arielmomma

3 minutes ago, Winifred 22 said:

The mattress folds in if I remember. Certainly wasn’t a big thick one. 

Thank you.

31 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

The deck plans will show you, unless someone with better eyes can see differently it looks like the Sheltered Balcony Cabins have a Single sofa bed.

 

Thank you, Hattie. Do you, or does anyone here, know what kind of mattress is on the sofa bed? For instance, on Disney Cruise line, the sofa bed has the same mattress as a Pullman (pull down) bed - perfectly comfortable. However, on HAL, the sofa beds only have a thin hideaway bed mattress. The Pullman variety is tolerable for a long cruise. The hideaway mattress, however, wouldn't be.

I will be traveling in a party of three. Is the 3rd bed offered in the sheltered balcony cabins a sofa hideaway or a Pullman (drop down from the ceiling)? Is it a real mattress or is it the thin sofa hideaway variety? Thank you. 

4 hours ago, MylesS said:

I don't think it's a case of young adults/generation not wanting to go or try it, but because they're not being advertised to enough, or well enough. Though this is of course easier said than done.

And of course, for the younger generation, cost is a big part of it. Especially in the current climate. We are very fortunate.

I completely agree. Cost is a huge factor right now. In the past, I was able to get good deals on Cunard, making them comparable to other lines. In spring 2022, I got an amazing deal. However, my family's last two cruises have been on HAL b/c Cunard was far more expensive. Plus, the outrageous cost of staying in NY pre and post cruise - YIKES! 

22 hours ago, NE John said:

Reassure your daughter that Titanic was not a Cunard ship. Your children are the future of this line. 

LOL. She's well aware. The speaker was quite clear about that. You're right about my kids being the future of the line. I hear so many comments about how the younger generations don't want the formality and traditional cruise experience that lines like Cunard have to offer, but I simply don't believe that's the case. My husband and I are in our 40's and we love Cunard. My kids are in their teens. They love it, too. I just don't think lines like Cunard advertise enough here in the US. Ironically, my family learned about Cunard through a Disney Cruise Group. Once we tried QM2, we were hooked!

My teenagers love Cunard. It's their favorite line. Since my youngest was 11, they've been partaking in the adult activities. They're 16 & 19 now. My daughter loves the mid-afternoon plays and concerts. She also enjoys partaking in the RADA classes. In my experience, the other adults have always enjoyed having some young blood participating in the classes. Both of my kids participate in the ballroom dance classes and evening dancing. My son loves the jazz music in the evenings. They also enjoy the planetarium and some of the speakers. My daughter loved learning about the Titanic on our last cruise. Neither have ever had anything to do with the kids' clubs except to check out books from the kids' clubs' libraries. That's where most of the children's/teen books are kept. They enjoy sitting out on the Promenade in a lounger and reading before the sea.

Whether or not they'll enjoy it depends on your teens. While my kids like ropes courses and zip lines, they prefer good food, good music, good books, and more traditional cruise experiences. I hope yours have an amazing time. 

9 hours ago, Down-Unders said:

We have not sailed for 3 years due to Covid and only segments of world cruises, but can assure you if you have any problems onboard you will be taken seriously this is one of the reasons we travel Cunard.  Enjoy your world trip on QM2 and do not forget those dancing shoes!

Thank you for your response. The shoes will definitely be packed! Dancing is one of my favorite activities aboard QM2!

15 hours ago, canoncruiser said:

Hi,

 

I was on QV from NewYork to Dubai. 

 

Was disappointed by the substantial change of Itinerary from SriLanka, the Far East to Indonesia and Maylasia-but I enjoyed the calls in Indonesia and Malaysia.

 

The land tours were well done.

 

My review has been published on this site.

 

I am booked for part of the QA 2025 World Cruise-I took the WorldCruise on QE in 2015-pre Covid and it was superb. I hope they get back up to standards and ports open up. I am a long time Cunard traveler.

 

Bon Voyage

 

 

Thank you for your response. Glad to hear the excursions were well done. I'll look for your review.

