# Transatlantic Cruises



## Devil's Advocate (Feb 1, 2022)

Joe from PA said:


> Meanwhile, back in the "states", my wife and I just booked a August trip to England on the Queen Mary 2. We will fly home. Am looking forward to a train trip to York. Have you done that?


I've heard several people mention transatlantic travel on the QM2 here on the AU forum. In rough and general terms how much does a trip like that cost?


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## AmtrakBlue (Feb 1, 2022)

Devil's Advocate said:


> I've heard several people mention transatlantic travel on the QM2 here on the AU forum. In rough and general terms how much does a trip like that cost?


The old adage, if you have to ask, you can’t afford it.


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## PVD (Feb 1, 2022)

Prices are very variable on a seasonal basis. Not sure how the covid situations has changed things, but that is the way it was.


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## Devil's Advocate (Feb 1, 2022)

AmtrakBlue said:


> The old adage, if you have to ask, you can’t afford it.


I've never understood that particular Americanism. The wealthiest people I know are very cost conscious while the only people I've seen agree to buy something before nailing down a price were poor and uneducated.


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## Joe from PA (Feb 2, 2022)

Devil's Advocate said:


> I've never understood that particular Americanism. The wealthiest people I know are very cost conscious while the only people I've seen agree to buy something before nailing down a price were poor and uneducated.



Yes, I can afford the trip, but I consider $5,400. for two people a reasonable price for a vacation for 6 days in a 5-star "hotel" with meals and entertainment included. We'll begin the trip by taking Amtrak to NYC. By the way, I wear a Timex watch and drive a '19 Subaru.


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## Joe from PA (Feb 2, 2022)

Devil's Advocate said:


> I've heard several people mention transatlantic travel on the QM2 here on the AU forum. In rough and general terms how much does a trip like that cost?



About $5,400. for 2 in a mid-priced "protected balcony" cabin (I assume this means a view without getting wet).


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## Devil's Advocate (Feb 2, 2022)

Joe from PA said:


> About $5,400. for 2 in a mid-priced "protected balcony" cabin (I assume this means a view without getting wet).


Thanks! I used to feel bad about missing out on the Concorde but this honestly sounds a lot more interesting and memorable. Always good to know what is out there when pondering the next trip.



Joe from PA said:


> Yes, I can afford the trip, but I consider $5,400. for two people a reasonable price for a vacation for 6 days in a 5-star "hotel" with meals and entertainment included. We'll begin the trip by taking Amtrak to NYC. By the way, I wear a Timex watch and drive a '19 Subaru.


No judgement was intended. My criticism was specific to a certain curiosity-shaming phrase I happen to dislike. Bon Voyage!


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## willem (Feb 2, 2022)

Joe from PA said:


> [...] August trip to England on the Queen Mary 2. [...]


Early or late August?


Devil's Advocate said:


> I've heard several people mention transatlantic travel on the QM2 here on the AU forum. In rough and general terms how much does a trip like that cost?


It was $4,544 for two for a mid-aft sheltered balcony in late August. Staterooms are more expensive (maybe $200 for two, I'm not sure) midship and less expensive (again maybe $200 for two) aft. (I don't know about forward.) I believe, but am not sure, that it's the same price on all decks that have a sheltered balcony. The Cunard web site, while not winning any prizes for clarity, is usable, although maybe I've just spent enough time to learn some of its idiosyncrasies. If you're curious, go to cunard.com and filter for Transatlantic, optionally pick a departure or arrival port or date (month), and then pick a crossing and drill down to the various staterooms. I believe that sheltered balcony is two or three steps up from the bottom accommodation, and there are several steps of much more expensive balcony and suite staterooms available. (I believe the most expensive stateroom was about $20,000 for two and came with an included all-you-can-drink package, but I didn't read the details carefully.)

After you pick a stateroom and proceed to payment, Cunard will want to sell insurance, connecting air travel, connecting ground travel, and hotel rooms before and after. I don't know how much insurance should cost, but the connecting air travel should cost less and be more convenient, connecting ground travel should cost less, and hotel rooms should cost less. All my opinions, of course.

If that wasn't too much information, let me know. Maybe I'll try harder.


Joe from PA said:


> About $5,400. for 2 in a mid-priced "protected balcony" cabin (I assume this means a view without getting wet).


