QM2 Transatlantic Expectations

[Guest 4-2-N-8]

Hello all,

 

Typically land travelers, as my S.O. is prone to sea sickness in a tub.

 

However, in attemp to appease my immense desire to be on the seas, we have enjoyed a Celebrity Beyond journey in a Retreat Edge Villa for a recent 7-night Caribbean cruise. This was quite smooth sailing and superb service and accommodation. My S.O. loved it.

 

I'm on a roll, so I've booked new ventures.

 

Now slated for an 11-night Mediterranean cruise same ship, same room in late summer this year.

 

Just booked into a Grills/Q2 on QM2 southampton to New York crossing in the fall next year.

 

Curious if anyone 1) could compare levels of service/rooms noted above, 2) how is the actual voyage in terms of weather/seas that time of year, and 3) how much Dramamine needed? 🙂

 

Peace to all.

Edited April 20, 2023 by 4-2-N-8

[rakkor]

Jane gets sea sick on a lilo in a  pool, but loved our crossing on QM2 which took place in a hurricane force 12 gale (70kt winds) in 2019. The only time she felt ill on that crossing was after overindulging on the Mixology course in the Commodore Club - I had a quick scan through the first 7 days of my Blog of that crossing and apart from it being a bit bumpy, there's no mention of feeling under the weather at all.

[Guest 4-2-N-8]

6 minutes ago, rakkor said:

Jane gets sea sick on a lilo in a  pool, but loved our crossing on QM2 which took place in a hurricane force 12 gale (70kt winds) in 2019. The only time she felt ill on that crossing was after overindulging on the Mixology course in the Commodore Club - I had a quick scan through the first 7 days of my Blog of that crossing and apart from it being a bit bumpy, there's no mention of feeling under the weather at all.

Good news. Thank you.

[steve4031]

Though I have no personal experience I've read on here that the QM2 is designed for transatlantic crossings. Thud handling rough seas differently than a cruise ship. I'm booked for July.  So it's supposed to be calmer that time of year.  

[NE John]

Remember that PG is on Deck 10 and higher than sheltered balcony on 4/5 deck or so and he may feel movement more up there. 
We’ll be in PG for the first time in June and will be interested to feel any difference vs sheltered. 

I have felt more movement in the fitness center near the forward so consider that. 
Bring seasickness pills anyway, especially in the Fall. 
 

Generally (not 100%) QM2 is a beast in the North Atlantic and rough seas provide awesome entertainment!

[neeuqdrazil]

I had some rather serious mal de mer on my last crossing (November 2022) - I was in an oceanview forward on deck 4 (third or fourth cabin back, I believe), and we had a lot of movement. It caused me to lose about a day and a half. 

Bring seasickness tablets, and take them BEFORE you/your partner start feeling ill. 

[Rothko1]

I went in the summer on 2019 and the Atlantic was a glass lake the whole way across.  Even the crew remarked about it.

 

Fall is going to be much rougher weather, I suspect.

[airdis]

My better half is very prone to motion sickness, and hates even a 20-minute car ferry we often do, where she has to get out of the car to stare fixedly at the horizon, to pretend she's not on a boat. 

 

But she loves the QM2. 

 

We've now done a QM2 transatlantic three times (with the 4th time coming soon), and always in Princess Grill, so always on up on Deck 10, though we're trying Deck 11 next time. 

 

The first time we did a transatlantic, we came loaded with dramamine, prescription scopolamine patches, those little wristbands with the pressure points... 

 

Didn't need any of it. 

 

I'll admit we've had some blissfully smooth crossings, but on any trip of that distance, you'll typically have a mix of weather conditions anyway. But QM2 handles the North Atlantic incredibly well. 

 

One of our crossings was NY - Hamburg, and on that trip, the North Sea was the worst part. We remember standing on our balcony looking at a container ship off the starboard side, watching it crashing up and down, huge waves smashing over the bow... then looking down at our glasses of wine sitting on the table, with barely a ripple. 

 

Should you bring precautionary meds? Sure. We still bring them, we just don't expect to use them. 

[Mickb]

We’ve crossed twice on the QM2 both times in Grills. The ship is amazing and rides the seas very well - most of the time there was very little movement - ordinary waves do not seem to affect her much. However if there is  an Atlantic swell - then like all ships, she will pitch and the movement is definitely noticeable. 
A trip to the Medical centre for a scopolamine injection followed by a morning or afternoons’ nap will cure the problem - it certainly did for us.

you may find service a bit more formal than on Celebrity but remember the QM2 is one of the world’s great travel experiences - way more than a cruise.

have a great time!

