Review of June 9 Eastbound Transatlantic

[Paul NH]

Hello all. Just returned from England yesterday evening and concluded a very enjoyable vacation. We really lucked out with the weather. Out of the 10 days we spent in England, it rained only on the afternoon and evening of our last day. One other day was overcast, and the rest of the time was sunny all day long.

 

As many have done before, I am going to post in increments, and I will summarize at the end. This review is offered for the curious, and I am not writing it out of some sense of authority on traveling or on how the Lines should run their business.

 

 

Embarkation

 

My wife, two sons, and I rented a car one-way and dropped it off a couple of blocks inland from the terminal, in midtown Manhattan. Except for a 45 minute traffic jam near an intersection with I95 just north of western Manhattan, the logistics of dropping the car off and taking a taxi over to the pier went smoothly.

 

We arrived early at the pier, at 1:00 p.m. by taxi, which pulled right up to the front at the upper level. The bags were unloaded on the sidewalk, which were almost immediately rounded up by a baggage attendant, and hauled away toward the ship. The inside of the pier was not as bad as I thought it would be. It is old and it is bare, but it was clean and cavernous, which helped with the flow of people. As we were walking through to get to our check-in station about a hundred yards past the front door, there was a mirror-like wall on the left side. It was about five minutes or so inside the terminal that I realized that what I was seeing over there was the black hull of the Queen Mary 2 through windows, which blocked out the entire side of the terminal.

 

Although there was a steady stream of passengers flowing through the terminal, there was never a bottleneck or crowd bunched up anywhere. Plenty of Cunard and/or terminal employees were present along the terminal walk to help us stay on course to the Check-in Counter. We waited in line for only 30 seconds or so for a counter representative. After checking us in and taking our pictures for the ship card, we were again on our way through the terminal, passing by a complimentary table of juice, coffee, tea and water. The photographer took our picture, and we went through a turn and were finally alongside the great ship. I took out my 35mm camera and snapped a shot, and was immediately yelled at by Security, who were insistent that no one stop alongside. We hurried along up the gangway. The whole check-in process was about 15-20 minutes from the time we pulled up to the front curb.

 

It was a great feeling to be entering the ship, and oddly enough, the sound of the Microsoft PC ring tone, as passengers had their cards swiped, was complimentary to the sensation. Passing the swipe-table, we were greeted on both sides of the entry lobby by about a dozen or more staff. I know this is nothing new, but it is a nice touch and underscores the sense of occasion for passengers. We did not go more than 15 feet before the very pleasant Staff Director for the Zone came up to us and introduced herself to our two boys and informed us of that they had lots of exciting things planned for the kids on board and that there would be a registration after the boat drill later in the day at the Zone.

 

We proceeded into the Grand Lobby and I was hit with a sense of surrealism. I had seen so many photographs of this area, that it seemed surreal to be actually walking through it, sort of like a fairy tale book opening up and swallowing us into the story.

 

We turned left, going forward, through the great corridor, went up to Level 5, and then walked through the long corridor until we arrived well forward at our cabin, 5006. All in all, it was 25 minutes from the time we arrived at the terminal curb to the time we were in our cabin.

 

We started looking around the ship after dropping our luggage, and soon found our way to the Kings Court for some lunch. The food there was very good, and it was a godsend that they have that cafeteria open on sailing day. It put us all in a much better mood after tackling all the logistics of getting to the city and on board.

 

The boat drill was later in the afternoon, and shortly after getting back to our cabin to remove our lifejackets, there was an announcement that passengers were invited to the aft section of Deck 8 for a sailing away party. We also met our stewardess just before or after the safety drill. She was friendly and asked if we needed anything to let her know. We told her we needed more towels and hangers, since there were four of us in the cabin (seemed to me she should have already considered that there were four in a cabin and would have taken care of these arrangements without us needing to ask – especially the towels) and asked if she could get the suitcases taken away, since four suitcases plus four people was quickly equaling “tight” accommodations. And piles of clothes due to lack of hangers was not helping. She said she would take care of it.

