Can Anyone Give Me a Bit of Help Here????

[kryos]

Doing a bit of VERY preliminary 2007 cruise planning and since my knowledge of geography is a bit limited, I figured I'll lean on the expertise of you all ...

 

Another CCer and I are looking into the Veendam Spring Translantic next April. It starts in Tampa and ends in Venice. We were thinking of spending two days post-cruise in Venice, and then two days in Rome ... and then heading to Southampton (England) to catch the QM2 Transatlantic back to New York City.

 

Here are my questions:

 

(1) Getting from Venice to Rome ... Eurostar runs a train (about $86.00 first class service) ... but ... they claim on the website that there are porters available to help with luggage. Yet, the person I am looking into this cruise with claims that European trains don't have porters. Does anyone have experience with this? Are there people available to help with your luggage? Or ... would we be better off flying? I would tend to think that if the train is only about 4.5 hours, a flight this short distance would be impractical. Am I right about this?

 

(2) Going to Rome would actually be back-tracking. I believe we'd be farther from England than we would be in Venice. Is this idea of heading to Rome for two days impractical? Would we be better off just staying in Venice and then departing to Southampton from there? It's primarily me that wants to go to Rome. I hate to go all the way to Europe and not have the chance to spend a couple of days seeing the holy sites. But, if it's gonna be financially prohibitive to do it during this land portion of the journey, I suppose I can see whatever I have the time for during the one-day port stop on the Veendam itinerary. What do you think?

 

(3) Flight to London. Anyone have any idea how long that is? Do I need to pack lots of drugs? :( The whole point of doing the QM2 back is to avoid long flights. If I'm gonna have a long flight to get to London anyway, then maybe I'm better off just flying back to the States from Venice at the end of the cruise. What do you think?

 

(4) I'll probably need to post this last question on the Cunard board too, but figured I'd ask it here as well. Are there casual venues for dining on the QM2? Neither one of us is interested in packing formalwear and plan to eat in the Lido or with room service on formal nights on the Veendam. I just wanted to make sure we'd have the same options on the QM2 as well. I do realize a cruise like this would probably have formal nights strictly enforced in the dining room, and casual dining options are no problem for us.

 

Thanks for any help you all can provide. Europe is an area of this world I've not yet visited so I know absolutely nothing.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[Aussie Gal]

Kyros,

 

I may be able to help you with some of your questions.

 

a) Your first question regarding porters and the time it takes from Venice to Rome. The trip from Venice to Rome is a great train trip and much better than taking a plane. The countryside is so interesting and the trains are very comfortable.

 

The station is right there on the Grand Canal and it is just so easy. We have found porters who have helped us find our carriage and put our luggage into the train for a fee.

 

b) You are backtracking to Rome but not that much in distance. Rome is a magical city and if you have always wanted to go there do it. In two full days you would see a lot. If you are walkers all the better as it is a very easy city to get around. Otherwise the Metro is good and takes you to most of the important historical sights.

 

c) The flight from Rome to London is two hours at the most which is a nothing flight. Before you know it you will be landing in Heathrow. To us a 26 hour flight is normal so 2 hours is a breeze.

 

d) Unfortunately I have not cruised on the QM2 so do not know if there is casual dining.

 

Rita, It sounds a wonderful trip and I would do it in a flash. Italy is a great way to start your sightseeing of Europe as it is so historical and it is the Eternal City. Have fun planning.

 

Jennie

[dougnewmanatsea]

I can't help on porters as I've not taken an Italian train, but flying Venice-Rome makes no sense. By the time you get to the airport, go through security, etc., you will not be saving much time by flying.

 

Going to Rome is not a particularly impractical idea. If you have the time, there is no reason not to do it (though I would suggest that two days is a rather brief stay). In general, travel in Europe is much easier than it is in North America.

 

The flight from Rome to London will be almost exactly the same length as the flight from Philadelphia to Tampa to get to the ship... It should be around two hours.

