Things I love about the QM2

On my most recent Crystal cruise, I found myself missing QM2.

 

Let me count the ways ... QM2's stunning atrium, her majestic bi-level Britannia dining room, the oh-so-posh Commodore Club, the unrivaled planetarium, the authentic scones at tea, and the elegant carpeting and chairs in the lounge areas (kudos to the designer).

 

Not to mention the liner's quintessential design/stability. And the cabin doors that don't slam with a bang (such a relief). And the library, oh the library!

 

Can't wait to sail on her again. What do you love most?

Edited January 24, 2014 by lagunaseas

On my most recent Crystal cruise, I found myself missing QM2.

 

Let me count the ways ... QM2's stunning atrium, her majestic bi-level Britannia dining room, the oh-so-posh Commodore Club, the unrivaled planetarium, the authentic scones at tea, and the elegant carpeting and chairs in the lounge areas (kudos to the designer).

 

Not to mention the liner's quintessential design/stability. And the cabin doors that don't slam with a bang (such a relief). And the library, oh the library!

 

Can't wait to sail on her again. What do you love most?

 

Welcome to the Cunard forum, lagunaseas. Have you sailed often on QM2? When is your next voyage? Regards, -S.

Surprisingly, these are the parts of QM2 that makes her iconic to me

 

And this

 

And last, this

Edited January 24, 2014 by Pushka

The forward observation deck!!!!

 

Barry

The Commodore Club is my favourite spot. Love the lectures in Illuminations and afternoon tea is delicious.

The Commodore Club is my favourite spot. Love the lectures in Illuminations and afternoon tea is delicious.[/quote

 

Having sailed on both Queen Mary (since 2004) and Queen Victoria there is no doubt that the Commodore Club on Queen Victoria is much more spacious and better designed. The theatre on Queen Victoria is also more beautiful and better designed than the one on Queen Mary with its obstructing pillars.

The Lido buffet restaurant on Queen Victoria is an object lesson on how it should be compared to the appalling King's Court on Queen Mary.

The library on Queen Victoria must be the most beautiful at sea and the Chart Room and Golden Lion are also an improvement. On deck there are more than ample sun loungers and chairs for everyone etc etc etc. The list goes on. So,perhaps it's time to cast off the rose-coloured glasses. Yes, the QM2 is more stable in the Atlantic but for the past 17 days it's been as smooth as a mill-pond on the Queen Victoria

There's more to Cunard than just the Queen Mary - iconic as it is.

Edited January 24, 2014 by Slow Foxtrot

The Commodore Club is my favourite spot. Love the lectures in Illuminations and afternoon tea is delicious.[/quote

 

Having sailed on both Queen Mary (since 2004) and Queen Victoria there is no doubt that the Commodore Club on Queen Victoria is much more spacious and better designed. The theatre on Queen Victoria is also more beautiful and better designed than the one on Queen Mary with its obstructing pillars.

The Lido buffet restaurant on Queen Victoria is an object lesson on how it should be compared to the appalling King's Court on Queen Mary.

The library on Queen Victoria must be the most beautiful at sea and the Chart Room and Golden Lion are also an improvement. On deck there are more than ample sun loungers and chairs for everyone etc etc etc. The list goes on. So,perhaps it's time to cast off the rose-coloured glasses. Yes, the QM2 is more stable in the Atlantic but for the past 17 days it's been as smooth as a mill-pond on the Queen Victoria

There's more to Cunard than just the Queen Mary - iconic as it is.

 

With respect, you have entirely missed the point of the thread, titled 'Things I love about QM2'. By stating the Commodore Club being my favourite spot on QM2 your hastey comparison with the Queen Victoria's equivalent space was rather moot.

 

May I suggest a pair of regular glasses instead of rose coloured spectacles :)

 

That said, I am sure the Queen Victoria is lovely. I'll have the fortune to sail on the Queen Elizabeth mid year. I've no doubt I will love her too.

Edited January 24, 2014 by Austcruiser84

 

......That said, I am sure the Queen Victoria is lovely. I'll have the fortune to sail on the Queen Elizabeth mid year. I've no doubt I will love her too.[/QUOT

 

I'm sure you'll love the Queen Elizabeth, it's very similar to the Queen Victoria.

Incidentally, yet another disadvantage of the Queen Mary is that very often she has to berth some distance away from certain destinations and often in Container Depots etc. And she can't transit the Panama Canal !

There's no doubt that the two newer Cunard vessels have many advantages over the QM2 and, for those who haven't done so, the only thing to do is try them out. Many QM2 addicts will be very pleasantly surprised.

Many QM2 addicts will be very pleasantly surprised.

I wasn't. Won't be going back to QV.

 

But this thread isn't about comparing QV with QM2. It's about the things we love about QM2 :) .

 

(Maybe a new thread (and then I can tell you what I think of QM2, QE, QV and QE2 (in that order) ;) )).

 

Best wishes.

