Nervous I won't fit in

[Jules.]

Hi Jules, how was Queen Elizabeth?

 

She was fantastic thanks. The best cruise I've ever been on :)

 

I'm sorry for causing confusion in this thread with my forum name. I am most definitely female, married and old enough to have a late teenaged son :o

[Salacia]

She was fantastic thanks. The best cruise I've ever been on :)

 

I'm sorry for causing confusion in this thread with my forum name. I am most definitely female, married and old enough to have a late teenaged son :o

 

 

Hi Jules. Glad to read that you had a great time. BTW, no need for you to apologize for the confusion - it was totally my fault. Sorry. Regards, S.

[Jules London]

Thanks for the tips Diane

[Jules London]

Zider I am most certainly a girl!

[Jules London]

lots of good replies.

 

the Med cruises, done right, are a lot less formal than, say, the TransAtlantic Crossings.

 

That's because in the Med, most days, you're touring hard. On a TA, there's nothing but shipboard activities, so formal gets more emphasis.

 

We did a two-week QE med cruise last fall and it was, frankly, exhausting. We were off the ship by 0730-ish and not back until just before sailing (around 6pm). Busy, busy, busy.

 

We saw a lot of worn out passengers napping over dinner. Frankly, we skipped the formal dining room many nights and ate in the Lido (which had an excellent custom pasta bar) and crashed soon after dinner.

 

I made do with a blue blazer, 2 ties, and 3 dress shirts with khaki or gray slacks and fit right in. So that should give you some idea about dress. Ashore, it's mostly shorts and t-shirts or casual button front shirts. Modest dress is essential for many churches and in more traditional areas of the Med (my wife carried a light wrap around cover-up skirt in her pack to put on over her shorts for some of the churches in Venice, for instance. No bare knees applies to both men and women in some churches).

 

Formal night for women is easier. As you say, something party "sharp"...or churchy.

 

We had a little bit of rough weather. You just barely felt the movement aboard, but it was enough motion to pitch women in 3-stilettos head over teakettle one formal night. We sprouted a goodly number of wheelchairs and crutches at dinner, which really ruined their look.

 

Worse, however, is the tragedy that these women were crippled for anymore hard core touring ashore. If this happens early in the trip, it's a real disaster. If you or your mom are wearing long gowns, do the sensible thing and re-hem them for flats or very short pumps. My personal observation is that if you don't wear tall heels all day, every day, you have no business wearing them aboard ship. There are too many stairs, too many steps, too many trip hazards and at times, too many waves, to be successful in heels unless you are well practiced and have ankles of steel.

 

Make sure you insist on activities that are mixed enough for folks your age. There's always swimming and water sport activities, both ashore and aboard ship. During the summer you'll find lots of age peers from many countries aboard ship. If you have interests like reading, writing, or art, you'll be able to take care of yourself anywhere. Photography/Video is another option. I make it a point to photo document the ship itself on each cruise, keeps me busy on sea days.

 

My wife finds it a bit annoying, but I also stop and jot down notes about what I'm seeing, what I hear, what I thought,...my impressions (I switched off my iPhone cell and just used the notebook app). But notes and photography are my way of engaging with the experience.

 

There will also be exercise classes, yoga, the gym, movies, stage shows, and some lectures to fill your spare time, if you have any.

 

Your baggage is going to be pretty much limited by your airline, one large bag, 50 lbs, for each ticket holder. The charge for overweight bags is punitive. Plus carry-on. Clothes that can do double-duty are a treasure. I like lightweight, travel pants with cargo pockets and zip-off legs to convert to shorts.

 

REI Sahara Convertible Pants with No-Sit Zips - Men's 32" Inseam at REI.com http://ow.ly/wYqqj

 

Gayle has several of those convertible cover-up/dresses that are black on one side, colored/patterned fabric on the other and can be wrapped or tied in several different styles (don't have a link, she got them at an artist show).

 

There is shipboard DIY laundry but competition is hot for the machines on sea days. My solution was 0500 wake-up laundry before the touring began. People are not shy about emptying machines when they stop, so I'd recommend several mesh laundry bags if you're touchy about who's pawing through your "small clothes." I remember an elderly Japanese woman on the QE Med Cruise who was quite angry at me when I emptied out her abandoned clothes.

