The Big Move - Theoretical Planning

So, here's the thing.

At some point, we are going to retire to New Zealand.

More realistically, we are going to move to New Zealand at some point. We will retire at a much later point.

When we do move, I don't intend to fly. I intend to sail. With Cunard, obviously. We will join the ship at Southampton and disembark in New Zealand.

I have decided that it is time to start theoretically planning The Big Move.

Total expenditure will remain a consideration.

This is planning for reality, not 'once-upon-a-day-dream'.

(When we win big on the lottery, you will be informed and a whole new scenario will be planned out.)

Cabin Grade?

We are currently content to partake of our Cunard fixes on TAs, in inside cabins. For The Big Move we would definitely get a balcony.

It will be good to have the instant light and fresh air as well as the extra cabin space. It will also be good to do the move in style rather than feel we are stowing away. :)

We are happy to sail 'Britannia' - we like the food and the service and do not find a set 'sitting' time off-putting. And honestly, I think that I can live without the pillow concierge - my previous disembarkations have not echoed with the regret of not having espied the pillow menu. :rolleyes:

I can see no additional advantage of sailing Britannia Club - I'd be more happy spending those pennies elsewhere.

Decision made.

Cabin Grade = Britannia Balcony

Next decision - Balcony Option.....

Up coming decisions and considerations: deck / forward, aft or mid-ships / port or starboard / preferred ship / direction of voyage / itinerary considerations / solo tours v guided tours / packing for a longer trip / on-board spend / sea-day boredom / baggage in the hold !

Hi Tofeeegirl. Best wishes on your plans to move to New Zealand and retire at some point.

How far in advance you are planning this 'big move'. I don't know what your specific questions are, but I think the best place to start is when you need to move? Sorry, I'm at a loss responding to your post because I'm unsure of what you are asking?

Regards,

Salacia

Toffeegirl....how will your household goods move to NZ? Will they get their own cabin? An Inside, I would imagine, LOL :p

How exciting, do you have a date in mind ?

I did this ... 20 years ago on QE2! I was the most wonderful experience, meeting many fabulous people, and visiting so many new places.

You will love it!

Hi Tofeeegirl. Best wishes on your plans to move to New Zealand and retire at some point.

 

Sorry, I'm at a loss responding to your post because I'm unsure of what you are asking?

 

Regards,

Salacia

I'm not really asking anything..... yet.

I am not very well and trying to keep myself amused by talking out loud like a mad person at the bus stop.

I have been having a good dig around the forum looking at some of the questions asked previously and the answers and opinions which have been put forward in response. (Steering clear of the 'dress-code', 'class status', 'is Cunard dumbing down' etc threads!)

For some decisions about The Big Move I am happy to plod through posts and make use of existing information on the board. For others, I will come back and pose specific questions.

Feel free to listen in and chip in whenever.

Toffeegirl....how will your household goods move to NZ? Will they get their own cabin? An Inside, I would imagine, LOL :p

On a previous voyage we were talking to some of the senior officers and briefly mentioned our high level plan. We said that we'd get on a Cunard ship and stick a container on a goods ship. They suggested we put stuff in the hold. Obviously it was a 'pie in the sky' conversation (now where does that phrase come from?!) so we didn't starting talking about volumes....

We probably wouldn't take a lot of our household goods - sofas, dining furniture, beds, linen etc. would be left behind.

But crikey, yes, that's a whole other conversation !!!! I'll let you know when we start emptying the drinks cabinet !

How exciting, do you have a date in mind ?

I am English and Hubby is New Zeal-ish.

When we got married, we were asked by many if we would move to New Zealand. The immediate answer was no - we liked London. I did say that we would reconsider our life plan when I was 50. That was always so far away.

Its not any more (do the maths !)

All being well, the mortgage will be paid off in 18 months, and the big 5-0 is 18 months after that.

3 years !

The Big Move could be as soon as 2018 or 2019. So still a bit theoretical yet, and many things could happen in the mean time, There's room to squeeze in a few more TAs before then....

Which Balcony Option?

