Pros & Cons on Maiden Voyage (QA)

[MrsPeel55]

Hi guys, gonna pick your brains again, taken that your info and opinions made our first Cunard sailing be marvellous, and our next isn't until Christmas 24. We booked because we wanted to be on Queen Victoria again, don't want to fly, but there is soooooo much time until then, we are looking into booking something for 2024. Just saw they will have Coward's Brief Encounter at the Royal Court, which is kinda attractive to us.

 

Would you book a first voyage? all opinions welcome 🙂

[Bell Boy]

16 minutes ago, MrsPeel55 said:

Hi guys, gonna pick your brains again, taken that your info and opinions made our first Cunard sailing be marvellous, and our next isn't until Christmas 24. We booked because we wanted to be on Queen Victoria again, don't want to fly, but there is soooooo much time until then, we are looking into booking something for 2024. Just saw they will have Coward's Brief Encounter at the Royal Court, which is kinda attractive to us.

 

Would you book a first voyage? all opinions welcome 🙂

I already have Queen Anne Maiden  - (and previously Queen Victoria)  I'm prepared for what could be a shakedown cruise in terms of the delivery of the onboard service,  however, I'm more interested in what the various public venues have to offer . 

Edited November 16, 2023 by Bell Boy

[exlondoner]

Isn’t it fully booked? I suppose the main danger is it might be cancelled because the ship is not ready. This has already happened once. So is now pretty unlikely, I imagine. Probably, there may be parts of the ship that aren’t quite perfect, and crew still finding their way, but that is predictable. We are (accidentally) on her second voyage, and I’m sure much of the same will apply.

[ace2542]

No Chart Room. Big con.

[TouchstoneFeste]

56 minutes ago, MrsPeel55 said:

Hi guys, gonna pick your brains again, taken that your info and opinions made our first Cunard sailing be marvellous, and our next isn't until Christmas 24. We booked because we wanted to be on Queen Victoria again, don't want to fly, but there is soooooo much time until then, we are looking into booking something for 2024. Just saw they will have Coward's Brief Encounter at the Royal Court, which is kinda attractive to us.

 

Would you book a first voyage? all opinions welcome 🙂

Since what really made your first voyage marvelous was largely your delightful attitude, I suspect it would be a good choice.

[MrsPeel55]

11 minutes ago, ace2542 said:

No Chart Room. Big con.

 

mmm true, we loved the Chart Room QVic... was first place we sat down embarkation day, had a wonderful chat with a barman and some pax, and went back almost every day of the week ❤️

 

 

2 minutes ago, TouchstoneFeste said:

Since what really made your first voyage marvelous was largely your delightful attitude, I suspect it would be a good choice.

 

awww thanks!!!!! you made my day 🙂 When we were booking on board, Queen Anne was suggested but I said to my daughter I thought first voyages would need adjustment. or the kind of thing exlondoner mentions.... 

 

41 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

Isn’t it fully booked? I suppose the main danger is it might be cancelled because the ship is not ready. This has already happened once. So is now pretty unlikely, I imagine. Probably, there may be parts of the ship that aren’t quite perfect, and crew still finding their way, but that is predictable. We are (accidentally) on her second voyage, and I’m sure much of the same will apply.

Thanks 🙂

they sent us 5 emails in the past 48 hours, with details of what can be booked, so I suppose some cabins are still available?

I said no to QA when we booked on board because I thought something of the sort could happen, my daughter now is telling me she knows some of the QV crew will be assigned to QA so maybe we should consider.... 

I think I would be more at home after the maiden voyage, but at this present time, the dates of the maiden voyage are good for my daughter, taken that doing a solo trip will cost me almost same as having her with me, I'm aiming for sailing together. 

The one downside of Cunard being so fabulous and exactly what we love is that financially is a bit more expensive.... I have looked at cheaper lines offers, but after looking at a few, most being those huge ships which are most definitely a no no, both of us decided not to look at nothing else anymore, we are just looking at Cunard's

🙂

 

[Host Hattie]

The Maiden Voyage is currently showing as Sold Out on the Cunard website so I wouldn't wait too long. 

[exlondoner]

3 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

The Maiden Voyage is currently showing as Sold Out on the Cunard website so I wouldn't wait too long. 

I was going to say the same. 

[Victoria2]

1 hour ago, MrsPeel55 said:

Hi guys, gonna pick your brains again, taken that your info and opinions made our first Cunard sailing be marvellous, and our next isn't until Christmas 24. We booked because we wanted to be on Queen Victoria again, don't want to fly, but there is soooooo much time until then, we are looking into booking something for 2024. Just saw they will have Coward's Brief Encounter at the Royal Court, which is kinda attractive to us.

 

Would you book a first voyage? all opinions welcome 🙂

Apart from the fact QA's Maiden seems booked out, we turned down the original Maiden as we didn't like the idea of the BoB in January especially as we didn't want the cabin position offered.

