Pear Carr

Thanks for the update - I will do some more research!

What are the issues with Spencer Ambrose tour - we are booked on this in December.

I am struggling to see the drastic decline in service/food choices etc., between June and October - do you think they have cut back/laid off staff in the last 3 months? We had an amazing time with top service and food.

I think this will be due to additional tax in Spanish waters!

Sounds very suspect to me - why can you go ashore on a cruise excursion but not independently? As far as I can see all passport holders are eligible to disembark ‘U.S. citizens do not require a Tourist Visa to enter Gibraltar. However, a U.S. passport is required: Your U.S. passport must be valid for a minimum of 6 months from the date you plan to depart Gibraltar.’

I would imagine you would be referred to the terms and conditions which we should all scrutinise but likely rarely do. Something for us all to consider when booking on board or on ‘special incentives’.

Loving your enthusiasm and detail - need you to continue cruise hopping so we can ride along! Thanks for your time and effort!

You made the right decision - that lunch beats any hassle you would have had organising a whistle stop day in Rome!

Bit skinny with the chips with the burger - have you sneaked a few before the snap?

Some choice there! Hope you enjoy the pub and I’m sure lots to see throughout the ship.

The PG cabins are much more spacious on QM2 than QV and QE and given you are on a TA you will get full use of the dining room. The grills lounge is not as nice and I can’t imagine you will get much use of the grills terrace in January. You have to decide if a more select dining experience is worth a punt for £1800.

I would second this - you obviously enjoy people watching so if nothing else it will add to your experience!

You do know that with Cunard you can carry on what you like in terms of alcohol/drinks etc!

Really enjoying your very detailed live report - had to start at the beginning to make sure I get the full experience! Good to hear you are enjoying the food in Britannia (hopefully service will improve for you) and the Golden Lion. We generally never eat in Kings Court, unless for the speciality dining, preferring room service as an alternative if we miss lunch/breakfast due to ports of call/excursions. Hope the rest of your trip goes well and thanks for taking the time to post.

Thank you for your detailed report on your Princess Grill experience on QM2 - in comparison can you confirm if you felt it was worth the upgrade from Britannia?

I’m from this side of the pond and am with Mudhen. Real comfort food is tomato soup (Heinz cream of) with a toasted cheese (with/without ham) buttered on the outside and fried till crispy brown. Dipping dependent on mood - either way a mood lifter.

Given that 19th November TA is the Literary Festival at sea I would imagine the focus will be on the many organised events in on board.

Future cruise deposits/credits (to book at a later date) are no longer available to those from UK - no idea why we are now excluded from this benefit.

Sorry amount dependent

Yes additional onboard credit if booking Cunard fare - dependent on cabin class/length of cruise.

Sounds a bit stingy for QG - where’s the champers?

Yes, in fact our butler left us a new bottle of Hendrik’s the morning before disembarking as he thought we were running low!

If you are considering this as a one time event ‘splurge’ then you can do no better than a December crossing! As already stated the weather can’t be predicted - other than it will be cold in December and have shorter daylight hours. The December crossings are unique in terms of festive decorations/activities and amazing atmosphere. The QM2 can hold her own in all weathers but go for a mid ship lower deck if concerned about movement.

Get a Doctors note and claim off your insurance - will only loose your excess.

But they are land based! We cruise because we like to be at sea and particularly enjoy our sea days on a transatlantic crossing.