Britannia Club on QM2 -- Deck 12....A1 or A2?

[Just2guys]

We are thinking of a Transatlantic on the QM2 in Britannia Club. We have previously sailed in both a regular Britannia cabin as well as Princess Grill.  This time we would like to try the Britannia Club so as to at least have the dining experience of going anytime we want rather than an assigned early or late seating like Britannia.

 

Quick question about these cabins after the refit.  My understanding is that they now have glass shower doors and the decor has been updated as well.  Is that correct for all cabins on both Decks 12 and 13?  We have a choice of cabin 12033 (A2) .....not sure of what's across from that tho --- hopefully not a crew station (had that experience once on Queen Elizabeth and there was constant door slamming, loud talking, etc., so would want to avoid that if possible) --- or cabin 12061 (A1)--which has an inside cabin across from it.

 

Also have heard good things about the Britannia Club Restaurant....so any additional comments on that would be welcome as well.

 

Thanks in advance for any information that anyone would like to share.

 

 

[Host Hattie]

I've not sailed on QM2 since her refit but as far as I know the glass shower doors are only in the brand new Britannia Club cabins on Deck 13.

[agathasmum]

We were in 12052 (A1). It had a shower curtain.

[Jack E Dawson]

We recently had 12022 (very quiet location), also a shower curtain. With that said, we still prefer Britannia Club (BC). In addition to the anytime dining, which we loved, and the expanded menu, there are many small perks and subtle enhancements that come with BC. We just booked a BC cabin for our next cruise. 

[BklynBoy8]

Hi Just2guys,

First, Bon Voyage to your future sailing. We too sailed the Britannia Cabin & Restaurant but haven't Princess on the QM2.

 

On a previous and the upcoming sailing we were and will be on Deck 12 A1 Britannia Club Cabin. 12052 first sailing and next in the 12060's. We were on the last sailing in 13002 on Deck 13 the newly refit added portion. Very New Interior, Glass Balcony Railing, Glass Shower Door & Vanity. We booked the cabin on the upcoming trip by Elevator B since is is much closer to the route to the Club Britannia. The previous distance and location was very tiring traveling to and from the Club restaurant at the far end of the ship and quite a number of decks below. We are looking forward to this years cabin like the first time.

 

The Club Britannia Restaurant is also one of the key features to the Club Class we are attracted to till we experience one of the other Grill Restaurants. We enjoy the dining times instead of those in Britannia. The set table for each meal instead of only dinner. The menu with the several daily specials and added A La Carte Menu which we used quite often in the past. And the Flambe's available each night and even on special request. We were happy our Maitre D did special requested entrees.

 

Till a booking higher or a visit from the Upgrade Fairy, we enjoy Club Britannia without any interference. Cabins near the Elevator B and the Pavilion Indoor Pool never bothered us since they are blocked by the elevators and several corridor doors.   

[david,Mississauga]

17 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

I've not sailed on QM2 since her refit but as far as I know the glass shower doors are only in the brand new Britannia Club cabins on Deck 13.

 

That is true. The glass shower door is not the only improvement in these new A2 staterooms. The overall décor is more pleasing to us and that includes the "bathroom".  The only disadvantage is the location is far forward near the "A" stairway/lifts. That wouldn't deter us from booking one again.

[Just2guys]

Thanks for all of your replies...appreciate it.  Just another question or two for those of you who have stayed in the new cabins on deck 13.

 

Being so high up, I'm guessing there is more noticeable movement --- especially in somewhat rougher seas?  Also, I  remember reading somewhere that there is a new walking deck on deck 14 directly above these new cabin additions.  If so, do your hear a lot of walking from above inside your cabin?

 

Thanks again for any input!

[david,Mississauga]

40 minutes ago, Just2guys said:

Thanks for all of your replies...appreciate it.  Just another question or two for those of you who have stayed in the new cabins on deck 13.

 

Being so high up, I'm guessing there is more noticeable movement --- especially in somewhat rougher seas?  Also, I  remember reading somewhere that there is a new walking deck on deck 14 directly above these new cabin additions.  If so, do your hear a lot of walking from above inside your cabin?

 

Thanks again for any input!

 

There was definitely a fair bit of movement on the one day the Atlantic was bumpy. But it was no worse than the forward 10-Deck Princess Grill stateroom we had a year  before.

 

There was absolutely no noise from the walkway above our room. There is thick rubber padding on that walkway. They were closed off whenever the winds were strong, which seemed to be half the time.

[BklynBoy8]

On 3/30/2019 at 5:43 PM, Just2guys said:

Thanks for all of your replies...appreciate it.  Just another question or two for those of you who have stayed in the new cabins on deck 13.

