Families on QM2

[paul1959]

We have booked two staterooms on the Queen Mary 2 for March 10 - NYC. We are well aware that the QM2 is not a typical cruise ship and that is exactly what we wished to avoid.

 

We have a 14 yr old boy and 7 yr old girl - both happy, well adjusted kids! We are quite confident that they will have a good time, but it's always nice if there are other youth on board. On a cruise like this, how many minors are there usually on board? This is boarding school and private school spring break, so we are hoping there will be at least a few children their age.

 

One of the services which appealed to us is the luxurious child care after dinner so that adults may enjoy the evening activities on board.

 

Thanks

Paul

[SeaFlint]

Our kids are 10 and 7 and have been on often enough to earn their plantinum pins. They LOVE it.

 

Kid qty can range from 48 (our Jan 3 trip) to 180 (last summer's crossing). This fluctuation is nearly transparent since QM2 staffs accordingly AND splits the kids according to age and number of kids per age group.

 

The ship is VERY safe. Our son walks around alone and we have a friend who also let his son wander around alone. I have only seen a "teen gang" once and they were "up to no good" at the ping pong table. ;)

 

There is a lot for kids to do, in general. But the ship appeals even more to the "well-adjusted" kid, especially if he or she has been raised on something other than TV. More than that, the ship is so big and so neat and so safe that it is a wonderful place for them to explore. Kids LOVE that.

 

As far as getting to know other kids... Well, our kids have made friends with some of the other kids but then I have also noticed that there is so much to do and (again) the ship is so big that our kids sometimes don't have the opportunity to go off with other kids too often. Still, it is fun to see them wave to each other ro hear them call each others' names.

 

Two things our kids love that yours might - The Pavillion Pool (hardly EVER anyone there after dinner) and the soft-serve, self-serve ice cream.

 

Enjoy!

 

P.S. Are your staterooms adjoining? Actually, Cunard says they must be. So, assuming they are, I think you'll like this arrangement. Not only can you open or close the door between the cabins, but you can open the door between the balconies to make a good-sized living area for the duration of the trip.

 

We have booked two staterooms on the Queen Mary 2 for March 10 - NYC. We are well aware that the QM2 is not a typical cruise ship and that is exactly what we wished to avoid.

 

We have a 14 yr old boy and 7 yr old girl - both happy, well adjusted kids! We are quite confident that they will have a good time, but it's always nice if there are other youth on board. On a cruise like this, how many minors are there usually on board? This is boarding school and private school spring break, so we are hoping there will be at least a few children their age.

 

One of the services which appealed to us is the luxurious child care after dinner so that adults may enjoy the evening activities on board.

 

Thanks

Paul

[rebeccalouise]

The 7 year old will probably be very involved with the youth program- whereas the 14 year old will probably do his own thing.

 

It will be a wonderful cruise.

 

I did a TA in August 2007 with my then 6 year old and we have booked two more Feb.15th (next week) and March 20th of this year.

 

QM2 is truly a one of a kind ship. I've sailed 22 other ships and none are like her.

[scottjeanne]

Rebeccalouise, are you on the President's Day cruise? There is a roll call for that cruise with over 25 cruisers. We are meeting after muster for a meet and greet. Please join us.

 

I have a now 15 year old daughter who has sailed many times with Cunard. She has had the run of the ship, so to speak, since she has been 10. It is very safe. The other posters are correct that there is alot to do.

 

One point about children, especially teenagers is the formality at dinner. If they are to eat in the main dining room rather than the Lido, they will need dress up clothes. My daughter loves this, but I am not sure that is true of most young adults, especially boys.

 

Have them try to meet some of their peers early on in the cruise. Cruises are short and they do not have alot of time to discover new friends. That way they can hang out with friends or not, but they cannot do so if they do not get to meet anyone.

 

Have a great time.

[paul1959]

Thanks for the great tips. Our kids will only dine a few nights in the main dining room. Our son is used to coat and tie since he wears them everyday for school. I have accumulated several dinner jackets over the years and hope to squeeze him into one - he is 6'2" at 14 - taller than i am. Our 7 yr old daughter has no interest at all, at this point, in getting dressed up.

 

Love the idea of the pool after dinner for the teens.

 

it's a ten night cruise, so we're hoping there is time, especially on those days at sea, for kids to meet.

