What would you do?

[Drumbeat16]

I'd appreciate some thoughts on my current dilemma from all you experienced cruisers. 😊.

I am a novice cruiser and have previously suffered seasickness on smaller vessels (one was a Hurtigruten ship). I have only been on 2 short cruises and was 100% fine.

We are booked on the QM2 from Hong Kong to Southampton in 2026, currently in a mid-aft balcony cabin on deck 8. I have just spotted an option to upgrade to a guaranteed A2 balcony club cabin for a very reasonable AUD$35 per night per cabin. However, the A2 cabins on the Queen Mary are forward cabins on Deck 12 and 13 - shall I risk the chance of increased movement and possible seasickness???

 

Your thoughts are appreciated.

Edited March 27 by Drumbeat16

[Pushpit]

QM2? You would be fine. She is very different from those Norwegian tubs.  Maybe the occasional lurch but I have been in two Storm Force 10 events with QM2, one of which I slept through, and I only found out because the pilot wasn't prepared to board in those conditions. Very good price for a Club upgrade.

[Drumbeat16]

18 minutes ago, Pushpit said:

QM2? You would be fine. She is very different from those Norwegian tubs.  Maybe the occasional lurch but I have been in two Storm Force 10 events with QM2, one of which I slept through, and I only found out because the pilot wasn't prepared to board in those conditions. Very good price for a Club upgrade.

Thank you, I have read lots of comments regarding QM2's stability so I'm thinking I could take a chance. My husband is a good sailor so it's up to me really 🤔

[BklynBoy8]

1 hour ago, Drumbeat16 said:

I'd appreciate some thoughts on my current dilemma from all you experienced cruisers. 😊.

I am a novice cruiser and have previously suffered seasickness on smaller vessels (one was a Hurtigruten ship). I have only been on 2 short cruises and was 100% fine.

We are booked on the QM2 from Hong Kong to Southampton in 2026, currently in a mid-aft balcony cabin on deck 8. I have just spotted an option to upgrade to a guaranteed A2 balcony club cabin for a very reasonable AUD$35 per night per cabin. However, the A2 cabins on the Queen Mary are forward cabins on Deck 12 and 13 - shall I risk the chance of increased movement and possible seasickness???

 

Your thoughts are appreciated.

 

We have never had a problem in the Club Cabins on 12 and once in 13 cabin.

 

It is high on the ship but also mid ship which helps.

 

We also love the views from the Balcony when we have booked the cabin.

 

You will enjoy the QM2 and all it's offers.Once on board  you will catch the Cruise Bug!

[LittleFish1976]

Personally, I would jump at the upgrade at that price! Apparently the dining options are more extensive in Club compared to straight Britannia.

 

Were you in the Barents sea on the Hurtiguten ship by any chance, as I would consider that pretty rough. The H ships are also an enormous amount smaller than the QM2. I've sailed up the front on deck 10 on the QM2 and barely felt it rock at all crossing the Tasman (with its reputation for being pretty rough). I've also sailed on the Spitsbergen - you can't compare them at all.

 

Take your upgrade and have a lovely time. (Stemetil works well for seasickness!).

[Drumbeat16]

54 minutes ago, LittleFish1976 said:

Personally, I would jump at the upgrade at that price! Apparently the dining options are more extensive in Club compared to straight Britannia.

 

Were you in the Barents sea on the Hurtiguten ship by any chance, as I would consider that pretty rough. The H ships are also an enormous amount smaller than the QM2. I've sailed up the front on deck 10 on the QM2 and barely felt it rock at all crossing the Tasman (with its reputation for being pretty rough). I've also sailed on the Spitsbergen - you can't compare them at all.

 

Take your upgrade and have a lovely time. (Stemetil works well for seasickness!).

We recently did a 3 day test cruise on the QE and I was completely fine although I don't think it was particularly rough. We're booked on a Xmas cruise to the South Pacific on the QE so that should give me a better idea I think. I will be taking an assortment of remedies as a backup!

I'm waiting to hear back from our TA to confirm the price 🙂

Edited March 27 by Drumbeat16

[john watson]

Hurtigruten are very small ships and sail areas where the sea can be rough.  I think you would be a  lot different on Cunard.

Regards John

[Solent Richard]

Have no fear @Drumbeat16 , this is Queen Mary 2 and I can safely state that my wife and I have experienced all levels of balcony staterooms on her and none have given cause for doubt as to the ship's seaworthiness in all kinds of weather: including the North Atlantic and the Bay of Biscay.

[BigMac1953]

Even crossing the Pond on QM2, you really have to look outthe windows just to ensure you're moving!

[NE John]

I’ve sailed forward on Deck 10 on QM 2 for a recent Transatlantic crossing and felt little to no movement. We had 50 kt winds hitting the bridge several days (not uncommon). I did feel some movement in the fitness center (forward) while on the treadmill. Weird feeling but no seasickness issues. 
I join the others and say - Go for the upgrade. 

