Queen Anne

[Hoveto]

Is Queen Anne really suited to voyages with lots of sea days? She doesn’t have a proper promenade deck where one can spend the day relaxing and looking at the ocean and also doesn’t have a great amount of open deck space. I think she’s more suited to port intense cruises ie fly cruises to the Mediterranean with only one sea day per 7 day cruise. Queen Victoria, in my humble opinion, is more suited to voyages with lots of sea days. It will be very interesting to read reviews after the first six or so cruises. Don’t think the maiden will be a good one to compare with as only a few sea days and the weather could be poor in May.

[Victoria2]

Is Queen Anne really suited to voyages with lots of sea days?

 

Jeepers  Hoveto , I hope so. we have a few QAs booked and we often make a port day, a quasi sea day.

[Ray66]

There's an item about Queen Anne on the ITV website

 

https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2024-03-16/queen-anne-takes-to-the-water-ahead-of-her-arrival-into-southampton

[deck chair]

On 3/12/2024 at 4:32 PM, Hoveto said:

Is Queen Anne really suited to voyages with lots of sea days? She doesn’t have a proper promenade deck where one can spend the day relaxing and looking at the ocean and also doesn’t have a great amount of open deck space. I think she’s more suited to port intense cruises ie fly cruises to the Mediterranean with only one sea day per 7 day cruise. Queen Victoria, in my humble opinion, is more suited to voyages with lots of sea days. It will be very interesting to read reviews after the first six or so cruises. Don’t think the maiden will be a good one to compare with as only a few sea days and the weather could be poor in May.

The lack of a proper promenade deck is a significant flaw on this ship with 3000 passengers.  On beautiful balmy sea days where will these people go for fresh sea air and not feel considerably squeezed in. (If they can ever find a deck chair that is.) It is the reason I will not sail on this ship.  Of course, I may be proven wrong, but I seriously doubt it.  Whoever was responsible should be held accountable.   (But they won't be.)  The picture below is of the Queen Mary 2 glorious promenade deck.

Edited March 18 by deck chair

[LittleFish1976]

4 hours ago, deck chair said:

The lack of a proper promenade deck is a significant flaw on this ship with 3000 passengers.  On beautiful balmy sea days where will these people go for fresh sea air and not feel considerably squeezed in. (If they can ever find a deck chair that is.) It is the reason I will not sail on this ship.  Of course, I may be proven wrong, but I seriously doubt it.  Whoever was responsible should be held accountable.   (But they won't be.)  The picture below is of the Queen Mary 2 glorious promenade deck.

 

I'm starting to feel a bit - not exactly depressed - but dragged down by these regular posts about the lack of 'a proper promenade deck' on Queen Anne. I see them here. I see them on other social media groups. I do not see that they will make a jot of difference to the design or build of this ship since she is for all intents and purposes, completed.

 

I've booked a couple of cruises on this new ship and I am really looking forward to experiencing whatever she has to offer. It may not be to my taste; I may prefer the older ships but I'm excited to try Cunard's new offering. We have choices and if people wouldn't dream of sailing on a ship without a prom deck as wide as QM2 well that's your (very limited) choice.

 

I feel this expression of dissatisfaction about the promenade deck is just whingeing now.

[Winifred 22]

2 hours ago, LittleFish1976 said:

 

I'm starting to feel a bit - not exactly depressed - but dragged down by these regular posts about the lack of 'a proper promenade deck' on Queen Anne. I see them here. I see them on other social media groups. I do not see that they will make a jot of difference to the design or build of this ship since she is for all intents and purposes, completed.

 

I've booked a couple of cruises on this new ship and I am really looking forward to experiencing whatever she has to offer. It may not be to my taste; I may prefer the older ships but I'm excited to try Cunard's new offering. We have choices and if people wouldn't dream of sailing on a ship without a prom deck as wide as QM2 well that's your (very limited) choice.

 

I feel this expression of dissatisfaction about the promenade deck is just whingeing now.

Couldn’t agree more. If you don’t fancy this particular design of ship just don’t book on it. Plenty of other choice out there. I am for one am very excited and looking forward to sailing in July and am not going to be put off by the naysayers. 

[NE John]

I still believe this ship looks very beautiful and will hopefully attract a new generation of Cunard fans with its Wellness areas and hip alternative dining. A big change that I see is the shrinking of the Grills suites, especially PG. The PG suites are not even 250 sf and lower QG suites have shrunk a bit in size too. A Deluxe Oceanview cabin has same sf as PG, according to Cruise Deck Plans. Between the several outdoor pool areas and more alternative dining options, why spend the premium on a smaller PG/QG suite on QA and just stick with Britannia? Especially if this ship will be more cruise oriented and most pax will be off the ship much of the time. 
It also would be nice for the 250th ship to be designed as a “one-off” and not just a Cunard adapted Vista or Pinnacle class vessel. 