 

Again, thanks for the help

Paul

[hods93]

Hi Paul1959, we are on the Presidents Day cruise. We are taking our 14 year old son and 7 year old daughter. I will let you know how they make out. It may be a struggle for the 7 year old to "dress up":eek:.

[flycruisers]

Hi Lee Anne,

 

Just following up on your President's Day cruise and how your son liked it. We're sailing back from Southampton to NYC on the August 13 QM2 cruise with our 14-year old son. He's well 'cruised' with 13 cruises since he was 7 but mainly on Royal Caribbean & Disney. He's aware of the formality but I'm hoping that there will be other kids his age to hang with.

 

Thanks!

 

Susan

[paul1959]

WOW! This is an old post!

 

But glad you found it. Your son will love it. There is an attitude on the QM2 which is very family friendly. And the families we met were great.

 

There were about 12 teens in the 14-16 age range and our son met them on the first morning. They were spectacular kids and the kind you are thrilled your kid is hanging around with. The parents had similar views of kis on board - something along the lines of "You'd better behave or you're dead." The kids had a great time. We got reports from other passengers and the staff of how great the kids were and we let them know that the whole ship was watching them!

 

Our son did a few of the formal nights - all the teens did and almost all the Britannia dinners. The last night they all sat together at dinner. If they did not do the formal nights, they did King's Court and hung out in the Pavillion Pool - a virtual ghost town at night. The ship does not have the curfew for teens that other ships have. The kids hung out in King's Court until late and just talked.

 

Our son still IM's all those kids and they even have WEbcams and have get-togethers on line.

 

he'll love it.

Paul

[flycruisers]

Thanks for the feedback, Paul! It puts me at ease that other kids his age will most likely be on board. When we sailed the Brilliance in 2005 (Ian was 11 then) he met five other boys the exact same age from the US and the UK and they all got on famously. Hasn't been the same since but that's how the chips fall. He's well versed in ship etiquette (and on land too! :D ) so we'll hope for a great group of kids like you had. Thanks again!

 

Susan

[Cortesefam]

paul1959: Thanks for your additional comments. I had read your earlier report from your cruise--sounds like you have great kids and a great attitude.

 

flycruisers: We're taking the same crossing from Southampton on August 13th with our son (12) and daughter (15). They're very excited about the trip--they love days at sea. We will have spent 11 days in Paris and London, so figure the crossing will provide recovery before the school year starts.

 

In the "coincidence" category, we were also on the Brilliance in the Med in 2005!

[flycruisers]

Hi Cortesefam,

 

Nice to hear you'll be on the QM2 as well. I'm sure our kids will meet! We'll be spending about two weeks in England and Scotland prior to sailing home. My oldest stepdaughter is getting married (they live north of Yorkshire, my husband is British) on August 9th so we're combining a long vacation around the country with the wedding.

 

Where do you live? We're in Colorado where it's been a little too chilly and windy lately! The thought of summer is quite enticing right now!

[Cortesefam]

flycruisers: We live in Maryland, just outside of Washington, DC.

 

Sounds like a great family vacation for you as well!

 

Have you sailed on Cunard previously? We're about to tackle the formal attire issue for our two kids--our daughter looks forward to dress shopping and the formal nights while our son is easy--he'll go with the program. The biggest challenge will be sorting out what we want to bring as luggage while we're touring versus the option of shipping a bag or two to the QM2.

 

We plan to fly to Paris first, then take the Eurostar to London--none of us have experienced the "Chunnel". After sampling the Med in 2005, everyone thought it would be fun this year to experience two of the "great cities", rather than make a series of one day stops on another cruise--Paris and London were the consensus choices.

 

Still more planning to do, but we're getting close on all our logistics.

 

Happy vacation planning!

[flycruisers]

We sailed the QE2 in 1992. It was the quincentennial celebration cruise (1492-1992) to Bermuda.....five day cruise, took three days to get there and two back, spent 8 hours in Bermuda. :cool: Our friend talked us into it and truthfully, it wasn't my favorite. The ship was old and not a whole lot of fun. The last day was great, we had Marvin Hamlisch come on board to perform and the tall ships were in the harbour for July 4th with fireworks. I'm looking foward to the QM2 though.

 

Like you, I'm in the throes of planning our trip....... around England up to Scotland with the wedding inbetween then down to Southampton. I'm almost there but am looking for a castle to stay in around Edinburgh.

