Young cruiser, advice needed please!

[steph*123]

Hello,

 

I hope someone can give me some reassurance! My boyfriend and I have just booked a trasatlantic crossing on the QM2 for the 12th June 07, and after reading a few reviews (which I now think would have been a good idea to do BEFORE we booked it!) I am starting to worry that there will be not be many younger people on board!

 

I am 21 and have cruised many times with my family, but my boyfriend (24) has never cruised before. I decided to book this cruise after 'slumming it' at uni this year and decided that I need a little bit of luxury and some retail therapy in New York!

 

Have we made a bad decision to come on this cruise as a young couple? I am starting to think that maybe it was a slightly different situation a few years ago when I used to cruise with my family!

 

If anyone has any advice then I'd love to hear it,

 

Thank you x

[songanddance]

Hello,

 

I hope someone can give me some reassurance! My boyfriend and I have just booked a trasatlantic crossing on the QM2 for the 12th June 07, and after reading a few reviews (which I now think would have been a good idea to do BEFORE we booked it!) I am starting to worry that there will be not be many younger people on board!

 

I am 21 and have cruised many times with my family, but my boyfriend (24) has never cruised before. I decided to book this cruise after 'slumming it' at uni this year and decided that I need a little bit of luxury and some retail therapy in New York!

 

Have we made a bad decision to come on this cruise as a young couple? I am starting to think that maybe it was a slightly different situation a few years ago when I used to cruise with my family!

 

If anyone has any advice then I'd love to hear it,

 

Thank you x

 

Welcome to Cunard and the QM2. If you enjoy a very tradtional cruise with many formal evenings (Gowns and Tuxedos) then you will love the ship and the cruise. Do not worry about being among the very youngest couples on board as the ship is huge and there are so many things to do that you will not have time to be concerned about that aspect.

 

If, you do not care for a very traditional TA, there is still the Kings Court buffet for the evening meal. Actually in the evening they offer table serve and the attire is casual but the rest of the ship will be formal.

 

Enjoy, it will be the beginning of a life long love affair with Cunard.

[exlondoner]

I think you will have a super time, though you may wll be among the youngest couples. However, nearly everyone is so thrilled to be on QM2 that they make a great effort to ber friendly with the fellow passengers of whatever age who are sharing the experience. You will barely notice what age people are after a few hours. And there is so much to do in six days. I am sure you will enjoy it.

[Nitty]

Hello,

 

I hope someone can give me some reassurance! My boyfriend and I have just booked a trasatlantic crossing on the QM2 for the 12th June 07, and after reading a few reviews (which I now think would have been a good idea to do BEFORE we booked it!) I am starting to worry that there will be not be many younger people on board!

 

I am 21 and have cruised many times with my family, but my boyfriend (24) has never cruised before. I decided to book this cruise after 'slumming it' at uni this year and decided that I need a little bit of luxury and some retail therapy in New York!

 

Have we made a bad decision to come on this cruise as a young couple? I am starting to think that maybe it was a slightly different situation a few years ago when I used to cruise with my family!

 

If anyone has any advice then I'd love to hear it,

 

Thank you x

 

I have done a couple of cruises before and have just booked my first one on the QE2. I am only 27 but was about 19 on the other cruises. Dont worry about being younger than others, if anything as I found on the other cruises people love it, I got loads of comments about being dressed so nicely and how I was a great example for the younger generation. It makes you feel great. My husband (then boyfriend) and I made friends with loads of people, one couple were 80 and 84 they were great. I think that they will welcome you aboard.

 

Anyway lets hope they are as friendly on QE2 and QM2 for both our sakes!

 

Nitty

[mufi]

I think you will probably be among the youngest passengers on board. Does this matter to you? Do you need other folk of you age for you to enjoy the trip? Are you comfortable in the company of older people?

 

It is well possible to enjoy a crossing without bothering much about other people on board, but a younger couple can liven up a dining table of otherwise older passengers as I have found on other cruises in the past.

 

David.

[lexxity]

We were 21 and 23 on our first QE2 cruise. Now 27 and 29 and still having an affair with Cunard.:D

 

You are going to love it!

[rebeccalouise]

I think that it will be a wonderful experience for you. I am doing the QM2 in August from Southampton- New York. So I am a newbie to Cunard.

 

However, I did a Transatlantic two years ago and it was a real adventure.

 

You'll have a wonderful time. As for the older generations- I get a huge kick out of watching older couples on the dance floor. I always think how lucky these people are to have each other. It is romantic to me. I appreciate older people and tend to feel that they have better manners and more to offer than people my own age. JMO (I'm 42).

[keela1eva2]

Hi Rebecca.

 

Glad to hear you are looking forward to the August cruise. I think you know that I now have booked the BTB 12th -24th July and I will be travelling alone. Am I concerned NOT A BIT! I am really looking forward to it and I can now try Cunard again after about 5 years.

