JollyJackTar52

Hi.  

It's now been 5 years since we did our wonderful, amazing Transatlantic Crossing on Queen Mary 2.  It's been so long because we've been trying for, and now have a beautiful little girl who we now feel is ready to experience her first adventure with Cunard.

So.  Our question's are all about how we go on with a 2 year old girl. 

• Is there space to put a cot in a Britannia Balcony, or Britannia Inside Stateroom (I can't remember)
• Should I be concerned about a balcony? What about the other railings on the ship?  I do seem to remember that the railings on 8 looked "Climbable" as do the railings on the top of the new bit at the front of the superstructure. Not that we'll be leaving her unattended but she's like a whippet and quite the climber already and you can't be too careful.
•  Should we consider bringing Grandma and having 2 adjoining staterooms if we can?  How difficult are such staterooms to book?
•  How good are the child / toddler facilities?

Thanks in advance!

When I press the info button on the remote, at the top of the screen it says DTV cable, Dolby Digital, English 480i, 16.9 and at the bottom of the screen there is a disc that shows a pie chart and the needle is sitting in the middle of the section that says LCD TV so I'm guessing that's the answer?

 

I pressed another button on the remote and the screen then showed an Internet app but when I then selected the web browser app I got the message "Server not found". My iPad also picked up a [TV]Samsung LED 40 signal but it's locked. Again, it looks like that's answered your question - it's an LED tv. Obviously I'm not an expert with technology so if you want me to go and ask a Purser your question I'm happy to do so.

Thanks, that's answered the question & It's as I thought.

480i essentially means that the picture is made of 480 lines - i.e. "Standard Definition" which has driven colour TV for decades. 720 lines is the "HD" you get on freeview or Sky. 1080 lines is "Full HD" and what you get from a Blu Ray player. 4k is 4,000 lines & what the latest curved TVs support & what Sky Q is.

So the In Stateroom TVs will probably Support Full HD (I doubt Cunard would go to the expense of 4k as they're considerably more expensive), but it would appear that whatever satellite they use only broadcasts 480i. As I said, 480i is decades old & was never an issue little old tube type TVs, but the picture does look fuzzy on these newer flat panel TVs with the bigger screens

It's not the end of the world, but it's a bit like buying a top end hi-fi speakers and hooking them to a clapped out tape deck.

Hopefully the feed will improve over time, but we don't go on QM2 to watch the telly!

I have a Question, if I may?

Are the TVs showing HD? I know that the TVs are LED and will be at least 1080p TVs, but while on Queen Elizabeth last year, I couldn't help but notice that the actual broadcasts, even on the Movies were showing in standard definition on the new LED TV. Which is a shame, because the fuzziness of the picture really stands out.

Timelapse of the works from Cunard's Facebook page

A wise man once said. "Never underestimate the predictability of stupidity"

Maybe there's time for more work to be done on the railings with 7 days left to go?

Aside from that minor point. Isn't she looking just stunning? We aren't planning a Cunard Jaunt this year as we're buying a new house instead.

My wife has just asked if we should cancel the house on seeing these latest pictures.

I'm sure she's joking.

I'm very happy to see that there appears to be limited access to Deck 14, even if just by two walkways that probably lead to the Lookout observation area that existed pre-refit. This is certainly better than no access at all.

Do you think it'll be open to the public? I don't think those railings are high enough given the height of the drop? What was there previously was above head height with glass panels to discourage climbing?

@Hamburg-Lotse on Twitter

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@fencenswitchen on Twitter

I think they've done a cracking job! If I didn't know any better, I wouldn't even realise Deck 14 was new!

Facebookers might want to join

https://www.facebook.com/G32GBQM2/

It appears that Contractors are taking some snaps & posting them here.

Some interior pics of lifted carpets and a thoroughly dismantled Chart Room. Exterior pics of scaffolding going up on the aft. Superstructure & many of the glass screens being removed and pics of the port side hull in the dock, where paint is being scraped & the pods on that side have already have had their props removed.

Comments, but no photos stating that work is taking place on the shops in the Grand Lobby & also that a company called "Dalesauna" is installing a new Spa Pool on the "Aft deck" - Which I'm presuming is the Deck 8 pool.

Based on what I've seen on there, Cunard weren't kidding when they said it was a big job!

Poetic Licence with the Ship & The location being Birkenhead then!

I hadn't clocked she was moored on the wrong side of the river! Thanks all!

In Last night's Peaky Blinders, not only did Gangmaster Tommy Shelby state that he had "Contacts in Cunard", one of their ships also appeared at 31 minutes in.

It's definitely a Cunard ship because of the colour of the funnels, she looks a bit like an Olympic class, but the show is set in 1923 & she has big air intakes on the top of the superstructure which aren't right? I don't think it's Mauretania either.

Can anyone help me name the ship?

Also, does this mean that Peaky Blinders/1920s style 3 piece suits & caps are suitable attire on board?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b07cgpy2/peaky-blinders-series-3-episode-3

***WARNING! Very violent & sweary - But a fantastic series!***

They could have swapped with the casino but it's probably too far from a galley.

That's probably the reason. Food is served in The Golden Lion which is opposite, but the galley under there is probably not big or sophisticated enough to cope with the menus in The Verandah.

QM2 "Sheltered" balconies (decks 4,5,6) are bigger (deeper) than "glass-fronted" balconies (Britannia grade cabins, decks 8,11,12).

 

I would sincerely hope that passengers wishing to get to the Terrace Pool and Bar on Deck 8 aft would use the stairs from Deck 7 (next to the entrance to the Princess Grill Restaurant near the "D" Stairs and Lift Lobby), or the external steps up from the Deck 7 Promenade unless The Verandah Restaurant is not in use.

