turquoise 6

Thank you Turquoise for understanding, that is exactly how it was intended. :) -S.

Hi Salacia. Yes I know and your posts are always

Informative and well done

Thanks

T:)

Glojo - response to your questions in black type below:-

 

It is nice to hear folks confirming what we say and what are the thoughts of those that sailed on both the old trans-Atlantic Queens and the Queen Elizabeth 2?

 

Unfortunately I am not of sufficient years to have sailed on QM, but I agree with you below about the QE2 being a hybrid cruise ship and liner.

 

Was the QE2 a significant step forward regarding its interior design\layout? The original ships were out and out ferries designed for a scheduled route across an area of ocean that at times was not the most pleasant of places to be and I am assuming individual balconies were not high on the list of required features. The QE2 however was more of a cruise ship as opposed to the 'ferry' that had a type of weekly trans-Atlantic service and as such passengers might want their own individual, private area in which to sun bath.

 

The QE2 was significant in that most of the public rooms were placed in the centre of the ship, with wide walkways and windows each side. Thus one could promenade inside the ship in bad weather. I actually liked this layout and rather miss it on QM2.

 

There were few cabins on QE2 that had their own balcony. Most such cabins were the "dox-boxes" (Q2s) added up on the Signal and Sun Decks and were not part of the original plans for the ship. When the QE2 was built, there was not this mania for balconies. Some Q1 cabins on QE2 had no balcony, including that behind the QG restaurant that was converted from the old radio room.

 

Did the QE2 carry on with the very traditional wooden interior design styling of her older sisters or did she make her own statement and have a more modern looking interior?

 

Some parts of QE2 retained original wooden interiors, particularly the QG cabins on One and Two Deck. However, most of the public rooms were of a less traditional style, from the Princess Grill (60s) to the Yacht Club (70s) to the Chart Room (80s) style. Some rooms had no defined style at all.

 

I must confess that I dislike with a passion this so called 'Art Deco' type styling brrrrr I totally accept some folks like it and here I am having booked a cruise aboard the Queen Elizabeth. In my defence, all the pictures I have seen of this ship's interior look very nice but how does it compare to the other two more traditional ships? Is the interior theming of the Queen Victoria similar to that of the Queen Mary 2?

 

I agree that I am not a fan of recent reinterpretations of "art deco".

 

I think we have had some excellent discussions about liners vs cruise ships and what a great pity the latest two 'smaller' Queens do not have a similar styled bow to that of all their predecessors. It would most certainly make them more comfortable in adverse sea conditions and also possibly the best designed cruise ships for their size?

 

I agree that the two smaller Queens would have been better designed with a more streamlined hull form. But this would have caused additional design cost, which Cunard apparently did not wish to pay.

 

I am genuinely looking forward to listening to both Louise and is it the head of the Fashion Police who will also be accompanying us on our cruise aboard the newest member of the Cunard fleet? I do note how one of them has 'bottled out' of the first leg of the upcoming trip which is that crossing of the North Atlantic.:D;) (apologies for my teasing type humour)

 

Having dealt firmly with the fashion miscreants on QM2, the Fashion Police will indeed be turning their attention to QE. We have assigned various operatives to different sectors of the next world cruise.

 

On a different forum folks that have cruised on all three Cunard ships have mostly rated the smaller vessels as being better laid out, and having better interior designs, but on this forum the Queen Mary 2 tends to come out on top?

 

For those interested in naval architecture, there is no doubt that the QM2 will always be considered the better ship of the three current Cunard vessels.

Thank you for your testament a la the Cunard Ships

I don't agree with you.

No problem

Thanks Y

Qm2 is sailing on. That's an old story

Now:)

No, I am not seeing any changes other than balcony categories BB and BC being swapped. Here is the statement that mentions categories BB and BC on the new deck plans. No other categories are mentioned.

 

For stateroom grades BB and BC on voyages departing before 16 May 2014 (M405A) please refer to the deck plans online, as the staterooms have been recategorised for 2014 and are reflected here.

 

Regards,

John.

Hi, Salacia.

 

Thanks for your post about the revised QM2 deck plans.

 

What you have found looks to me like it is indeed a change in the QM2 balcony categories which Cunard is planning to implement beginning with voyage M405A departing 16 May 2014.

