Cunard Beckons: QM2 or QE2?

[MrsMuir]

Cheers! This is my first post on the Cunard CC board. My DH and I are HAL Mariners, with three cruises since 2000 and the Sea of Cortez (Ryndam) planned for October. I was also an enthusiastic young (single)passenger on the Pacific Princess in the 1970s.

 

Having said all that, Cunard has always had a special place in my heart, since I'm mad on history and the history of passenger liners above all. Until now, however, my experience aboard a Cunarder involves being a bride (1978) and a bridesmaid (2005) on the Queen Mary in Long Beach.

 

While I love my HAL CC friends, I also enjoy the conversations on this board. IF I were to fulfill my #2 Life Goal to cross The Pond in a True Liner (#1 is to go on a World Cruise), which ship is the best? DH and I borrow from our retirement account to fund our travel dreams, so cost is an issue. I've heard so many good things about the QE2, but of course the Queen Mary 2 would be a magnificent experience,too.

 

What do you recommend?

 

Mrs Muir

[ocngypz]

QE2 is my first choice

[Linerguy]

Oh my,...I can't wait for this one to get into full swing.

 

I've been on both and prefer QM2 but, as you can understand, there isn't a correct answer....

 

-Russ

[guernseyguy]

Since I'm mad on history and the history of passenger liners above all. Until now, however, my experience aboard a Cunarder involves being a bride (1978) and a bridesmaid (2005) on the Queen Mary in Long Beach.

 

Both are striking ships in very different ways - one very near the end of her long reign, the other at the beginning. IF you could do two crossings I'd do QE2 first (she does few now, and very probably only has a few years left) and then do the QM2 later. If you could only do one crossing, my personal preference is for the QE2 - but that may also partly be based on the knowledge that the QM2 will probably be around longer than I will.....so I should have the opportunity to sail on her later.

[pb82]

For example, on April 12, 2008, take the QE2 from New York to Southampton, arriving April 18 (part of the QE2 WC08 World Cruise).

 

Sightsee for four days, then on April 22 take the QM2 from Southampton, arriving New York on April 28 (the M814 crossing).

 

Welcome to the Cunard board, and bon voyage whichever you choose.

Paul

[Kindlychap]

Without a doubt, the Queen Elizabeth 2.

 

Her days are numbered, although exactly how much longer she has left is unclear.

 

The Queen Mary 2 will be around for another thirty years.

 

I agree with everything that Peter says. Can I suggest that you look at the January crossing in 2008? Not only will it be longer than normal, but there is an element of the historic about it.

 

There is also a possibility that the ship may berth in Manhatten - which is something that everyone should experience at least once.

 

I'm not putting the QM2 down. But QE2 is so very special and has such a superb atmosphere, and a palpable sense of history throughout, that I think anyone with an interest in history would appreciate her.

 

She's actually in very good condition - don't believe those who say she's run down - but there are the odd issues here and there. They don't matter, and as the staff love her so much, she is treated as a lady by them all.

 

Splurge and book one of the original First Class cabins (Q3) on deck one or (if one is still available) a starboard Signal Deck cabin. You'll remember it for the rest of your days.

 

Matthew

[Vic The Parrot]

QE2 is first in my book. You can't go wrong doing a crossing on that ship.

 

A true liner!

 

 

And it doesn't matter which cabin you occupy. It's all really about the ship.

Go for it! ;) :)

[travel-to-go]

I have to chime in with the rest of the posters so far.

If you can only do one, and you can pull it off, do the QE2, while we still have her. The QM2 is likely to be around a few more years. The trouble with QE2 is that she now does only a few crossings a year. And they are the beginning and end of the World Cruise, which means they are not readily available on this side of the pond. If you're going to do it, do it as soon as you can. The few crossing on her tend to fill up fast.

 

The idea of the double crossing in April with four days in London sounds to me like the best possible trip you could book. Yes, it will likely be a little cold, but that's not the point. It can be cold crossing the North Atlantic in August! Flying is such a hassle these days, especially carrying the extra formal clothes you will need for a crossing. The chance to visit London with back to back crossings, without having to cram your knees and suitcases into a long Overseas flight doesn't come along that often.