I believe a sheltered balcony does nothing to prevent someone from becoming wet. It is "sheltered" in the sense that the ocean side of the balcony is the ship's hull with a hole cut in it and thus a smaller exposure to the air, while higher decks have balconies outside the hull with full exposure. In both cases, as I understand it, there is nothing between the balcony and the outside air.


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## PVD (Feb 2, 2022)

Keep in mind that very heavily discounted travel has been available on the Queen at much less desirable times of the year.


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## GAT (Feb 2, 2022)

Just my own personal opinion, but I'm not sure why a balcony would be necessary on a trans-Atlantic crossing. Except for port arrival and departure, there's nothing to see but water.**** Fresh air is available on upper decks, and most passengers like to line the rails and wave handkerchiefs when entering and leaving ports (or am I projecting myself into 1930s/40s classic movies?).

****Remember the old take on the US Navy recruiting commercial (music, please)..."I joined the navy to see the world. And what did I see? I saw the sea!"


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## PVD (Feb 2, 2022)

Balconies are extremely popular. People can get fresh air without going out of their cabin, and makes small cabins much less claustrophobic. I haven't used one, but I do see why lots of folks do.


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## willem (Feb 2, 2022)

George said:


> [...] I'm not sure why a balcony would be necessary on a trans-Atlantic crossing. Except for port arrival and departure, there's nothing to see but water.[...]


I hope you're wrong, but most staterooms have balconies, I believe. Certainly on the QM2, a small minority of the staterooms are interior, and I'm guessing that almost all exterior staterooms on deck 4 and above have a balcony of some sort. And I can certainly imagine that an interior stateroom would feel claustrophobic.

It seems that this thread has been sidetracked. *v v*, any update?


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## MARC Rider (Feb 2, 2022)

PVD said:


> Keep in mind that very heavily discounted travel has been available on the Queen at much less desirable times of the year.


You mean like about now  You certainly wouldn't need, or even want, a balcony cabin. Are the seas a lot rougher during the winter?


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## PVD (Feb 2, 2022)

The North Atlantic gets nasty.....


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## WWW (Feb 2, 2022)

MARC Rider said:


> You mean like about now  You certainly wouldn't need, or even want, a balcony cabin. Are the seas a lot rougher during the winter?


Nothing wrong with a balcony cabin - just that too high you feel more motion - too low and perhaps ocean mist splashed on your balcony
moving the deck furniture around - Forward - more up and down motion - midship best ride - aft can be tricky up and down and perhaps
a sideways studder.
Sailed to Europe on a military troop steamer July 1961 - ocean was like a sheet of glass - we were making ripples in the surface.
Returned in February 1964 and the rug was pulled out from underneath the surface - 650 foot cork in a bath tub !
In 2018 sailed the Gulf of St. Lawrence NCL DAWN rouge wave hit us knocking out windows 6 decks from the waterline closed the casino
and interrupted the dinner service in one of the restaurants
Yes the North Atlantic can get nasty in the winter and tailgating a hurricane or other noteworthy event.
The big ships tend to do better than the small ones - makes a big difference if tacking into the storm wind or tailing it and you definitely
don't want to be cross winded rolling with the punch.
With the stabilizers and speed about 25 knots the exposure is perhaps not all that long - mostly coastal weather - a few hours - half a day
of bump and grind weather then out into the open sea for better sailing. Still yet the open ocean is not a lark either.

And what was this thing about Global Warming - messing with Mother Nature !


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## Dakota 400 (Feb 2, 2022)

PVD said:


> The North Atlantic gets nasty.....



Yes, it can. But, for me, that's part of the enjoyment of a crossing or a cruise. One knows that you are not a land based resort!'



Joe from PA said:


> protected balcony" cabin (I assume this means a view without getting wet).



I had one of these in-hull staterooms on Queen Mary 2 and will not book another one again. With the steel hull being the outer edge of the veranda, one sits on the very nice sized veranda with two comfortable deck chairs and has a wonderful view of the sky. The steel bulkhead prevents any view otherwise unless you are upright and not sitting on one's veranda. Less expensive than a "normal" veranda stateroom and there is a reason for that, in my opinion.


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## v v (Feb 3, 2022)

MARC Rider said:


> You mean like about now  You certainly wouldn't need, or even want, a balcony cabin. Are the seas a lot rougher during the winter?