 

We worked our way up, and found a reggae band playing festive music. There was a crowd developing on all the aft sections of Decks 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. The bar was open for business. It was in the high 80’s, sunny, and a mild breeze blowing on the Hudson. People were dressed in all sorts of attire, mostly summer dressy casual, but some in basic shorts and t-shirts. Mainly because we were with our 11 and 13 year old kids, we were not interested in hanging around this crowded area and drinking during the pull-away from the pier. Instead, the four of us navigated our way through the crowd on Deck 7 and went up the starboard side of that deck about 50 yards or so, where it was much quieter and where we could admire the skyline and the two tugboats pulling up to the ship to do their business. In my opinion, this location and atmosphere was superior to the carribean-like party at the stern.

 

We were scheduled to depart at 5:30 p.m. and pulled away at about 5:45. It was exciting to see the ship finally start moving back, and it was fun watching the tugs both pressing against the stern as the QM2 positioned herself into the center of the Hudson. Once we were backed out, we went through the stern crowd area again and crossed over to the starboard side. There we stayed, just outside the Princess Grill restaurant on deck, in one of the open window areas of the covered promenade, and listened to the gentleman (I believe it was Brian Price, the Social Director) on the speakers talk about individual features of the Manhattan skyline. All of the railings were taken up by now, and I cannot say whether the crowds had also remained on the stern decks or migrated elsewhere. We were too focused on the city. There was a moving moment as we passed the financial district and the site of the prior World Trade Towers. The speaker asked for a moment of silence in memory of that tragic day, and the ship went stone quiet for about 30-60 seconds as we sailed by. Powerful.

 

It was a good 30 to 40 minutes sailing by the skyline, and it was spectacular viewing. The weather could not have been any better for it. I think Carnival/Princess has lost their minds in deciding to move this Cunard flagship to a Red Hook departure point. In addition to how impressed the four of us were of the Manhattan skyline, everyone we talked to said they watched the sailaway and all said things like how they “would not miss it,” or it is a “highlight of the crossing,” or it is their “favorite part of the trip,” etc.

 

Next, we went by the Statue of Liberty and I was pleased with how close we came to it. The only bad part was that the sun was behind the statue, so it was tough viewing. Finally, we went under the Verrazano Bridge. Many people for the first seating had left the decks for dinner, and missed out on this great experience. It only lasts for a few seconds, but to look up at the QM2 passing within feet of the bridge is an experience that made me think I was in a Star Wars movie.

 

After the Verrazano, the decks really cleared off as we started to make our way out into the Atlantic, around 7 p.m. I mentioned to my family just before leaving the deck about 7:15 that it looked like fog on the horizon. It was still sunny when we left the deck to freshen up for the second seating dinner.

 

When we returned to the cabin, there were still no hangers and the empty suitcases were still there. On our way to dinner, our stewardess came around a corner in a passageway near our cabin, saw us, and promptly turned around and ducked away. ????? We decided she must have realized that she had forgotten our request and when she saw us, remembered to get the hangers, but that was not the case since nothing ended up being taken care of for the remainder of that evening, even after I paged the stewardess on the phone after we returned from dinner.

 

At dinner, we were seated on the first level, right by a window on the port side, just about parallel with the tapestry mural, and had a good meal. More on Brittania later.

 

All in all the logistics of getting to New York and to the ship, although hectic, went well and the departure and sailaway were a fun and exciting experience. The ship wowed us all that first day.

 

Paul

[elaine61]

Wow, looking forward to your next instalment. Don't be long!!!!

 

Elaine

[susan1234]

Me too. Reading your report as if you were narrating it. Thanks for taking time in writing it and sharing your wonderful experience with us.

 

Now continue, please. :)

[globalnan@mac.com]

Great introduction to the QM2 transatlantic experience. Please share more of your trip soon. I am leaving eastbound on July 5th so I have a vested interest to read your review.

[Paul NH]

For me, the main reason for doing a crossing was to really take in the experience of sailing across the Atlantic. Granted, this is not the same experience of prior decades; it is a pretty comfortable one. But I wanted to soak in as much of it as I could.

 

The Queen Mary 2 is designed intelligently for viewing the Atlantic. Whoever came up with the idea for the starboard and port passageways near the bow - the ones that run along both sides of the ship between Illuminations and the Royal Court Theater - should be commended. On Deck 3 there are stylish seats positioned by each large window. On Deck 2, there are tables in front of them. They are spectacular locations to lose yourself in thought while staring out at the ocean racing by only a few feet below and always attracted people doing just that.

