2006 QM2 voyages?

[atticus]

Does anyone have any idea when Cunard will post the QM2 cruises for 2006?

 

I was hoping to get my fiance hooked on cruising by taking him on the QM2 July 4th cruise. Haven't seen anything on the website and TA didn't have any luck when trying Cunard directly. Hope they don't discontinue this short cruise - although I have heard some pretty scary stories about last year's cruise.

[Cunard Cruiser]

When I spoke to Cunard about 2006 for both QM2 and QE2 they said end of April beginning of May. However, Cunard i(aka a Princess tele-rep) gives more wrong than right because they are Princess. May I ask what were the scary stories about last year's cruise that you heard or read about?

[JPEvans]

Some of the reviews that have been posted on various web sites have been horrible. Not just the July 4th cruise, but others. One review that was posted on CruiseMates, sounds like the guy was promised the "most luxurious ship of all ships" and the travel agent put him on the Staten Island ferry by mistake. I was on the Tandem Crossing last April. And I fell in love with the QM2. I kept thinking that this wasn't the same ships those people were on. There we a couple a little things. Like I thought the G32 nightclub was understaffed, it took a little time to get drinks. And the pursers office messed up my shipboard account. They tried to charge me what my roommate spent (which was A LOT) luckly my credit card rejected it. If they didn't I would of had a mess. But those things didn't dampen my crossing. One thing to remember is. On short cruises things are very different than a cruise that's 7 days or more. They attract a very young crowd, which may give the ship a more party theme, than say a 12 day cruise through Europe, where the passengers are much older. I would go with an open mind and have a good time. Don't look for problems. Those people are always the one's that write the bad reviews. Most of the people who have successful cruises don't say anything.

[atticus]

Sea-Sea,

Thanks for the info! I've been on the QM2 twice and loved it both times, but my fiance is a little wary about cruising (seasickness being the biggest factor) and I thought the short cruise to nowhere would be a good way to introduce him to shipboard life.

 

Some of the other postings about the July 4th cruise were really disheartening. Fellow passengers were terribly rude, poor service, people not caring about the dress - more like a Carnival fun ship. I would hate for him to think this is the standard.

 

I do agree with JPevans that a vacation (cruise or other) is what you make of it - that is the most important thing.

[bfoot34]

I was told on board the QM2 in February that the QM2 was going back to France this coming November to be reconfigured, which, by the way, is necessary.

 

Perhaps that is why they have not come out with a 2006 schedule for QM2.

 

Anyone have an idea on this one.

[guernseyguy]

I was told on board the QM2 in February that the QM2 was going back to France this coming November to be reconfigured, which, by the way, is necessary.

 

Perhaps that is why they have not come out with a 2006 schedule for QM2.

 

Anyone have an idea on this one.

 

The following was posted on another board, an excerpt from Bill Miller's e-news letter:

 

the 1,132-foot long ship's first major refit due in November. Reports suggested a Hamburg shipyard, but now seem changed to Southampton, England. Changes, alterations and improvements are part of the rumors and include the likes of major renovations for the Britannia Restaurant, changing the top-deck Boardwalk Cafe into a glass-ceilinged steak house, removing the Winter Garden, redesigning the food court areas and eliminating the Champagne Bar. But it is all just rumor.

 

 

 

Would these have been among the changes you thought necessary?

 

Peter

[bfoot34]

Peter:

 

The biggest complaint is how you have go up to deck 4 to get around the Britannica Restaurant to get to the Princes Grill, Queens Grill, Queens Lounge, the Queen's Ball Room and Q32. You have to get to stairway D to get down to those locations. To get to stairway D you have to go up to at least deck 4. That issue was the biggest complaint on heard on our cruise 2/12/05. HOWEVER, the cruise itself was absolutely first class in every way. We have been on 10 cruises, on three different cruise ship lines, and the QM2 tops them all.

[guernseyguy]

Peter:

 

The biggest complaint is how you have go up to deck 4 to get around the Britannica Restaurant to get to the Princes Grill, Queens Grill, Queens Lounge, the Queen's Ball Room and Q32. You have to get to stairway D to get down to those locations. To get to stairway D you have to go up to at least deck 4. That issue was the biggest complaint on heard on our cruise 2/12/05. HOWEVER, the cruise itself was absolutely first class in every way. We have been on 10 cruises, on three different cruise ship lines, and the QM2 tops them all.

 

bfoot,

 

Glad to hear you liked the QM2....I thought there was a Deck '3L' that enabled you to go round either side of the Britannia restaurant to get to the Queens Room and G32. Perhaps the comments were from people who had to/preferred to use the elevators? And if they were looking for either of the Grills below Deck 4 it suggests better signage may be needed, as last time I looked they were on Deck 7!

 

In other places I have read that the Winter Garden is a bit of a waste of space.....and of course, enclosing the Boardwalk Cafe would increase her tonnage....possibly keeping her ahead of 'Freedom of the Seas' - an old trick, practiced by the Normandie to keep ahead of the original Queen Mary. Here we go!

 

Peter

[bfoot34]

bfoot,

 

Glad to hear you liked the QM2....I thought there was a Deck '3L' that enabled you to go round either side of the Britannia restaurant to get to the Queens Room and G32. Perhaps the comments were from people who had to/preferred to use the elevators? And if they were looking for either of the Grills below Deck 4 it suggests better signage may be needed, as last time I looked they were on Deck 7!

 

In other places I have read that the Winter Garden is a bit of a waste of space.....and of course, enclosing the Boardwalk Cafe would increase her tonnage....possibly keeping her ahead of 'Freedom of the Seas' - an old trick, practiced by the Normandie to keep ahead of the original Queen Mary. Here we go!

 

Peter

 

Peter:

 

We tried to get around the Britannia but weren't able to do so. Guess I over looked that possibility. However, I was not the only one complaining about having to go up to at least deck 4 to get to the back of the ship. Doesn't the Britannia have windows on both sides of the restaurant. If so, it would be impossible to get around it on deck 2 o3 without walking through the restaurant which they will not let you do when dinner is being served.

 

Jerry

[imacruizer]

Guernseyguy is correct. There is a 3L on both sides of the Britannia Restaurant going to the Queens Room. If you are on Deck 2 you must go up a half stairway to the hallways leading back to the Queens Room. If you are on Deck 3 you must down a half stairway to reach 3L. On one side you walk through the area where all the photographs are for sale. On the other side you walk through an art gallery. I can see how that area is confusing but the hallways are definitely there. I walked through them many times.

[copperpenny]

Good Morning. We just returned from a fabulous trip aboard QM 2. We booked yesterday for the January 3 sailing out of New York. It is a 12 day with ports of call being St. Thomas, St. Kitt, Cristobal, and one other port. Our friends had booked this particular cruise several weeks ago. My TA said that the first part of Febuary 2006 the ship is going on the magellan cruise. This is the month long cruise where they cross through Cape Horn and evidently go to ports on three different continents. I am repeating what my TA has told me...I don't know that this is fact. She has sent me some information via FedEx concerning 2006 I sould receive the package today. I'll post if there is information of interest.

[copperpenny]

By the way Bill Miller was one of the enrichment lecturer on board. He was quite informative.