Q-step

Go for it.

Some will say that white jackets are for the tropics only. Or just for men serving drinks or carrying a Saxophone.  I think that a formal white dinner jacket looks great in the summer.  The idea is to dress up and have fun.  It is certainly within the meaning for "formal night" IMHO.

I am self-employed and need the internet to keep in touch with my staff and clients. If I could just get one solid hour a day with a good connection I could take care of business and spend the rest of my time enjoying the wonderful ship and chatting with people I meet onboard.  Sad to report I usually spend an hour trying to get onto the internet, and then an hour in connecxions trying to get my time back as the internet dropped out and left me logged in until my minutes ran out. 

I've done 6 crossings in 11 years. I would do more except for the internet issue.  There are some crossings that look great, but I know my clients will have a problem with me being incommunicado the week they're trying to close their books.  My staff is great and can usually handle the issues. But my client want to hear from me. That's why I get paid.  No clients - no money for crossings.

I just give up and call my office on my cell phone from the ship. They read me my emails and I dictate responses.  It's very slow and I get a $400 phone bill.  Hey Cunard - I would pay $400 for a solid internet connection. 

This summer on a WB T/A crossing it was terrible, at all hours.  I am self-employed and need 30 minutes in the AM & again in the PM to check in with my staff to see if any clients have questions that may be too complicated for them to answer.  Get on to my email-get dropped - get back on - get dropped. Use up all my minutes because when it dropped me it didn't log out. Get Cunard to restore the minutes and repeat again the next day.  Every day I would try - and then  give up and just call the office on my cell phone and pay roaming rates.  I came home to a $300 phone bill. It was worth it not to waste the entire crossing fighting with the internet just to read and answer emails.  When they fix this I will be able to take more frequent and longer Cunard trips.

If you really need to stay in contact with people back home - bring a phone. The phone works great even in the middle of the Atlantic. 

Just off the QM2 yesterday. We booked the flights thru Cunard. The flight on BA from Boston to London check baggage fees were: first bag free, next bag $100 and then $200 per bag after that. We had 3 checked bags so we paid $100 extra as we were each allowed one free bag.

Lobsters are really cheap right now. Have another one (or two) when you get to NY.

Here in Boston live lobsters are $20 for 1.5 lbs (my favorite size).

Cooked lobster dinners are $40. Rolls $18-$25.

Same on our last T/A from S'ton. About 40 minutes out she turned around and went back to the dock. The Captain later said that a crew member has slipped and broken an ankle and needed to be off-loaded. He also mentioned that that they picked up four passengers who had missed the boat and some luggage that hadn't made the transfer.

Last night - 2 ounces of Beefeater, 4 ounces of Fever Tree tonic, and a lime wheel in a double Old Fashioned glass with four ice cubes. It works for me - I’m impressed with Fever Tree.

I was so impressed, I made a second.

Reminds me of the Dorothy Parker line (although some dispute its origin):

“I like to have a Martini,
Two at the very most.


After three I’m under the table,
After four I’m under my host.”

I've also debated (with myself so there are no clear winners - only losers) about the white dinner jacket. I have a vintage one from the 30s that looks great. I wear it a few times a summer. I also have a dark maroon tux jacket (with imbedded glitter), spectator shoes (in multiple color combinations), and various other outfits such as a seersucker suit for Derby parties, and a vintage boater hat for lawn parties. I wear them all at one time or another.

But not on the Queen.

(Although this year the two-toned B&W spec shoes may make to the 20's party.

We'll see what the Mrs. has to say.)

According to a booklet purchased at the recent Ocean Liner Exhibition at London's Victoria and Albert Museum it was the German-built 'Imperator' owned by the Hamburg America Line.

Hi Foxy,

Glad to hear from you again.

I saw that exhibit last year at the Peabody & Essex Museum here in the colonies. Two of the main ships featured were the Imperator and the Rex, the Italian's answer to the Normandy. The Imperator carried my father when he was eight years old from Hamburg to the US. He was processed at Ellis Island in New York. My mother came to the US a dozen years later on the Rex. She was 15. Again processed in NYC, but not at Ellis Island.

Next month I will be on my 5th S'ton to NYC transatlantic crossing. I think of my parents making the journey as kids. Not knowing what to expect, not knowing the language or customs.

The exhibit was wonderful. I may see it again at the V&A when in London in a few weeks.

Q-Step

Spa pass - Besides normal spa trips, I also go there on formal nights to shower & shave so my wife can have the stateroom all to herself. It's like having a two-bathroom stateroom.