[Thaxted]

I'm very sensitive to motion, but I've never been seasick on any of our 14 crossings. Even on the crossing when we had two days of rough seas and one night of very rough seas, I suffered nothing more than a slight headache. Of course, the Atlantic can get even more boisterous, so I bring some meclizine (Bonine) with me just in case. 

[Guest 4-2-N-8]

8 hours ago, NE John said:

Remember that PG is on Deck 10 and higher than sheltered balcony on 4/5 deck or so and he may feel movement more up there. 
We’ll be in PG for the first time in June and will be interested to feel any difference vs sheltered. 

I have felt more movement in the fitness center near the forward so consider that. 
Bring seasickness pills anyway, especially in the Fall. 
 

Generally (not 100%) QM2 is a beast in the North Atlantic and rough seas provide awesome entertainment!

I love the thrill of the seas. My S.O., I'm afraid, may need the jab in lieu of "just" the Dramamine.

[Guest 4-2-N-8]

5 hours ago, airdis said:

My better half is very prone to motion sickness, and hates even a 20-minute car ferry we often do, where she has to get out of the car to stare fixedly at the horizon, to pretend she's not on a boat. 

 

But she loves the QM2. 

 

We've now done a QM2 transatlantic three times (with the 4th time coming soon), and always in Princess Grill, so always on up on Deck 10, though we're trying Deck 11 next time. 

 

The first time we did a transatlantic, we came loaded with dramamine, prescription scopolamine patches, those little wristbands with the pressure points... 

 

Didn't need any of it. 

 

I'll admit we've had some blissfully smooth crossings, but on any trip of that distance, you'll typically have a mix of weather conditions anyway. But QM2 handles the North Atlantic incredibly well. 

 

One of our crossings was NY - Hamburg, and on that trip, the North Sea was the worst part. We remember standing on our balcony looking at a container ship off the starboard side, watching it crashing up and down, huge waves smashing over the bow... then looking down at our glasses of wine sitting on the table, with barely a ripple. 

 

Should you bring precautionary meds? Sure. We still bring them, we just don't expect to use them. 

Great information. TY.

[NE John]

1 minute ago, 4-2-N-8 said:

I love the thrill of the seas. My S.O., I'm afraid, may need the jab in lieu of "just" the Dramamine.

I strongly believe you both will will be A-Ok on the QM2. 

[Guest 4-2-N-8]

4 hours ago, Mickb said:

We’ve crossed twice on the QM2 both times in Grills. The ship is amazing and rides the seas very well - most of the time there was very little movement - ordinary waves do not seem to affect her much. However if there is  an Atlantic swell - then like all ships, she will pitch and the movement is definitely noticeable. 
A trip to the Medical centre for a scopolamine injection followed by a morning or afternoons’ nap will cure the problem - it certainly did for us.

you may find service a bit more formal than on Celebrity but remember the QM2 is one of the world’s great travel experiences - way more than a cruise.

have a great time!

Understood on all points. TY. Going in with full knowledge of this being a crossing with rich history. Much gratitude for those long ago who paved the way.

[Guest 4-2-N-8]

2 hours ago, Thaxted said:

I'm very sensitive to motion, but I've never been seasick on any of our 14 crossings. Even on the crossing when we had two days of rough seas and one night of very rough seas, I suffered nothing more than a slight headache. Of course, the Atlantic can get even more boisterous, so I bring some meclizine (Bonine) with me just in case. 

TY. Points well taken.

[Guest 4-2-N-8]

3 minutes ago, NE John said:

I strongly believe you both will will be A-Ok on the QM2. 

TY. I am always an optimist. 

[T5LHR]

I don't tend to suffer from sea sickness, but on my second crossing some years ago, we had some particularly bad weather off of the south coast of Ireland. So, I went and got the Dramamine tablets from the ship, took one, had a sleep for two hours and was fine for the rest of the journey. Now, I take them for every sailing, starting the night before boarding and one a night when I go to bed for the rest of the trip. Haven't had anything else ever. 

 

I think prevention is a safer route if there is ever the possibility of something happening. 

 

I am onboard in September for 14 nights Southampton-New York-Southampton and will be doing the same again. 