I am looking at the QM2 World voyage segment M603 as a guide to price differences across the various cabin grades. I know that different offers can exist at different times, that prices will differ in the future (I'm not that batty) and that my ultimate selection of voyage may be of a different duration - but you've got to start somewhere.

Its the age old poser: is the next grade of cabin up, worth the extra cost.

I will make an educated guess that some people choose to book a top grade balcony in the hope that they will be visited by the upgrade fairy and transported off to a Club Balcony. I do not intend to try and play that card.

We are not balcony sitters in general - granted, all but one of our voyages have been single TAs. We've had a limited time on board and found plenty of other things to do. Hubby likes to sit in the Commodore Club if he is to sit anywhere - even when we''ve had a balcony on QE / QV.

I've read lots about the joys of a glass balcony view and the perils of exposure to the elements. Then there's the shelter of the in-hull balcony but the lack of sea / land view if sat outside - or even lying in bed (!). All things being equal, a face full of bright orange lifeboat is not people's first choice, but an obscured balcony is seen by some as better than no balcony at all.

Taking into account discussions on obscured balconies, I am inclined towards a partially obscured balcony cabin - particularly if I can specify which cabin I want. A few cabins have been highlighted as being the best options: by the mini lifeboat, between lifeboats, and at the end.

Interestingly, when I have tried to do dummy bookings to look up availability of a specific cabin, the website tells me that the cabin does not exist! I've even searched for a cabin that it tells me is available, only to be told by the search function that it does not exist...

I am not going to stress about this right now. I also do not want to set my heart on a specific cabin (even at a later, more realistic date) as I fear that I will be exposing myself to unnecessary disappointment. I do wonder though if ALL cabins are released for potential general sale or do some greater beings get the chance to bag specific cabins ahead of time.....

Cabin Category = Obscured Balcony.

(e.g. DF or DC based on current QM2 cabin definitions)

I did this ... 20 years ago on QE2! I was the most wonderful experience, meeting many fabulous people, and visiting so many new places.

You will love it!

You are therefore more than qualified to chip in and share your thoughts and stories! (If you are willing)

Where did you move from?

I'm not really asking anything..... yet.

 

I am not very well and trying to keep myself amused by talking out loud like a mad person at the bus stop.

 

I have been having a good dig around the forum looking at some of the questions asked previously and the answers and opinions which have been put forward in response. (Steering clear of the 'dress-code', 'class status', 'is Cunard dumbing down' etc threads!)

 

For some decisions about The Big Move I am happy to plod through posts and make use of existing information on the board. For others, I will come back and pose specific questions.

 

Feel free to listen in and chip in whenever.

Toffeegirl, I understand and I hope you soon feel better. Until then, keep your eyes on the prize and plan for your future:) Best wishes, Salacia

Next area for consideration... port or starboard ?

Morning sun v afternoon sun ? - One would need to spend time on one's balcony for this to matter surely.

With the advent of cabin air conditioning, the idea of the sun heating up the cabin is not such a consideration as it might have been in days of yore !

Does is really matter that much?

On a previous voyage we were talking to some of the senior officers and briefly mentioned our high level plan. We said that we'd get on a Cunard ship and stick a container on a goods ship. They suggested we put stuff in the hold. Obviously it was a 'pie in the sky' conversation (now where does that phrase come from?!) so we didn't starting talking about volumes....

 

We probably wouldn't take a lot of our household goods - sofas, dining furniture, beds, linen etc. would be left behind.

 

But crikey, yes, that's a whole other conversation !!!! I'll let you know when we start emptying the drinks cabinet !

I relocated to New York five years ago and made the move on a transatlantic crossing. After enquiring (if I recall correctly, speaking with Cunard UK customer care reps) I was told Cunard offered no "space" for shipping any belongings/furniture in the hold — however I wanted to pack/fill my cabin was my prerogative, but that represented the sum total space available.

I don't know if this has changed since, or if it differs from voyage to voyage even, but just thought I should mention this as a potential policy red flag! I look forward to hearing if the rules have changed, however.

Hi Toffeegirl68,

What a great adventure you have ahead and all the excitement of planning all the details.

I will follow you, in this adventure, if I may.

