3rdGenCunarder

Is there a display that shows where each car is? I find that helpful so I know where to stand.

I don't know how large the group was, as they didn't keep to themselves the way some groups (not RS) on large ships do. Because there was only one lounge, other passengers were invited to attend their lectures, which I thought was nice.

It would be great if he could get the Lakelorian we had on Navigator. Great speaker, good information. I wonder if he could get Road Scholar back again. They booked quite a few Great Lakes cruises.

I wish him luck with this (and I don't mean that sarcastically). I had a great cruise on the Navigator, although I know other cruises last year had problems, including the generator. But if he spruces them up and can match or beat Viking and ACL's prices, he could make it work. I hope he can.

That must be the company line to avoid giving details. I had an issue with the buffet on QV last fall, and I wrote a note to the head of F&B. I ended on a positive note, saying that our table in Britannia was fantastic. 10 people from 5 countries, age range at least 30 years, many-time cruisers and first cruisers. On paper, we seemed to have little in common, but we gelled quickly and had a wonderful time together, becoming the rowdy table in the back of the Britannia restaurant, laughing all the time. I asked how do they know what people to put together. She said "arranging tables is an art."

late Oct (10/30) in Alesund. Hurtigruten would be better for summer, to see a variety of small towns.

November in Narvik, on the "Arctic Train."

Ohhh, I have fond memories of tea served on Sun Deck on QE2.

I did the lights cruise on QV last fall in November. There was snow on the ground at our northernmost ports, Tromso and Narvik. Not a lot, but some. As for the lights, we are in a maximum period, so you have a good chance. We saw them on three nights. You mentioned Viking in January. And advantage to November is that days are longer for doing some sightseeing. Sunset is still early. IIRC, it was around 3 PM in Tromso. But not as early as it will be in early January. Also, it isn't too cold. In the north it was around freezing plus or minus a few degrees. And in the south, it was still autumn. We saw some pretty fall colors in one of the southern ports. So a nice mix of experiences.

When you say bar service from the Cabana bar, do you mean you have to go there to get a drink? Is there no bar service on the terrace? I don't see a bar on the deck plans, but I would expect bar service. The terrace on QE is nice, with the lounge adjacent. I was in PG not long after the restart and there were no offerings of fruit or ice cream, but I wrote that off to Covid precautions. We did have bar service, however. (Priorities!)

You had me at "nice-looking bakery!" I like the restaurant for its peace and quiet if I'm in PG. But, for me, an advantage of the buffet is portion control. I can have a large serving of fruit instead of a few pieces artistically arranged on a plate. The same is true of salads at lunch. I was in PG the last time I was on QE, and I ate breakfast and dinner there, but almost always ate lunch in the buffet because their salad bar was so good.

Missing items could be things still in the hold somewhere, so perhaps the cereal will appear at some time. How daring of you to brave the buffet!!! Any observations to share, or was it only a quick look for the All-bran? Do they still have the Twinings Assam? And, dare I hope, has the Darjeeling returned?

I've done several New England and Canada cruises and always enjoyed them. QM2 is a beautiful ship. I am a fan of the sheltered balconies. On a port-intensive cruise, you will likely be off the ship a lot of the daytime, so whether the balcony is glass or enclosed isn't a big deal, at least not to me. And the sheltered balcony is less expensive.

That sounds like a new version of the journal, although it also sounds like the kind of condolence book that is put out for guests to sign at a memorial service.

You're right. Every company you do online business here wants to remember your password and store your credit card details. Easily declined, but you have to pay attention. And I just realized that I already got a plusbid upgrade for my cruise more than a month ago. I was in Britannia, bid on PG, and got it rather quickly. But PG was pretty open at that time and I guess they were willing to fill cabins at a discount. I'm surprised that I got an offer to bid up to QG after already successfully bidding up once. I guess plusbid knows nothing of my price history?