3rdGenCunarder

What you describe on QM2 is what I remember. I hope it's still like that. It's a good place for a small lunch without having to go to King's Chaos.

Do they have small ones or are they all the same? On QA last year, I asked my stewardess if she could find me a smaller size, but they were all the same.

I find your comments about Seattle being like winter for you funny. People in warm parts of the country go to Alaska for a break from the heat. I'm in NJ and I sail in the Caribbean in the winter to get a break from the cold. I think you'll be happy with your choice--both Cunard and your blue cocktail dress.

To add to @Ferry_Watcher's list, there are the family discounts on other lines. Lately HAL has been pushing kids sail free promos. They are restricting access for couples or solos to book triples or quads because they want to be able to cram in more families. Brand familiarity is definitely an issue for Americans. The lines listed above sail from multiple US ports, so people who cruise are aware of those lines, not so much Cunard. I think people from other countries are more aware of Cunard.

The forward area looks nice, but it's the smoking area, so I didn't linger. I didn't like her partly because of teething. I had high expectations of service on the Terrace, but most days there was nothing, not even a dispenser of ice water on warm sunny days. Tea, if they bothered to serve it, was dispensed grudgingly. What happened to all the stories I've read here about them serving fruit and ice cream? I didn't like that they were downplaying that she's a Cunard ship. The Cunard shop was pitiful, there were only a few nautical paintings in odd places where they wouldn't be noticed, no memorabilia. She felt generic. The stairway art was mostly awful. A few good pieces, but not many. I was told they were done by students at an art school. After-school art club for 15-year-olds??? And don't get me started on the hideous painting of Queen Anne. She deserves better than that sloppy mess. The PG cabin was smaller than PG cabins on the other ships. I expected that going in, as cabins on HAL's pinnacle ships are smaller than their counterparts on the Vistas. Closet space was poorly designed and too small. OTOH, some things were good. Food and service in PG were good. Because we were mostly Americans at our table, we were able to train our waiter to pour additional cups of coffee at breakfast. I think PG is a better-looking room than QG. I liked the layout better than what I saw when I got a look at QG. Commodore Club was good. Bright Lights was fun.

I thought Hawaiian shirts were always tropical prints, like Magnum's signature print shirt. Thanks for teaching me something new.

Some people completely unaware that there are other people on the ship and have no idea that such behavior is inconsiderate.

Isn't part of why they gave QM the numeral 2 because the original QM is still in existence, although not sailing? Poor Anne, she had a rough time of it. Let's hope the ship named for her has a less turbulent life.

The Hawaiian shirt isn't against the rules, but he's likely to be the only one. I don't think I've ever seen a tropical shirt on an Alaska cruise. People worry about finding something white to wear for the ice white theme. Do they still just say white? That is so stupid! Then, when you get onboard, the description is white, silver, blue (not necessarily navy blue). The first time I saw the ice white theme, I knew I wouldn't dress all in white. Glaciers are blue underneath the white surface. So, since I already had a long aqua skirt and a white sparkly top, I chose to wear that, dressing like a real glacier. Well, except for the fact that viewed from above glaciers look dirty. I didn't add that touch. On my cruise to Alaska last year, I saw a lot of silver sparkly tops and accessories for Ice White.

I can't say I'd eat it every night, but I do love it. I don't remember seeing it on my recent cruises. Guess I'll have to make it at home. I just looked through my journal from my winter cruise on Eurodam. I usually say something about dinner. but the only dinners I commented on were the good dinner at Pinnacle (love the lamb chops!) and the night the MDR had sole meuniere. They didn't call it that, but that's what it was. Cooked in butter. Nothing else was worth commenting on.

I agree. There are usually more choices on the regular nights.

That matches my observations on cruises 10-14 days in the Caribbean. I think women tend to be dressier than the men. Gowns and tuxes are very rare.

You never know. We stayed in a hotel in Salisbury that named the rooms. Three rooms that shared a landing were Charles II, Catherine of Braganza, and Nell Gwynn's Parlour.

That's what the senior officers' party used to look like.

I don't know if there's a roll call for the TA or the combination cruise, but join us anyway. It's a great group. I think we're already up to something like 9 pages, and we've got almost a year to go!

They used to do multiple Senior Officer parties on QE2, with small groups hosted by a different officer. I remember being in the Yacht Club one time, Wardroom a few times. With the small groups you could actually chat with some of the officers. I can't remember if they did the multiple small parties when QM2 was new. Now (if they have it), it's a larger party and the younger officers and CD staff tend to stand around at chat together. Depending on the personality of the captain, some of them would give a welcome speech and make some remarks. Captain Wells always did. And Captain Hashmi got hold of the microphone and there was no stopping him!

I have never seen a charge for any food in in Carinthia. Frankly, the post-covid menu has nothing I particularly want, and certainly nothing I would pay for. (Pe-covid, they had lovely crepes and salads) I have not seen choux pastries there. If they had opera cake, I would pay for that. Otherwise, no.

I've almost always seen that. It's a lot to do on embarkation day and anything they can do in advance makes things go faster. @QA24, were the cakes in Carinthia something special? In the past food there was all complimentary.

I feel the same way. I skipped the photo step, and it let me have my luggage tags and boarding pass. In the past, when I've given them a photo they took a new one anyway, so I figure it's an extra minute or less at check-in, no big problem.

Side by side isn't bad, especially with the view, but they looked a bit narrow for two. They would be great for solos, though.

I'll be on soon, and I will check and report back.

I will assemble bacon on toast at the buffet, especially when I'm in a hurry, but I've never asked for it in a dining room. I didn't know anyone else who liked that. It really satisfies a desire for something crunchy. I don't mind cold toast if the butter is soft enough to spread.

I've done a Caribbean getaway in winter for many years, so I've been to some ports quite a few times. For me the port to stay onboard is St Thomas. I've been there enough and don't need to shop. When I was first cruising A LOT of years ago, the ship would be empty on a port day. But the past few cruises, there were a lot of people staying on board. I don't know if it's HAL's demographic or if, like me, they've "been there done that" and the cruise is enough. For HMC, I go ashore to do the snorkel trip and then return to the ship for lunch. If the snorkel trip doesn't run, I stay on board. I haven't had a port stop on Grand Turk in several years. I do go ashore there and try to get a lounger under a palm tree. That's bliss.

And wear on carpets!

It's been a few years, but there was a coffee station near Illuminations last time I was on QM2.