My Stay in a Q1 and Q2 suite on QM2

[xxjs]

My younger brother made this video of our stay in the Balmoral and Windsor suites during the July 4th East Coast cruise on QM2. It's supposed to be a bit of a joke, so don't take him too seriously but its a good chance to get a peak inside these suites!

 

 

[CruiserTed]

Thank you for posting that very interesting video. You and your brother were certainly born at quite the fortunate time and place and to fortunate parents!:D

[Opera Buff]

Thank you XXJS for sharing the tour. I was also on the ship for that cruise and wondered what the suites were like! Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!

Mike

[flag fan]

Wow. Thanks for posting.

[PunkiC]

OK, so fess up. Did you actually pay for those suites?

 

I have a friend whose dad was a big wig in shipping. Every year they were comped a vacation on a Cundard ship and they were often given the fancy schmancy suites if they weren't already booked for revenue. That is the first thing I thought of when I saw your video. ;)

[BHR]

thanks for such an informative video.

 

as a newbie and not wishing to rock the boat- why do some people care if these guys got a suite comp/someone else paid for it/they paid for it??

 

The OP has added something really interesting and hey if it cost £20,000 or it was free, all i can say is thanks for sharing!

[PunkiC]

I don't really care if they paid for it or not, I am just really curious. If I were rich enough to book the Balmoral Suite for my hubby and me, I would still most likely put my kids in a nearby Q5 suite. I frequently fly in first and put my kids in coach, but in this case, I would want them to be able to eat dinner with us.

 

If I were mega, mega, super-rich, and booked luxury suites on a regular basis, my kids would be so used to them that wouldn't bother to take and post videos.

 

Of course, I am delighted that they did take and post the videos, fortunate young men that they are. :) The shots are very interesting and probably as close as I will ever get to the largest suite on the ship.

 

We did have our safety drill in the Queen's Grill. I was happy to have had the chance to check that out as well, but honestly prefer the elegant ambiance of the Brittania dining room. Our steerage suite was on Deck 4, so we would often walk down the stairs to Deck 3, and then walk down the curving stairwell to our table on Deck 2. It always made me feel so grand.

[xxjs]

The video is something that my brother has been doing for our family vacations since he was like 8, we just figured we'd post it on here as we had been reading cruise critic for the last few months leading up to the cruise. The suites weren't comped, but that doesn't mean that this kind of trip/those suites are something my parents would have on a regular basis, it was an extraordinary experience as is the entire QM2.

[Hammie]

An excellent video!

[producegirl]

I don't think that you have to justify if you paid, your parents paid, or it was free!!! You had a wonderful experienc and were kind enough to share with all of us! I truly appreciated it!!!

Thanks!

[TITISSA]

Maybe I can introduce your little brother to my daughter:D I'll chaperone next cruise;)

[GeorgeW]

You are lucky to have parents such as yours, and you must know that.

I enjoyed the video very very much and appreciate your posting it.

[PunkiC]

Hey folks, there is absolutely nothing demeaing about getting comped to the Balmoral and Windsor suites. While anybody off the street who is willing to part with 57 grand could simply book both suites today for the same cruise next year, Cunard is not going to hand out even one, let alone both suites, to Joe Schmo from Kokomo. They would have to have a very good reason to do so and that reason would include the status, fame, power, etc., attached to the person to whom the suites were comped. Getting them comped is a much bigger deal than paying for them.

 

The bennies go to those who need them the least. For example, my daughter is a pop singer who has, after struggling for years, recently started to make some money. The other day she said to me, "Why is it that when I was poor I had to pay for everything, and now that I have money, everybody wants to give me stuff for free?"

 

That's just the way of the world.

 

So, xxjs, what part of the cruise did you most enjoy? What was the best thing about living in the fancy suites?

[sw18]

Thanks for the great post guys - matter of fact & unpretentious.

 

I'm looking forward to the same understated QG elegance in October :)

[No534]

I've just looked at this post and can't tell you how fanatstic that video was! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did watching it.

 

I'm looking forward to our b2b in October with the QE2 in tandem, oh and enjoying the deck 7 muster station for the culinary experience!!!

 

Just one question....... what exactly does "comped" mean?

 

Nice one guys and keep up the good work!! :)

[lileague]

 

Just one question....... what exactly does "comped" mean?

 

Nice one guys and keep up the good work!! :)

 

 

Comped = compt= complimentary

 

You need to learn Typonese....as we all have/do..

 

Cheers,

Peg

[lileague]

Oh yeah, and I enjoyed the video so much. Dang the dollars decline in value. Will have to save, save, save now for that suite.

 

Peg

[xxjs]

Hey folks, there is absolutely nothing demeaing about getting comped to the Balmoral and Windsor suites. While anybody off the street who is willing to part with 57 grand could simply book both suites today for the same cruise next year, Cunard is not going to hand out even one, let alone both suites, to Joe Schmo from Kokomo. They would have to have a very good reason to do so and that reason would include the status, fame, power, etc., attached to the person to whom the suites were comped. Getting them comped is a much bigger deal than paying for them.

 

The bennies go to those who need them the least. For example, my daughter is a pop singer who has, after struggling for years, recently started to make some money. The other day she said to me, "Why is it that when I was poor I had to pay for everything, and now that I have money, everybody wants to give me stuff for free?"

 

That's just the way of the world.

