Jack E Dawson

Thanks sfred and gumshoe958. I was not even aware that I could fly into Southampton, that would be great. One of the agents I spoke to at Are Lingus did mention CTA but that was something I was not familiar with. With this information we will move forward and see if we can make it all work. Thanks again Jack

We have just been invited to join friends for a Westbound Crossing on the QM2 departing in June. The price is right for the cruise but airfares are high. Our best deal is Are Lingus from Chicago to LHR with a change of planes in Dublin, however, the flight lands the same day as embarkation which we have never done before. Here is my question, coming from Dublin, will we still have to clear Customs and Immigration at LHR or will that happen in Dublin. I have spoken to Are Lingus 3 times and been told that we will only have to clear in Dublin, that we will clear at LHR and that we will have to clear at both locations. Does anyone have any recent actual experience please? Thanks Jack

Stick-Monkey, We have disembarked from the QM2 in Brooklyn on 4 occasions and we far prefer self-disembarkation but have done it both ways. We usually have two roller bags (slightly larger than yours), a maximum size carry-on bag and a backpack. We are in our mid 70's and have never had a problem. There are two oversized elevators to get you down to ground level. The advantages are: - You don't need to finish your packing until the morning of disembarkation. - If, in the morning, you unexpectedly need to make a wardrobe change or packed something you need, you still have your bags. - We like getting an early start and breezing through US Customs. But, with self-disembarkation you can pretty much get off when you want if you prefer a relaxing breakfast. There currently is no Global Entry in Brooklyn. Our experience was that NOT doing self-disembarkation resulted in a lot of "hurry up and wait". Hope this helps, and enjoy your voyage. Jack

Archipelago, If you go to the Cunard web site and look under What To Pack, you will find that "Smart attire simply means a dress shirt and trousers," So a polo shirt really doesn't meet the dress code for the Main Dining Room or Grills restaurants but is fine for the Ledo buffet area. With that said, you will see a small smattering of polo shirts in the MDR, mostly on the first night of the voyage. After that, polo shirts tend to disappear as most of those gentleman see what's going on and rise to the occasion. Jack

babe 135, Sorry if I am misunderstanding your point here. Also, I'm aware that not all promotions that are offered here in the States are available in the UK. We recently booked a cruise on the Queen Victoria and we upgraded to Princess Grills. That upgrade came with free gratuities, free drinks package, access to the Princess Grills restaurant, the Grills lounge and the two Gills terrace levels. Also included in the upgrade is priority boarding. Does this have any similarities at all to Princess Plus or Have It All. I've on Cunard. Thanks Jack

My vote for Best Posting of the Year Jack

For those of you in the States, I thought this "answer" on today's Jeopardy show was interesting.Does everyone know the question? Jack

Thank you NE John. Fraser did a great job with his video and it was really interesting to see "our" cruise captured by a fellow traveler. Ironically, Dee and I were also on the Queen Mary the day before, as was Fraser, and think he may have obliged in taking a picture of us. Its a small world. Thanks again. Jack

My wife and I are both very sensative to cigar smoke and have never smelled it in the Commodore Club or in the passageway until one night on a Crossing in May of 2022. It was around 10:30PM (22:30) when we and almost everyone in the Commodore Club noticed the strong smell of cigar smoke. My first though was that someone or something was holding the door open to Curchill's Cigar lounge, so I walked over to see if I could get it closed. When I got there the door was closed and one of the bartenders was also there. He explained that the smoke processing system had gone down but that Maintenance had already been notified. He also informed me that the cigar lounge would be closed until the problem was resolved and that he had asked the two gentalmen in the lounge if they would mind leaving, which they graciously did. The next evening all was back to normal. Jack

Thank you tjunmin, your photos are REMARKABLE!!!! The composition, color and essence, all beautifully captured. And I'm sure you are not hauling around your own lighting. If you don't mind me asking, what camera equipment are you using? Again, thank you so much. I hope you find Cunard to your taste and have the opportunity to sail all 4 ships. Jack

DreamingOfSunnyDays, I don't think they have barbells in the sense of "free weights" but they do have machines that let you do a bench press. The only free weights are hand weights and kettlebells. And you are correct, the motion of the ship can add a degree of difficulty, at least it does for me. Jack

Well done Drumbeat16, I think you will be very please with you Club experience. We have sailed both Britannia and Britannia Club on the QM2 and find that, in addition to the anytime dedicated table dining, there are many subtle differences that really enhance the Club experience. Don't forget the candied ginger!!!!!!! All the best, Jack

A great cabin and cabin location. You will be very pleased. Jack

I believe the OP said AUD$35 per night per cabin not per person. Plus in Club you get anytime dining at the same table with the same staff. Jack

We sailed in 12022 on a Crossing and did not have an issue with motion sickness even though there was some rough days. In my opinion, the upgrade to Club is well worth the AUD$35/night/cabin. If you are prone to motion sickness, I strongly suggest you bring a bag of candied ginger with you. Chew a piece in the morning and then again in the afternoon. It is an amazing seasickness preventative. Jack