[buchanan101]

I find all this "it barely moves" stuff a bit strange. The QM2 WILL move in a rough sea. Just a lot less than all other passenger ships (though whether one of those monstrosities 1.5 x bigger than QM2 moves less because of its size, I don't know).  QM2 will be better than the QE you've been on - it's 1.5x bigger and has twice as many stabilisers for starters

 

We had an art lecture in the Queens Room (low down, aft) so not too bad a spot for not being too much movement, and the chairs were sliding around a bit.  (this was TA, westbound in October - we took quite a northerly route to avoid the worst of the storm).  I was fine, my OH wasn't feeling too great, though seasickness pills helped

 

We had a QG cabin midships so the cabin was pretty much OK, but you can still sense movement there in rough seas. The BC cabins on QM2 are in the worst position of any cabin as you've spotted - high up, near the bow (a few decks above the fitness centre mentioned). 

 

However, it's a good deal (though it's mostly getting you better dining - the cabins are the same size). HK to Southampton is probably not as bad as TA.  You can get an injection on board apparently which - according to one guy who spends his life cruising off the back of his YouTube videos - is really effective. And the best solution if the boat is moving is to get on deck.

[BigMac1953]

What was really strange, was my ability to balance a £1 coin, on edge, on the bar in the GL and it didn't move all lunchtime and that was mid-Atlantic.

[buchanan101]

@BigMac1953 Indeed the two days before NY were like that. Dead flat with the weird experience of the water seeming to be moving and the ship stationary.

 

OTOH I have videos taken on deck on another day and the horizon is moving up and down quite significantly (they closed the promenade deck shortly after)

[TouchstoneFeste]

48 minutes ago, buchanan101 said:

I find all this "it barely moves" stuff a bit strange. The QM2 WILL move in a rough sea. Just a

 

I think after a day or so people get their "sea legs" and don't notice the moderate movement over small- to medium-sized swells. On Day One I notice many passengers (including me) wobbling down the long passages; by Day Two most are navigating as well as the crew. Again, talking about moderate seas, of course.

 

Hence some of the "no movement" comments.

[BklynBoy8]

9 hours ago, BklynBoy8 said:

 

We have never had a problem in the Club Cabins on 12 and once in 13 cabin.

 

It is high on the ship but also mid ship which helps.

 

We also love the views from the Balcony when we have booked the cabin.

 

You will enjoy the QM2 and all it's offers.Once on board  you will catch the Cruise Bug!

 

Drumbeat 16,

Besides as I previously said to you we did Britannia Club but if you can and wish to try Princess Grill, we did also Princess Grill on 10 on a 13 day sailing and enjoyed it.

 

Princess Grill on 10, the cabin was located in the Forward portion of the ship.

 

We never experienced any movement while in the cabin. Actually we enjoyed it very much with the location and cabin features. Again you will enjoy the view from the balcony and even upgraded balcony furniture placed there.

 

 

[Tonopah]

Upgrade but get to your Primary Care Physician and get your seasickness patch. Use it. I get seasick but the patch worked for me. I also took ginger candy and a seasick bracelet. On our last voyage on the QM2 the seas were really rough and she did pitch. At first warning I put on the patch and I was good. 

[Jack E Dawson]

We sailed in 12022 on a Crossing and did not have an issue with motion sickness even though there was some rough days. In my opinion, the upgrade to Club is well worth the AUD$35/night/cabin. 

If you are prone to motion sickness, I strongly suggest you bring a bag of candied ginger with you. Chew a piece in the morning and then again in the afternoon. It is an amazing seasickness preventative. 

Jack

[Pear Carr]

I’m with Buchanan101 on this - although again this is related to Transatlantic crossings - the sweet spot for us is mid ship deck 5.  There is a noticeable shift in movement when travelling from deck 5 cabin to the Commodore club when there are swells and I can only imagine this to be more evident on higher decks. We were on the last Literary Festival crossing in November and one of the guest speakers cancelled on the first day due to sea sickness and I believe he was in a club balcony, whereas I was fine even though I am susceptible to motion sickness. I would also add that I have travelled from Hong Kong on QM2 around Asia in PG on deck 10 and had no issues.

[buchanan101]

31 minutes ago, Pear Carr said:

I’m with Buchanan101 on this - although again this is related to Transatlantic crossings - the sweet spot for us is mid ship deck 5.  There is a noticeable shift in movement when travelling from deck 5 cabin to the Commodore club when there are swells and I can only imagine this to be more evident on higher decks. We were on the last Literary Festival crossing in November and one of the guest speakers cancelled on the first day due to sea sickness and I believe he was in a club balcony, whereas I was fine even though I am susceptible to motion sickness. I would also add that I have travelled from Hong Kong on QM2 around Asia in PG on deck 10 and had no issues.