 

So, xxjs, what part of the cruise did you most enjoy? What was the best thing about living in the fancy suites?[/quote]

 

 

Looking back on the trip, I think that although those suites were really over-the-top amazing, the rooms aren't necessarily the thing that I will remember the most. The ship really is enormous and I found that there was more than enough to do. I think that the Queens Grill was actually the most impressive aspect of the boat. I find it amazing that any restaurant, especially one on an ocean liner, could provide 5 or 6 excellent meals in without once falling short of expectation. However, I think my fondest of our cruise of the East Coast was having dinner served to us on our deck by the butler (Anil) while watching the 4th of July fireworks in Boston Harbor. The only complaint I can imagine anyone having about the Balmoral or other Q1 or Q2 suites is the lack of privacy on the balconies. We have stayed in the NCL Garden Villas as well as penthouses on Celebrity and although these rooms (on the QM2) were much, much nicer, I felt the decks were greatly under utilized not only due to the lack of privacy but to the fact that there was just no real design to them, they were just big open spaces that were visible not only to the people below on the pool deck but as well as to the people above on the QG Deck.

[lileague]

I don't read your question as demeaning or offending at all. Just shows how a few alphabets typed on this forum sets off emotions.

 

Hope we set sail together someday and you'll teach us a few dance moves...while we promise to stay in the middle of dance floor.... out of the real dancers way.:D

 

Cheers,

Peg

[xxjs]

O no I wasn't offended by the question at all. If anyone has any more questions about those rooms or anything else, i'm more than happy to answer!

[PunkiC]

If, for whatever reason, Cunard decides you are important enough to get freebies, "comped" means exactly what lileague said--complimentary. That is the best type of "comped".

 

There is one other definition. If they mess up big time, even for a peasant, they may decide to give up "compensatory" relief , such as upgrades, freebies, etc. That stuff is also referred to as "comped" stuff. That is very nice for us peasants who are unlikely to hit the high-life via any other avenue.

 

The same holds true for airlines, hotels, and all other hospitality venues. People with high status, or those who control big travel bucks, get all of the good bennies.

 

I think it is very sweet, xxjs, that your favorite memory of the trip is having dinner, presumably with your parents and brother, on the deck as you watched the fire works. I hope you have told them that.

 

Our favorite memories are dancing until the band shut down every night, having coffee, tea, and juice, delivered to our bed at 8:30 am, drinking it and then snuggling back down and sleeping in until about 10:00, when we finally got up and decided to have brunch.

 

We were absolutely certain that we had way more fun than anyone else on the ship, but hey, if anyone else thinks they had more fun than we, Congratulations!!! If we are all certain that we had the most fun, even those of us in steerage, we are all winners. :D

[TITISSA]

Looking back on the trip, I think that although those suites were really over-the-top amazing, the rooms aren't necessarily the thing that I will remember the most. The ship really is enormous and I found that there was more than enough to do. I think that the Queens Grill was actually the most impressive aspect of the boat. I find it amazing that any restaurant, especially one on an ocean liner, could provide 5 or 6 excellent meals in without once falling short of expectation. However, I think my fondest of our cruise of the East Coast was having dinner served to us on our deck by the butler (Anil) while watching the 4th of July fireworks in Boston Harbor. The only complaint I can imagine anyone having about the Balmoral or other Q1 or Q2 suites is the lack of privacy on the balconies. We have stayed in the NCL Garden Villas as well as penthouses on Celebrity and although these rooms (on the QM2) were much, much nicer, I felt the decks were greatly under utilized not only due to the lack of privacy but to the fact that there was just no real design to them, they were just big open spaces that were visible not only to the people below on the pool deck but as well as to the people above on the QG Deck.

 

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We have also stayed at NCL Garden Villa and Celebrity Century Penthouse. Both times the deck area was so fantastic that we barely left the cabin. While at the Norwegian Pearl I think we only left the room to go bowling and watch the shows. With access to a private pool (courtyard) and a hot tub big enough for 8 people comfortably, it was difficult to leave the Garden Villa. My daughters invited some friends they made on the cruise over and once there were 16 teenagers on the 2 story-terrace. While on the Century we were celebrating my 50th birthday and my butler was pampering me so much I just stayed in my gorgeous room and enjoyed being spoiled. We were on the QM2 also for the 4th of July (a few years ago). We noticed that the big suites Q1 & Q2 had no privacy at all on the deck. It would not bother my husband at all, but I enjoy being on my verandah with privacy. But, if I had the money I would book Balmoral and Windsor in a flash and would invite whoever was staring at me to come up and enjoy it.:)

[PunkiC]

Next time I am on the QM2, I will stare and even wave at whoever is on the balcony of the Balmoral Suite. Of course, TITISSA, I will be hoping that it is you and that you will invite me up for a martini. ;)

 

On the 4th of July cruise we never notice xxjs or any of his family on the deck, or we would have waved at them too. :D

[quepaquete]

However, I think my fondest of our cruise of the East Coast was having dinner served to us on our deck by the butler (Anil) while watching the 4th of July fireworks in Boston Harbor.

 

xxjs

First of al, thank you for sharing this video. You also answered a question that I had about watching fireworks in Boston on the 4th. I've been considering next years cruise, and that would be something to consider. Again, thank you for sharing.:)

[lileague]

Next time I am on the QM2, I will stare and even wave at whoever is on the balcony of the Balmoral Suite. Of course, TITISSA, I will be hoping that it is you and that you will invite me up for a martini. ;)

 

On the 4th of July cruise we never notice xxjs or any of his family on the deck, or we would have waved at them too. :D

 

 

I'm w/you on that PunkiC ! On my Aug 13th 08 crossing I'm going to be Staring, waving and yelling " hey, is your name TITISSA?" at the Balmoral Suite Balcony.

 

Peg