Going to try Cunard

Hi All-

We've booked the QM2 on 01-03-16 Eastbound TA. I've already posted some questions on the Cunard board but was wondering if any of the HAL posters have any advice for a Cunard ship jumper.

My 2 biggest concerns are laundry and formal nights, actually my wife is more concerned about formal nights than me. Do they really have an inspection before you are allowed out of your cabin on formal night? (just kidding). We are in a Princess Grill Suite but I don't think it includes laundry so what should I expect since it is such a clothing required line even have to wear a jacket and slacks on "informal" night.

Thanks we haven't given up on HAL by any means but there is more than one cruise line on the high seas, and the TA on the QM2 should be on every cruisers bucket list.

Thanks,

Paul

Cunard is very serious about their formal nights. You are expected to wear formal attire in the public areas after 6pm. Even on less formal nights, men are expected to wear a jacket in the dining room. We've never sailed in the Grills, but I do know that the self service laundry is free and they provide detergent. EM

Have you posted to the 1/3 roll call yet. I hope to meet you on board. Self service laundry is free on all Cunard ships. Formal nights are quite celebrated on Cunard. The Kings Court buffet is casual, but you don't want to do that if you are booked in Grills. Do be sure to checkout the afternoon tea (I think there are teas in the Grills Lounge (not sure, never sailed in Grill) and the tea in the fabulous spectacular as well. I'd recommend going to tea in both places the first 2 days and then decide which you prefer.

While the weather may be an issue (for being outside, QM2 is an incredibly seaworthy ship) you should have a fabulous time.

Roy

Cunard is very serious about their formal nights. You are expected to wear formal attire in the public areas after 6pm. Even on less formal nights, men are expected to wear a jacket in the dining room. We've never sailed in the Grills, but I do know that the self service laundry is free and they provide detergent. EM

Absolutely formal attire is very serious! Laundry was wonderful, but been there done that and I enjoy the lower key formal nites on HAL!

Cunard is a wonderful cruise line!!!

Enjoy your cruise!

Denise 😄

Hi All-

 

We've booked the QM2 on 01-03-16 Eastbound TA. I've already posted some questions on the Cunard board but was wondering if any of the HAL posters have any advice for a Cunard ship jumper.

 

My 2 biggest concerns are laundry and formal nights, actually my wife is more concerned about formal nights than me. Do they really have an inspection before you are allowed out of your cabin on formal night? (just kidding). We are in a Princess Grill Suite but I don't think it includes laundry so what should I expect since it is such a clothing required line even have to wear a jacket and slacks on "informal" night.

 

Thanks we haven't given up on HAL by any means but there is more than one cruise line on the high seas, and the TA on the QM2 should be on every cruisers bucket list.

 

Thanks,

 

Paul

Welcome to your new home! Know this will be the first if many :D

On our TA on the QM2 we intersected a hurricane coming up the middle of the Atlantic. The Captain made evasive route changes and the storm veered in a helpful direction. :) so it could have been worse. (The Captain even came on the speaker to jokingly apologize to those passengers looking forward to a thrill ride :D ) The seas were rough but the Cunard ships are built for TA type conditions rather than protected Caribbean type conditions - thus the QM2 managed the storm well and the ride was much smoother than we expected.

I don't know if they still do it ... but on a couple of days the Afternoon Tea (held in the ballroom) was a Tea Dance with an orchestra playing live. The teas were some of our most enjoyable experiences on the trip.

These days my DH does not take his tux on our cruises but he definitely wore it on QM2 and was in the majority. We were in the MDR - He wore a sport coat with button-down collar shirts the other nights. I can't remember for sure but I believe he at least started with a tie those nights.

You're going to LOVE the QM2 !!!!

To all of you who have been on the QM2 and love it, please elaborate. Why did you love it? The class system sort of bothers me. Do you have to stay in your part of the ship?

To all of you who have been on the QM2 and love it, please elaborate. Why did you love it? The class system sort of bothers me. Do you have to stay in your part of the ship?

Cunard has less of a 'ship within a ship' isolation than some other lines [e.g. MSC Yacht Club, or 'The Haven']

Folks paying the big bucks for Grill accommodations get:

- 'Queens' or 'Princess' Grill, single seating dining, with expanded menu [lots of off menu options & special requests, including the whole shebang available as a room service option]

- On QM2, an aft deck section with a hot tub

- One of the ships lounges

- a concierge

All the other public areas are open to all guests. It is my understanding that QV & QE have better placement for the Grill exclusive areas, but still only a small part of the ship's pubic spaces]

Outside of the grill areas [e.g. library, Queens Room, theatre, spa...] there is nothing set apart for Grill guests.