Yes, I think it rather unhelpful to the OP to say the QM2 doesn't move, or barely moves. Because it does and it will, depending...it moved a bit more than I was led to believe (by similar comments on this board) on our TA crossing. I was fine, OH had one uncomfortable-ish day

 

There WILL be more movement - if the seas are rough enough - in BC cabins at the front of Deck 13 - the new add on cabins. They WILL have the most movement of any cabin on the ship, or indeed any place on the ship, because of where they are. Especially compared with the original cabin location - mid aft on deck 8 - a much better location.

 

Why was Britannia restaurant placed quite low (and mid/aft) by the designer - because of movement (it's in a better place than on QA,QE,QV)

 

BUT....

 

...compared with the Hurtigruten ship there will be an order of magnitude less movement; there will be a fair bit less than the QE due to size and design.  And the seas are probably less rough than experienced off Norway (I assume). And there are things you can do to mitigate; meds, injection, fresh air, and, given the voyage, time - to get used to it.

What does $35pp a day get you: a better restaurant (same food but some a la carte additions I think?). Slightly better in cabin perks (haven't they added a coffee machine?), and, i think, in the new cabins on the top deck a shower door not a curtain?! Both cabins are the same size. Both have the same size balconies...is the upgrade worth $70 a day? Am I missing something (though I know BC can be very expensive depending on how the dynamic pricing is working out)

 

Maybe given the OP's reticence I wouldn't do the upgrade in their place, or maybe I would...

 

 

[Catchum]

No one can guarantee you a sooth sailing.  A ship on calm water will be stable  ship on rough seas will be ... not so stable.  A lower deck midship cabin will be better than a high one forward but we have had a midship cabin on a low deck on a large ship with the waves making the porthole into a washing machine and struggling to stay in bed (not a hardship to cling on to DH)

 

Did you enjoy your Hurtigruten cruise despite the seasickness?

[Pushpit]

3 hours ago, TouchstoneFeste said:

 

I think after a day or so people get their "sea legs" and don't notice the moderate movement over small- to medium-sized swells. On Day One I notice many passengers (including me) wobbling down the long passages; by Day Two most are navigating as well as the crew. Again, talking about moderate seas, of course.

 

Hence some of the "no movement" comments.

I think there's quite a lot to this. Ideally you would have a few quiet days after boarding and then your sense of balance starts to adjust. On my QM2 crossing in December I had lunch with the ship's doctor, and he had recently facilitated some passengers to have Dimenhydrinate injections, which surprised me since I didn't think it was at all rough at this point. In theory it only works for about 6 to 12 hours (half life is 6 hours), but he said it was unusual to give someone a second injection, usually this was enough for the patient to get their sea legs for the rest of the sailing.

 

I've been seasick on an inland lake, but I would have no hesitation in going to deck 13. On QM2 the centre of gravity is the Britannia restaurant, so quite far back.

[buchanan101]

@Pushpitindeed the architect said the least movement is 2/3rds of the way back - the Britannia Restaurant. There’s a YouTube video of him discussing the design. 

[D&N]

I don't suffer from motion sickness and like cabins high and forward. Some of my favourite ferry cabins have been forward facing over the bow. We choose deck 12 near staircase B as we like the location and it suits us as a starting point to get to all the bits of the ship we use.

 

On 14 nights Transatlantic in early June 2022 it was mainly smooth. We did experience some movement. A couple of times in the gym on the cross trainer I felt an odd movement, which wasn't a problem because you have both hands and feet securely placed on the holds provided. My wife on the forward facing treadmills sometimes found the slight pitch making her feet catch the board in front of the belt. A couple of nights in The Queens Room and G32 we were put off balance a bit while dancing, not enough to fall. Otherwise we didn't notice movement. I did wake one night during a force 9 gale but although there was a bit of creaking from the hull we didn't really have any motion and my wife didn't wake at all.

 

My wife has been known to suffer. We took many ferry crossings in North Sea, English Channel and Biscay. She has felt a bit off colour on one or two of the roughest ones, including a first evening from Portsmouth down The Channel towards Biscay, which was then smooth.

She has never felt anything on cruise ships.

 

The only time she was actually sick was an overnight North Sea Crossing in a force 10 on the Ro-Ro freight ferry in the photo. It had been converted by welding passenger accommodation above it's car decks. I've marked the area where the cabins were. The bunk bed cabins were the width of a narrow single bunk plus about 18". The ventilation was a gap at foot of door and it was extremely warm. Every few minutes there would be motion a bit like a roller coaster where we would rise up before the bow would crash down into a trough. Neither of us got any sleep that night.

 

For those that are interested the ship was at that time named Baltic Ferry. One of it's many sisters that had also been converted was Nordic Ferry. We used them a few times between 1989 and early 1990s.

 

[Jack E Dawson]

2 hours ago, buchanan101 said:

is the upgrade worth $70 a day?

I believe the OP said AUD$35 per night per cabin not per person. Plus in Club you get anytime dining at the same table with the same staff.

Jack

[buchanan101]

Oh yes. My apologies. A lot better deal. I thought you could do anytime as an option in Britannia now. But if not then yes that’s a big benefit.