Westbound Crossing 24th Sept 2006.

[pnhmrk]

I'm sure you've got some QE2 diehards squirming in their seats wanting to try the new Queen!

 

I'm not squirming:mad: I now think that the QM2 is more than a stage set (but I'm not saying that she is not mainly a stage set all the same;) ). There are still more than enough reasons for me not to want to do a TA (Bayonne not being the least) that I won't be rushing to book any day soon.

[KenC]

I'm not squirming:mad: I now think that the QM2 is more than a stage set (but I'm not saying that she is not mainly a stage set all the same;) ). There are still more than enough reasons for me not to want to do a TA (Bayonne not being the least) that I won't be rushing to book any day soon.

 

Hi Malcolm ... wasn't particularly referring to yourself!!! But don't knock it till you try it - the g forces in the forward staircase during a force 8 storm are really something to experience and quite amazing for a stage set!

 

Ken

[imacruizer]

Again, thank you Pepper for a wonderful review!!! None of us want it to end!

 

Please don't get hung up on Bayonne, folks! This was one of only a few times that the QM2 will dock there. The QM2 normally docks in Red Hook.

 

We happened to be on the cruise right after Pepper which embarked and debarked in Bayonne. Our embarkation was flawless. I had worried so much about this being the first time that the QM2 had ever docked in Bayonne and all the possible problems that might occur. We were very fortunate that none of my fears materialized. Our check in was quick and efficient and we were on the ship quickly. I even made a comment to the lady who checked us in about my concerns and how well they seemed to be doing. She said they were the same group who handled the embarkation in Red Hook and they had just come to Bayonne that day.

 

I don't for a moment doubt that Pepper had a terrible disembarkation. In fact when we arrived at the ship a little before 11 AM, there were long lines of people outside the terminal. We thought they were people checking in but found they were people getting off the ship.

 

Our disembarkation was easy also. Our color was not called as early as we had been told. We had 2 PM flights out of Newark so we were not concerned. We had arranged a private driver for our group of six so we did not have to deal with Cunard transportation. We called our driver as we were exiting the ship. By the time we got our luggage, went through customs and got to the curb, we only had to wait a few minutes for the driver to arrive. We got to the airport between 10 AM and 10:30 so we had plenty of time there.

 

I don't think Cunard does a very good job with transfers so I would encourage anyone to arrange your own transportation if possible.

 

Again, thanks Pepper.

 

Beth

[pepperrn]

Travel-to-go wrote

 

"No time for a REALLY proper goodbye.

But it's not really goodbye, is it, Pepper?"

 

Karie, It so is not goodbye! I'm just ashore for a while. A long shore excursion really.

 

"I'm having a rough day, about to burst in to tears of frustration. I decided to give myself a break and take a minute I could ill-afford to check in on cc. There it is! The last unread post: Pepper's part the last! Could I take the time? Dammit I NEEDED this. I was taking the time!

And so glad I did!"

 

I'm so sorry to hear of your problems, and hope by now the printer is all sorted. Can I wish you and Marc the very best in the competion. Sure you'll win.

 

"Tears well up in my eyes. I can barely read on as my chest swells with pride and pure corn., You know, no matter how cynical and jaded you are, no matter how cold or heartless you may be at other times, this just grabs you by the collar, shakes you awake, and clutches unrelentingly at your heart strings, tugging ever so insistantly".

 

Karie, I didn't know how to put down what I saw and how I felt when standing on deck before That Statue. The emotions were off the scale. I will never forget that morning for as long as I live.

 

"And please tell me you will submit this to some magazine- Porthole, maybe"

 

I've shown a printed copy to a few people (removed bits that pointed to me having written it, told them it was someone else on my trip). Showed them photographs I'd taken and let them read the review. They loved it. My god! I'm amazed. I've started to re-edit and re-write. I will remove a lot of part 1. I will run it through a spell/grammar checker. I will get it proof read. I think I will send it off. I think you're being too generous with your praise but it costs nothing to send off, does it?

 

Thank you Karie, and all the very best for the balcony!