Yes, winter storms. Our late December crossing had a maximum of a Force 11 violent storm for a morning but was more often Force 8 and 9. It was fascinating how the ship operated and the behaviour of the passengers and crew. 

Got to start our Day 4 now but happy to describe the QM2 in (very) rough seas later this evening, just let us know if you're interested.


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## cirdan (Feb 3, 2022)

From my own research a round trip costs pretty much the same as a one way trip, but the catch is that you have to return on the same ship as in more or less immediately. So If you are not just travelling for the cruise part but actually want to go and see something, this doubles the cost.

An alternative that I find quite appealing is checking in as a passenger on a freight ship. Not at all the same thing of course but if it's the sea journey itself that appeals to you rather than the on-board entertainment, this is probably an attractive alternative. I have a friend who did that and said it was wonderful.


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## noflyzone (Feb 3, 2022)

Two QM2 crossings completed and two more booked. The next cruise is for one of those "claustrophobic" insides. The cost for our next cruise for two is $2740 - Southampton to NYC. No we're not claustrophobic. We close our eyes at night and everything is still very dark. It's very conducive to sleep. In fact, probably as much as that mega expensive suite. (I have never tested that theory though).
We would probably never book a balcony on the Queen for a crossing at this time of the year. The North Atlantic is notorious for being wild at this time. It is often impossible to enjoy a balcony in a wild sea. Why pay more?
The QM2 is NOT a cruise ship! It is a cruise liner. Big difference. It was built to handle violent seas with a hull that is twice as thick as a cruise ship.
We love the ambiance, the Art Deco, the British courtesy and formality, the food, the high tea, the library, the sophisticated programs, etc.
We love everything about Cunard and always look forward to our trips!
If you're in a hurry-FLY and enjoy the cramped seats, and TSA fun. I'll take the Queen any day. God save the Queen.


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## Joe from PA (Feb 3, 2022)

If you have ever gotten seasick, like I did once, you will know the value of a cabin where you can look at the horizon. We go on August 5, but the North Atlantic can be rough at any time of year. Our last cruise was 12 days on the Baltic Sea visiting 8 countries, which during that time, it was calm.


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## TrackWalker (Feb 3, 2022)

As I have passed along mention of the AU site at a cruise website I participate at, I will return the favor and mention Cruise Critic for all things cruising. You will need a free account to see the individual cruises in the 'roll calls.'

Excellent site with lots of knowledgeable people on the subject.


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## Exvalley (Feb 3, 2022)

We are not "cruisers," but on the one cruise we took we both got seasick. This was before the mega-ship days, but I was still surprised at how much our 70,000 ton cruise ship could be tossed around in a storm. To add insult to injury, we had to miss a port day because of the storminess.


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## me_little_me (Feb 3, 2022)

noflyzone said:


> Two QM2 crossings completed and two more booked. The next cruise is for one of those "claustrophobic" insides. The cost for our next cruise for two is $2740 - Southampton to NYC. No we're not claustrophobic. We close our eyes at night and everything is still very dark. It's very conducive to sleep. In fact, probably as much as that mega expensive suite. (I have never tested that theory though).
> We would probably never book a balcony on the Queen for a crossing at this time of the year. The North Atlantic is notorious for being wild at this time. It is often impossible to enjoy a balcony in a wild sea. Why pay more?
> The QM2 is NOT a cruise ship! It is a cruise liner. Big difference. It was built to handle violent seas with a hull that is twice as thick as a cruise ship.
> We love the ambiance, the Art Deco, the British courtesy and formality, the food, the high tea, the library, the sophisticated programs, etc.
> ...


We had looked into the QM2 in the past and found they were far more formal than we liked. I hate being told that we have to dress up in jacket and tie (or worse) for dinner. I'm paying and I want to relax.
We instead took a Celebrity cruise out of Florida transatlantic on a repositioning cruise to Harwich, England. Many more days at sea and stops in the Azores, Bruges and Le Havre along the way. Very casual and even on the one "formal night" we forgot about, the maître d' was most gracious and said not to worry about it. She was so good, after two nights eating in the dining rooms, she remembered our names. I was wearing jeans and a pullover shirt (my usual "formal" attire) that night. The whole trip was fun and we had rock bands instead of chamber and elevator music. And, yes, we took Amtrak to the port.