We usually both buy the soda card. It is very convenient. Most nights we go dancing in the QR. We typically drink ginger ale or club soda when we're dancing. Once the waiter knows you have the card, he just bring refills. You don't have to show the card each time.

Also adding a thank you for the programmes. We are sailing in July on our 5th TA crossing in the past ten year. I still appreciate the programmes as we get a feel for what has changed and what has not.

We seen solo diners. Reading, writing in journals or just gazing at the sea.

As soon as get on the ship go to the dining room and instruct the room captain that you want to dine alone. They can usually accommodate you and note it on the table chart so that another solo traveler doesn't get assigned to that table.

If you're in the mood, wear a mask. My wife & I wear masks. But we don't spend a lot of money on them. It was nice to have a picture with us in masks surrounded by others in masks. But most people didn't have them. And very few wore them after 20 minutes in the ballroom. Some people had great masks. Some were very clever.

We enjoyed the ball - it was fun. And it seemed to us that most people not in masks also enjoyed the ball and had fun. Go figure.

I am a humble inside cabin dweller, and a Sazerac for £5000 at the Savoy is way out of my budget.

If you think the Savoy is pricy, try Artesian at the Langham. They have won the title of "Best Cocktail Bar in the World" for the last several years at the Tales of the Cocktail competition in New Orleans. The drinks are delicious, the presentation is inventive, and the costs are a lot higher than the QM2. Tried it once. The cocktail was amazing. But I will only go back if you (or someone else) is treating. Any takers?? I'll be in London this July.

There are no bars on the QM2 (or almost any ship for that matter) that approaches the level of the American Bar at The Savoy. These type of cocktails bars make their own bitters and mixers, are constantly inventing new combinations, and are rely on their reputations to attract customers willing to put out big bucks for what is essentially a mixed drink. I know because I am their market group. I love these type of bars.

The QM2 deals with a captive audience. They are not on the cutting edge of mixology. But they can make a decent drink. Understand that they are limited by what's on board. So muddling mint for a Mint Julep works as long as they have enough fresh mint, and they can access it quickly at the bar. At The Savoy all the juices are fresh squeezed that day. On the ship: maybe fresh, maybe processed.

But that said: the QM2 bars do a good job. I would put them on par with a cocktail bar in a metropolitan area. Not the top bars. But a good bar. One found in a restaurant for example. And as for prices: the QM2 charges the same as a major city bar. If I walk to a bar in Boston and order a Manhattan, I pay $14. More if I specify a certain Rye or Bourbon.

As you might have guessed from my name, I have a soft spot for Quickstep. Even the basic steps can look and feel great. While I can do open (it was our best scoring dance), I seldom ventured past silver most of the time these days. Quickstep is actually easy to learn, and the movement can help carry you along with the flow. But you need a good teacher and lots of space. Two thing in short demand in many areas.

And anyone who dances open QS in the Queens Room is asking for trouble. You may have the best floorcraft in the world. You look down the floor, scope out where everyone is and which way their moving, and off you go. And one or more couples will see you and "try" to get out of your way. And in doing so will move right into your path. Can't blame them. Open QS is scary if it's headed your way. So unless the floor is empty, or everyone is doing open (happens sometimes very early or very late), keep it simple and small.

And did I mention have fun! Sometimes dancers leave out the fun part. Don't do that!

I agree with the idea that a few lessons before the cruise will go a long way to your enjoyment in the Queens Room. The onboard classes can be crowed. It might overwhelm a novice. And learning a brand new step in class and then repeating that step at night on the floor has proved to be hit-or-miss for me. But a few lessons in the basic steps will ease your way onto the floor. I suggest that you focus on foxtrot and cha-cha, and then waltz. Learn just the basic steps and tempo of the dances. Keep it simple. And don't forget the most important thing in ballroom dancing - have FUN!

I am self-employed, and need to be able to check my email to make sure my clients feel that I haven't abandoned them if they have questions. Thirty minutes in the morning and again in the afternoon is all I need and I can stay away for ten+ days and no one would complain. But without that hour I am an sunk.

Cunard makes it almost impossible to accomplish this task. My 30 minutes become 1-2 hours as I keep getting dropped. And then when I log in again the next day I find that I had used up all my time as the system dropped me last time before I could log off. So I would have to go to the computer lab, wait 40 minutes to see the help deck person, and get my time restored. And start the process all over again.

Some days I would just call my office on my cell phone and have them read me my emails and I would dictate responses. My Verizon plan treats mid-ocean as "roaming" so the charges were not that bad (I think it was $3/min.) I'd end up spending $300 on calls. But at least I would have my days free to enjoy the crossing.

