Should I change my cabin?

[leagle]

I have never been on a large ship before.

I have booked the QM2 westbound transatlantic for August of this year and have reserved a port side cabin on the 4th deck midship with an in-hull balcony.

I was delighted with my choice, but after reading the comments about the efects of people smoking on a balcony next door, I am thinking about giving up the balcony for a window cabin.

Other people's smoke makes me sneeze and I really hate the smell.

I know that if I have the bad luck to be next to a couple of smokers I will not be able to use the balcony at all and I will be more frustrated and disapointed than if I had had not paid for a balcony in the first place.

I just spoke to a friend who was on a cruise with the QV in the Med. He said that his balcony was unusable due to neighbours who smoked on their own balcony 24/7.

On the other hand, I love the idea of having my own private access to the view of the water and the feel of the moving ship.

This isn't about "rights". If the QM2 allows balcony smoking I can't complain if pax smoke on their balconys. I am just trying to work out if it is worth the extra cost of a balcony if there is a real risk that I won't be able to use it.

I am trying to calculate the odds. What has your experience been?

[hansol1966]

Leagle we have travelled as non smokers in various cabins and never had a problem with smoking. You will have a great time on your westbound transatlantic in-hull cabin (Portside sunnyside) deck 4 my favourite. Remember you are in an enclosed metal balcony travelling at 25 mph with a window i think any smoke would struggle to permeate your balcony.

Transatlantic CHECK...Deck 4 CHECK... Westbound CHECK...Portside CHECK

Have a great time.

Fred.

[Ray66]

We had a smoker next to our glass fronted cabin on the QV in October and they were forward of us. I also hate smoking but the effects of this smoker wasn't too bad as it was occasional.

I'd be surprised if anyone was in their cabin 24/7 so you should be able to get some time without the smell. But hopefully you won't get a smoker next to you anyway and I wouldn't think you need to change your cabin.

 

Have a great cruise.

[Q-step]

We are non smokers. We did a westbound TA last August on deck 5, portside. We slept with the balcony door open almost every night. No problem.

 

Our only smoking complaint was that they allow smoking in the disco. We are late night people and most of the bars and venues on the ship closed down around midnight. The Chart room, Sir Samuels, Commedore Club, etc. all had last call before 12:15AM. Some nights even the casino was closed at midnight. The only place open was the disco and the smoking was too much for us.

 

I hear that each crossing is different and they will keep bars open if there is enough of a crowd to justify the service. For some reason on our TA (8/28) most of the ship had turned in for the night by 11PM. I heard from a friend who was on the eastbound TA just prior to ours that the ship was rocking until 2-3AM. Go figure.

[Lanky Lad]

I would not change cabin, I had the same kind of cabin but on Deck 5, last year and did not any problems.

 

If you change cabin and you might spend the voyage wishing you had a balcony.

[Fblack]

We had a balcony cabin on a b2b including 13 days across the Atlantic on HAL's Westerdam. We had smokers all around us. We could never enjoy the balcony. 7:00AM we wanted to enjoy coffee on the balcony and the smoke from other balconies flooded our cabin. We could see people in other balconies hanging over the side smoking.

 

We thought it might be better out to sea, but again smoke from those around us filled the balcony. We could never leave our balcony door open. Turned into a big waste of money. We paid a lot extra for a balcony for 24 days and never could enjoy it.

 

So for two more cruises after that we just took a window cabin. Then we learned about Celebrity's new non smoking on balconies policy. So we got a balcony again on the Equinox and loved it. Never smelled smoke once.

 

So keep your balcony and if it's bad, push them to move you. Also aft cabins balconies have less problems with smoke.

[leagle]

Thank you so much for you quick responses!

My friend was on a Queen Victoria Cruise through the Med and said that the people next door simply did not leave theri cabin except to go onto the balcony. They even ate all their meals in the cabin. When my friends found himself awake at 3 am and went out on his balcony, to read, he heard the click of a lighter, followed by a cloud of smoke!

I have to take that as the worst case scenario.

