Comparing Queen Elizabeth with Nieuw Amsterdam

[rafinmd]

From the March 27 sailaway thread:

 

You can bet I'll be there. I won't be on her but she's headed for New York to pick ME up. Think I might be a bit excited. Of course looking a lot like a HAL ship is very appropriate. She's essentially a Signature class with a few tweaks. Although I've never been on a Vista/Signature I do have deck plans and may even break in over here and post a comparison between the Cunard and HAL implementations of the design.

Roy

 

I’ll post to this thread periodically as time and satellite access permits, but will start with a few items from my deck. One of the first likely differences is in the power outlets, although QE is a bit different from other Cunard ships. The outlets in order are US, UK, US and Europe. This is the first time I’ve seen a European outlet on a Cunard ship, it’s usually just US and UK. There’s also an outlet for an ethernet cable, and the TV plugs into a US duplex outlet with one outlet used and the other available. On QE there’s a slot by the door where your room key turns on the power. Most of the outlets switch off when the key is removed but a couple stay active.

 

Most ships have steel walls. I use a magnet to hold things like invitations. I know they don’t work on the R and S class ships, not sure about the Vista/Signature.

 

Finally for this installment, QE has self service laundries on each deck. As on the Elegant Explorer, QE’s laundries are free.

 

I’m signed up for the behind the scenes tour later in the voyage. There are a some white spaces on the QE that are cabins on the Nieuw Amsterdam. I hope to find out later what is there.

 

Roy

[kazu]

Thanks Roy:) Looking forward to what you find and your comparisons:)

[Seago2]

Oh this is going to be a good one, can't wait. Free laundry, how civilized....

[innlady1]

Thanks for checking in, Roy. Some of us watched you sail from New York...I took a screen shot and can email it to you when you are home if you like! Interesting about the outlets. Wish they had a laundromat on the NA!

[Vict0riann]

I took some screen shots, too - perhaps not great, but the QE with Lady Liberty nearby. Will be back from the Eurodam on May 1, I think, so I'll be back here then. Two years ago, when we were in Lisbon on the Eurodam, the QE was also in port, and our Captain Bowland told us the QE was 5 metres longer than we were, although basically the same hull. One day we'll sail on her! Enjoy the crossing! Ann

[rafinmd]

Thanks for all the comments and the screen shot sounds good.

 

Decks 11 and 12 aft are many ways the most different part of the ships. On Nieuw Amsterdam that is Tamarind and Silk Den, I believe both specialty (bar and restaurant). On QE it is the one place on the ship most passengers cannot go. It has the Queens (port) and Princess (starboard) Grill Restaurants and a Grills lounge forward. There is also a Grills sun deck just forward of the lounge. Unlike QE2 where the Grills accommodations were in a separate area of the ship, my next to bottom level cabin is directly across the hall from Queens Grill penthouses. Deck 10 aft is very similar on the 2 ships, Club HAL/The Loft on NA vs The Zone/The Play Zone on QE.

 

Roy

[Scrapnana]

I can't wait to hear your report on the behind the scenes tour. I've read a couple of reports from QM2's tour but none from QE. I,too, have a number of screen shots of your NYC sailaway.

[rafinmd]

If you’re willing to send me some screen shots of our exit I’d love that. Is it ok if I post one on my blog? The email address is:

 

rafinmdcc-info AT yahoo DOT conm

 

I think this is an area where the differences encountered from a common starting point are quite interesting. Both ships have an open space above the midship pool dividing decks from there up into a distinct forward and aft. Cunard has no cabins in this part of the ship. On deck 10, the most forward section is the Commodore Club, a bar with superb views out the front of the ship and a hot spot for late night entertainment. Behind the elevators is the Yacht Club, a disco.

[rafinmd]

The forward part of deck 11 (site of Nieuw Amsterdam's Crows Nest) is a British oriented outdoor sports area with courts for paddle tennis, lawn bowling, and croquet. The area is shielded from the wind by windows with narrow open spaces between panes, and by strips of tarp overhead, providing some protection from the sun, but still quite an outdoors feeling. Aft of the elevators on deck 11 is a raised platform with an oversized chess set. I found it quite astounding how the 2 ships could share the same architecture and be so different, while also sharing great forward views from a lovely piano bar.

 

Roy

[Sir PMP]

'Comparing Queen Elizabeth with Nieuw Amsterdam'

 

Class vs no class..

[Boytjie]

'Comparing Queen Elizabeth with Nieuw Amsterdam'

 

Class vs no class..