 

Being so high up, I'm guessing there is more noticeable movement --- especially in somewhat rougher seas?  Also, I  remember reading somewhere that there is a new walking deck on deck 14 directly above these new cabin additions.  If so, do your hear a lot of walking from above inside your cabin?

 

Thanks again for any input!

Just2guys,

The last time we were on board we found no movement at all since he weather and seas were in our favor compared to other times we sailed the same route. Except for the expected fog at times on the sailing we enjoyed the complete experience.

 

Occupying the cabin below the new walking/observation deck on Deck 14 we were not disturbed with the walking above us due to the surface they applied. It is used while entering and departing ports of call which attracts quite group of people. We only really hear people up there if they talked quite loud and it was noticeable. Otherwise we felt comfortable occupying the cabin.

[Jack E Dawson]

Here is some quick math based on estimated deck heights above the waterline showing the amount of motion (side to side) one would experience for various degrees of roll on the QM2. 

 

                    1 degree of roll*             3 degrees of roll*            5 degrees of roll*         

Deck 4               1.5' (.46m)                     4.5' (1.38m)                   7.4' (2.28m)

Deck 8               2.9' (.89m)                     8.7' (2.62m)                 14.5' (4.45m)

Deck 12             4.0' (1.23m)                 12.0' (3.69m)                 20.0' (6.15m)

*each way, e.g. 1 degree of roll to port followed by 1 degree of roll to starboard

Please allow a wide degree of margin for errors in my math. 

 

With that said, when we stayed on Deck 12 and experienced gale force winds and rough seas, the motion in our cabin still allowed for the pouring of a properly filled glass of champagne. In my mind, this is probably the best way to measure the stability of this great ship.

        

Jack

[naturelovergirl]

2 hours ago, Jack E Dawson said:

With that said, when we stayed on Deck 12 and experienced gale force winds and rough seas, the motion in our cabin still allowed for the pouring of a properly filled glass of champagne. In my mind, this is probably the best way to measure the stability of this great ship.

Oh My Goodness, Jack!!!

That is about the best science ever! 😊

[cindy1957]

On 4/1/2019 at 4:55 PM, Jack E Dawson said:

Here is some quick math based on estimated deck heights above the waterline showing the amount of motion (side to side) one would experience for various degrees of roll on the QM2. 

 

                    1 degree of roll*             3 degrees of roll*            5 degrees of roll*         

Deck 4               1.5' (.46m)                     4.5' (1.38m)                   7.4' (2.28m)

Deck 8               2.9' (.89m)                     8.7' (2.62m)                 14.5' (4.45m)

Deck 12             4.0' (1.23m)                 12.0' (3.69m)                 20.0' (6.15m)

*each way, e.g. 1 degree of roll to port followed by 1 degree of roll to starboard

Please allow a wide degree of margin for errors in my math. 

 

With that said, when we stayed on Deck 12 and experienced gale force winds and rough seas, the motion in our cabin still allowed for the pouring of a properly filled glass of champagne. In my mind, this is probably the best way to measure the stability of this great ship.

        

Jack

You are too cool. Love science and math brains!

[VintageCCG]

On 4/1/2019 at 4:55 PM, Jack E Dawson said:

Here is some quick math based on estimated deck heights above the waterline showing the amount of motion (side to side) one would experience for various degrees of roll on the QM2. 

                    1 degree of roll*             3 degrees of roll*            5 degrees of roll*         

Deck 4               1.5' (.46m)                     4.5' (1.38m)                   7.4' (2.28m)

Deck 8               2.9' (.89m)                     8.7' (2.62m)                 14.5' (4.45m)

Deck 12             4.0' (1.23m)                 12.0' (3.69m)                 20.0' (6.15m)

*each way, e.g. 1 degree of roll to port followed by 1 degree of roll to starboard

Please allow a wide degree of margin for errors in my math. 

 

With that said, when we stayed on Deck 12 and experienced gale force winds and rough seas, the motion in our cabin still allowed for the pouring of a properly filled glass of champagne. In my mind, this is probably the best way to measure the stability of this great ship.

      

Jack

 

Bear in mind that in cases of any appreciable beam seas that would produce roll, the ship deploys its stabilizers to counter the roll. It's unlikely you're going to see a 5° roll to each side in any but the worst conditions. In the case of an actual 5° roll, most passengers would probably over-estimate it to seeming like a near capsize!