 

Patwell wrote

 

"Pepper....BRAVO!!! BRAVO!! Well done and deliciously enjoyable. :D I've been waiting all day for this! I felt your journey into NY as if it were me..."

 

Penny thank you so much for this, your comments are just fab.

 

"Now that the story is complete I plan to cut and paste each post and add that to "Penny's Book Of Hints and Tips For the QM2"...it will travel with me in Dec. so that I don't miss all those wonderful places you took us to".

 

Please, if anything I wrote is of any interest, copy away.

 

"I hope your trip on the QE2 will give you as many memorable moments and as much joy as this one obviously did. And that you'll come back here and tell us all about it. We'll be waiting....."

 

I will Penny, promise. And I'll try to make it shorter next time!

 

Freckles67 wrote

 

"I was delighted to come to CC this evening and find part 8. Now, where might we see your photos displayed online????"

 

That has got to be my next task, I've not a web site. Or a clue how to do it. But, give me a few days and I'll report back with news.

 

Therapst's Lady wrote

 

"Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! Roses are being strewn at your feet! (Figuratively) And the crowd goes crazy--much clapping and huzzahs! Thank you, again, for taking the time to make us all want to run right out and book the next crossing!"

WOW! Sounds like a theatre, so I suppose this must be a curtain call! Thank you for all your great comments,,They mean so much.

Sailorbill wrote

 

"One question. You mention that Renato Pagliari was a singer at the last night's show. Could this be the same "tenor Renato with the wide vibrato" that entertained(?) us on Holland America's Volendam in December 2002? A tablemate, a retired college music professor, and I made some unflattering poetry about him that I have fortunately lost".

 

Sounds like the same guy to me! Great voice. Too much vibrato!

 

pnhmrk wrote

 

"Pepper - that was a most enjoyable review. I've waited until you get to the end of your voyage before commenting so that I could comment on the entire piece. Like so many others I am sorry you had to get to New York - I was enjoying it so much. You have done something with your review that I would have believed impossible before you started - you've let me feeling that I would quite like to try the QM2; maybe she isn't just a stage set of the idea of a liner"

 

Well thank you so much for those great comments, I was also sorry that New York was so close to Southampton! I know that some think that QM2 is not a liner in the "classic" sense. To many balconies etc. I totally respect that view. But I don't agree. QE2 surprised a few when new. The Queen Mary did as well. When I first saw QM2 in photos, I thought she looked awkward. The gray of the hull carried too high, the funnel too short. Row upon row of balconies. But when I saw her in the "flesh" so to speak, my opinion changed. As I saw her more often I came to like her lines. And now that I've travelled on her.. she is a Liner through and through (with, like QE2, a bit of cruise ship thrown in). No ship built now will ever have the grace of QE2 (even after all the choppng about). See them alongside each other, who wins the beauty contest? There will never be another QE2. But times change. QM2 has to compete against all the other balcony clad ships out there. (QE2 has a niche market). Commercially, she had to have balconies and she had to have interiors that fit people's idea of what a Liner should look like. I now love the look of QM2. To me, she is stunning to look at. But I say again, she is a Liner. The bow, the bridge screen, the position of the lifeboats, the decks stepping down to the stern. Inside, you may think she is a stage set with all the faux 30's liner look on every deck. But weren't all the georgian interiors of earlier liners also fake? At sea, in a good swell, QM2 comes through. As I said, she is a Liner for our times. Try her TA. You'll fall in love too.

 

"(BTW Karie right - a magazine might publish it - I'd try submitting it to a few)"

 

I'm very flattered by these suggestions. Not sure I agree but am willing to give it a chance! It would need some serious work first. Thank you once again.

 

KenC wrote

 

"Thank you Pepper for such a witty, entertaining and informative narrative which so captures the essence of a QM2 transatlantic. I'm sure you've got some QE2 diehards squirming in their seats wanting to try the new Queen!!"

 

Thank you Ken, I sure hope so!

