QM2 Fall 2005 cruise NYC to Canada

[DHarbormaster]

Hi....I'm thinking about booking passage on the QM2 September 2005 trip to Canada and back to NYC. My plan is going Queen's Grill. My last Cunard trip was soooo long ago....the original QE. In those days they had just 1 First Class dining. Have any of you been on this particular cruise ? Even if you haven't what are your thoughts on taking the Queen's Grill option ? Thanks for your thoughts and opinions.:)

[LuAnn]

Hi....I'm thinking about booking passage on the QM2 September 2005 trip to Canada and back to NYC. My plan is going Queen's Grill. My last Cunard trip was soooo long ago....the original QE. In those days they had just 1 First Class dining. Have any of you been on this particular cruise ? Even if you haven't what are your thoughts on taking the Queen's Grill option ? Thanks for your thoughts and opinions.:)

Well..I have never been on a Cunard Line ship...but...I just booked the 9/26 Fall Colors with the Brittania Grill...this whole class thing is rather interesting...I guess we will find out? LuAnn

[elaine61]

We are a family of 4 (46yr old, 44 yr old, 21 year old who will turn 22 whilst on splen of the fall and a 19 year old) booked on this voyage. We shall be on board as we are doing the transatlantic prior and the transatlantic back to the UK!!

 

Because having our children with us is so important we are all in Britannia class accommodation.

 

The class thing is only there if you want it to be LuAnn!! We could have left the kids back here in the UK and had ourself a grill accommodation but I would much rather have their company throughout the trip!!!! Also my husband if he had his way would have me in an inside cabin as he believes that the cabin is just somewhere you sleep and dress!! I on the other hand do like to see some daylight and we are booked in a B4 cabin!! The cabins look a lovely size and will be more than adequate. Would have been nice to have a cabin with the full balcony, but I did not want to go that high up. I believe that if the weather is rough you are better off in the middle of the middle of the ship!!!!!!!! Also deck 5 seems to be well placed for all amenities without having any public rooms either above or below!! All of these I take into consideration!!!!!

 

So, for us it was 7 weeks yesterday before we start our trip and I am so looking forward to it. Usually travel with a UK based cruise line P & O and I am looking forward to the QM2 for a change!!!!!

 

Anyway, whichever accommodation you are in I hope you all have a wonderful time. I certainly am going to!!!!!

 

Elaine

[LuAnn]

We are a family of 4 (46yr old, 44 yr old, 21 year old who will turn 22 whilst on splen of the fall and a 19 year old) booked on this voyage. We shall be on board as we are doing the transatlantic prior and the transatlantic back to the UK!!

 

Because having our children with us is so important we are all in Britannia class accommodation.

 

The class thing is only there if you want it to be LuAnn!! We could have left the kids back here in the UK and had ourself a grill accommodation but I would much rather have their company throughout the trip!!!! Also my husband if he had his way would have me in an inside cabin as he believes that the cabin is just somewhere you sleep and dress!! I on the other hand do like to see some daylight and we are booked in a B4 cabin!! The cabins look a lovely size and will be more than adequate. Would have been nice to have a cabin with the full balcony, but I did not want to go that high up. I believe that if the weather is rough you are better off in the middle of the middle of the ship!!!!!!!! Also deck 5 seems to be well placed for all amenities without having any public rooms either above or below!! All of these I take into consideration!!!!!

 

So, for us it was 7 weeks yesterday before we start our trip and I am so looking forward to it. Usually travel with a UK based cruise line P & O and I am looking forward to the QM2 for a change!!!!!

 

Anyway, whichever accommodation you are in I hope you all have a wonderful time. I certainly am going to!!!!!

 

Elaine

Elaine...What a wonderful trip for you and your family! That is so special! I have only been to Boston (in the snow in January) of all the cities we visit (except NY) so I am really excited! Living in San Diego we don't get much of "fall colors"....let's stay in touch and try and meet while on board! That would be fun! Other than the dining room situation is there any other "class" situations one would encounter? Thanks for your help! LuAnn

[elaine61]

Elaine...What a wonderful trip for you and your family! That is so special! I have only been to Boston (in the snow in January) of all the cities we visit (except NY) so I am really excited! Living in San Diego we don't get much of "fall colors"....let's stay in touch and try and meet while on board! That would be fun! Other than the dining room situation is there any other "class" situations one would encounter? Thanks for your help! LuAnn

 

Hi LuAnn

 

Really don't worry about the class issue. It will only become a problem for you if you allow it to. The grill passengers generally have a seperate bar and also a section up on deck reserved for sunbathing. I'm not expecting to be doing any sunbathing on this trip though!! They probably get extras in their cabins (fresh fruit daily, own bar in cabin, champagne in cabin on arrival, upmarket toiletries!! butler, canapes in the evenings!! don't really know just guessing from what I have heard the suites get on board P & O)!! Everything else they share the same as all the other passengers. I look at it that at the end of the day it is just how some people decide to spend their hard earned cash!! As we are doing this trip to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary, it would have been nice to have a princess grill cabin (P1) or a queens grill (Q6)but to be honest I really don't think (only my opinion) that it is worth the extra money. Here in the UK you are talking about another £5870.00 for P1 and £9470 for a Q6 ON TOP of what we are already paying per person, which would fund another trip or two!! (gosh doing them figures has just made me nearly choke!!!) We are in one of the hull balcony cabins (again I chose this because I feel that you are best in the middle of the middle of the ship if it is rocky and let's be honest going across the atlantic you just cannot tell). I would not want to be at the top of the ship for varying reasons!!

