How is QM2
Dec 7, 2006 | 11:35 am
#2
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I havent taken the cruise yet but its on my short list.
And the lack of port calls is a positive IMO. I prefer cruising to being tied up at a dock. I like to cruise for the sake of cruising and not for sightseeing.
Maybe I need to buy a sailboat.
Dec 7, 2006 | 3:08 pm
#3
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this year, for my first cruise, i went on a seabourn 12 night transatlantic, with 1 very short stop 
i agree with cholula, i didnt want to be stopping all the time.
definitely agree on "cruising"
^
ive been sailing a few times, and out on a nice yacht once. i would LOVE to just do charters if i could afford them
i agree with cholula, i didnt want to be stopping all the time.
definitely agree on "cruising"
^ive been sailing a few times, and out on a nice yacht once. i would LOVE to just do charters if i could afford them
Last edited by Kagehitokiri; Dec 7, 2006 at 4:56 pm
Dec 8, 2006 | 2:25 am
#4
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Sacramento
Posts: 159
"Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks"
I share some of the concern of the original poster. Several years ago, we cruised from L.A. to Hawaii on the Celebrity Infinity when it was just a few weeks old. The ship was spectacular, there was plenty to do (or nothing to do, if you preferred), but we were more than ready to go ashore in Hawaii after just four full days at sea.
Based on that experience, we realized that longer ocean voyages are not our favorite cup of tea, at least at this point.
I know that some folks enjoy traveling on freighters (cargo ships) that are at sea for many days at a time. I might possibly enjoy that someday, but right now two or three days at sea at a time are more than sufficient.
Come to think of it, I was on a destroyer in the Navy when I was young and we were sometimes at sea for 10 or so days at a time. I remember the incredible monotony of standing watch four hours at a time, especially the midnight to 4 am shift. Never again! (smile)
Based on that experience, we realized that longer ocean voyages are not our favorite cup of tea, at least at this point.
I know that some folks enjoy traveling on freighters (cargo ships) that are at sea for many days at a time. I might possibly enjoy that someday, but right now two or three days at sea at a time are more than sufficient.
Come to think of it, I was on a destroyer in the Navy when I was young and we were sometimes at sea for 10 or so days at a time. I remember the incredible monotony of standing watch four hours at a time, especially the midnight to 4 am shift. Never again! (smile)
Dec 8, 2006 | 10:09 am
#5
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 527
Go to www.cruisecritic.com and check out the reviews. I never wanted to go transatlantic until I read all the things to do, etc. We are taking the QM2 on the 16th in the Caribbean so I'll see how I like it. I'm looking forward to the sea days - I enjoy them better than the ports lol!!!
Dec 9, 2006 | 9:50 pm
#6
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Princeton, MO/Tonopah, AZ
Posts: 687
On Cunard, the transatlantcs are CROSSINGS, not cruises. Cunard regulars will be sure to point this out to you onboard. So just giving you a heads up
Take your best clothes. Cunard is much more formal than most cruise lines. QE2 is even more formal than QM2. But either way, you won't see a lot of Levis or sloppy shorts/tank top outfits. And EVERYONE dresses for dinner. Formal night is truly a splendid event-90% men in tuxes and ladies in long, beaded gowns.
I will be on the QE2 again for another January crossing. Hopefully, we'll get to rock and roll across the Atlantic. Captain Rynd last year took the out of the way southern route and we missed all the weather. This year, we have Captain McNaught. He won't wimp out.
Enjoy the blessed sea days. Sheer heaven sitting on deck watching the world go by.
Take your best clothes. Cunard is much more formal than most cruise lines. QE2 is even more formal than QM2. But either way, you won't see a lot of Levis or sloppy shorts/tank top outfits. And EVERYONE dresses for dinner. Formal night is truly a splendid event-90% men in tuxes and ladies in long, beaded gowns.
I will be on the QE2 again for another January crossing. Hopefully, we'll get to rock and roll across the Atlantic. Captain Rynd last year took the out of the way southern route and we missed all the weather. This year, we have Captain McNaught. He won't wimp out.