 

"We sailed in and out of Bayonne on Explorer of the Seas (3,000pax) in September and both were a breeze - RCI seem to have it down to a fine art."

 

I'm so glad that you didn't experience what we did. If it were not for the fantastic experiences on the ship, Bayonne could have ruined the whole holiday. I take my hat off to RCI for doing such a good job.

 

"The g forces in the forward staircase during a force 8 storm are really something to experience"

 

Well I didn't get a force 8 storm, wish I had. QM2 can take that because she is a Liner. Unlike cruise ships, she has the freedom of the seas. And you don't know how many times I tried to get that line into my review! Thanks Ken for giving me the opportunity.

 

 

imacruizer wrote

 

"Please don't get hung up on Bayonne, folks! This was one of only a few times that the QM2 will dock there. The QM2 normally docks in Red Hook".

 

Beth, thanks for your many great comments. I'm sure many people have had no problems with Bayonne. It's just that our experience was not good to say the least!

 

"I don't for a moment doubt that Pepper had a terrible disembarkation. In fact when we arrived at the ship a little before 11 AM, there were long lines of people outside the terminal. We thought they were people checking in but found they were people getting off the ship".

 

Enough said on Bayonne I think!

 

"I don't think Cunard does a very good job with transfers so I would encourage anyone to arrange your own transportation if possible".

 

I would expect this to be very easy from Red Hook, So I'd agree with Beth. Make your own way.

 

So, if I do send it to some mags and if one takes it, I'll let you know!

 

Thank you all once again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[travel-to-go]

Pepper,

 

Today, colors seems a bit less bold, the sun shines less brightly, and darkness descends without the fading rosy glow of a day anticipating getting home to read Pepper's next chapter in his saga.

 

I guess I shall have to book soon, just as a reminder of your wonderful tale!

 

As for the photos, there are many photo web sites such as WebShots, O-photo, Kodak, Shutterfly and Smugmug that host photos for free. All you have to do is upload them. If your camera is not digital, just have your local drug store give you a CD when you have them developed.

 

I think Yahoo also hosts photos, but I am not sure if it is only for yahoo groups or what. If you have an ISP you may have a plan which allows you a web site.

It is also possible to get a GMAIL account from Google. I can send you an invite if you wish. You can use it sort of like your own personal server. It might be a bit cumbersome doing it that way, as you would have to email the shots to your gmail account and share the password with folks you wanted to be able to go in and see them.

 

Try googling free photo hosting services, or better yet, I believe there is a photography forum here on Cruise Critic. Do a search on their forums for threads on free photo hosting. I think CC even HAS a hosting service! Some of the other cruise forums also do.

 

 

As for my balcony- We shall see, I will try to send a photo, especially if we win! It came together amazingly yesterday. We always seem to wait til the last mnute, then genius somehow seems to shine through. The Gods must be smiling on us! Thanks for your kind wishes.

 

Well, I'm almost packed. Can't get done too soon, or I will think of 3 million other things I simply can't live without for the next six days! <LOL> Thank God there's no formal nights!

 

I'll try to post from Key West! Otherwise I will have to take three days off reasing all that I have missed!

 

Karie,

Who isn't gone yet! We fly out tomorrow afternoon.

[pepperrn]

Karie, have a great time, post the pictures of your winning balcony, I will let you know when and where my pictures are posted.

 

Very best wishes

[pepperrn]

If you wish to see any, pictures from my crossing are posted at

 

http://community.webshots.com/user/pepperrn

 

Hope some are OK, if there are 1 or 2 that are alright, if you think they're Ok, I can send high resoulution versions of these to anyone who wants them, just send me an e-mail ( pepper @ royal . navy . org . uk ) ( I reduced the quality on the site to make loading faster).

[lannp]

They were great and yes it really does look like that because I was on board also.

But - they also made me feel bad. I don't go back on the ship for another 8 months!!!!!