 

In addition, Deck 7 offers a continuous promenade loop around the ship. Lined with deck chairs, we could walk until our heart’s content, or take a break on one of the deck chairs. Conveniently, Kings Court is just inside the doors, and we could grab a cup of coffee, tea, hot chocolate, or some other item to relax with while watching the Atlantic. Three laps around this deck is 1.1 miles. My wife and I did a lot of walking on this deck, and never tired of the sensations of the wind, the ocean as far as the I could see, the sight of the ship mildly pitching against the forward horizon, and the sound of the surf at the base of the ship.

 

The appearance of the deck changes every 50 yards or so, which adds to the experience of walking it. Sometimes it is a covered promenade, sometimes it travels under the lifeboats, it wraps around the stern of the ship, and other times runs along the rail. And on top of that, we had a share of every type of weather which kept changing the experience - fog, wind, spray, sun, chill, warm, day, night. One of the most striking memories I have of the crossing is going out on Deck the second night out, at around 11:00 p.m. The deck was deserted and we were traveling through a moderate fog. It was slight enough to be able to see the whole length of the deck, and to be able to peer down and see the foam at the base of the ship. The fog horn was blowing every several minutes, and the combination of fog and darkness blowing by about 30 yards from the rail was very dramatic.

 

I realized one shortcoming about Deck 7, however, and it reminded my of the Olympic, the almost-identical-twin sister ship of the Titanic. When the wind and sea are going at a moderate level, the spray from the bow manages to work itself up and wet the forward section of the deck. It literally gets soaked. I remember reading that passengers complained of this very problem on the Olympic and for that reason the White Star Line enclosed the forward half of the Titanic’s Promenade Deck, to shield strolling passengers from the onslaught of spray from the bow. It is a shame that the Queen Mary 2 does not have an enclosed Promenade Deck like the liners of the past. I am sure that designers consider it too costly in terms of real estate (when you can line that same space with paying cabins).

 

On less windy days, the observation deck is open just under the bridge that allows you to see pretty much what the bridge sees. There is the view forward over the bow, and there are the port and starboard wings which give a striking view of the length aft.

 

Aft, there are the top decks, all stepped in a cascading series to offer a birds-eye view of the liners wake. I could usually smell the exhaust from the ship's engines trailing off from the funnels back there and typically did not stay in that location for that reason. This is a typical problem on any ship though and the QM2 is no different.

 

For those who would like the cushy indoor life, the Observation Bar and Library offer the same great bow and wing views (starboard only for the library). These areas always seemed popular. The Atlantic room, way up near the top of the ship forward, and just behind the open observation deck, offers a secluded area to play cards or read, while listening to the wind beat against the front of the ship. And of course, most of the public rooms all along Decks 2 and 3 have large windows emphasizing the ocean outside. The Kings Court has good glass enclosed alcoves all along Deck 7 where you can watch both the sea and passengers promenading out on deck.

 

Although I wanted to fully enjoy the view of the ocean from all of these areas, there just never seemed to be enough time to sit in all of the rooms for extended periods. My favorites, and the ones I gravitated to, were the outside “Boat Deck” (Deck 7), the Deck 3 Passageways, the Kings Court alcoves – also on Deck 7 - and the Forward Observation Deck (on the rare times it was actually open, due to the rough winds we were having).

 

More to follow,

Paul

[DanZ]

Welcome back Paul and thanks for the travel notes. Glad the remainder of your time on the UK was wonderful. Last Sunday was a sweltering day of us in Hyde Park, but our two boys did a terrific job of captaining MaryEllen and me around the Serpentine for Father's Day!

 

Mary Ellen and I are so glad we were able to meet up with you and your family. Yes, I am tracking down a copy of your book "Dusk to Dawn" and will be sending it to you for your autograph (if you don't object...). I was quite impressed with the reviews. I also viewed your paintings of the Titanic online and they are absolutely incredible.

 

I hope you'll have a reasonable rentry into reality this week. I still smile broadly whenever my thoughts wander back to the crossing. We were lucky to pry our boys (and ourselves) off the ship in Southampton.