18 hours ago, Bell Boy said:

Please don't expect it on the day of embarkation , you will need to arrange this once onboard  via your 'deck housekeeping supervisor' .  Don't be pestering shore side in advance,  the Pursers desk, or your Stateroom steward/ess .  For anyone reading this post I'm referring to voyages of 90/100 + days  when it has been known to be possible . 

 

Thank you for this additional advice. I'll make sure to make the arrangements politely with the appropriate person (deck housekeeping supervisor) and at a respectful time.

On 3/8/2023 at 7:28 AM, Bell Boy said:

You should have no problem requesting an additional chair , I know someone ( travelling solo) on the Q.Victoria World Cruise at the moment ,who has had the double bed refigured into one single to allow more space in the cabin.   

 

This is such a good idea! I never would have realized it's an option. Thank you for sharing. I, too, will be on the 2024 QM2 World Voyage. I think I'm going to try to do this myself.

Thanks, Crofters, for the update. I really enjoy reading about everyone's world cruise experiences. I love the pictures as well. Keep 'em comin'! I look forward to taking a world cruise myself one day (soon, I hope). Have a great time!

4 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

It doesn't look as if anyone has any confidence in their crystal ball. I'll take a wild guess and say yes.

We can check back this time and see if I was right. 

Would 2024 be too soon for you?

Thanks for the guess. As for 2024, that's what I'm trying to decide. I was really hoping that the world will be a little closer to the new "normal" when I took my world cruise, whatever that's going to look like. I was aiming for 2025/26. I took 4 cruises on three different lines this past year (2022), including a 21 day on QM2. While I had a lovely time on all of them, things were hardly "normal." Short staff, quarantines, masking, testing, being unable to dock, food shortages, dreadful communication from the lines, etc. There was still a lot of confusion and frustration all around. Nothing that prevented me from sailing, obviously, but a world cruise is a huge investment. I'll probably only get to do it once.  I want to be able to do it right and without having to wear a mask!

I realize this question requires a bit a guess work since none of us can see the future. However, I was hoping some of you could look into your crystal balls and make an educated prediction.

I ask because I noted in the 2025 previews that Bluemarble was kind enough to post that in 2025, Queen Anne will be doing the world cruise, while Queen Victoria will be doing the South American itinerary.

I was originally booked on this year's Centennial World Cruise aboard QM2, but decided to postpone until the world and cruising settles down and gets closer to "normal" again. I have a bad back, so I need to sail r/t out of the US and for a four month cruise, my back would greatly prefer the stability on the water that QM2 offers as well.

Any thoughts? Will QM2 be back to world cruising in 2026 or do you think QA will be taking her place permanently?

Thank you in advance for your opinions.

Thank you so much for posting these. Let the dreaming begin!

I would be interested in seeing your Daily Programs. Thank you.

Thank you for your responses. I'm glad to see that they are offering group dining. This was not allowed on Disney. You could only eat with your travel party (in the main dining rooms anyway).

Hello fellow Cunard lovers! I am fresh off of my first cruise since the pandemic, and I am already itching to take another one. I just sailed with Disney in the Caribbean with my family, which was wonderful, as always. However, now, I'm interested in a more "adult" experience, and what better option is there than sailing aboard my favorite ocean liner QM2? 

I am considering booking the 21 nt Eastern Caribbean (M209F) Cruise out of NY 3/27-4/17/22. I would be travelling solo. 

I am curious to hear from those of you who have sailed Cunard recently what your experience was like with the current protocols. Is it a similar experience to what it was prior to covid? What onboard activities are they offering ? Which typical activities are they not offering at the moment? My favorites were always the space lectures, language classes, ballroom dancing, and singing in the choir. If you have sailed since the pandemic aboard a Cunard ship, was it worth it? Would you do it again?

Have any of you sailed solo since the pandemic? What was your experience like? Did you spend the entire sailing alone? If so, did you get lonely? I'm confident that I will be fine keeping to myself, but one of my favorites aspects of cruising is socializing with new people. Were you able to socialize much? How was your dinner/afternoon tea experience eating alone? I realize that there are currently no ballroom dance hosts onboard, but if another guest is willing to be my dance partner, is this allowed?