Also, FBlack's experience reminds me that a balcony is affected by more than one neighbour. Unfortunately/Fortunately Cunard is the only show in town for an August crossing.

I understand that I could request to be moved, but in August, I suspect that the ship has a good chance of being full.

And did I mention that my reserved cabin is not near a lift (I like quiet) and is not connecting? It really ticks all the boxes.

I think this calls for a conversation with my agent.....and finding out exactly what extra I am paying for the balcony.

Again, thank you all.

[Vic The Parrot]

Our only smoking complaint was that they allow smoking in the disco. We are late night people and most of the bars and venues on the ship closed down around midnight. The Chart room, Sir Samuels, Commedore Club, etc. all had last call before 12:15AM. Some nights even the casino was closed at midnight. The only place open was the disco and the smoking was too much for us.

 

 

 

Then why were you sitting in the smoking area? :confused:

[hansol1966]

Is nt smoking only allowed upstairs in G32.

Fred.

[Vic The Parrot]

Is nt smoking only allowed upstairs in G32.

Fred.

 

 

 

Yessir ...

 

 

There's a smoking area on the port side, overlooking the dance floor.

[cruisegal101]

Is nt smoking only allowed upstairs in G32.

Fred.

 

Yes. And the ventilation system is excellent.

[Vic The Parrot]

Yes. And the ventilation system is excellent.

 

 

 

But not excellent enough to satisfy some people ... :rolleyes: :D

[Q-step]

Is nt smoking only allowed upstairs in G32.

Fred.

 

There were a lot of people smoking in G32. You could even see the smoke in the lights on the dance floor.

 

I think there was one large group that would head to G32 early in the night. By midnight when the Queen's Room shut down G32 was pretty smokey. One night it wasn't too bad, but the other nights we would go in to see what was happening and leave after a few minutes. The last night I went there without my wife and spent about an hour standing with some people at the downstairs bar. The next day you could smell the smoke on my clothing.

[Vic The Parrot]

There were a lot of people smoking in G32. You could even see the smoke in the lights on the dance floor.

 

I think there was one large group that would head to G32 early in the night. By midnight when the Queen's Room shut down G32 was pretty smokey. One night it wasn't too bad, but the other nights we would go in to see what was happening and leave after a few minutes. The last night I went there without my wife and spent about an hour standing with some people at the downstairs bar. The next day you could smell the smoke on my clothing.

 

 

 

 

Strange ...

 

 

I've been in G32 thousands of times, and occupied every square foot of the room. Even in the non-smoking area. Never smelled, nor seen any smoke in the air. Maybe that 'smoke' you noticed was that stuff that's sprayed on the dance floor?

[Q-step]

Strange ...

I've been in G32 thousands of times, and occupied every square foot of the room. Even in the non-smoking area. Never smelled, nor seen any smoke in the air. Maybe that 'smoke' you noticed was that stuff that's sprayed on the dance floor?

 

I don't think so. I was a disco dancer from way back, even prior to Saturday Night Fever. Met my wife in a disco and we still go dancing all the time. Even in our 50's I can still flip her upsidedown. I know what disco effects look like.

 

It could be that the air conditioning unit was not turned up enough. We noticed that the Queens room was warm & humid some nights. But I think it was a group of heavy duty smokers, chain smoking away in G32. People were also smoking in the casino but that didn't bother me. I even smoked a Cohiba one night while drinking some port. I just made sure I was around other like minded people at the time.

[Vic The Parrot]

I don't think so. I was a disco dancer from way back, even prior to Saturday Night Fever. Met my wife in a disco and we still go dancing all the time. Even in our 50's I can still flip her upsidedown. I know what disco effects look like.

 

It could be that the air conditioning unit was not turned up enough. We noticed that the Queens room was warm & humid some nights. But I think it was a group of heavy duty smokers, chain smoking away in G32. People were also smoking in the casino but that didn't bother me. I even smoked a Cohiba one night while drinking some port. I just made sure I was around other like minded people at the time.