In fact, hurry, as the lightbulb just went off here. I NEED to book that! It's my dream!

 

I am sure you won't regret it.

I have said this many times here. My cruising days started after I got out of the hospital after almost losing my life. All of the sudden, I said, "What are you waiting for!" I am financially responsible. I don't go in hock up to my eyeballs, but we always manage to set aside the money to do a cruise now, every year. My father died last summer. I would give my left arm (and my right) to go on another cruise with him. We did one, but he fell and got a concussion before we even got on board. He was miserable and couldn't do much. I always wanted to make that up to him, and now I can't.

 

Give up a few dinners out, maybe a new couch or wait an extra year replacing the car (or go for the cheaper model) and voila! There's your cruise! You'll remember that long after that car is in recycle heaven.

 

Karie,

who cannot stress this enough.

P.S. I'm 52. Not old, but not young either. But no one knows what lies ahead. Don't put off your dreams until it is too late. And it was a HAL ship Dad fell on- A medal cruise for him and his wife. Our next HAL trip is a medal cruise. But as long as Cunard keeps

having great ships and trips, Hal will have to wait!

[pepperrn]

Hi Mrs Muir

 

I'm going to go along with the others above.

 

You're "mad on history and the history of passenger liners". With that in mind, book a TA on Queen Elizabeth 2 as soon as possible, she won't be around for many more years and once she's gone, she's gone.

 

You can then experience a crossing on a great ship from history, an ocean greyhound, as close as you'll get today (she has been altered over the years, one of the reasons she's still with us) to what travelling by liner was like 40 years ago.

 

But remember, she is that old and, if you're looking for all the creature comforts that you'll find on a modern cruise ship, you won't find them on QE2. She is from a different era with balconies for no-one but the seriously wealthy (etc). Just board her with an open mind and a willingness to experience a great piece of maritime history.

 

Cunard have two great, very different (from each other) real Liners to choose from, a voyage on either would be a unique experience. Once you've travelled on a Liner, mere cruise ships will never tempt you again.

 

Enjoy your crossing, I hope you book Queen Elizabeth 2, she is a wonderful piece of the past, experience her now! (And then book Queen Mary 2!).

[Vic The Parrot]

 

Cunard have two great, very different (from each other) real Liners to choose from, a voyage on either would be a unique experience. Once you've travelled on a Liner, mere cruise ships will never tempt you again.

 

 

 

Ain't that the truth? :D ;)

[Vic The Parrot]

And Pepper is right about QM2 being a liner.

 

The ship behaved nicely during my Dec trip, and can't wait to experience what she has to offer going Trans Atlantic. :)

[Kindlychap]

Cunard have two great, very different (from each other) real Liners to choose from, a voyage on either would be a unique experience. Once you've travelled on a Liner, mere cruise ships will never tempt you again.

 

Enjoy your crossing, I hope you book Queen Elizabeth 2, she is a wonderful piece of the past, experience her now! (And then book Queen Mary 2!).

 

 

Hear hear.

 

(And I will, in due course, follow part two of that advice!)

 

Matthew

[patwell]

Hi Mrs Muir...Welcome to Cunard.

 

Everyone who has responded here knows I am the biggest lover of the QM2.... that said, I have to join the rest of them and say treat yourself to QE2 if you can. She is truly the last link we have to the past...to the days of grand crossings. Truly something to experience. There's a picture I saw somewhere of her with the water of the No Atlantic breaking over her bow...I'd have sold my son to have expoerienced that on a ship like her. And I have the delightful history of enjoying liners of the good old days and several rough crossings! And when she is gone sadly, she is gone.

 

And I must comment..what a lovely place to have wedding memories of...if you are "mad about the history of passenger liners" the choice should be obvious. QM2 will still be there and she too must be experienced...noiw a back to back on the two of them???Priceless!

