Hollandite (HAL) considering QM2; help please

[twoatsea]

Have cruised a lot on HAL; some on Princess, Celebrity, Norweigan, & Delta Steamboat Company. Want to try Cunard; looking at QM2, Caribbean Cruise, balcony B1-B6. Very much appreciate some help, please.

 

1. If we do not wish to have room service or to go to the dining room, is there a casual (resort-casual) non-surcharge dining option for breakfast, lunch, & dinner, such as a cafeteria/buffet area as the other lines have? If so, what type of entrees do they serve (hopefully not just sandwiches)?

 

2. In categories B1-B6, what would be our assigned dining area & how does it differ from the other assigned dining areas - such as, food served, quality of food, dining times, table sizes available, etc.?

 

3. There are some B5 & B6 cabins on deck 8. Does that place us in a different assigned dining room? If so, how is that dining room different?

 

4. Excuse me, I'm sure this has been covered, but I don't have much time - need to pack for our HAL cruise!! How does the dress code differ from other lines, if at all? My DH just wears suits on formal nights. Will he need a tux on QM2? The cruise we are considering is a Caribbean cruise. Anyone know the usual number of formal, informal, casual dining nights?

 

5. Any other info you can offer regarding the difference we will experience & need to consider before booking, will be appreciated greatly.

 

Thanks in advance.

[travel-to-go]

Have cruised a lot on HAL; some on Princess, Celebrity, Norweigan, & Delta Steamboat Company. Want to try Cunard; looking at QM2, Caribbean Cruise, balcony B1-B6. Very much appreciate some help, please.

 

1. If we do not wish to have room service or to go to the dining room, is there a casual (resort-casual) non-surcharge dining option for breakfast, lunch, & dinner, such as a cafeteria/buffet area as the other lines have? If so, what type of entrees do they serve (hopefully not just sandwiches)?

 

What most would know as the traditional "Lido" is called the King's Court. It is cafeteria style during the day, sit-down restaurant at night. While I never ate there at night other than late night snack- no Midnight Grand Buffett like most lines I understand that only one restaurant is "open eating" for dinner. Kings Court is separated into 4 areas-an Asian (Thai/Chinese/some Indo and Japanese) Italian (Trattoria) The Carvery (at least two carved items such as Steamship round, leg of lamb, ham, etc and at night the Chef's Galley is an intimate interactive Chef demonstration restaurant. This has a surcharge, and requires reservations, as does Todd English, and alternative restaurant. You also, of course have the opportunity to take room service, though off of mealtimes, the menu is limited. There is also a burger and hot dog type place- to be honest I never went there- The Boardwalk Cafe, I think it is called by one of the pools. There are NOT a lot of snacks in the gift shop area, so if you like to snack, bring your own! This is not your average 24 hours pig-out like some ships! Though to be honest, I don't think anyone will go hungry! The King's Court during breakfast and lunch arre like any other Ldio type area. Althrough I would warn, each section has different opening and closing times. And one end of it has a short-order deli. Sandwiches made to order.

2. In categories B1-B6, what would be our assigned dining area & how does it differ from the other assigned dining areas - such as, food served, quality of food, dining times, table sizes available, etc.?

 

Cat B1-B6 are Brittania Restaurant, which is the larger multi-tiered traditional grand dining salon. The "Grill Category" restaurants, Princess and Queen's Grill are for suite level (concierge level) passengers- They are plainer, IMHO, no multi tiers and balustrades, no two or three story tapestry or wall sculpture and grand chandeliers, but tastefully (if bland, IMHO) decorated. In addition to the marvelous food served (like most cruise lines) in the Brittania, the grills contain some additional choices and ala carte items, and you may ask for any item not found on the menu (such as caviar with every meal) so long as you notify them in advance and they are able to prepare it. For instance, I think a party on one trip got to be good friends and all decided to order a large roast duckling or something for the next night. It was obliged. Table sizes in Brittania are anywhere from 2 to 12. I believe the Grills are 2-8 or 10, at least, Like seating times, you state your preference when you book. Hopefully, you get what you requested or speak (early) to the Maitre D'. Brittania has an early and a late seating (not four , like HAL now does) and the Grills are open seating as long as you arrive by a certain time. I understand many come to an understanding with their table mates so they can arrive together, but it is not totally necessary. I have never eaten in the Grills. However, I thought the food in Brittania was fantastic. Some was better than others. They seemed to have trouble getting fish to the right texture- often it was overcooked with such a large contingency to feed. I found if you asked your waiter, he would not steer you wrong, and would tell you if, for instance, the fish was overcooked tonight. On the other hand, I had some absolutely delightful fish other nights, and the waiter would hghly recommend it. If you did not care for your entree, or couldn't choose, he would often bring two. In fact, he got in the habit of bringing an extra desert every night for everyone to share! (Hey! It wsn't me! Honest!) It is possible to ask for off-menu items, and was often done for the pregnant lady at our table with a cold, who wasn't up to eating much of anything, so they would try to entice her with tasty yet somewhat bland treats so as to not upset her delicate stomach, but honestly, it really isn't done much.