 

I would not suggest QM2 to anyone who does not want to dress up.

 

Here is the information on dress, directly from Cunard's web site:

 

Do I have to dress for dinner every evening?

 

One of the joys of cruising with Cunard is the glamour of evenings at sea. In keeping with the high standards of elegance aboard, it is suggested that you dress for dinner as you would for a fine restaurant. There will be formal nights announced, and dress suggestions will be listed each day in the ship's Daily Program. Evening attire will be specified as one of the following:

 

Formal: Tuxedo (alternatively a dark suit) for men. Evening gowns or other formal attire for women.

 

Informal: Jacket and tie for men. Cocktail dress, dressy pantsuit, or similar for women.

 

Casual: For men, slacks and a sweater or shirt. For women, skirts or slacks with a sweater or blouse.

The King's Court (which is like the Lido) turns into four separate alternative restaurants for dinner. To be honest, I'm not sure if they adhere to the dress code; even if it's not enforced, I imagine most people will follow it anyway. Nonetheless, this is a question for the QM2 veterans. I've only visited her; I've sailed in QE2 but that is a different story. Her dress code may seem rigid, but QM2 is still the "casual" ship of the Cunard fleet! The grande dame, QE2, really keeps up tradition with four formal nights and two informal nights on a six-day crossing. As far as I can tell, there are no casual nights at all on QE2, though I believe on cruises they now have something called "smart casual" which basically is the same as informal but men don't have to wear a tie. (This is a new invention; there are still prominent signs outside the dining rooms that say "Jacket and tie required for gentlemen at dinner.") So be glad that these days, most of the crossings are on QM2 and not the even more formal QE2!

 

(I prefer QE2 myself, but as much as I adore her I must admit that she is not for the majority of cruisers out there today. QM2 is less authentic, but much better for the "general public".)

 

You mention cabin service and that is available so if you are content eating in your cabin almost every night on QM2, then you can wear just about anything you want... Just don't expect to go out of your cabin after 6 PM (except perhaps to the Kings Court - again, I'm not sure about that) if you are not dressed in accordance with the dress code; you will look out of place. People do not change after dinner on Cunard so the public areas will be full of people who are adhering to (or often, even exceeding) the dress code.

 

The Cunard web site is not joking when it says that dressing up is one of the joys of a Cunard crossing; those of us who cross for fun really do see it that way. Originally, when QM2 was introduced, there were two each formal, informal, and casual nights on a six-night crossing. Traditionalists were dismayed at the loss of the traditonal dress code (four formal, two informal) and eventually Cunard gave in and added one more formal night. In the end I think traditiona will eventually lose out and someday you will be able to get away without dressing for dinner on Cunard, but that's probably quite some time off. And when it does happen, I for one will be sad - the dress code helps maintain a certain decorum which is so rare in this day and age. I really do suggest you try it; even if you don't get really dressy (many people do, but you don't absolutely have to - moderately dressy is acceptable), I would urge you to at least bring along something that will allow you to be out and about at night. There are so many wonderful evening venues aboard this ship and with no ports, you won't even have to worry about getting up in the morning if you stay out too late at night! Plus, there are those 25 hour days on the westbound crossings, too, so staying in at night would be a crime :) !

 

For more on QM2, I recommend that you see our official review and also the new article Come Aboard My Transatlantic Cruise on Queen Mary 2 (it really should be "crossing", not "cruise", to be nitpicky!) which gives a great day-by-day account of the crossing experience.

 

Finally, if you're going to take an Atlantic crossing (even just the VEENDAM one which is merely a repositioning cruise since it has ports!) you must read John Maxtone-Graham's wonderful book, "The Only Way To Cross", which is the perfect thing to get one in the crossing mood. If you are very, very lucky, you might be aboard QM2 when John is a lecturer (he does it quite often)!