Linda

[cusyl]

Great pictures, thanks for sharing. :D

[Penzance]

Pepperrn

 

Please tell me that is you in photograph number 8 - holding your arms gleefully aloft framed in one of the large portholes. The photos are marvelous and your observations and details of your crossing were a delight to read. My husband and I have a reservation for next year - N.Y. to Southampton. And, as an added joy, the QM2 will arrive in time for us to visit our favourite County Show in the New Forest. Thank you again for the considerable amount of time you spent on making the rest of us readers feel so good.

[patwell]

Pepper...you are once again too modest. The pictures are wonderful...the rough seas, dawn and sunset at sea, dawn in NY harbor and all those terrific shots of the Queen. I enjoyed every one of them. Thank you for sharing with all of us who I'm sure are eager to experience all those grand places for ourselves.

 

And I'm with penzance...is that you waving so enthusiastically? That was my first thought too, so tell us the truth. ;)

 

Most enjoyable...the perfect ending to your fantastic crossing.

Cheers, Penny

[pepperrn]

lannp wrote

"They were great and yes it really does look like that because I was on board also.

But - they also made me feel bad. I don't go back on the ship for another 8 months!!!!!

Linda"

 

Linda, thank you. Those 8 months will fly by!

 

cusyl wrote

"Great pictures, thanks for sharing."

 

Thank you, one or two are OK I think. Glad you liked them.

 

Penzance wrote

"Please tell me that is you in photograph number 8 - holding your arms gleefully aloft framed in one of the large portholes. The photos are marvelous and your observations and details of your crossing were a delight to read. My husband and I have a reservation for next year - N.Y. to Southampton. And, as an added joy, the QM2 will arrive in time for us to visit our favourite County Show in the New Forest. Thank you again for the considerable amount of time you spent on making the rest of us readers feel so good."

 

Penzance, thank you for those kind comments, and yes, that's me in black on the right in the "in hull" balcony (What is spookey about this photo is the two people above me and to the left (as you look at the pic) on their balcony, also one in blue and one in black, Like we organised it!). VERY well spotted. How did you know? Clever you. Have a great time in the New Forest. I am very grateful for your feedback about my review, next year, if you and your husband have half as good a time as I had, you'll have the time of your lives!

 

patwell wrote

"Pepper...you are once again too modest. The pictures are wonderful...the rough seas, dawn and sunset at sea, dawn in NY harbor and all those terrific shots of the Queen. I enjoyed every one of them. Thank you for sharing with all of us who I'm sure are eager to experience all those grand places for ourselves.

 

And I'm with penzance...is that you waving so enthusiastically? That was my first thought too, so tell us the truth. ;)

 

Most enjoyable...the perfect ending to your fantastic crossing.

Cheers, Penny"

 

Yes Penny, that's me, in black, on the right, two decks below the deck 7 promenade. How you and Penzance got that I'll never know! Thank you for your very kind comments. I've been humbled by all the great feedback about the review and pictures. Thank you so very much.

 

With very best wishes for your (not long now) voyage on board the Queen!

[imacruizer]

Pepper,

 

You have captured the beauty of the QM2 with your photos just as you captured the heart of the ship in words with your review. New York City is one of my favorite places so I enjoyed those photos also. Thank you so much for taking the time to write your excellent review and link your wonderful photos.

 

Beth

[pnhmrk]

Pepper - Lovely photographs - They have changed my opinion of the QM2 again - she looks a vast ship, rooms like the Queens Room look to have lost the intimacy you find on the QE2.

 

I would make one criticism (don't take this to heart - I don't mean it as a criticism of either you or your photographs, just what I would find preferable) - There are too many photographs in that album. I looked at it and wondered how I would manage to see them all. I think that you should pick your best 20 (30 max) shots of the ship and put those into one album. Put New York into a second album (again 20-30 shots). I admit to not getting past Grand Central; were there any other cities after that?:) If you catch attention with a smaller number of pictures (only one of each place (or two if it's a big place) then I think you'll get a lot of positive comments.

[DocM3]

Loved the pictures and I looked at all of them. Brought back wonderful memories. Thanks for sharing them with us.