The most memorable trip we ever took. We planned to take a repositioning cruise to Germany in 2020. Less than $1500 each outside view room. Balconies are not as useful on long trips as you can't see the u-boats, icebergs and giant tsunami waves until it's too late anyway and, otherwise, there is nothing else to see but water that always looks the same. "Foreign waters all look alike".  Then, again, so do North American ones.


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## snaebyllej (Feb 3, 2022)

willem said:


> I hope you're wrong, but most staterooms have balconies, I believe. Certainly on the QM2, a small minority of the staterooms are interior, and I'm guessing that almost all exterior staterooms on deck 4 and above have a balcony of some sort. And I can certainly imagine that an interior stateroom would feel claustrophobic.
> 
> It seems that this thread has been sidetracked. *v v*, any update?


293 inside, 1062 outside, 985 veranda, 172 suite.


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## Joe from PA (Feb 3, 2022)

me_little_me said:


> We had looked into the QM2 in the past and found they were far more formal than we liked.



I already informed my wife that I'm not dragging formal wear (including black shoes) along for one night. I'll take dinner in the buffet that evening. Since I've been retired, it's Sperry Topsiders and no socks for me almost every day. I will bring a blue blazer and tie for the other evenings. I no longer own a suit, besides my "tux" (which probably no longer fits  ).
All the Viking river and sea cruises we've been on were " informal luxury".


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## Exvalley (Feb 3, 2022)

I agree on the formal nights. As someone who travels for business, the last thing that I want to do is tote around a suit (or even a jacket) on vacation. To do it right, I need to bring my garment bag. Adding an extra bag is not worth it for a dinner or two.


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## Asher (Feb 3, 2022)

Formal vs casual, it’s different strokes for different folks. Seasickness is a whole different animal. It can completely ruin any type situation.


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## WWW (Feb 3, 2022)

Exvalley said:


> We are not "cruisers," but on the one cruise we took we both got seasick. This was before the mega-ship days, but I was still surprised at how much our 70,000 ton cruise ship could be tossed around in a storm. To add insult to injury, we had to miss a port day because of the storminess.


My first encounter with Mal de Mer was on the car ferry from Manitowoc WI to Ludington MI -
Looked out that port hole window and saw the horizon - looked again and water - a couple more of those flashbacks and that was it.
And the weather was just so so.
An old salt fixed me up with cure - just keep your stomach full - nothing to roll with the punch even in the sheltered great lakes.

That car ferry was interesting - transporting rail cars and automobiles the 4 hour or so crossing saving 300 or so miles down thru the
Chicago yards - think of it as a short cut from Wisconsin to Michigan. Not a cruise ship by any means closer to an Alaskan Maritine Ferry.

Reading along further here - the Queen is a speedster at sea compared to the leisure putt-putt of the 18 deck floating amusement park ships.
My dream would be the Queen and a subsequent shore excursion on the Orient Express - but alas will take any excursion railway trip and
anything skipping the TSA security gauntlet - wearing seat belts - and a fabulous meal choice selection - with unlimited booze !
A Suite dream on a steamship ! 

About those formal things - Yes the Queen is a dress up ship - I much prefer the Norwegian line with its Free-Style smart casual dress code.


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## Razz44 (Feb 3, 2022)

Joe from PA said:


> I already informed my wife that I'm not dragging formal wear (including black shoes) along for one night. I'll take dinner in the buffet that evening. Since I've been retired, it's Sperry Topsiders and no socks for me almost every day. I will bring a blue blazer and tie for the other evenings. I no longer own a suit, besides my "tux" (which probably no longer fits  ).
> All the Viking river and sea cruises we've been on were " informal luxury".




I have used one of these for years on various cruise lines with no problem.


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## Dakota 400 (Feb 3, 2022)

WWW said:


> An old salt fixed me up with cure - just keep your stomach full -



That is what I have recommended to people for many years. What do most people do soon after boarding a cruise ship? And, why does the cruise line encourages people to do? Go to the buffet and have lunch! Having a full tummy does discourage Mal de Mer.

Although, part of seasickness is psychological, I believe. I have observed a few people become ill as the ship is pulling away from the dock and the water is perfectly calm.