 

Anyhow, I'm rambling on about Cunard and this is the HAL board... If you want more opinions on QM2 or have any other questions, do surf on over to the Cunard board. My HAL members may not know that I am also the Host on the Cunard board (what can I say, I'm not a one-cruise-line man!), so I promise that if you go over there I will make sure you are well taken care of ;) !

[Atomica]

Heading to Rome for two days is completely practical, and, not to be missed!

 

The trains in Italy are very convenient - getting around is far easier than it is here in North America. There are porters, but you can also take care of your own luggage. There are storage compartments at the front of each car if I remember.

 

The main train station in Rome is central to everything, so getting around shouldn't be a problem. It also connects with the Metro there as well.

 

Venice is a beautiful city. I could have spent weeks there. If you get time, take one of the Vaparettos (water taxi's) over to Lido Beach, or to the island of Murano - where the majority of the glass artisans are.

 

Flying from Rome to London is about 3 or 4 hours - I can't quite remember. It's a little shorter for Venice-London, since Venice is farther north.

 

I've been to London before, but never to Southampton. I believe you have to take a train or bus to Southampton once you've landed in Heathrow... It's a dream of mine to sail on the QM2, and to visit Europe again, so you're very fortunate to be able to do both! You will have a fantastic time!!

[Vic The Parrot]

Hi there, Rita

 

 

Try http://www.nationalexpress.co.uk

 

 

You'll find plenty of info on coaches from London to anywhere in England.

And Aaron is right regarding train service. London Waterloo to Soton takes about 2.5 hrs, and was recommended to me as a fun way (and nostalgic!) of getting to Southampton.

 

Remember the "Boat Train" that Cunard used back in the good ol days?

 

:)

[Vic The Parrot]

Knew I forgot something!

 

:D

 

 

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk

[dougnewmanatsea]

The trains in Italy are very convenient - getting around is far easier than it is here in North America.

They must be pretty good - after all, Mussolini made them run on time ;) !

 

Seriously, the Eurostar Italia is the flagship of the Italian State Railways. It is what in Europe they call a "premier train". Others are the French TGV or the German ICE. They all look pretty nice.

 

I did a good amount of research on taking the train from Venice to Rome as I was looking at a cruise aboard MARCO POLO last year that would have involved this. I don't remember the particulars, but it certainly seemed like something that would be simple enough to do, and the train itself looked impressively shiny and new. Well, all European trains look impressively shiny and new, but the "premier trains" especially so.

 

I've been to London before, but never to Southampton.

Southampton is actually quite a nice city. See Visit Southampton for more. I have only spent a few hours there, but at some point in the future I'd like to stay overnight and really explore the city properly. It is mostly known in a modern context as a port, but it actually has a very fascinating history dating all the way back to the Romans. On the surface it seems a typical modern English town, but if you look a bit more closely there is a lot more to Southampton than meets the eye.

 

You'll find plenty of info on coaches from London to anywhere in England.

I was going to go by coach from Heathrow down to Southampton this past January but wound up getting a lift from a friend. Nonetheless I know that not everyone is so lucky, and for those who aren't, the coach seems like a good bet.

 

I know very few people who take the train down to Southampton - the coach seems to be a much more popular option. Unlike those on the Continent, British trains are not so great (though still better than ours).

 

Remember the "Boat Train" that Cunard used back in the good ol days?

Actually, it seems that this still exists, but it is now run by Orient Express and is excruciatingly expensive. However, if anyone (with deep pockets) is interested, I think it can be booked through Cunard.

 

On a totally unrelated note... Either you're away from home in a different time zone, or I'm not the only one who can't sleep tonight :) !

 

I had the window open, but it was too noisy. Closed the window, but then it was too warm. You get the idea :rolleyes: !

 

I always sleep so much better at sea - I wonder if I could get someone to build a bed that approximates a ship's motion (preferably QE2's, which is especially pleasant)?