 

3. There are some B5 & B6 cabins on deck 8. Does that place us in a different assigned dining room? If so, how is that dining room different?

 

This is Brittania. We were in the Obstructed View cabins on our Jan Panama cruise. These are glass fronted balconies with the lifeboats hanging in front of them , about 10- 12 feet out. If you pick the right cabin, you could b e between two lifeboats. We had about a third of the view unobstructed and it was fun watching them bring the tenders up and down. We had a ring side seat for that!

4. Excuse me, I'm sure this has been covered, but I don't have much time - need to pack for our HAL cruise!! How does the dress code differ from other lines, if at all? My DH just wears suits on formal nights. Will he need a tux on QM2? The cruise we are considering is a Caribbean cruise. Anyone know the usual number of formal, informal, casual dining nights?

less formal on a Caribbean than say, a crossing. I would count on 2-3 on a 7 night cruise. Basically, the same dress as HAL. Honestly, having sailed several of both lines, I found the dress to be about the same. I find that people want to dress to the nines on formals nights, as they rarely get that chance at home. Your husband will probably look more in place in a tux, but there will certainly be gentlemen there in dark suits. I always found the gents in dark suits to be an anomaly, even on less dressy lines. I sort of wondered why they couldn't afford/didn't have/never had the use for a tux! Shame on me, but even in cheaper more casual lines, if I saw a gent not in a tux on formal night, I kind of thought them selfish and lazy! I know that is bad of me to assume! But even my committed jeans-wearing SO wore his tux (with cumberbund and tie to match my gown) and the "shoes of pain and misfortune" every formal (and some nonformal) nights with me on every cruise we have ever gone on. When his old tux was getting frayed around the collar, and he didn't have much money, he still went out and purchased a perfectly respectable "gently used" tux. He wanted me to be proud of him, and to look nice himself, and believe me, I was and he did!

 

5. Any other info you can offer regarding the difference we will experience & need to consider before booking, will be appreciated greatly.

 

As I said, having cruised both (5 times on Cunard, 3 or 4 on HAL, I forget. Our next HAL will be a medal cruise) plus several other lines, I found them to be quite similar in all ways. The exceptions were: The entertainment on Cunard seems more staid, More things bear an extra or higher charge on Cunard (Photos- forget it! They're almost all 8X10 for $27.50 apiece!) Gift shop on Cunard WAY overpriced, not as much "fun" kitschy stuff, a little more British-styled but still a fun ship, with fun passengers and fun things to do. Don't let the tone of some of these boards scare you into thinking it is a bunch of old stodgy fuddy -duddies! It is not. I Find Cunard has changed over the years from my first four cruises. Not necessarily for the better, but it was owned by different people then, it was their smaller Crown Division (800 passenger ships, the QE2, plus the super yachts and the SagaFiord and VistaFiord and- Oooh, I forget the other one Viking Sun, I think) Times change, things move on, You have to compete. And I feel that HAL is not up to the standards I expect of them either, of ;late, sutting back on food quality and staff to passenger ratio. Our last HAL was Christmas 2004 in a Concierge Class (Deluze Verandah Suite) and I was a bit shocked by some of the lapses in service. Still great but not up to what I expected and was used to. Signs of the times, I guess. And remember, everyne's experiences are different. Maybe I had some bad luck or wiaters with personal concerns that kept them from being as effective as they might otherwise have been. Who ever know. (But I know they and my Steward both told me they wer handlng three times the passengers they used to! )

Thanks in advance.

I think you and your DH will find yourselves quite at home on the QM2. There will be less children, most likely, and a more upscale experience (but not drastically different than HAL) The library is, bar none, the best at sea! This is not Carnival's Bacchanlia, nor RCCLs Floating Gold's Gym with ice rinks and climbing wall or trampoline. But there is plenty of excercise and activity should you wish, and plenty of rest and relaxation if you prefer. Lots of art- music of all kinds, with more than the usual classical, string quartet, harpist, but also jazz and ballroom.

Oh, And no towel animals on your bed at night! <G>

 

I think you will be most pleased. We are really a fun-loving group. Don't miss the Commodore Club for late night conversation (and the interesting ever-changing model of the ship behind the bar) and great drinks, The Golden Lion Pub for fun (don't take it seriously) trivia contests, darts, and great drinks; the special nights, such as the chance to dress like a pirate for the pirates ball, or wear your most outlandish hat for the Ascot ball (make you own, for the best fun!) There is the Veuve Cliquot Champagne bar. If you are an early riser have coffee and fresh danish in Sir Samuels.

Others can add thier favorites.

