Is this cruise the right ship for us?

[Worktoplay]

I'm booked on the August 15th eastern crossing for NY to Southhampton. It will only be myself and my 12 year old son. He's not a big kid clubs kind of kid. He likes to play bingo and go to shows and mostly he enjoys just checking out the ship and how to get everywhere. I'm concerned he won't feel welcomed that this might be more of an adult voyage. Also, I concerned about the dress code for dinner. Can he wear a suit every night or should I rent him a tux? Would he get more out of a cruise that went to different ports rather than a crossing? Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Also, we are not new to cruising, we've cruised Disney, Princess and Royal Caribbean and liked them all. Cunard just seems different. Again, thanks for any input.

[dougnewmanatsea]

I have seen plenty of families boarding QM2 for crossings. I do not think your son will be looked down upon. There is even a kids' program on Cunard though they don't advertise it!

 

Oh, and I don't think anyone will mind if he wears a suit. Even the official dress code explicitly states that a dark suit is acceptable. (It will be the less common option, but still acceptable.)

 

Cunard is definitely different, but I don't think you'll find it unwelcoming.

[stowaway2k]

It sounds like your son will get a huge thrill out of Queen Mary 2.

Out at sea on this huge, beautiful vessel with it's expansive deck space and so much to see and so many places to explore and so much to do...

The Planetarium alone will be great experience for him.

A fantastic adventure for twelve-year old boy.

[Worktoplay]

Thank you so much for you replies. When I booked the trip I had hoped it would be an adventure for him. He is looking forward to spending 6 days out to sea. I just started second guessing myself after reading some of the posts.

[pb82]

He likes to play bingo and go to shows and mostly he enjoys just checking out the ship and how to get everywhere. He can play bingo, and video games, and go to shows (I bet the Planetarium will be his favorite), and even his 12-year old's energy will be challenged to explore all of this great, and very large, ship.

I'm concerned he won't feel welcomed that this might be more of an adult voyage. Nonsense!

Also, I concerned about the dress code for dinner. Can he wear a suit every night (Yes, of course!) or should I rent him a tux? No!

Would he get more out of a cruise that went to different ports rather than a crossing? NO, No, No![/quote]

Two suggestions: the port and starboard corridors just aft of ConneXions on Deck 2 are great places to watch the ocean go by (if you're lucky, to watch the ocean foam over the windows); ask at the Purser's Desk if there are any animals aboard, and if so go to the kennels on Deck 12 starboard aft to visit them in the afternoons.

Bon voyage to you both (how I wish I had been 12 for my first crossing),

Paul

[dougnewmanatsea]

I agree, for someone of any age who likes to explore ships, a QM2 crossing is perfect. This is a big ship with lots and lots of hidden spaces to explore. And I do mean "hidden". Ease of getting around is not her strong point - so perfect for exploring then :) .

[travel-to-go]

And while he's watching the ocean on deck two, many of the tables are filled with board games (for all ages) jigsaw puzzles and such. If he likes to read, this ship has one of the best libaraies you will find, with books and magazines for every interest!

What will keep him occupied, of course, is as different as every child is. There are no trampolines, ice rinks or climbing walls, but there is a gym, pools, a hamburger joint (If it is open) 12 deck aft, a planetarium, RADA, there is usually some sort of art course. But his biggest thrill of all may just be watching the vast ocean go by! Get him a pair of cheap binoculars and he can watch for other ships. Get him a decent book on the Titanic (or borrow one from the library) and for goodness sake, get him a map with lattitude and longitude markings that he can trace your path by the Captain's noontime announcements from the bridge. He can also figure out where the Titanic went down and how close you get, by plotting your course as you go along. And don't forget to walk the history trail. I still haven't done that completely. There is just so much to see and do. Make sure you find the scenic elevators (and overlook) up by the bridge. They are sort of hidden and hard to find. I thought someone was pulling my leg when I heard about this AFTER I got off of the ship for twelve days! Do take him to the viewing area behind the bridge. If he appreciates art, especially of ships, take him up and down the various stairwells and elevators where you can see many of Stephen Card's ship paintings!

 

There is so much to do that only the most spoiled and petulant child, used to having someone constantly entertain him or her could possibly be bored. There is TV movies, of course, and other stuff on TV, but there is so much else to do, I only turn it on, maybe to catch the annoucements in my cabin or to look for some specific information. Have him help you in Pub Trivia just before lunch and between 4 and 5 daily (also around 10:45 in the evening I think) check your schedule. I often see families with children in there doing the trivia. Don't worry, this is really esoteric stuff. It seems kind of hard, but that is becasue it is stuff most people do not know! And then now and again, you might get a really easy one. Being in school, he may be closer to a lot of the answers than many adults. How many of us remember mythological figures, flags of countries and such? There is also a dart board in the pub, if a tournament is not going on. And if he is any good at darts, maybe he might want to be in the tournament! And there is shuffleboard. I enjoyed it when I was twelve! Its only when we get older that we think it is an "old folks game" And if you and he are the type to do so, if he can engage people politely, there are so many wonderful people from so many cultures on board. Although on a crossing you are likely to find more Birtish subjects than most other countries, still, there is so much to learn about school (what we call public school is private school, and vice versa!) , food, and what interests people in other countries! I was so surprised on my first cruise, seated at dinner with some British folks, that there are areas of England that have Palm Trees! I am still amazed and astonished by that fact! Maybe he can collect how many different countries he has met people from, much the way kids like to count different license plates on a car trip! (well, in the US anyway!I didn't think to see where you were from!)