[Hollyhawk]

kyros formal night can be very simple and easy. A solid color floor length tank dress in a knit or jersey type fabric can be dressed up with belts, silk scarves, etc. No need for heels, dressy flats or patent leather sandals will look good (good pedicure and toenail pain necessary). No need for huge $ shop Marshall's closeout, Tjmaxx, Salvation Army, St. Vincent DE Paul, Good will and eBay. I have found formal wear in close out racks in Macy's Lord & Taylor for $10.00, usually sized wrong or need minor seam repair.

 

I am so envious of your itinerary.....GO FOR IT GIRL!

[caviargal]

I have been to Rome a dozen or so times and thru the station there even more. Porters are a rarity and the few times I have found them (when I was with my mom who could not carry luggage) they were such a ripoff! 5 per bag, geez.

 

I agree that 2 days in Rome is pretty short unless you have two FULL days (still not even enough to scratch the surface). But, I have done the train ride from Venice to Rome several times and the day will be pretty full of travel and will not leave you much time.

 

I would not stay near the train station but would choose something central, near the Pantheon is my personal favorite.

 

Flying is more trouble than its worth and inter European flights have minimal baggage allowances and do enforce them.

 

Cunard is well know for formality and does not turn the other cheek as do many lines. I personally would not choose the line if I did not like to dress up and also would never choose to miss the dining experience by having room service.

 

JMO.

[sail7seas]

i agree there are not many porters available for assisting in Rome. We were in the first class carriage traveling from Rome to Florence and then days later on to Venice. We had to lug our own luggage and when we arrived at the proper track, I promise you.....they had the windows opened and they tossed our luggage into the car and there it sat until we got to Florence. They then unloaded it and dropped it every which way for all of us to find. No big deal. It worked out fine, but again, we had to manage our own bags. Thanksfully, in those days, I knew how to travel 2 weeks in Europe with each of us with a 28" wheeled bag that we could each handle on our own.

 

We lovedc riding the Italian trains but be warned they often call unannounced strikes and hyour travel can be delayed.

 

We have also flown from Venice to Rome in order to connect to our flight back to Boston. It was a pain but it got us there on time. :)

 

If you have the chance for 2 days in Rome.......DO NOT MISS IT!!!! Rome is an amazing city that we love, love, love. We've spent more than a month (aggregate) there and would return in the blink of an eye.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Do agree about there being no porters to help anyone. We toured Europe before wheeled luggage. Thankfully we were both in great shape at that time and could handle our own luggage. We also learned to live out of 30 inch suitcases - one per person.

 

Two days in Rome - not enough time. But if you can only spend that much time there, make the most of it.

 

Do understand that you have just so much time to get from one ship to another.

[elmorejj]

Hate to put a damper on such lovely plans, but do be aware of how expensive both Italy and England are, especially when eating out. Always ask the locals for good cheap restaurants.......and even those won`t be cheap!! Most restaurants have their menus posted on the window or on a placard outside so you can see the prices before going inside. All of the cities you mention are lovely and well worth seing, if you have any time in Southampton, try a side trip to Canterbury to see the mother cathedral of England,,,beautiful cathedral. Rita, I hope your plans come to fruition, and have a lovely time..........jean:cool:

[Jules1]

You may want to check on taking the train from Venice/Rome to London and miss all the hassel of flying through Europe? The Eurostar is great - we last traveled on it from London to Paris. Wonderful, fast trip. However, in our travels by train in Europe I have seen very few porters. We just pack light- 1 wheeled suitcase per person so that we can manage it on our own.

[dakrewser]

A Day & a half in Rome is beter than no time at all.

 

Even without porters, the train is quicker and less hastle than flying.

 

Strikes will affect your time in Italy. Plan accordingly.

 

Don't try to see everything in a short trip. Plan to see highlights, then plan to return. And don't forget to toss a coin in the Trevi fountain!

 

Arrivederci, Rita!

