A Cunard Christmas

[Lanky Lad]

I was looking forward to seeing the trimmings on QM2 tomorrow on my way to New York and back.  As no one can go this year, I thought I would post some pictures from previous trips.  Hopefully, others will share some as well.

 

 

[Lanky Lad]

A few more

 

 

 

Edited November 30, 2020 by Lanky Lad

[Mudhen]

aw.....very nice! Thank you for posting!

[portofrome]

Nice! Thank you for sharing.

[DaisyDancer]

[DaisyDancer]

[bluemarble]

Here's my favorite Cunard Christmas photo showing the Wind in the Willows characters in the Grand Lobby during the 2013 QM2 Christmas cruise.

 

[sfred]

Thanks @LankyLad.  Nice pics.  The wife and I were scheduled to be on QM2 for the Christmas/New Year Caribbean voyage this year.  I was very disappointed when it cancelled, but there is no way for us to get from Australia to the US at the moment, so I was thankful to get the deposit back.

 

We were on QE last December for a short segment here in Australia from Adelaide to Melbourne.  Santa made an appearance, and the crew sang carols in the grand lobby.  It was a very festive event, despite the 43c summertime heat on the day we departed Adelaide.

 

 

 

[navybankerteacher]

29 minutes ago, bluemarble said:

Here's my favorite Cunard Christmas photo showing the Wind in the Willows characters in the Grand Lobby during the 2013 QM2 Christmas cruise.

 

So Messrs. Mole, Toad, Water Rat and Badger are long term repeat cruisers.  We enjoyed seeing them when we boarded in Brooklyn this past Dec. 22 for the Christmas/New Years sailing.  I add our Dec.23 sunrise.

[Underwatr]

2012:

 

 

a bit of cheeky detail:

 

 

 

[Underwatr]

2017:

 

[Ray66]

From the QE cruise to nowhere, December 2014:

 

 

 

 

[Colin_Cameron]

Queen Elizabeth 2017

 

 

Edited December 1, 2020 by Colin_Cameron

[Victoria2]

Thank you Colin. How elegant and restrained Elizabeth looks. Perfect.

[Colin_Cameron]

Queen Victoria 2013 

 

 

Passenger Choir Carol Concert

 

Edited December 1, 2020 by Colin_Cameron
spacing

[Host Hattie]

A few from my collection

 

 

[Caullkhead]

Thank you Lanky Lad & everyone, great photos! So disappointing not to be sailing today! 

[Craigrlewis]

Epitomizes Cunard IMHO - tasteful and not garish or OTT.

[Lanky Lad]

As with most things, Cunard has a sense of style and sophistication sadly lacking in most places these days.

[exlondoner]

All very festive, and, as you say, tasteful. But I have never understood the attraction of gingerbread villages.

[bluemarble]

This is probably stretching the premise of this thread past the breaking point, but here are some photos of Christmas decorations taken ashore on the island of St Maarten during our 2013 QM2 Christmas cruise. For a mid-westerner used to frigid temperatures and snow at Christmas, it was certainly a different experience seeing Christmas decorations such as these in a tropical environment.

 

 

 

 

[FredT]

OK, good "Cunarders"

 

As someone who has not sailed on the Cunard line since his honeymoon (The Countess in 1980) I have a question for you all. (related to this thread)  

 

My wife and I are considering a "Christmas Cruise" for December 2021.  We have been on a few, (NCL and Princess) and found one to be VERY "Christmas like" and one to pretty much ignore the holiday.  

 

From the photo's on this thread it LOOKS like Cunard does the holiday up right...   But beyond the pretty trees, do they "DO" the holiday?  (Or just pay it lip service.) 

[bluemarble]

6 minutes ago, FredT said:

OK, good "Cunarders"

 

As someone who has not sailed on the Cunard line since his honeymoon (The Countess in 1980) I have a question for you all. (related to this thread)  

 

My wife and I are considering a "Christmas Cruise" for December 2021.  We have been on a few, (NCL and Princess) and found one to be VERY "Christmas like" and one to pretty much ignore the holiday.  

 

From the photo's on this thread it LOOKS like Cunard does the holiday up right...   But beyond the pretty trees, do they "DO" the holiday?  (Or just pay it lip service.) 

 

In my experience (one Christmas cruise in 2013 on QM2 out of New York), Cunard does "do" the holiday quite well without being over-the-top about it. Beyond the elaborate decorations, our voyage included

• A Christmas ice carving demo on Christmas Eve
• Christmas carols in the Grand Lobby on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (with "snow" in the forecast)
• Catholic and Protestant religious services on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
• A gift from Cunard left in our cabin
• A reading of "A Visit from St. Nicholas" by the captain followed by a visit from Santa with presents for the children in the Queens Room
• A live broadcast of the Queen's Christmas message (a UK tradition we enjoyed)
• Christmas dinner including Christmas "crackers" (a fun UK tradition)
• Several Christmas-themed movies and theatre shows

I've probably missed a few things, but that should give you a general idea of what to expect on a QM2 Christmas cruise.

[sfred]

And to supplement @bluemarble's list, a few years back we did a New Year short trip on QE from Southampton to Amsterdam and Brugges.  New Year's included:

• An evening formal ball, countdown to midnight, and balloons/streamers dropped from the ceiling of the Queens Room.
• Champagne and/or hot rum/whisky drinks, particularly welcome as the evening was damp and cold outside.
• New Year  themed chocolate and flowers gift left by our cabin steward.
• All the Christmas decorations still in place.  I think they started taking them down the next day after New Year.
• Amsterdam did fireworks that evening, but the night was drizzly and foggy so the effect was somewhat minimised.

 

 

[Underwatr]

3 hours ago, sfred said:

All the Christmas decorations still in place.  I think they started taking them down the next day after New Year.

 

The lobby tree on QM2 is taken down Dec 30 to clear the floor space for New Year's Eve. The rest disappear within a day or two.

 

As of last year they've discontinued the big balloon drop in the lobby in order to be a little more environmentally friendly.

 

After the various NYE countdowns/celebrations (QM2 is en route from the Caribbean on Atlantic time, so Continental Europe passes at 7 PM, the UK at 8 PM - big celebration in and around the Golden Lion for that - Shipboard at midnight and New York at 1 AM) there's a big chocolate buffet in the Kings Court.

 

After 2012-2019 this is my first Christmas in many years not being celebrated aboard QM2. I hope things will be back to normal in 2021.

 

4 hours ago, bluemarble said:

Several Christmas-themed movies and theatre shows

 

I got a kick out of Die Hard being offered as a "Christmas Movie, " settling that argument once and for all. 😆