 

Oh, you trash her too. :rolleyes:

[scopewest]

Roy, thank you for taking the time to do this!

[rafinmd]

The Lido Deck on both ships are fairly similar, but this is a good time to mention a few things QE lacks. Most directly related to the lido deck is that QE does not have a sliding cover for the Pavilion Pool. It would have been a very welcome feature. The QE also does not share NA’s scenic elevator, there are cabins in the corresponding space on QE. There are also 4 midship elevators while it appears NA has just 2 working together with the scenic elevators. Finally, there are a number of nice paintings in the stairwells, but so far I haven’t seen any by Stephen Card, especially regrettable since the ship is now registered in Bermuda,

 

As with Nieuw Amsterdam, the fitness center and spa occupy the front of the lido deck. The biggest difference is probably just aft of the midship pool where the light and airy Garden Lounge extends the full width of the ship in the area where NA's Lido Bar and Terrace Grill sit. I suspect the 2 Lido buffet's are quite similar. There's a small grill serving hot dogs and burgers by the port entrance to the aft pool, On the NA deck plan I see "Slice" just across from that entrance which I assume is a pizza counter. QE has a small stage in the same area, little used on my voyage except for a band at sailaway.

[rafinmd]

The 2 ships are quite similar. I thought I saw somewhere on the HAL forum that the Vista/Signature promenade decks get very narrow around the bow. I didn't find that about this deck and suspect that may have been mistaken. Here are a few shots of our promenade deck, mostly the bow.

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

By the deck plans, the 2 ships should be quite similar, although I have no first hand experience. Here are a few pictures of the Royal Court Theater and the Brittania Dining Room.

[aliaschief]

Roy, thanks for taking the time and sharing your observations.

 

Are you having a good time?

[IRL_Joanie]

I am absolutely loving the Live Comparisons and photos!!

 

The narrowing of the Promenade deck does look almost exactly as I remember on Zuiderdam both towards the bow and the aft of the ship. I do not remember on Nieuw Amsterdam as I could not get onto the Promenade deck on my scooter........

 

Waiting for your next posts and photos:) And HOPING you continue to enjoy your cruise on the Queen!!:)

 

Joanie

[Boytjie]

Thanks for posting this - I find it very interesting.

[Boatdrill]

Thank you for taking the time to post. I'm a fan of the NA, Queen Mary, and Crystal Symphony, so to see these interior photos is interesting. What a beautiful ship.

 

You've inspired me to take a look at QE itineraries. :)

[kazu]

great thread Roy! thank you. i was really hoping to follow your example and do a TA back from London on Cunard - but alas, the next sailing was 7 days away and that was too much time for us:(

 

Really appreciate this - we're just going to have to investigate another Cunard sailing now:D enjoy and thank you:D

[innlady1]

Thank you for all the lovely photos, Roy. We've only been on S class ships for the past two plus years, so the NA is going to be quite a change for us...since she must be about the same size as the Queen!

Are you enjoying your TA?

[petrakae]

We disembarked the Queen Victoria last week and will be boarding the NA in May, so I am watching your comparison review with great interest. Thank you for taking the time to post your review. The free laundry on QV was a great bonus as we were onboard for 31 nights, but the 'laundry rage' got a bit much.... :eek:

[cruisetrail]

The 2 ships are quite similar. I thought I saw somewhere on the HAL forum that the Vista/Signature promenade decks get very narrow around the bow. I didn't find that about this deck and suspect that may have been mistaken. Here are a few shots of our promenade deck, mostly the bow.

 

Roy

 

The forward part of promenade deck on the Signature class ships is structurally the same.

It's narrow around the bow (not very, rather as it should be).

However, the Signature class has no rafts, no obstacles there.

Promenade deck midships on the QE is somewhat clustered with various equipment vs open space on the Signature class.

Wrap-around promenade deck on the Signature class is a real teak deck that makes it second best at sea after the Queen Mary 2.

The QV has linoleum.

QE-?

[cruisetrail]

By the deck plans, the 2 ships should be quite similar, although I have no first hand experience. Here are a few pictures of the Royal Court Theater and the Brittania Dining Room.

 

Built within the same hull structure, the theater and the MDR are made very different (from the Signature class) - to be closer to Cunard style.

The theater on the QE is the most beautiful showroom at sea.

MDR has been planned to create an impression of a larger double-deck space with a kind of processional staircase in the middle (as much as the Vista platform permits).

[Boatdrill]

Wrap-around promenade deck on the Signature class is a real teak deck that makes it second best at sea after the Queen Mary 2.

The QV has linoleum.

 

Linoleum ? :(