First time with QE2 - Questions

[honr&glory]

We wish to sail in QE2 on 23 Sept 2007 (TransAtlantic, 19 nights).

 

I wish to seek advice on:

 

1) I experienced motion sickness on Wind Surf from Tangier to Lisbon during July 2006 trip. Is there any particular cabin in C5 category I should aim for to avoid motion sickness?

 

2) This trip is to celebrate my husband's birthday in mid Oct and our wedding anniversary on 1 Nov. Does QE2 upgrade for these occasions?

 

3) During the trip to Canada/New England, are there any places I should visit on our own? It's highly unlikely we'll join any tour.

 

4) Does QE2 have any coin-operated laundry services?

 

5) We'll be flying to LHR from Down Under. What is the best way to travel to Southampton?

 

6) How big is a C5 cabin? I hope it is spacious because we tend to spend a lot of time in our cabin reading or snoozing.

 

Thank you.

[Bramcruiser]

I am also doing the QE2 for the first time this year but over in Europe. However, from what I do know about Cunard, my previous trip on the QM2 and being Canadian I thought I'd give my two cents worth.

 

In regards to Canada/New England, you are arriving at a time where it can being either wet and cool or sunny and comfortable. Either way dress for warm days and cool nights. Long pants and a light jacket will suffice. The autumn (late September and early October) is where the east coast is its most colourful and thus you will be here at the right time. Definitely see Halifax and Quebec City. Both are historically significant and the latter is a UNESCO heritage site. Quebec will be the closest to being in Europe in North America. Halifax is also the hometown of Samuel Cunard where he won the contract to operate the mail service between England and the new world. My understanding is that the ship docks close to everything in these two locations.

 

If I am not mistaken, I think the laundry services are free. At least the laundry machines on the QM2 were. I do know there is a laundry centre on the QE2 so I am assuming its the same. The QM2 has machines, soap as well as irons and ironing boards available all free of charge.

 

I hope this helps.

 

David

[pnhmrk]

1) I experienced motion sickness on Wind Surf from Tangier to Lisbon during July 2006 trip. Is there any particular cabin in C5 category I should aim for to avoid motion sickness?

 

You want to be as close to the middle of the ship as possible. Personally I prefer a higher deck although if you're bothered about the motion of the boat I'd go for one of the cabins on Deck Four although not one in either the bow or stern. Alternatively go for one of the cabins on Deck Two and have the sea sickness shot if you need it.

 

2) This trip is to celebrate my husband's birthday in mid Oct and our wedding anniversary on 1 Nov. Does QE2 upgrade for these occasions?

 

They've stopped offering upgrades but they do still offer an anniversary package. If your anniversary is within 8 weeks of your date of travel you get flowers proper Champagne, a certificate from the Captain and a free photograph (It may not sound much, but at USD 25.00 to buy it's worth it!)

 

If you're actually onboard for a birthday you'll get a cake and a card.

 

You do need to tell Cunard about your dates before you go and, in the case of the anniversary, provide them with a copy of your marriage certificate.

 

3) During the trip to Canada/New England, are there any places I should visit on our own? It's highly unlikely we'll join any tour.[/quote

 

David is much closer and is a far better source than me on Canada.

 

4) Does QE2 have any coin-operated laundry services?

 

No, it doesn't have a coin operated laundry - it has a free one:) (It's on Deck 3 - that might be something you want to take into consideration when choosing your cabin). The laundry service is very good (and fairly cheap). You could well be better sending things there rather than spending time doing you washing.

 

5) We'll be flying to LHR from Down Under. What is the best way to travel to Southampton?

 

Are you flying in on the day of your crossing or do you intend to spend some time in the UK first? Your options would be either to fly, train, taxi or coach (either scheduled or a Cunard transfer).

 

6) How big is a C5 cabin? I hope it is spacious because we tend to spend a lot of time in our cabin reading or snoozing.

 

The smallest is 103 sq ft, the biggest is 214. As the cabins aren't square a big floor area does not always mean a spacious cabin. Check the floor plans posted elsewhere on this site for details of the layout.