Enjoy the blessed sea days. Sheer heaven sitting on deck watching the world go by.
Dec 10, 2006 | 3:42 am
#7
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I will be on the QE2 again for another January crossing. Hopefully, we'll get to rock and roll across the Atlantic. Captain Rynd last year took the out of the way southern route and we missed all the weather. This year, we have Captain McNaught. He won't wimp out.
>
In February 1995 the cruiser liner Queen Elizabeth II met a 29-meter (95 ft.) high rogue wave during a hurricane in the North Atlantic that Captain Ronald Warwick described as "a great wall of water… it looked as if we were going into the White Cliffs of Dover."
another good thing about cunard and seabourn, those captains know what theyre about ^
Dec 22, 2006 | 5:02 am
#8
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I recently saw a brochure advertising a cruise on the QM2 and it looked amazing. I am just getting started on my cruise adventures with my first cruise on the Grand Princess departing (or is there another term for ships?) Galveston on 1/13/2007.
QM2 is definitely on my radar of possibilities.
QM2 is definitely on my radar of possibilities.
Dec 22, 2006 | 9:03 pm
#9
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Midwest ;AA Plat 2.5 MM
Posts: 45
Mrs. Info and I took two of our grandchildren (8 and 5, both boys) on the QM2 in June, 2006. YMMV, but our impressions were uniform, and independently arrived at.
We've been on a boatload (sorry) of cruises in the Caribbean ,the Mediterranean, and in South America. None in Asia. Yet. I've been on the QE2at the Captain's Table on one Crossing, although I was alone on that trip.
Our impressions were that the ship was not nearly so formal nor the passengers well-dressed as we expected. The summer date of our sailing may have affected that, but it's hard to tell. Not that there were not well-dressed people aboard, but it was rather quite a bit less than we expected.
The library is extremely good. One could find enough to read there to read all the way across the Atlantic and barely dent the choices available. The shipboard entertainment is, in our opinion, mostly a cut above the level we found on other ships. The quality was not uniformly high, but the breadth of high-quality lectures and entertainers was pretty clearly better than almost any other ship that we had ever been on.
The food we thought was "OK." Frankly, it didn't suit us very well, but, again, YMMV. The young boys thought it was "great." But they are young and eat anything. I would have called it "fairly high quality mass cooking, but not that high." There are a few restaurants on board that require supplemental charges and I did not include those in my general evaluation in the prior sentence.
It's a big ship. That may be good or bad. To the OP, I'd say that the season makes a difference (summer was good weather generally) because you can get out on deck more consistently in good weather.
For any parent or grandparent reading this, the QM2 does an absolutely fabulous job taking care of children. They have a number of college-age men and women who do a delightful job of entertaining the younger set during morning and afternoon sessions at dedicated facilities in the stern area.
The "art" sales held on board are abominable. Totally commercial and directed at those who assume what is being sold has some taste associated with it. They would assume wrong.
The costs of Cunard-sponsored travel to London and elsewhere from Southampton can easily (very easily) be beaten. It's incredibly easy to simply get off the ship there (if you can carry all your luggage off in one trip) get a taxi and go to the rail station or coach station. And, by doing it yourself, you can get off at the very first opportunity that anyone has. The amount you pay for the "convenience" of having Cunard do the arranging for you is very substantial compared to doing it yourself.
As I said, it's a big ship. If you need to be diverted and entertained, there is plenty to do. But maybe not enough. We found it relaxing to take a nap, have choices at various times throughout the day and evening for entertainment but not be forced to do anything.
The internet connections are so horrendously expensive that I shudder at the memory. If you were thinking you'd entertain yourself via the internet on board, you'd be better off to just sit at home and continuously light dollar bills and watch them burn.
I appreciate that this is not a full review of the cruise, but the items mentioned above are the standout memories some six months later.
