sfvoyager Posted January 5, 2006 #1 Share Posted January 5, 2006 I am planning to surprise my mom for her 80th Birthday with a Mediterranean Cruise this September. I am having difficulty choosing between these three ships: QM2, Brilliance of the Seas or Norwegian Jewel? Has anyone sailed in 2 or 3 or these ships that can share their opinions? I plan on splurging with a mini suite or suite, food is important, and the overall beauty of the ship. Thanks for your help everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
signman Posted January 5, 2006 #2 Share Posted January 5, 2006 I've visited QM2 and read a lot of the pros and cons in various reviews. I have sailed on Radiance, sister ship to Brilliance and that would be my recommendation. It's an absolutely beautiful ship. If you get a cabin near the Centrum you will have very little walking to all public areas. Dining is traditional seating. I thought the food was very good. I was pleasantly surprised. The layout and ease of using the buffet are very good. There are 2 specialty restaurants vs just one on QM2. There was plenty of entertainment and music. QM2 would be stronger on the daily schedule, and has a more traditional classic type design. You would probably walk much more. Pool areas on Brilliance, including the Solarium are nicer and bigger. Your value is probably better on Brilliance as well, but there is a QM2 mystique, which you may or may not "get". Norwegian Jewel is brand new. Reviews are good. Is Freestyle dining for you? That's all I can offer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avalon1025 Posted January 5, 2006 #3 Share Posted January 5, 2006 The Qm2 is an amazing ship, though be prepared for alot of tendering as she is so big. The food on Royal Caribbean is awful, unless you can stomach mass market chain restaurant food. NCL is the low end of all three Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mustangs Posted January 5, 2006 #4 Share Posted January 5, 2006 Hello, If food is important, consider the QM2's Princess Grill or Queens Grill. A table is assigned to you only, with seating at any time the restaurant is open. The dining area is quite intimate, very much like a fine restaurant. Breakfast: 8:00am - 9:30am Lunch: 12:30pm - 2:00pm Dinner: 6:30pm - 9:00pm The food quality and selection is superb, service excellent! Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haze Posted January 17, 2006 #5 Share Posted January 17, 2006 We are booked on QM2 this Sept for a transatlantic crossing so I can't comment on the ship yet. However, last Septemeber we were on Norwegain Jewel. We loved the ship. We had absolutely no complaints concerning it or the crew. It was a wonderful voyage. It is a different comcept concerning dining. There are approx. 10 restaurants on bouard. There are two main dining rooms, the Tsars palace and The Azura. The thing that is different is that you need a reservtion unless you will shate a table with someone. If you have never been on Norwegain. it is freestyle cruising which means youcan dine any time from 5:30 onward. There is a board posted that is updated to let you know how full the various restaurants are at any given time. Then you line up to get in if you do not have a reservation I hope you enjoy your cruise which ever ship you chose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2moose Posted January 17, 2006 #6 Share Posted January 17, 2006 We are booked on QM2 this Sept for a transatlantic crossing so I can't comment on the ship yet. However, last Septemeber we were on Norwegain Jewel. We loved the ship. We had absolutely no complaints concerning it or the crew. It was a wonderful voyage. It is a different comcept concerning dining. There are approx. 10 restaurants on bouard. There are two main dining rooms, the Tsars palace and The Azura. The thing that is different is that you need a reservtion unless you will shate a table with someone. If you have never been on Norwegain. it is freestyle cruising which means youcan dine any time from 5:30 onward. There is a board posted that is updated to let you know how full the various restaurants are at any given time. Then you line up to get in if you do not have a reservation I hope you enjoy your cruise which ever ship you chose. with "freestyle crusing " is there a dress code for the dining rooms and/or resturaunts. thanx for your help jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougnewmanatsea Posted January 17, 2006 #7 Share Posted January 17, 2006 As long as you don't mind a fairly formal cruise experience, I'd recommend QM2... Especially as you are looking at a suite. On QM2, if you book a suite, you eat in one of the Grills (Queens or Princess) and get a host of other privileges - on most other ships, a suite buys you little more than a bigger cabin. I have only dined in the less expensive, non-Grill restaurants on Cunard (and the food there is very good as it is), but critics generally agree that the Grills on QM2 and QE2 represent the best food and service one will find on a large ship. The ship herself is magnificent - as long as the fact that she's very large doesn't put you off! (These are all large ships, but QM2 is positively massive.) She offers a range of facilities and diversions unmatched anywhere, and the entertainment and enrichment programs on Cunard are without peer. In other words, if cost is not an object, go with QM2 - I cannot imagine you will be disappointed, and if you are, you'd likely be even more disappointed with the other choices! My second choice would be NORWEGIAN JEWEL. This is the ship for you if you want a less structured, less formal cruise experience (my only caveat with QM2, aside from size, is that she is a fairly dressy ship and those who don't like to dress up should not choose her). Those who have not been on an NCL ship in years would be surprised by how far they've come and they now provide a real alternative for those not wanting a traditional cruise experience. A while back I visited JEWEL's older sister, NORWEGIAN DAWN, and I was very impressed by what I saw. The lunch we were served, from the regular dinner menu in the Le Bistro alternative restaurant, was excellent, the service first-rate, and the ship was immaculate. I can't comment on the food in the main dining rooms but for perhaps $10 per person per day you could forgo them completely and enjoy excellent food and service in the vast array of alternatives. (The may well be very good in the dining rooms, too - I just can't say from personal experience whether or not it is.) So if you're looking for a less formal experience, with formal dress being "optional", no fixed seating assignments at dinner, and a dizzying array of dining options, NORWEGIAN JEWEL would be a great choice. I can't recommend Royal Caribbean at all if food is important. To be fair I have not eaten in a specialty restaurant on RCI, but I doubt the food in the main dining room would satisfy you, and if you were to avoid the dining room and eat only in the specialty restaurants, then NCL would offer a much wider variety of choices. So I think you can pretty safely scratch BRILLIANCE off your list. If it is between QM2 and NORWEGIAN JEWEL, keep in mind that they are two very different ships with very different atmospheres. If you want a truly grand ship with an elegant, traditional atmosphere, take QM2. If you want something less formal, go with JEWEL. Either way you should be very satisfied. