Transatlantic first timer questions

[buchanan101]

6 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

QM2 is so large and spacious, I think it is difficult to feel trapped, or even crowded. On the other hand, at quiet times, in those great, high, wide corridors, when nobody happens to be about, you could feel a bit agoraphobic.😀

I think it's a good place to start!  Went on Helsinki/Tallinn ferries 3 years ago and those are huge... I think the QM is 3 times bigger (by tonnage?)

 

I haven't been on a cruise for over 45 years... SS Nevasa, SS Uganda. (Loved it!)

 

Are they running full capacity now (I guess they are still leaving some cabins for quarantine)?

Edited August 31, 2022 by buchanan101

[exlondoner]

8 minutes ago, buchanan101 said:

I think it's a good place to start!  Went on Helsinki/Tallinn ferries 3 years ago and those are huge... I think the QM is 3 times bigger (by tonnage?)

 

I haven't been on a cruise for over 45 years... SS Nevasa, SS Uganda. (Loved it!)

 

Are they running full capacity now (I guess they are still leaving some cabins for quarantine)?

in July the Grills were full, but the ship was not: 2,000 odd pax out of 2,600 or so.
Now they are allowing people to quarantine in their cabins, they will have to keep a few balcony cabins free for those in inside cabins, but can presumably release quite a lot more. 
 

You can wander for days on QM2 and still not see the whole ship.

[neeuqdrazil]

4 hours ago, buchanan101 said:

 

..but she likes the idea of RSC and the gospel choir being on board (more so than I do!).  I think she's a little worried about the feeling of being trapped on board a ship for 7 days. 

 

 

I'm a dyed-in-the-wool introvert, happiest when I'm alone, and I've never found myself feeling trapped or crowded on board QM2. Even when sailing full, you can always find somewhere to sit and do your own thing. 

 

Plus there's SO MUCH to do on a crossing. Organized events - lectures (actually interesting ones, not just the port talks and shopping talks that most other lines seem to do), lessons (bridge, ballroom dancing, watercolours...), organized get-togethers (including a daily crafting circle - even if it's not formally organized, both crossings I've been on have ended up with the knitters and stitchers claiming a corner of the Carinthia Lounge every afternoon), plus all of the solo/partner things you can do - sit and read your book, doze on a lounger in the sunshine,  play boardgames in the corridors on deck 2 (?). There's too much to do and not enough time to do it!

 

 

[steve4031]

I've looked at the sample menus on Cunard and several other websites for the Brittannia restaurant.   I really was not excited about any of the options.  They seemed to be more vegetarian than meat and potatoes.  I saw beef wellington some place.  I was hoping they still will have that.  Is there a link to the 2022 transatlantic menus?

[buchanan101]

1 minute ago, steve4031 said:

I've looked at the sample menus on Cunard and several other websites for the Brittannia restaurant.   I really was not excited about any of the options.  They seemed to be more vegetarian than meat and potatoes.  I saw beef wellington some place.  I was hoping they still will have that.  Is there a link to the 2022 transatlantic menus?

I assume that you've looked at this? Virtually nothing veggy on the sample A La Carte? https://www.cunard.com/content/dam/cunard/my-voyage/pdfs/qm/qm_britannia_club_sample_menu_01a.pdf

[buchanan101]

Just now, buchanan101 said:

I assume that you've looked at this? Virtually nothing veggy on the sample A La Carte? https://www.cunard.com/content/dam/cunard/my-voyage/pdfs/qm/qm_britannia_club_sample_menu_01a.pdf

Sorry, that was Club! Britannia one somewhat thinner, but not sure how it works for off menu

[Underwatr]

5 hours ago, buchanan101 said:

Hoping the added luxury of Queens Grill will help, though that's setting an expensive precedent for future cruises if she's keen (fancy Norway, or Scandinavia)

Edit: Sorry, you're not the OP. Most of what I've posted probably isn't applicable to you - but I'll leave it intact since it might be useful to @steve4031

Apologies if you've covered this, but I know you've been on Carnival - what other lines and cabin/suite levels have you cruised on previously?

No doubt Queens Grill is luxurious, but even Britannia is a bit of a step up in price from mainstream lines and QG is a fairly substantial step up from there (full disclosure - too rich for my blood). Maybe OH will be more willing if you weren't proposing to spend the cost of a new (small) car for the transaction.
Aside from dining and of course your suite there isn't much ship territory that's exclusive to Grills, and a lot of what is exclusive (deck space) isn't going to be of much utility on a crossing.
Courses for horses as they say, but Grills is in no way a necessary component to the feel of a Cunard voyage.

Edited August 31, 2022 by Underwatr

[buchanan101]

2 minutes ago, Underwatr said:

Apologies if you've covered this, but I know you've been on Carnival - what other lines and cabin/suite levels have you cruised on previously?

