3rdGenCunarder

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.

It has to be really bad before mal de mer gets to me, but out of an abundance of caution, I always blook low and midships for a TA--I like QM2's sheltered balconies. My first TA was on QE2 many years ago. We went last-minute standby fare guarantee cabin. We got a low and very far forward tiny inside cabin. We sailed through the worst weather I have encountered at sea and it's the only time I have been seasick. So I have sworn off forward cabins ever since. I think more than the location, a lot of it was being inside with no view of the horizon--and making the mistake of watching the bridge cam and seeing the horizon go up and down. My prescription (and I am not a clinician) for rough weather is stay out of small enclosed spaces, get fresh air unless it's too rough and they close the decks (or your balcony is too windy). Look out at the horizon (off to the side, not the front!) and just breathe steadily. I also swear by ginger, but in the form of ginger ale taken with crackers or toast. And if it's forecast to be really bad, I take meclizine. I have not been in rough weather on a Cunard Vista, but I have on a HAL Vista and it rode well. I had an aft cabin on HAL's Koningsdam (basic plan used for QA) and did not like the ride at the back in what I would describe as moderate sea conditions. Too much up and down and slamming down on the waves. People who were midships on the same cruise barely felt the motion.

I always thought it was Balboa, but I looked it up and it was Magellan. I suppose he can be forgiven for a not always accurate name considering he had just made it around South America, which can be a rough passage. Balboa saw it a few years earlier but didn't name it. I think he should get a lot of credit for getting across the Isthmus of Panama without a canal.

The boarding groups and times are HAL's attempt to spread out passenger arrival. But HAL doesn't run the terminals, so experiences vary from place to place. From what I've read on CC, San Diego is not very responsive to priority. From my own experience in FLL, both in a Neptune Suite and as a nonsuite 4-star, nobody bothers about group letter or the time on the boarding pass. You go through security, then check in at a priority station. After that, if they haven't started boarding, you get a number and sit to wait until your number is called. Priority passengers get low number boarding cards, and in all the FLL terminals I've been in, are sent upstairs to wait to board in the first groups after passengers needing assistance.

If I'm unsure if I will like the show, I take a seat toward the back so that I can slip out quietly. As for land-based shows, behavior has declined to the point where Playbills for Broadway shows include a letter from the CEO of Playbill reminding people of theater etiquette. No cell phones, no pictures we hear all the time. But the list includes other items that should be obvious like no loud comments during the play, and for musicals please don't sing along with the performers.

What do you mean by "bid competitively?" How far on the bar did you push the slider or on the little dial push the needle?

And the offer period can extend until before departure. I suppose if they don't get a lot of good bids at the start of the offer period, they wait and hope for better later on. My TA says that Cunard isn't handling this in house. It's done by an outside company. Amtrak has a similar bid for upgrade, but I've never tried it.

My cruise departs last week of October and I got the offer this morning. So after final payment, but about 10 weeks before the cruise.

It takes a day or two for waitstaff to get to know you and for people who are new to QG to ask all the inevitable questions and learn things like the time frame for ordering special items. Then you're just settling in and it's over.

Even in QG, those short cruises aren't fair samples of Cunard.

Thanks for your thoughts on embarkation. Gong show? I had a different name for it a year ago when, on top of the other stages, we had ArriveCAN and proof of covid test to show! Even without those extras, I always feel like a rat in a maze embarking in Vancouver. But once you're on the ship, QE is worth it! She is elegant, although I wish Cunard would get over the feather arrangements.

That is definitely clearer than what it says in the confirmation email. That sounded to me like you had time to think it over. I thought the before/after July 13 had to do with time until sailing, but it's actually changes in T&C. What happens if I'm successful? If your offer is successful, you will receive an email to inform you as well as a new booking confirmation to reflect the upgrade. If applicable, the total amount charged will include any additional CunardCare travel protection fees based on your adjusted cruise fare. If your offer was made prior to 13th July you will have 72hrs to make your payment to secure your upgrade. If you offer was made on or after 13th July the payment will be automatically processed using the card you had provided during the offer submission. What happens if I'm not upgraded? You'll keep your existing stateroom.

