June 9 Eastbound Transatlantic on QM2

[Paul NH]

Is there anyone else on this board sailing with the QM2 out of New York, bound for Southampton?

 

Just eight weeks and counting!

 

Paul

[The Golds]

Paul, we are on the Aug 9th Crossing. Please post a review when you get back. Thank you.

[Paul NH]

I think I will take you up on that request and post a review since I enjoy writing. I am looking forward to spending days-on-end in the middle of the Atlantic. If the weather is good, that will be good. If the weather is stormy, that will make for an interesting voyage!

 

Paul

[The Golds]

Paul, even with bad weather the trip has to be great....:) :eek: :)

We look forward to your review.

[nyckruzer]

looking forward to the Transatlantic experience after a couple NYC roundtrip cruises on board QM2 last year.

[Paul NH]

NYCKruzer, glad to see there's someone else from the board going. I guess we will see as we get closer to the sailing date whether anyone else will be on this voyage. Paul

[pinwillow]

Just found this web-site whilst looking for information.

 

Yes, we are also on the east-bound crossing on June 9 and are eagerly looking forward to our outbound crossing from Southampton on April 28, only 4 more days. Our first time on a ship. Still planning a 5 week itinerary in USA and Canada.

[nyckruzer]

If you need hints to enhance your time in NYC, let me know. Restaurants, sightseeing. off the beaten track...and so on. We can compare notes on your return crossing on June 9th if I hit the mark.

[slsman]

...we're on the June 9 eastbound crossing.

 

It will be our first Cunard and first transatlantic.

[Debra611]

My husband and I are on the 6/9 crossing. We have not received anything from Cunard about anything. Have you? I am wondering about activities, entertainement, how to book the spa and reserve for any other activities or restuarant. And, is it dressy every night? I only have an old brochure that seems to say that there are 2 formal nights. Do you know?

 

Is there anyone else on this board sailing with the QM2 out of New York, bound for Southampton?

 

Just eight weeks and counting!

 

Paul

[pinwillow]

If you need hints to enhance your time in NYC, let me know. Restaurants, sightseeing. off the beaten track...and so on. We can compare notes on your return crossing on June 9th if I hit the mark.

 

Thank you for your kind offer but we have a guide to show us around. We are just hours from setting off to Southampton and looking forward to travelling West. Hope you have a good trip.

[nyckruzer]

Documents should arrive early to mid-May for our June 9th sailing, assuming you've paid your tab (lol). I've only sailed QM2 to the Caribbean last year but, if my memory serves me of QE2 transatlantic crossings, the first night and the last evenings are informal (jackets/tie optional for men, travel wear for ladies). The middle four nights are formal. I've heard QM2 has relaxed that down to three evenings of formal wear or so.

 

The ship is a supermarket of activities, all geared to a sophisticated customer...no unrelenting announcements, no silly deck games. You cannot miss the RADA performances, the planetarium, teatime with clotted cream on your scones. wine tasting in Sir Samuel's....

 

and then there's the Canyon Ranch. I could move in there! I do not believe you can pre-book treatments pre-sailing. If you are in a Grill Suite, the concierge can arrange them. The folks who staff Canyon Ranch are delightful. They will make best efforts to accomodate you.

 

Todd English may have the best food on the high seas, not to be missed. The Cunard history trail is superb. The grill restaurants are extraordinary in their ability to produce superb off-the-menu requests, not to mention a bottomless vat of beluga.

 

And make certain, one balmy night mid-Atlantic, to grab a shawl from the stateroom, grab the arm of a loved one, and stroll (not walk, not run) around QM2's magnificent Promenade Deck. Stop to look at the stars and listen to the rush of the sea below sluice by. You share the same view that Columbus had, Magellan had, our troops sailing to European wars had....believe me, it's impactful and there may be no more romantic place to be in the world at that moment....you become part of history in a way.

[DocM3]

Well put. I shall look forward to such a stroll - we sail on May 4th and then again returning June 3rd.

[Paul NH]

The "Voyage Information" booklet arrived today. It is an 8.5 x 11 inch brochure consisting of 36 pages. Both my wife's and my name are printed on the front cover along with "Queen Mary 2, Transatlantic Crossing Eastbound, June 9, 2005." It arrived by DHL delivery in the early afternoon - 6 weeks to the day prior to sailing. It includes the guest registration form, which I had already downloaded from the Cunard website and faxed in just this past Monday.

