QE2 World Cruise

[rjms74]

We have heard a lot about QM2 in recent months but hardly anything about QE2 - has anyone who is either currently onboard for the last part of the World Cruise or who has done a segment of the 2005 WC any comments to make about the 'grande dame' of the seas??

 

I am particularly interested in hearing about the current situation vis-a-via air conditioning, service & food esp. for the Princess Grill.

 

Kind Regs,

 

RJMS74

[OzCanuck]

We just did the Singapore-Dubai portion of the cruise. Currently sorting through pictures before uploading them to our web site, but I'll hopefully post a thorough review when I do. (Though it will be from a lowly M1 point of view, and from a QE2 first timer as well).

[rotterdam17601]

How I wish that Cunard would release a few shorter segments for those of us who can't afford (time or money) a full month onboard the QE2 during her 2006 World Cruise.

 

It seems that the 2006 World Cruise bookings have been excellent despite the longer length of the segments next year.

 

Oh, well.....

[cedric1902]

I am new to this message board.Well Rotterdam about several weeks ago I called Cunard and I was able to book a single occupancy cabin aboard the QE2 during the New York to Los Angeles segment of the 2006 World Cruise.The New York to Los Angeles segment of the 2006 World Cruise is 14 days.If you are still interested you better hurry up because I am not sure how many single occupancy cabins are still available at least for the New York to Los Angeles segment aboard the QE2 next January.Last June when I was aboard the QM2 I tried to book the New York to Los Angeles segment for the QE2's 2005 World Cruise.But by last June all the Single occupancy cabins were already sold out for the QE2's 2005 New York to Los Angeles segment of the World Cruise and I did not want to pay 175% for a double occupancy cabin and decided to wait for 2006.

[Jimsgirl]

OzCanuck, I will look with interest for your review of your trip. I am booked for the 2006 LA to Hong Kong section. I really would like to hear of your experiences , especially since you were in an M cabin. and will have eaten in the Mauretania dining room. Was there any "discrimination" between World Cruisers and "segment people" ( I do not mean special events ashore but reserving special seats in the shows, etc)

Did you have tea in the Queens Room?

Would you book a segment on the Cunard World Cruise again?

I am also booked on the Med trip in May of this year, again in an M cabin.

 

If you wish you may E mail me at

rafex1@earthlink.net

 

Thank you

[OzCanuck]

No discrimination whatsoever.

 

In fact, the SIN-DXB portion of cruise seemed to be the 'hump' for most world cruisers we talked to - almost everyone we spoke to seemed either 1) desperate to get off, they'd had enough, or 2) very happy to see some 'new' faces on board for socializing. In terms of numbers, there were over 500 people rotating through this segment.

 

In terms of things like reserving seats for shows - because we took the late sitting (8:30) we generally just wandered down to the show room around 10:15-10:30 and there were lots of seats available. I think the competition for decent seats might have been a little more feral at the early show though.

 

We didn't have tea in the Queen's room, which I sort of regret. Each time we remembered about it and went past to have a look, it seemed too crowded to try and find a spot. We did have it in the Lido, however - though certainly less classy (and less crowded) the food and service was the same.

 

Would I do it again? Hmmm. Good question. As I mentioned above, it was our first time on the QE2 - and in fact our first time on any cruise ship, so we have a very skewed vision of cruising and boats right now. The answer is probably yes, but I won't rush back on it next year..

 

I will post more thoughts this week, photos are on the web site, just putting comments up now.

[rjms74]

Ozcanuck, thanks for posting your photos that are excellent of QE2 both interior & exterior ones & I look forward with interest to hearing your review.

 

Kind Regs,

 

RJMS74

[thames_side]

Where can we see the photos?

[OzCanuck]

http://ozcanuck.smugmug.com/

 

Comments aren't finished yet, just got into work here in Sydney, so it'll be tonight before I finish it up..

 

dave

[rotterdam17601]

Now that I know that Cunard has booked you N.Y. to L.A., I'll certainly call them first thing in the morning. Since their World Cruise brochure had only shown the longer segments, I had assumed that those were the only ones that they would allow you to book on.

 

Did you call Cunard in England or the U.S.? Sometimes they will book cruises from their U.K. offices that they won't sell to the U.S. market.

 

Nothing like a World Cruise (if only a segment). My wife and I sailed on four of them onboard the old s.s Rotterdam, and they were all excellent.

 

Once again, thank you for the information. I'll give it a try.