[honr&glory]

Thank you both for your advices. I am glad there is resonbly priced laundry service because I can't bear the thoughts of bringing lots of attire from Down Under.

 

We'll be arriving on 21 Sept, jet-lag for certain.

 

We have never been to Quebec City or Halifax. We look forward to them.

 

I'll consult with our TA about the size and location of C5 cabins.

 

Is it worth asking for "guaranteed" cabin in the hope of an upgrade? I suspect I'll be having tablets for seasickness.

 

Once again, thank you.

[dougnewmanatsea]

1) I experienced motion sickness on Wind Surf from Tangier to Lisbon during July 2006 trip. Is there any particular cabin in C5 category I should aim for to avoid motion sickness?

Yes! You want a location low down on the ship, and amidships. Look at a deck plan and it will be pretty obvious which to avoid. Above all, do not choose a cabin in the forward part of the ship.

 

Your best bet would be one of the C5 cabins amidships on Four Deck... In particular, one of the ones numbered between 4133 and 4177. These are all fairly large (mostly 201 sq ft) and, being low down and amidships, are in as stable a location as you are going to get.

 

That said, you will be crossing the Atlantic and as such you may encounter some rather nasty weather. If you are prone to seasickness, I would suggest you take measures to prevent this; nonetheless, it certainly cannot hurt to choose a cabin in a stable location.

 

2) This trip is to celebrate my husband's birthday in mid Oct and our wedding anniversary on 1 Nov. Does QE2 upgrade for these occasions?

If you get an upgrade I doubt it will be because of this.

 

3) During the trip to Canada/New England, are there any places I should visit on our own? It's highly unlikely we'll join any tour.

I will defer to others on this one... But they are nice places :) .

 

4) Does QE2 have any coin-operated laundry services?

Absolutely not! They're free :) .

 

5) We'll be flying to LHR from Down Under. What is the best way to travel to Southampton?

Well, are you staying in Southampton before the cruise?

 

If not, Cunard's transfer will take you right to the ship. You could also try the National Express coach, or just get a cab (expensive, but convenient).

 

6) How big is a C5 cabin? I hope it is spacious because we tend to spend a lot of time in our cabin reading or snoozing.

The cabins could be anywhere from 103 to 214 sq ft. The ones I recommend for stability - the amidships Four Deck ones - are mostly 201 sq ft.

 

These cabins are all in the area of the ship that was tourist-class back in the day when they had classes, and as a result many of them are rather oddly shaped. However, the larger ones are pretty large and comfortable. But choose carefully - C5 is still a low enough category that there are really some poor cabins there too.

 

If having a nice cabin is really important to you, I would suggest you consider upgrading to a C1 grade... A bit more expensive but being what were once first-class cabins (again, in the days when there were such things!) these are all a nice rectangular shape with higher ceilings, and are just much nicer than the other C grade cabins. (C2 cabins are former first-class cabins too, but most of them are slightly smaller than the C5s, and much smaller than C1s. C3 and C4 grades are no different from the C5s except that they have bathtubs.)

 

Is it worth asking for "guaranteed" cabin in the hope of an upgrade?

On one hand, you could get upgraded; on the other hand, you could get stuck with a pretty poor cabin. Inexplicably, there are some really tiny cabins in poor locations that are graded as C5s (for reasons probably known only to whoever created the current grading scheme back in the 1990s!) and you do not want to be stuck with one of those. On the other hand, you can choose a specific cabin and know what you are getting and be sure that you will not be stuck with something awful.

[honr&glory]

Good afternoon Doug,

 

Yes, we'll probably stay a night in Ldn before we head for Southampton.

 

Out of curiousity what about QM2 B5 and C3 cabins? We may fly to JFK to board QM2 for NE and Canada cruising and then sail across the Atlantic. At least there is only one Atlantic crossing instead of two.

 

Thanks again.

[dougnewmanatsea]

Out of curiousity what about QM2 B5 and C3 cabins?