 

I have not read it all, just browsed it so far. It looks fairly informative for the transatantic novices that we are. My two boys received a separate package that appears to be the same thing. I am going to let them open it up themselves.

 

Paul

[mariella225]

We are on the June 9th crossing.

Who else is going?

We were on the QM2 last year on a 28 day cruise to Rio.

[Paul NH]

This will be our first transatlantic. We are looking forward to the uninterrupted days at sea. The Rio leg must have been fantastic.

 

Paul

[DanZ]

...It looks fairly informative for the transatantic novices that we are. My two boys received a separate package that appears to be the same thing. I am going to let them open it up themselves.

 

Paul

 

Hi Paul:

 

My wife and two boys (7 and 11) are also on the June 9 crossing. Like you, I am looking forward to days in the middle of nowhere!

 

How old are your boys? I assume we might at least run into each other at the check-in desk for kids zone.

 

Happy sailing!

Dan

[Paul NH]

Dan,

 

Glad to see you have two boys coming along. Since the voyage is prior to summer break at most schools, I was not sure there would be any kids at all on this trip. Our sons are 11 and 13 and I am sure they will enjoy the company of your boys.

 

My 11 year old had carefully scanned much of the Voyage Information Booklet the other day. He was impressed with how many dining rooms there are on board.

 

Paul

[DanZ]

Hi Paul:

 

Yes, we are taking our boys out of school two weeks early in favor of the "school of life." Their teachers agree that they will probably learn more than during the last two weeks in the classroom. Right now our boys are impressed with the sheer size of the QM2.

 

For the sake of easy access, we are booked on the same level as the kids club.

 

Hope we'll get to meet you and your boys!

Dan

[Paul NH]

Our tickets were delivered today via DHL in a black leather case. So, for the record, they were received 3 weeks and 6 days before the voyage. Not bad!

 

I only wish the package confirmed our requested seating time. I will have to comb through it again and see if it was there somewhere.

 

Paul

[Paul NH]

Just noticed that John Cleese will be speaking as part of the ConneXions program on the June 9 voyage. I am a big fan of his style of humor, from Monty Python and Faulty Towers days, and looking forward to hearing his talk.

 

Paul

[DanZ]

That's terrific news, Paul! Just rented Meaning of Life Yesterday after all these years. Decided that we'll need to skip a few scenes with my 11 year old this week, however. He'll be sooo excited, being a fan of Life of Brian and the Holy Grail movies.

[JULIES5]

Just found this web-site whilst looking for information.

 

Yes, we are also on the east-bound crossing on June 9 and are eagerly looking forward to our outbound crossing from Southampton on April 28, only 4 more days. Our first time on a ship. Still planning a 5 week itinerary in USA and Canada.

I am thinking of doing the June 26th crossing eastbound and am petrified of rough seas, how did you find the seas on your trip

[Paul NH]

I have to say, the Reservations/Customer Service toll free line has been very efficient the last two times I called. The first time was several weeks ago when I made our return flight arrangements - very efficient. Today, I called to inquire about our Seating Time in Britannia and they promptly switched the time and sent me a confirming email. Then I asked about shipping baggage back upon arrival in Southampton and I was put right through to another department and given pricing and an explanation of the service.

 

All three of this issues were handled with little to no hold time at all and by very pleasant voices on the other end who had their acts together.

 

I remember calling Cunard in late 2003 and early 2004 several times, and the hold times were outrageously long, with some tape recording of a woman saying, "QM2. I can hardly wait, can you?" over and over and over and over again. It was like purgatory back then.

 

As far as I am concerned, the Call-in Service of Cunard/Princess is running very smoothly and so much better than before. Hope this is a good omen on what to expect of the June 9 crossing.

 

Paul

[Paul NH]

June 9 Passengers,

 

It looks like the following board members will be with us on this voyage:

 

Paul NH

nyckruzer

pinwillow

slsman

Debra611

mariella225

DanZ

cruiseteacher (likely, unconfirmed)

 

If there is anyone else, please post. If everyone is open to meeting somewhere on the ship, let us all know.

 

Regards,

Paul