[trubey]

Go for it! You'll stop here in the Azores. With the promise of lunch and a half dozen used, American magazines, I'll give you a private tour. susana.

(eeks, hope this isn't considered an advertisement!)

[kryos]

Oh, thank you so much ... everyone ... you are all such experts on Europe.

 

I am so glad to have found this board ... and all the good people who live here.

 

I'm printing out this whole thread to share with my travel buddy tonight when we speak on the telephone.

 

Blue skies and thanks again ... keep those great tips coming ... you have no idea how much they are appreciated ...

 

--rita

[Betsy's Mom]

Rita, We have been on QM2 and will go again this summer before our trip with you to the Panama Canal from NYC. I wore a short,chiffon type dress, sleeveless with sandals. Fit in just fine. This summer taking white silk pants (washable) from Soft Surroundings that take up no room with a glitter top, but any top would be fine. Have also taken European trains-they leave right on time! Do not dally! QM2 has free laundry with soap provided. You can pack in a small roll aboard. Do not miss the Britania Dining room. Go for it!

See you on the Amsterdam!

Bonnie:)

[NorthernNeighbour]

We took at cruise to Rome from Miami a few years ago -- with two large bags and two small (carry-on) bags.

 

From Rome, we flew to London on BA and did not encounter any difficulties checking our two large bags. They weighed close to 50 lbs (the limit) each and were prepared (psychologically and financially) to pay an excess baggage charge, if demanded, which BA did not.

 

One word of advice -- do NOT buy a ONE-WAY ticket from Rome to London. Look for a cheap return fare (or round-trip fare as the Americans say) and use the "going" portion only. But be careful NOT to throw way the return portion until at least you are home and do NOT cancel the return portion (flight back to Rome that you will not be taking) since the airline company may seek to bill you for the much higher one-way fare.

 

If you can manage it, consider taking the train from Rome to Brussels (the midi station) then pick up the EUROSTAR to London. You can do it through Paris but will most likely have to change train stations in Paris whereas in Brussels you can arrive from Rome and depart for London from the same station (the MIDI station, NOT the CENTRAL station which is very small). Or you might be able to take the train from Rome to Lyon (in France) and get a direct train to LONDON from there (without changing in Paris, but possibly changing in Lille) although I am not sure.

 

You might be able also to find a cheap return fare from Rome to Southampton (without going through London) and use only the "GOING PORTION". You should be able to do this on AIR FRANCE (changing planes in Paris) or KLM (changing planes in Amsterdam). We are doing this on our next cruise to Europe -- over on the Amsterdam and back on the QM2. We're flying from the continent directly to Southampton without passing through London and spending the weekend in Southampton at a lovely English country hotel not far from Southampton.

 

Two days in Rome is short -- but if it is two full days, then go for it. You'll remember your time in the city long after you have forgotten any hassles of getting there from Venice. But the train from Venice to Rome is lovely (particularly in First Class) -- have lunch if possible in the dining car on the train. Nothing like a lovely Italian lunch while racing through the Italian countryside.

 

Although I tend to agree not to stay at a hotel near the staton in Rome, in fact I did violate this rule on a trip with my brother who had heavy luggage (but on wheels) and we were able to walk from the station to the hotel (some 4 or 5 blocks away) without taking a taxi in Rome and we had a very nice stay. After all, if you are in Rome for only two days, you are NOT going to spend much time in your hotel room other than to crash at night. And on the final morning, you can get up and make a dash for the train station only a short time before departure.

[NorthernNeighbour]

Although I'm going on the QM2 and intend to dress for dinner for the formal nights, I know people who have travelled on the QM2 and managed to do so without going to the formal nights while still having a lovely cruise.

 

Coming westbound in the spring (transatlantic), about the only choice is CUNARD and the QM2. We are going over on the AMSTERDAM next week and will be coming back on the QM2 (in early June) -- not so much because we want to, but that's the only sailing near the time we are returning.

