Queen Anne Deck Plan - question about cabin 5060

[Ruthith]

Hi Cunard Cruisers! I know the QA is a new ship so noone has actually sailed it yet, but I have never cruised Cunard and don't have a good sense of the cabin layouts.

 

I am looking at cabin 5060 on Cunard's deck plan - it looks to be a different orientation but about the same size, with a deeper balcony that is mostly shaded by the deck above (which is a cabin, not public space, at least that's my read.)

 

Any insights around how this might be different? The itinerary is transpacific SFO to Auckland (though we may book the longer stint starting in NYC).

 

Thanks!

-Ruth

[3rdGenCunarder]

Your question may be moot. That large balcony makes those cabins likely to sell out quickly. Have you done a dummy booking to see what's available?

 

Here's the same cabin on a HAL ship. Not sure if Cunard will have the same layout, but it gives you an idea of the possibilities.

5050 – Rotterdam | HAL Cruiser Information (halfacts.com)

Edited August 8, 2023 by 3rdGenCunarder

[Ruthith]

Ah, yes - I have it held!

 

I'm trying to figure out whether it will feel cramped in the cabin given the layout. These days I book my cabins with a "what happens if I get covid and am confined...." mindset. (Mind you, I am a "no-vid" so far...still masking in crowds.)

 

I want to be a bit midship and lower down given the Transpacific seas, and most of the more affordable insides and balconies still available are much farther forward or aft. This looked potentially like a find!

 

Any other insights would be welcome. Thanks again!

[Winifred 22]

Looks a great cabin I would go for it.

[Pushpit]

There are some similar staterooms on the other Cunard, such as the QM2 singles by G32 and on deck 4 of QV and QA. Similar in the sense that they are end of sequence or flipped layout. I was in 4146 on QV a few weeks back, which has some similarities with 5108 on the deck plan above. I didn't realise until sailing that you get a much wider and better sea view, as well as more balcony. Obviously a large balcony may not always work if the weather is poor, but that's not easy to guess.

[Ruthith]

9 minutes ago, Pushpit said:

There are some similar staterooms on the other Cunard, such as the QM2 singles by G32 and on deck 4 of QV and QA. Similar in the sense that they are end of sequence or flipped layout. I was in 4146 on QV a few weeks back, which has some similarities with 5108 on the deck plan above. I didn't realise until sailing that you get a much wider and better sea view, as well as more balcony. Obviously a large balcony may not always work if the weather is poor, but that's not easy to guess.

Thanks so much for the comment. Was the orientation an issue - did the room feel comfortable to sit in as well as sleep in and navigate?

 

Oops - sorry. Just looked at your cabin 5108-  that was a standard orientation. 

Edited August 8, 2023 by Ruthith

[MCC retired]

Best off to put a Hold on that cabin before asking for info here.

 

[Ruthith]

@MCC retiredI mentioned previously that I had it on hold before I asked - of course! I have released it though and went for a deck 1 ocean view. It's our first TP and I want as much stability as possible. 

[3rdGenCunarder]

7 minutes ago, Ruthith said:

@MCC retiredI mentioned previously that I had it on hold before I asked - of course! I have released it though and went for a deck 1 ocean view. It's our first TP and I want as much stability as possible. 

 

That's understandable. I sometimes wonder what Magellan was thinking when he called that ocean Pacific. 

[Pushpit]

On 8/8/2023 at 10:37 PM, Ruthith said:

Thanks so much for the comment. Was the orientation an issue - did the room feel comfortable to sit in as well as sleep in and navigate?

 

Oops - sorry. Just looked at your cabin 5108-  that was a standard orientation. 

