Transatlantic Cruises

[Devil's Advocate]

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?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

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.

 

[PVD]

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

 

[Devil's Advocate]

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.

 

[Joe from PA]

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.

 

[Joe from PA]

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).

 

[Devil's Advocate]

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.

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!

 

[willem]

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

Early or late August?

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.

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.

 

[PVD]

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

 

[GAT]

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!"

 

[PVD]

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.

 

[willem]

[...] 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?

 

[MARC Rider]

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?

 

[PVD]

The North Atlantic gets nasty.....

 

[WWW]

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 !

 

[Dakota 400]

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!'

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.

 

[user 6862]

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.

 

[cirdan]

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.

 

[noflyzone]

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.

 

[Joe from PA]

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.

 

[TrackWalker]

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.

 

[Exvalley]

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.

 

[me_little_me]

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.

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.

 

[snaebyllej]

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.

 

[Joe from PA]

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".