 

Hurry quickly and book! I understand there is a fabulous crew of cruise critics meeting on board the Dec 2 Caribbean. Patwell (Penny) can tell you more about this and where to find the roll call. And yes, we usually do try to have at least one or two get-togethers (and there is a CC log book in the bookstore) on each cruise or crossing!

 

I hope we will see you on board and get your review after!

 

Karie,

who generally has something to say about everything. And usually too much! Hope I didn't bore you to tears, but I call 'em as I see 'em ma'am!

[Bramcruiser]

My God. Its like "me" writing. Hi there.

 

I love HAL too but am trying out the QM2 myself as I always wanted to do Cunard. I am booked on a 7 day Caribbean cruise this fall too, B3 in-hull (sheltered) balcony.

 

I think Karie said it all so I won't say much more.

[patwell]

HI twoatsea....I'm Penny (patwell) that Karie mentioned. By the way, she is a TERRIFIC source of info about the QM2. You don't say when your Caribbean cruise is but if you're planning for the one that leaves Dec 2nd, come join us on our Roll Call....lots of helpful Cunard tips being shared...questions answered...and lots of great anticipation for our upcoming cruise. Bramcruiser (previous post, is one of us and has been helpful with his HAL experience) This will be our first QM2 trip but I feel very comfortable with all the help I've gotten on this board. Just ask....someone who has been there-done that will step right up and answer. Have a great trip. Cheers, Penny

[twoatsea]

Goodness - such great responses. Thanks so much. Definitely helps. The categories & dining were confusing - but not now. Sounds like we would like Cunard & the QM2. Now just to find the right cruise for the right price! When we do, I'll post on the roll call.

 

Thanks again.

[Pincus]

Karie has said it all -- and very well.

 

In addition to not having the cutesy "what do I do with this now" towel animals, QM2 has no announcements, other than a mid-day report from the bridge. HAL CD's currently read from the Daily Program after the Captain's daily report. I find this unnecessary.

 

Try the QM2, it's a very civilized crossing.

 

Pincus

[LunchCompanion]

The QM2 is probably the last great ocean liner to be built. I would recommend anyone round out their cruising experiences by trying the QM2.

That being said,HAL has smaller ships, and although none are true ocean liners( they are cruise ships), there are advantages to being smaller. The QM2 was so large in St. Thomas that it had to anchor offshore. The HAL Noordam easily fit into the private harbor at Crown Bay. It is possible to take the aft elevators to the main dining room and get stuck in a blind vestibule on the QM2. The HAL Noordam was easier to get around.

Having four seatings on the smaller HAL ship seemed to mean that hot food arrived hot. I had many cool dinners on the QM2, that should have been served hot. However the waiters did say that the dining room was rather overcrowded for dinner on the QM2.

I booked very early on the HAL Noordam and got a big round table in the center of the large dining room. The dining area on the QM2, which I booked much less early, was more crowded and seemed overcrowded for dinner.

The QM2 does have its exclusive Planetarium and the show there was worth putting up with the crowd.

The shows I attended on the Noordam were much less crowded. The heralded las vegas and broadway shows had plenty of seats and plenty of waiters for drink orders.

Although the QM2 is a much larger ship than the Noordam, embarkation and disembarkation was normal for the QM2 but a nightmare for the Noordam. Embarkation for the Noordam involved a two hour wait in lines that seemed to be designed by the Marquis De Sade. Disembarkation for the Noordam was an hour and a half late and our limo driver got all mixed up being sent around and around again and again.

Our cabin in the Noordam rattled and squeaked with some strange banging noises. Our cabin on the QM2 was the quietist cabin I have ever had with a verandah. There were some banging noises noticeable when I went down to the Brittania restaurant on the QM2 to visit some friends.

I paid for Queen's Grill Class on the QM2 but have now decided that it wasnt worth it and hope to be Brittania Class on my next QM2 cruise.

I am going on my next cruise because of the itinerary, not because of the ship. My next cruise is on the QM2, June 9th.

After that, God willing, two cruises on Princess. I feel that Princess gives me the best value for my money. Remy cognacs were outrageously expensive on the QM2. I also get a lot of perks on Princess, having cruised Princess fifteen times. The cognacs were cheap on Princess and reasonably priced on the HAL Noordam.

The Noordam had a longer bed than the QM2.

If you are thinking about going Queen's Grill class on the QM2, consider Concierge class on the Celebrity Constellation, instead. I had the best cruise of my life on the Celebrity Constellation, and it cost me half as much per day then Queen's Grill on the QM2. There were the usual number of staff people on the QM2 and the Noordam who didnt seem to know what they were doing, but everyone I encountered on The Constellation were very helpful to me and my companion. But the Constellation did not have king crab and I got all the king crab I wanted on the QM2. One night, the Noordam had king crab and pappardella, two of my favorite dishes.

I could go on and on forever, but again, if you havent been on the QM2, try her. My cruise companion begged off of going with me on my next cruise, on the QM2, but I am still going because I dont wanna be stuck at the dock after the ship has sailed.