rog747

Deleted !

I think the whole Gulf/ME region will be 'off limits' to all Cruise ships for the long time foreseeable. Cunard's ships are insured by Brokers at Lloyd's of London and the Underwriters state there is no Cover for the Region. (My Family are all at Lloyd's in London working in this field for the past 60 odd years). If these worrying troubles escalate further then we can likely kiss goodbye to Red Sea holidays (Sharm etc) possibly to Cyprus too, and maybe even Dubai. So, if you want to go and see the Pyramids, The Nile and The Valley of the Kings, then go there soon. The QA will be rerouted via the Cape as HAL has already done, and I am sure she will stay on schedule for her many US World Cruise guests to connect with the QM2's SOU-NYC crossing to get them home. Everyday is a 'School Day' for me LOL Scuttlebutt in slang usage means rumour or gossip, deriving from the Nautical term for the cask used to serve water. (or in Today's' world :The term corresponds to the colloquial concept of a gathering at the water cooler (USA) or the tea trolley (UK) in an office setting, which at times becomes the focus of congregation and casual discussion and gossip. A Navy scuttlebutt.

I concur with the other members, book your own hotels and arrange your pick ups to/from airport/hotel and the ship. If you want enjoy to NYC City then obs book a stay in a Manhattan hotel pre and post cruise. Red Hook cruise terminal is only a short taxi across Brooklyn Bridge to the ship. The only advantages in booking the add-ons with Cunard is that they will deal with things if they go wrong (such as the ship is running late or any other major changes). It's wise to book your own hotels without harsh cancellation or change penalties.

That's NYC westside highway The old Cunard piers I think with the metal sign

Just been tipped off that the Queen Elizabeth will be Miami based for the winter 2025/2026 plying Caribbean cruises. Some rather nice trips there on sale. I did not know about these until yesterday! Unlike P&O's winter Fly-Cruise offerings with their own charter flights from various UK airports to join their ships in Barbados or Antigua, Cunard have decided on a Miami base for QE (a first for Cunard in recent years >?) Therefore I guess Cunard are going more for the local and American 'Home' crowd guests, and I cannot see them chartering their own flights to Miami from the UK to join the ship. This is something that I am sure Hays Travel would rather like to do for selected departures, as their own flights from Bournemouth and Exeter on P&O's offerings are always a sell-out. There is a shortage of UK charter airlines with spare wide body aircraft (Hence P&O's Maleth Aero awful contract debacle, now cancelled) and I am not sure if Virgin Atlantic or BA with whom Cunard have used before on Fly-Cruise charters, will have any spare capacity if approached for flight contracts. Miami is not on the charter flight list, unlike many Caribbean airports. I guess Cunard (for UK guests) will just buy in seats on VS, BA, and AA from LHR to Miami, or use Norse from LGW. One way to get to the ship from Heathrow and from the UK's many regional airports is to use the Aer Lingus Miami (MIA) flight from Dublin and add on the Aer Lingus feeder flight from your nearest UK regional airport, say from Bristol, Exeter, Southampton, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, etc etc Your luggage will be tagged right through to MIA, and what is all rather cool, is that you can pre-clear US Immigration and Customs in Dublin so that when you get to Miami you arrive as a 'Domestic' passenger and walk straight in.

Done quite a few of the pre-xmas DEC SOU-Lisbon-Funchal-Canary Islands cruises and we were lucky on all of them with balmy weather all the way there, and back each time. Even Lisbon although cool was sunny clear and bright. Funchal and the rest were always T-shirts and shorts. A real tonic for the approaching UK winter. We always got back to SOU around DEC 23rd... Had a mixture of Cabins - Inside, Outside and Balc's. A Balcony on this cruise was possibly not really used much but was nice of course, to have. Always found that this cruise was sold off cheaply and we always got a bargain. Last one I did was on QE DEC 2019. The ships were decorated for Xmas which was lovely.

I like both QV and QE, but QE for me wins hands down. The Lido restaurant on the QV is IMO abit like a slightly too bright John Lewis cafe whereas the Lido on QE had darker wood and feels rather more elegant. In the Britannia MDR on QV the entrance staircase from deck 3 down to 2 (pour le Grande Descent) does a reversal on itself so you end up back facing the doors, whereas on QE (like on QM2) has quite a spectacular staircase in to the MDR, set with art deco uplighters. The Theatre on QE is a bit nicer too. Just my tuppence lol. Of course QV (pre-refit) was 'prettier' when she had the tiered decks at her stern, but the trade off with that was a small Lido Pool sun deck area.