Bring the tuxes and gowns, especially in Princess Grill. I sailed in Princess Grill on the Queen Elizabeth in 2012. About 90% of the men were in tuxedos on formal nights, and 85% of the ladies were in full length gowns. The rest wore dark suits or cocktail dresses and were constantly lamenting the fact that they didn't bring the formalwear.

Outside of the Grills area, everyone is dressed up after 6pm on formal nights. There are signs reminding people to be dressed up if in public areas after 6pm, although the Lido was somewhat exempted. More suits and cocktail dresses than in the Grills. Many women wore those fascinator hats lol.

I really enjoyed the dressing up, I even bought my first tux for that cruise. They do have a dress and tux rental service. Don't go thinking it is like HAL formal nights! Enjoy

PS send the laundry out. Yes it costs more, but we learned that it was a real drag doing laundry ourselves and vowed to never do it again. Do you really want to stand in the tiny laundry room for 90+ minutes each time to do your laundry? You can't leave because someone will immediately take your laundry out and dump it to the side!

The QM2 is a unique vessel (they will insist you call it a "Liner" rather then a ship). Since crossings are usually no more then a week (we did crossings in 6 days) most folks do not get concerned with laundry. But you can certainly send things out to be laundered.

As to formal nights, when they say "Formal" on Cunard they really mean it! On our 6 nigh crossing 3 nights were Formal, 2 Semi Formal and only the last night smart casual. On Cunard Formal means a Tux or suit and tie. Expect to be turned away from the dining room if you do not have on a jacket and tie. And the dress code continues after dinner for activities in the Ballroom. On the Semi-formal nights they expect men to be in a jacket and tie (no Tux or suit necessary) which for many will be a blazer. On the Smart Casual night they recommended that men wear a jacket...but no tie necessary.

Hank

Thanks Everyone for your replies. Jeez I want to loose some wait before I buy a tux. I've already rented one from the Men's Warehouse for a wedding party and they only let you rent one once in your life, the 2nd time you have to buy.

Roy- I will join the 01/03 roll call now.

-Paul

We divide our cruising time between Cunard, HAL, and Celebrity.

Other than the formal dress code, you will find that they are more similar than different. So if you enjoy HAL you should also be comfortable with Cunard. QM2 is a unique and magnificent ship not to be missed.

To all of you who have been on the QM2 and love it, please elaborate. Why did you love it? The class system sort of bothers me. Do you have to stay in your part of the ship?

I did a crossing ( 7 nights ) in 2011. First and last night were elegantly casual, 4 formal nights and 1 semi-formal. There were 2 balls with a live orchestra for ballroom dancing. There were also gentlemen hosts for the single ladies to dance with.

At embarkation, there was a bottle of sparkling wine in an ice bucket in the cabin. This was from Cunard.

I loved the " classic elegance" and all the British pomp and circumstance that went with it.

I forgot to mention afternoon tea, with white glove service and music playing while being served scones, clotted cream and jam

About two years ago Cunard simplified the dress codes to formal and informal. As has been pointed out, informal means "jacket required, tie optional." I have had several crossings - and just one cruise - on Cunard. On the much-loved Queen Elizabeth2 there was no such thing as "tie optional" at dinner. It was jacket and tie or formal on every night, including the first and last. When the Queen Mary 2 was introduced in 2004, the dress code was relaxed - but not for the QE2 which sailed on until 2008.

From my experience about a third of gents will wear a tie at dinner even when not required. Dinner jackets (or tuxedos if you prefer that term:)) are worn by a half to two-thirds of the men in the main dining room (Britannia) and about 90% in the Princess and Queen's Grill restaurants.

The Grills are fantastic. In addition to the menu of the day, on most nights there is an extensive à la carte menu which offers several flambé items. The Grills are one sitting (not open sitting as some people call it) meaning seating is assigned for all meals but dining time is flexible, such as 6:30 to 9:00 at dinner.

Cunard does not normally offer "upsells"; instead they often give generous upgrades. I have had a few. My first time in Princess Grill was an upgrade. On our next two crossings we booked Princess and got an upgrade to Queens both times. Alas, now that we have reached Platinum level in their club, we have not received any upgrades. The word is that new passengers have a better chance of an upgrade than the regulars. I have met many passengers who can attest to that. Good luck to the OP.

I am looking forward to my first HAL Neptune suite in a few days and I will not be comparing it to Cunard's Grills because our fare is quite a bit less. But a different HAL cruise we first looked at was charging the same - and even more on some dates - as Cunard is charging for Princess and even Queen's Grill. So there is no way we would pay more for less.