WWW said:


> That car ferry was interesting - transporting rail cars and automobiles the 4 hour or so crossing saving 300 or so miles down thru the
> Chicago yards - think of it as a short cut from Wisconsin to Michigan. Not a cruise ship by any means closer to an Alaskan Maritine Ferry.



S. S. Badger? I have done a round trip from Michigan to Michigan and enjoyed the experience. Some onboard cruise-type activities are available. I learned one thing that I had not considered during that trip: don't sit aft of the funnel. My white sport shirt became "white with black specks" because of soot coming from the funnel.


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## Dakota 400 (Feb 3, 2022)

noflyzone said:


> We love the ambiance, the Art Deco, the British courtesy and formality, the food, the high tea, the library, the sophisticated programs,



Agree with your thoughts, except, the formality can become a "bit too much" if one has a Dining Room Assistant Maitre d' who becomes obnoxious to the point that this guest (with the urging of my tablemates) had a "face-to-face" discussion with the gentleman following one evening's dinner. That solved the "issue" for the rest of the cruise. But, none of us "rewarded" him for his "wonderful service" on the last night when we did our Stewards.


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## me_little_me (Feb 3, 2022)

Joe from PA said:


> I already informed my wife that I'm not dragging formal wear (including black shoes) along for one night. I'll take dinner in the buffet that evening. Since I've been retired, it's Sperry Topsiders and no socks for me almost every day. I will bring a blue blazer and tie for the other evenings. I no longer own a suit, besides my "tux" (which probably no longer fits  ).
> All the Viking river and sea cruises we've been on were " informal luxury".


I used to have a Tee Shirt that fully represented my feeling on the issue:
*This is as dressed up as I get*​


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## trainman74 (Feb 3, 2022)

I had the opportunity to take a transatlantic cruise on the QE2 in the summer of 1984, when I was 9½ years old, with my grandmother and sister. I remember it being mostly fun, but I did get seasick about a day into the voyage and got a shot in my rear end. (I haven't had any particular desire to take another cruise in the decades since, not necessarily due to the seasickness situation.)


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## MARC Rider (Feb 3, 2022)

Dakota 400 said:


> That is what I have recommended to people for many years. What do most people do soon after boarding a cruise ship? And, why does the cruise line encourages people to do? Go to the buffet and have lunch! Having a full tummy does discourage Mal de Mer.


I don't know. Years ago, I took the Nova Scotia ferry from Portland to Yarmouth. After we boarded, we headed for the dining room where they had an authentic smorgasbord (the ship was of Norwegian registry). We chowed down quite well while the ship cast off and we sailed through the sheltered waters of Casco Bay. However, by the time we got up to pay, we were out to sea, and I noticed a pen that was sitting around next to the cashier rolling back and forth. The we walked around the ship, went up on the deck, and what do you know we started to get queasy. We couldn't see the horizon, because it was dark. We went back to our cabin, where my companion got violently sick, and I was rolling around pretty uncomfortable in my berth. The sea wasn't even very rough. We woke the next morning and had no interest in the breakfast offerings, but after we landed, we noticed a diner type restaurant in Yarmouth right next to where all the cars were exiting customs, and what do you know, we were really hungry!


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## AmtrakBlue (Feb 3, 2022)

Dakota 400 said:


> That is what I have recommended to people for many years. What do most people do soon after boarding a cruise ship? And, why does the cruise line encourages people to do? Go to the buffet and have lunch! Having a full tummy does discourage Mal de Mer.


What food does is prevent the dry heaves. It doesn't necessarily stop queasiness or outright vomiting.
Having experienced the dry heaves a few times after carnival rides, I always make sure I have something in my stomach - but try to time it so that it stays down.


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## Dakota 400 (Feb 3, 2022)

MARC Rider said:


> we were out to sea, and I noticed a pen that was sitting around next to the cashier rolling back and forth.



My brother initially had motion sickness issues when he was young. He seemed to focus on "something" that was moving. Then, he would begin to get queasy. During a train trip, he began to focus on the ground racing by the window of our seat; my Mother told him, start to look elsewhere. During a cruise on the Great Lakes, in the dining room, he started to stare at the water sloshing around in a glass on our dining room table. He was reminded to start to look elsewhere. Both situations resulted in him not getting sick. And, it was something that he outgrew. When we cruised, he had no issues.


