QM2 - Grand Duplex Question

[Winchester Ranger]

Not that I will ever be shelling out $42,000 for an 8 day crossing but I did find myself watching some really good YouTube videos about life in the financial fast lane and the Grand Duplexes looked really amazing - with one exception, their location.

 

They are located towards the rear of the ship and their large open patio areas look directly down onto the pool and rear entertainment area of the ship - so not really a true Fantail Suite that looks directly over the stern, but a suite that looks directly onto party town.

 

Surely this makes the cabin a nightmare for noise especially during the Sailaway parties and suchlike.

 

Am I missing something here ?

[Host Hattie]

I was lucky enough to be invited to tea in one once. The balcony certainly suffers from a lack of privacy but I don't think sail away parties are much of a problem, they aren't particularly raucous or long lasting.

[Bell Boy]

Not that I'll ever be able to afford to travel in one too ,however, like Hattie I've been fortunate to have met a few Cunard friends in high places ;)

 

From what I've experienced most of the guest occupants of these suites enjoy those sail away parties themselves and those aft balconies are often full of other lucky invited guests.

 

Although there is a slight lack of privacy on the balcony area it's not too bad when seated or once the vessel is underway at sea, particularly when on a transatlantic that aft deck area isn't all that too raucous.

 

After all we're talking QM2 here not Anthem of the Sea's.:D

[Austcruiser84]

Not that I will ever be shelling out $42,000 for an 8 day crossing but I did find myself watching some really good YouTube videos about life in the financial fast lane and the Grand Duplexes looked really amazing - with one exception, their location.

 

They are located towards the rear of the ship and their large open patio areas look directly down onto the pool and rear entertainment area of the ship - so not really a true Fantail Suite that looks directly over the stern, but a suite that looks directly onto party town.

 

Surely this makes the cabin a nightmare for noise especially during the Sailaway parties and suchlike.

 

Am I missing something here ?

 

I stayed in the Balmoral Duplex last year (9078) and noise wasn't an issue. The floor to ceiling back windows are thick and block out most noise. I wasn't disturbed.

 

The duplex is an impressive space. A little too big for one person, but since it was an upgrade from a Q6 I wasn't complaining.

[Austcruiser84]

I was lucky enough to be invited to tea in one once. The balcony certainly suffers from a lack of privacy but I don't think sail away parties are much of a problem, they aren't particularly raucous or long lasting.

 

I think the point of the lack of privacy is deliberate. Just as the nobility sat above the stage at Shakespeare's globe, so too do occupants of the duplexes wish to be seen.

 

When docked in Sydney on the WC recently, I saw quite a large party happening on the balcony of my one time occupied duplex.

 

Quite a depressing sight as I was landslide!

[Mid-Atlantic Ridge]

A couple of other observations.

 

As stated previously noise not really an issue. The bedroom has doors which when closed ensures outside noise is not a problem for example when an afternoon nap is taken. You can though hear scraping and banging if loungers are pulled and pushed about above.

 

As well as from below you can be overlooked by those on the rail above at sailaways etc. Stray lens caps and such like occasionally find their way onto the balcony!

 

Small niggles in the grand scheme of things.

 

M-AR

[capnpugwash]

One cute advantage is the electrically operated curtains, you can play for hours. Personally I think that having stairs is a pain but others have different views.

[Rileyspike]

Not that I will ever be shelling out $42,000 for an 8 day crossing but I did find myself watching some really good YouTube videos about life in the financial fast lane and the Grand Duplexes looked really amazing - with one exception, their location.

 

They are located towards the rear of the ship and their large open patio areas look directly down onto the pool and rear entertainment area of the ship - so not really a true Fantail Suite that looks directly over the stern, but a suite that looks directly onto party town.

 

Surely this makes the cabin a nightmare for noise especially during the Sailaway parties and suchlike.

 

Am I missing something here ?

 

I have stayed in 9082 which is the middle duplex.

 

I have to say that I didn't like the suite for a few reasons :

 

1) The balcony is very open and not private, you can hear a lot of noise from the deck below. We could even hear conversations of the people in the hot tubs.

 

2) The Grills terrace is located above the bedroom and we were woken early each morning by the sound of sun loungers being dragged along the deck.

 

3) The stairs are a novelty but as capnpugwash stated they are actually a bit of a nuisance.

 

4) As it was a Q2 the balcony was actually quite small. ( the corner Q1 balcony's are considerably larger )

 

5) It seemed to take for ever to walk anywhere! Except the grills restaurant which was a short walk down two flights of stairs.

 

That being said I'm still happy to have had the opportunity to at least try one of the suites out! I wouldn't book one again and in my opinion the Q4 is a much better suite.

 

The Q1 on the Queen Victoria and to a slightly lesser extent the Queen Elizabeth are a completely different story and I would highly recommend them!