[WantedOnVoyage]

But that is not reflected in QUEEN ANNE's deployment now is it???  She is being placed on the traditional ex Southampton run, not on Fly Cruises, and with all those days at sea "to and from" especially the Med itineraries. And she's doing world cruises, too. You can squint until you are blue in the face, but her density of passengers vs. space clearly puts her at a disadvantage with QE and QV when you have all those people sharing that space on all those days at sea. By every accepted measurement of space per passenger, she is more crowded than her fleetmates.  She was designed to maximise profits.  You be the judge if that suits you. 

 

I am unhappy that those of us who don't buy into this, are forced on her as she is the only ex-Southampton ship.  We have decided to stay loyal to "our" QV even if it means flying one-way. 

 

 

[exlondoner]

6 minutes ago, WantedOnVoyage said:

But that is not reflected in QUEEN ANNE's deployment now is it???  She is being placed on the traditional ex Southampton run, not on Fly Cruises, and with all those days at sea "to and from" especially the Med itineraries. And she's doing world cruises, too. You can squint until you are blue in the face, but her density of passengers vs. space clearly puts her at a disadvantage with QE and QV when you have all those people sharing that space on all those days at sea. By every accepted measurement of space per passenger, she is more crowded than her fleetmates.  She was designed to maximise profits.  You be the judge if that suits you. 

 

I am unhappy that those of us who don't buy into this, are forced on her as she is the only ex-Southampton ship.  We have decided to stay loyal to "our" QV even if it means flying one-way. 

 

 

I should sincerely hope she was designed to maximise profits. Surely that is what businesses are supposed to do? Of course, if the design is so horrible that no passengers travel, then there will be no profits.

[WantedOnVoyage]

Actually most successful business know profits ultimately come from pleasing their customers. Especially core customers. 

[exlondoner]

1 minute ago, WantedOnVoyage said:

Actually most successful business know profits ultimately come from pleasing their customers. Especially core customers. 

See my post above. But remember core customers die and their replacements may have somewhat different views.

[foodsvcmgr]

In my experience on HAL ships, comparing Westerdam or even the expanded Eurodam to the latest KONINGSDAM design, I prefer the latest version, other than the narrow promenade.

Overall the feeling on KONINGSDAM was more spacious, not less, and absorbed the passengers very well.

So don’t be overly pessimistic about QA without trying her or at least reading a broad consensus of actual passenger reports.

[Winifred 22]

18 minutes ago, WantedOnVoyage said:

Actually most successful business know profits ultimately come from pleasing their customers. Especially core customers. 

It is my understanding that she is hoping to attract many new Cunard First timers which can only be good for business in the long term.  Without attracting new folk they won’t be able to fill their ships with an ever aging population of core customers anyway. I for one have no reservations  and am looking forward to being onboard in July. As I only sail from Southampton and don’t fly I will make it work and enjoy myself regardless. 

[Wonky]

18 minutes ago, Winifred 22 said:

It is my understanding that she is hoping to attract many new Cunard First timers which can only be good for business in the long term.  Without attracting new folk they won’t be able to fill their ships with an ever aging population of core customers anyway. I for one have no reservations  and am looking forward to being onboard in July. As I only sail from Southampton and don’t fly I will make it work and enjoy myself regardless. 

If you have no reservations they won’t let you on🤣

[Winifred 22]

35 minutes ago, Wonky said:

If you have no reservations they won’t let you on🤣

😂😂😂

[3rdGenCunarder]

2 hours ago, NE John said:

I still believe this ship looks very beautiful and will hopefully attract a new generation of Cunard fans with its Wellness areas and hip alternative dining. A big change that I see is the shrinking of the Grills suites, especially PG. The PG suites are not even 250 sf and lower QG suites have shrunk a bit in size too. A Deluxe Oceanview cabin has same sf as PG, according to Cruise Deck Plans. Between the several outdoor pool areas and more alternative dining options, why spend the premium on a smaller PG/QG suite on QA and just stick with Britannia? Especially if this ship will be more cruise oriented and most pax will be off the ship much of the time. 
It also would be nice for the 250th ship to be designed as a “one-off” and not just a Cunard adapted Vista or Pinnacle class vessel. 

 

1 hour ago, foodsvcmgr said:

In my experience on HAL ships, comparing Westerdam or even the expanded Eurodam to the latest KONINGSDAM design, I prefer the latest version, other than the narrow promenade.

Overall the feeling on KONINGSDAM was more spacious, not less, and absorbed the passengers very well.

So don’t be overly pessimistic about QA without trying her or at least reading a broad consensus of actual passenger reports.

 

Gotta side with @NE John here. His observations about cabin size matches the differences between HAL's Vistas and PInnacles. Cabins on Koningsdam are smaller than the same category on Westy, Zuidy and the other Vistas. 

 

I did not get a feeling of spaciousness on Koningsdam. Yes, there's an atrium. But its wire cage design makes it closed in, not spacious. Yes, the MDR is large and very open in the middle--all of which contributes to dreadfully noisy acoustics.  Yes, there's more space by the midship pool, thanks to the double deck. In fact, the only part of K'dam that I liked was the pool area and movies at night. And don't get me started on the too-small "world stage" theater or the overcrowded spaces in the "music walk."

