Queen Mary 2 - Which Deck / Cabin for First Time Transatlantic Cruiser

[shetlandtim]

We are planning to book a trip to New York on Queen Mary 2 in August.  We have never been on a cruise before and our only experience of boat travel is of ferries, neither of us is a particularly good sailor.  We think we should have a cabin as low down as possible and as near the centre as possible.  Which would be better cabin 5118 on deck 5 or cabin 6159 on deck 6

[Belle on board]

We sailed transatlantic on a very rough sailing out of New York in January. For context, it was so rough the departure from New York was delayed until the next morning and for much of the voyage the outside decks were closed. We had a deck 5 sheltered balcony and it was excellent and better than many other places on the ship. 

[BigMac1953]

We're also doing the round trip starting 11 August.

 

Having crossed the Atlantic on QM2 more than 10 times, I don't think you'll have anything to worry about in August.

 

Just pick the best cabin that the budget will allow.

 

And don't forget to join the Roll Call.

[D&N]

1 hour ago, shetlandtim said:

We are planning to book a trip to New York on Queen Mary 2 in August.  We have never been on a cruise before and our only experience of boat travel is of ferries, neither of us is a particularly good sailor.  We think we should have a cabin as low down as possible and as near the centre as possible.  Which would be better cabin 5118 on deck 5 or cabin 6159 on deck 6

Going by your profile name; If you have any experience of the Lerwick-Aberdeen ferry you should not even be aware that Queen Mary 2 has left the berth.

I only made that trip once in January 1958 in this: 

 

I have no memory of the sailing but was assured it was the worst my mother had ever encountered!

[TheOldBear]

I don't have experience with inside rooms, and the port vs starboard transatlantic question is moot.

 

Both rooms are midships, between the 'B' and 'C' staircases, so should have minimal perceived motion.

 

Mrs Bear and I tend to book 'sheltered balcony' rooms, midships where possible - quite near these inside rooms..

[exlondoner]

Deck 5 is probably preferable as the deck above is cabins rather than public rooms.

[moses0]

When in Britinia Class we love 5160

[shetlandtim]

20 hours ago, D&N said:

Going by your profile name; If you have any experience of the Lerwick-Aberdeen ferry you should not even be aware that Queen Mary 2 has left the berth.

I only made that trip once in January 1958 in this: 

 

I have no memory of the sailing but was assured it was the worst my mother had ever encountered!

I have also made the Aberdeen to Lerwick crossing, just one return journey, it was ok but not great.

 

Different boat to the one above though !

[shetlandtim]

Many thanks for all the above responses., very helpful.

 

I have now booked cabin cabin 5118 on deck 5

 

I will probably have lots more questions as we are first timers.  We are doing this as we both have special birthdays ending in a 0 this year.  We have a long trip in Canada planned and we thought it would be a nice way to get there.

[buchanan101]

22 hours ago, shetlandtim said:

We are planning to book a trip to New York on Queen Mary 2 in August.  We have never been on a cruise before and our only experience of boat travel is of ferries, neither of us is a particularly good sailor.  We think we should have a cabin as low down as possible and as near the centre as possible.  Which would be better cabin 5118 on deck 5 or cabin 6159 on deck 6

The sweet spot for least movement is actually 2/3rds of the way back. (Seen the ship’s designer say this in a YouTube video). In August I’d get yourself some sort of balcony. And one side will obviously be hot if you like the sun…)

[BigMac1953]

Tip: go to purser's desk immediately and register for a PAID upgrade. Lots of pax ask for a free upgrade but those wishing to pay a few hundred dollars can get good upgrades as there are always many "no shows" for a variety of reasons.

[buchanan101]

3 hours ago, BigMac1953 said:

Tip: go to purser's desk immediately and register for a PAID upgrade. Lots of pax ask for a free upgrade but those wishing to pay a few hundred dollars can get good upgrades as there are always many "no shows" for a variety of reasons.

I’ve seen someone say it’s a good idea to ring Cunard a couple of weeks before the cruise and see if there are any deals on upgrades? 

[IB2]

First time, just go with the cheapest.  Cunard might even upgrade you, you never know.  In August you most likely won’t be aware the ship is moving.

[buchanan101]

On 1/30/2023 at 9:12 PM, IB2 said:

First time, just go with the cheapest.  Cunard might even upgrade you, you never know.  In August you most likely won’t be aware the ship is moving.

The weird thing on a calm sunny day on October crossing sitting on the balcony I couldn't get it out of my head that the ship was stationary and the sea was moving past.  It was a little discombobulating (great word...)

[terry&mike]

We sailed NYC to Southampton on QM2 last August 5, in Inside cabin 5030, which is located more forward that you are. It was a wonderful trip, and we rarely felt any movement at all. We loved the ship, the staff, the ambience, the meals. I have a review of our sailing, you can probably find by clicking on my avatar and looking at my posts.

 

We enjoyed it so much, we came home and quickly booked another transatlantic sailing for late August 2023. 

 

Wishing you very happy birthday celebrations, and a wonderful trip!

[navybankerteacher]

On 1/30/2023 at 4:12 PM, IB2 said:

… In August you most likely won’t be aware the ship is moving.

Hardly a guarantee - August is getting close to the peak of hurricane season.

[IB2]

On 2/2/2023 at 8:53 PM, navybankerteacher said:

Hardly a guarantee - August is getting close to the peak of hurricane season.

Yes, but the alignment of the jet stream means that the remnants of them, after they have travelled across the southern US, are far less likely to affect the mid-Atlantic than in winter

[shippmates]

I did a roundtrip crossing om QM2 in August and the sea was very smooth the entire sailing.  It was a wonderful sailing and I am doing a crossing in May from NYC.

 

[navybankerteacher]

On 2/17/2023 at 3:23 AM, IB2 said:

Yes, but the alignment of the jet stream means that the remnants of them, after they have travelled across the southern US, are far less likely to affect the mid-Atlantic than in winter

Very many Atlantic hurricanes (perhaps as many as 50%) never touch North America  -- and there are no remnants of hurricanes in winter.

[daisybel]

space on deck 6. does any know what the blank space is on Deck 6 opposite midship balcony cabin e.g. cabin  6172. Is is crew working space?  If so is it going to be noisy?

thanks in advance

[buchanan101]

9 hours ago, daisybel said:

space on deck 6. does any know what the blank space is on Deck 6 opposite midship balcony cabin e.g. cabin  6172. Is is crew working space?  If so is it going to be noisy?

thanks in advance

It's directly below the Kings Court buffet - which may in itself be a source of noise. 

 

Look up and down on any deck plans when looking at cabins