NYCSev20

9 hours ago, NE John said:

Brownish casual shoes

My son picked up a pair of these before they were everywhere.  He would call them casual as well.

2 hours ago, SusieAV8R said:

As a criminal defense attorney in court daily, I rarely see males not wearing a suit and tie.

We are mostly corporate and banking and finance but for sure a suit when in court but never in the office that I have seen.

9 hours ago, Dancer Bob said:

A bit overwhelming for a beginner

Thanks Dancer Bob, I'll try a local place near me.  The Catskills sounds like something in the future if I really enjoy it. 

11 hours ago, ballroom-cruisers said:

I would try to take a few lessons at a local dance school if you can. Most people start with basic waltz for ballroom and cha cha for Latin. The advantage of a human dance teacher is that you can ask questions and they can see what you're doing and offer advice on fixing basic faults. I'd also find the teacher with the best reputation near you for ballroom teaching, if possible. Don't worry about being on the dance floor as a beginner. The more experienced dancers should have no problems going past or holding on the spot until there is space to move. Either way have fun learning.

Thank you.  There is a place close to where I live and they have been around for years so I'll look into it.  

15 minutes ago, NE John said:

Fancy trainers/sneakers/tennis shoes are the rage now among male office workers, even wearing them while wearing a suit. Brownish casual shoes with a white band around the sole. To me it looks out of place. 
Hopefully just a fad. 

Same in my office but rarely see a suit now.  I don’t think it’s a fad and that’s ok, suits will never be the norm for men in the office again.  I think Cunard can capitalize on this with a small fleet but eventually the younger generation will be the older. 

Am I missing something here with the dress code?  I am taking my first and possibly only cruise next year, a crossing on QM2 from Hamburg to NYC.  I will be in a solo cabin so definetly not Grills but I don't think it should matter.  From my research I will be purchasing a tuxedo for Gala nights.  Lunch will be dress shirt and jacket, probably a tie but it doesn't seem necessary and I will adjust according to my table.  Dinner will be suit and tie or jacket and tie.  I haven't worn a tuxedo since my wedding a long time ago and l'm looking forward to the gala nights.  The dress code at my office in NYC since the pandemic has been reduced to almost anything goes and I'm not an attorney and certanily not a partner.  I find this a little disturbing but my days in the office are numbered but I refuse to wean jeans.

This is what I understand to be the code on QM2 without ever sailing and one of the reasons I booked it.  Just a little browsing on the Cunard website gives a clear indication what is appropriate and it seems some passengers are looking to move more casual when I think they should move towards more formal.  

A little bit of a rant but these are my observations from a soon to be first time Cunard passenger.

This has been an interesting thread and maybe a little disappointing to be honest.  I am taking my first cruise on a solo crossing next year and was looking forward to the onboard lessons.  I always wanted to lean but my wife has never been interested so I thought this would be a good opportunity.  I hope they continue with the host dancers and lessons. 

I think I should learn a little before then so what is the one dance all of you excellent dancers suggest  for a beginner?  One that is the easy to learn that is enjoyable for a few dances a night that I might become proficient enough to not disrupt everyone else on the dance floor and hopefully not embarrass myself. YouTube has a lot of sights for online lessons, any suggestions?  

1 hour ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

As a solo, I always do fixed dining and ask for a large table. I don't mind breakfast or lunch alone, but I don't like having dinner on my own.

What size table for the dinner do you suggest?  I am taking my first ever cruise, a TA solo on QM2, and have no idea if it should be a 6, 8, or 10.  Also, what are the pros/cons of early/late?

11 hours ago, old fool said:

I couldn't agree more with this. Forget the expensive car thing.....

You could avoid the Uber ride and take the small ferry from Red Hook to Wall St. leaves less than 200 yards from where you exit the cruise terminal!!! Just show up there, it runs frequently, and enjoy the great view of the city from the water for less than $4 each way.

I agree, skip the Uber.  I don't use the ferries so I'm not familir with them. In fact, my first visit to Red Hook will be on my westbound TA Oct. '24, my first ever on any line.  

