SALAD MUNCHER

Hi, I am trying to find out if there is a number I can give a relative to contact me on the ship in an emergency.  We have a very ill relative and it's just in case the worse situation occurs.   We are sailing on Iona next week.

5 hours ago, the_dylaness said:

@KenzSailing Thanks for your thoughtful post.  We are in a similar "boat".  Getting 2.5 weeks off, at the same time (myself and DH), has been a huge challenge. We have school aged children and my mother kindly *offered* to care for them so we could celebrate a milestone birthday.  Every grandparent hopefully loves their grandkids but 2.5 weeks is a long time for anyone. This cruise cost more than twice what my car is worth (I have my priorities straight 😉)!

 

So, this isn't "just another cruise" for us- there's a lot the went into planning this for 23 months and it is not a small expenditure for us.   We felt that Regent could provide the great experience we were seeking.  But now, frankly, even if all goes well for us on our January 8 cruise, it's been a little bit tainted by the experiences of those on the sailing before us. Spending all this time wondering what will happen to our cruise instead of planning for it. And wondering if Regent really is a good choice for us.... (After losing over $5k we are a little unhappy with Crystal although we recouped much of this in bankruptcy proceedings.)

 

If we were on the December sailing in question and offered $500 per person credit I would be annoyed beyond belief.  (We could each get what, a mani/pedi? Exaggerating but not by much.)  Also, not likely we would be able to do another Regent cruise in the next 2 years so the future credit would be totally wasted on us. Bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

 

 

 

 

It's not even $500 per person it's actually per suite! 

16 minutes ago, papaflamingo said:

Here is a link to all prohibited items,

Thank you very much! 

Hi there, going on Grandeur in December, travelling from the UK. Just wondered if  we are allowed to bring a clothes steamer aboard? Many thanks for your answers.

Over 12 months ago we booked two cruises on Scenic Eclipse paying up front one year in advance.  It was to be our first try on a luxury trip, one in April this year and one in August this year too. We were very excited of course, especially as this luxury yacht has two helicopters and a submarine on board.

However a month ago, just 4 weeks before we were to take our first trip, it was suddenly announced to us that rather than being on Scenic Eclipse, we were going to be on Scenic Eclipse II. We were not happy as this SEII only had it's inaugural cruise the week before ours was due and we had always said we would not go an a 'new' ship until it had proven sea time. Also we were informed that the submarine was not available as it was not ready on time. This was hugely disappointing as my hb  who is an avid wildlife photographer, was looking forward to taking shots from the submarine to add to his collection.  We complained to our TA, who confirmed they had always thought we were booked on SE, not SEII,  and all the paperwork they, and we, had from Scenic whilst making the booking said as such. After much discussion and correspondence we managed to change our booking from this April to May 2024, agreeing to pay the extra costs involved.

However we have now been informed that we are also on SEII for our trip in August  and to top it off they also added in their notice that the submarine will not be available until late October 2023, two months after our trip. 

We are really angry as both these trips were sold to us as SE, and included having the submarine on board. We have made the decision never to book another Scenic trip ever, and certainly not recommend them to others. Has anyone else had this problem with Scenic or are we just unlucky?   

On 11/20/2022 at 5:45 PM, teenieleek said:

I am booked on Borealis for the 18 day Cape Verde and Morocco trip in February 2023.  Final payment date was 5th November.  On Friday 18th I got a letter telling me that Lisbon had been dropped from the itinerary in order to “make the return to Liverpool more comfortable for our passengers”.  What a load of rubbish.  They are saving the port fees and then fuel costs by creeping back to Liverpool at 2mph.  I feel cheated and conned.  I am not one of those who are “wed to Fred”.  

This is exactly what happened to our trip, the one before yours leaving on 19th Jan. Here is what we were told by our TA: "...We were due to visit Santa Cruz De La Palma, Spain on 25th January 2023. When this itinerary was originally planned, Fred Olsen were yet to sail with guests on their new ship Borealis. Their Captains have now been sailing with her for the last year or so, and in this time have got to know the ship, the way she sails and the guest experience she offers much better. With this experience, they believe the speed required to reach this port in the planned time would mean your cruise would not be as comfortable as they would like. With that in mind, they have removed this call from your itinerary. This means Borealis can sail at a more comfortable speed to La Gomera - while you enjoy more time on board where their Captain, Officers and Crew are looking forward to welcoming you...."

On the ship during a Q&A session one lady asked the Captain straight out did he genuinely give this as a reason to omit  the port or was it a cost saving exercise. The Captain, along with the Entertainments officer both looked at each other and denied even knowing we were due to go to that Port! They said they didn't even know it was ever on the itinerary. This is / was obviously a fuel and port fee saving exercise. We also will not sail with FO again.

On 12/21/2022 at 8:44 PM, flossie009 said:

 

 

We are doing this same trip on the Grandeur in Dec 2023 to Jan 2024! Great to read all about it, thank you.