Yes that one was, but the QM2 Oceanview singles are in a sense orientation switched, but only in a few respects: the door and the arrangements right by the door. Past that point, the orientation is quite natural. the narrow length of the bed is still on the narrow length of the stateroom, and it's actually more natural to have windows on the side rather than behind the bed, if you consider most domestic bedrooms or hotel bedrooms. After about 5 minutes inside the stateroom you kind of forget about it. I guess there is some more fundamental point in rough weather, if you are sleeping (etc!) in line with the vessel's pitching or lengthwise, but QM2 is like a hefty slug ploughing across the oceans, she doesn't really do pitching, she just quivers a bit.

 

For QV and QE - and being a veteran of QE2 - they do have more movement. I'm one of those who is prone to seasickness but over time I've come to the view that over-thinking it makes it worse. I've no idea about QA but both QV and QE are remarkably stable really, just enough movement to remind you from time to time that you are sailing the high seas - and the occasional slightly exciting lurch. I am also an NHS clinician so I know something about the science behind this, so a combination of the right seasickness tablet (brands vary, but there are in essence only 2 medicines for travel sickness and a 3rd rarely used alternative), exposure to the skyline, personal mindset and some ginger (witchcraft warning goes here, limited clinical trials) is as important as anything else. 

 

That said it's very sensible to be cautious on your first big voyage, and selecting a stateroom accordingly, you can then perhaps be more adventurous on your second big Cunard trip, which will surely follow.

[TouchstoneFeste]

22 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

That's understandable. I sometimes wonder what Magellan was thinking when he called that ocean Pacific. 

Balboa, I think.  He was viewing it from onshore and obviously on a calm day :)

Edited August 10, 2023 by TouchstoneFeste
Hit send too soon

[ExArkie]

22 hours ago, TouchstoneFeste said:

Balboa, I think.  He was viewing it from onshore and obviously on a calm day 🙂

In Panama, or nearby, if I recall correctly. Not exactly the most turbulent portion of the ocean

[3rdGenCunarder]

23 hours ago, TouchstoneFeste said:

Balboa, I think.  He was viewing it from onshore and obviously on a calm day 🙂

 

I always thought it was Balboa, but I looked it up and it was Magellan. I suppose he can be forgiven for a not always accurate name considering he had just made it around South America, which can be a rough passage. 

 

Balboa saw it a few years earlier but didn't name it. I think he should get a lot of credit for getting across the Isthmus of Panama without a canal.

[3rdGenCunarder]

 

On 8/10/2023 at 2:26 AM, Pushpit said:

For QV and QE - and being a veteran of QE2 - they do have more movement. I'm one of those who is prone to seasickness but over time I've come to the view that over-thinking it makes it worse. I've no idea about QA but both QV and QE are remarkably stable really, just enough movement to remind you from time to time that you are sailing the high seas - and the occasional slightly exciting lurch. I am also an NHS clinician so I know something about the science behind this, so a combination of the right seasickness tablet (brands vary, but there are in essence only 2 medicines for travel sickness and a 3rd rarely used alternative), exposure to the skyline, personal mindset and some ginger (witchcraft warning goes here, limited clinical trials) is as important as anything else. 

 

It has to be really bad before mal de mer gets to me, but out of an abundance of caution, I always blook low and midships for a TA--I like QM2's sheltered balconies. My first TA was on QE2 many years ago. We went last-minute standby fare guarantee cabin. We got a low and very far forward tiny inside cabin. We sailed through the worst weather I have encountered at sea and it's the only time I have been seasick. So I have sworn off forward cabins ever since. I think more than the location, a lot of it was being inside with no view of the horizon--and making the mistake of watching the bridge cam and seeing the horizon go up and down. 

 

My prescription (and I am not a clinician) for rough weather is stay out of small enclosed spaces, get fresh air unless it's too rough and they close the decks (or your balcony is too windy). Look out at the horizon (off to the side, not the front!) and just breathe steadily. I also swear by ginger, but in the form of ginger ale taken with crackers or toast. And if it's forecast to be really bad, I take meclizine. 

