QM2 newbies - Electronics questions

[TouchstoneFeste]

My wife and I will be on the May 1, 2022, crossing on the Queen Mary 2. This will be our first time on Cunard and only our second cruise of any kind (the other was a 300 passenger one on the Adriatic). We're having fun planning and thinking about the journey, and I have a lot of questions, but I'm parcelling them out over the next little while. Feel free to offer advice on related issues, if I've missed anything obvious I should know about.

 

Okay, let's start with Electronics!

 

Somewhere in the Cunard FAQs it says you can't use surge protectors for the crossing because they interfere with the in-house system. Really? I use a surge protector to protect myself from electrical systems like that! Can anyone explain?

 

I've read that there are two 220 and two 110 outlets. Are these on the console in the main room and in the dressing area makeup table (we have Queens Grill suite)? Or what?

 

There is apparently a Cunard app, but only for Apple devices? I've looked at the Carnival Android app and it doesn't list any of the Cunard ships.

[bluemarble]

Welcome to the Cunard forum. Here's my attempt to answer a couple of your questions.

 

1. Most consumer-grade power strips with surge protection are a fire hazard onboard ships. Here is a link to a Marine Safety Alert from the US Coast Guard on that topic.

 

https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/TVNCOE/Documents/SafetyAlerts/SurgeProtectiveDevices.pdf?ver=2017-08-11-142750-690

 

@chengkp75 can provide plenty of additional technical details about surge protectors onboard ships if needed. I've read numerous excellent posts of his about this very topic on various Cruise Critic forums.

 

2. Sorry, we've never booked a Queens Grill suite, so I can't answer how the power outlets are arranged in those stateroom categories on QM2. I'm sure someone else will be happy to help out with that.

 

3. I'm also an Android guy, but my impression is that the Cunard app for Apple devices is basically just a way to view Cunard brochures. At least the only Cunard app I am aware of is the one from "inbro" who publish various online materials including Cunard brochures. Assuming you are looking for an app with features similar to what other lines provide to enhance the pre-voyage, check-in, and onboard experience, then I'm afraid that's lightyears ahead of anything Cunard can offer.

[sfred]

49 minutes ago, bluemarble said:

2. Sorry, we've never booked a Queens Grill suite, so I can't answer how the power outlets are arranged in those stateroom categories on QM2. I'm sure someone else will be happy to help out with that.

 

QM2's Queens suite power points are located in three places - at the centre sideboard table between the bed and writing desk, at the writing desk, and at the vanity dressing table adjacent to the bathroom and closet. 

 

 

The centre table has four 110v US plugs, and two 220v UK plugs (in the below view, the UK plugs are hidden behind the flowers in the middle).  Prior to QM2's last refit, the writing desk occupied the position of this table, hence the position of these power points.

 

 

The writing desk has one more US plug, and one more UK plug.

 

 

From memory, the dressing table adjacent to the bathroom has two more US plugs, and one more UK plug. 

 

A good review of the Queens suites, with more photos, is available here:

 

https://www.theluxurycruisereview.com/ship_report/queen-mary-2-queens-suite/

 

Enjoy!  It is a great experience.

 

Edited February 11, 2021 by sfred

[sfred]

Sorry - forgot to mention that there are two more plugs at the bar area, but these are used by the electric kettle and the coffee machine.  You could unplug one or both if needed for additional power.

 

[sfred]

Edit - the dressing table adjacent to the bathroom has two US plugs, and two UK plugs

 

[TouchstoneFeste]

Thanks for these replies ... very helpful. A few more things I don't have to angst about!

[BigMac1953]

Remember, as a newbie, you will have to pay for all your internet on a per minute basis, and it's not cheap.

 

Best to compose any emails off line, then send them all at once.

 

The Cunard site is free, but that's it!

 

Stewart

[newjoisey]

We have never had an issue of plugging in anything we brought with us [US] . Cruise ships in general are pretty well planned out for users of all nations ,somewhere we have a travel electric adapter kit......that we brought once but have never used. Wife loads her tablet,phone, 'watch with the daily program and attends what interests her ,i read it the night before and try to remember who,what,where,when ,why and attend. Usually we stay off the internet while on a cruise because we like the disconnection time .  

[MaisonRose]

Just for fun, I learned this from my daughters: use your phone or iPad to take photos of everything...your ticket, passport, vaccine certificate...and if you need,  a Photo of your daily program. I create an album in Photos and name it QM2 6/16 or as needed.

[MarkBearSF]

From my understanding, surge suppressors require a ground wire. Ships have no ground. Without that, they risk shorting by sending the current to the other live line. (or something like that). And all lines have that prohibition, some make a bigger issue of it than others.

Searching Amazon or elsewhere for "cruise ship power strip" will result in many results. Here is the one I use https://www.amazon.com/Outlet-Desktop-Charging-Station-Extension/dp/B07BF788FF/ref=sr_1_10?crid=2SN1JD19FNH3C&dchild=1&keywords=cruise+ship+power+strip&qid=1613363234&sprefix=cruise+ship+power+%2Caps%2C267&sr=8-10

Also, we found that the dressing table made a great desk and electronics center (I travel with a laptop, iPad, iPhone, and Apple Watch). Of course, we're two guys and didn't have need for a dressing table.

By the way, I love Cunard, but they are horrible in tech. Crappy, limited, website, slow and expensive internet options, no interactive TV account access.

Edited February 15, 2021 by MarkBearSF

[TouchstoneFeste]

Again, thanks for these excellent ideas.

 

As for men not needing the dressing table ... hey, remember Masquerade night!

 

Of course for future masquerades, we'll probably all look like this:

 

[chengkp75]

8 hours ago, MarkBearSF said:

From my understanding, surge suppressors require a ground wire. Ships have no ground. Without that, they risk shorting by sending the current to the other live line. (or something like that). And all lines have that prohibition, some make a bigger issue of it than others.

Ships do have a ground.  The ocean is a fine ground.  The problem is that you don't want to use the hull of the ship as the ground conductor, so the ship uses a separate ground wire, kept at a different voltage than the hull, to act as ground within the ship.  I would explain about surge suppressor dangers further, but it gets pretty technical, so unless someone asks, I'll just leave it here.

 

 

[MarkBearSF]

Thanks for the knowledgeable correction.