No doubt Queens Grill is luxurious, but even Britannia is a bit of a step up in price from mainstream lines and QG is a fairly substantial step up from there (full disclosure - too rich for my blood). Maybe OH will be more willing if you weren't proposing to spend the cost of a new (small) car for the transaction.
Aside from dining and of course your suite there isn't much ship territory that's exclusive to Grills, and a lot of what is exclusive (deck space) isn't going to be of much utility on a crossing.
Courses for horses as they say, but Grills is in no way a necessary component to the feel of a Cunard voyage.

Not been on any cruises - apart from when at school 45+ years ago.  Cost was about double Britannia - dynamic pricing and all that. Was in Club for last autumn as 60th birthday present to myself, but obviously was cancelled. Had booked PG for this autumn, but then saw the differential to QG was only a few hundred £ so thought what the heck...

 

Maybe (hopefully) we will go again somewhere and be a little more restrained in cabin choice...

[buchanan101]

55 minutes ago, neeuqdrazil said:

 

I'm a dyed-in-the-wool introvert, happiest when I'm alone, and I've never found myself feeling trapped or crowded on board QM2. Even when sailing full, you can always find somewhere to sit and do your own thing. 

 

Plus there's SO MUCH to do on a crossing. Organized events - lectures (actually interesting ones, not just the port talks and shopping talks that most other lines seem to do), lessons (bridge, ballroom dancing, watercolours...), organized get-togethers (including a daily crafting circle - even if it's not formally organized, both crossings I've been on have ended up with the knitters and stitchers claiming a corner of the Carinthia Lounge every afternoon), plus all of the solo/partner things you can do - sit and read your book, doze on a lounger in the sunshine,  play boardgames in the corridors on deck 2 (?). There's too much to do and not enough time to do it!

 

 

Hope there are lectures about the ship... (I'm an engineer, so would find that fascinating).  Not sure either of us will be crafting, though I've threatened her with dance lessons. I've bought a tux (sorry, US lingo) even though I'm not normally one for formality.  Suspect we may do the wine tasting - one of the various levels.

 

She's very much a reader, so I know what she'll be doing a lot of

[frankp01]

47 minutes ago, buchanan101 said:

Hope there are lectures about the ship

We've had the privilege of hearing Stephen Payne speak on board twice. He's the naval architect who oversaw the building of the QM2. So he knows his stuff, but he's also a very entertaining speaker. If you're lucky, maybe he'll be aboard.

[buchanan101]

13 minutes ago, frankp01 said:

We've had the privilege of hearing Stephen Payne speak on board twice. He's the naval architect who oversaw the building of the QM2. So he knows his stuff, but he's also a very entertaining speaker. If you're lucky, maybe he'll be aboard.

Yes, seen him in a Youtube interview

[D&N]

2 hours ago, steve4031 said:

I've looked at the sample menus on Cunard and several other websites for the Brittannia restaurant.   I really was not excited about any of the options.  They seemed to be more vegetarian than meat and potatoes.  I saw beef wellington some place.  I was hoping they still will have that.  Is there a link to the 2022 transatlantic menus?

I posted scans of a week's Britannia Club menus. My understanding is that the daily varying menus are the same in Britannia, the difference being that club had the extra A la Carte menu.

We prefer rice, pasta & bread for our carbs and ate considerably more potatoes than normal during our round trip. If you want potatoes at every meal, even with pasta and rice dishes, I would recommend P&O.

 

[steve4031]

I saw the first part of the menu, but not the second part which is only available in club Brittania.  It was helpful though. 

[WestonOne]

On 8/31/2022 at 10:27 AM, buchanan101 said:

but she likes the idea of RSC and the gospel choir being on board (more so than I do!).  I think she's a little worried about the feeling of being trapped on board a ship for 7 days. 

Sounds like you are on the same SOU-NY trip I am, but I am doing the round trip SOU-NY-SOU.    I will be slumming it in a Britannia balcony this time, though.  I agree with your OH:  I am looking forward to the gospel choir as well.

[buchanan101]

13 minutes ago, WestonOne said:

Sounds like you are on the same SOU-NY trip I am, but I am doing the round trip SOU-NY-SOU.    I will be slumming it in a Britannia balcony this time, though.  I agree with your OH:  I am looking forward to the gospel choir as well.

Only just over 6 weeks! But the Cunard Covid policy is concerning as our jabs will be over 270 days ago and unlikely to be boosted in next 5 weeks… 

 

staying for a few nights in NYC… love the place! 

[exlondoner]

1 hour ago, buchanan101 said:

Only just over 6 weeks! But the Cunard Covid policy is concerning as our jabs will be over 270 days ago and unlikely to be boosted in next 5 weeks… 

 

staying for a few nights in NYC… love the place! 

Was your last jab a booster? Then it doesn’t matter how long?

[buchanan101]

On 9/3/2022 at 2:40 PM, exlondoner said:

Was your last jab a booster? Then it doesn’t matter how long?

Yes it was.