[patwell]

Oh Malcolm....I must reluctantly disagree with some of what you say. OK, maybe the NY pictures could have been separate but it was all a part of Pepper's journey. But all the shots of QM2?? I loved every one of them and could have looked at more. I have devoured online people's photo albums about this ship and each time come away wishing they'd shown more...or different angles or aspects.

 

Maybe it's just me, over eager for our Dec 2nd cruise, but there can never be too many photos of such a big beautiful ship. Even after looking at all the pictures I've looked at, and believe me it has been many, I still found things in Pepper's photos of places I'd never seen before. And I was thrilled to see them.

 

Don't mean to be difficult but I was pleased to have so many to enjoy.

 

Cheers, Penny....who is probably salivating for this up-coming trip just a tad too much. And Pepper...I looked thru ALL of them twice!

[maryt2516]

I must also disagree. My husband and I are on the QM2 Nov. 18 WB TA--our first Cunard cruise and our first TA. I have looked at all the pictures at least 4 times and my husband has been through them twice. For newbies like us--filled with anticipation--discovering these photos had been posted was like having Christmas come early!!

 

Thank you!!

 

Mary

[KenC]

Fabulous photos Pepper - expected nothing less!!!

 

The thing people don't get is that there is so much worth photographing on this amazing transatlantic liner that it is impossible to condense to a few (as you could on QE2 where's there's not much worth getting the camera out for - too intimate don't you know !!)

 

Bravo

 

Ken

[Penzance]

Now that you said you were wearing black (as seen in photo 7) the fellow who has his arms aloft - holding a glass of Champagne I hope (in photo 8) must have been your friend. Mystery solved.

 

PS I am havng withdrawal symptoms now that there's no more of your adventure to read about each day.

[imacruizer]

Pepper, count me among those who enjoyed every single one of your QM2 photos more than once!! What wonderful memories they brought back! I, too, miss your travel review now that it has ended. We think you should book the World Cruise and post everyday.

 

Beth

[pnhmrk]

The thing people don't get is that there is so much worth photographing on this amazing transatlantic liner that it is impossible to condense to a few (as you could on QE2 where's there's not much worth getting the camera out for - too intimate don't you know !!)

 

Oh dear, I've started something:( I am sure that if you go on a ship like the Mary then there is a lot that is worth photographing - the ship is so big (and impersonal:p ) you can take dozens of pictures of vast, empty, rooms (I'm not getting at your pictures Pepper:) ). On the QE2 there is a lot more character, there isn't the space to get the rooms into your photos (and you can't photograph ambiance), you have to rely on the memory of your experience:)

[KenC]

....I am sure that if you go on a ship like the Mary then there is a lot that is worth photographing - the ship is so big (and impersonal:p ) you can take dozens of pictures of vast, empty, rooms ...... On the QE2 ... there isn't the space to get the rooms into your photos (and you can't photograph ambiance) you have to rely on the memory of your experience:)

 

The ambiance you can't photograph, would that be the 'vast empty' rooms of QM2 or the pokey (sorry ..... 'intimate and too small to photograph' ) rooms of the QE2.??? Sorry Mark, didn't realise you had done a QM2 transatlantic .

 

Ken

[pepperrn]

imacruizer wrote

"You have captured the beauty of the QM2 with your photos just as you captured the heart of the ship in words with your review. New York City is one of my favorite places so I enjoyed those photos also.... count me among those who enjoyed every single one of your QM2 photos more than once!! What wonderful memories they brought back! I, too, miss your travel review now that it has ended. We think you should book the World Cruise and post everyday".

 

Beth

Beth, thank you, really glad you liked the pics, I loved taking them. Now, that's a great idea, a world cruise. If I ever came into a great deal of money I'd book one in a flash. But, can you imagine how many parts the review would be in, the way I write? And as for the number of photos, some wouldn't get past the ones of the first "sailaway" before giving up! But if I ever do go, I'll be sure to post something here.

 

DocM3 wrote

"Loved the pictures and I looked at all of them. Brought back wonderful memories. Thanks for sharing them with us".