 

I have not been in rough weather on a Cunard Vista, but I have on a HAL Vista and it rode well. I had an aft cabin on HAL's Koningsdam (basic plan used for QA) and did not like the ride at the back in what I would describe as moderate sea conditions. Too much up and down and slamming down on the waves. People who were midships on the same cruise barely felt the motion. 

 

[Ruthith]

This is all very interesting. I too don't tend to get seasick, but my partner can - it was definitely a tradeoff between the balcony 4 decks higher and slightly forward, vs the ocean view on deck one slightly aft. For a TA I wouldn't have thought twice about the higher slightly forward one, as we've done several and been fine. But for the TP, I settled on safe.

 

I do the ginger thing as well (tend to grab ginger from the sushi bar!) but will now travel with BOTH types of seasickness meds for the TP just in case!

 

Love this whole conversation - I learned something!

 

 

[Pushpit]

7 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

My prescription (and I am not a clinician) for rough weather is stay out of small enclosed spaces, get fresh air unless it's too rough and they close the decks (or your balcony is too windy). Look out at the horizon (off to the side, not the front!) and just breathe steadily. I also swear by ginger, but in the form of ginger ale taken with crackers or toast. And if it's forecast to be really bad, I take meclizine. 

That's pretty much correct, you're trying to regularise what the brain thinks should be happening with the actual movement, so those tactics should work in moderate cases. Looking to the front may work in some cases, if that lets the brain unscramble what is going on or just reduce the delta.

 

The problem with the clinical side is that the main medicines are all out of patent, so there is almost a vested interest in NOT finding out which is the most effective, or indeed if ginger is better. No one is going to spend the money on clinical trials to perhaps put themselves out of business. So we don't have concrete evidence about ginger, other than it's been used for motion sickness for centuries.

 

About one third of normal population distribution is prone to sea sickness in moderate conditions. About 20% of the population get no or very mild symptoms in very rough conditions (conditions that won't happen on a Cunard sized vessel).

[alibabacruisers]

I suffer the dreaded motion sickness so have learned over the years, that I have to take meds (used to be Avomine until they discontinued it in Australia, but now have to settle for phenergan) starting a few days prior and then into the cruise, 1 tablet before bedtime each night.  I initially tried the wrist bands, and ginger from the dining room, both of which did nothing for me.  I also realized that the fresh air and ginger ale helped a lot as well.  Cabin position for me is important too, so will not choose far forward or far aft.

[3rdGenCunarder]

2 hours ago, Pushpit said:

That's pretty much correct, you're trying to regularise what the brain thinks should be happening with the actual movement, so those tactics should work in moderate cases. Looking to the front may work in some cases, if that lets the brain unscramble what is going on or just reduce the delta.

 

The problem with the clinical side is that the main medicines are all out of patent, so there is almost a vested interest in NOT finding out which is the most effective, or indeed if ginger is better. No one is going to spend the money on clinical trials to perhaps put themselves out of business. So we don't have concrete evidence about ginger, other than it's been used for motion sickness for centuries.

 

About one third of normal population distribution is prone to sea sickness in moderate conditions. About 20% of the population get no or very mild symptoms in very rough conditions (conditions that won't happen on a Cunard sized vessel).

 

Motion sickness depends on the nature of the motion. I love the long up and down cycle of pitching, but I dislike the shorter cycle of rolling. DH was just the opposite. Rolling didn't bother him but pitching sent him to bed to sleep through it. The worst is corckscrewing, where the ship rolls and pitches at the same time. 

 

I'm more likely to be queasy on a small excursion boat than on a ship. I think it's the random bouncing rather than steady movement. 

 

[TouchstoneFeste]

19 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

I always thought it was Balboa, but I looked it up and it was Magellan. I suppose he can be forgiven for a not always accurate name considering he had just made it around South America, which can be a rough passage. 

 

Balboa saw it a few years earlier but didn't name it. I think he should get a lot of credit for getting across the Isthmus of Panama without a canal.

Wow, you're right! I have been wrong for a very, very long time.