 

London and Paris combined will be a great trip for you! Don't know if you're aware but the Louvre is closed on Tuesdays. Last year, on our back-to-back, we stopped in Le Havre and went into Paris. I've been before but my son hadn't. Of all days, it was a Tuesday. But it was actually better to do other things, boat tour on the Seine, lunch on the Champs Elysess, etc.

 

Have great week! :)

[hods93]

Hi Lee Anne,

 

Just following up on your President's Day cruise and how your son liked it. We're sailing back from Southampton to NYC on the August 13 QM2 cruise with our 14-year old son. He's well 'cruised' with 13 cruises since he was 7 but mainly on Royal Caribbean & Disney. He's aware of the formality but I'm hoping that there will be other kids his age to hang with.

 

Thanks!

 

Susan

 

 

Susan, my son had a really good time - as did our 7 year old daughter. We were on the Presidents Day cruise so there were a lot of kids onboard. My son knew going into this that this was unlike other cruises he had been on. The majority were on NCL and Carnival. He made good use of the driving range cage but did miss the typical kids stuff like the arcade. That being said, he would probably say it was good but not the best cruise he has been on.

 

He really enjoyed the formal night with his tux on and he did not put up a fuss about wearing a jacket each night.

 

All in all, he had fun. Your son will do fine as long as he knows ahead of time this is very different from RCCL and the like. It was an experience I am glad my children had.

 

Any questions, let me know.

[PersistenzaretiniKa]

if they are 13 it's ok but if they are 15 ore more it's unfair and unthinkable...

[flycruisers]

Thanks Lee Anne,

 

I have a strong feeling that my son will have the same reaction as yours......no arcade, etc. I'm hoping he'll like to wear a tux, will be a first! It's all for the experience and maturation ;) .....then back to RCCL and other cruise lines.

 

Have a great summer!

[lileague]

Hi Cortesefam,

 

Nice to hear you'll be on the QM2 as well. I'm sure our kids will meet! We'll be spending about two weeks in England and Scotland prior to sailing home. My oldest stepdaughter is getting married (they live north of Yorkshire, my husband is British) on August 9th so we're combining a long vacation around the country with the wedding.

 

Where do you live? We're in Colorado where it's been a little too chilly and windy lately! The thought of summer is quite enticing right now!

 

Hi Susan,

 

Cortesfam started a roll call for the August 13th TA crossing. We have about 16 CC Cunarders so far and hope to get 25 + total so Cunard will schedule a No Host get together so we can all meet early in the voyage.

 

If that sounds fun to you and your family please join us.

 

Oh BTW, I'm flying over from USA in late July to meet up w/ my fiance from Wales and traveling around the UK. AND we're going to a family wedding also on August 9th. What a coincidence.

 

Cheers,

Peggy

[flycruisers]

Peggy!!

 

Thanks for letting me know about the roll call. I haven't gotten any other posts recently so I thought there wasn't any activity. I see I've missed quite a few. Absolutely, add us to the mix! And thanks, Cortesefam for starting the list. Hopefully we can make the 25 and have the get together sponsored by Cunard. If not, we'll do it anyway!

 

Susan

Pete

Ian (14 years old)

Cabin # 5246

 

We're leaving next Monday or Tuesday (depends on the flights since we fly standby as airline employees). Looking forward to meeting everyone and having a wonderful time! :D

[lileague]

Peggy!!

 

Thanks for letting me know about the roll call. I haven't gotten any other posts recently so I thought there wasn't any activity. I see I've missed quite a few. Absolutely, add us to the mix! And thanks, Cortesefam for starting the list. Hopefully we can make the 25 and have the get together sponsored by Cunard. If not, we'll do it anyway!

 

Susan

Pete

Ian (14 years old)

Cabin # 5246

 

We're leaving next Monday or Tuesday (depends on the flights since we fly standby as airline employees). Looking forward to meeting everyone and having a wonderful time!

 

Hi Susan,

 

If you go over to the "ROLL CALL" forum and post at the "August 13th" thread you will see all of us so far on your voyage. Looks like a couple others have teenagers close to your Ian's age.

 

I'm flying to Dublin tomorrow from San Francisco to start my journey.:D

 

Oh Susan, before I forget....Happy birthday tomorrow July 22nd!!!!

 

Peggy

[flycruisers]

Peggy,

 

I just signed up on the Roll Call.

 

Have a great trip out tomorrow. See you in a few weeks.

 

And....thanks for the birthday greeting! You are quite astute!

 

See everyone soon!