Jack E Dawson

Considering all that is involved, in addition to a significant amount of money, Flatbush Flyer is exactly right. Get with a professional insurance broker and get it in writing. We have used InsureMyTrip and had to file a claim. They came through like champs. All the best to you and your wife. Jack

MCC retired, On our Crossing last month out of SH we were traveling with friends who received a boarding time 2 hours earlier than us. We are Gold level and it was their first time on Cunard. We had an unobstructed Britannia balcony and they had a sheltered balcony. I can't figure out the rhyme or reason to the Cunard boarding schedule. I suspect it that it might just be completely random except for Grills, Diamond and Platinum. At the terminal there certainly was no attention paid to individual assigned boarding times. It was first come - first serve. Jack

Dee and I have always made a fun event out of selecting what to bring and packing. Its a way of stretching out the trip for us. About a month before departure we open a bottle of champagne and make an evening of selecting what we are going to wear. I put on my tuxedo, to make sure it still fits and that I remember how to tie a bow tie. Dee tries on and models all the dress/shoe/accessary possibilities for both casual and formal nights. The goal of the evening is to narrow down and select what we will be wearing for each of the 7 nights and what we are going to wear on the plane. A digital picture is taken of each outfit and stored on one of our phones. Then about a week before departure we layout all of the daytime clothes we plan to bring. Finally, 2 nights before departure we do the actual packing. Of course we each have a large checked bag and a small carry-on bag. Packing night usually turns up some surprises but doing this 2 nights before departing gives us a day to make last minute changes. Shoes are probably the biggest challenge of packing since they are bulky and take up a lot of space. I try to limit myself to 3 pair and Dee to 4 pair. To make the best use of space we stuff our socks inside of our shoes. Probably a case of TMI but I hope this helps. Jack

You are welcome 3rdGenCunarder. Dee and I have benefited so much from the objective reviews and advice from CruiseCritic posters. While we would have enjoyed our first Crossing on the QM2 in 2017, it was made so much better by CruiseCritic. Even on this most recent Crossing, our third, we boarded armed with more great advice and knowledge from this Board. Jack

No problem. I submitted my review and will wait to see if/when posted. Thanks Jack

Will be happy to Host Hattie Jack

I'm curious to see if Cunard will let you do that. I was under the impression that both people in the cabin had to order the higher priced package. Would appreciate if you would post what Cunard tells you. Thanks Jack

D&N, Some people just make style and fashion look so easy and so much fun. Consider yourselves in that group. Next time there is more wailing and gnashing of teeth about having to dress up on board I may just post pictures of you guys. Thanks Jack

Dee and I both remember seeing you on the QM2. Too bad we were not able to connect. Hopefully our paths will cross again. In any case, I think we all had a great voyage. In my experience, if you watch Cunard prices they can fluctuate dramatically. However, if you have the flexibility to travel with less than 90 days lead time and are not cabin/class focused, some great deals can be had. Jack

Well now you tell me exlondoner:) We chose that train because it left from Victoria Station, walking distance from our hotel, and because it was cheap. I originally said $28 but it was actually 28 Pounds. Would loved to have done it in an hour but we did not want to have to take the tube or cab to get to the train station. Next time I will know better. Thanks Jack

Techteach, We had 2 large rollers and 2 carry-ons. The train was never very full so we just stacked them on the seat in front of us. The conductor was fine with that. Jack

Would this be you or your brother-in-law? Sorry about the quality/lighting of the photo. Jack

ICEX21 Also wanted to mention that Dee got COVID last week. That just confirms our decision to move forward with life but try and make smart decisions. Jack

So good to hear you enjoyed your first Crossing. Dee and I had hoped that we might have had a chance meeting onboard. I think we may have been close a few times. We saw/heard the American Bull Dog. We were just heading into security when they were coming into the terminal and getting their initial document check. We were in the first seating and had a window table on the upper level on the starboard side. We also plan to do another Crossing next year but it will be a last minute booking (inside of 90 days) and driven by pricing. Jack

ICEX21, Things are just so fluid right now with COVID restrictions. I think we were fortunate that our Crossing was the first to drop masking requirements. Even though we still choose to mask in the theaters, we found the atmosphere on board to be pretty relaxed. Was that your experience. Jack

schattenfell, We recently did the reverse schedule of what you are planning, spending a week in London first then sailing on the QM2. We booked our train from London to Southampton through The Train Line, see link below. The train runs between London Victoria Station, which is walking distance to your hotel, and the Central Southampton station, a very short cab ride from the terminal where the QM2 docks. The train takes 2 1/2 hours. We were very surprised by how much the prices varied by what time you traveled. There were 4 of us, so we got a group discount, and paid $28 per person for First Class. However, the train after ours was $126 per person. Crazy. Jack

On May 1st we landed in London where we spent a week sightseeing. We mainly explored outside venues and uncrowded inside sites, always wearing a mask indoors. On May 8th we boarded the QM2 bound for NYC. We wore masks in the Royal Court and Illuminations theaters. On Sunday May 15th we arrived home to Chicago. Dee spent the next day, Monday, snuggling with and reading to our youngest grandchild. The next morning he tested positive for COVID. That Friday Dee tested positive. Fortunately her symptoms, and his, are mild. Dee and I gave a lot of thought to canceling this voyage. We are so glad now that we didn't but instead moved forward with our lives, made the best decisions that we could and had a wonderful time. We are so grateful to the staff and crew of the QM2 who made this wonderful voyage happen. Jack

I spot checked 4 of the drinks and they were the same as elsewhere on the ship on our May 8th Crossing on the QM2. Thanks so much rakkor. Jack

Wonderful report mcloaked. We noticed the same lack of proper ballroom dancing music as our May 8th Crossing progressed. Thanks, Jack

Thorswife59, Hopefully you are onboard the QM2 and sipping Pol Acker as you depart Southampton. There will be no COVID test prior to disembarkation in NYC. This was discontinued on our may 8th Crossing. There wasn't even a health form. We were very surprised when informed but relieved as well. There were no COVID questions when we cleared Customs. Have a great Crossing. Jack

There were desktop computers in the Library that were being used by passengers. However, I don't know what all they were able able to do on those computers. I did not pass by the computer room. Jack

I think we are OK Host Hattie. Thanks Jack

Congratulations Weebo15. Enjoy your voyage and would love to hear your first impressions of traveling on the QM2 Jack

Thanks HH, didn't mean to keep you up late. Jack

Folks, As the Original Poster of this thread, I feel it has been a bit hijacked. My purpose was to pay it forward for all of the help and good advice we got from CruiseCritic by letting near future QM2 cruisers know what they might expect onboard so their trip might be more enjoyable. While I can only ask please, if your discussion is about whether or not Cunard is a luxury cruise line, or some other topic, you may want to start your own thread. Thanks Jack