 

 

 

Must have been a freak incident. I know what you mean about the air/heat issues on board. On my last trip, it was an oven in the Queens Room, and the Commodore Club felt like a meat locker.

 

But I'll still sail on QM2, regardless. (And I'm sure you will too ... ;) )

[leagle]

I just spoke to my Agent and found that I would be paying £175 more for a seaview cabin than I am for my in-hull balcony cabin!

I do understand that I would have a better view of the ocean from inside the cabin in a cabin with a huge window, but with a balcony I can lean over and feel the wind from the passage of the ship and look down on the waves, even if sometimes I was driven inside by cigarette smoke (or a storm?)

I am willing to take some risks. I was just worried that the balcony might be adding £2-400 to my fare with a high chance of being unusable. If that were the case, it would have soured the trip.

I am determined to have a wonderful time and fully expect to do so.

So far everything on my to-do list has been even better than I anticipated and I see no reason why a transatlantic passage should be any different.

Thank you so much for your answers. They helped me calculate the odds and reach what I believe to be a good decision.

[Naiad]

I did not find a problem with smoke on QM2.

[Ericktina]

I just spoke to my Agent and found that I would be paying £175 more for a seaview cabin than I am for my in-hull balcony cabin!

I do understand that I would have a better view of the ocean from inside the cabin in a cabin with a huge window, but with a balcony I can lean over and feel the wind from the passage of the ship and look down on the waves, even if sometimes I was driven inside by cigarette smoke (or a storm?)

I am willing to take some risks. I was just worried that the balcony might be adding £2-400 to my fare with a high chance of being unusable. If that were the case, it would have soured the trip.

I am determined to have a wonderful time and fully expect to do so.

So far everything on my to-do list has been even better than I anticipated and I see no reason why a transatlantic passage should be any different.

Thank you so much for your answers. They helped me calculate the odds and reach what I believe to be a good decision.

On my first QM2 cruise when she was new, I booked a "deluxe balcony". I was very unhappy when I saw the "in hull" balcony, which does not have a floor to ceiling view of the ocean--BUT-- I soon came to love the advantages of this arrangement. It is almost like a little extra room, and is usable in bad weather when the standard balcony would not be. I think you will like it very much, and because it is so sheltered, I should think any problems with smoke would be minimal. Now I always book an in hull--on the 4 deck--down low--much less movement in bad weather, and near the elevator that goes right down to the pub, the casino, the dining room and the stairway one deck down to the Queen's Room and G32. So convenient !! Hit a bad storm one time in a penthouse way up high--only time I was ever seasick!! Had to hold on to the bed to keep from falling out. It's the 4 deck for me...in my very comfortable in hull cabin--with the two closets!! Have a wonderful cruise and tell us all about it when you get back !!

[hansol1966]

Yes Ericktina the balcony is very private, larger and a lot more usable most of the time. We had deck 4 on a b2b very convenient and stable in the brief bad weather we encountered.

Fred.

[capnpugwash]

The in hull cabins are imho the best. the wind whips past at 30 knots minimum and any smoke from next door is dissipated so quickly the you won't notice it. I never have. You will have a ball

[Ray66]

There are gaps at the bottom and top of the balcony dividers between each cabin and the smoke can get under or over them.

 

We were probably in port when I noticed smoke from the next cabin.

[leagle]

And yet again, thanks. I will stay off my balcony in port.

I am getting realy excited about the trip already.

[colkeena]

I have been unable to use our balcony a few times due to smokers and people that speak loudly.I really do not want to hear other peoples conversations but some voices just are very loud and just carry.Luck of the draw.Hate to pay for a balcony and not be able to use it.Rather have an inside than have an unusable balcony.I do understand smokers must get a balcony but I wish they could stay in one area of the ship.Not practical but would be nice.

[fllady]

I loved our in hull balcony. You can be out there thru almost every weather condition. Had no problems with the smoking, if there was any. They are a nice size and private. Don't change, you will love being able to look down at the ocean passing by and seeing the ships lights at night. We have another one booked for June, same location. :)