Steffisews

OzKiwiJJ, if you sew or if you have a seamstress, there are dress patterns available. Most retailers such as Neiman-Marcus and Nordstroms ship to Australia. If you will PM me, I can help, if you like.

I am In the Plus to Super Plus category and have no problem finding lovely and appropriate things to wear for formal evenings on Cunard ships. It does require a bit of work to identify places from where to purchase, but there are many many beautiful choices these days. Not like it used to be. My size 12 mother sometimes laments why aren't these gorgeous things offered in HER size? Many large size women have just given up trying to find anything appropriate for formal or dressy occasions. German women, in particular, should t as there are nice stores in Germany which offer plus to Super Plus sizes. Ulla Popken being one. My daughter lives in Oldenburg and tells me they have 3 stores which carry those size ranges. BlueRiband, excellent observation. Personally, if I had to show up at some affair wearing a name brand designer formal dress, I wouldn't be afraid. They're out there, you just have to look. In fact just today I spotted a Monique Lluhlier gown on the Neiman Marcus Last Call website for sale in plus sizes. Pricy, but available. They also had silk chiffon evening gowns in plus sizes.

It's not as strict as you imagine. I was on the QM2 Crossing last October in the Queens Grill. We got selected for an upgrade to the Queen Elizabeth Suite. There isn't anyone at the door checking labels as you enter, nor did I see anyone doing that when entering any of the ballrooms. You do see women wearing full out designer ball gowns or formal wear. The majority wear something I'd call dressy mother of the bride, or smart separates. Shoes. They'd have had ample reason to deny me entry based on footwear, but didn't. DRS/NC, you and I must be sisters; I am a 60+ solo traveler, mobility impaired (travel with a Luggie scooter), and also have to be picky about footwear for medical reasons. I completely understand. I, too, travel with what I call the Joan Rivers dressing system; black pants, black top, different colors and types of tops or jackets, and a multitude of accessories. It's served me well. For the formal nights, I had one long sleeved black sheath dress I wore with different jackets and accessories. I could have done the exact thing with silk pants or skirt and top. If I didn't get kicked out of the Queens Grill for inappropriate attire, you won't.

Thank you. I'm busy downloading my choices now.

I'm frequently not as mobile as Id like, and therefore spend time with my feet up or relaxing more. I do tend to watch movies a lot, and I wondered if anyone has had any experience with hooking up your iPad or other Apple device to the TV in your cabin and watched movies you have stored on the device. Same question for folks who have movies stored on Windows based PC? I know I can't stream movies from Netflix or Amazon out in the middle of the ocean unless I were just bent on spending money and being frustrated.

I know I need an adaptor and an HDMI cable, but has anyone actually done it, or are the TV's in our cabins disabled for this function?

Thank you for any help or advice.

I'm looking forward to this sailing. It's only my second cruise with Cunard; third in my lifetime. My mother, age 92, and I went on another Transatlantic last October. She got pneumonia the second day out, and we were confined to the cabin for the rest of the trip. We stayed in the remainder of the cruise, and I missed so much. This trip is for me to discover the QM2 and all her glories. I'm going all the way to Hamburg this time. I'll be visiting my daughter who lives in Oldenburg. I'm looking forward to just being, exploring, and getting to enjoy this marvelous time. I'll be alone, and it's ok.

I was prepared for the dress code the last time, so nothing different there.

Melb1988, last year my mother and I were upgraded to Queens Grill. I asked for seared foie gras twice, my mother escargot. It wasn't any problem.

Last year my mother and I had a Penthouse Suite booked for a Transatlantic Crossing. About 3 weeks prior to sailing, we got a call asking if we'd like to upgrade to the BIG 2 story 2500 SF cabin aboard the QM2 for, are you ready? £300 for both of us. I nearly fainted. We did have to discuss it as there's the matter of stairs which neither one of us can navigate any more. We would up turning it down because of the stairs, but Cunard offered us the Queen Elizabeth Suite for a reduced price! We were stunned, but accepted happily.