Do not take a C cabin on QM2... At least not if you are at all interested in stability. They are all the way forward, the worst place you could be. (There are a few that are all the way aft, nearly as bad but not quite.)

 

B5 cabins are not bad at all, just be aware of the fact that they have obstructed views; that is, if you sit on your balcony your only view will be of a lifeboat. Otherwise, it is certainly not bad. They are all on Deck 8 but try to choose a midships cabin for stability.

 

Your best choice would be a B3, being on Deck 4 these are the lowest (and thus most stable) cabins on the ship; again, choose one amidships for best stability.

 

It is important to note a really important difference between the two ships. On QM2, you can have as many as six or seven cabin categories where all the cabins are the same exact shape and size (just the location is different). QE2 is the opposite; you can have six or seven different shapes and sizes of cabins (or even more) within one category! QM2 is a modern ship and as such, her cabins are nice rectangular modular units that are perfectly standardized. QE2 belongs to a different generation of ships (QM2 is just over three years old while QE2 is closing in on 38) and as such, she was built in a totally different way, and her cabins all fit together like a sort of jigsaw puzzle as they were invidually built to maximize space rather than mass-produced with maximum standardization. This is a big difference.

 

From a passenger's standpoint, on QE2 you have an amazing variety to choose from and there are some really great cabins that aren't necessarily expensive, but you also could wind up in something slightly larger than a cupboard, or a cabin with a really bizarre layout (like an outside cabin where the porthole is in its own little compartment connected by a long passageway to the main cabin). On QM2 there's not as much variety and the cabins are pretty boring as a result but on the other hand you're pretty much guaranteed not to make a bad choice since almost all the cabins are the same anyway.

 

So, the bottom line is that cabin selection matters a lot more on QE2 than QM2!

[Kindlychap]

Out of curiousity what about QM2 B5 and C3 cabins? We may fly to JFK to board QM2 for NE and Canada cruising and then sail across the Atlantic. At least there is only one Atlantic crossing instead of two.

 

Queen Mary 2 has an easier structure as the cabins are based on a standard module.

 

Bear in mind that the North Atlantic is a very unpredictable area. I'm currently on a transatlantic and had some lively weather, which is good fun all in all. But those suffering from sea sickness have been having a lot of room service.....

 

I've seen 23 cabins plus on this ship on this crossing, and there is definintely a step change up when reaching C1. It is the first level at which you get a double bed and a bath.

 

The various qualifications for the anniversary upgrade are clearly set out in the brochure. You would be well advised to spend time looking carefully at that, and reading this board carefully, before deciding which ship and itinerary to buy. You can have the QM2, predicability and less time on the Atlantic, or you can have a fabulous trip in a real ship.

 

Up to you.

[pnhmrk]

The various qualifications for the anniversary upgrade are clearly set out in the brochure.

 

Were - the upgrade's gone now:(

[honr&glory]

Good evening Doug and Kindly Chap,

 

I read your responses to my husband and we agree we are learning a lot in a short span of time. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. It's much appreciated.

 

I must confess I have been interested in QE 2 while growing up in Asia. It's not something we dream daily because we had to face reality, ie, putting food on the table and other basic necessities.

 

It is almost possible to attain that dream in a C5 cabin in QE 2, albeit thirty something years on.

 

We do have some time to mull over because we have not purchased our airtickets to Europe.

 

Once again, thank you for all advices.

 

Cheers.

[dougnewmanatsea]

I've seen 23 cabins plus on this ship on this crossing, and there is definintely a step change up when reaching C1. It is the first level at which you get a double bed and a bath.

Double bed, yes... But a bath starts at C4.

 

A C1 cabin is basically identical to any of the P grade doubles and very similar even to a Q4. These are all basically the standard QE2 first-class cabin design. C2 cabins are also old first-class doubles but a little smaller - similar in size to most of the the C3-C6 grades - and as a result have twin beds.

 

C3 and below are all former tourist-class cabins.