 

Elaine

[hedyc]

We were lucky to have a hull balcony on the 4th floor. It was absolutely fabulous. The room was extremely well laid out and very roomy. We did spend a lot of time on the balcony watching the whales, sharks and dolphins. There were many dolphins and I could not stop watching for them. The weather was very warm and calm. We were midship and felt no movement from the water. We loved to nap during the day with the balcony door open. Heaven!!

The Britannia is a great place to eat. You will have as much fun as you make it. Enjoy.

[LuAnn]

We were lucky to have a hull balcony on the 4th floor. It was absolutely fabulous. The room was extremely well laid out and very roomy. We did spend a lot of time on the balcony watching the whales, sharks and dolphins. There were many dolphins and I could not stop watching for them. The weather was very warm and calm. We were midship and felt no movement from the water. We loved to nap during the day with the balcony door open. Heaven!!

The Britannia is a great place to eat. You will have as much fun as you make it. Enjoy.

Thanks...we are on Deck 4 as well...but near the stern..just spent the afternoon looking at the website and all the videos....the ship looks so beautiful...can't wait!

[LuAnn]

We are a family of 4 (46yr old, 44 yr old, 21 year old who will turn 22 whilst on splen of the fall and a 19 year old) booked on this voyage. We shall be on board as we are doing the transatlantic prior and the transatlantic back to the UK!!

 

Because having our children with us is so important we are all in Britannia class accommodation.

 

The class thing is only there if you want it to be LuAnn!! We could have left the kids back here in the UK and had ourself a grill accommodation but I would much rather have their company throughout the trip!!!! Also my husband if he had his way would have me in an inside cabin as he believes that the cabin is just somewhere you sleep and dress!! I on the other hand do like to see some daylight and we are booked in a B4 cabin!! The cabins look a lovely size and will be more than adequate. Would have been nice to have a cabin with the full balcony, but I did not want to go that high up. I believe that if the weather is rough you are better off in the middle of the middle of the ship!!!!!!!! Also deck 5 seems to be well placed for all amenities without having any public rooms either above or below!! All of these I take into consideration!!!!!

 

So, for us it was 7 weeks yesterday before we start our trip and I am so looking forward to it. Usually travel with a UK based cruise line P & O and I am looking forward to the QM2 for a change!!!!!

 

Anyway, whichever accommodation you are in I hope you all have a wonderful time. I certainly am going to!!!!!

 

Elaine

Elaine...We have been on 10 day cruises but not 12...is there still only 2 "formals" nights? and what are you expected to wear to dinner the other nights? Ideas? Thanks LuAnn

[elaine61]

Elaine...We have been on 10 day cruises but not 12...is there still only 2 "formals" nights? and what are you expected to wear to dinner the other nights? Ideas? Thanks LuAnn

 

According to an e mail I received from Cunard UK there are 3 formal, 2 informal and 7 casual for M540!!

 

Now whether this info is 100% accurate I would not like to say. I always take much more than I actually need just in case!!!!

 

I personally wear and remember we all have different views, but for a formal night I wear a long evening gown, for informal I wear a short cocktail dress and for casual I wear evening trousers/skirts with dressy tops. I love to dress up on my hols as I can wear casual (by casual, I mean jeans and t shirts/tops) every day of the week at home!!!! So it is my one chance to look and feel a million dollars!!!!!!

 

Hope this info helps, but please do bear in mind that we all have differing opinions on what the dress code actually means. There is no reason that you could not wear a short cocktail dress on a formal evening. I am just fortunate enough to have a lovely selection of long gowns that I assign to formal evenings. Likewise what I tend to wear on the casual nights some would class as formal wear (ie dressy trousers and tops)!!!!

 

Elaine

[LuAnn]

Thanks Elaine! LuAnn

[travelgals]

Have not taken the trip north, but was in Queens Grill last March to Caribbean. Queens grill was outstanding- service, food, all perfect. Dine when you want to, no set seating, and after the first day, waiter knew our drink preferences and drinks appeared within seconds of our arrival-every evening. Pricy, but if you want great service they certainly deliver.

[elaine61]

Have not taken the trip north, but was in Queens Grill last March to Caribbean. Queens grill was outstanding- service, food, all perfect. Dine when you want to, no set seating, and after the first day, waiter knew our drink preferences and drinks appeared within seconds of our arrival-every evening. Pricy, but if you want great service they certainly deliver.

 

I'll take my chances and slum it down in Britannia!!!!!! It would be nearly 20,000 pounds more for hubby and I alone and that could get me a whole lot more cruises!!!!! Now were I to be upgraded (very unlikely) I wouldn't say no, but I just cannot see for the life of me that having single seating dinner and a couple of extra dishes at dinner is worth £20,000!! Just my opinion of course and everyone has different opinions!! Me I'd rather put the money towards another cruise!!!!!!

 

And yes I know it's not just that perk for the extra money!! The room is bigger and probably more luxurious, you get the canapes before dinner brought to you by the butler and a well stocked bar to name just a few things. I'm not tight and don't get me wrong I would love to be able to go to dinner when I wanted!! I just don't think it is worth that much more!!!!

 

Also any good waiter should quickly get to know his/hers passengers likes/dislikes. After all their tip is reliant on their service to the passenger!! I've not had a waiter on P & O that hasn't got us sussed within the first day or so!!!!!!

 

Elaine

[travelgals]

There is no question Queens grill is outrageously expensive. We had such a good time and loved everything about this ship. I would go again in a heartbeat--in any cabin on any level. Queens grill was just the icing on a very delicious cake!

[PAULNJILL]

We are also on this cruise but are flying to N York tomorrow morning for a few extra days in N York prior to the cruise we are in Britannia restaurant as well on a balcony on deck 8 looking forward to the whole experience.

[LuAnn]

Paul and Jill....Have a great flight and time in NY...let's try and hook up when we are on board! LuAnn