It was spectacular, and we thoroughly enjoyed every moment. Then, on Day 2, Mom got horrible bronchitis, and aside from 2 visits to the Doc, she was confined to bed. But, if you have to be sick and in bed, you could do a lot worse that where we were. It was glorious.

I'm going to Hamburg on 21-June and have a cabin in Steerage this time. I keep hoping I'll get the magic phone call asking if I'd be interested in an upgrade, but it doesn't appear as though it's going to happen. I certainly wouldn't think they'd offer me as spectacular an upgrade as before. I can hope.

I'm still going to pop into the pursers office when I board and ask if there are any available.

No matter, it's still the Queen, and I'm going to revel in every moment.

Thank you for this. We just got upgraded from Penthouse to Queen Elizabeth! Excited is correct.

I had also wondered what was I going to do with a Butler, but I now have an excellent idea. We'll keep him/her a little busy as we are really low maintenance.

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My mother and I are both sailing on QM2 on 28-October to Northampton. We both use mobility scooters. Ours are the small, collapsible Luggie scooters. At first they said we would have to book accessible cabins. I talked further and said these are smaller, collapsible, fit into the cabin easily and we can and do handle them ourselves. There was some discussion, and the final ruling was we could keep our original booking in one of the Penthouses with our scooters. I asked why the change of mind? I was told because the scooter will fit through the door and not be parked outside, we can handle it, and it's collapsible. Also, that for the most part, we are mobile. The thing they kept emphasizing was that our scooters can go through doorways with no problem, and that we can handle them ourselves, completely. We won't need Cunard staff to help us.

I don't know if this will help. I will say I love my Luggie scooter for travel. We both have the standard size mobility scooter at home as well. Having taken those on a Royal Caribbean cruise, the Luggie is much more convenient.

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I'm a Luggie user. I've had one for about 2 years. I'm a frequent airline traveler on business and will take my Luggie on it's first cruise in October on the QM2.

Yes, they did at first tell me I had to book a handicapped cabin. I'm going with my mother, and we are booked into a penthouse cabin. We are both Luggie users. I explained that the Luggie is a British product, we can each handle the scooter ourselves, and it folds up. The Cunard rep checked with someone and approved it.

I love my Luggie. I also have a larger scooter that comes apart in pieces. Yes, it is more comfortable for sitting in with longer stretches, but there are things you can do to increase that comfort while sitting on the Luggie. I got a gel pad like what competition bicycle riders use for my Luggie. It's very nice, and while it isn't mounted permanently, mine has a handle in the middle for easy folding and un folding. I put on a bicycle rear view mirror and bell since there is no horn.

The ease by which I can go places and navigate through big airports like MIA and LAS is wonderful. I travel a lot internationally and it's never been a problem.

The narrow foot board doesn't bother me, but I can understand why it would be an issue for some folks. I'm a big woman (upper 200's) and I ride the Deluxe model with no problem. I've been considering upgrading to the Elite since it has a higher weight rating and better battery. If I don't do anything else, I am going to get another battery for the upcoming cruise.

Yes, there are rare occasions my Luggie has a problem with steep inclines and it has to be pushed, but there haven't been many. I'm hoping if I upgrade or get the more powerful battery it will solve the problem.

I can handle it easily for putting in my car, but I also have a lift which was installed to carry the larger scooter. The Luggie fits easily into rental cars and taxi cabs. When I'm traveling with someone, my Luggie is much easier for my companion to either help me with or wait for me while it's being examined by TSA.

Hope this helps someone. Oh, some of your scooter rental places will let you rent a scooter for a few days so you can check it out for yourself.

Stefanie

I'm a Luggie user. I've had one for about 2 years. I'm a frequent airline traveler on business and will take my Luggie on it's first cruise in October on the QM2.

Yes, they did at first tell me I had to book a handicapped cabin. I'm going with my mother, and we are booked into a penthouse cabin. We are both Luggie users. I explained that the Luggie is a British product, we can each handle the scooter ourselves, and it folds up. The Cunard rep checked with someone and approved it.

