Cunard Queen Victoria - pullman bed question

[Dididi]

This will be our first trip on Cunard, a belated change of plans. We booked a guarantee outside triple, category ED. Guarantee cabins were assigned this morning.

 

Until yesterday, there was one triple ED with sofabed and two triple EDs with pullman beds. According to the photos I saw on Cunard's website, the pullmans come out of the wall and hang above the sofa, some four feet from the ground. All triple EBs (the next category up, same deck 1 but midship) have pullmans -- there were seven such cabins available yesterday.

 

About a week after we booked our cruise, ED cabins were no longer listed as guaranteed and one could choose among four cabins. I then told our TA that I strongly preferred the ED with the sofabed. I just learned that we were "upgraded" to an EB cabin. I do not care about being midship. I rather have a sofabed for our six year old so that she won't crash down from the pullman to the floor.

 

I'm aware that by booking a guarantee cabin, we were rolling the die and could get something we did not want. We lost. No upgrade or sofabed fairy for us on Cunard.

 

My question is: what is your experience with the pullmans on Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth? How long and sturdy is the railing on the pullman that's shown on the photo? Any alternatives to using the pullman bed (i.e., removing the sofa and placing the mattress on the floor; getting a bunch of extra pillows to cover the floor?)?

 

Our cruise embarks in two weeks. Suggestions most welcomed.

[cunardaddict]

Why not a sofa bed? The cabins are larger and nicer.

[Dididi]

I spoke to our TA, who spoke to Cunard and was told yesterday afternoon that there are no sofabed triples among the oceanview cabins on QV. The cabin map might show two sofabed triples (1001 and 1002) but that is allegedly a mistake, a typo. Because I relied on the faulty cabin map on cunard.com, I had believed there were sofabed triples on board on deck one.

 

So, lesson learned. Not happy, but nothing can be done. If we ever cruise on Cunard again, I will know that sofabed triples are only in balconies (none such left) and some deluxe interiors (none such left).

 

Any one has experiences to share about the pullmans and the little railing on the photos?

[pepperrn]

One solution, which I'm sure you've thought of, if you don't like the rail, or general set-up of the pull-down third berth, when you board: Ask for the bed to be separated into two singles (easy, takes a minute or two for the steward to do), then let your six year old have one single bed, her mum have the other, and dad have the third bed. Not perfect, but better than have the little girl in the third berth. Hope this helps :) .

[Artemis]

Hi, Dididid, bummer things didn't work out as you hoped! Unless you are willing to pay to uograde, perhaps you can make the most of it by turning this into an adventure. Our kids never had bunks, so were so excited and fought over the top one! I might suppress concern so your daughter doesn't pick up on it, and instead, figure out an efficient safety webbing or something you could bring to reinforce the rail (mostly for your peace of mind, as it should be adequate), plus let your daughter pick out a new stuffed friend and bedtime story book to share her lofty bed. Perhaps a cheap tie-on-the-rail night light would be good to provide safe lighting and make her nest cozy. Some fun glow-in-the-dark wall stickies?! You get the idea! If it doesn't work out, as suggested, you can split beds and rearrange yourselves, or bed her on the sofa or floor.

 

This is really just a hiccup. Enjoy the anticipation of your fabulous trip!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

Edited June 7, 2014 by Artemis

[sarafinadh]

At six she will think it is an adventure to be 'up'. And really, how often does she fall out of her bed at home?

 

Ask for 2 extra pillows from your steward and place them along the side of the bed so that she has a bit of a barrier to slow her down if she does happen to roll close to the edge, so that you can have a bit if piece of mind.

 

My daughter slept in a loft bed 5' off the floor from the time she was around 5. We used the pillows the first week or so 'just in case'. She never fell off and neither did any of her friends when the had sleep overs.

 

I know it's hard to not worry sometimes, but she will be fine. If the worst does happen? 4' isn't so far to tumble onto carpet, and kids at that age bounce.

 

I just wish we still did!

 

Good luck,

 

Sara

[Dididi]

Pepper, Artemis and Sara,

 

Thanks for the encouragement. My daughter sleeps like a whirling dervish and still falls from her bed once in a while. Railings or no railings! But as one of you noted, she readily bounces back.

 

My "distress" arose because I believed, based on the QV deck plans, that there were a couple of triples with sofabeds in the guarantee category we booked, so we could probably get one of those, particularly since they were not in prime locations. But the deck plan was incorrect.

 

I'll tell my daughter about the bunk bed over the sofa. She'll probably think that it's a fantastic idea because that's the sort of bed Peppa Pig has. We'll put pillows between her and the railing, see if there's some sort of webbing to add to the railing, and put the sofa's pillows on the floor. If it does not work out, we'll ask the room attendant to remove the sofa and put the pullman's mattress on the floor, like a third bed as suggested by Pepper.

 

Pepper, by the way, we've enjoyed your Cunard photos a lot. It's like we already are on board.:)