Pear Carr

Are you looking at the upgrade promotion at the time of booking rather than a possible upgrade at the time of sailing? If so you need to choose the P2 category, for example, which should show the same price as a top grade club balcony and similarly the top grade balcony should be the same price as the lowest grade club balcony.

Would imagine first consideration should be port/starboard and recommendation is port sailing west from UK and starboard sailing east from USA.  Sheltered balconies will not afford you the same amount of sunshine as non sheltered but will give you closer proximity to the ocean but views are only really possible when standing.  That said I prefer a sheltered balcony on a transatlantic crossing as weather so changeable throughout the year and I like the stability of a mid ship/deck.  Whichever you choose it is lovely to have your own outside space for a quiet read and early evening tipple, however, you will likely find that there are so many areas of the ship that you enjoy or want to explore that it won’t really matter.

I am referring to the OBC that is the additional incentive to purchasing FCD when on board.  Obviously the OBC for any particular sailing can differ and fluctuate, I assume based on demand.

I have transferred 2 future cruises and Cunard have extended the validity date in both instances with regard to FCD and OBC due to the extenuating circumstances.

Sorry Pier Head

Here is a rousing rendition from 175th Cunard celebrations on 4 July 2015 at the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral.  We had the most magical experience from the minute we boarded QM2 at the Per Head in our home town Liverpool till disembarkation in New York.  This was our first ever sailing and it was just meant to be on the QM2 from Liverpool.  Obviously not our last but nothing will ever top this wonderful crossing!

1210 is the larger balcony on deck 10, and 1676 on deck 11. I would avoid deck 12 given  Cafe etc above. Opt for deck 9 or 10.

We stayed in 9384 on Baltic cruise in June 2018. Absolutely loved it and it is the only wider balcony aft cabin on this deck. Sailing into Stockholm early morning was one of our best experiences and we never felt the need to use the sun decks due to our own private solarium! I do suffer from motion sickness so was apprehensive about movement but other than day 1 on the North Sea we had no issues. Not sure if there have been any changes to the layout following the revolution update so might need to check this out.  For your information Cruisedeckplans.com provide details of cabins inform your choice.

Have never experienced problems with ordering room service on QM2 and Queen Victoria, either in Britannia or grills cabins, including early morning trips in St Petersburg.

We opt never to dine in Kings Court. 

You do not have to transfer to another cruise.  The offer to change/amend a booking free of charge, if travelling before end of June, is open to ANY holiday.  We have just transferred our 6.6.20 deposit to a week in Spain next year. A holiday we would likely take anyway to a hotel we know and like.

Unfortunately QM2 is currently getting bad press 'It's the honeymoon from hell!' Benidorm actress Crissy Rock 'terrified' as she is quarantined on month-long Queen Mary 2 cruise amid coronavirus fears” Apparently passengers are in panic, according to a ‘friend’ of hers with one passenger fainting yesterday as they don’t know what’s happening or where they are going! I can appreciate the frustration at the change in itinerary and the fact that you will be having no port stops between Dubai and Fremantle, however, the change is in order to avoid coronavirus and is hardly a quarantine situation. Cunard have taken appropriate action in very difficult circumstances and should be commended rather than criticised. Being aboard the QM2 is often holiday enough for me! 

I have recently returned from a week on Discovery 2 and have posted a copy of the menu from The Atrium Bar.  We opted to upgrade to the premium package and to be honest whilst I prefer SB when drinking white wine, we found the Pinot Grigio Bolla to be a superior wine.  We are on Explorer 2 next year and have decided to wait until we board to upgrade to premium - or not.  We found the difference in the standard of drinks between bars on the Discovery 2 to be extreme.  Pool bar and various music lounge venues often supplied (or tried to) none premium brands.  We had to pull bar staff on a number of occasions particularly in relation to ensuring we were given Hendricks gin and premium wines when requested.  I would also suggest that you need to be vigilant with this regard in the restaurant.