We spent 24 nights on the QM2 several years ago. Seventeen of the nights were FORMAL...that means tux, evening gowns etc. We were in a cove balcony on deck 4 I think....certainly not the Grills. By the end of the cruise we were hiding in our cabin having grill cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. My DH refuses to ever sail Cunard again because of the excessive formal nights. We loved everything about the ship except for the dress code. There is no where to hide on formal nights. My DH has the tux, shirts, shoes etc but 17 formal nights is too much for us.

Loved the QM2 when I was on a few years ago (Southampton -Norwegian Fjords). The ship definitely has the "wow factor" : the quality of the interior decoration is breathtaking and some of the public rooms are incomparable to anything else afloat. We were in Princess Grill level and loved it.

Service was excellent...attentive and professional.

Haven't had a chance to go back but hope to someday; usually on HAL or Crystal. But Cunard is surely in the mix.

Have a GREAT TIME !!

We spent 24 nights on the QM2 several years ago. Seventeen of the nights were FORMAL...that means tux, evening gowns etc. We were in a cove balcony on deck 4 I think....certainly not the Grills. By the end of the cruise we were hiding in our cabin having grill cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. My DH refuses to ever sail Cunard again because of the excessive formal nights. We loved everything about the ship except for the dress code. There is no where to hide on formal nights. My DH has the tux, shirts, shoes etc but 17 formal nights is too much for us.

There is no way at this time that there would be 17 formal nights out of 24. On a seven-night Atlantic crossing or one-week cruise there are three. A port-intensive cruise might not have three per week. As far as there being nowhere to hide on formal nights, there is no dress code for the lido (Kings Court on QM2) and at least one lounge is set aside for those who don't wish to dress formally. Also, as on all ships, "formal" doesn't mean formal in the strict sense. A suit and tie meets the code for men and not all women where gowns. Cocktail dresses or dressy pant suits are quite acceptable.

The majority of Cunard passengers are attracted by this tradition. When Cunard reduced the number of formal nights on the Atlantic crossings from four to three there were quite a few complaints about "dumbing down." They promised not to dumb down any further. The dress code is no secret; the information is widely available. There are plenty of cruise lines which have a different style. Thankfully, there is something for everyone.

Usually, Kanga...you can rent tuxes ahead on the ships. My husband has rented the ones offered on HAL and I'm sure the same agency rents on all the other ships. It was quite adequate for what it was and allowed him to leave all the "stuff" at home which would have meant more suitcases.

According to the Cunard website we will have 4 formal nights on M602 and 3 informal nights. There will be one Black & White Ball and one Royal Ascot Ball. So my plan is to where the tux on the Ball nights and a suit on the other 2 formal nights.

-Paul

There is no way at this time that there would be 17 formal nights out of 24. On a seven-night Atlantic crossing or one-week cruise there are three. A port-intensive cruise might not have three per week. As far as there being nowhere to hide on formal nights, there is no dress code for the lido (Kings Court on QM2) and at least one lounge is set aside for those who don't wish to dress formally. Also, as on all ships, "formal" doesn't mean formal in the strict sense. A suit and tie meets the code for men and not all women where gowns. Cocktail dresses or dressy pant suits are quite acceptable.

 

The majority of Cunard passengers are attracted by this tradition. When Cunard reduced the number of formal nights on the Atlantic crossings from four to three there were quite a few complaints about "dumbing down." They promised not to dumb down any further. The dress code is no secret; the information is widely available. There are plenty of cruise lines which have a different style. Thankfully, there is something for everyone.

The QM2 cruise was a 3 segment cruise. NYC to Southhampton, Rt Southampton to North Cape, and Southampton to NYC. We were in the same cabin for 24 nights, so it was a 24 night cruise for us. There were 17 formal nights!! The formal night that had us hiding in our cabin was the one after we had spent the day climbing a glacier in Norway. We were not in the mood for the formal dinner. We opened a bottle of aspirin and ordered room service.. We only visited the Kings Court for lunch. We never eat at cafeterias at home.

Don't know how DH would have felt with just a transatlantic. Probably would not have had a problem with formal attire since they are all sea days..it is not fun to spend all day in port and then put on the tux for dinner. There is not much difference for my DH to wear a coat and tie or a tux. His preferred "uniform" when cruising is a navy blue sport coat, white shirt and grey slacks...no tie.

We spent the last 35+ years attending numerous black tie functions so like a break when we cruise.

AHOY SHIPMATES,

WHEN PACKING be sure to include an INHALER for each person in your party. you will find their ships to be very STUFFY.

The last and only time I was on (QE2) I thought I was enlisted back in the NAVY. As a LOWER class passenger I was not permitted to PEE in the same urinals as the FIRST class passengers.