7 minutes ago, frankp01 said:

I thought you meant by ferry to E 34th St. Transfers are included, so one fare covers red Hook to Wall St, then Wall St to E 34th.

Not up to mid town for the Christmas lights and windows.  That’s a hike to and from the 34 st. ferry plus a lot faster by the subway.

I am going to explore the ferries just for fun though.

Just now, frankp01 said:

No, it's $8 round trip 

Plus $2.75 each way up town from Pier 11.

13 minutes ago, frankp01 said:

And riding the ferry is so much more pleasant than the subway.

No doubt about that and I haven’t been on a ferry yet.

7 minutes ago, frankp01 said:

The ferries are a lot of fun, especially when approaching the QM2 from the water. The fare recently went up, but it's still a good deal: $4 per trip, with free connections to other routes.

So $13.50 round trip from Red Hook to Mid-Town with no traffic.  That’s a great deal!

11 minutes ago, frankp01 said:

If starting and ending in lower Manhattan, why not use the ferry from Red Hook to Wall St, and back.

Even better!  I have never used the water taxis or ferries here so I’m not familiar with where they land or how much they cost.  I come to the Wall Street area from Queens every day and use just the subways.

14 hours ago, tony s said:

As a NY native I would not hire a car for the Rockefeller Center tree or Saks ad where it’s located on 5th Avenue is a parking lot during that time. Take public transportation plus the view is better 

I second Tony.  A quick idea is to take an Uber to the South Ferry and a trip on the Statan Island Ferry and back, always great views.  I haven't taken friends on this in a while but you used to be able to stay on in Statan Island and not have to pay for the return. There is a nice tree at the NY Stock Exchange on Wall Street that a lot of people don't see.  From South Ferry take the number 1 subway up to Penn Station. From there it is not too much of a walk to Hearld Square (Macy's), Times Square, Bryant Park, Rockefeller Center, Sak's and St. Patrick's Cathedral.  After that head down to see Grand Central then on the 4 or 5 subway back down to the South Ferry (Bowling Green stop) and another Uber back to Brooklyn. Not sure what the Ubers would be but could probably do all that for less than $75.

21 hours ago, PSAdams said:

I just contacted the specialist travel agency in Chicago and they can only take over direct bookings within 60 days. We didn't get into details of benefits, but talked a bit about the process for future bookings. There are benefits from their "V" status.

Thank you.  I'll give them a call and see what, if any, benefits there might be. I'm spending a few days in Prague then taking a train to Hamburg for a couple days before boarding west bound TA, Oct. '24.  I have a solo cabin and I will be booking my hotels through miles so I don't think there will be much benefit for either of us.  This is my first and probably only cruise since my family is not interested but after reading these threads it seems that might change.  I've also decided to FedEx my formal/cruise cloths to my hotel in Hamburg saving me the trouble of traveling with an extra suitcase. 

11 hours ago, PSAdams said:

Hi, this is more of a related question. I have booked direct with Cunard US and am happy to have secured the cabin I wanted, but am also aware of a Cunard specialist agency in Chicago that could take over my booking. Has anyone done this before? Is there an advantage after booking is done? Maybe for flights? I also booked direct with the airline, not through Cunard. Thanks!

I also booked direct with Cunard US and have booked the cabin that I wanted.  I origionaly contacted a Cunard specialist in the UK but was told due to cruise line and/or UK TA policies I could not be represented by a TA in the UK.  I am aware of the "Cunard specialist agency in Chicago" and I'm curious if anyone has any expierience with contacting them or another TA after booking and what any benefits their might be.  

Just now, Frank183 said:

Thank you so much, I just can't seem to find it. Would anybody have a screenshot? Can we do this also during checkin?

38 minutes ago, Frank183 said:

One more question. I just received an email from Cunard that I could choose my favourite dinner time on their website, but I just can't seem find this section, can anybody advise?

 

Thanks a lot and best regards
Frank

It's on your My Cunard page.  Booking Summary Tab then scroll down to just under the Pre-Cruise Checklist, there are two tabs for Bed Configuration and Dining Choice.