It is a very relaxing way to spend six days getting to Europe. If you have the time, a one-way Crossing is fun. I don't think I'd want to do it very often, though. The ratio of pleasure/fun to time is less than we like. But, again, YMMV.
We've been on a boatload (sorry) of cruises in the Caribbean ,the Mediterranean, and in South America. None in Asia. Yet. I've been on the QE2at the Captain's Table on one Crossing, although I was alone on that trip.
Our impressions were that the ship was not nearly so formal nor the passengers well-dressed as we expected. The summer date of our sailing may have affected that, but it's hard to tell. Not that there were not well-dressed people aboard, but it was rather quite a bit less than we expected.
The library is extremely good. One could find enough to read there to read all the way across the Atlantic and barely dent the choices available. The shipboard entertainment is, in our opinion, mostly a cut above the level we found on other ships. The quality was not uniformly high, but the breadth of high-quality lectures and entertainers was pretty clearly better than almost any other ship that we had ever been on.
The food we thought was "OK." Frankly, it didn't suit us very well, but, again, YMMV. The young boys thought it was "great." But they are young and eat anything. I would have called it "fairly high quality mass cooking, but not that high." There are a few restaurants on board that require supplemental charges and I did not include those in my general evaluation in the prior sentence.
It's a big ship. That may be good or bad. To the OP, I'd say that the season makes a difference (summer was good weather generally) because you can get out on deck more consistently in good weather.
For any parent or grandparent reading this, the QM2 does an absolutely fabulous job taking care of children. They have a number of college-age men and women who do a delightful job of entertaining the younger set during morning and afternoon sessions at dedicated facilities in the stern area.
The "art" sales held on board are abominable. Totally commercial and directed at those who assume what is being sold has some taste associated with it. They would assume wrong.
The costs of Cunard-sponsored travel to London and elsewhere from Southampton can easily (very easily) be beaten. It's incredibly easy to simply get off the ship there (if you can carry all your luggage off in one trip) get a taxi and go to the rail station or coach station. And, by doing it yourself, you can get off at the very first opportunity that anyone has. The amount you pay for the "convenience" of having Cunard do the arranging for you is very substantial compared to doing it yourself.
As I said, it's a big ship. If you need to be diverted and entertained, there is plenty to do. But maybe not enough. We found it relaxing to take a nap, have choices at various times throughout the day and evening for entertainment but not be forced to do anything.
The internet connections are so horrendously expensive that I shudder at the memory. If you were thinking you'd entertain yourself via the internet on board, you'd be better off to just sit at home and continuously light dollar bills and watch them burn.
I appreciate that this is not a full review of the cruise, but the items mentioned above are the standout memories some six months later.
It is a very relaxing way to spend six days getting to Europe. If you have the time, a one-way Crossing is fun. I don't think I'd want to do it very often, though. The ratio of pleasure/fun to time is less than we like. But, again, YMMV.
Dec 23, 2006 | 5:36 am
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
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of course what "grill" you book also makes a huge difference in the level of formality.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showp...0&postcount=28
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showp...78&postcount=5
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showp...0&postcount=28
Case in point-CEO of an East Coast company showed up in Princess Grill on QE2 with his entourage in January 2006 in his JEANS. First night he was allowed in (due to "luggage issue"). Second night (formal night)-was denied entrance and you should have heard the ruckus. They actually had to call security. Thank goodness, we never saw his party again.
n many crusie ships, I feel like I am attending a convention and every night is an orchestrated banquet with very subtle changes. You want the beef or the chicken? A Crossing however is the last vestage of a formal atmosphere that is dwindling away. In the three story Britannia dining room (where 90% of the pax will dine) there are specific dress codes published but not enforced .. formal night SHOULD be Tux and Gown .. while casual night is most anything except jeans and shorts. The Princess Grill and the Queens Grill are far MORE formal than that. Casual night will be suit and tie for men and women will dress much smarter. The Formal nights essentially require a tux and gown .. When the Queens for Caribbean or Mediteranian cruises this standard is relaxed a but .. but a Crossing is a more formal (and for me FUN) event.