3rdGenCunarder

Chair hogs, loud music, screaming kids, lack of shade (not all of this on HAL) are why I don't risk a cruise without a balcony. I want to know there will be somewhere that I can find fresh air and peace.

I agree that theft would be the most likely problem if a door is left open. That's all the more reason for security to come to the cabin, just to establish a record in case anything turns out to be missing.

I agree. I thought the point of calling Guest Relations was that they would know who should take care of a particular issue and forward the message to them.

There is also the issue of when your color really will be called. I don't think I've ever left a Cunard ship at the promised time (except for self debark), certainly not in the last few years. You can leave before they call your tag color/number, but there's a chance your luggage won't be ready for you, and you'll just be in the way. Sometimes they're still sorting luggage for later tags while they're calling earlier tags.

Yes, it is a lot of walking. I checked with the staff the day before my departure to see when they begin check-in. I was told "11-ish." and that's when they started. I was on the cruise before yours, and they seated priority passengers in a separate section of the waiting area (close to the gangway exit, as you said). When they were ready for us to board, they sent us off by row, not status. I guess it depends on who's in charge of the area on a given day. They took guests in wheelchairs out to the hallway first, then lined them up to one side so the rest of the priority passengers could go by. I think that's the point where terminal staff hand off wheelchair guests to be pushed the rest of the way by ship staff.

You might stop by the buffet, where there will be plenty set out so that you have a reasonable sample for your research.

And then some!!! So happy that there has been progress. There's time yet for a balcony to open up for the second half. People cancel for all sorts of reasons, even at the last minute. And the big thing is you'll be on the ship!!!

Yeah, I thought of that, too. Amazingly narrow minds, perhaps?

My father sailed home on Mauretania at the end of WWII. Here she is, courtesy of Stephen Card.

I thought I'd walked by all of the memorabilia on QM2, but I missed this one. Must remember to look for it next time. Thanks for posting it because it makes my point about being generic. On the other ships, something will catch my eye and I'll think, "ooh, look at that!" and stop to look and read the label. Nothing on QA made me stop and have one of those moments.

We had the same experience. Someone at my table asked about it and was told only for the flambes. We had crepes Suzette the last night, but I don't remember which liqueur they used.

Funny, I was on QE in June 2022, and we had a shortage of Grand Marnier, too.

I don't know what you were expecting, but Cunard's scones are REAL tea scones, made on board. And yes, the clotted cream is REAL clotted cream. In answer to a question above, even the "rowers" get real clotted cream, not just the grills passengers. Scone dough is rolled or patted flat and cut with a round cutter (like a biscuit cutter or cookie cutter) That's why they come out the same size. It isn't a machine that makes them the same size, it's the standard size of the cutter. The fact that the dough is rolled is why the top is smooth. Cunard may brush the tops with egg white to give them a shine. In the US (and perhaps Canada, based on your reaction to uniformly made scones), it's common to see all manner of biscuits (biscuits in the US sense, not a cookie) passed off as scones. They aren't rolled or patted flat. Instead, they're "drop scones," which means blobs of dough are dropped onto a cooking sheet. That technique produces a rough outer surface. US scones often have more butter and sugar as well as more/different inclusions, such as various fruits and nuts. I've even seen recipes that call for eggs. This produces a richer and sweeter product. I like them, but they aren't proper tea scones and they do not need the added richness of clotted cream. Oh dear! Mine aren't that bad, but Cunard's are better.

I was on the third voyage and each new plaque would be displayed at the purser's desk, which I thought was nice. Toward the end, I asked someone where they would hang the plaques and was told "they're going up today." sure enough, they're in a hallway near the buffet. I thought I'd taken a picture, but I can't find it.

Ignoring the history was one of the things I found disappointing about QA. She's pretty, but she doesn't feel like Cunard. She feels generic. I missed the paintings and memorabilia that give a ship its Cunardness (for want of a better term). I hope they do something about that.

I am so sorry this is dragging on! I agree, call Cunard. Tell them you would like to know what your new confirmation number(s) is/are so that you can sign in. Ask to speak to a supervisor, if necessary. When you call, does the phone menu offer the option to speak to someone at World Club? This line is supposed to be for diamond and (I think) platinum past passengers, and I know you aren't, but it might be worth a try. They are usually lovely, informed people. They won't be able to help you sort out the bookings, but they might be able to see if anything is booked in your name. Also keep calling the TA. Ask why they aren't giving you specifics. Okay, maybe not cabin numbers, as you're likely a guarantee on any cabin they've booked for you. But there should be confirmations number(s) for the segments that they've booked for you. In the US, I can't sign in to Cunard without having a confirmation number. Is it that way in Australia? (Holland America is much better about this. If I sign in to my account, they show me all the cruises I have booked without me needing the confirmation numbers. I wish Cunard did that.)