I still cruise with Celebrity and enjoy it and have taken one cruise in March/April also a T/A and will cruise again in October. I got a great deal on thE QM and roll on July 12th. I am off to Ireland next Tues and so looking forward to seeing Keela and Eva aged 2&4. They are the 2 little ones hence my sign on. i also have Dan 11 and Rebecca 9 here living beside me.

 

For you young people a holiday is what you make it. Just enjoy the pleasure of the ship with so much to do and something for everyone. I just love all the sea days and I am never bored.

Good luck just be glad that you CAN

 

Sue

[dougnewmanatsea]

Actually on crossings I find you get a rather wide range of ages. Of course you will be on the younger end of things but I would not say you will be the only people your (our) age on the ship by a long shot.

 

Of course every voyage is different but I have always seen a decent number of under-30s on Cunard - indeed, despite the company's reputation, more than I have seen on some others.

[supered]

I wouldn't worry at all. There is a lot to do for all tastes. We went on a crossing last May and had a blast in the Golden Lion at the pub quizzes and the Karaoke was a hoot too.There were also Darts Competitions in the pub as well. I'd say go for it. We also had a great time chatting with the folks who wanted to part of our quiz team!

 

I hope you have a good trip. You'll be hooked I'm sure.

 

Eddie

[NZ_CUNARDER]

Hi,

 

I was 23 when I first went on QE2 back in 1983 and had a great time. I've been hooked ever since.

 

You'll have a great time and the other people at the dinner table will enjoy having younger people around. Most Cunard travellers are successful, 'been there done that' kind of people. I've learnt a lot from my elder fellow Cunard travellers over the years that has held me in good stead as they often have great stories to tell. Now many cruises on from our first QE2 cruise, we still have a love affair with Cunard.

 

You have made the best choice on a great ship and you are going to love it!

 

Have a great time.

[travel-to-go]

Steph,

Don't worry!

Things will be great, you'll see!

If you're lucky, you might get a couple of great folks at your dinner table who might even take you under their wing and show you all sorts of things! Trivia is fantastic in the Golden Lion (three times a day) You earn points for a win towards a small gift at the end of the trip. The questions are so varied that 13 (out of twenty) can be a winner. Make sure you team up with people from various walks of life (maybe a Brit, or Canadian and American) young and old, more studious with the classical arts vs more in tune with pop music, movies and such. The questions are from all sorts of eras and interests. So no one REALLY gets a leg up.

We loved the partner we got together with so much, we booked another cruise together, and are now trying to book another one. Likely to be lifelong friends. Her age did not matter, nor where she was from, nor her background. We just simply had fun together. (And hopefully she didn't mind our age or background either!) You would be amazed at how much you have in common with others when you start to explore each other's backgrounds! Age is only one aspect of a person. Maybe you are both Computer geeks. That knows no age, and in fact, it can be kind of interesting talking to those who were there in the beginning. Or maybe someone you meet is big on the same sport or team you like. Age is only a number, whether you are 20 or 80, I have found. I've known people at 60 who were younger than people I knew at 30!

Don't sweat it. You don't say which side of the pond you are from, but I assure you, if you reach out to people and don't worry about their ages, you will find them to be fascinating, and they you!

 

I promise you!

 

Karie, who has cruised with all kinds and enjoyed them equally well!

 

P.S. There is so much to do on this ship that if, god forbid, you should find NO ONE among the 2600 passengers and however many staff and crew, that you can relate to, you can still have a MARVELOUS time!

[calikak]

DH and I did our first cruise when I was 24 and he had just turned 25 (we got engaged on that cruise)--we were among the youngest people onboard, but we met a ton of really interesting people and had a great time, and I'm sure you will too! Don't worry about chatting with folks your parents' age--they're not your parents even if they are older and they'll probably think it's really cool that you and your BF are getting into cruising so early and wish they could have when they were your age. So many people on cruises are well-travelled, they always have really interesting stories to tell!

 

I hope you have an awesome cruise!

[pb82]

I think that the best places to find other couples your age will be G32, any of the pools, and ConneXions. You have only about a decade left before you pass the median age, so enjoy. After that, with luck, you will have many decades of marvelling how your personal notion of "old" changes decade by decade.

I bet you both will love the QM2,

Paul

[steph*123]

Hello Everyone,

 

Thank you ever so much for your kind words of reassurance, from what you have all said it looks like we will have a great time and meet lots of interesting people.

I travelled around Asia for three months last summer, and Australia at Christmas and met loads of great people, so I don't know why I thought that a cruise would be any different!

I love getting dressed up and always used to join in with everything when I went with my family, so I am sure if we get stuck in then there will be nothing to worry about!

 

Any tips anyone might be able to give us would be great!

 

Thank you all so much again, Steph x

[frangipan]

Hello,

 

My wife and I are in our early 30s. We crossed on the QM2 on the 18th of May. We enjoyed every minute of it.

 

Whilst the majority of the passengers were older than us, this would only be a problem if *we* had a problem or were insecure or had some sort of psychological disorder. Certainly, nobody was rude or made us feel the slightest bit uncomfortable. Everybody was perfectly friendly.

