memory!) - and if not on a TA, we most enjoyed afternoon tea on port days when it was less manic.

 

Thank you for reading. We found a little seat under a picture of the queen, actually. That was where we ended up, as it was just up the stairs and away from the throngs. It was still very loud in the room. Going during port days is a great suggestion.

[T5LHR]

Hi camelotcats...

 

What a fantastic read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Sounds like you had a wonderful time... I can't wait to board the QM2 for the first time next year...!

 

Hope you are well.

 

T5

[Norine]

What a lovely unbiased and realistic review. You come across as a very sensible person, I am so glad you enjoyed your trip and wish you many more.:)

[karl_nj]

Konstantin treated us courteously and was prompt with our drinks no matter what we had to drink.

 

I'm glad you enjoyed your crossing on the QM2, and thanks for sharing your thoughts with us. Konstantin was our wine steward on a cruise we did a year ago, and I also thought he did a great job. If the bottle that I selected wasn't available, he would recommend one that was less expensive instead of trying to "upsell" me.

[3rdGenCunarder]

 

It is an expensive addiction, however, I have to admit, my balcony room was less than the one-way flight back to the states. Oof. I wish the hubby had had the time off work to take an extra week for the TA home.

 

Oh,yeah, you're hooked! It's a wonderful addiction. Make sure you're on Cunard's mailing lists (snail and e-mail). Sometimes there are special offers with surprisingly good prices.

 

I'm glad you enjoyed the crossing, and thanks for the review!

[cinta]

Hahaha...another one hooked! I believe they slip something in the tea ;)

 

Glad you had a wonderful time. We always do :D

[rgaudet]

It is an expensive addiction, however, I have to admit, my balcony room was less than the one-way flight back to the states. Oof. I wish the hubby had had the time off work to take an extra week for the TA home.

 

I live in Canada so flew to London and took the QM2 to New York. My goal is to book this trip:

 

1. Fly to New York (just 1 hr flight for me) and spend one or two night there.

2. hop on QM2 eastbound to Southampton.

3. Spend a week in London and UK.

4. take the QM2 back to New York.

5. Another night or two in NY.

6. Then and only then fly back home.

 

I'd need to find the dates when I could have a week in the UK, but that seems manageable. The problem is getting the time off...I'd need 3 weeks +. :(

 

But what a trip, and completely avoid the expensive and relatively cruel overseas plane rides!

[rosler28]

I live in Canada so flew to London and took the QM2 to New York. My goal is to book this trip:

 

1. Fly to New York (just 1 hr flight for me) and spend one or two night there.

2. hop on QM2 eastbound to Southampton.

3. Spend a week in London and UK.

4. take the QM2 back to New York.

5. Another night or two in NY.

6. Then and only then fly back home.

 

I'd need to find the dates when I could have a week in the UK, but that seems manageable. The problem is getting the time off...I'd need 3 weeks +. :(

 

But what a trip, and completely avoid the expensive and relatively cruel overseas plane rides!

 

The first thing to do is identify dates that would allow this. QM2 normally sails Eastbound and then sails directly back Westbound. The ships programme does, sometimes allow you a week in the UK whilst she makes a trip somewhere in Europe.

 

Identify when the ship does this and then find out if you can have the time off. You don't ask a simple question.

[rgaudet]

The first thing to do is identify dates that would allow this. QM2 normally sails Eastbound and then sails directly back Westbound. The ships programme does, sometimes allow you a week in the UK whilst she makes a trip somewhere in Europe.

 

Identify when the ship does this and then find out if you can have the time off. You don't ask a simple question.

 

Sorry , wasn't asking a question per se. I meant to write "What a trip!!!"

 

It's merely a dream for me at this stage, something to live for!

[MeiLoandSquirrel]

I too will say thanks for the review. We are Americans who have been living in Europe and ended up deciding to take the QM2 simply because it has a kennel and our little girl is traveling with us. Being quite the fashionista family, we were starting to stress a bit about the dress code. We've been in a VERY casual atmosphere for several years and while we obviously know what it means to dress formally, we were beginning to worry that we would not be formal enough. If it was a normal "vacation" we'd have no hesitations about running out and buying a bunch of new clothes, but at this moment, we don't want to add even MORE clothes into our move.... Your post helped us relax a bit!!

[BlueRiband]

...I'd need to find the dates when I could have a week in the UK...

 

You may want to look at the QM2 June 2012 schedule. She makes an eastbound TA, then has a 5-day voyage before returning to Southampton for the westbound TA. If you booked just the TAs you would have 5 days in the UK.

 

Altogether you would still need three weeks of vacation. But you would otherwise need a month off if you had to wait for the QM2 to make a round trip before sailing back to NY.

[Underwatr]

September 2011 is a closer option (EB Sept 5-12, WB Sept 20-27). Very limited selction of cabins other than suites, though.

[camelotcats]

Hi camelotcats...

 

What a fantastic read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Sounds like you had a wonderful time... I can't wait to board the QM2 for the first time next year...!

 

Hope you are well.

 

T5

 

Having read your other posts, I am sure you will have a wonderful time as we did. We are doing very well, though adjusting to life back "in the rat race" has made us rather busy.

 

What a lovely unbiased and realistic review. You come across as a very sensible person, I am so glad you enjoyed your trip and wish you many more.:)

 

Thank you so very much.

 

I'm glad you enjoyed your crossing on the QM2, and thanks for sharing your thoughts with us. Konstantin was our wine steward on a cruise we did a year ago, and I also thought he did a great job. If the bottle that I selected wasn't available, he would recommend one that was less expensive instead of trying to "upsell" me.

 

Konstantin was a real gem. He made great recommendations, helped us when we wanted suggestions, and grinned and got our sodas when we didn't want any alcohol. In all, he was fabulous.

[camelotcats]

I'd need to find the dates when I could have a week in the UK, but that seems manageable. The problem is getting the time off...I'd need 3 weeks +. :(

 

But what a trip, and completely avoid the expensive and relatively cruel overseas plane rides!

 

If we had had the three weeks, we totally would have taken the cruise back.

 

I too will say thanks for the review. We are Americans who have been living in Europe and ended up deciding to take the QM2 simply because it has a kennel and our little girl is traveling with us. Being quite the fashionista family, we were starting to stress a bit about the dress code. We've been in a VERY casual atmosphere for several years and while we obviously know what it means to dress formally, we were beginning to worry that we would not be formal enough. If it was a normal "vacation" we'd have no hesitations about running out and buying a bunch of new clothes, but at this moment, we don't want to add even MORE clothes into our move.... Your post helped us relax a bit!!

 

Glad I could give you some "peace of brain." Like I said, they definitely dress up for dinner (and I highly recommend it), but during the day, things were relatively casual. I typically wear linen slacks and cotton tops in the summer, and I felt, at times, over dressed for the days. Though I saw some people in denim shorts with flip flops and graphic tees, they appeared "underdressed". I think a happy medium would be most comfortable. Don't be grubby (obviously), and dress with a bit of pride in your appearance, but cargoes, capris, nice jeans, chinos, or casual skirts/dresses will be fine for the days.

[Rabbitlady]

CC,

I am sorry if you already addressed this and I missed it...........

 

 

Were there tuxs at dinner? My hubby bought one since we'd be on for a few weeks. I've read different things so now I am wondering if my husband will be "out of Place" .

 

Also, do people participate in the various balls?

 

How was the A/C on the ship? I will be on the ship often since I am on the transaltantics(sorry for my spelling) and some ships are so cold I have to dress with much warmer clothes. I am trying to not pack as much.

 

Thanks so much for any assistance.

 

RL