I experienced Beaufort Force 7 near-gales broad on the bow (about 45°) in cabin 12-001 and the rolling motion was fairly negligible. Less motion than you'd feel on a moving train.
Now having said that, the stabilizers do nothing to mitigate pitching so occupants of the forward cabins will notice that more than any rolling, but the QM2 has an exceedingly sea-kindly design so again, the effects are pretty minor. Just enough to rock you to sleep.

 

By the way, the attached photo shows what approximately 20° of roll looks like (taken by a colleague of mine on the CCGS Leonard J Cowley, doing Fisheries Patrol over the Grand Banks off Newfoundland). You won't ever see that on the QM2. 

[Jack E Dawson]

 

VintageCCG, I think we are both saying the same thing, the QM2 is an incredibly stable ship. On the day we hit the gale force winds and rough seas, I estimate that the seas were 20'-30' high but it's hard for me to tell since the QM2 and the North Atlantic are both so larger than life but in any case, the motion was insignificant. If you check out  HGQM2-2017 on YouTube you can judge for yourself. 

Getting back to Just2guys original posting, I would strongly recommend an East to West crossing in Club with a port side cabin. Cabin 12033 is a starboard side cabin and is somewhat close to the pool area and the afternoon live music. We sailed in 12022 and the location was excellent. A port side cabin on a west bound crossing ensures balcony sun and a great view of he Statue of Liberty upon entrance to New York harbor. 

 

Jack 

[cindy1957]

Fun, fun!

[netpj]

On 3/29/2019 at 6:44 PM, Jack E Dawson said:

We recently had 12022 (very quiet location), also a shower curtain. With that said, we still prefer Britannia Club (BC). In addition to the anytime dining, which we loved, and the expanded menu, there are many small perks and subtle enhancements that come with BC. We just booked a BC cabin for our next cruise. 

We are seriously considering a BC for our upcoming cruises on QM2; however, the additional cost to a regular Britannia cabin is substantial.  We would really appreciate knowing what "the many small perks and subtle enhancements are"  Thanks very much!

[BklynBoy8]

1 hour ago, netpj said:

We are seriously considering a BC for our upcoming cruises on QM2; however, the additional cost to a regular Britannia cabin is substantial.  We would really appreciate knowing what "the many small perks and subtle enhancements are"  Thanks very much!

From Cunard Site for Club Britannia....

Luxury awaits from the moment you arrive in your Club Balcony stateroom to find a chilled bottle of sparkling wine. It features all the hallmarks of Cunard style and comfort from the king-sized bed, 24-hour room service, luxurious bathroom with shower, bathrobe and slippers, nightly turndown service with chocolate, lounge area, and satellite TV. You’ll also benefit from a nine-pillow concierge menu, a private balcony, and the choice to dine when you wish in the intimate, single-seating Britannia Club restaurant.

Since we are already Diamond Level we have perks already. But for Club Britannia one of the personal preference is the Open single sitting dining times away from early/late times and a pre-set table for the entire sailing of the trips. Additional A la Carte Menu (Pre Grill Experience) besides Britannia Menu. Our Maitre d even accommodated special requests.  We also like being on an upper deck like Deck 12, not Deck 13 as experienced in the past. 

 

IOHO.....We have preferred this cabin classification since the first time we experienced it. Some like inside, outside, balcony, sheltered, etc.... This is our booking choice...  

 

[Smokeyham]

Thanks for all of this great information about cabin 12033 and the Britannia Club class.

 

We are booked into cabin 12033 for a westbound crossing in September, but now wished we had booked a port side cabin for the reasons mentioned above (principally the views of the Statue of Liberty as we enter New York).

 

We did check the box for potential upgrades, so this might end up changing our cabin anyway and will also keep an eye out to see if other cabins open up.

[BklynBoy8]

On 1/16/2021 at 10:57 AM, Smokeyham said:

Thanks for all of this great information about cabin 12033 and the Britannia Club class.

We are booked into cabin 12033 for a westbound crossing in September, but now wished we had booked a port side cabin for the reasons mentioned above (principally the views of the Statue of Liberty as we enter New York).

We did check the box for potential upgrades, so this might end up changing our cabin anyway and will also keep an eye out to see if other cabins open up.

Hi Smokeyham,

We have been in 12052, 12044, 12065 and 13002 after they added the cabins on the upper deck 13 after the recent refit.

 

Also we have dined in both of the Club Britannia Dining Rooms (port and starboard sides) and enjoyed the one on the starboard side which was added after the refit.

 

We like the port side since we see where we live after passing under the VZ Bridge, and the starboard side doesn't really offer any great view leaving the NY Harbor. And since the morning you come in to NYC many area on deck moving from one side of the ship to the other side and also standing in front of the ship. Also that morning is very busy disembarking unless you are continuing on.