 

Thank you, and thanks for working your way through them all. Didn't expect anyone to do that!

 

Penzance wrote

"I am havng withdrawal symptoms now that there's no more of your adventure to read about each day".

 

I wish my sdventure was still going on! I never wanted to get off. Thanks for your kind comments.

 

Pnhmrk wrote

"Lovely photographs - They have changed my opinion of the QM2 again - she looks a vast ship, rooms like the Queens Room look to have lost the intimacy you find on the QE2".

 

Thank you Malcolm, I'm glad you enjoyed them. Yes the QM2 is vast, with a wider selection of differing size rooms in which to choose to spend your time. I didn't find the Queens Room on the QM2 too big for it's purpose however. Given the greater number of passengers on board, larger numbers may wish to take tea here or attend in the evenings. Therefore a bigger room is needed so that it never feels crowded (can you always find a table in the QE2's smaller room?). The Winter Garden is of a similar size to the Queen's Room on the QE2, and being only one deck high, a similar ceiling height. Maybe, in a refit, they could put a band stage in here (where the "water feature" is now?). Despite the "well" in the centre of the QE2's Queen's Room and the lattice work of the deckhead, after the height of the 1st class lounge on the Queen Mary (which I've seen several times) with it's feeling of space and luxury, this smaller main lounge of the QE2 comes as a surprise. The Queens Room on the QM2 is a worthy successor to the original Mary's main lounge.

 

The point is that, because of the sheer size of the QM2, there are more choices of venue with a greater feeling of space in each. When new, many QE2 passengers could also use the two deck high "Double Room" above, and ease demand on the lower lounge. But now that the upper room is used as a show lounge/theatre? Except when in the Royal Court, dining or waiting to disembark, I wondered "where is everybody?". Almost without exception, everyone to whom I've shown the photographs, asks the same question. Yet the ship was full. It never felt crowded. The space ratios are, QE2 39 tons per passenger, QM2 56. Take a look at the size of (deck 4,5,6) balcony cabins on the QM2, in order to get a similar size of personal space on the QE2, what grade of cabin would I have to book?

 

"I would make one criticism (don't take this to heart - I don't mean it as a criticism of either you or your photographs, just what I would find preferable) - There are too many photographs in that album. I looked at it and wondered how I would manage to see them all. I think that you should pick your best 20 (30 max) shots of the ship and put those into one album. Put New York into a second album (again 20-30 shots). I admit to not getting past Grand Central; were there any other cities after that?:) If you catch attention with a smaller number of pictures (only one of each place (or two if it's a big place) then I think you'll get a lot of positive comments".

 

Thank you for this constructive observation. I confess, however, that I am puzzled. I have looked at many "on-line" albums and have used the thumbnails to to choose which pictures to take a closer look at. Very rarely do I look at all of them in detail. I didn't post all the pictures I took. But I wanted to give the viewer the choice of the remaining ones. I posted pictures of the holiday for friends to see and therefore, I included New York as well. I was very careful to stay "on topic" on CC, and mentioned only those parts of the transfers and New York hotel that may be of interest to readers who might thinking of making a similar trip. I was particularly aiming at those new to the QM2 (as I said at the beginning of the review). But I felt free to post the whole series of pictures off CC. Had I either posted a review of the three days in New York, or, indeed, directly posted photographs from the city, on CC, then I would agree with you. I didn't, so I don't.:)

 

I haven't "taken this to heart" and thank you for your, well meant I'm sure, criticism. But now that you've given me the opportunity to explain, I hope that you can understand why I posted so many pictures. If you can't, it's my fault for badly explaining my reasons.

 

patwell wrote

"Oh Malcolm....I must reluctantly disagree with some of what you say. OK, maybe the NY pictures could have been separate but it was all a part of Pepper's journey. But all the shots of QM2?? I loved every one of them and could have looked at more. I have devoured online people's photo albums about this ship and each time come away wishing they'd shown more...or different angles or aspects. Maybe it's just me, over eager for our Dec 2nd cruise, but there can never be too many photos of such a big beautiful ship. Even after looking at all the pictures I've looked at, and believe me it has been many, I still found things in Pepper's photos of places I'd never seen before. And I was thrilled to see them. Don't mean to be difficult but I was pleased to have so many to enjoy.Cheers, Penny....who is probably salivating for this up-coming trip just a tad too much. And Pepper...I looked thru ALL of them twice!"

