QE2 TRANSATLANTIC DECEMBER 2005

MY JOURNAL: Page 3 (1, 2

07-10-04 QE2 AND THE ROUGH ATLANTIC FEARS: One thing that I had not really thought about when I proposed and then made the QE2 booking was the weather. And how much of an ordeal sailing across the Atlantic in winter might be. Strange that I never thought about it.... the first was when someone at work made an off-the-cuff remark along the lines of "Oh, winter! I guess that may be a bit rough then?". That got me thinking. So once again I turned to the message boards and groups for thoughts. And the postings and emails that came back were pretty clear.......

MARCDT: "This will be my third annual Dec crossing and my 6th QE2 voyage. You will love QE2, but be warned that it can get rough in December. In 2002, we had rough seas and we lost silverware and plates from the tables. Last year, we had moderate seas"

JBAILEY: "QE2 is one of the very few ships that can sail THROUGH a storm like that and still make it to its next port on time. This is her distinction as an ocean liner. The ocean liners of her time and before didn't have satellite weather photos or mid-ocean reporting of storms, so they couldn't steer our of a storm's way. When they knew about a storm, maybe from radio reports from other ships, they tried to avoid it, but mostly they didn't know and just toughed it out. They were built for speed and rough weather--sleek and fast. They were "bottom-heavy" and had portholes which could be latched shut instead of picture windows. No balconies or door walls.

QE2 has been known to take at least one 90' plus wave that broke over her bridge, so 32' seas are not much to bother about, other than concerns about passenger comfort. Although I have never been on QE2 during really heavy weather, I love the rocking to sleep you get at night in moderately rough seas and the fun of trying to walk in a straight line.

Just enjoy the experience and don't even consider getting seasick. You can get a shot if you have to, but I never noticed very many really seasick people. QE2 handles rough seas very nicely and the motion is quite slow because she is so large."

TRANSATLANTIC TOM: "I was on the QE2's WB Transatlantic Crossing in April. Two of the five full days at sea were fairly rough. In particular, the first day out from Southampton we experienced Force 10 winds and seas up to about 30ft high...it was rough but QE2 handled it magnificently !!! It was quite a thrilling thing to go through. At one point that first day, I stood up on the Sun Deck just behind the funnel and mist from the ship's flanks was blowing over me !!! The good Scottish builders at John Brown/Upper Clyde Shipbuilders built one incredible ship when they built QE2 !!! YES there is a difference between an ocean liner and a cruise ship....."

SANDIEGOCRUISERS: "I've been on two QE2 Transatlantic and have to say that they gave me a true appreciation of the power of the North Atlantic, as well as the sturdiness of a true Ocean liner. On the Dec 00 crossing, we encountered bad weather the entire time. I, luckily, am not prone to sea-sickness and enjoyed all the activity. Others, however, were not as amused. Each time we encountered a large wave - which I was told averaged 30-40' - the ship would rise up, give you a feeling of weightlessness, then shudder back down, quickly lurching from side-to-side.

At night in the Caronia Restaurant, the dishes in the metal holding cabinets could be heard moving around and, at times, you would hear a few break. Each time the ship rose up, people would reach for their wine glasses, almost unconsciously, to wait for the ship to settle back down.
Unfortunately, a day before we were to arrive in NYC, a Life Flight Helicopter from Boston had to land on the top deck to remove a crew member who had fallen down a stairwell in the crew quarters. For those of you who are not aware, the stairwells in the crew areas are uncarpeted steel and very unforgiving. It was quite a sight to be out in the middle of the ocean and watch the lights of a helicopter arrive in the darkness.

It really was an amazing experience that I am glad I was able to take part in. I'm actually hoping that we encounter some rough seas on the TA I'm about to take on Sept 7th out of Dover. Of course, without anyone getting hurt".

GUERNSEY GUY: "The QE2 handles rough weather like the true ocean liner she is. I have crossed three times - in December 2002 we had very rough weather - gale force 9 - and outside decks & the Lido were closed. Passenger numbers did thin out - but my travelling companion and I were fine. We benefited from a mid-ship Deck 5 Mauritania cabin - where motion is less. The Queens Grill Penthouse passengers are a lot worse off - one said all they could do was lie on their bed hanging on.....If you do get sick the Doc has a jab that supposedly knocks you out, and when you wake you are fine and ravenous....enjoy!"

EEK! I started to worry as we upgraded from a lower level Queen's Grill Cabin to a Queens Grill Penthouse Suite. Have we set ourselves up for a "hell of a trip"....??

08-10-04 QE2 AND THE ROUGH ATLANTIC FEARS CONTINUE: Well, the more I read the postings and the emails, the more I got stressed out that the December crossing and the Q2 Penthouse Suite we have booked may be the trip of a lifetime (for the wrong reasons). And worrying about getting seasick became a major pre-occupation. The question I asked about that on the boards, seemed to create some "tension" among the regular crossers - and led to some tense debates..... but there did seem to be some light at the end of the tunnel...

JBAILEY: "Just enjoy the experience and don't even consider getting seasick. You can get a shot if you have to, but I never noticed very many really seasick people. QE2 handles rough seas very nicely and the motion is quite slow because she is so large"

TRANSATLANTIC TOM: "In reply to Gary B --- even in rough weather I have NOT seen QE2 passengers in distress, or getting seasick. As we all seem to be saying, QE2 is both a large ship, and she is an incredibly steady ship in rough weather. This is of course what she was designed to do: to cross the North Atlantic in all sorts of weather, INCLUDING December weather. Yes, you can feel the ship roll, sway, and pitch but I would tell your partner not to worry at all. It very well may be smooth.