 

Cheers, Penny

[Bramcruiser]

Normally, I would say it really depends but I think you already identified yourself as being a true lover of the classics and thus know the difference between a 40 year old ship and a newborn before stepping onboard.

 

That being said its really a matter of availability. I must say I have to agree with the above posters and pick the QE2 if I had to choose just one in the next year or two. The QE2 is down to doing just a few handful of crossings - usually winter and early spring usually before and after the famous world cruises. The QM2 is really the ship doing the crossings on a regular basis nowadays but its the QE2 that is the last of its kind and will likely be seeing the end of its reign in a blaze of glory in a few years time. Mary is but a child and should be around for many years to come.

 

I'm with you on the history and count myself lucky to have been able to step onto a Cunard ship. Happy to report I sailed the QM2 last year and did what everyone else has recommended - included the QE2 into my upcoming European vacation. So soon I'll be very lucky to say I've done both ships.

 

David

[MrsMuir]

Wow. I just logged on here at home to see if anyone had replied to my initial message/question that I posed during my lunch hour. Your thoughtful replies and your welcome to Cunard touched me so deeply I'm in tears as I write this.

 

All of you have confirmed what my heart told me: it's the QE2. I'd regret forever not having sailed in her when the time comes for her to go. Believe me, I'll give your great suggestions some serious thought.

 

We've been invited to a brunch put on by a major TA on Saturday. The subject is Luxury Cruising, and I wouldn't have accepted the invitation except for the fact that Cunard will be there. These same travel folks spotted me for a true aficionado last month when I went to a Cunard presentation in their local office. I wore my Queen Mary pin, my Pacific Princess pendant, and my heart on my sleeve. I got so excited about the door prize -- the QM2 book that had been a prize in last Fall's Cunard contest -- and was so crestfallen when the winning number was one off of my ticket -- that the Cunard rep and the TA in charge told me after the meeting that they had decided to give me their extra copy! I'm sure they won't regret their generosity.

 

I want to go back and thank each of you by name, but I'm afraid I'll erase my reply if I do so (??). Special thanks for the reminder that life is finite. My father died in 2002. He and my mother managed to travel independently to Europe 12 times before his health gave out. In their last years together they didn't miss having new cars or kitchen remodels: they reminisced about Paris in the Spring. Like I always say, they can't repossess a trip.

 

Thanks, all. You'll hear from me again.

 

Mrs Muir (Linda)

[travel-to-go]

Linda,

Follow your dream.

You almost have me in tears.

That was my whole point. Don't regret what you didn't do.

If this is a priority for your heart, Then make it a priority for you.

I think you answered your own question within your question, but sometimes we don't hear what our hearts are telling us. I always listen to how a question is asked. therein often lies the answer. The person knew before they asked...they just didn't know they knew. But the heart forms the words.

 

I am so glad you logged back on.

Follow your dream.

And takes us with you as you do. We'd love to share it with you.

It's our dream too.

It's why we're all here.

 

Karie,

who knew thre was a reason she woke up in the middle of the night

[Kindlychap]

Linda,

 

There is some excellent advice going for which cabin to choose on Queen Elizabeth 2. I'm sorry - I misread your initial post to suggest that cost wasn't an issue, whereas of course you didn't say that.

 

Vic the Parrot is, of course, quite right when he says that the ship is more important than the cabin.

 

For what it is worth, a friend of mine is booked on the January transatlantic (the "Tandem Crossing" with Victoria) as he has been persuaded that a crossing is something he ought to try, and that Queen Elizabeth 2 is the way to do it. He's got a Caronia Cabin, which gives him a bath as well!

 

It is highly likely that either that or the April crossing will have many people from this board travelling. There is a thread on the January trip already, and the April will be popular too.

 

One thing that will be obvious the moment that you think of it, but may not be otherwise, is that a westbound crossing will have mainly 25 hour days, an eastbound mainly 23 hour days. With that in mind, a westbound is always more relaxed!

