Balcony cabins on "S" class and on Cunard QE

Does anyone know how the verandah cabins on HAL's S class compare to the size of Cunard's regular balcony cabins on the QE or QM2? HAL's S class looks larger. Cunard's look more like the Vista class, which are slightly smaller.

I can't compare for you but can say the "S" class ships have very comfortable verandahs. The Neptune Suite Verandah (formerly deluxe verandha) is double the size of the Vista category. The Neptune Verandahs are large by most anyone's standards.

The S- (and R-, for that matter) cabins and balconies are larger than the comparable category on the Vista/Signature class ships.

Since the Cunard ships are so similar to the HAL Vista/Signature ships, I would expect that the appearance of the drawings is correct.

The S- (and R-, for that matter) cabins and balconies are larger than the comparable category on the Vista/Signature class ships.

 

Since the Cunard ships are so similar to the HAL Vista/Signature ships, I would expect that the appearance of the drawings is correct.

Thanks, Ruth and Sail. This is what I feared, that the Cunard balconies were smaller, like the Vista balcony cabins. Not sure I can take them for a long (80-day) cruise. And the Princess Grill suites are so expensive.

Thanks, Ruth and Sail. This is what I feared, that the Cunard balconies were smaller, like the Vista balcony cabins. Not sure I can take them for a long (80-day) cruise. And the Princess Grill suites are so expensive.

I've had Vista suite cabins on the S class HAL ship and Britannia balcony cabins on QM2 and they're pretty similar in size, both cabin and balcony. Have you sailed with Cunard before or are you looking at your first Cunard voyage?

I've had Vista suite cabins on the S class HAL ship and Britannia balcony cabins on QM2 and they're pretty similar in size, both cabin and balcony. Have you sailed with Cunard before or are you looking at your first Cunard voyage?

We have never sailed with Cunard before, although we are booked on the QM2 next May for the crossing from Southampton to NYC. However, we got a free upgrade to P2, so that is not the issue. We were looking (wishful thinking, probably) about the Queen Elizabeth's World Cruise, and a P2 is out of the question. A balcony is doable, but I find that the balconies on the Vista class ships to be too small. The S and R class is fine, however, but the square footage on the QE is considerably smaller - 223 vs. 283 for the S class. I just don't know if I could take 120 or even 80 days in that cabin. I would almost rather cut it down to 80 or less and take a P2 cabin, if it came to that. Or stick with HAL's Amsterdam. Since the itineraries change yearly, HAL may have a better one for 2017. Better for us, that is.

We have never sailed with Cunard before, although we are booked on the QM2 next May for the crossing from Southampton to NYC. However, we got a free upgrade to P2, so that is not the issue. We were looking (wishful thinking, probably) about the Queen Elizabeth's World Cruise, and a P2 is out of the question. A balcony is doable, but I find that the balconies on the Vista class ships to be too small. The S and R class is fine, however, but the square footage on the QE is considerably smaller - 223 vs. 283 for the S class. I just don't know if I could take 120 or even 80 days in that cabin. I would almost rather cut it down to 80 or less and take a P2 cabin, if it came to that. Or stick with HAL's Amsterdam. Since the itineraries change yearly, HAL may have a better one for 2017. Better for us, that is.

Congratulations on the upgrade for your crossing!

Don't be too worried about the size of the cabin or the balcony. One of the things that sets Cunard apart is the range of activities they offer. We spend very little time in our cabin. They always have an excellent selection of talks to attend on sea days, especially on a World Cruise, where they bring on experts on local history and culture. We've only done segments of the WC, not the whole thing. On our Australia segment of 3 weeks, we were busy on all the sea days with lectures, movies, and in "down time," sitting on deck at least as much as we sat on our balcony. Other daytime activities that I remember include dance lessons, acting classes (that may be only QM2), cooking demos, afternoon tea (and sometimes tea dances). I haven't been on QE, but on QM2 there are lots of nice public spaces to sit and read or watch the ocean go by. And there's the gym and spa, too, but we don't use them.

Thanks, Kathy, for your info. The only reason I am concerned about the size is if we do take an 80 - 115 day cruise. The balconies on the S class are fine, and perhaps the corner cabins on the QE would also be fine. In any event, I can peek into one next May on our QM2 cruise, right? I think I got a little spoiled by the Vista Signature Suites; forget about the Neptune Sites! They aren't even in the running for such a long cruise. I need to be a little more pragmatic. As you observed, one doesn't spend that much time in the cabin. Thanks, again.

Virginia

I understand your concern is primarily for your 80 day (jealous!) cruise and less so for your crossing - but you're probably aware that you may not want to spend much time on your balcony on the North Atlantic (especially on Deck 10). Stephen Payne did a masterful job adapting a liner design for modern cruising, but even somewhat sheltered, it's not likely to be warm out there.