Also, maybe others will disagree, but I would argue against automatically using those motion sickness patches that one can have prescribed. My wife used them during a smooth QE2 Transatlantic crossing to Southampton last August (she was a little apprehensive as it was her first sea voyage) and they made her drowsy and sleepy.....so obtain them if you feel so inclined, but DON'T put them on before sailing, and then only use them if you feel a little uncomfortable. As an aside, we may run into you aboard QE2 in December !!!"

GUERNSEY GUY: "If you do get sick the Doc has a jab that supposedly knocks you out, and when you wake you are fine and ravenous....enjoy!"

SANDIEGOCRUISERS: "Yes, the ship is extremely stable and can, and has, taken on some amazing storms. However, that shouldn't be confused with the ship making the crossing any more smoother. If someone is concerned about being seasick, I would not tell them to "Not to worry at all" when making a December Transatlantic, especially if they are accustom to Caribbean Cruises".

STOWAWAY2k: I sailed on QE2's Dec. 03 transatlantic to NYC, when I was fortunate to be assigned to the ship's doctor's table at dinner. The subject of seasickness and the "patch" came up, of course. The doctor advised against using it, as the side effects could possibly be worse, for some persons, than the seasickness it is meant to treat.

His suggestion was to simply take one of the tablets provided by your cabin steward/ess before going to bed, and you'll be fine the next day. If that is not enough, the shots given in his office work wonders, I'm told. I took one tablet before bed each night of this not-too-rough crossing, and had not a single moment of discomfort. I'll be crossing on QE2 again this December"

SANDIEGOCRUISERS: "I took that shot you spoke of one day out from Southampton. I would equate it to taking Nyquil, as an hour or so afterwards, it knocks you out. You sleep it off and the next morning you wake up feeling like a million bucks. For the next three months, I never had a problem, regardless of what weather we encountered".

COLIN C: "It seems to have that effect on most people but not everyone. My wife has had the injection several times and each time she is told that it will knock her out but it never does. It has a different effect though. Last year: Six PM.- lying on the bathroom floor talking to God on the porcelain telephone. Gets the injection. Seven PM.- hammering on the dining room doors demanding to be fed. It always seems to make her ravenously hungry instead of tired!"

TRANSATLANTIC TOM: I respect and appreciate the remarks made in response to my earlier message. I still stand by my statement that Gary's partner should not worry too terribly much about being sick during the December crossing. It sounds as if this will be their first Transatlantic crossing, and I don't think that it serves too much of a purpose to scare people. Caution them yes, but no more.

Yes, there are plenty of horror stories. I was purely pointing out to Gary, for purposes of reference, that the April QE2 westbound crossing was rather rough (with Force 10 winds on the Beaufort Scale, and heavy seas), but I personally did not see anyone sick, no sickness bags out in public rooms, and no general distress among passengers. Of course, someone might be tucked away in their cabin, and certainly each voyage is unique (i.e. the Millennium Cruise). Absolutely.

I still think that Gary and his partner should get some patches and their medicines of choice, but hold off on using them and see what happens. We may have a fairly smooth crossing in December, you just never know. As Captain McNaught says, "if you're in rough weather at sea, the QE2 is THE ship that you want to be on!" Gary, you'll love it !!!"

PETERNB: "Sea sickness. If you find yourself becoming ill. Don't hesitate. Go to the Doctor's (deck 6 - low) and either get the wrist band - or better still the injection. The injection can make some people very sleepy for 12 hours - but after that - you'll be banging your fists on the dining room door wanting masses to eat - followed by a sprint around the promenade deck and a bit of pole dancing on the fore-mast"

MARYKAYS: "You will have a wonderful time. I have crossed about eight times in December. The weather for most part is rough, however we did have a few smooth crossings in the winter. If you do get seasick, go down to the hospital located six deck, c stairway and they will give you a pill. I have heard it does wonders immediately as long as you don't prolong the seasickness. Nip it in the bud."

SO: the advantage it seems is that there is a sure fire solution: THE JAB!!!!!

All we now need to decide is if we stick to the pills we took for the Aurora cruise or get the jab! I believe from what I had read in an article that the jab has the same active ingredient as the pills (will probably do a posting ingredient on that). PLUS, I should remember I was on a storm on the AURORA once overnight and was fine...

3. 8011-8019: Much smaller Q2s with less living and bath space. Instead of cabinets for closets, these feature a curtained walk-in closet. In my opinion, these aft Signal Deck suites should be categorised separately from the forward suites.

4. 8101-8110: These suites offer the same space as 8003-8010 but the view from the balconies is obstructed by life boats.

The Queens Grill restaurant is consistently excellent in terms of food quality and service. My table preference is for a table situated in the centre of the room or on the upper tier over-looking the centre. As you may have read on other posts, you are welcome to ask for off-menu items, Beluga caviar, etc. at any time.

Gary: December crossings are like no other. You'll find several fellow passengers who specifically book these voyages for the adventure of sailing the (often times rough) North Atlantic in December. Fear not though, no other ship meets these seas like QE2."....

More about the sea, our fears and what people suggest in a future posting.....

08-10-04 QE2 AND THE ROUGH ATLANTIC FEARS EVEN MORE:

CRUISINPUP got me all a-quiver again today with his posting on CruiseCritic.com saying:

"el Nino is coming! ...to all of you going in Dec this year ....... GOOD LUCK! Seen the weather here, and the meteorologist confirmed that our friend from the Pacific will be back creating chaos once again.

Heat waves in SF (told ya that town was going to Hell), blizzards in the NYC metro area, and a nice bumpy ride on the crossing!

Godspeed to those booked in the pre-fab apartment block on top of the ship. Bring earplugs........ or ask the steward to put foam rubber in the corners of the room".

Eek - that is where we will be!!!