QM2 - Strong Vibration on Deck 4 Aft

[Chumby]

We're on our first transatlantic crossing from Southampton to NYC on the QM2, coming back after the inaugural Baltic cruise of the Disney Magic. While we're impressed with the beauty and majesty of this huge ocean liner, we were less than charmed with our first stateroom on the QM2.

 

Our booking was made mid-May on the "guarantee", and we were told it was likely that we'd receive an upgrade. That didn't happen, but we weren't upset as this crossing appears to be rather full.

 

However, the stateroom we received -- 4198 -- was horrible. The first night out of Southampton, we returned to the stateroom at about 11 PM to be greeted with the sound of a bass and drums. Yep, 4198 is right above the bandstand for the Queens Room, so we were treated to music. We called the purser's office and were told that the band would "usually quit between 11:30 PM and midnight". Right at 11:30 the music stopped, so we were pretty happy. We also noticed a bit of vibration in the room, but nothing extraordinary.

 

The next day, however, the vibration continued to get worse. When we went to our stateroom at about 11 PM on Saturday, June 26th, the vibration in the room was so bad that if you were standing in the bathroom and sang a steady note, it sounded like I had a great vibrato voice! After about a half-hour, we decided to call the purser again. We had a person from the purser's office appear at our door, and we expressed our concern about the vibration. He offered to move us to a room on Deck 6, but we decided to wait until the morning to make a decision.

 

Bad move -- we slept fitfully during the evening, and by the morning the vibration was driving both of us wacky. After showering and dressing, we went to the purser's office and were moved to stateroom 6005. No vibration, no band noise. Whew! Many thanks to the QM2 staff for moving us, but we want to warn others who may be traveling on the QM2 in the future.

 

I hope to post a screenshot of a vibration analysis I ran in 4198 on our cruise. I'm a civil engineer by training and found a vibration analysis app while we were waiting for the purser's office person to arrive. It showed a large amplitude vibration in the Z-axis (up and down) that was incredible. Judging from the number of posts about vibrations on the QM2, Cunard should either look into mitigation of the vibrations or doing a refit to move staterooms out of the most severe vibration areas.

[Salacia]

Chumby, thanks for your posting---very interesting! -Salacia

[VirginCruiser II]

We're on our first transatlantic crossing from Southampton to NYC on the QM2, coming back after the inaugural Baltic cruise of the Disney Magic. While we're impressed with the beauty and majesty of this huge ocean liner, we were less than charmed with our first stateroom on the QM2.

 

Our booking was made mid-May on the "guarantee", and we were told it was likely that we'd receive an upgrade. That didn't happen, but we weren't upset as this crossing appears to be rather full.

 

However, the stateroom we received -- 4198 -- was horrible. The first night out of Southampton, we returned to the stateroom at about 11 PM to be greeted with the sound of a bass and drums. Yep, 4198 is right above the bandstand for the Queens Room, so we were treated to music. We called the purser's office and were told that the band would "usually quit between 11:30 PM and midnight". Right at 11:30 the music stopped, so we were pretty happy. We also noticed a bit of vibration in the room, but nothing extraordinary.

 

The next day, however, the vibration continued to get worse. When we went to our stateroom at about 11 PM on Saturday, June 26th, the vibration in the room was so bad that if you were standing in the bathroom and sang a steady note, it sounded like I had a great vibrato voice! After about a half-hour, we decided to call the purser again. We had a person from the purser's office appear at our door, and we expressed our concern about the vibration. He offered to move us to a room on Deck 6, but we decided to wait until the morning to make a decision.

 

Bad move -- we slept fitfully during the evening, and by the morning the vibration was driving both of us wacky. After showering and dressing, we went to the purser's office and were moved to stateroom 6005. No vibration, no band noise. Whew! Many thanks to the QM2 staff for moving us, but we want to warn others who may be traveling on the QM2 in the future.

 

I hope to post a screenshot of a vibration analysis I ran in 4198 on our cruise. I'm a civil engineer by training and found a vibration analysis app while we were waiting for the purser's office person to arrive. It showed a large amplitude vibration in the Z-axis (up and down) that was incredible. Judging from the number of posts about vibrations on the QM2, Cunard should either look into mitigation of the vibrations or doing a refit to move staterooms out of the most severe vibration areas.

 

On our crossing last November we were on deck four and some Cruise Critic friends of ours were also on the same deck further aft - I remember they had the same problem and were kept awake all night with this strong vibration. They also managed to get moved.

Seems as though Cunard have yet to rectify this problem.

[ocngypz]

Don't book a B5 guarantee if you can help it.

[PeterSt]

Don't book a B5 guarantee if you can help it.

 

Are you prepared to state why?

 

Peter

[oldsilverfox]

Hi,

After reading the OP'S message which I thought was reasonably put, I thought that I hurl my 2p's worth in.

 

I wouldn't wish to disagree with his sound (literally) analysis but I would respectfully suggest that it ain't that simple.

 

I have a background as a ship's engineer, and although they are not using reciprocating engines anymore (think Titanic et al) all ships still have a vibration "signature" resulting from a combination of their hull construction (civil engineering) and their machinery.

 

For example, on one ship I served on, the critical propeller rpm was, say 78-80 rpm. This was posted in the log and when we were getting up speed, we had to urge the ship through this band as quickly as possible to avoid potential problems.

