number5

As an extra question about embarkation at Southampton, its been a while since I've cruised with MSC but their regulations seem to suggest that passengers cannot board with soft drinks or even a bottle of water. Are they totally strict about this as I like to keep a bottle of water with me just so I stay hydrated, or will Security confiscate my bottle ?

Did you fly to Europe or just to & from UK from USA ? I flew into Italy in August and on entry they stamped my passport and then when I left they gave me another stamp. So whilst it maybe also electronically recorded when you leave by air, it may not be if you leave for a cruise back to the UK because they may think you are returning to the same port. Thank you for your answers blloyd78 & fruitmachine

When you fly to Europe, on arrival passport control stamp your passport and when you leave they then give you an exit stamp. That seems to be fine and it is ( as far as I know ) meant to show how long you have been there. However my question is what happens if you fly into Lisbon to get a cruise from there back to Southampton. How can you show you have left the country as there doesn't seen to be any form of customs when you go to a cruise terminal to board your cruise ship ? If I don't get an exit stamp will it affect any future entry into Europe ?

I did a search on here about the Launderettes onboard and one earlier post was saying the launderettes on board were free. Is that still the case & if not, then how do you pay for the washers & dryers ? The other question on this subject is can I bring my own detergent or should I bring washing pods ( pouches ? ) that have a set amount of detergent or is there a machine in the launderette room that you can buy powder from?

Thanks for your reply & I'm not going to stop having rice with a meal if its with the ordinary white rice. I'm just starting trying to be more aware of what I'm eating and what healthier options, are without going vegetarian.

another question that springs to mind. I have now stopped eating white rice as much as possible. Is it possible to have brown rice with my meal in the Britannia restaurant when it comes with rice ?

Thanks for your answers & Camgirls answer was interesting but it hasn't put me off with booking. Just looking at booking a balcony on either decks 5,6 or 7 and was wondering if the staterooms have baths with a shower over or are they just showers only, which i would prefer,

When I cruised on Sky Princess earlier this year only 2 of the regular dining rooms were being used and having eaten in them more than once, I can say that I enjoyed dining at both equally. For a special occasion, I was told that the new Bistro Sur La Mer was a great experience but of course you have to pay extra.

Have never cruised with Cunard before but looking to book on a cruise leaving this year and a couple of questions have popped into my head that some one may be able to answer Before I book my stateroom, is there a set floor or section of staterooms ( like aft ) that may be used for covid quarantine cases if they happen ? I would not be happy if I booked a stateroom that I wanted to be in & ticked the no upgrade box to find out I was given a different room. Also on the newer cruise ships I know they are very good at producing ordinary tap water for drinking, but are there any issues on the Queen Victoria about the tap water as my partner has to take tablets that do not use bottled water as they have too many minerals in them. Finally is there plenty of choice of various entertainment on sea days, live music, quizzes, dance classes etc or does it seem a bit limited ?

Did actually go round deck 1and deck 2 to see if I could hear anything that might be a problem , these are the cabins where there might be an issue for some people. Deck 1 = cabins 1836, 1855, 1916 &1962, Deck 2 = cabins 2631, 2628, 2640, 2704 To be fair, this was only noise in the corridor and it might not go on all night and not everyone would hear it in their cabin. As I said earlier my cabin was great with no noise issues

I have recently returned from a cruise on Bolette and had an oceanview cabin on floor 1. Windows were nice and large, the beds were comfortable, lots of room to put clothes etc and the shower was large and wonderful. That said we did hear one lady say that there was a constant loud humming from a door opposite her cabin that she could hear throughout the night so some cabins might possibly have a noise problem or she might be a very light sleeper. Can anyone confirm if this is a problem? I was fine in my cabin no complaints at all.

yes lots of supermarkets in the UK sell alcohol. Look for ones called Tesco Express, Sainsburys, Asda or Morrisons + there are others.