QM2 November 2023

[Serendipity50]

Hi...we will be having our first cruise on a Cunard ship in November...its a short one to Bruge from Southampton.

We thought we would try it as a change...we have done Princess, Disney, P&O etc...what are these short cruises like?..can you get a real feel of Cunard? Or are they completely different all together?

Still really looking forward to it what ever happens and also looking at booking a short Queen Victoria one.

[Pushpit]

The short cruises are run like normal length cruises, not least that some of them are actually part of longer cruises. So you get NYC to Southampton to Hamburg - there will be passengers going from the USA to Germany as well as those joining for just Southampton to Hamburg. So the normal play of events, food, music, bars, entertainment, service continues. Other short trips only have people booked for that trip and no through traffic.

 

The differences are more subtle. So some short cruises do not have any Gala nights. The speakers for Insights programme tend to be weaker - it's easier to persuade a top notch speaker to come along for a TransAtlantic crossing than a short hop to Zeebrugge.  On a longer cruise, particularly a TA, there are sequence of "at sea" days which creates a momentum, and things like socialising at dining have the scope to develop. There also isn't much scope to develop working relationships with the crew.  Drink packages are not available on short trips, there again you may not need a wifi package since you can use cellphone networks for much of the trip.

 

Nevertheless I would say that some of these short trips can be very good value - sometimes under £100 per person (which may have been a mistake fare) - and what they do allow you to work out whether you would be comfortable doing a 6 or 7 night TA on QM2, or a longer Caribbean cruise, based on the short experience.

[bluemarble]

One item to note concerning the short cruise you have chosen is that it will be the first one after QM2 returns from what we presume will be a drydock. There's a gap in QM2's schedule from Oct 22 to Nov 15, 2023. The short 3-night cruise to Zeebrugge departing Oct 16, 2023 will mark her return to service after that gap.

 

Naturally there won't be any carryover of passengers from a previous cruise in this case. Everyone will be newly-embarking on Nov 15 so that in itself will give your cruise a different vibe from most. There may be some passengers who will combine this cruise with the subsequent crossing to New York and cruise to the Caribbean.

 

There is one gala night scheduled for your cruise (a Black and White gala the evening of Nov 17) so you will get a chance to experience one of those.

 

As @Pushpit has noted, there won't be much opportunity for a robust series of Insights guest lectures on your short cruise. Your one sea day on Nov 17 will be the only opportunity for those along with a host of other activities typically only offered on sea days.

 

Enjoy your cruise for what it will be; a taster of what the Cunard experience is all about. But it will be a different experience from a longer cruise with more sea days to settle in and enjoy everything Cunard has to offer.

[Serendipity50]

Thank you for the replies..we have since done this cruise and loved it..looking to book a longer one sometime on the QM2..she really is a beautiful liner.