 

Matthew

[sullaRaffaello]

Cheers! What do you recommend?

 

Mrs Muir

 

Hello Mrs Muir,

 

You have received excellent advice on this thread. Definitely do QE2 as soon as possible. I'm going on QM2 for the first time on next week's (April 18) transatlantic, simply because I received a very good rate for a Queens Grill suite, and have been on the QE2 before. If that were not the case, I would be on the April 21 westbound. I've been on 2 "cruises" in the Caribbean, and while I had a very nice time, there is absolutely no comparison of that to a transatlantic crossing on a great liner. Unfortunately, Cunard is the only line who can provide that experience in 2007. From what I've heard, even a transatlantic repositioning cruise aboard another line cannot be compared to a scheduled crossing on Cunard. So, best of luck in getting the cabin of your choice, and bon voyage!

[guernseyguy]

a transatlantic repositioning cruise aboard another line cannot be compared to a scheduled crossing on Cunard.

 

Where to start.....

1. They take longer - 10-12 days not infrequently - they need slack in the timetable to make up delays due to bad weather.
   
2. They include ports of call - to be dropped, in the event of delays due to bad weather.
   
3. The atmosphere is different - its like a cruise that happens to end in a different port from the one it set sail.....a crossing is a voyage with purpose
   
4. Did I mention that bad weather can be a problem? - Not only with the schedule - but with these box boats slamming into the swell and juddering their way across - the QE2/QM2 cut through the waves like the liners they are. We await with interest to see how the QV copes (she is taking a night longer 7 vs 6 - and both QE2/QM2 could do it in 5 - even the dear old Aquitania (1914-1949) made it across faster with the same top speed as the QV - but it wouldn't do to have her arrive late!).
   

Do a Crossing - on Cunard!

 

Peter

[mufi]

Our first cruise was six years ago to Cape Town from Southampton on QE2, just a few months after we had both had heart surgery. (We don't normally do things so much together, just the way it worked out) We have done many cruises since on both Cunard and others, but still that is the one that stays in our memories.

 

Go for QE2 if you can, and don't let anyone tell you that if you have to choose a cheaper grade the experience will be diluted. It will not. It's the ship that matters - enjoy it.

 

David.

[MrsMuir]

Well, in the cold light of day things look less than promising for that TA on the Queen Elizabeth 2. My new friends, you are right: she isn't venturing across the Atlantic very often. Paul, the two voyages you mentioned are the only real possibilities, unless there are still some TAs left in the dear lady for 2009.

 

I've done some painstaking math and figured out that I'll barely squeeze by with 14 days of vacation as of 4/27/2008. We could make the most out of 4 days in London, including a train or bus trip to see Uppark (restored National Trust property). I'll talk to Richard tonight and see what he thinks. We love London; were last there in 2000.

 

Oh -- I found the fares for the QE2 Eastbound (WC08) on the Cunard website, but couldn't find fares for the QM2 (M814). If I had an idea of the cost, I could either stop dreaming or start planning. Are the QM2 fares kept a secret for some reason? Maybe the answer is "If you have to ask, you can't afford it." :eek:

 

TTFN.

 

Linda

[ocngypz]

The rates shown on Cunard's website are not accurate for the QE2.

 

Also, the fares aren's listed for the QM2 sailing on April 22md, but they are readily available.

[pb82]

Oh -- I found the fares for the QE2 Eastbound (WC08) on the Cunard website, but couldn't find fares for the QM2 (M814). If I had an idea of the cost, I could either stop dreaming or start planning. Are the QM2 fares kept a secret for some reason? Maybe the answer is "If you have to ask, you can't afford it." :eek:

TTFN.

Linda

I phoned Cunard on April 5 about these crossing because we would love to take them. I was told that PG accomodations would cost ~2200./pp on the QE2 and ~$3700.pp on the QM2. And the lady said that the fares could change between now and then, downward I hope. Anyway, phone Cunard with your fingers crossed, you never know (and you will have most of a year cancel at no cost).

Paul