I love my Luggie. I also have a larger scooter that comes apart in pieces. Yes, it is more comfortable for sitting in with longer stretches, but there are things you can do to increase that comfort while sitting on the Luggie. I got a gel pad like what competition bicycle riders use for my Luggie. It's very nice, and while it isn't mounted permanently, mine has a handle in the middle for easy folding and un folding. I put on a bicycle rear view mirror and bell since there is no horn.

The ease by which I can go places and navigate through big airports like MIA and LAS is wonderful. I travel a lot internationally and it's never been a problem.

The narrow foot board doesn't bother me, but I can understand why it would be an issue for some folks. I'm a big woman (upper 200's) and I ride the Deluxe model with no problem. I've been considering upgrading to the Elite since it has a higher weight rating and better battery. If I don't do anything else, I am going to get another battery for the upcoming cruise.

Yes, there are rare occasions my Luggie has a problem with steep inclines and it has to be pushed, but there haven't been many. I'm hoping if I upgrade or get the more powerful battery it will solve the problem.

I can handle it easily for putting in my car, but I also have a lift which was installed to carry the larger scooter. The Luggie fits easily into rental cars and taxi cabs. When I'm traveling with someone, my Luggie is much easier for my companion to either help me with or wait for me while it's being examined by TSA.

Hope this helps someone. Oh, some of your scooter rental places will let you rent a scooter for a few days so you can check it out for yourself.

Stefanie

Price is the driver only in that I think a price of 6k per person for a business class airline ticket, one way, from London to Tampa is ludicrous. But, I could be unrealistic in my expectations as well.

Oh, I LOVE the idea of the train from Cincinnatti to Tampa. We've traveled by train a lot in the past, never found anything much to complain about. We usually get the handicapped accomodations and it's fine.

I think the problem might be solved by Aer Lingus. Yes, we could have changed our departure date to the 12th and returned on the Queen. That was starting to look like a good choice, and we were fine with doing it. What I truly wanted to avoid was a scenario where we wound up having to pay those big prices to get back to the US and then still face another flight from say NY to Tampa. Or worse, Miami to Tampa. I loathe the Miami airport and will do a lot to avoid it. Orlando is fine. ORL is just a bit more in driving time than is TPA to home, so not an issue.

Once again, thank you everyone. I appreciate your expert advice for this newbie.

Thank you everyone for the quick and informative responses.

Yes, I did ask about the CompleteAir service. We'll be flying from Tampa to New York to get on the ship. Our problem is we will not be returning until 15-November. We'll have arrived in Northampton on 04-November. We'll be spending the rest of our time in London and touring Scotland. Yes, coming home would prefer London to Tampa or Orlando. What I'm trying to avoid is Miami. Again I'm just all confused because I have too many choices.

Thanks for the tip on Aer Lingus. I hadn't checked them out. As luck would have it, Virgin America has a flight from Glasgow to Orlando, but it stops on October 31st. That would have been perfect.

Repositioning. Will have to look into that possibility.

Thanks very much.

Hello, all.

I'm almost finished with the plans for our big vacation in November. We will be going across on the QM2 on October 28th.

My question is about returning to the US. Im having problems in finding suitable transport. When we look for flights home to Tampa, FL from London, business class one way is about 8K per person. Even coach is about 6K per person. I dont know if we'd be better off to leave for home from either Edinburgh or Glasgow. I tried asking Cunard, and they werent much help with the air portion. I did inquire about booking passage from Southampton back to NY, and since we had used Cunard to cross, if perhaps there were special pricing? The answer was, no.

So I am a bit stuck. I dont know how we are going to get home without spending an absolute fortune. If it comes down to it, I'll opt for another crossing on the QM2 rather than by plane. Or is there another cruise line we could get out of a location in the UK which would get us back to the US in a reasonable amount of time?

Thank you for any assistance. As its my first time planning this, I'm a bit mystified by some things.

Goodness! Many thanks for the warm and generous welcome. You folks know how to treat a girl.