Yes QA, like the HAL Pinnacles has a full wrap/walk around Prom Deck but it is not wide enough for any deck or steamer chairs. There maybe a few wooden benches (with Life jackets in). The sea views are very limited due to the placement of the large lifeboats at deck level. The Top Pavilion pool and some upper deck areas/QG Terraces and the rear/aft Panorama Club Pool deck are pretty spacious. The Panorama Pool Club may not be always that peaceful for some folk as it has themed DJs and live bands lined up, so the area and Bar could be more lively on some cruises. There is also the Sky Bar and Observation deck on the Top forward deck. All of the Vista/Signature Class ships plus the QM2, have the Prom Decks that we all like and love on to sit on to watch the world go by.....As does the the P&O Aurora.

BA do fly from T3 as well but on some mainly longer flights, but just check your booking details and the Terminal will be displayed.

BA Rome FCO will be T5 which is just off the M25 and the first terminal drop driving from SOU. BA Euro flights check-in closes (and bag drop) at 60 minutes before departure. If you are flying Club Europe then there a a few Lounges to wait in at T5. I think keep an eye of the ship docking time in case of any delays, and let the Car firm know you are getting off ASAP once the ship clears. They usually know the drill. They may suggest 7.45 or 8am is quite OK just in case of a late clearance. Give them your flight number and times of course.

Check-in closure at -60 minutes before departure is the latest for the baggage drop/check-in. That is what airlines work to to 'close out' the flight and begin to do the load sheet and take any Standbys etc. Some Europe flights, airlines may work to -45minutes, as do BA at some outstations. Just saying this as should one get held up, then panic stations can kick in at after -60 LOL

I agree with the poster above and would self disembark carrying all your own luggage off the ship if you have a 12.50 flight. The ship normally clears by 7.30am. So a car booked for 8am or 8.30am is fine. It should normally be a ride of around 90 minutes, and Terminal 5 is the first drop, and the quickest. If you are going from T2/T3 or T4 it may take 10-15 minutes more. But the journey could take more if traffic is bad or there is an accident on the M3 or the M25. Friday can be busy but traffic usually builds up later in the day. The airline check-in closes out at one hour before your flight (ie:11.45) That is the last moment you can arrive at the Desk and get on!

BTW if you are looking for a lovely small family owned hotel right on the lagoon just down from S.Marco then the Pensione Wildner is a treat. Great food, and breakfasts with a view. Its old,quirky and charming with no lift, and it's cheap! Book a lagoon view room. Water taxi stop 1 minute walk away, the hotel is right on the promenade of Riva Degli Schiavoni and almost next to the San Vidal Church near the Accademia Bridge, the Church where Vivaldi practiced and now concerts are held. Rick Stein ate at the Hotel on his Venice to Istanbul TV series.

My choice is: If the Ship offers a coach transfer to the Venice Marco Polo Airport then you can book a shared speedboat shuttle from the Airport to any of the Venice Hotels, or those on the Islands with Venice Link. Shared Speed Boat Transfer I'm not aware of any cruise ship transfers going in to Venice itself, but since the Ships no longer dock in Venice then there could be coaches now, but more likely on trips and tours only. Or there is FlixBus (coach transfer) that runs from the Trieste bus station to Venice Mestre Station, where you can take a train or a Taxi across the lagoon causeway to Venice S.Lucia station, or the P. le Roma main square, then take a water taxi or walk to your hotel. Some Flix buses drop you at Venice Tronchetto which has a pier for the water buses Vaporettos. If you travel as a couple, or with group of friends - the private or shared water taxi service is a most comfortable and affordable way to get from Tronchetto Car Park to Venice. FlixBus from Trieste FlixBus also runs direct to the Airport! There are also a few trains that run from Trieste to Mestre, where you may have to get another train to S.Lucia, then you need to take a water taxi, or walk to your hotel. The problem with the morning departure off the ship is getting to the Trieste bus or train station. With thousands of pax disembarking, there can be quite a line for taxis. The bus and train stations are about a 15-20 minute walk from the cruise pier. Personally, I would take the cruise ship transfer to the Airport. From the airport you can catch a taxi to Venice (P. le Roma) for 45-50E for the 20 minute ride, or to book (which would be my choice) the speedboat shuttle direct to the nearest pier for your hotel, as it is the only way to arrive in Venice! Be very aware of the Santa Lucia Train Station and Piazzale Roma, both of which can be problematic, especially in the evening. Have your wits about you. The beggars and pickpocket gangs of Venice will be around.

Dress code must haves? Oh yes. Since 2017 I am now travelling Solo, thus on a Formal evening, I need my personal Butler/Valet to help tie/fasten my black tie, and put my cuff links in LOL ! But when sailing in Steerage (Britannia, but of course, I jest) then my very helpful Room Steward always assists.