Edited January 24, 2014 by pepperrn

… What do you love most?

I admit to being a QM2 snob. She is the only ship I have sailed on since 2004 (over a dozen bookings), and the only ship I care to sail on. I delight that Queen Mary 2 is the largest and most powerful ocean liner ever, and especially that she looks like an ocean liner. Thanks to her ability to go through stormy seas at speed I have enjoyed, yes enjoyed, being on her during several severe storms. My only regret is that the present price of fuel oil makes those occasional 28/29 knot sprints only a memory now.

... My only regret is that the present price of fuel oil makes those occasional 28/29 knot sprints only a memory now.

Hi pmb1,

I was lucky enough to be on the bridge in Dec '13 when she briefly touched 27 knots (making up for time lost due to the weather on the crossing, she maintained 26 knots for a long period as we approached the east coast of the US). Commodore Rynd said she was using three of the four diesels and the two turbines (one diesel was undergoing maintenance) at that point. Like you, I have also been lucky enough to be on board when she was at 28 knots :) a few years back.

Best wishes to you, and to the amazing QM2!!! :) :)

Hi pmb1,

I was lucky enough to be on the bridge in Dec '13 when she briefly touched 27 knots (making up for time lost due to the weather on the crossing, she maintained 26 knots for a long period as we approached the east coast of the US). Commodore Rynd said she was using three of the four diesels and the two turbines (one diesel was undergoing maintenance) at that point. Like you, I have also been lucky enough to be on board when she was at 28 knots :) a few years back.

Best wishes to you, and to the amazing QM2!!! :) :)

Thank you, Pepper, and the very same to you.

Paul

 

P.S. I also love that QM2 has two completely independent power plants: the four diesels way low in the hull that can generate 67.2 MW and the two turbines on Deck 12 that can generate 50 MW. She could conceivably lose all power because of a catastrophic failure in the electrical distribution system, but probably never because of engine room problems.

 

for those who haven't done so, the only thing to do is try them out. Many QM2 addicts will be very pleasantly surprised.

 

I did, and after 3 almost sleepless nights on CV during a transatlantic, I am more than grateful that there is a ship like QM2.

 

... but to return to the original question: What I particularly like about the QM2is her elegance - not too much, not too little - just the right measure (while I think that both QE and QV are overdecorated - for me personally) and, last but not least, QM2's technical excellence. The ship as such is unique.

Oh well -- there IS such a thing as "thread drift" :) So here goes.

 

Last year we sailed on all 3 Queens -- one after the other, basically "Back to back". Like women, ships all have their good and bad points - and some are prettier than others. Some are strong and some are fickle :)

 

We liked QV very much -- mainly it's internal decor. But QE does have a larger back deck, a better theatre and has those exterior playing greens.

 

BUT - at the end of the day - both QV and QE are essentially just other members of the Vista class of ship. Very common :) We struck a Force 11 gale for 24 hours in the Atlantic on QE and were forced to sail straight into it, head on! The Captain had to slow the ship to 10 knots to avoid it being damaged. Both QE and QV are the noisiest ships (internally) we have ever been on -- never heard another ship design creak and groan so much, P&O Arcadia was the same. :)

 

But we love them all - nevertheless. As I said before , QM2 does tend to be over-hyped (mainly by the press) - and some people do go on her with inflated expectations, only to be disappointed. But that is their weakness - not QM2's.

 

 

Barry

Lagunaseas, you and I seem to agree about the reasons we love to sail aboard the QM2. But I also love the crew who recognize me from a previous sailing and remembers my name each time he/she meets me. I love the ship's stability in rough seas since my husband is prone to mad de mer and never suffers on the QM2. Best of all is the fact that it sails round trip New York. For me it's, "What's not to like about this glorious ocean liner?"

I love the feeling I get, looking at the QM2 from a port, just before boarding or re-boarding. What a joy to realize she will be "home" at least for a small piece of time. What a beautiful vessel, when you can see her in her entirety!

 

I love how safe she makes me feel in the middle of any large ocean!

 

I love Cunard's selection of daytime speakers, most of whom are interesting, articulate and very entertaining. I love the library. I love meeting other passengers over dinner and playing cards in the Atlantic Room.

 

I love the memories she holds and the memories I look forward to making on her.

With respect, you have entirely missed the point of the thread, titled 'Things I love about QM2'. By stating the Commodore Club being my favourite spot on QM2 your hastey comparison with the Queen Victoria's equivalent space was rather moot.

 

 

 

Have to agree with that. This isn't the thread to say why someone else's opinion is flawed with regards to QM2. It's just a thread to say what you love about her.

 

Which is why I love her bow. It is unique to QM2.

 

Maybe a thread to compare would be an idea if other ships are to be discussed. ;)

Edited January 24, 2014 by Pushka

On my most recent Crystal cruise, I found myself missing QM2.