[Guest 4-2-N-8]

5 hours ago, T5LHR said:

I don't tend to suffer from sea sickness, but on my second crossing some years ago, we had some particularly bad weather off of the south coast of Ireland. So, I went and got the Dramamine tablets from the ship, took one, had a sleep for two hours and was fine for the rest of the journey. Now, I take them for every sailing, starting the night before boarding and one a night when I go to bed for the rest of the trip. Haven't had anything else ever. 

 

I think prevention is a safer route if there is ever the possibility of something happening. 

 

I am onboard in September for 14 nights Southampton-New York-Southampton and will be doing the same again. 

Good on proactive. 

[Guest 4-2-N-8]

Of course, no concern about sea sickness if no sailing.

 

Yikes. Just recently booked with Cunard QM2 and she's down for the count. Has such an event previously occurred with this ship? Any idea of this issue?

 

Is she due for an in depth dry dock/refresh any time soon? If so, hopefully will do more than spruce up and update/upgrade to get her well again.

 

Two days ago, I booked another westbound transatlantic crossing for spring 2025 to complement my very recent booking for a fall 2024 crossing.

 

Trying a Q2 right up front and a Q2 aft for good measure to compare.

Edited April 24, 2023 by 4-2-N-8

[NE John]

6 hours ago, 4-2-N-8 said:

Of course, no concern about sea sickness if no sailing.

 

Yikes. Just recently booked with Cunard QM2 and she's down for the count. Has such an event previously occurred with this ship? Any idea of this issue?

 

Is she due for an in depth dry dock/refresh any time soon? If so, hopefully will do more than spruce up and update/upgrade to get her well again.

 

Two days ago, I booked another westbound transatlantic crossing for spring 2025 to complement my very recent booking for a fall 2024 crossing.

 

Trying a Q2 right up front and a Q2 aft for good measure to compare.

QM2 going in for a scheduled refit in November of this year.

I’m on a TA in June and feel confident things will be up and running by then. Probably waiting for a part(s). 

Edited April 24, 2023 by NE John

[shippmates]

She will be up and running for the sailing on May 7according to Cunard.  Enjoy both you sailings and don't worry about the ship.

[Guest 4-2-N-8]

Beautiful. 

[IB2]

On 4/20/2023 at 6:56 AM, 4-2-N-8 said:

Hello all,

 

Typically land travelers, as my S.O. is prone to sea sickness in a tub.

 

However, in attemp to appease my immense desire to be on the seas, we have enjoyed a Celebrity Beyond journey in a Retreat Edge Villa for a recent 7-night Caribbean cruise. This was quite smooth sailing and superb service and accommodation. My S.O. loved it.

 

I'm on a roll, so I've booked new ventures.

 

Now slated for an 11-night Mediterranean cruise same ship, same room in late summer this year.

 

Just booked into a Grills/Q2 on QM2 southampton to New York crossing in the fall next year.

 

Curious if anyone 1) could compare levels of service/rooms noted above, 2) how is the actual voyage in terms of weather/seas that time of year, and 3) how much Dramamine needed? 🙂

 

Peace to all.

There’s never any guarantee with the North Atlantic, but of the four summer/early autumn TAs I have done, I can only remember one day when there was any appreciable movement of the ship, and even then, it’s pretty stable when its high tech stabiliser fins are engaged.  Indeed the latter are expensive to run and I am told you notice the movement most when the sea is just not quite rough enough to justify turning them on.

[Guest 4-2-N-8]

4 minutes ago, IB2 said:

There’s never any guarantee with the North Atlantic, but of the four summer/early autumn TAs I have done, I can only remember one day when there was any appreciable movement of the ship, and even then, it’s pretty stable when its high tech stabiliser fins are engaged.  Indeed the latter are expensive to run and I am told you notice the movement most when the sea is just not quite rough enough to justify turning them on.

Thank you. Appreciate your info.

[Winchester Ranger]

As has been stated previously QM2 was specifically designed to “shoot the rapids”.  She has a higher quality of steel than regular cruise ships and a much higher freeboard, favourable metacentric height and rolling moment combined with a finer ratio and flared bow - all this means she cuts through the biggest waves and doesn’t roll around in the swell, the downside is that she cost more to build per tonne than any other cruise ship afloat at that time.  The only thing I ever noticed was the occasional “bang” as she tames a wave that would have lifted a lesser ship.  She is one of a kind, maybe even the last of her kind, but definitely the ship for those poor unfortunates with queasy tummies.