QE2 Holiday Voyage

[dotty10]

I've been digging through the forum looking for threads on the QE2's Dec 18th cruise but I have yet to find a mention. (there are a surprising number of threads on the Yultide QM2 cruise though)

 

My family and I take a cruise every christmas.. I suppose it's a kind of tradition, and last year we went on a cruise in an older ship to patagonia on Norwegian- worst cruise ever. I wont go into the particulars but it really was a horrible trip, and because of that cruise we have become a bit nervous about cruising on older ships. We hope that the QE2 will make up for last year.

 

And yet,... no one seems to be mentioning anything about this upcoming cruise. Anyone going on it? and does anyone know whether or not the ship will have a larger percentage of youths because of the holiday?

[Gypsy025]

Hello dotty 10,

 

My wife and I will be on the QE Holiday Cruise, in fact, we board on the 15th for the 3 day Channel Islands and Le Havre cruise.

 

Can't really comment on the make-up of the passengers (youths) over this holiday period, but only suspect that because of the length of the cruise, there will be only a minimum number of children.

 

Yes, the QE2 is an old/older ship and if you haven't sailed on her before, it's certainly 'different'.

 

Hope the QE2 lives up to your expectations.

[CruiserBruiser]

Hi,Dotty,

 

I'm so glad you posted this query. I'll be on the QEII Chrismas Cruise with my parents (we're all adults). We're all cruise newbies, although my father was in the merchant marines. He was very reluctant to "cruise" because after leaving the sea he'd always said he never wanted to go back. But I'm hoping the QEII will be a little differenct than a tanker or cargo ship!

 

I've been browsing this board since making my plans back in May/June and was beginning to wonder if we'd have the whole ship to ourselves. Interestingly, a cruise book I looked at here in the States had no write-up of the QEII because, according to the book, she was being marketed exclusively to the British market. If I were going to cruise I always said I'd do a classic "ocean liner" as opposed to a "cruise ship" so I hope we'll have fun, all three of us crammed into steerage (smile).

 

I'm posting as a break from (over)packing. After the cruise we're doing a 5 day London stay, so this is a long vacation for me. Getting very excited. I'm meeting my parents (who now live in Europe) in London and I can't wait.

[dotty10]

oh how relieving. the scarce response to my post was beginning to get me worried. but marketing to the Brit's makes sense.

 

my family and I will also be in London for three days post-cruise. it's going to be hard to pack all of the things we want to do in the limited time but, never having been to London, I can barely wait.

 

hah and we've been packing since before thanksgiving. my siblings and I are in college and finals don't finish until the 16th.. meaning our packing had to either have been done over thanksgiving-which resembled more of a shop-till-you-drop marathon than a vacation- or be frantically packed all friday night. this is going to be one heck of a trip that's for sure.

 

my recent tasks have been researching the ports. having gone on many cruises, we finally have come to our senses about excursions. they are usually overpriced and overcrowded. and as far as entertainment wise goes, they're usually a toss up between being tourist traps, and being worthwhile endeavours.

 

so we've all decided to go the 'lonley planet guide's' way about the ports. although i must admit, it's a bit overwhelming. I'm finding so many things to do at these ports I barely know where to start.

 

and I'm sure you're father will enjoy himself. and i do hope it's better than a tanker and cargo ship.. for all of our sakes. :-)

[wotec]

Be sure you take the on board Heritage Trail, it's a narrated walking tour, done on some Sea Days. Do it early in your voyage so you'll know more of the "scoop" on the history of this wonderful ocean liner. We've been on QE2 a number of times the last 3 years and ALWAYS do this and enjoy it. Thomas of the Cruise Staff, whose been on QE2 for many, many years, usually does the Heritage Trail. When you are OFF the ship, be sure to look at her beautiful lines. She looks like an ocean liner, a ship, a blue water vessel, not a floating hotel. Hope all of you lover your trip. We're not on until NY Jan 9.

[atticus]

I was on the QE2 Holiday cruise several years ago and there were plenty of young people. I was in my early 30s and met up with a great group of younger (20s and 30s) people to hang out with. Even developed a shipboard romance with one of these guys that lasted for a year back on land.

 

The Yacht Club after dinner was the best place to meet people of all ages for some late nights.

 

You'll have a wonderful time!

[CruiserBruiser]

Dotty,

 

I'm unsure about the shore excursions, too. I"ve heard the horror stories of endless hours on motorcoaches and underwheliming, pre-arranged dining arrangement. But the cruise excursions do guarantee that if you're late the ship won't leave without you. I definitely want to do the one in Gibralter where you go to the "Rock" and see the monkeys, and visit the Isle of No Return (if I have it correct from memory) while in Dakar. For most of the other cities I think I'd like to just take it easy in the central part of the City. All of the ports will be new to me, including Southampton, for that matter.

 

I gather you're a fellow American. Just curious how you found out about the QEII's Holiday cruise since CUNARD is, apparently, not marketing the ship to us. For myself, I've always been intrigued by the old-world glamour appeal of the QEII and just went directly to the company website to see what they had during the holiday season.

[susietb]

Hi,

 

We'll be on the Holiday Cruise Also. We're from the US and booked while on board the Geyers and Glaciers cruise in August. We also know another couple from the US who will be on this cruise.

