Sailing transatlantic on the Queen Mary...

[Welshcookie 17]

We are thinking of making this our main vacation when we finally leave the UK for the US. It will be a fabulous way to relax after the hassles of packing up a house. I think it will be pretty cool to sail into New York as a brand new immigrant

Anyone got any experiences to share? How did you book and what kind of cabin did you choose?

[eau_xplain 2]

Wow...sounds awesome!

[elmcitymaven 9,711]

I know there was someone on the UK board who did do this and said it was the trip of a lifetime... Cannot for the life of me remember who it was!

We looked into it, but in the end couldn't justify spending the amounts. What is nuts is that it would have cost less to sail if we could have booked through the US site, but neither of us had a US credit card at that point. It was something like an $800/head difference -- and that was when the exchange rate was even less favourable than now. How they can justify charging UK-based peeps that much more a head is beyond me.

[Welshcookie 17]

I know there was someone on the UK board who did do this and said it was the trip of a lifetime... Cannot for the life of me remember who it was!

We looked into it, but in the end couldn't justify spending the amounts. What is nuts is that it would have cost less to sail if we could have booked through the US site, but neither of us had a US credit card at that point. It was something like an $800/head difference -- and that was when the exchange rate was even less favourable than now. How they can justify charging UK-based peeps that much more a head is beyond me.

wow..thats very interesting to know thank you!

[jodee 30]

Dawn,..

Just wondering if you will still be a military dependant at that stage?. Because, if you will be and you are coming back so your hubby can go to a new duty station or back to his place of enlistment so he can finally retire, I was lead to believe, you have to travel as a military dependant, on his orders back to the states, and can not travel independently (own means).

Or will he be sepearted from the military before you do this?. I'm just curious,..becasue my Father in Law retired after 20 years active AF, and had to retire back to his state of enlistment, prior to relocation?

I hope you can do it,..sounds like a wonderful idea though!!

Edited November 15, 2007 by jodee

[elmcitymaven 9,711]

I know there was someone on the UK board who did do this and said it was the trip of a lifetime... Cannot for the life of me remember who it was!

Ahhh...lovely Google! I just found out who it was -- broma25!

[Welshcookie 17]

He is retiring after this tour of duty here but we will be traveling together anyway. But I will get him to check the ins and outs of it all...life is never simple in the military huh?

I know there was someone on the UK board who did do this and said it was the trip of a lifetime... Cannot for the life of me remember who it was!

Ahhh...lovely Google! I just found out who it was -- broma25!

awesome thanks! I will send her a PM

[jodee 30]

no, its never easy Dawn,..

What I meant by independently is, you cant pay for your own travel or means of travel to the States, if he is on retirement orders, Government has to pay for your trip stateside, its all part of the ETS procedure. Unless, they have allowances for paying you out the maximum travel entitlement, and you could put that towards your trip home on the QM. That would be awesome if they did that!!

Things may have changed, I am hoping they can do that for you!!

Jodee

Edited November 15, 2007 by jodee

[Welshcookie 17]

yeh...hubby did mention that they will pay up to a certain amount ie nominal airfare and we will pay the rest on top.

[JenT 0]

We are thinking of making this our main vacation when we finally leave the UK for the US. It will be a fabulous way to relax after the hassles of packing up a house. I think it will be pretty cool to sail into New York as a brand new immigrant

Anyone got any experiences to share? How did you book and what kind of cabin did you choose?

I LOVE that idea!!! Hope it works out!!!

Jen

[Mags 112]

Sounds wonderful. Fingers crossed it works out just perfectly.

[StoryAngel 4]

What a fabulously romantic start to your life in the US! I looked into QM travel as a way of getting my Dad to the US as he has a flying phobia. I'm quite tempted to try it myself one of these days! Maybe a wedding anniversary sometime in the distant future...

[Welshcookie 17]

Well my flying phobia was a big reason why he came up with the idea....I had a miserable time last time we flew to the States

Well hopefully we can figure it out and do it...thanks guys

[VisaJourneyLady 33]

My MIL has been on the Queen Mary loads, but not transatlantic, just around the carribean. But she absoultly loves it. She lives in Miami and goes on cruises all the time, at least 2 a year, and she has great things to say about the Queen Mary.

She was thinking of coming over here on it next time she visits. She hates flying too

[broma25 2]

It was meeeee I came over on Queen Mary. It was excellent!!! I would higly recommend it.

We actually chose the cheapest cabin as we were not really concerned about a balcony or anything like that, but when we got on board we had been upgraded and had a window which was very nice.

We came over on the June crossing and being a Tranatlantic crossing my vision of sunbathing around the pool sipping cocktails was swapped for a wind swept walk around the decks.

I am not really sure what else you want to know so if you have anything specific either ask me here or PM me, and don't worry you can never ask me too many questions about the experience on the QMII