QM2 Christmas Cruising live thread

Photo of QM2 - from Cunard Facebook page. WOW.....that's some snow!

 

Good Lord.......I had no idea. How long is that going to take to melt sailing the Atlantic????? Thanks for posting that.

And another one!

Good Lord.......I had no idea. How long is that going to take to melt sailing the Atlantic????? Thanks for posting that.

That's assuming that the sun will appear during the crossing and the temps above 32 F.

Wow again. My husband mentioned that when we had snow decks on our sailing, they cleared the decks for safety reasons....but it wasn't such a big deal because we were sailing to the Caribbean. And we didn't have nearly as much.

I have to say....if I were Commodore, I would just demand that everyone stay inside. That's a lot of snow to deal with. I would have to assume that all that extra weight isn't a problem.

Thanks for the great pictures.

Photo of QM2 - from Cunard Facebook page. WOW.....that's some snow!

 

WOW!

They need a snow blower up there.

Crazy. I bet that is something you don't see too often.

When disembarking yesterday, I handed in my card and watched it being scanned. Within seconds, I was saying so long to some friends on the line next to me, so had an immediate distraction. Once in the terminal, I put my hand in my pocket and my card was there. Was that a mistake on security's part, or do we get to keep our cards once again? I am almost positive I heard that they take them back.

Jeanne

When disembarking yesterday, I handed in my card and watched it being scanned. Within seconds, I was saying so long to some friends on the line next to me, so had an immediate distraction. Once in the terminal, I put my hand in my pocket and my card was there. Was that a mistake on security's part, or do we get to keep our cards once again? I am almost positive I heard that they take them back.

 

Jeanne

The cards are to be withdrawn at the exit when disembarking. But sometimes things happen...:D

Another photo from yesterday

Glad you had a great time, wish I was there this time.

I was wondering if anyone knows how the folks who had to take cabs yesterday morning, made out. My mom and I always did the self checkout to get off the ship early. We usually had no problems getting a cab back to Manhattan, but I wonder how it would have gone over yesterday with the cold, wind and snow. It was brutal yesterday at 8am when I was going to work.

For some reason they appeared to be returning everyone's cards on disembarkation. DW and I both got ours back.

For some reason they appeared to be returning everyone's cards on disembarkation. DW and I both got ours back.

Thanks for confirming that Underwatr.

Hope you had an uneventful rest of the trip home.

Jeanne

BTW, did you book next Christmas?

BTW, did you book next Christmas?

Thanks for confirming that Underwatr.

 

Hope you had an uneventful rest of the trip home.

 

Jeanne

 

BTW, did you book next Christmas?

I was also surprised when they handed the card back to me on Friday. On the 22nd at the end of my first part they kept it.

Hi Erna...I hope your trip was all you hoped for and more. That was quite a wake up call to the real world....coming from the beautiful Caribbean.

Hi Erna...I hope your trip was all you hoped for and more. That was quite a wake up call to the real world....coming from the beautiful Caribbean.

Hi Brigitte,

Cruise over all was good. Snow sure was different. All in all I would not complain as I only had a five hour flight delay and not a canceled one.

Wish I could have stayed on board for the crossing back.

Erna

I was also surprised when they handed the card back to me on Friday. On the 22nd at the end of my first part they kept it.

Looks to me as if there will be a new card desigb to be introduced with th WC 2014.

[quote=tanti;41171547

Wish I could have stayed on board for the crossing back.

/QUOTE]

That says it all.

Yes. The fare wasn't as good as I had hoped but of course there was very good OBC. When my TA confirmed the booking the bottom line price was several hundred dollars below the price I booked at, so that's good. :)

Underwatr,

Good for you. I had a battle with myself about booking again. For sure, I knew if I wanted to go again I would have to quit smoking, as by next Christmas there will be no more smoking on balconies. I guess I did not have enough confidence in myself since I did not book. Quite the shame, since if I do quit before then I will not get the same deal I got for this recent trip.