 

I am booked on QA, and my itinerary is mostly sea days. I'm willing to give her a try, trusting Cunard to take the basic Pinnacle design and (except for the Prom deck, which can't be changed) make it into a ship I can be happy on. And just in case it does feel crowded, I booked PG, hoping to have quiet time on the grills terrace. Hedging my bets.

 

 

[foodsvcmgr]

Clearly a wide range of subjective assessments here, I’m sure Cunard are hoping more passengers find QA agreeable than not.

I noticed that KONINGSDAM veranda cabins were a bit reduced in size but didn’t really impact me, I learned the hard way not to waste money on the so called Vista Suite, a suite in name only.

That said, I think QV is a much nice version of the platform than the HAL ships, so possibly QA will be as well.

[buchanan101]

On 3/12/2024 at 8:32 PM, Hoveto said:

Is Queen Anne really suited to voyages with lots of sea days? She doesn’t have a proper promenade deck where one can spend the day relaxing and looking at the ocean and also doesn’t have a great amount of open deck space. I think she’s more suited to port intense cruises ie fly cruises to the Mediterranean with only one sea day per 7 day cruise. Queen Victoria, in my humble opinion, is more suited to voyages with lots of sea days. It will be very interesting to read reviews after the first six or so cruises. Don’t think the maiden will be a good one to compare with as only a few sea days and the weather could be poor in May.

How many cruise ships DO have proper full promenade decks - are we spoilt by the QM2?

 

Have booked PG for QA - the Grills deck area seems a reasonable size as AFAIK the two infinity pools are in this area. I'm guessing on sail-bys in the fjords they may be quite busy though

[buchanan101]

On 3/18/2024 at 12:11 PM, NE John said:

I still believe this ship looks very beautiful and will hopefully attract a new generation of Cunard fans with its Wellness areas and hip alternative dining. A big change that I see is the shrinking of the Grills suites, especially PG. The PG suites are not even 250 sf and lower QG suites have shrunk a bit in size too. A Deluxe Oceanview cabin has same sf as PG, according to Cruise Deck Plans. Between the several outdoor pool areas and more alternative dining options, why spend the premium on a smaller PG/QG suite on QA and just stick with Britannia? Especially if this ship will be more cruise oriented and most pax will be off the ship much of the time. 
It also would be nice for the 250th ship to be designed as a “one-off” and not just a Cunard adapted Vista or Pinnacle class vessel. 

Interesting about the Deluxe Sea View - hadn't noticed that category (EA); and they look the same size as PG as you say. 20 of them, Deck 1, mid aft. We are going PG though - maybe we'll regret it, but PG is not just about the cabin

[tacticalbanjo]

I was intrigued by those Deluxe Oceanviews on deck 1 too. They can sleep four in two king beds and have a bath and a shower room. The big downside is that they are clearly below the galley for Britannia. I'll be keeping an eye on reviews for those rooms because they look idea for families.

[WantedOnVoyage]

2 hours ago, buchanan101 said:

How many cruise ships DO have proper full promenade decks - are we spoilt by the QM2?

 

Have booked PG for QA - the Grills deck area seems a reasonable size as AFAIK the two infinity pools are in this area. I'm guessing on sail-bys in the fjords they may be quite busy though

 Well.... all of the VISTA-class ships operated by Holland America Line, Costa, P&O (ARCADIA) for starters, including of course, QE and QV. All of the older HAL pre VISTA ships. Fred. Olsen's former HAL sisters. Full walk around, full sea-view promenades with deck chairs. I think AURORA has a full promenade deck, too. 

[exlondoner]

3 minutes ago, WantedOnVoyage said:

 Well.... all of the VISTA-class ships operated by Holland America Line, Costa, P&O (ARCADIA) for starters, including of course, QE and QV. All of the older HAL pre VISTA ships. Fred. Olsen's former HAL sisters. Full walk around, full sea-view promenades with deck chairs. I think AURORA has a full promenade deck, too. 

QV didn’t initially, as you couldn’t get round the front. It was established after QE came into service with her walkround deck, which passengers liked. There may be a lesson there…

[buchanan101]

41 minutes ago, WantedOnVoyage said:

 Well.... all of the VISTA-class ships operated by Holland America Line, Costa, P&O (ARCADIA) for starters, including of course, QE and QV. All of the older HAL pre VISTA ships. Fred. Olsen's former HAL sisters. Full walk around, full sea-view promenades with deck chairs. I think AURORA has a full promenade deck, too. 

Are the Pinnacles that much different? Deck plans show a full walk round deck, set back in places but presumably behind lifeboat structures etc.  You can certainly walk fully round

 

[NE John]

44 minutes ago, buchanan101 said:

Are the Pinnacles that much different? Deck plans show a full walk round deck, set back in places but presumably behind lifeboat structures etc.  You can certainly walk fully round

 

Doesn’t look like room on QA for steamer/lounger chairs to relax with sea views. Other Cunarders have said chairs. 

[3rdGenCunarder]

These photos show parts of the "promenade" deck on Koningsdam. There are no deck chairs anywhere on the promenade deck. Look at the deck plans and QA looks like K'dam. 

Edited March 19 by 3rdGenCunarder