first time cruiser QM2 - any help appreciated

[sgmn]

Hi - have read these posts with interest and learnt a lot. We (hubby, two kids age 17 and 15 and me) are on the Eastbound crossing QM2 18th July. Just a couple of questions to begin with......:)

 

Hubby is looking forward to seeing the stars. Where is the best place to view and does QM2 cause any light pollution ?

 

Will there be many kids same age as mine and would the teen club be too young for the 17 year old (both boys)? Anyone else had any experiance of this?

 

Anybody joined in any of the art classes - are they any good and how much do you have to pay for equipment

 

Are kids expected to dress up. We have just bought the youngest his first suit and boy does he look the business.

 

Thanks for any help you can give me

 

Sue

[exlondoner]

My impression is that lots of kids do dress up and seem to enjoy it greatly, but this is an outsider's view as I am not a parent.

 

I suspect the QM2 does generate quite a lot of light pollution, but not compared with street lights, say. Have a great time.

[carlmm]

Hubby is looking forward to seeing the stars. Where is the best place to view and does QM2 cause any light pollution ?

 

The higher the better which would be deck 13. Of course light is emitted by the Queen Mary 2 but the view is much better than anywhere on land.

 

Will there be many kids same age as mine and would the teen club be too young for the 17 year old (both boys)?

 

From reading reviews and talking to passengers on board there normally seem to be fair numbers of children of all ages on board. Some older teens enjoy the club while some prefer to take part in the normal activities and/or to spent the time with newly made friends.

 

Are kids expected to dress up. We have just bought the youngest his first suit and boy does he look the business.

Yes, the dress code applies to kids, too. It is alway a pleasure to see them around.

 

Congratulations to the great family experience you are going to enjoy!

[sailsalot]

Hi Sue,

 

To answer your question about the art class, my sister and I took one a few years ago on a crossing on QE2. They charged somewhere between $25-$35 (I can't remember), but the fee lasted the whole trip, so you could take more than one class and not have to pay again. I thought it was really fun. Not being creative or talented in any kind of painting, I enjoyed giving it a try and even framed one of my creations. It's definitely a conversation-starter in that room!

One tip--get there early. You'd be surprised how fast those chairs fill up.

[travel-to-go]

I imagine the forward decks would be good for star-gazing,. It has been mentioned that the Commodore Club (forward 10 deck) keeps the shades down at night, as the glare distracts the bridge crew above.

 

We have done astronomy courses on HAL with one of the navigation officers. (yes they are still required to keep current with their sextant!)

 

 

I would love to see Cunard add this to their programs. (Especially since they have the only planetarium afloat!)

 

Karie,

looking forward to her October cruise in the Caribbean.

[ctguy001]

Top deck forward is quite dark at night so it's probably your best bet for star gazing. Also, the area near the kennels is open and practically unlit.

 

On my cruise in the Caribbean, they were charging $40 for the watercolor class. All materials were included and, though I didn't take part, I did chat with the gal who was teaching the class and she seemed to be very qualified. Looked like they had some nice projects going.

 

We only had a few families with children on board, but the kids were very well dressed on the formal nights. Informal nights in the islands were just casual. Very few of the men wore jackets even when the programme suggested it. Transatlantic will be dressier.

 

Have a great crossing - she's a fantastic ship. Make sure the boys take the time to find Homer Simpson in the faux bronze murals off the main lobby.

[Kindlychap]

Hi Sue,

 

To answer your question about the art class, my sister and I took one a few years ago on a crossing on QE2. They charged somewhere between $25-$35 (I can't remember), but the fee lasted the whole trip, so you could take more than one class and not have to pay again. I thought it was really fun. Not being creative or talented in any kind of painting, I enjoyed giving it a try and even framed one of my creations. It's definitely a conversation-starter in that room!

One tip--get there early. You'd be surprised how fast those chairs fill up.

 

 

QE2 has a dreadful position for it. It is a direct choice between plenty of room or plenty of light. The light won.

 

Whether QM2 has solved this I cannot comment, having not been to one of these classes on either ship.

 

The information on QE2 was overheard.

 

Matthew