 

Let me count the ways ... QM2's stunning atrium, her majestic bi-level Britannia dining room, the oh-so-posh Commodore Club, the unrivaled planetarium, the authentic scones at tea, and the elegant carpeting and chairs in the lounge areas (kudos to the designer).

 

Not to mention the liner's quintessential design/stability. And the cabin doors that don't slam with a bang (such a relief). And the library, oh the library!

 

Can't wait to sail on her again. What do you love most?

 

Link:

I like the beautiful Britannia Dinning Room.

The aft decks , reminiscent of

Leonardo Da Vinci.

The Commodore

The way the Qm2 sails the seas.

Love everyone's responses ... especially Pushka's marvelous photos. And to answer Salacia, we're considering another transatlantic on the QM2 - this time to Hamburg - as well as a possible segment or two of an upcoming world cruise. So much to look forward to ...

I think I love the Commodore Club more than anything, far, far, FAR nicer and more atmospheric than it's namesake on QE and I assume QV.

I think I love the Commodore Club more than anything, far, far, FAR nicer and more atmospheric than it's namesake on QE and I assume QV.

The difference, in my humble opinion, is that the Commodore Club on QM2 fulfils a slighty different role than on QE/QV. If the names were not the same, would we compare them? ("Commodore Club" v "Observation Lounge").

 

On QV and (esp) QE the large Commodore Club is the principal lounge/bar on board (QE doesn't have a Chart Room, unlike QV). It is easy to get to (via the "A" stairs/lifts) from Decks 2 & 3 (where the majority of the public rooms are located). It makes an idea spot for drinks before or after a visit to the Royal Court Theatre, and in the late evening, offers (with the nightclub just astern) a "late-nite" venue. During the day the views can be astounding (glass on three sides of the room). However, you can't see the bow from the room, which I find disappointing. There are, in addition, two downsides I can see; 1. You can stand in one spot and see the entire room. These makes it less intimate, less "cosy" than the one on QM2, and 2. At night all that glass turns into a hard, black, relective surface that makes the whole room feel cold (three walls of it...).

 

On QM2 the Commodore Club feels very remote from Decks 2 & 3. It is not easy to get to, requiring a long walk forward to the "A" stairs past both theatres, or a walk though the Kings Court, Winter Garden and past the spa to the outside scenic lifts. Many passengers can't be bothered, and use the many bars on Decks 2 & 3. Because this remoteness, the smaller size of the room, and the the fact that you can't stand in one spot and see the whole lounge, it feels exclusive, intimate, cosy. And because they lower the blinds at night, far warmer and welcoming (no wall of black glass here). It is not the principal bar on board, merely one of several. During the day, the mighty bow is below you, in full view, and many people spend hours simply watching it, esp if it is gently rising and falling. The piano seems less intrusive, the the huge inner curve of the sloping bridge-screen bulkhead is a delight. Access from the outside scenic lifts comes as a surprise to many first-timers. I love the QM2's Commodore Club.

 

As I said, if they had been named differently, we might have thought of them as entirely different spaces on board. There are daytime advantages to the QE/QV versions (but they are merely lounges with a good view). But there are greater advantages to the night time version found on QM2, IMHO. Now that room is really special :) .

 

Best wishes,

 

(ps. Sorry if I've broken my own rule and spoken of QE/QV, I didn't realise until I'd finished! :o )

Edited January 25, 2014 by pepperrn

 

Incidentally, yet another disadvantage of the Queen Mary is that very often she has to berth some distance away from certain destinations and often in Container Depots etc. And she can't transit the Panama Canal !

 

 

Well, tastes are different and it's good that they are, but for me it is great fun and exciting to approach land on a lifeboat when QM2 has to remain at sea.

 

And, PROVIDED THE INFORMATION I HAVE IS CORRECT, QM2 might well be able to transit the Panama canal when its enlargement has been terminated (and now I expect a sh***storm) :eek:

 

:D

Edited January 25, 2014 by Cats2010

Well, tastes are different and it's good that they are, but for me it is great fun and exciting to approach land on a lifeboat when QM2 has to remain at sea.

 

And, PROVIDED THE INFORMATION I HAVE IS CORRECT, QM2 might well be able to transit the Panama canal when its enlargement has been terminated (and now I expect a sh***storm)

 

Barely. The Bridge of the Americas on the Pacific side allows an air draft of 206 ft under certain low tide conditions. QM2's air draft is 203 ft. The timing would be tight with little margin for delays.

 

Getting back on topic I love her teak wood promenade deck. The ability to walk or jog endlessly gives her the feeling of endless space. And when I open my balcony door there is the majestic Atlantic - not neighboring cell blocks or a retail shop patio.

One thing I really love about the QM2 is the length of it's corridors and the fact they are straight, so you can see the length of the ship.

 

When we were last on the QM2, we had an inside cabin that was almost the last one at the blunt end. When we left the Commodore and went straight down to our deck, it was such a long way to our cabin it looked like it was almost disappearing over the horizon !