If the itinerary suited and our cabin choice available, we'd have no problem sailing on a Maiden. Glitches would be part of the fun.

I'm sure the following couple of cruises will have their little quirks, before being ironed out for the rest of her schedules but who books, however inadvertently [🙂] a new ship without being prepared for little quirks!

[ace2542]

21 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

The Maiden Voyage is currently showing as Sold Out on the Cunard website so I wouldn't wait too long. 

So  this would likely be a cancellation wait list type of situation then? Assuming more cabins are not released? Which is assuming Cunard is holding some back and building up to full capcity over the first few sailings and not going for 100% or what they say is 100% straight out of the gate?

 

 

[exlondoner]

I know it sounds ridiculous, but we had credit to use up, and the Canaries in May sounded rather nice, so we booked and it happened to be QA, after which I realised it was her second voyage. Exciting.

[Victoria2]

4 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

I know it sounds ridiculous, but we had credit to use up, and the Canaries in May sounded rather nice, so we booked and it happened to be QA, after which I realised it was her second voyage. Exciting.

Very. 😀

[MylesS]

2 hours ago, ace2542 said:

No Chart Room. Big con.

Are you referring to Queen Anne? She is meant to have the largest Chart Room in the fleet.

 

3 hours ago, Bell Boy said:

I already have Queen Anne Maiden  - (and previously Queen Victoria)  I'm prepared for what could be a shakedown cruise in terms of the delivery of the onboard service,  however, I'm more interested in what the various public venues have to offer . 

Yep, same here. I'll be amazed if there aren't issues, but I'm not expecting there not to be. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best! Just excited to be on her maiden voyage in general.

[Host Hattie]

2 hours ago, ace2542 said:

No Chart Room. Big con.

That's not correct, there's a Chart Room on Deck 2.

 

[ace2542]

50 minutes ago, MylesS said:

Are you referring to Queen Anne? She is meant to have the largest Chart Room in the fleet.

I was unaware of that I thought she was getting a bar with a different name a new name?

[exlondoner]

As I know all too well from my own recent experience, it is always wise to check things. 🙂

[ClipperinSFO]

19 minutes ago, ace2542 said:

I was unaware of that I thought she was getting a bar with a different name a new name?

 

The most recent Chris Frame videos covering QA construction on Youtube discuss the Chart room in great detail, there will be three Chart Room interconnected sections with different intended "energy" levels.  Sounds like it's going to be an amazing space. 

Edited November 16, 2023 by ClipperinSFO

[Bell Boy]

18 minutes ago, ace2542 said:

I was unaware of that I thought she was getting a bar with a different name a new name?

She is, It will be referred to as  'Bright Lights Society' . This venue 'replaces' what we often referred to as The Yacht club - an after hours venue. 

[MrsPeel55]

Thank you all 🙂 

and yes, @ace2542 I think it is to do with cancellations as it came through a travel agent, waiting for my daughter to make her mind up until 18:30 deadline for us to book or not 🙂

[ClipperinSFO]

13 minutes ago, MrsPeel55 said:

Thank you all 🙂 

and yes, @ace2542 I think it is to do with cancellations as it came through a travel agent, waiting for my daughter to make her mind up until 18:30 deadline for us to book or not 🙂

 

Part of me says go for it, as long as you are prepared for the likely bumps and imperfections.  How many people in the 21st century can say they have been on the maiden voyage of a Cunarder?  The bragging rights alone would be worth it. 🙂 

 

We are booked on QA's first TA in Jan '25 and super excited for that.  

[MrsPeel55]

@ClipperinSFO funny, this was my daughter's argument for going for it.... she has been already converting her friends to Cunard,  the con from her point of view is that not only we'll be in Lisbon Xmas 24, but she has been hammering me for years how she has never really felt the urge to go to Portugal in general, she is considering this because the port isn't important...  

thanks so much all, once again 🙂

[MylesS]

12 minutes ago, MrsPeel55 said:

@ClipperinSFO funny, this was my daughter's argument for going for it.... she has been already converting her friends to Cunard,  the con from her point of view is that not only we'll be in Lisbon Xmas 24, but she has been hammering me for years how she has never really felt the urge to go to Portugal in general, she is considering this because the port isn't important...  

thanks so much all, once again 🙂

As someone on the Maiden Voyage, I don't plan to get off in Lisbon. I'll stick around and enjoy the ship I think.

[MrsPeel55]

2 hours ago, MylesS said:

As someone on the Maiden Voyage, I don't plan to get off in Lisbon. I'll stick around and enjoy the ship I think.

 

yup, we stayed in when Queen Victoria stopped in Alghero in September... we had even payed for the tour, but (as I have stayed a few times in other threads) for us the experience is life at sea, not so much the ports 🙂