Transatlantic crossing on the QM2 - your experience?

I am considering a transatlantic crossing on the Queen Mary 2 for an
upcoming trip to Europe and wondered what was your experience. Did you
ever feel motion sickness, and did you ever feel trapped on the ship?
What security checks did they do to you to get on board? How does the
meal system work - I gather it is included in the ticket price,
correct? If any of you have some diaries published, especially rsvp.

--
Dan Stephenson
http://stepheda.com
Travel pages for Europe and the U.S.A. (and New Zealand too)

On 9/17/2012 6:52 PM, Dan Stephenson wrote:
I am considering a transatlantic crossing on the Queen Mary 2 for an
upcoming trip to Europe and wondered what was your experience. Did you
ever feel motion sickness, and did you ever feel trapped on the ship?
What security checks did they do to you to get on board? How does the
meal system work - I gather it is included in the ticket price,
correct? If any of you have some diaries published, especially rsvp.

I've been considering doing that, so will be interested in any responses
you receive.
I would assume that the security arrangements are similar to those on
other cruise lines - metal detectors and xrays of bags, but not of
people. Food is included, but not alcoholic beverages.
I've had no problem with motion sickness - modern cruise ships are
remarkably stable. The ships I've been on provided a wide variety of
entertainment - ranging from jigsaw puzzles and libraries to stage shows
and casinos.

Am Mon, 17 Sep 2012 21:33:43 -0400 schrieb S Viemeister:

I've had no problem with motion sickness - modern cruise ships are
remarkably stable.

Depends on the weather. I've been in a storm just off the coast of Valencia
in the mediterrenean sea in October with the MSC Opera (which should be
about the same size as the QM2). Wind 8-9 beaufort and waves 8 - 10 Meters
high. Not very stable at all ;-)
But still fascinating to experience such a storm (an no, it didn't make me
sick).

Regards,

Frank

On Tue, 18 Sep 2012 11:29:59 +0100, Martin wrote:

On Tue, 18 Sep 2012 11:07:33 +0200, Frank Hucklenbroich
wrote:

Wind 8-9 beaufort and waves 8 - 10 Meters
high. Not very stable at all ;-)
But still fascinating to experience such a storm (an no, it didn't make me
sick).

I've been in similar and greater storms on the North Sea, I don't
recall seeing anybody being sea sick. It was quite bouncy though :-)

I was on one from Hull ina force 8 a couple of year ago.

Not much movement at all.

On Mon, 17 Sep 2012 21:33:43 -0400, S Viemeister
wrote:

On 9/17/2012 6:52 PM, Dan Stephenson wrote:
I am considering a transatlantic crossing on the Queen Mary 2 for an
upcoming trip to Europe and wondered what was your experience. Did you
ever feel motion sickness, and did you ever feel trapped on the ship?
What security checks did they do to you to get on board? How does the
meal system work - I gather it is included in the ticket price,
correct? If any of you have some diaries published, especially rsvp.

I've been considering doing that, so will be interested in any responses
you receive.
I would assume that the security arrangements are similar to those on
other cruise lines - metal detectors and xrays of bags, but not of
people.


I recently returned from a Holland America cruise. Whenever I boarded,
I had to take the metal out of my pockets before going through the
metal detector.


Food is included, but not alcoholic beverages.
I've had no problem with motion sickness - modern cruise ships are
remarkably stable.


Nor I, but that can be very different in bad weather. And stability is
greater if you are in the center of the ship rather than at one of the
ends. And also, the jiggling of the ship the engine produces bothers
some people.


The ships I've been on provided a wide variety of
entertainment - ranging from jigsaw puzzles and libraries to stage shows
and casinos.


Yes, but we all have a different view of what constitutes
entertainment. For example, I hate casinos and they have no appeal to
me. And with rare exceptions, I don't like most of the stage shows
either.

And regarding Dan's question about the meal system, yes it's included
in the price, but some ships have more deluxe choices available for a
additional price. And on some cruise lines, alcoholic beverages (at
least wine) with meals *are* included.


