pratt2

This information is good to know. We board the QE June 11. Our boarding pass states 2:45pm check in, with an all aboard of 3:30 pm…that makes me a bit nervous. There is one other ship in port.  Will plan on arriving an hour earlier.  

1 hour ago, Vskye said:

I'm so glad you had a good experience! Thanks for the trip report. If you have time could you tell me what kinds of music were offered on this crossing? I will be onboard for the December 3rd Literary Festival and I'm hoping there will be room for some musicians among all of the authors.

There was a folk duo, jazz assemble, harpist, pianist, violinist, rock and roll in G-32 as well the Cunard orchestra. The musicians played most days, sometimes twice per day in different venues about the ship. 

It is likely that you will have many opportunities to listen to a variety of music!

          After a year of planning, dreaming reading reviews and watching videos, we boarded the QM2 in Red Hook on Oct 7 and arrived in Southampton Oct 14. Being on this ocean liner was magnificent. Our QM2 inside room on deck 11 suited us. I only had to walk  a short distance down the hall to the Atlantic Room to see what the weather would be.  We made sure to spend time during the day to sit in different areas to read, listen to live music or talk with fellow passengers.  However, my favorite place to be was outside deck 7, where I could watch the changing sea for hours on end and never be bored.

          Evenings were wonderful affairs. We started out 45 minutes before dinner at one of the many lounges / bars for a cocktail. Remembering an earlier cruise critic thread, I tried several different cocktails and the Mary Pickford gets my vote.  The Commodore Club became a favorite place for us.  We dined in the Britannia Restaurant all but one night. We could not find fault with any of our meals. 

          Most passengers followed the dress code, and it truly made for a first class experience. All venues were fully staffed and we experienced no delays when placing orders.  Late evenings found us at the theater, and or G-32 which I must say was rocking most nights!  I attended the watercolor class, and learned that it was hit or miss with the instructors, and on this voyage a miss. However I enjoyed talking with the ladies at my table.  It’s my belief that the show in the planetarium needs an update. My only negative experience was when I met the Laundry Militants standing guard at the laundry door a full 30 minutes before it opened. I was advised to try another day. Very well, I just decided to send most laundry out.

          Unbelievably, I missed tea in the Queens Room! That was on my to do list while on board.  Embarking and disembarking went smoothly. Southampton did seem a bit more organized.

         After leaving the QM2 we spent ten days in Spain traveling to Cordoba, Ronda and Granada, after which we ended up in Barcelona where we boarded a cruise ship to return to the states. Yes, we did enjoy that voyage, especially since we had 21 foot waves for @24 hours, but it cannot be compared to our time aboard the unique QM2.

       Once January comes and we start planning travels for the next year or so, another voyage on Cunard will be at the top of my list.

Thank you@gengens for your information 

we are on the observation deck, keeping fingers crossed for an early boarding

have a wonderful time on your trip!

Our first QM2 trip is due to depart NY Oct 7 for the transatlantic sailing to Great Britain.

I called our cruise planner today and asked if my boarding time could be linked with my sisters.

She advised that boarding is done by deck (with of course exceptions for those in PG/QG and I suspect past Cunard passengers) and she could not link this.

Curious if anyone on this board knows if they start boarding lower deck to top deck or vice versa? 

Secondly, we have been given a Promo special buffet at Kings Court and our choices include Indian, Italian and Asian. (we have great Mexican Restaurant  here)

And though food is subjective, any recommendations?

Finally, a thanks to all of you here who post reviews and answer questions. I have been following along since we booked and rebooked over the past two years.

In addition the  videos of the QM2 posted here and on you tube are wonderful

By the By

My cruise planner suggested a look at the Cunard web site on Tuesday 9/6 for "Updates" 

I am so excited with the new releases. We can now sail from NY to GB in April , so much better than a 10 hr transatlantic flight! Our return voyage is two weeks later in May. I called our Cunard rep yesterday to discuss booking. Waiting for a call back today with our booking information. I am so looking forward to walking the promenade and gazing at the beauty and majesty of the sea.......

Enjoyed this updated topic of packing a capsule collection, and thank you to Lissie for posting pictures of what you will wear on your Cunard voyage.  I have been wondering what to wear for that cruise line! We will do an EB TA and two weeks later a WB TA. I plan on packing a black silk midi skirt, to wear with several different tops, a very plain and simple black dress with one colorful shrug and a sparkly one. One pair of nude wedges to go with all. For Spain and daytime wear on the cruise, I am hoping that one pair of sandals and a pair of sneakers, several 3/4 sleeve tees, capris,  two pair of "nice" pants,1 pair of jeans and sweater will do. Not much for four weeks total, but I believe it will be enough?

Just now, pratt2 said:

I have no idea what was in the can! Love the baggage stickers though

My sister and I at age 14  & 17 sailed on the Queen Mary to New York with our grandparents in 1965, after touring England with them. (How fortunate were we!) My sister and I shared a state room which had bunk beds and was a very small room. The most delightful memory I have:  sitting in our assigned deck chairs and the Stewards would come by and wrap blankets around us and then serve tea.  For some strange reason I remember that the movie theater showed "Cat Balou." As another poster mentioned, I know I skipped some meals! The weather must have been fairly rough as the indoor pool was never opened, we would check every day and just watch the pool waves crash. Looking forward to sailing the Queen Mary 2 in May 2022!

Excited to book my first Cunard Crossing in 53 years (!) the transatlantic Southampton to NY May 8 2022.

I decided at this time to trust the Cunard Rep on the cabin she recommended - interior - forward deck 11.

Love crossing the Atlantic - hopefully the weather  will permit a lot of my time on the promenade deck.

I will spend this winter reviewing these forums and cruise blogs.

Please continue your trip report! We are taking this trip in 2020