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## MARC Rider (Feb 3, 2022)

Joe from PA said:


> I already informed my wife that I'm not dragging formal wear (including black shoes) along for one night. I'll take dinner in the buffet that evening.


I'm surprised they don't rent out formalwear for the evening. They're supposed to sell everything else on board.


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## MARC Rider (Feb 3, 2022)

Exvalley said:


> I agree on the formal nights. As someone who travels for business, the last thing that I want to do is tote around a suit (or even a jacket) on vacation. To do it right, I need to bring my garment bag. Adding an extra bag is not worth it for a dinner or two.


Oh, I don't know. I used to have to schlep around a suit for business trips. I stopped using a garment bag when I got my first rollerbag. You can certainly fit a suit and a white dress shirt into one with plenty of room to spare, as I did many times. Though I will admit that schlepping the extra pair of dress shoes was a bit of a pain.


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## WWW (Feb 3, 2022)

Dakota 400 said:


> My brother initially had motion sickness issues when he was young. He seemed to focus on "something" that was moving. Then, he would begin to get queasy. During a train trip, he began to focus on the ground racing by the window of our seat; my Mother told him, start to look elsewhere. During a cruise on the Great Lakes, in the dining room, he started to stare at the water sloshing around in a glass on our dining room table. He was reminded to start to look elsewhere. Both situations resulted in him not getting sick. And, it was something that he outgrew. When we cruised, he had no issues.


Something about something in motion tending to stay in motion and something at rest staying at rest -
Now what is this thing about arresting motion ? LOL !
It works direct your attention to something else - concentrate on a different direction - a fixed object.


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## WWW (Feb 3, 2022)

MARC Rider said:


> Oh, I don't know. I used to have to schlep around a suit for business trips. I stopped using a garment bag when I got my first rollerbag. You can certainly fit a suit and a white dress shirt into one with plenty of room to spare, as I did many times. Though I will admit that schlepping the extra pair of dress shoes was a bit of a pain.


Some of the cruise lines i.e. Princess has a formal tux outfit to rent for the photo opt with your SO or the Captain officers and crew.
In my early days of cruising I used to pack a full dress Kilt with Prince Charlie dress jack tux shirt bow tie socks flashes and suitable loafers -
Overkill for all the formal aspects of cruising - always liked to buck the system !
Now my main fare is still the kilt but with a peasant (pirate) shirt calf sox and loafers - works fine for all the NCL dress code restaurants.
Curious my avatar is the Anderson tartan


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## cirdan (Feb 4, 2022)

MARC Rider said:


> Oh, I don't know. I used to have to schlep around a suit for business trips. I stopped using a garment bag when I got my first rollerbag. You can certainly fit a suit and a white dress shirt into one with plenty of room to spare, as I did many times. Though I will admit that schlepping the extra pair of dress shoes was a bit of a pain.



In my view business suits are quite different from real formal wear and whereas i wouldn't like to have to wear that often, I do once in a while enjoy the opportunity to dress up a bit. After all, typically it's just the ladies who get to dress up as their fancy takes them and us gents have a much narrower range of options in a business setting, so I love to be able to put on a black tie or whatever once in a while.


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## jis (Feb 4, 2022)

cirdan said:


> In my view business suits are quite different from real formal wear and whereas i wouldn't like to have to wear that often, I do once in a while enjoy the opportunity to dress up a bit. After all, typically it's just the ladies who get to dress up as their fancy takes them and us gents have a much narrower range of options in a business setting, so I love to be able to put on a black tie or whatever once in a while.


Indeed! If you don't have to worry about whether it is black tie or white tie, and whether you need to wear tails or dinner jacket, you are not really talking about real formal wear. Business Suite in those environments are derisively referred to as Prudential Salesman outfit  I slowly but thoroughly learned about these niceties during my competitive Ballroom Dancing days, and came to own some of the expensive formal wear stuff. They pretty much did not have much use as business wear.


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## Ryan (Feb 4, 2022)

On my first transatlantic "cruise", I travelled from Spain to Newport, RI. The crossing was made more entertaining by this guy:



As the storm approached us, we diverted south to pass through the less-dangerous side of the storm, then the storm hung a right and bounced us around pretty good. Hull was painted grey and they made me work the entire time. Would not recommend. Only positive was no formal wear required:




I'm the poor soul on the left. I have no recollection what I did to make my chief and department head unsatisfied with my performance.