 

I'll shoot you an e-mail later.

 

Best,

Dan

[elaine61]

Instalment No: 2 - Wow!!

 

You say that the sea spray reaches deck 7!! We are in an in hull balcony cabin on deck 5, surely it must be the same down there too.

 

Dan Z

 

How old are your boys??? Did they have a great time on board???? In the way of young adults, is there much to keep them occupied during the day (ie quizzes, sports games outside weather permitting, films etc). Talking of the films as you have just both returned from the QM2, were they up to date films or slightly older films that they show??

 

Also as our son will be 19 by the time we go on board and here in the UK the legal age for drinking is 18 is he going to have problems getting alcohol??? (Not that he drinks that much except Diet Coke by the gallon)!!!! Also on the soft drink side do Cunard do a set fee for as much soft drink as you like, as some other cruise lines do???

 

Elaine

[guernseyguy]

Paul NH,

 

Glad to hear you enjoyed your crossing and thanks for posting your views - perceptive and informative!

 

Peter

 

PS

 

elaine61 - yes you can buy an 'as much as you can (soft) drink' sticker for your son.

[ciaobella]

Paul,

 

Thank you for sharing with us! Your photos are great!

 

Thanks!

[Paul NH]

Britannia Restaurant

 

I probably have little to offer that has not been mentioned in previous reviews, but here it goes anyway. This dining room is visually impressive and is *the* room on board. No other public room competes with its scale and only the Queens Room, the Champagne Bar, and Commodore Club, in my opinion, compete with it in beauty. The Grill rooms are very reserved and classy, but Brittania says “flagship.” We had all of our dinners there, most of our lunches, and four breakfasts.

 

Breakfast was a schizophrenic experience. On our first morning, Friday, we were seated by a starboard window somewhat near the kitchen at a table for 8, promptly attended to, and the food was delicious. On Saturday, we were seated about 20 yards to the starboard side of the bottom of the stairs. In addition to a very noticeable resonance from the engines coming up through this part of the floor, service was slow, but the food was good. On Sunday we were preoccupied with the rough seas and skipped breakfast. On Monday, we overslept to 10:30 a.m. (attributable to the seasickness shots we had taken the day before, no doubt) and missed breakfast again. On Tuesday, we were seated near the mural off to the starboard side at a table for 10, I believe was the count. The pastry and coffee service was good, but delivery and quality of the main breakfast course was terrible. All 10 of us ordered at the same time. About half of us received our breakfast about 30 minutes after ordering, and the remainder received theirs at different times over the course of the next 10 minutes. A couple across from me both ordered eggs benedict. The wife received hers 30 minutes later, and he received his 5 to 10 minutes after her! I received my eggs benedict about 35 minutes after ordering and the yolks were cooked solid (a very bad thing for eggs benedict). I did not mark the time but I think the whole breakfast took about 75 to 90 minutes. As bad as all this sounds, we were all in such pleasant moods that we all collectively shrugged off the very noticeable bad service (I will interject here that everyone we met at meals were the nicest people and very interesting to talk to – I never saw such interesting conversation flow so easily and consistently from day to day). Because of the Tuesday experience, my wife did not want to go to Brittania for breakfast on debarkation day (Wednesday) but I talked her into it. We were seated between the kitchen entrance and the windows in the aft wing on the port side. The service was excellent and the food delicious! Go figure. You just never knew what experience you would get with breakfast in that room. I think they train new waiters during breakfast.

 

The four of us did not always go to lunch together. My youngest son and I attended the most. We were always seated in a different location on the lower level, which I liked because we were able to see how it was to dine in different parts of the room, and the service and food at every meal I attended were always excellent. I do not know if I just lucked out for lunch and that the “bad breakfast waiters” were preying on unsuspecting passengers elsewhere in the dining room, but our lunches were consistently top notch. Again, we met up with interesting and pleasant people of all ages.

 

Dinner was superb. I really mean that. Our two waiters (Richard and Lenard) and the Assistant Maitre’D (Rafal) were all on top of their games. The worst thing I can find to say is that my entrée on the first night out, Thursday, was only “good.” Every other dinner, including the appetizers and the desserts were delicious. I also asked our wine sommelier to recommend a good inexpensive glass of wine to go with some of my meals and she always picked one that went well with my entree, and served it within minutes of the request. I was so impressed with our dinner experience during the entire crossing.