 

If I start a booking on cunard.com for QM2 voyage M404 departing 9 May 2014, here are the balcony categories that I can select:

BA - Balcony Higher Deck Mid

BB - Balcony Sheltered Lower Deck Mid

BC - Balcony Higher Deck Fwd

BD - Balcony Sheltered Lower Deck Fwd/Aft

DA - Balcony (obstructed by lifeboats) Higher Deck Mid

DC - Balcony (obstructed by lifeboats) Higher Deck Fwd

If I start a booking for QM2 voyage M405A departing 16 May 2014, here are the balcony categories that I can select:

BA - Balcony High Deck Mid

BB - Balcony High Deck Fwd

BC - Balcony Low Deck Mid

BD - Premium Balcony Low Deck Fwd/Aft

DA - Balcony High Deck Mid

DC - Balcony High Deck Fwd

What I suspect is going on is here that Cunard has taken note of the potential glitch in the current categories which we have discussed before. Under the current arrangement, the lower midship sheltered balconies are category BB which could be considered an upgrade from the higher forward glass-fronted balconies in category BC.

 

The new system resolves that potential problem by switching those two categories around. After this change, the forward glass-fronted balconies will have the higher category designation BB, so one will no longer run the risk of being "upgraded" from an unobstructed glass-fronted balcony to a sheltered balcony.

 

Of course this change is bound to cause plenty of confusion. It reminds me of that old "B5" category confusion of years gone by.

 

Here is a link to the current QM2 deck plans for voyages prior to 16 May 2014.

 

http://www.cunard.com/documents/2013%20deck%20plans/queen%20mary%202%20-%20new%20deck%20plans.pdf

 

And for those who have not seen it yet, here is the link to the new QM2 deck plans which apparently are going into effect beginning 16 May 2014.

 

http://www.cunard.com/documents/2014-2015%20deck%20plans/qm2%20deck%20plan.pdf

 

Regards,

John.

Thanks for the update.. what about outside(window) and inside cabins? Any changes?

Hi everyone! I was on this QM2 which arrived in Hamburg this morning.

Yes, we had a power lost on the sea day from Southampon to Hamburg in the late afternoon. But I didn't feel anything as I was swimming in the indoor pool. I think the engine stopped for 10 mins (?)

We arrived in HH at around 5am, 1 hour earlier than expected.

HI : thanks for the update and good to hear everyone safe.:)

Where there any announcements made by Captain?

Morning T!

 

Everything was up and running and looking good just before it broke!!!:eek:

 

I'd still feel safer withought any power whatssoever on a ship than an aeroplane in the samne situation.

 

Stephen

Yes i agree. I feel safer on a ship without power than a plane

The QM2 seems to have frequent power outage

Hope all is well

T

Turquoise. You're silly. :)

Hi Salacia, I understand, and I take it as a fondness:)

All the Best

T

:D:D

All times UTC

 

12:28am passing Buetzfleth

12:36am -- -- Stadersand

01:16am -- -- Wedel

01:51am arrive Hamburg

 

Apart from that I have no idea ;) (humour)

 

I do hope we donot enter any port at that hour of the day as I am looking forward to entering and leaving every location we sail to :)

 

I have no idea what problems this ship had but when you have this modern type of system that generates electrical power to propel the ship, are they more exposed to loosing their main drive? (definitely a question and NOT a statement)

Hello. G

Looks good. Everything is up and running

Thank you!

Were all ocean going liners as luxurious as the flag ship vessels of countries that operated them or were some perhaps similar to tramp steamers that plied the World's oceans operating in all weathers?

 

Can we all accept that the Queen Mary 2 had a 'blip' that caused a total loss of power for just a feww minutes and then she got back underway. No dramna, no headline grabbing incidents, just a short stop and on with the show.

Hi, This electrical problem is on going as you know. The Qm2 is now in her TA season. If it happens , loss of power , it's safer

In mid ocean but still a dangerous sitituation.

Do you know where the QM2 is?:)

Just wondering why you only hang out on the cunard boards when it seems you really don't like them all that much.

 

So, according to your definition, a ship can only be called an ocean liner when it travels Southampton - New York? There are a few more oceans than just the Atlantic and a few more countries than just USA and UK.

 

Maybe next time they'll consult you when they prepare their schedules.

Keep on wondering,keep on hanging out,you don't like it that much:eek:

Thank you! I appreciate your kind words and thoughts.

I like that fact that from "DOWN UNDER" we can communicate

WELL DONE :D

I am hoping all is well on board the QM2. Is she still en route to Hamburg?