 

Oddly, it seemed to be the men who did a lot of the laundry aboard ship. Mostly, in our case, retired Navy men from around the world. We had several good gams in the laundry room.

 

You can get a preview of some of your trip here:

Collection: Cunard Queen Elizabeth Mediterranean Cruise http://ow.ly/wYq6Y

 

Most importantly, relax and be yourselves. You paid for it, so enjoy it your way. Cunard Med Cruises are not as "high toned" as many from my rather middle class background worry about. Mostly working class stiffs out seeing the world, united by the ship and an interest in travel.

 

One last word of advice, don't be afraid to do something different, like arrange your own tours separate from the package excursions. We particularly enjoyed Context Travel tours in Athens and Rome. https://www.contexttravel.com/ You can usually find people to fill out your tour in the Cruise Critic's Roll Call for your ship/cruise.

 

Context tours are conducted by academics or working archeologists and are quite intellectually stimulating. "A day in the Life of Ancient Athenians" was especially good.

 

We also arranged a private van tour of the Amalfi coast and filled it using the tool at "share a shore excursion." That way we did not have to choose between the Amalfi Coast or Pompeii (although it was a sprint to get back to the ship. Don't dawdle over lunch).

Thanks for the great tips RH. Last thing I want is to break my ankle x

[fantasy51]

Only a month to go Jules! I bet you're getting excited. There are threads on here of other things to pack, that people find useful.

 

I always pack some small magnets. You get lots of paper (invitations, daily programme) and with magnets you can display them all over the cabin walls, as the walls are metal. It's very easy to find them that way.

 

I take a wind-up torch in case of power cuts (very unlikely) or for going to the toilet at night time.

 

Your room key is like a credit card. You need it with you at all times. Not all of my outfits have pockets so I pack a small over-the-shoulder bag to hold keycard, handkerchief, ipad, whatever.

 

After advice on this forum I also pack some disinfectant wipes, and go over the whole room as soon as I walk in - things like TV remote control and telephone and door handles, surfaces that the room steward may not have thought to wipe but will have been touched by a previous occupant (who may well have been ill).

[desert mary]

I have been reading the cruise critic forums for a few months and am so grateful there is such a helpful site to read for information about my upcoming cruise on QM2, my first cruise ever, my first trip overseas. I am sailing alone and don't mind that at all. From all your comments, I am sure it is easy to talk to other travelers, find activities to do and be completely familiar with the ship, merely by exploring all its parts. I will be leaving NY for Southampton on July 28th.

[jimmybean]

lots of good replies.

 

 

There is shipboard DIY laundry but competition is hot for the machines on sea days. My solution was 0500 wake-up laundry before the touring began. People are not shy about emptying machines when they stop, so I'd recommend several mesh laundry bags if you're touchy about who's pawing through your "small clothes." I remember an elderly Japanese woman on the QE Med Cruise who was quite angry at me when I emptied out her abandoned clothes.

 

Oddly, it seemed to be the men who did a lot of the laundry aboard ship. Mostly, in our case, retired Navy men from around the world. We had several good gams in the laundry room.

 

I have never seen a laundry room open on a Cunard ship at 5 a.m.!!! The posted sign on the laundry room door says 7:30, doesn't it???, and once on the QM2 (a segment voyage) the laundry remained locked until 9 because nearby cabins complained about early morning conversations, since the laundry queue extended well into the hallway.

 

Did someone open the laundry early at your request? Or, did they forget to lock the laundry in the evening? Or, did they give you your own key?

[Mat76]

I wouldn't.

 

Jules appears to be from London and his/her cruise departs from Italy, so I think it's safe to assume that they will be flying and hence there is normally a 1 big and 22kg (50lbs) weight limit.

 

I will be on the same ship and also flying to Rome on the 18th from London using BA. I got told the weight allowance was 23 kg for the hold and 23 kg (size restriction) for cabin plus a small bag (handbag or man bag size). There is also a easy jet flight from Gatwick but I believe the luggage allowance is less. Hope this helps.

 

Matt

[shipgeeks]

Jules, Just for fun you might like to read a little book called "Welcome Aboard! Travel on an Ocean Liner" by Barbara A. Huff. It was published in 1987, so you might have to do some searching for it, and some of the thoughts might be out of date. However, when I first read it, and when I re-read it now, it really heightens my excitement about the whole experience of cruising.

Have a wonderful time!