[obriendan]

We took an 18 day transatlantic on the QM2 two years ago. One of our major complaints the absence of choice for our evening meal. The Lido (King’s Court) changes into specialty restaurants in the evening and the dress code was followed in these venues. There were no alternatives except room service for casual dining. This was early in the QM2's career, so maybe this has changed by now.

[NorthernNeighbour]

I found the following elsewhere on this site --

 

QUOTE

While dress codes are enforced in Britannia and Grill restaurants, passengers can relax a bit when dining in the Kings Court.

UNQUOTE

 

However, I do NOT know if this is up-to-date for a transatlantic crossing. They tend to be a bit more formal than the Caribbean cruises.

 

I've been told some people even dress up on the transatlantic crossings on the informal and casual nights. I suppose they do NOT enforce the dress code for being over-dressed for the occasion, only being underdressed -- LOL.

[dougnewmanatsea]

I've been told some people even dress up on the transatlantic crossings on the informal and casual nights.

Well, as I said, the old guard is definitely not happy about the "relaxed" dress code!

 

QE2 still has the traditional dress code, this means informal on the first and last night and formal on the rest. And yes, everyone does follow it!

[kryos]

QE2 still has the traditional dress code, this means informal on the first and last night and formal on the rest. And yes, everyone does follow it!

Oh, I don't doubt that. On my HAL cruise this past January, a woman seated at our dinner table was a regular Cunard cruiser. She told me that you would never be admitted to the dining room, even in the Brittania class ... if you weren't properly dressed. She said most nights were formal and everyone abided by the dress code. In fact, she told me that you can't even be out and about aboard ship in the evenings unless you were dressed to code. I guess the Lido deck would be okay, though. I'm sure she meant in the lounges, show room, etc.

 

I guess if we decide to do this crossing (a heck of a lot cheaper than flying back from Rome, by the way), I'll either have to plan on a lot of nights in the cabin or rethink my philosophy about "gussying up." :)

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

Hate to put a damper on such lovely plans, but do be aware of how expensive both Italy and England are, especially when eating out.

Boy, am I realizing that. The woman I'm planning this with was checking prices of hotels. She was quoting like $250 and I assumed she meant for the both of us. No ... $250 each for some of them. I can only imagine what food would cost. That's why I'm trying to restrict this to no more than four days on land, even though I realize you can only see so much in four days. But, sometimes we have to make compromises ... and, after all, it is really the cruise I am after ... not the land trip. So, I'll just have to make do ... and see as much as I can in the limited time I have available. There will always be a next time.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[dougnewmanatsea]

In fact, she told me that you can't even be out and about aboard ship in the evenings unless you were dressed to code.

This is true - at least for QE2. QM2 may be a bit more casual, at least on crusies, though I suspect she is pretty formal on crossings too.

 

At least I know QM2 does have casual nights (even on crossings - the first and last night). QE2 has none at all - just formal or informal. Even if you are on a cruise and have been in port all day you are still expected to dress for dinner. That's just how it is.

 

I guess the Lido deck would be okay, though.

On QE2 it is but oddly, I am not sure if it is on the otherwise more casual QM2! I think it is, but not positive.

 

This is because, as I said, the Kings Court (Lido) on QM2 turns into four distinct alternative restaurants at night. It may be that these adhere to the dress code - I'm not sure. I've heard conflicting things, to be honest.

 

There is also the fact that Cunard has been taken over by Princess in the yars since QM2 entered service and there are a lot of things that have been "in flux" so it may be that there has been more than one policy over the ship's lifetime.

 

I guess if we decide to do this crossing (a heck of a lot cheaper than flying back from Rome, by the way)

In that case, you have no excuse to go by air :) . Crossing by sea is so much more fun!

 

I'll either have to plan on a lot of nights in the cabin or rethink my philosophy about "gussying up."

I do suggest you do the latter... It's not as bad as you think ;) !