--
Ken Blake

On Mon, 17 Sep 2012 17:52:31 -0500, Dan Stephenson
wrote:

I am considering a transatlantic crossing on the Queen Mary 2 for an
upcoming trip to Europe and wondered what was your experience. Did you
ever feel motion sickness, and did you ever feel trapped on the ship?
What security checks did they do to you to get on board? How does the
meal system work - I gather it is included in the ticket price,
correct? If any of you have some diaries published, especially rsvp.

If you're thinking of it as transatlantic transportation, it's not
cost-effective, either in terms of time or money. If you're thinking
of it as a "cruise experience," that's another story. Personally, I
don't like "cruise experiences." They're for the clueless masses.

I did a transatlantic crossing on the SS France in 1963, and I liked
it. But back then, the cost was reasonable (less than the airlines),
and so was the speed (4 1/2 days from Southampton to New York). Those
days are gone, and will probably never return.

On Tue, 18 Sep 2012 16:47:40 -0400, Alexander Arnakis
wrote:

On Mon, 17 Sep 2012 17:52:31 -0500, Dan Stephenson
wrote:

I am considering a transatlantic crossing on the Queen Mary 2 for an
upcoming trip to Europe and wondered what was your experience. Did you
ever feel motion sickness, and did you ever feel trapped on the ship?
What security checks did they do to you to get on board? How does the
meal system work - I gather it is included in the ticket price,
correct? If any of you have some diaries published, especially rsvp.

If you're thinking of it as transatlantic transportation, it's not
cost-effective, either in terms of time or money.


On the other hand, it's more comfortable than an airplane, and it
doesn't subject you to jet lag.

Yes, it's somewhat more expensive than a flight, but if you can afford
it in terms of money and time, I think it's a good choice.


--
Ken Blake

hohoho funny martin !

"Martin" a écrit dans le message de groupe de
discussion : ...
On Mon, 17 Sep 2012 21:33:43 -0400, S Viemeister
wrote:

On 9/17/2012 6:52 PM, Dan Stephenson wrote:
I am considering a transatlantic crossing on the Queen Mary 2 for an
upcoming trip to Europe and wondered what was your experience. Did you
ever feel motion sickness, and did you ever feel trapped on the ship?
What security checks did they do to you to get on board? How does the
meal system work - I gather it is included in the ticket price,
correct? If any of you have some diaries published, especially rsvp.

I've been considering doing that, so will be interested in any responses
you receive.
I would assume that the security arrangements are similar to those on
other cruise lines - metal detectors and xrays of bags, but not of
people. Food is included, but not alcoholic beverages.
I've had no problem with motion sickness - modern cruise ships are
remarkably stable. The ships I've been on provided a wide variety of
entertainment - ranging from jigsaw puzzles and libraries to stage shows
and casinos.

Expect a flood of youtube clips of cruise ships in severe storms :-)
--

Martin

On 2012-09-18 09:57:06 -0500, Ken Blake said:

And regarding Dan's question about the meal system, yes it's included
in the price, but some ships have more deluxe choices available for a
additional price. And on some cruise lines, alcoholic beverages (at
least wine) with meals *are* included.


I've heard elsewhere that you're nominally "assigned" to a table in the
restaurant with other travellers.

And it looks like there is a degree of "take out" or other means to
pick stuff up to bring back to the room. The balcony rooms look like
great places to take a meal, outside, with the water going by. There
are two balcony types on the QM2, but I cannot find good videos online
showing them. There is one apparently "enclosed"; another without a
roof - just a barrister. Has anyone out there been in either and could
comment? How cold is it out there?



--
Dan Stephenson
http://stepheda.com
Travel pages for Europe and the U.S.A. (and New Zealand too)

On 2012-09-18 09:57:06 -0500, Ken Blake said:

Yes, but we all have a different view of what constitutes
entertainment. For example, I hate casinos and they have no appeal to
me. And with rare exceptions, I don't like most of the stage shows
either.

Exactly. I've heard there is a high-dollar internet connection, wifi I
assume. What was/is your experience with this?

--
Dan Stephenson
http://stepheda.com
Travel pages for Europe and the U.S.A. (and New Zealand too)