 

Unless in a wheelchair (where the passageway through The Verandah Restaurant is the only way to access the Terrace Pool and Bar), when there are passengers enjoying lunch or dinner in The Verandah Restaurant, other passengers should use one of the alternative ways to access Deck 8 aft.

 

Many times has my lunch or dinner has been interrupted by the banging of doors, loud conversation "I thought you had the suncream?" "No I gave it to you", the sight of acres of white/pink overweight flesh and the slap, slap, slap of beach shoes ("flip-flops") as people selfishly "take a shortcut" :mad: .

I almost always use the internal staircase from Deck 7 to 8 out of respect for my fellow passengers. I trust that thoughtful passengers will do the same.

 

I cannot wait to dine in the new Verandah in November! :)

Yep. Well said Pepperrn. We also wouldn't dream using it as a shortcut! Even on our Autumn Getaway when we were in stateroom 8107 we always went down to 7 and back up!

I do think it's still in the wrong place. It would have been much better for The Verandah to have been put in The Grand Lobby somehow, but I'm sure Cunard have considered it & weren't able to do it for whatever reason.

We've had both. We've had an obstructed balcony on Deck 8 for out Autumn Getaway in 2012 and a Sheltered Balcony on Deck 5 for our Fjords & Waterfalls voyage of 2013.

The obstructed balcony gave a little more light & therefore felt a little bigger, but the views were obstructed by the lifeboat.

The Sheltered balcony had less light so felt a little smaller, but had unobstructed views of the ocean if you stood at the Bulwark. I also seem to remember that the Windows & Door to the balcony was the full width of the stateroom on the Obstructed Balcony. It wasn't on the Sheltered one.

It's difficult to say which I actually preferred. We didn't use the obstructed balcony for the Autumn Getaway so much because it was an October voyage in Northern Europe & was constantly grey & raining. The Fjords & Waterfalls was a roasting hot July Week & we had the beautiful weather for most of the voyage. And that Scenery!

I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time on The Great Lady whichever stateroom you'll end up in.

I'm sure that when they originally built her, the majority of the staterooms were pre-fabricated & simply craned into place.

I'd have thought that these new staterooms - given their position on the ship - will also be pre-fabricated & craned into position. I'd be surprised if a good percentage of them aren't already complete for that matter.

My Guess is that they'll be undergoing a period of testing following her re-launch. It may even be the case that they'll be occupied by engineers from Blohm+Voss for that period to allow any snagging with those rooms & the rest of the new parts of the ship to be ironed out.

If money truly were no object, would it be ostentatious to just book the whole thing? World's biggest private yacht?

We had the same back in 2013.

Don't be too disappointed. Olden is also stunning in it's own way. Plus, as a consolation, the Commodore assisted by the local pilot took us down Hjourundfjord . It has no port or anchorage, so we had a few hours with the mighty Queen Mary 2 gently rotating while stationary. It was breath taking.

We saw Anthem of the Seas when we were last in Southampton. While I'm sure her designers know what they're doing, that vast expanse of glass across her stern being so close to the waterline gave me a cold shiver.

Also just noted that the lookout is labelled as "Deck 14" now.

I seem to remember Stephen Payne being disappointed that passengers couldn't see the ships Bow from there? "Deck 14" would indicate that it's on top of Deck 13? It wasn't labelled like that previously?

Post Refit Deckplans are here.

http://www.cunard.co.uk/Documents/2016-2017-deck-plans/QM2%20Deck%20Plans%20for%20Web.pdf

Now with "Corinthia Lounge", "Verandah" labels in their correct places. Also worthy of note:-

• Glass Lifts in The Grand Lobby / Kings Court are gone - which we kind of knew
  
• Sports Centre's new location is shown. It's now by the steps as you go up to Deck 13 from the Pavilion Pool - Might be a bit windy unless there will be more structural changes up there?
  
• Veuve Cliquot Champagne Bar is now just labelled "Champagne Bar"
  

I'm not jealous ;)

Thank you for sharing. Very nicely written.

Joking aside, I have one of these fitness bands. Taking the Stairs makes more of a difference than I'd realised & a good brisk walk of a few miles does wonders for ones health.

A Daily routine of, say 8 laps of the promenade and completely ditching the lifts during your voyage will do wonders.

They'll be forced to use the already crowded "B" lifts just forward... :( . What would have been a journey of seconds, will now take minutes.

Those of us who can use the stairs, should use the stairs!

http://www.cunard.co.uk/cruise-ships/queen-mary-2/accommodation/

Many on this board have speculated about the removal of the Glass Lifts in The Grand Lobby. Take a look at the picture at the top of this webpage. It took me a few moments to clock it, but the lifts are gone.

Stephen Payne has been quoted as stating that QE2's aluminum superstructure was becoming increasingly expensive to maintain. Her plumbing and air conditioning were also troublesome and Cunard was increasingly worried of a major failure.

 

Could she have sailed until 2010? Perhaps. But she almost certainly would be retired by now.

 

If QM2 needs a major refit to correct wear and tear and stay competitive with newer ships just how drastic would the QE2 need to be changed to operate profitably? Some love her dearly with all her quirks but there are just not enough of them.

 

Let's suppose Cunard decided to make her SOLAS 2010 compliant. The cost would approached that of a new build and we would have read scores of complaints that she was "ruined".

It would be a little bit like taking a car built in 1968 and trying to make it compliant with 2016 EuroNCAP safety & Euro VII Emissions regulations. You'd just buy a new car & Hopefully put your '68 classic in a museum.