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## AmtrakMaineiac (Feb 4, 2022)

Besides Cunard there are other cruise lines that offer TA's, such as Princess. Sometimes these are spring or fall positioning moves to move ships to / from the summer routes in Europe to winter Caribbean routes. Back in 2020 my wife and I planned a fall cruise from Barcelona to Ft. Lauderdale. It was $3938 for 2 not a bad price for 14 days in a mini-suite (balcony cabin with extra seating area in cabin). Would have included stops at Malaga, Casablanca, Tenerife, and Azores. Unfortunately COVID derailed that trip


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## caravanman (Feb 5, 2022)

I travelled from Southampton to New York on the QM2 a few years back. I was lucky to get a very good price. Paid £850 for solo use of an inside cabin. That included my flight back which I took after spending 10 weeks travelling around the US, and attending the San Francisco gathering, where Mr Bob Dylan passed on his stinking cold to me .
One was expected to dress for dinner, but folk could eat in a less formal setting in reasonable attire.
The chap who mentioned visiting York should be aware that at the moment you need to reserve a time slot to visit the rail museum, it is free to enter. Booking train tickets tends to be cheaper if you book online in advance. Try trainline.com

My trip report is on AU under Southampton all aboard, but I can't post a link, as I am on holiday myself and struggling with my phone...


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## Bob Dylan (Feb 6, 2022)

Ryan said:


> On my first transatlantic "cruise", I travelled from Spain to Newport, RI. The crossing was made more entertaining by this guy:
> View attachment 27004
> 
> 
> ...


Brings back memories from my WestPac "Cruises!"


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## Winecliff Station (Feb 6, 2022)

I’ve done crossings on the QE2, QM2 and Queen Victoria. I’ve seen balcony cabins for as little as $999 pp in January and $2500 in June. If you are celebrating a special occasion and you want to spring for Princess Grill or Queens Grill which offer suites and exclusive dining, it can go much higher. In 2007 when we found out the QE2 was being sold the following year, we booked an eastbound sailing for our anniversary, spend 4 nights in Paris and took the QM2 westbound back home. Our agent got us a free upgrade to Princess Grill and while I enjoyed it I don’t think I’d have sprung for it with our own pocket.

Crossings have more formal nights than cruises because there are no port days. The attire standard is after 6pm everywhere on the ship, not just at dinner, although obviously not the pool deck, gym, spa and buffet.

As for seasickness, I’ve been lucky in that regard. My father and grandfather had the good sense to take me on a fishing boat when I was three. I hurled my guts out the whole time and have never been seasick since, as this experience gave me my sea legs.

Also, don’t assume that if you suffer from other forms of motion sickness that you can’t handle the ocean. To this day I still have a hard time riding in the back seat of a car without getting nauseous but I’m fine on a ship in rough seas. Funny example, one time on a QM2 crossing, we had a retired Concorde pilot on board to give a lecture and he was having such a rough time with seasickness that he had to cancel one of the lectures. Think about that… the man flew supersonic jets and got queasy on the ocean. Everyone is different.

If you really have a hard time, they sell all kinds of remedies, and there’s a shot that prevents seasickness but I’m told it can make you very drowsy.


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## Palmland (Feb 6, 2022)

Since the business of freight transportation has always interested me I miss the days of the smaller passenger carrying freighters. While they are still a few around, the transatlantic ones have decks stacked with containers. More interesting are the islands traders. While not transatlantic it is so interesting to see the cargo being handled. Alaska Marine Highway and Hurtigruten for coastal Norway are a couple examples.

As for transatlantic, my one experience was on the Santa Maria, a Portuguese flagged ship from Port Everglades to Lisbon. It was great fun to watch the freight activity as it called at ports that had strong Portuguese populations including Venezuela, Canary Islands, and Maderia. The ship was great and, as a college student, I especially remember the small bar with lots of Portuguese tile!


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## me_little_me (Feb 6, 2022)

Winecliff Station said:


> Crossings have more formal nights than cruises because there are no port days. The attire standard is after 6pm everywhere on the ship, not just at dinner, although obviously not the pool deck, gym, spa and buffet.