We were assigned separate dining tables and different entertainment times and did not always get the same shows that the 1st class passengers did

When the Capt. was told that I was unhappy and was a retired Navy officer (mustang) he treated me to a private tour of the ship etc. any where I wanted to go.

I know it's not that bad today but ????

SEA YA

About two years ago Cunard simplified the dress codes to formal and informal. As has been pointed out, informal means "jacket required, tie optional." I have had several crossings - and just one cruise - on Cunard. On the much-loved Queen Elizabeth2 there was no such thing as "tie optional" at dinner. It was jacket and tie or formal on every night, including the first and last. When the Queen Mary 2 was introduced in 2004, the dress code was relaxed - but not for the QE2 which sailed on until 2008.

 

From my experience about a third of gents will wear a tie at dinner even when not required. Dinner jackets (or tuxedos if you prefer that term:)) are worn by a half to two-thirds of the men in the main dining room (Britannia) and about 90% in the Princess and Queen's Grill restaurants.

 

The Grills are fantastic. In addition to the menu of the day, on most nights there is an extensive à la carte menu which offers several flambé items. The Grills are one sitting (not open sitting as some people call it) meaning seating is assigned for all meals but dining time is flexible, such as 6:30 to 9:00 at dinner.

 

Cunard does not normally offer "upsells"; instead they often give generous upgrades. I have had a few. My first time in Princess Grill was an upgrade. On our next two crossings we booked Princess and got an upgrade to Queens both times. Alas, now that we have reached Platinum level in their club, we have not received any upgrades. The word is that new passengers have a better chance of an upgrade than the regulars. I have met many passengers who can attest to that. Good luck to the OP.

 

I am looking forward to my first HAL Neptune suite in a few days and I will not be comparing it to Cunard's Grills because our fare is quite a bit less. But a different HAL cruise we first looked at was charging the same - and even more on some dates - as Cunard is charging for Princess and even Queen's Grill. So there is no way we would pay more for less.

Is the additional cost of a Queens Grill worth upgrading from a Princess Grill? On a TA cruise in July, the cost is about $2,000. And how would a Princess Grill compare (if a comparison is possible) to a Neptune suite?

Antique Sailor - I feel badly that your Cunard experience was so poor compared to our experience. We sailed in a Britannia Balcony Stateroom. We didn't feel any of the class differentiation that you did and we partook in many of the activities offered on our TA. We enjoyed dressing up for dinner - especially since there was nothing else we "had" to do the rest of each day :D

Our MDR dining pairings were undoubtedly the best we've ever had. There were 4 couples - 2 from the US and 2 from England. All 4 of the men were retired and all 4 of the women were still working - thus the "shirkers and the workers". :D Each of us has something in common careerwise with at least one other table mate. We had a hard time getting our dinners eaten because of all the great conversation and laughter. The wine steward even started hanging out at our table when his duties were completed.

It was a totally wonderful experience. :)

Is the additional cost of a Queens Grill worth upgrading from a Princess Grill? On a TA cruise in July, the cost is about $2,000. And how would a Princess Grill compare (if a comparison is possible) to a Neptune suite?

Sorry, I could not get the link to the e-mail to work. (It could be my new computer!)

The Princess Grill staterooms on the Queen Mary 2 are somewhat smaller than the Neptune suites, but they have a large balcony with two traditional teak deck-chairs. The basic Queen's Grill staterooms are the same size and shape as Neptunes, but better furnished. Personally I don't think Queen's is worth the difference from Princess. That doesn't mean I was disappointed; it was everything it should be and we enjoyed it thoroughly. For $2,000 (is that p.p. or for two?) I don't think I would pay it even if it was for two. Our two crossings in Queen's were upgrades:)that were appreciated. The Queen's restaurant, as I stated, offers some perks not as readily available in Princess. In Queen's there is a butler in addition to the steward(ess) and a complimentary bar set-up. It starts with two litre-size bottles and they will be replenished if finished. Priority embarkation is the same for both "Grills" and the two lounges and deck space are available for all Grills passengers. Princess Grill is just fine for us and we miss it when we travel in the basic parts of the ship, although we have enjoyed every crossing no matter where we eat and sleep. Princess Grill on the smaller "Queens" is a bit different, but that may not matter to you if you are on a TA as those ships rarely do crossings.

I really like HAL, but I understand the wish to sail with other lines. That being said, the whole formal night thing doesn't faze me in the least. I bring one, yep one, outfit to wear for each formal night whether it is a 7 night cruise or a 50. No one cares, nor do I. It makes it easy.