Because it's so close to sailing, if my bid is accepted, payment is immediate. No time to think it over. For cruises farther out from sailing date, it appears you have 72 hours to decide if you will upgrade or stay in your current room. BUT if you miss the 72-hour window for accepting the upgrade, there's this warning: Please note, while you can make offers for multiple stateroom grades, each offer will be considered independently and only one of your offers will be accepted. If your payment is not successful within 72 hours, you will no longer be eligible for the upgrade offered, and it may not be possible to reassign you your original stateroom. So if someone else has accepted the upgrade to your original stateroom, where do they put you????

That's understandable. I sometimes wonder what Magellan was thinking when he called that ocean Pacific.

There are some QG suites available. I guess it's like musical chairs. Who knows where I'll end up? Likely in my original balcony cabin, which is fine. I never book less than I will accept in hopes of an upgrade. The Upgrade Fairy hasn't visited me in a very long time.

And Seaborne was a Cunard company for a while, too.

It's 12 nights. The per person minimum bid is $460 for club and $970 for PG. I don't know if the minimum depends on the booked category. My Britannia is a BB, so I'm close to the top of the balcony price range. Iwonder if the minimum bid is more for someone in a BE or an inside?

I was surprised to get the offer. I don't think Club is worth the price jump, but I will try for PG. The suggested bids looked good until I remembered that as a solo, I will pay double the bid. Also, since I'm close to sailing, I won't have the chance to decline. My upgrade will be final. Not that there's a bad PG, even under the Winter Garden.

I use a TA and I got an invitation to upgrade in an email this morning. Trying to decide on a bid. I'm in Britannia, and the offers were for Club and Princess. But when I did a dummy booking to see what's available, both show as sold out. QG is available, but that wasn't offered.

Your question may be moot. That large balcony makes those cabins likely to sell out quickly. Have you done a dummy booking to see what's available? Here's the same cabin on a HAL ship. Not sure if Cunard will have the same layout, but it gives you an idea of the possibilities. 5050 – Rotterdam | HAL Cruiser Information (halfacts.com)

I used to think of HAL as "Cunard Lite," but HAL has slipped so badly, that it's less than "lite." Expect much better entertainment and more variety than on HAL. More to do during the day, especially on a transatlantic. "Gala nights" really are gala, and most people dress better than on HAL gala nights. You don't have to wear formal clothes (gown and tux) but you won't be alone if you do. "Smart attire" on non-gala nights is smarter than a lot of what I've seen on HAL. Food depends on your dining room. More choices as you move up from Britannia to Club to the Grills.

LCS was the one entertainment that HAL did better than Cunard. Cunard's classical musicians are generally good, but not as good as LCS. OTOH, Cunard offers a great variety of live musicians in addition to their classical trio or quartet-- jazz or solo piano in various bars around the ship; harp, piano, or solo guitar at afternoon tea; pub band; orchestra for dancing; second group of musicians to play for guest vocalists in the main theater.

Most embarkation issues are due to problems with port staff. If the staff serve a variety of cruise lines, they may not know each one's rules, although I would think passengers needing assistance would go first on every line. Yes, the cruise line should inform terminal staff about rules and procedures, but it doesn't always happen. Many years ago, embarking in Boston, as we approached the two lines for priority and non-priority, a staffer asked us how many Marriott points we had. I guess she meant Mariner points/stars, but it didn't matter, as we weren't priority with Marriott or HAL at that time. @mcrcruiser, if you want to have assistance boarding, definitely call HAL in advance.

It hasn't. Staff has reduced numbers, but the crew are still great, especially the cabin stewards.

@MrsPeel55, if your daughter balks at the price of shipping suitcases, tell her that she will have to carry/roll/drag what doesn't get shipped. (love your screen name, BTW) I have been very happy with Luggage Forward service, and I'm using it this fall. Does DHL deliver to the ship with delivery to the cabin?