I can't give you any advice re ship and cabins as we haven't sailed with Cunard yet, our first voyage will be in July on the Queen Mary.

Susan

On a previous voyage we were talking to some of the senior officers and briefly mentioned our high level plan. We said that we'd get on a Cunard ship and stick a container on a goods ship. They suggested we put stuff in the hold. Obviously it was a 'pie in the sky' conversation (now where does that phrase come from?!) so we didn't starting talking about volumes....

 

We probably wouldn't take a lot of our household goods - sofas, dining furniture, beds, linen etc. would be left behind.

 

But crikey, yes, that's a whole other conversation !!!! I'll let you know when we start emptying the drinks cabinet !

The reason I mentioned this is because of a notice I saw regarding goods being brought in by cruise ship into Brazil. The cruise ship was no longer accepting appliances at the dock.:confused: When reading about it...apparently the cost of having goods shipped into Brazil through regular means was prohibitively expensive. It was cheaper for people to purchase a separate cabin for all their appliances, furniture, etc and just have it sail along with them...there were no import costs if brought in that way. Of course at one time the luggage stewards would have to handle all this extra 'luggage' and I can imagine that it got to be quite strenuous. I'm not sure how they handled getting it off the ship....putting it in the hallway the night before??

It was an interesting read, that's for sure.

Good luck with your plans. Hope they all work out for you!! :D

Amazing! I have visions of removal vans turning up for embarkation.

I have had no thoughts of seeking to stash things in the hold. It would never have occurred to me. Knowing that shore-side and sea-side often work off different hymn sheets I'd never take anything for granted.

Speaking as a migrant (UK to Oz and the BEST decision of our lives) I can say that even though you think you can ditch most of your "stuff" the reality is that you'll want to take much more than you realise. Personal effects, clothes, books, pictures, kitchenalia, rugs, towels and linens, the list goes on. And that's excluding furniture, some of which I guarantee you'll want to take. When you make the Big Move you take ALL your worldly possessions with you and even if you do some severe pruning beforehand that's still a LOT of stuff.

The best and cheapest way to get it all to NZ would be in a commercial shipping container. There are any number of international removal companies who can advise. The trip usually takes around 6 weeks.

Meanwhile you can do your Cunard adventure and probably arrive in NZ and find your container already there waiting for you. Then you have to find a house to put it in! It's all very exciting and very worthwhile but there's a LOT to plan and think about. Good luck!

Speaking as a migrant (UK to Oz and the BEST decision of our lives) I can say that even though you think you can ditch most of your "stuff" the reality is that you'll want to take much more than you realise. Personal effects, clothes, books, pictures, kitchenalia, rugs, towels and linens, the list goes on. And that's excluding furniture, some of which I guarantee you'll want to take. When you make the Big Move you take ALL your worldly possessions with you and even if you do some severe pruning beforehand that's still a LOT of stuff.

 

The best and cheapest way to get it all to NZ would be in a commercial shipping container. There are any number of international removal companies who can advise. The trip usually takes around 6 weeks.

 

Meanwhile you can do your Cunard adventure and probably arrive in NZ and find your container already there waiting for you. Then you have to find a house to put it in! It's all very exciting and very worthwhile but there's a LOT to plan and think about. Good luck!

That sounds a much better idea, friends of ours who have recently emigrated to Canberra are in their new house but have another 4 weeks to wait for their shipping container to arrive.

We knew it would take a while for our container to arrive so we took our time getting to Oz by going via the US for a few weeks touring. Even then the container beat us to it!

All of those considerations are, I agree, mega important and I do not underestimate the decision making and packing involved. I shall have to find myself a 'Relocation Critic' website when the move becomes more realistic!

Having put things in storage during a recent-ish house re-wire we are well aware of how much 'stuff' we have accumulated. It is indeed this, more then bulky furniture, which will make the move. Some of our big furniture items are past their best - e.g. the sofas, so there is really no point hauling them half way across the world.

I remember when I first moved into my house near 18 years ago - my first dining room 'suite' was a cheap wooden picnic bench which was then relocated to the garden when I bought a 'proper' table and chairs!

My TG Green cornishware crockery collection will DEFINITELY be making the move :)