finally did it - just booked QM T/A

[mezza]

:D After many months of thinking about finances, I've taken the plunge and booked the QM for an eastward crossing instead of flying :D and prior to a b2b British Isles on Princess. Haven't and will not be telling DH for a while! So just had to tell someone :) We were on QV in it's maiden year, so can't wait to be on the 'mother ship'. There is just something about Cunard !!!!

[jp2001]

Congratulations! You will enjoy QM2, I'm certain.

[cinta]

Well done!! You will love her. The 'Mother Ship' is so fitting, she is majestic.:D:D& a TA is fantastic!! Enjoy.:D

[safarigal]

:D After many months of thinking about finances, I've taken the plunge and booked the QM for an eastward crossing instead of flying :D and prior to a b2b British Isles on Princess. Haven't and will not be telling DH for a while! So just had to tell someone :) We were on QV in it's maiden year, so can't wait to be on the 'mother ship'. There is just something about Cunard !!!!

 

You are so right, there is just something about Cunard, and a crossing is extra special. Have you read Penny and Pepper's reviews of the QM2? They will have you even more excited about your trip!

 

Lesley

[mezza]

I talked to lots of people on the QV who were Cunard stalwarts, so have been hanging out for the QM and a T/A. I will read the review as suggested - I read everything I can. Can't wait for the new QE either. Life is definitely good :D

[jgsmuzzy]

Have fun. To sail Cunard is an addictive experience. More trips (but I hope not a website) are bound to follow.

 

You will have a great time, although the 23 hour days will leave you drained by day 4! Crosses we have to bear :p

[The Real PM]

That is my dream--for my entire life. I am just trying to figure a way to spend about a week or so in England which is my first dream and then sail back without going broke. I will figure I way, I promise.:)

[mezza]

OMG, I forgot about the time difference - must be better than the jet lag we normally have. As for England, yes we will spend a week there as cheaply as possible coz our exchange rate isn't even 50%!!!!

[Scottsdale_Will]

My wife and I just got back from SH a day ago after the most recent eastbound TA. It was decidedly "British," but we played the part and enjoyed it fully. I took fewer formal clothes for my honeymoon. :)

 

This was a strange but pleasurable departure for us for several reasons.

 

1. My first "travel date" with my then-GF was to the rim of the Grand Canyon, equipped with a tent and a portable stove. Our vacation habits grew more patrician over the years, and I imagine this was the apex of that growth. Trust me, Phoenix is not a city of attire--I can think of three restaurants with a dress code here. The formality and luxury...and a measured austerity, made for a great experience.

 

2. This was not my first Atlantic crossing: I've gone twice on a friend's yacht. But those were voyages as a mariner...we all knew sailing, navigation, boat management, distress, etc. This was a chance to sit back and let someone else worry about whether or not we were on course, and someone else cooked, and someone finally cleaned my berth. :D

 

3. I thought a great deal about my ancestors who came to New York (pre Ellis Island) from Ireland via Southampton: physically affected by the blight, emotionally scarred by the Protestant Ascendancy and the dispossession. Before we left NY, I asked the taxi to drive down the street where my great-great grandparents lived when they settled in America. It's obviously different now, but the whole idea of a TA really struck a nerve.

 

The QM2 and it's environs are first rate. True, I have nothing with which to compare, since this is our first cruise. Fortunately, it won't be the last, and the next will inevitably be on a Cunard Queen.

 

Sláinte, Will

[pepperrn]

Have you read Penny and Pepper's reviews of the QM2? They will have you even more excited about your trip! Lesley

 

Lesley

 

Many thanks for the mention of my review, very kind of you.

 

I've taken the plunge and booked the QM for an eastward crossing. There is just something about Cunard !!!!

 

mezza

 

I'm sure you'll have a great crossing. Bon Voyage. Tell us all about it when you return home. Have a fantastic holiday!

[patwell]

Lesley....I'll concur with Pepper and say my thanks too for being so kind to mention both of our reviews so often. Thank you.

 

And Mezza....you will love your crossing I hope. It's the best way to enjoy the grandeur of QM2...all those relaxing sea days and the choice to partake in all manner of things...or do nothing at all.

 

I crossed on the Tandem eastbound last fall and found the loss of the hour each day to work well til the next to the last evening...I crashed briefly. I blame it on too many late nights and early mornings!! However I arrived in the UK feeling rested and ready to go right away. I rather like that way to deal with jet lag!

 

Will...I completely understand what you mean about remembering our immigrant families on a crossing. Both of my parents were immigrants from Norway and Sweden....they were very much in my mind on last fall's crossing . It's hard not to think of the bravery it took to leave everything familiar behind, brave the unknown of the ocean and then a new land where they didn't even speak the language. In just over 30 days my husband and I will undertake a voyage of remembrance as we cross on QM2 first to Germany where his immigrant family originated and then on to Norway, a truly nostalgic return for me. We look forward to this trip as a personal way to honor their memory and somewhere in mid ocean, to say our thanks to them for their leap of faith that gave us such good lives.

 

Enjoy your anticipation mezza....

 

Cheers, Penny

 

Penny’s Affair to Remember QM2 Review

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=471053

 

November 10,2007...the “Affair” continued...did it ever!

 

October 16,2008...the “Affair” goes transatlantic as we sail in tandem with the grand QE2 on her final transatlantic voyage...what a thrill!

 

December 9, 2008....the “Affair” resumes again....Life is good!

 

July 30, 2009....transatlantic again...some “Affairs” just get better

 

August 7, 2009....the “Affair” goes on...this time “home” to Norway

[mezza]

Thats what I like about Cunard - lovely people - thanks guys for your friendly chatting and wishes