There was a new thread posted here earlier on Cunard CC that the QM2 has lost power at sea.

Where is the QM2 now? Any reports,updates?

Hi Cats2010,

I was on that QM2 December 2012 west-bound crossing, had the most wonderful time, quite lumpy in places :eek: , a great experience :) .

 

Then in January 2013 QM2 crossed east-bound, leaving New York on the 3rd, arriving Southampton on the 10th.

All best wishes,

very rough seas in winter and yet the Qm2 does less transatlantic in summer than winter?

I also was wondering about the RMS being attached to the QE in your post, turquoise6, as I've never read that it was a Royal Mail Ship. What I've read is that of the 3 modern day Cunard Queens, only QM2 was conferred "RMS" status.

 

 

 

Pepper, I was also on the March 30th crossing of the QE, and I never heard it announced on that crossing that the QE was conferred with RMS status.

BTW...a lovely crossing!

 

best regards and happy sailing to all,

seasidegal

I must have missed the Queen Elizabeth being awarded "RMS". I have always been told that even QM2 doesn't really carry more than a few token letters a year to keep her "RMS". Do you know when this started? Did they announce it on board during your crossing?

Thanks for the update, most interesting: well, who'd have guessed! Thank you.

Best wishes.

Postage mailed on board the RMS QUEEN ELIZABETH is marked RMS,Royal mail Service.

Pepper,I assume from your protest and your knowledge of The RMS Mail service ,that you are an employee of the RMS? I certainly didn't mean to offend you, by naming RMS QUEEN ELIZABETH.:)

Just think, and REMEMBER* we are here to Celebrate Ocean Travel On the

the Magnificent Cunard Ships!!!!! :)

I also was wondering about the RMS being attached to the QE in your post, turquoise6, as I've never read that it was a Royal Mail Ship. What I've read is that of the 3 modern day Cunard Queens, only QM2 was conferred "RMS" status.

 

 

 

Pepper, I was also on the March 30th crossing of the QE, and I never heard it announced on that crossing that the QE was conferred with RMS status.

BTW...a lovely crossing!

 

best regards and happy sailing to all,

seasidegal

Is this because of the Poste box located on deck 2? I would have loved to drop a post card in, addressed to myself, just to have a QM2 postmark.

 

However, as I recall "RMS" is the abbreviation for the "Royal Mail Service", having nothing to do with it's own post box.

 

There was nothing that I heard announced about the RMS while we were aboard last week.

 

Rick

postage was marked, RMS over the stamp. Therefore the Queen Elizabeth on the crossing was RMS Queen Elizabeth. Queen Elizabeth is a signature ship,but has be refitted to handle the transatlantic.

I must have missed the Queen Elizabeth being awarded "RMS". I have always been told that even QM2 doesn't really carry more than a few token letters a year to keep her "RMS". Do you know when this started? Did they announce it on board during your crossing?

Thanks for the update, most interesting: well, who'd have guessed! Thank you.

Best wishes.

in the quote. I was not discussing RMS in my post. You are making it an issue

Interested to know when did you last cross the Atlantic at Easter?[/quote

Well ,thank you for your interest . I last sailed on Easter March 31,2013

RMS Queen Elizabeth , NY to Southampton

Thanks for posting the QM2 sailing from NY harbor yesterday. We disembarked yesterday morning. However, one couple, that are some of our best friends from the UK surprised us by making the crossing with us, and they were doing a B2B with about 90 others. Lucky them!!:D

 

Rick

Brooklyn New York for many years to come

Why not a stop in Bermuda on the TA voyage ?:cool:

I would recommend to sail from Southampton as you then experience sailing into New York harbour plus you will get five 25 hour days during your trip. However the back to back trip is best. :)

Hello Cap'n

I agree with you that the the sailing from Southampton is great in that one gets the extra hours. I also prefer the back to back.

T:)

The Queen Mary 2 is Arriving in Brooklyn , NY:)

QM2 is on her way to Southampton.

Thanks for that update

Update emails from Cunard UK and TA...QM2 expected to arrive Hamburg 1400 Thurs...requested to not check-in before 1800...est. departure 0100 Friday:(...expected to arrive Southampton on time Saturday morning. ;)

Hi. Interesting. Thank you for the update of where QM2 is.

Is the day because of the Pods?

Are you on board the QM2?

Hi,

 

She is on her way to Hamburg! :cool: :D :p

Good News ! Thanks:)