 

Regarding table assignment, I have read on this board various urgings to get yourself seated at this particular place or that particular place. But readers should remember the old adage: “To each their own.” We were seated by a window on the lower level. The ceiling is regular height, instead of the grander ceilings closer to the center and also on the inner upper level. But I thought our location was just fine. It was intimate, and the window was great (although some may be bothered by the moving water just outside while eating … we loved it). The serving station was about 20 to 25 feet away and did not bother us at all. My advice is that if you think you want to be seated in a particular spot (we requested in the open area in the center originally and did not get it) and you end up somewhere else, do not get worked up in advance. Most of the places in the dining room are fine and they all have a charm in their own way.

 

The only thing I would caution folks about is that I noticed there are two localized, distinct spots in the restaurant on the lower level (I don’t know about the upper) where a resonance comes up through the floor and vibrates the table. They are about 15 feet to the side of the bottom of the staircase, on both sides. We sat in the starboard “zone” for breakfast one day, and the port one for lunch another. It is a steady vibration. It is not the end of the world, and it did not ruin our meals (in the case of breakfast, the service took care of doing that on that particular day), but I could see if you sat in this zone all week long it might get tiresome. Of course, maybe you would instead get used to it and not even notice after a while. The tables offer a great view of the mural and of the room in general, but you pay a shake tax for the privilege.

 

Kings Court

 

The food and ability to get a lunch here was great on departure day. The convenience this court offers makes the case for having this cafeteria and it is a good contribution to the day-personality of the QM2. However, the food can be hit or miss. On the Monday we slept in and missed the Brittania breakfast service, I grabbed some eggs and sausage up there and ended up throwing half of it away, as it was cold and leather-like. My wife told me she had a similar experience. However, she also told me on another day she had a delicious lunch. Besides the initial lunch on embarkation day, I used it for fruit one morning, the abandoned breakfast I mentioned above, and an occasional cookie. Beyond that, I only used it for coffee, which I was very thankful for the easy access.

 

Todd English Restaurant

 

We did not go there. We accidentally wandered through it as we came off the deck on the first day, and I did not even realize where I was until I had just about exited the room. I never saw or thought about it again for the rest of the crossing.

 

Tea in the Queens Room

 

Being an American, and a guy at that, tea is not a part of my culture. But partly because of the discussions on this board prior to our voyage (Peter, I enjoy reading about your enthusiasm for proper tea), and partly because my wife is into tea, I made a point to attend this event – and it is an event. I thought it was spectacular and I think I ended up going to four of them. The Quartet playing, the army of white gloved stewards wandering everywhere with their trays of scones, sandwiches and pastries, and the endless pouring of tea was all entertaining. It was classy stuff. We typically showed up around 4:00 p.m. and had no trouble getting service, since tea continued to 4:30. The only exception was the night of the Commodore’s Cocktail Party, when they ended tea at 4:00 to prepare the room for the first seating. From the perspective of a casual observer to the tea ritual such as myself, I did not find any fault with the clotted cream or the jam. However, I made it a point to continue sampling clotted cream in Southampton, Exeter, Lacock and Cheddar, and without a doubt, the clotted cream that I had at a cream tea in a modest place in Cheddar was by far the best.

 

I mentioned this in my interim on-board report, but it seems worth repeating. On the day that my wife, oldest son, and I were sleeping off the shot on Sunday afternoon, my 11 year old son was already hooked enough on the ritual that he went to tea by himself! We asked him if he had any trouble getting served and he said “not at all.”

 

The Grills From a Distance

 

As most know, the Grill restaurants are in a somewhat strange location on board the Queen Mary 2. They are on both sides of the aft section of Deck 7. As a result, you can stroll along the deck and peep in from time to time to see what is happening in there. Since I consistently walked the deck prior to the second seating, I was able to sample the activity in there from about 6 to 7 p.m. and have to say that both restaurants seemed pretty sparsely populated. That contrasted with the view of the Britannia, which seemed at full capacity. Maybe Grill passengers dine later, similar to our second seating times, in which case I missed the more active periods. It did make me curious though, as to whether those cabin categories were not selling well. But that is not a scientific observation by any means.