Yeah, what's the deal with the hidden/rationed butter? By the time you get the butter, the grits have gone cold!

I try not to think about that. That's one of many reasons I don't go into hot tubs.

Yes, changes happen. Sorry, I didn't keep the letters that arrived in my cabin to document any of this, but changes do happen. And how they're handled varies. On my recent Alaska cruise, I booked a boat excursion with a departure time of 9:30. The ticket arrived with a departure time of 8:00, so I knew in plenty of time, but I wasn't given any kind of heads-up about a significant change. I ALWAYS open the envelope and make sure all my tickets are there and are as booked. I've had the snorkel by boat at HMC cancelled on two different cruises. The second time it happened (last winter), I was already ashore. I found out when I went to check in for the tour. They said they had only just decided and there wasn't time to contact people. The time before that, I received a letter saying it was cancelled. Then, the "last minute tour" flyer on the bed included that snorkel tour. I went to Shorex and they said no, the boat has been out of commission for a few months. Seriously???? A few months and they didn't take the tour off the website or edit the flyer????? I had a whale watch excursion cancelled in Alaska 2 years ago. I found out that morning. I don't remember how I was contacted. Same cruise, someone I met had his flightseeing cancelled. He found out when he got ashore. "Ship happens" and you have to roll with it, but that doesn't mean shorex always does a stellar job of communicating with passengers.

I'm not a southerner, either, but I definitely understand grits. Load 'em up with butter and a little salt. Yum! @ghstudio, if you are a connoisseur of grits, it's just as well they don't have any. On my last HAL cruise, I asked for grits, and as the server stirred them, I could see they were like a thin soup, like bits of grits in a beige broth. Euwwwwww! People see that and no wonder they don't get why grits are good.

I agree. My first thought about the difference in systems was booking tours. I tend to book very early, so tours, etc may be available at that time. But once tours are posted, often well before final payment date, I am able to book tours. I keep watch for tours to show up when I know options will be limited. On my recent Alaska cruise, I had ticket number 1 for two of the three tours I booked. Alternative dining options show up later than tours, but I think I've booked that before final payment, too.

Yes! If nothing else, they are good at listening and re-assuring passengers. I had an odd experience on QM2 a few years ago. I was standing on deck, not quite at the rail, but not completely blocking the walking path, either. A few young men were walking laps and one of them put his hands on my shoulders and sort of guided me closer to the rail to get me out of their way. He didn't shove me. It was the sort of thing DH would have done to move me out of the way of a cabinet or shelf he wanted to reach. But from a stranger, it was creepy. Why not say "excuse me" or "behind you," as runners often do. Or why not just move around me??? I didn't do anything because they were long gone, and I thought it would sound like I'm some hysterical old woman entertaining scary thoughts. The next day, I happened upon a security officer in a hallway, and we said good morning. And then I stopped him and told him what happened, mostly because I wondered if there were other incidents of these guys not respecting personal boundaries. He said there weren't, but he would make a note of it and took my name and cabin number. Then he said NEVER hesitate to report something you see as a problem. Part of the job of security on a ship is to make you FEEL secure as well as keeping you secure. As for doors not shutting, I was going to say that I have never had it happen. But now that people mention it, a few times on QA I didn't hear the click and had to pull the door tight.

Yes, but housekeeping will wedge a door open while they're working.

Well, there isn't a lot you can do about flights. Beyond that, Cunard will take care of you, choosing the safest route, which might mean lingering in the St Lawrence longer. Ports might be changed or skipped. The cruise Eddie and I are talking about was right after Fiona made it all the way to Maritime Canada, with heavy rains and strong winds. We weren't in the storm, but we had a lot of cloudy weather, and we missed Sydney because they were still without power on the day we would have called there. The last thing they needed was a few thousand extra people underfoot! The first was taken when we were turning at the northern coast of Nova Scotia, entering the St. Lawrence. The second is some of the damage in Halifax a week or so later.

At this point, I'm mainly watching the weather reports to see the path and when it will likely be here. Flooding isn't an issue. I'm on high ground the and yard is landscaped to keep water away from the foundation. The big issue is wires down and losing power. I mean no disrespect to Texas, but I was kind of hoping it would cross the gulf and make landfall there. Then the headlines would be "Debby Does Dallas!"