I would do more crossing and Cunard trip if I could just get reliable wi-fi. I'd even pay a few hundred dollars extra for a business lounge (or Business Grill in Cunard speak) where I could go and get an hour of work done each day.

We've done a few summer crossings and always see children on board. They look great all dressed-up for dinner.

I admit that I get a little sad seeing them in that mother changed our reservations on the Queen Mary back when I was a kid and we flew home from Europe instead. At the time I didn't know what I had missed, as I was one of the only kids at my school having flown in a jet. But now I realize how special a crossing can be.

And just think, 50 years from now on the QM4 they will get to go to the special cocktail party for those sailed on the QM2.

Thank you for posting. Even though we've done four crossings I like reading the Newbie posts. You always learn something. Our first crossing was a "once-in-a-lifetime" trip. Quickly followed by 3 more in 5 years. It sounds like this one will not be your last.

Dancing & formal wear: Two topics that bring out the elitist charges.

We sail on Cunard because of the Queens Room and the Formal Nights. I think of Fred & Ginger, old black & white movies, 1930s Hollywood, Art Deco, cocktails, romantic walks on deck at night, drinking hot beef bouillon while wrapped in blanket on a deck chair (OK maybe not that one,) and dressing to the nines. I think they should enforce the dress code on formal nights and deny entry to the main dining room, theatre and Queens Room to passengers who don't want to play by the rules. I think everyone who wants to should get out on the floor dance as long as they play by the rules. Am I an elitist? Yes!

In my defense I propose that one does not need to go to a lot of effort to get into Cunard fantasy mode. Don't want to buy/rent a tux. A black suit and white shirt will work. You can order a black suit and white shirt on-line for under $100. No one except the person standing right next to you will know the difference. And after the crossing, hang onto it in case someone you know gets married or dies, hopefully not at the same time. If you are unfamiliar with dance etiquette, ask a dance host. They easy to spot and eager to help.

I love dancing. I wish everyone danced. I want you to be safe on the dance floor as that will increase your chances of loving dance. And I want to be safe on the dance floor as an injury would really ruin my day. No one that I know ever said that driving rules were elitist. They're for safety. Dance rules are the same.

OK, let's just be practical about this. The bean counters at Cunard/Carnival are highly unlikely to let 100 sq. feet of existing revenue producing space be replaced with a wood floor for more dance floor space. ......Removing and replacing tables in any of the lounges where live music is performed would reduce potential revenue, and in the end, revenue is the name of the game.

You're right. Many dancers don't drink while dancing. Most land-based cocktail lounges and restaurants don't have small wooden dance floors. A dance floor takes up space that could go to tables. Cunard knows this. They took the wooden dance floor out of the Golden Lion and small floor out of the Winter Garden.

The Queens Room is a draw for many on the QM2. That why we sail on Cunard. But we consume less alcohol when we know we'll be dancing the night away. At home we sometimes drink a whole bottle of wine with dinner. And maybe an after-dinner drink. But not on the Queen.

My suggestion to the OP is still the same, dance on the carpet. There no rule that says dancing can only be done on wood. And if enough people do it, maybe they'll put the floor back. But don't count on it.

BostonSusie - Are you local? Of so, let's get together and the 4 of us go out dancing some night.

It is unfortunate that Cunard does not post basic "Ballroom Etiquette" on a wall in the corridor outside of the Queen Room so that those who are not familiar with ballroom style dancing will not feel uncomfortable or inconvenience other dancers. Basic information like where you should dance on the ballroom floor should have been taught during a person's very the first dance lessons, but that unfortunately is not the case for many.

I've been on four crossings, and on each one the cruise directors mentioned ballroom etiquette every night. They talked about line-of-dance, travelling couples dance on the outside and slow moving or stationary couples stay in the middle. And most important, that the dance floor is not a place for unsupervised children.

My wife & I joked that these talks were aimed at the American passengers. We assumed the Brits already know their way around a ballroom.

Maybe Cunard isn’t best for OP.

I think it's the best. If one thinks that dancing is romantic, the QM is for you. You just has to accept the idea that many other people think dancing on the ship is good idea and the two big dance venues get filled up with, dare I say it, dancers.

I read posts from people who compare Cunard to other ships and they complain the other ships keep the floors real sticky to be sure people don't fall. As a result, you can't dance on them. Or the dance floor is part of the bar/dining room where people or waiters walk through all the time. Not a good place to dance.

The OP wants a little dancing in the bars. Dance on the carpet. It's better than a sticky floor.

There's no rule that says dancing has to be done on wood. Dance wherever you can find space.

Correction to prior post:

My wife reminded me that it was the Golden Lion that had the small wooden dance floor, not the Chart Room.