 

Food Summary

 

Except for breakfast, great food and good service. By the end of the voyage I was beginning to overdose on all the good food!

More meandering diatribes on other topics to follow.

 

Paul

[robertkarenuk]

Hello Paul ,

just to say many thanks for all your great reports about the QM2,and thanks for taking the time to post them.we cant wait untill we get on board on the 23 july.

Robert,Karen.

[Paul NH]

Mary Ellen and I are so glad we were able to meet up with you and your family.

Same back to you. The Commodore Club was a good meeting place and we enjoyed having a drink(s) with you and Mary Ellen. When I think about it, it feels like just a couple of days ago.

 

Our stay in London was a HOT one. After we accepted that we would not be coming across any air conditioning relief in the hotel, bus, restaurants, and museums, we knucked down and just got on with acclimating, and ended up doing pretty good trouncing around the sights in the 90 degree heat.

[wripro]

Paul NH,

 

thank you so much for your thorough and comprehensive review. i did two crossings on QM2 in october and november, travelling in princess grill. your observation about the time for dining was correct. i never walked in for dinner before 8 or 8:15 and at that time the grill was full. food and service there were excellent.

[DanZ]

Elaine:

 

My boys are 7 and 11. Paul's boys (if I remember correctly) are 11 and 13. My boys had no trouble keeping busy and it was no small triumph to have them disembark willingly in Southampton! The planned programs for children and teens go from 10:00-12:00, 14:00-17:00, and then 20:00-00:00, and are very well executed and supervised. They included crafts, scavenger hunts, movie and pizza nights, themed parties, foosball and air hocky tournaments, X-Box for days, etc. In fact, my boys had met Paul's boys socially long before we did.

 

If the ship can capture the interest and imagine of little ones, I can't imagine your 19 year old not feeling the magic either. There was a fair amount of young adults (17-20) onboard and I am sure it wouldn't be long before he pairs up with a group for a night in G32. Who knows... he might even stumble across a summer romance for his memoirs!

 

If he is dressed and acts maturely, I can't image he would have much of a problem with being served alcohol. With so many Europeans on board he should meld in. If he is with you, I would think it would be a total non-issue.

 

Hope this helps.

[lannp]

I would agree about the Britannia. The food was excellent especially for lunch and dinner. I found the breakfast service slow so that if you had morning plans you were better to use the King's Court. The King's Court is excellent for early risers to get a cup of coffee or tea, some fruit and watch the world go by until time to meet others for breakfast either there or the dining room.

[elaine61]

Paul NH

 

Yes, here in good old blighty we don't really know what air conditioning is. You were very fortunate with the weather. It could have been wet and chilly!!!!! That's the trouble with this country the weather is so unpredictable!!!! I am surprised in this day and age the amount of public places that do not have air con. It would be nice to have air con in the house. Today it is bright and cool, but supposed to warm up by the end of the day causing severe thunderstorms. Can't wait!!!! Thanks for your reports. I really am enjoying them and after my problems last week I am beginning to get really excited again. Balance is now due so that means it is getting closer and closer. I believe that you have posted some photos so I shall take a look at those.

 

You also mention about seating in the restaurant. We have requested a table for just the four of us. Are there many tables in the restaurant for just 4??? Also we booked this trip on the first day of sale last year and hopefully this will mean we get what we requested. Did you get what you requested in the way of preferences???

 

Dan Z

 

No: 1 son can act mature if he needs to!! He also looks rather dashing in his suits and dinner suits (but then I am his mother and I am biast). Being approx 6'5" chest 42-44 he is a rather big strapping lad. I really don't think that the drink situation will be a problem. Still at least he can have Coke on tap!! He drinks it by the gallon!! He is planning on taking his own X box to play in the cabin. Do you think this will be possible?? Also what type of sockets for plugs do they have on QM2?? Are they the US type or are they the UK type?? I am hoping there will be some younger people on this trip. Still he may be able to manage 3 romances during the entrire trip!!!! I wonder how many people from the UK are doing what we are doing??