I don't think I'll EVER forget about disembarkation again :) My mother said that some years ago she saw a man dressed in a sheet retrieving bags. I can't imagine.

Thank you everyone for the advice and observations about those of us with limited mobility. It's hard to accept, but I'm not going to give up and stay home; out of sight and moldering away. My mom is a huge inspiration. She's 91, truly sharp as can be, very active, and has just recently needed a little help with the scooter for large distances. She's always loved to travel, and this trip is special in many ways. The people we are going to visit with in Perth are friends born of a failed romance 30+ years ago. Then, one of the places we are going to visit is the ancestral home of my late husband. I've been there before, with him, about 15 years ago. This visit I'm going to scatter some of his ashes at the ruins of the home where his great grandfather lived before he came to America, and visit with family there.

Oh, thank you for the note regarding the foie gras. Don't want it every day, but it's nice to know I can have it.

SSCAF001, thanks for the note about our cabin and the view. I did call Cunard to see if we could change, but all Penthouse cabins were occupied. I console myself with the thought we likely won't be spending a lot of time on the balcony in late October anyway.

We are so looking forward to this trip. It's truly a dream come true.

Stefanie

Thank you for the prompt, informative answers, Peppern and Bkecky.

I'm not likely to forget disembarkation day. On my first cruise I didn't put out a blouse to wear, necessitating me getting off the ship wearing my long, long sleeved nightgown off the ship. Tastefully draped over my arm as if it were who knows what. Then, I had to walk to the parking lot and retrieve the car in that fetching ensemble. I'm sure I'm not the first, nor the last to have it happen. It's good I'm not one who sleeps in the nude.

Hello, all. This is my first post here. I apologize in advance for repeating any other 'newbie' or other first timers questions, but I can't seem to find answers elsewhere.

My 91 y/o mother and I are fulfilling lifetime dreams by going on the QM2 in one of the Penthouse cabins to Southampton in October, 2014. From there we will be going to London for a few days where we will meet up with my brother. From London we will go via train to Perth, Scotland where we have friends. Perth will be our base, as we have several side trips arranged. We'll rent a car for those. Then return home to Florida via air.

I'm curious about several things.

1. My mother and I are what I call semi-handicapped. Meaning we both use mobility scooters for long distances, and we can't navigate stairs very well. Has anyone seen people on the ship in mobility scooters? Do you know how the experience has been for someone in a scooter? We got the okay from Cunard to take our scooters and not have to be in an accessible cabin as they are small, brand name 'Luggie', collapsible, can easily be stored in our cabin, and we can handle them ourselves. I travel via air extensively with mine.

2. We will be in Cabin 9060 and I'm concerned that we will have lifeboats blocking our view. Cunard says not, but in looking at video found on YouTube and deck plans, it appears there is reason for me to be concerned. Does anyone know?

3. The 2 story suites. We are looking at these as a possibility for upgrading ourselves. With stairs being a bit problematic, does anyone know if you can use the elevator to access the floor where the bedroom is located, and if there is a door to access that level? I would imagine so, but somehow I can't find it on any of the deck plans.

4. Does Cunard frown on taking breakfast in the cabin daily? A personal quirk of mine is that I hate to get up, get dressed and then go to breakfast.

5. We will be on the ship for Halloween. Will there be anything special for that,

or is it not observed?

6. I read you can request special dishes. I adore foie gras. Will I be able to request it? Is there an additional charge?

7. Is there anything in particular I need to be aware of so as not to distinguish myself as a rank newcomer once aboard? I'm a fairly seasoned traveler, but this will only be my 2nd cruise. My mother is an extremely seasoned traveler. She and my late father traveled extensively, and as a family we have lived in rather a few foreign countries. My late father was a geophysicist until he started his own company some years later and we settled in Tampa, Fl. I'm terrified of doing something to set myself apart; even at my age. I speak several languages and unless you are the Devil himself having a particularly bad day, I can usually get along with anyone.

Thank you for any help. I'm SO excited!

Stefanie

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