I realize that this is long, so thank you in advance to anyone who is willing to answer my questions.  My recent Disney cruise was surprisingly far more "normal" than I anticipated. I'm hoping that will be case with Cunard. It felt so good to be sailing again even with a mask!

15 hours ago, Trig2018 said:

We're on it from New York.  I can't believe it'll happen but haven't quite got round to cancelling yet.

I'm spending half my life on the computer trying to get info about it.

Same with us. We are scheduled to join in NY on 11/21, but I'm doubting it will happen. I will likely cancel after the 2023 bookings are released. I need something before the end of the year to attached my FCC to. I'm also booked on the 2023 Word Voyage, but I won't attach it to that b/c I'm doubting that will fully happen, or if it does, it won't be what I'm dreaming it will be either. It will likely become 2024. It appears the world will take longer to recover than we all wish it would.

Hello OP. As someone who has sailed both Carnival and Cunard and enjoyed them both, I thought I'd put in my 2 cents. For background information, my family is about as plain-jane ordinary and laid back as they come. At home, I am a die-hard t-shirts and yoga pants sort of girl. I rarely ever dress up. My husband is a large man who overheats very easily, so at home, suits are out of the question. My children are both teenagers and are much like us. We stopped dressing up on Carnival and Disney cruises some time ago. However, on Cunard, its different. We love the dress code. The sophisticated atmosphere is part of the experience. As a woman, I've been able to find plenty of comfortable outfits for myself and my daughter that are suitable evening attire. As for my husband, he loves QM2 so much, he now owns 2 tuxedos and recently purchased a formal kilt. He's dying to show off his Scottish heritage on our upcoming cruise in November (fingers crossed). My teenage son, who is still growing, sticks with dark suits. Even the kids appreciate the formal atmosphere. Its breathtaking to watch the finely dressed dancers take to the floor in the Queen's Room. They looked forward to the balls every gala night. So, in short, even a t-shirt family can have an incredible time on a Cunard cruise. Let me warn you though, they will become addictive! I speak from experience.

4 hours ago, Tillypops said:

Hey arielmomma,

Great!!

I am so looking forward to it.

Host Hattie has posted the itineraries for 2020 world cruise might give us some ideas on gala nights

 

 

 

I will definitely be checking it out! Thanks.

19 hours ago, Tillypops said:

Hi arielmomma 

I'm also on the World cruise Queen Mary 2 departing Southampton 11th Jan 2023. Is this the same cruise you are on?

loads of my holidays have been cancelled so thought I would take the plunge and do a big one

 

 

👠👗🩴👡👜🕶🩱....................................

Yes Tillypops, this is the cruise I am on, except that I will be boarding on 3rd Jan in NY. I'm also doing the Caribbean Christmas cruise before it. Like you, Covid cancellations and forced savings has motivated me to take the "Big One." I can't wait!

Thank you to all of you who are sharing pictures of your formal wear. It's making me excited to cruise again. Though I still have nearly 19 months until my Christmas/World Voyage aboard QM2, I love to dream...

18 hours ago, cruz040864 said:

Please forgive my ignorance and I mean no disrespect, but I must ask why would a family with children choose to cruise on Cunard?  Clearly the activities and the ship itself is not geared towards children.  Won't they be bored?  I would think one of the family mass market cruise lines would better suit families.  Just asking.  

My family loves sailing Cunard. On our last cruise they were ages 12 & 15. They do not take advantage of the kids club activities. They prefer to participate in the adult activities with us. My daughter loved the RADA classes and the daytime plays and music. My son learned to play bridge. We all participated in ballroom dance, paddle tennis, organized games, the planetarium, checked out library books, etc. Don't tell my husband, but my son is my favorite ballroom dance partner! I love twirling around the floor with him. The other passengers onboard always made my children feel welcome. There are plenty of activities for open minded, well-behaved young people onboard. 

I've been having trouble with this as well with my 14 and 17 yo. It is frustrating. I've never had trouble with this in the past.