 

Well hearing from both of you after all the bad reports that have been posted about QM2 in the past I am getting oh so excited. My daughter keeps complaining about having to wait for her new car and I keep telling her to be patient. Now I know how she feels as I want to go on QM tomorrow now. Still have 2 months 24 days or 85 days to wait. Not that I'm counting or anything!!!!

[elaine61]

Paul NH,

 

Glad to hear you enjoyed your crossing and thanks for posting your views - perceptive and informative!

 

Peter

 

PS

 

elaine61 - yes you can buy an 'as much as you can (soft) drink' sticker for your son.

 

Thanks Guernsey guy

 

He can drink it by the gallon. I presume I will have to get one of these stickers for each leg of the trip??

 

Elaine

[guernseyguy]

Thanks Guernsey guy

 

He can drink it by the gallon. I presume I will have to get one of these stickers for each leg of the trip??

 

Elaine

 

Interesting question to which I do not know the answer....as I was on only one leg....if they don't change the colour of the stickers......but then DanZ has recentlly posted that they have stopped the 'soda card' - I do hope not!

[Zipper25]

Paul NH

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to post your impressions. It really is appreciated. I can't tell you how exciting it is to log on every evening to see if someone has just been on board QM2 and to read their experiences. (I have to say that I really only enjoy the good reviews!) I can't wait for your next diatribe!

[Paul NH]

You also mention about seating in the restaurant. We have requested a table for just the four of us. Are there many tables in the restaurant for just 4??? Also we booked this trip on the first day of sale last year and hopefully this will mean we get what we requested. Did you get what you requested in the way of preferences???

Elaine,

 

I never bothered to count, but there were a fair share of tables for 2 and 4 sprinkled around the dining room. In our case, we requested a table for 4 toward the center of the dining room on the lower level. We were instead seated at a table for 8 by the windows on the lower level.

 

It should be noted that a table for 8, in a lot of cases (and in our dinner seating case) is actually two tables of 4, and there is a small gap between the two tables of several inches. Everyone sits on either one of the two sides of the row of two tables. The other party is close by, but not elbow to elbow with your party.

 

On the first night, there was a pleasant family with two children seated at the adjoing table, and we talked all during the dinner, including the kids, but they had transferred to first seating after the initial night by original design. No one sat there after that, which gave us some privacy. But based on the favorable experiences of being seated with people at breakfast and dinner, and our original companions, I would not have minded if the table was occupied.

 

So, we did not get what we requested, but had a good time were we ended up anyway. In fact, I have read a number of people say how they would not want to be seated near the sides of both levels because the ceiling is so low. I believe Dan Z also voice this opinion, but I have read others as well. If I had known in advance that we would have a side-table, I probably would have gotten myself all wound up and tense. As it turns out, I loved our table. It was intimate, and I believe it was even a little quieter than being out in the middle. I think 99% of that dining room has charm, no matter where you end up.

 

Paul

[yojimbo]

Paul,

 

Thank you so much for generously sharing your observations with us. Your reports are fun to read.

 

My wife and son and i will be on QM2 for the July 17 crossing--reading your reports heightens our anticipation.

[cruiserking]

Paul,

 

I have so enjoyed reading your reflections of your QM2 voyage. For a few minutes I am whisked away back to that glorious ship and the anticipation is heightened for our return in a few months.

 

Cruiserking

[Estelle]

Also wanted to thank you for your review. We are on the July 11th west-bound crossing and just got our documents today so we are in final count-down.

[DanZ]

Elaine, Guernseyguy:

 

 

Unless I we were being singled out, I can assure you that the soda card is well and truly a dead option. I was told it had just been eliminated a few weeks before.

 

It's vacation. It's the QM2... go ahead a drink your sodas with great abandon! I'm sure it will account for a rather small part of your overall expenditures.

 

Regarding the plugs, they are U.S. based. Complete info should reside in your pre-cruise folder.

[guernseyguy]

the soda card is well and truly a dead option. I was told it had just been eliminated a few weeks before. Regarding the plugs, they are U.S. based. Complete info should reside in your pre-cruise folder.

 

Oh well, RIP soda card.....but the plugs are both UK and US....unless they've changed that too!

 

Peter