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artvlay Posted February 5, 2006 #8 Share Posted February 5, 2006 We will be on the QM2 in Sept. but absolutly love the Radiance class of ships on RCI. We have been on the Serenade, Radiance and just did the transatlantic on the Brilliance. After 22 cruises, they are our favorite ships. The Solarium is so beautiful and peaceful. The food is not the best, but as cruiseships go it is a notch above average. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mek Posted February 12, 2006 #9 Share Posted February 12, 2006 I was on the Brilliance last June for a Greek Isle itinerary. The ship was lovely and the itinerary couldn't be beat, - but the food, IMHO, was average at best. If good food is important, I wouldn't go on RCCL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molly361 Posted February 12, 2006 #10 Share Posted February 12, 2006 I have been on both the QM2 and Brilliance and I would pick the Brilliance and had no problems with the food- as a matter of fact we had problems with the food on the QM2, but it would on their inagural Carribean and I here they have worked out a lot of service issued since then- I have only been on an older NCL ship and we did not look that at all- if you are looking for fancy, however, the QM2 would be the one to pick- prices on QM2 are probably 150% more than RCL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phileas Posted February 13, 2006 #11 Share Posted February 13, 2006 As others have said, it all depends what you want. For my father's 80th, combined with my parents golden wedding anniversary, we sailed on the QM2 last year, and have booked again to go on the same trip that you are considering this September. A ship of over 150,000 tons is large, and can mean a fair bit of walking to get around the ship. However, as long as everyone is fully active, then this is a bonus, as it helps prevent the lbs piling on too quickly! We enjoyed the space of the ship, which meant at times we seemed to be the only people on board, although at sea! The feel of the ship is certainly more traditional than the majority of others, although not as much as the QE2. However, the QE2 is showing her age, and is getting a little worn around the edges! To go on a surprise cruise is great, but to go on the Cundard QM2 is fantastic, and makes the event even more memorable, as both Cunard and the QM2 have a special place in most peoples minds, and is not generally regarded as just another cruise ship (which she is not, being a liner) nor just another cruise line. Being a liner, if rough conditions are encountered when transiting past Portugal for example, I would far rather be on board the QM2 than any cruise ship. She is built for heavier seas, and the cabins are all set back from the bow and stern, to reduce the movement. This is why she has such elegant lines compared to the vast majority of cruise ships, and far less crowded! I nearly forgot to say, we enjoyed the food on the QM2, which we thought ranged from good to excellent. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfvoyager Posted February 13, 2006 Author #12 Share Posted February 13, 2006 Thank you Phileas! You really highlighted some wonderful distinctions about QM2 that will make it special. It turns out, we are going on the voyage to the Mediterranean this May. I didn't even consider the potential rough seas past Portugal so knowing we will be on a liner is comforting. Thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phileas Posted February 13, 2006 #13 Share Posted February 13, 2006 Thank you Phileas! You really highlighted some wonderful distinctions about QM2 that will make it special. It turns out, we are going on the voyage to the Mediterranean this May. I didn't even consider the potential rough seas past Portugal so knowing we will be on a liner is comforting. Thanks again! No problem! Sorry about the date confusion. I muddled the date mentioned by Haze with your original post. I think its caused by salt seeping into the brain! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haze Posted February 14, 2006 #14 Share Posted February 14, 2006 To 2 Moose: With Freestyle Crusing on Norwegina Jewel, there was only a dress code on Formal nights. The rest of the time casual pants (not jeans) are a go for all the meals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Normandie-BCN Posted February 14, 2006 #15 Share Posted February 14, 2006 sfvoyager, your may cruise in the QM2 has been cancelled to repair the pod in Hamburg. Talk to your travel agent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merry_Sea_Witch Posted February 27, 2006 #16 Share Posted February 27, 2006 <<I am planning to surprise my mom for her 80th Birthday with a Mediterranean Cruise this September. I am having difficulty choosing between these three ships: QM2, Brilliance of the Seas or Norwegian Jewel? Has anyone sailed in 2 or 3 or these ships that can share their opinions? I plan on splurging with a mini suite or suite, food is important, and the overall beauty of the ship.>> Two important criteria you mentioned are the fact your mother will be 80 years old, and that food is important. The QM2 might prove to be a treat for her for the cruising history of Cunard, and if she would ballroom dancing with some of the very kind gentlemen "hosts" onboard (assuming she might require a dancing partner). IMHO, the cuisine is also several cuts above the Brilliance. The Jewel is another beautiful ship, but with an entirely different approach to dining with less ties to formality in their "freestyle dining." There are many different restaurants and cuisines, and so more choices. If choices in dining are important, you will find something for everyone on the Jewel. I am thinking that between the QM2 and the Jewel, your mother would probably find more folk her age on the QM2. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LM1 Posted February 27, 2006 #17 Share Posted February 27, 2006 Host Doug, What are the "host of other privileges" you get being a grill passenger? Been one, and must have been asleep as didn't get the added "privileges". I am truly just wondering what I missed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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