That's worse than awful.

Isn't such punishment banned by the Geneva Convention?

I have pictures of my grandfather in the 1920s going to the beach in his three piece suit.


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## Ziv (Feb 6, 2022)

I spent a couple days in the old replica ship The Golden Hinde sailing south through the Dogger Bank to London. We were motoring along at around 4 knots in a Force 7, borderline Force 8 gale out of the NE and the seas were rolling along at around 5 knots so the waves picked up the stern, lifted it a bit and then the Hinde kind of pig rolled over to the side as we slid backwards up the wave and then reversed it when we slid down the back side of the roller. We didn't have the speed needed to keep her on course so we just took it. Talk about a sickening motion! LOL! Half the crew was so sick they couldn't leave their hammocks.
The captain was peeved that some of the sick crew members were leaving the ship at London so he refused to increase speed when we reached Southend at ebb tide so we just sat there, rolling and pitching, 5 or 6 miles out, our speed matching the ebb flow for a couple hours, half our crew sick as dogs. I was pretty new to the job and didn't realize what he was doing til later. Funny now. Not so much then.


WWW said:


> Nothing wrong with a balcony cabin - just that too high you feel more motion - too low and perhaps ocean mist splashed on your balcony
> moving the deck furniture around - Forward - more up and down motion - midship best ride - aft can be tricky up and down and perhaps
> a sideways studder.
> Sailed to Europe on a military troop steamer July 1961 - ocean was like a sheet of glass - we were making ripples in the surface.
> ...


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## caravanman (Feb 6, 2022)

me_little_me said:


> That's worse than awful.
> Isn't such punishment banned by the Geneva Convention?


I am not much of a one myself for dressing up, despite having owned a costume hire business with 4,000 outfits.  
I found I enjoyed the posh aspects rather more than I had expected to.
I think it is part of the fun, you know it is de rigueur from before you book, so if it is not suitable, pun intended, don't go!


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## TrackWalker (Feb 6, 2022)

Is all this discussion leading up to a potential transatlantic AU gathering cruise?


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## blueman271 (Feb 6, 2022)

George said:


> Just my own personal opinion, but I'm not sure why a balcony would be necessary on a trans-Atlantic crossing. Except for port arrival and departure, there's nothing to see but water.**** Fresh air is available on upper decks, and most passengers like to line the rails and wave handkerchiefs when entering and leaving ports (or am I projecting myself into 1930s/40s classic movies?).
> 
> ****Remember the old take on the US Navy recruiting commercial (music, please)..."I joined the navy to see the world. And what did I see? I saw the sea!"


Some of us don’t even get to see the sea. When I was on the Frank Cable I went out on the weather decks every day we were underway. One day one of my Sailors asked me why and I said because I can. 

In all seriousness if you can afford a stateroom with a balcony purchase one. Waking up and drinking a cup of coffee or eating breakfast on your balcony with the sun rising above and the sea below is a religious experience.


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## me_little_me (Feb 6, 2022)

TrackWalker said:


> Is all this discussion leading up to a potential transatlantic AU gathering cruise?


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## me_little_me (Feb 6, 2022)

blueman271 said:


> Some of us don’t even get to see the sea. When I was on the Frank Cable I went out on the weather decks every day we were underway. One day one of my Sailors asked me why and I said because I can.
> 
> In all seriousness if you can afford a stateroom with a balcony purchase one. Waking up and drinking a cup of coffee or eating breakfast on your balcony with the sun rising above and the sea below is a religious experience.


Besides, it's fun looking for periscopes sticking up and thinking how big those icebergs used to be in the old days before they shrunk!


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## Metra Electric Rider (Feb 6, 2022)

jis said:


> I slowly but thoroughly learned about these niceties during my competitive Ballroom Dancing days, and came to own some of the expensive formal wear stuff. They pretty much did not have much use as business wear.



_That _was not something I expected... But it makes you all the cooler. 

For those interested, there is a "Jazz Age" cruise on the QMII coming soon. If I had the money and time, I'd go - and dress up for it.


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## Dakota 400 (Feb 7, 2022)

TrackWalker said:


> Is all this discussion leading up to a potential transatlantic AU gathering cruise?



Or, just an AU cruise?


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