 

As for the shore excursions, we found them to be the best of any cruise line. They were definitely worth the money. Each group had a cunard staff member as well a tour guide on every trip.

[dotty10]

yup, my family lives in Miami, I go to the University of Florida. We've been going on cruises over Christmas since I was a child, for various reasons, so I've grown up loving them. For the past few years I've been the one doing the research in the family, starting over the summer and relaying the information to the rest. I first became familiar with Cunard when it became apart of the Carnival cruise company, and back in 2003 living in Miami, you would have to be living under a rock to not know about the Queen Mary II that made it's first sail from Ft. Lauderdale. So, being a cruise fan, I became apart of the list serve and have been receiving information on Cunard cruises for the past few years.

 

So that's the round-about way answering the question as to how I heard about QEII's cruise. We booked directly through the Cunard website.. placing a booking request and on the phone.. yaddayaddayada, admitedly slightly time consuming. I've also always wanted to go to england, even if only for a day or two.. so my eyes have been open for cruises out of Southampton as well.

 

As far as excursions go, a friend of mine who has been to Gibraltar recently says the "Rock" and monkeys are a must see. I left the excursion list back in Miami so I can't remember the specific itineraries, but Island of No Return sounds really intriguing,.. perhaps I'll look that up.

 

and that is unusual. i didn't know they had a cunard staffer on each excursion. certainly unique.

[CruiserBruiser]

Hi, SusieTB,

 

Was that Geysers and Glaciers cruise on the QEII? What's you experience of the ship. If I hadn't been such a die-hard fan of old-world glamour I probably would have been reluctant to cruise the QEII because I've read such disparate reviews. Some rave about the ship while others express disappointment. Since I'm new to cruising, period, I really don't know what to expect. What about the QEII is bringing you back to the ship?

[wotec]

QE2 is like no other ship. Since she is an "ocean liner", besides handling rough seas better than a "cruise ship" (with shallow draft and different design concept), the mostly British officer's, the long time crew (some since QE2 started sailing 36 years ago), and so many repeat passengers it's like an English country house atmosphere. We're American so usually the minority. We find the whole on board scenario amusing, refreshing, sometimes quaint, refined. The fact that she is not brand new shiny plastic is so refreshing. We've been on a number of cruise ships over the years and I can't tell you hardly anything about any captain, crew member, dining room decor, stateroom details (not that QE2's stateroom are anything special), ship design on any of the floating hotels (but we've had some great trips to great ports on Radisson, Windstar et al) but I could talk all day and night about QE2 experiences and details. QE2 has long standing traditions that passengers (Princess management now insist we be called "guests" - since when do guests pay? haha), officers and crew truly enjoy. Enjoy her for what she is, while she still offers it, when she's gone we'll remember her fondly and generic & glitzy floating hotels will still get us from port to port. We too were on the G&G Norweigan summer cruise. Can't wait to sail again. Hope you and your family have a great vacation and experiences to remember!

[CruiserBruiser]

Wotec,

 

Thanks for the write-up. It sounds like the QEII will be a nice fit for me and my parents. One thing I found interesting from my cruise documents was the fact that the American dollar is now the on-board currency. I kept expecting to have to load up on pounds. Despite ownership, this seems a bit strange for a ship being marketed almost exclusively to the British and Europeans. If the ship stays in service, I wonder what other changes will be made to "Americanize" the ship.

[Kindlychap]

Wotec,

 

Thanks for the write-up. It sounds like the QEII will be a nice fit for me and my parents. One thing I found interesting from my cruise documents was the fact that the American dollar is now the on-board currency. I kept expecting to have to load up on pounds. Despite ownership, this seems a bit strange for a ship being marketed almost exclusively to the British and Europeans. If the ship stays in service, I wonder what other changes will be made to "Americanize" the ship.

 

As an Englishman, sailing on a British flagged and built ship, I have found the American spelling and language that is creeping into the QE2 disappointing. Fine if you're in America, or on that barge that Cunard market to the Americans, but it's just not cricket on the QE2!

 

I also object to "guest" and "stateroom" - it's passenger and cabin - although that is universal these days.

 

I would have thought that Americans would want to enjoy the Englishness of the ship, not feel as if they are at home. Maybe I'm wrong.....

[Transatlantic Tom]

I would have thought that Americans would want to enjoy the Englishness of the ship, not feel as if they are at home. Maybe I'm wrong.....

 

Kindlychap:

 

I'm American and I do indeed enjoy, to the extent that it still exists on QE2, the "Britishness" of the ship. I do NOT want the ship to become more American in any way, and I do NOT go aboard her expecting/hoping that she will become so.

 

I think that you'll find many of the American passengers (I too hate the use of the word "guest" in this context) would feel the same way.

 

Of course, it's a different world now, isn't it ?? I was served tea in the Queen's Room, sailing day - Southampton Jan. 3, by a Russian young lady, greeted in my cabin by our Filipino room steward, and served dinner in Mauretania Restaurant by our fabulous waiter who hails from India ! All of whom commanded by Capain Rynd, a Kiwi !!!

 

Tom;)

[guernseyguy]

the Englishness of the ship,

 

Built on Clydebank, Glasgow......er..........;)

[Kindlychap]

Built on Clydebank, Glasgow......er..........;)

 

Indeed. Of course. Goes without saying.

 

But the ship is still redolent of Englishness......

 

Who wants life to be straightforward eh? :)