 

Karie, who wishes she had had such opportunities at such an age. The fantasies alone would be marvelous (We are off to see the queen, or some international spy adventure would be more my kind of fantasy! Of course, at his age I was into The Man From UNCLE, Haley Mills in Moonspinners, and the Trixie Belden and Nancy Drew Books.)

[Kindlychap]

Regarding the dress suit (tux to the Americans)......

 

Whilst it will be perfectly okay for your son to wear a dark suit - wouldn't he feel more at home wearing what the other gentlemen are wearing?

 

Only you can answer that of course, but on an ocean liner (and the Queen Mary 2 is one of one two liners around) it should be a case of rising to occasion surely?

 

Assuming he's happy with that.

 

Why not ask him - either option is acceptable however. Providing the suit is dark, with a sober, dark tie, of course.

[Kindlychap]

Do take him to the viewing area behind the bridge.

 

Loads of good advice from Karie.

 

But what is this viewing area to which she refers?

[cajim]

The viewing area is a room just behind the bridge were you can see the operations on the bridge. Check the program for openng times. Its great for any age.

 

Jim

[Therapst's Lady]

Napoleon Solo or Illya Kuryakin as the oh-so-debonair spies on Man from U.N.C.L.E. or The Patty Duke Show?;)

Karie,

Your sage advice is always apropos. No one can post the way you do. I love it!

PS I was the proud owner of every Nancy Drew book up to #40. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven when my mother bought me 5 used ones that I didn't have before we went on vacation one year!:rolleyes:

Your CAP & ham radio friend,

[Kindlychap]

The viewing area is a room just behind the bridge were you can see the operations on the bridge. Check the program for openng times. Its great for any age.

 

Jim

 

No bridge visits then? )-:

[patwell]

By all means take him on a crossing. At his age it will feel like a very grown up experience and you may find him coming away from it with a sophistication you didn't know he had. I loved all my childhood crossings and remember them well to this day...and I'm well past childhood believe me!!;) They were so special and there were so many interesting people who didn't mind chatting with a child. We didn't have all the whiz bang things the QM2 has...matter of fact we had very little but the ocean, the writing room, the salon and other archaic things and I was NEVER bored! Perhaps you and he can explore some of the history of the old days of crossings, the immigrant aspect of it and the way things were then...to a child of the jet age it will be an eyeopener. I never failed to see each voyage as my immigrant parents must have seen it when they came to this country. I hope he has a memorable time...I guarantee you will by giving him this opportunity.

Cheers, Penny

[travel-to-go]

Thank you, Mary,

My sister used to subscriber to the Nancy Drew Series in the 60's. So every new one was sent "on approval." Like she would never NOT approve! <LOL> I read them all, but I was actually more into Trixie Belden. She was more ike me, and made dumb mistakes ang got in trouble for dumb things like me. My sister and I had a "Secret Society" CTC- or Cattails of the Cove from the pond we used to row in at the GE Athletic Club in Binghamton New York (We moved to NY from Tennessee in 56 and moved to Florida in 65) When my sister told our Uncle, William Cotton, who was a magazine pulbisher in Manhattan that she wanted a photograph of David McCallum (Ilya Kuryakin) He had lunch with him and sent Debby an autographed photo. Then he started us on a free lifetime subscription of TV Star Parade, Movie Life and Movie Star magazines. I think he also published some true detective type sensational mag, but of course, it wasn't deemed appropriate for teen-aged girls!

 

Karie

 

P.S. Going through the basement Friday, I found my first QSL card which I had typed up myself on the back of a postcard from Marineland (of a dog riding a surfboard) the contact was in Rhode Island. It apparently cme back postage due, and I never sent it back out. Of course, this was using someone else's station license, WA1GZV/4

[dougnewmanatsea]

No bridge visits then? )-:

Only for Special People. I'm sure you'd get one ;) .

[Freckles67]

Only for Special People. I'm sure you'd get one ;) .

 

We are sailing on the Dec. 16th QM2 Caribbean cruise. How does one get an invitation to visit the bridge? My husband is the grandson of the captain of a ship that laid cable across the Pacific Ocean way back when, and my hubby inherited his grandfather's love of the sea. A framed photo of his grandfather's ship hangs in our den. (And we've watched the Travel Channel QM2 program three times already!) I know that nowadays security measures prohibit visits to the bridge, but are exceptions ever made? We toured the bridge on hubby's first cruise in '87 on the OCEANIC and it was the highlight of his trip. He still talks about it! Any advice on visits to the bridge would be appreciated.

Thanks, Freckles

PS As for Nancy Drew, I still collect those books, the old ones from the '30s with illustrations by Russell Tandy. Some of those covers are really lovely. I also read every one of them as a child in the '50s. I learned to read with Nancy Drew as well as Dick, Jane and Sally!:D

[Worktoplay]

Thank you everyone for all your incredible advice. I think I can relax now and get excited for the trip! It seems that 6 days wouldn't be enough time to truly explore this ship, my son should have a blast. Thank you so much for the fabulous information.:)