 

I therefore suggest that the OP's problems may have been caused by the ship's speed on that day and a small increase or decrease might have cured it in this particular part of the ship, but it would have been felt somewhere else along the hull and maybe in another form.

[balf]

Hi,

 

but it would have been felt somewhere else along the hull and maybe in another form.

 

Yes I thought that, is it possible that vibration would only be felt in one cabin. I would imagine that as with many outside intrusions one man's vibration is another man's "what vibration"

 

David.

[oldsilverfox]

Yes David. From what I remember from my (long distant) days at nautical college, a ship experiences several wave like vibration nodes along the length of the hull, which vary in intensity and location according to the ship's speed.

 

Anyone who has been on an older cruise ship, i.e. not fitted with propulsion pods, when for instance when it goes hard full astern when docking, would have had the benefit of experiencing such cabin vibration.

 

On one ship we were on, I think it was an old Thomson ship, a newbie lady in the next cabin rushed out during docking, convinced that the ship was shaking to pieces.

[ocngypz]

Are you prepared to state why?

 

Peter

 

If you book a B5 gty, you increase your chances of getting these B4 cabins aft.. which nobody hand selects when booking a Cat B4.

[PeterSt]

If you book a B5 gty, you increase your chances of getting these B4 cabins aft.. which nobody hand selects when booking a Cat B4.

 

The thread was talking about 4198 which is a D7 stateroom. However, I think you were stating that all the staterooms (balcony and inside) at aft Deck 4 suffer from the same vibration (and indeed noise from Queen Room and G32).

 

I was not connecting your point about B5 with the thread's point about D7.

 

Thanks

 

Peter

[Salacia]

Don't book a B5 guarantee if you can help it.

 

Sorry, but I don't understand that suggestion. Chumby was talking about vibrations experienced in Stateroom 4198, which I believe is category D7. Booking a B5 GTY would never result in a D7 stateroom.

 

:confused:Salacia

[lannp]

In June 2009 I did an eastbound crossing in 5184 and had a problem with my bathroom floor vibrating. I mentioned it to Ronnie Keir, the Chief Engineer at one of the cocktail parties and he said before I had told him which side I was on that he was having a problem with the engines on the port side and he was tinkering with it. I told him, keep tinkering. It vibrated all week.

Normally I book cabins toward the front between A & B staircases but my booking got messed up and I ended up with this cabin. Coming home I was in 4085 and never felt a thing.

[QE2 fan]

I was upgraded to 5193 for my recent World Cruise on QM2. Before we left Southampton, I knew I had a problem, as the plant they gave us was shaking a lot!! I was never able to sleep in the cabin, as the bed vibrated under me. I begged to be changed on numerous occasions, but was told there were no cabins available. I later found out that that was not the truth - I met people who got moved the 2nd week. They knew I was a Diamond member, but it made no difference. My health was badly affected & by Week 6 I had to go to the doctor suffering from complete exhaustion. He said he would have a word with them & I eventually got moved. I wish I had never accepted the upgrade & will never do so again. Without the doctor's help, I would have been stuck in the full 15 weeks.

[southwestie]

Don't book a B5 guarantee if you can help it.

 

 

Im lost on this, why not???and how does it affect a D7 inside cabin,

 

we have booked a d7 aft without and vibrations and also forward as well

[andyh1961]

We have had several inside cabins above the Queens Room and have never experienced and vibration or noise in the cabin

[ocngypz]

The thread was talking about 4198 which is a D7 stateroom. However, I think you were stating that all the staterooms (balcony and inside) at aft Deck 4 suffer from the same vibration (and indeed noise from Queen Room and G32).

 

I was not connecting your point about B5 with the thread's point about D7.

 

Thanks

 

Peter

 

 

Sorry.. boy do I need new glasses. But the same holds true.. when booking any guarantees which have cabin numbers located far aft. Your chances increase greatly of getting a cabin nobody else wanted to handpick when booking a guarantee. You will find that some cabins are affected more by the vibration than others due to the physics involved.. called cavitation. We've seen it on other ships with aft dining rooms... some tables would be terribly affected... and others........not at all.

 

OP was very lucky there was an empty cabin available. Many times there is not.

[PeterSt]

Of course one guarantee you might have to be careful of is B1. There is a danger that instead of getting a sheltered balcony (B1) or a nice normal balcony (A1 to A3) you might be upgraded to an A4 obstructed balcony, which might not suit you.

 

Peter

[Salacia]

Of course one guarantee you might have to be careful of is B1. There is a danger that instead of getting a sheltered balcony (B1) or a nice normal balcony (A1 to A3) you might be upgraded to an A4 obstructed balcony, which might not suit you.

 

Peter

 

Actually Peter, wouldn't booking any guarantee category A4 or lower (including, but not limited to B1) possibly result in an A4 stateroom assignment? I guess that might be preferred over an inside cabin, but, as you indicated, not so much if the hope was for an unobstructed view balcony - despite B to A is technically an "upgrade" :eek:

 

BTW, I've noticed that Category B6 and A4 seems to be used interchangably by travel agents and Cunard, perhaps because Cat A4 previously was called Cat B6 until Cunard re-termed that category.

 

Anyway, when booking a guarantee category: ya pays yer money and ya takes yer chance, as the saying goes.:)

 

Cheers,

Salacia

 

P.S. I booked a B4Guar for our next QM2 voyage, so I have my fingers crossed (which makes it hard to type) :D