I don't think I saw it mentioned already, but did anyone notice the towel situation on the first warm pool day? There were no towels available. One had to go to their cabin for them and then be sure they were returned to their cabin. Thankfully, that did not last!

I have to give a shout out to Cunard regarding forgotten luggage. Things were so crazy at the terminal that morning, combined with the fact that I had more luggage than most take for a world cruise, that I left a piece behind. I got a voice mail confirming they had it. That, as you know was Friday. It arrived yesterday, with only a $40 fee for UPS shipping. I thought that quite impressive.

Regards,

Jeanne

Some time along I had promised pictures - here are a few (I'm not as prolific a picture-taker as some others in this forum...)

Sometimes people worry about whether there will be enough parking at Red Hook. I know I was worried the first time I drive to the terminal. Here's a photo of the parking lot taken about 15 minutes before the scheduled time of the lifeboat drill. Plenty of parking available:

Here are a few examples of the Christmas decorations onboard.

Grand Lobby

Outside of Sir Samuel's / Golden Lion

Outside of Illuminations

"Snow" in the Grand Lobby

(Click on any picture for larger image options.)

On Christmas Eve there were some small packages at turndown

The pattern on the coffee cups was similar to the Christmas card signed by the commodore and senior officers.

A few in-port shots...

Docked in St. Kitts

Mimosas on the balcony (St. Kitts)

Coming into St. Maarten (Seabourn Pride is already docked)

Anchored off Torotola

Tenders at sunset, Tortola

A few in-port shots...

 

Docked in St. Kitts

 

Mimosas on the balcony (St. Kitts)

 

Coming into St. Maarten (Seabourn Pride is already docked)

 

Anchored off Torotola

 

Tenders at sunset, Tortola

Thanks, Underwatr. Brings back good memories. :) happy you had a good time too.

Underwatr,

 

Good for you. I had a battle with myself about booking again. For sure, I knew if I wanted to go again I would have to quit smoking, as by next Christmas there will be no more smoking on balconies. I guess I did not have enough confidence in myself since I did not book. Quite the shame, since if I do quit before then I will not get the same deal I got for this recent trip.

 

I don't think I saw it mentioned already, but did anyone notice the towel situation on the first warm pool day? There were no towels available. One had to go to their cabin for them and then be sure they were returned to their cabin. Thankfully, that did not last!

 

I have to give a shout out to Cunard regarding forgotten luggage. Things were so crazy at the terminal that morning, combined with the fact that I had more luggage than most take for a world cruise, that I left a piece behind. I got a voice mail confirming they had it. That, as you know was Friday. It arrived yesterday, with only a $40 fee for UPS shipping. I thought that quite impressive.

 

Regards,

 

Jeanne

Hi Jeanne, yes - about your luggage that is quite impressive. Contrast that with my experience on the Christmas 2011 cruise when one of my suitcases went missing. (We drive to and from the port.)

After we arrived home, a Cunard passenger phoned us from the airport before her flight departed to tell us that the bus driver on the Cunard Transfer to the airport dropped off all luggage at the airport, but only mine was left unclaimed. (She related that she pointed that out to the bus driver, but he took no interest in the unclaimed bag; he just drove away.)

It's a long story, and very complicated, but the point of the story is that if it wasn't for that very nice woman (a fellow Cunard passenger whom I've never had the privilege of meeting) the NYC Bomb Squad would have had a chore sorting out the bag left by the Cunard Transfer Bus agent who left a bag to fate.

I've found it's our fellow passengers and crew members that make our voyages what they are in the most unexpected, surprising ways. Cheers to all; and as the saying goes 'while the sea is large, and our ship is small '- we look out for one another, yes?

"Snow" in the Grand Lobby

I love the confetti, wish that was still part of a sail away.

And another one!

 

How did they ever get all that snow off the decks? :)