[cedric1902]

Rotterdam, I booked the New York to Los Angeles segment of the QE2's 2006 World Cruise over the phone by calling Cunard's American office and I do live in the United States,in Northern New Jersey near New York City.It was on February 14,2005 when I called Cunard and booked the New York to Los Angeles segment of the QE2's 2006 World Cruise.The QE2 sails out of New York on this cruise on January 9,2006 and I can't wait to sail aboard her again.Since you want to go aboard the QE2 with your wife on the QE2's 2006 World Cruise I imagine that double occupancy cabins for the New York to Los Angeles segment of the QE2's 2006 World Cruise should still be available.The double occupancy cabins were still available last June for the QE2's New York to Los Angeles segment of the 2005 World Cruise.I did book an inside single Mauretania cabin.Let me know how your call to Cunard turns out.

[rotterdam17601]

It is indeed a small, small world. I was born in Hackensack and raised in Paramus.

 

I will indeed let you know how I made out if we should decide to sail between N.Y.C. and L.A. (or perhaps from Ft. Lauderdale since I'll be in Florida in January).

 

Again, my thanks.... ROTTERDAM

[cedric1902]

Rotterdam, I guess it is a small world because I do work in Hackensack,N.J. and I live in Northvale,N.J.

[kaseyoz]

Just wanted to make a comment to Ozcanuck. I have checked out your webpages with your photos. I can only say wow. wow that you have been to so many beautiful places and wow about the quality of your photos. They are just so stunning, i think i looked at most of your galleries. Now i want to go to the madives.

I especially love your sunset shots but most are fantastic. My favourite is tower bridge with the light on it...magical.

can i ask the picture in rome at the vatican, where were you when you took the picture of the main square looking down...you werent visiting the pope were you??

again congratulations on a wonderful selection of pics. Are you a professional photographer btw?

where to next?

cheers and thanks again for sharing

karon

[Richard Schmidt]

How I wish that Cunard would release a few shorter segments for those of us who can't afford (time or money) a full month onboard the QE2 during her 2006 World Cruise.

 

It seems that the 2006 World Cruise bookings have been excellent despite the longer length of the segments next year.

 

Oh, well.....

 

I was able to book a trans-Atlantic crossing January 3, 2006 fom Southampton to New York. There may still be space available.

[Vic The Parrot]

Looks like alot of the 'regulars' are doing the Jan crossing.

Oh well .... send me a postcard.

 

 

:(

[Hull 736]

I have taken segments of the World Cruise six times (1992, 1993, 1995, 1998, 2000 and 2001).

I have almost always found that part of the QE-2 magic as that of the diversity of the clientele and how well the peoples from many different walks of life mix and enjoy each others company.

That being said, I found the behavior of several of the FULL World Cruisers toward the end of the 2001 World Cruise to be appalling.

They apparantly decided that they OWNED the ship for this entire cruise and that they were subsidizing us "lowlifes" who dared to contaminated their exclusive holiday.

In 1995, I was inducted into the now nonexistant WORLD CRUISE SOCIETY (not to be confused with Cunard WORLD CLUB). When I showed up for the WORLD CRUISE SOCIETY party off Gilbraltar, to which i was invited, I was accused by several of "crashing" their party. Apparantly without looking into it, they just decided that since they didn't recognize me from any of their travels that year or the year before, and that I hadn't boarded 85 days earlier in NY, that I was nobody.

Another long time QE2 segment cruiser joined the ship the next year in Auckland and found the same appalling lack of manners.

That being said, nearly all of my other experiences on QE-2 in the last 25 years have been overwhelmingly positive. She's very special, and I'm happy to say she's MY ship!

[KiwiIan]

How I wish that Cunard would release a few shorter segments for those of us who can't afford (time or money) a full month onboard the QE2 during her 2006 World Cruise.

 

It seems that the 2006 World Cruise bookings have been excellent despite the longer length of the segments next year.

 

Oh, well.....

Just looked at the QE2 World cruise schedule and it seems they have the following shorter options. Shortest first.

Southampton to New York 6 days from 3.1.2006

New York to LA, 15 days from 9.1.2006

Southanpton to LA, 21 days from 3.1.2006

LA to Sydney, 24 days from 23.1.2006

New York to Sydney, 38 days from 9.1.2006.

 

There are others which go from 44 days up to the almost full World cruise of 103 days, the full cruise is 109 days, [wow, what a trip that must be].

 

Many of the above are probably booked up by now though!

 

If you need any help with the New Zealand part of the world cruise [its here from 8th to 12th February 2006, Auckland - Tauranga - Wellington] then please post and we will help if we can with ideas on what to do and how to do it. Regards.