 

I do not wish to offend anyone on this board, but we were also grateful that we experienced something as wonderful as a QM2 crossing whilst young enough to enjoy it fully - to be able to use the gym to the full extent, not to worry too much about what we ate, using the stairs even from deck 2 to 11 and so on. If we're lucky, then we too one day will be old and retired. At that stage, we'd rather be on the QM2's final voyage with pleasant memories of our youthful trips on her, than trying to cram everything into our retirement after years of having avoided it.

[sullaRaffaello]

Hello,

 

If we're lucky, then we too one day will be old and retired. At that stage, we'd rather be on the QM2's final voyage with pleasant memories of our youthful trips on her, than trying to cram everything into our retirement after years of having avoided it.

 

That is an excellent point!

[lottie7]

Steph,

 

My husband is 29 and I am 24. We have recently come back from the best holiday of our lives onboard the QM2. We have already booked our next holiday (on the QM2 again!) Don't worry, you will enjoy every minute!

[hrl1983]

Hi Steph! I just went on the Memorial Day QM2 cruise with my mom, I am 24. I actually met A LOT of people my age. There was a family reunion with every generation. I remember seeing a lot of young couples, a few pregnant women, and I think it was very diverse. I had a lot of fun at the Casino, the Pub (kareoke is fun), and G32. I was surprised to see some of the older people staying up as late as I did! There were people my age and up with their families too. Our table mates were a family mom, dad, son, and he was 22. And most of the staff are our age too! The bartenders were a lot of fun, I think i had the most conversation with them! LOL. Kareoke was hosted by this guy Mike who is 22 from England and he was a blast, so much fun, entertaining, funny, I enjoyed all of his activities. I was worried I wouldn't be able to find anyone my age, but I did, and I didn't need to really, but still had a lot of fun! Enjoy :)

[travel-to-go]

Frangipan,

No offense taken here- I'm 52, and I can't stay up and do the G32! In fact, only time I've been in the G32 was for the Staff Cocktail Party. Of course that's not to say I didn't close down the Commodore Club more than once!

 

Steph, I forgot. On our January Panama cruise there were several family with young adults. On our 4 day labor day, I remember eating lunch one day with a mother/daughter. Daughter was your age.

 

Trust me. You will have the time of your lives, and hopefully, there will be something sparkling beyond the sun on the waves by the end of it!

 

karie,

who is dreaming about how that would be.

(P.S. How can we plant ideas in his mind<teehee>!)

[dramirez]

Hi Steph,

 

I think you and your boyfriend will be fine. I began cruising at the age of 9 (with a TA crossing) when my family moved abroad. As long as you have an open mind and are outgoing, you will be fine. I know that I was the youngest person (at age 32) on one Royal Viking Asian cruise. I sulked for 5 minutes and then enjoyed visiting all the ports and absorbing the culture. While you won't have ports to visit, from what I've read there are so many activities on board that you'll be able to stay busy or rest and relax.

 

Good Luck!

 

Diane

[princess_cruz]

i started cruising when i was 10, and have been on cruises ever since.

i'll be going on the QE2 this year aged 17, and was glad to note that it wont all be old people. also, i think a bright young thing like myself will bring out the youth in the older generation.:D

after all., you're only as young as you feel.

also, i suppose i can stop complaining about not meeting many people my age because it will only be my own fault if i don't get involved. a holiday is what you make it. oh and since i am a qualified latina dn ballroom dancer (woohoo) i will be getting those men dancing like no tomorrow in the ballroom classes! teehee.

[travel-to-go]

i started cruising when i was 10, and have been on cruises ever since.

i'll be going on the QE2 this year aged 17, and was glad to note that it wont all be old people. also, i think a bright young thing like myself will bring out the youth in the older generation.:D

after all., you're only as young as you feel.

also, i suppose i can stop complaining about not meeting many people my age because it will only be my own fault if i don't get involved. a holiday is what you make it. oh and since i am a qualified latina dn ballroom dancer (woohoo) i will be getting those men dancing like no tomorrow in the ballroom classes! teehee.

You sound like a great deal of fun, and very outward looking. Wish I could be on your trip. I'd love to watch an energetic young woman doing ballroom and latin! (Would that I could!) I actually wathced TV this year the Dancing with Stars show- when I could remember to turn it on and go in the other room! I'm not used to remembering to watch the clock for what time something is on, and could never remember! So I missed more than half of it!<LOL>

 

Karie, who wishes she could dance like that!

[princess_cruz]

karie, you should find your nearest pair of dancing shoes and get samba-ing!

haha. am so glad you said that i'm fun, as i always thought ballroom dancing was for the older people (but its not, and it gives me a fine opportunit to looks drop dead grogeous! i have to admit when i first saw that QE2 does ballroom classes i LITERALLY jumped up and down like a madwoman cos i was desperate to show off my skills. haha. i'm not cocky, i promise you! just really excited!

[dak]

I'd love to watch an energetic young woman doing ballroom and latin!

 

 

Count me in for that pastime. Is there a charge? :D :eek:

 

David