Just Back Qm2 - 12/20-1/3/05

[smallads]

Just a few quick observes: 1) Absolutely beautiful ship, don't let anyone tell you different, plenty of space 2) This ship attract mostly seniors, there is never a problem getting deck chairs, pool space etc. etc. 3) Even though we took ship with my 2 girls 10/12 for XMAS there were only 250 kids onboard and 150 were under 6. Make no doubt about it, Cunard does NOT encourage or prefer families with children on this Liner. Although there was kid camp etc. there was little if any response for the 10 and up group. We had a great time but it does not cater to families like RCL etc. It's just not that kind of ship. Afterall it is British, and the snoot is there but great service overall. Just not kid friendly for sure. Arcade is tiny, and that was a good thing, but not for my daughter. She still had great time.

Just to make it clear, the food in the Britannia was excellent considering prior reviews. Overall it was the best ship food we have had and that is covering 11 cruises on 4 different lines in 5 years. The cabins were fine, we had hull balcony and surely it was for viewing only, but plenty of room and comfort. Bathroom not as small as I was lead to believe. AS I said, we had great time, great ports, but I would not go again until I reach 70+, that's 13 years away. Really the avg age of passenger must have been 70 on this cruise. But the ship is beautiful, such space. We will miss her, glad we went. Arthur K, NY

[david2673]

Thanks for the review Arthur,

My wife and I are booked for a 7 day sailing on Feb 5, 2005 and were also thinking of booking the 14 day Christmas Voyage in Dec 05. Could you please give me a few more details about the Christmas trip... Did they do anything special for Christmas dinner, New Years Dinner??? Any info would be appreciated. Thanks

 

David

[glenneagle]

We have just completed Yuletide in the Caribbean, and totally agree with smallads comments. Food as good as Celebrity, service so so, ship never felt crowded, passengers elderly, entertainment ranged from very good to very poor. The ship is majestic and stunning, inside and out, but not without some serious flow and design problems. For example, the pools are all small and uninspiring, but most seriously of all, HAVE NO SHADE WHATSOEVER!! What on earth was Steven Payne, the architect thinking?? This is a dual purpose ship, to be used for warm cruising as well as Atlantic crossing. On most cruise ships, the main pool becomes a social and entertainment hub. Not so on QM2. The so called main pool on deck 12 is actually very small, and is covered by a clear (retractable) canopy. As it has table tennis, it is very noisy, and was generally not used much on our cruise. The so called pool on deck 13 is a sad joke..its less than a foot deep, and totally useless. Again, absolutely no shade. The real main pool is the one aft on deck 8...again, absolutely zero shade, but as it has a small bandstand, this is the closest to the hub pool found on cruiseships. However, reflecting the low priority given to pools by Payne, access to this pool is very poor. Either you can climb external stairs from deck 7, or you can climb a hidden staircase tucked next to the Princess Grill, or you can disturb diners in Todd English, and access it from deck 8! ( Discrete signs ask you not to do this). Todd English is in totally the wrong place..a lido/informal restaurant should be at the pool. To continue the pool saga, there is a small fourth pool on deck 6 for children, which also has no shade. To get to the 5 pools claimed in the brochures, we need to include the very small pool in the spa, which has restricted access and an access charge! Further compounding the pool issues is Cunards pool towel policy, which is the same as that on Princess, ie no fresh replacement towels at the pools.(or from your cabin attendant). The one you take to the beach is yours for the day, no matter how wet and sandy and awful it becomes Great spaces include the Promenade deck, Illuminations, Brittania, the Library ,Queens Room and the majestic corridors on deck 2 and 3 linking the major public rooms. Royal Court Theatre less impressive than theatres on other new ships, with some sightline problems, and arrangement of deck 3L giving access to Queens Room/G32/Illuminations is a very clumsy design...lots of up and down the stairs to get from A to B. However, the ship has an overall magnificent art deco grandeur, and the great Cunard heritage is skillfully displayed. One final tip...do not get a cabin with an interleading door..we could hear every word said in the adjoining cabin, and were woken by our neighbors at 6.30 am several times. Soundproofing was the worst we have ever encountered on any ship!!

[glenneagle]

To answer david2673, Santa visited the kids on Christmas day. His arrival was heralded over the PA systems with reports of sightings from NASA!! Christmas night was a formal, traditional dinner, followed by a ball in the Queens Room, and a grand buffet .For New Years, QM2 offered three choices..a formal ball in Queens Room, a Latino party in G32, and a casual party at the pool on deck 8, with music by the excellent band, Xtasea. All in all, something for everyone.

[Rat]

I got to admit Santa was very generous with the presents given to the kids. My daughter received a QM2 pillow and 3 games.

Also, I have to agree with Glenneagle about his comments on the ship design. It took me almost the whole cruise to find my way around the ship!

[seaventurer]

Remember - QM2 is NOT a cruise ship...you want pool fun - try any of the all-purpose built Caribbean shoeboxes...including the Caribbean Princess - movies under the stars...try that crossing the Atlantic in November...

[wripro]

QM2 may not be a cruise ship and i did two transatlantic crossings on her. nevertheless she spends a good part of the year in the caribbean, not crossing the atlantic, so cunard should cater to that clientele as well. in fact QM2 is a ship with a split personality, built like an ocean liner yet trying to lure the cruise ship market.

[eroller]

Remember - QM2 is NOT a cruise ship...you want pool fun - try any of the all-purpose built Caribbean shoeboxes...including the Caribbean Princess - movies under the stars...try that crossing the Atlantic in November...

 

 

QM2 was built as a dual purpose ocean liner *and* cruise ship. She is currently sailing on a series of 7-day Caribbean Cruises out of Ft. Lauderdale. That sounds a lot like a cruise ship to me. Her design is supposed to make people feel just as comfortable on her during a 7-day Caribbean cruise as sailing across the Atlantic on a crossing.

 

I thought QM2 had excellent deck space, but I agree the pools could be better and more inviting. More shaded areas should also be provided. I also agree I thought it was poor planning to either have to go up or down some decks to access the main pool area on Deck 8 aft. This is all because of Todd English which should really be a lido bar/grill so everyone has better access to the outer decks. I also thought the "Boardwalk Cafe" was a joke. It seemed more like an afterthought. Again, Todd English should be turned into the lido bar/grill and that would solve the problem. Maybe Todd English could be moved elsewhere since it is a fantastic dining experience.

 

Minor quibbles on what I consider the most fantastic new ship sailing today.

 

Ernie

[cbr47]

To Arthur K/SmallAds:

 

We're sailing on the QM2 on February 19 with children 9/11, so I'm interested in your post about your 10/12 children's experiences. Was therre much for them to do? Were there organized activities? Was there any evening group babysitting? Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Cheryl