Fantastic photos and very helpful for those currently thinking of booking QM2 and fond memories for those of us who love her! Thank you.

We purchased FCC onboard QM2 in March and more recently onboard Queen Victoria both with the OBC allowance.

Don’t worry! We were on QM2 earlier this year calling at Phu My (for HCM) and Nha Trang and no Visa required - assume sorted by Cunard. 

4 hours ago, Stella1250 said:

I just returned from a Baltic cruise on QV in Queens Grill. We did tip at dinner, but, only to those who delivered exceptional service. We did not like our first table, so they completely re-arranged part of the dining room so we had a beautiful round table facing the windows. Tip for the Matre ' d. One of our Head Waiters went way above and beyond to assure we had a great dining experience every day. Tip for them. Our Wine Steward worked with us to keep our wine within the $12 limit of our drink package. We had some amazing wines because of him. Tip for him. We also left the auto gratuity in place. Yes, we are American, and I believe that excellent service demands some appreciation. I will continue to believe that, whether in Queens Grill or not.

Always a sore point for UK residents when we read about drink packages and sommeliers offering ‘amazing wines’ within the $12 limit when this perk is never available to us.  Same can be said for included gratuities! 

We had the same experience on 14.7.19 at Southampton embarking Queen Victoria.  As priority guests we were checked in as soon as we arrived (12.15) then had to join the queue for all passengers to pass through security.  Once through security we boarded immediately.

I opted for long dress on three of the formal nights and a shorter dress on the roaring 20s gala night. Long or short I am glad to see that most still take the formal nights seriously and make a real effort. Obviously some opt out and choose to drink/dine in the relevant venues where dress code is not imposed.

Disembarked Queen Victoria after a 2 week Baltic Cruise on Sunday (28th) and we had 4 formal nights. We had a fantastic time with wonderful weather. 

Sheltered balcony mid ship for us on transatlantic! Have crossed in July and December and you cannot guarantee weather at any time of year! Worth it for the fresh air and sea views whatever the weather. You will not be guaranteed sun both ways on B2B as port out from UK and Starboard back unless you are changing cabins for your return.

I would also check out the configuration of the rear facing cabin as some aft cabins

have a fixed bed to the wall - as in one side and head - therefore access to bed is on one side only. We have sailed in aft cabins on Celebrity and have one booked on Queen Victoria as the views/outlook can’t be beat but we have opted for a mid ship balcony on our cruise on E2 because of bedroom layout and also some comments on engine noise at rear of ship - although this could be just on lower decks.

Looking to book an SV cabin 6314 post refit.  Can anyone tell me if there will be any modifications with regard to the size/layout of the balconies post refit? Would also be grateful of any information if you have stayed in this cabin. We have previously stayed in cabin 9384 which is currently a C1 and loved the location/outside space but not being offered on chosen cruise so not sure if categories are changing with the revolution.

We are on this cruise on Queen Victoria on 14.7.19 and it might be worth looking at the roll call for this if your roll call is not yet up and running. There are a number of options for tours other than Cunard - we have opted for Alla Tours in St Petersburg - no need to apply for visa independently and there are tours to suit differing needs/interests. Not sure what your itinerary is but most other ports on the Baltic cruises are do-able on your own with Cunard providing shuttle services to a central location from docks in outlying areas and others being walkable from the dock to enable you to plan your own day.

I believe Cunard generally send an email within a few days of disembarking with request to complete questionnaire/feedback.  Out of convenience for yourself just wondered if you tried to book an accessible cabin or opted not to?

I would say you are leaving this quite late but would look at alternatives to Cunard. Check out your roll call and see if any one is interested in sharing mini bus transfer to Bruges. We did same last year for a fraction of the ship transfer - mini bus pick up at terminal and drop off practically centre as smaller buses have access to central areas. Otherwise look at options for small group transfer.