 

Thank you Penny for that, you've been very kind, I'm so grateful. I really hope you have the greatest of times. You'll let me know?

 

maryt2516 wrote

"I must also disagree. My husband and I are on the QM2 Nov. 18 WB TA--our first Cunard cruise and our first TA. I have looked at all the pictures at least 4 times and my husband has been through them twice. For newbies like us--filled with anticipation--discovering these photos had been posted was like having Christmas come early!! Thank you!! Mary"

 

Thank YOU Mary, what can I say? Your words mean so much. I really, really hope that you both have as good a time as I had, if not better. Perhaps you'll let me know when it's all over (alas, it has to end!)

 

KenC wrote

"Fabulous photos Pepper - expected nothing less!!!"

 

Ken, thank you, very honoured that you liked them.

 

"The thing people don't get is that there is so much worth photographing on this amazing transatlantic liner that it is impossible to condense to a few....."

 

Ken, I couldn't agree more!

 

"...... (as you could on QE2 where's there's not much worth getting the camera out for - too intimate don't you know !!) Bravo Ken"

 

Well Ken, next year I'm on the QE2 so I'll see. Thank you again.

[pnhmrk]

Sorry Mark, didn't realise you had done a QM2 transatlantic .

 

Mark? Mark? Who's Mark?:confused: (I'm assuming that you mean me so I'll answer:p ). No, I've never been on the QM2 - that's why I said ships like the QM2.

 

The ambiance you can't photograph, would that be the 'vast empty' rooms of QM2 or the pokey (sorry ..... 'intimate and too small to photograph' :p) rooms of the QE2.?

 

I feel that the QE2 offers something that the Mary and her ilk do not. One of those things is character (for example the oddly shaped staterooms, the staircases that don't go were you'd expect, etc) - the down sides as well as the up sides contribute to that character.

[patwell]

Ah ha...and here we seem to have returned again to the "discussion" of the merits of our 2 Queens. On the one hand the unabashed affection of the QE2 folks...on the other the devotees of her new "sister".

 

There's the QE2, a lovely lady aging graciously (as all of us aging women would appreciate and aspire to!!;) ). She's quirky, homey and represents a time when ships were ships and the class system reigned. And maybe she's a bit "wrinkled" around the edges...who of us isn't at her stage in life. But from everything I've read about her she has a mystique all her own and a supremely loyal following that would be hard to match with any of today's floating playgrounds. I sailed on the earlier generation of ships...funky little cabins, quirky spaces, class systems...and to this day I have a love for them that I don't expect to have challenged by any other ships, probably even the Qm2 herself. So I understand the loyalists and their staunch support of this lovely lady. And she IS lovely to look at with her sleek lines...she looks like she's moving when she's docked...she looks like a ship!

 

And then there's the QM2...big, brash and beautiful. I see her as a worthy member of her impeccable lineage whose task is to combine the elegance of the old with the needs of the new. From what I've read in many places, she is doing that quite well indeed. No, she doesn't have the heart and soul of her older sister but then she hasn't had 40 years to develop it either. I have no doubt that it will come with time and seasoning. She seems to be doing a fine job of offering a quality experience either crossing or cruising and doing so without pandering to the rock climbing wall, ice skating rink, movies under the stars and neon glitz of her competitors....I can hardly wait to see for myself!

 

So then...maybe we can all agree to disagree while we continue to enjoy the many delights both of these sisters have to offer, each on our ship of choice with both offering the Cunard experience we are seeking. Is it the Cunard of days gone by? No, but nothing stays the same. That's called life!

 

Cheers, Penny...OK, off the soapbox...sorry!! And Pepper...you can be sure I'll let you know!!:)