HI I am due to cruise with Cunard in October and have just been sent an email offering open dining without any explanation of how this works. Can anyone enlighten me, for example is it still in the main Britannia Restaurant, do you sit with different people every time , do you have to book your time in advance? Any info would be greatly appreciated as I am sailing solo this time and don't want to be 'alone' for dining each evening, having already opted for a table of 8 on first sitting.

Is there still a bottle of Pol Acker (or champagne) in the cabin when you board? (Who gets champagne? Just QG?) Or has that now been cancelled?

1 hour ago, exlondoner said:

Mask wearing is said to protect others and to some extent oneself. It is a well-signalled requirement on board Cunard in certain situations, such as the theatre. It is also something that is horribly easy to forget. Why construe being reminded as being told off?

Because it was not a reminder.....they actually came right up to the passenger involved and said (not requested) put your mask on correctly. Remember everyone of us were double jabbed and had a Covid negative test pre boarding, therefore it was very unlikely Covid was present on board from passengers  as we were in a covid bubble. Mask wearing is believed in some quarters to protect yourself / others but the scientific information is not that convincing.  For your info many of the passengers we spoke to called it "the prison ship" because many of the protocols were over egged and some were non existent. For example in Liverpool we had to all get onto a shuttle bus to get to our coach for the excursion, a 15 seater minibus with 15 of us squashed together prior to getting on the coach. Here the protocols went out the window!

On 10/13/2021 at 12:58 PM, RJChatsworth said:

We have this morning disembarked QE after a Round GB Voyage that departed Southampton on 1st October.  We were also on the first voyage after the pandemic on 13th August.  We were told then there was 65% occupancy.  On the one we have just got off we were told it was about 75% occupancy.  We were separately told there were 1320 passengers but I haven’t done the maths.  I believe they are ramping up the occupancy to 90% by the end of November.

 

 The most noticeable difference between the two voyages was getting in the lifts on this cruise with enhanced passenger numbers, still 4 only at a time. This morning they had removed the ‘4 limit’ and now the maximum per lift is back to 18 (it would be a miracle if you could get that number in standing!).  I was told today that the restricted numbers in the theatre was being lifted from today.  That’ll provide a one-third more seats but masks will continue to be worn.

We were on this cruise to in QG, which seemed to us to be as normal and full capacity, with all tables occupied. The most annoying aspect from our point of view was the "mask monitors" in the Theatre. They would stand at the front looking out for any signs of a mask slipping or not being on correctly and would walk up to the passenger and tell them to put it on correctly. It was clear there were many elderly passengers sitting in there who found it difficult to comply 100%, and some did allow their mask to slip from their noses - I felt sorry for them as they were embarrassed to be 'told off' by staff. This happened both during daytime lectures and evening theatre entertainment.

Another interesting situation was when I asked a staff member if they were allowed off the ship, and he replied not until they reach the Med, as "by then all the crew will be vaccinated.."! 

Finally another titbit from a coach tour guide (Cunard excursion) he told the passengers that Cunard had insisted his passengers should be accompanied both to the toilet and /or the cafe!! He said he had told them "no chance" he had no intention of complying with that directive and we should just take ourselves there! 

Just now, SALAD MUNCHER said:

 

View from our room at the Hilton today

1 minute ago, ace2542 said:

Because they are using the new massive dockside solar panel farm to charge the ship whilst it is in dock aren't they?

Surely they would have known about this days ago so why therefore wait until one hour ago to inform passengers? The message stated something about emergency notification: 

"..Further to our Emergency Notification, Queen Elizabeth will now depart from berth 106 at the Mayflower Terminal. The terminal can be accessed via dock gate 10. Please ensure that you arrive at the time stated on your e-ticket. We look forward to welcoming you on board...."

Just been advised by Cunard QE will be departing from Mayflower Terminal NOT Ocean Terminal as stated on boarding passes. All passengers to arrive to Mayflower and follow instructions there.

10 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

 

And let us know what a nice time you are/we're having.

Thanks. Urgent info for all passengers embarking today QE will be berthed in Mayflower Terminal NOT Ocean as previously notified. Everyone is now required to arrive at Mayflower. Please pass on.

Think I just saw QE arrive in Southampton, I can also see QM2 berthed from our bedroom window in the Hilton! Great start to our trip

Yes it is disappointing, only five stops now over 12 days. Really wanted to visit Anglesey and this could have been a good opportunity. 

Just been notified the trip to Holyhead will not happen on the 1st October 2021 trip.  They have changed it to "cruising the Cornwall coast!!

15 hours ago, Underwatr said:

 

 

Don't neglect to take note of this bit of Cunard's update!

The rules in each destination will determine whether you'll be ale to explore independently.

 The cruise between 1st - 13th October on QE is only for double jabbed people who are UK citizens and is only visiting the UK. The UK have been free of restrictions since 19th July over two months yet we cannog get off the ship in our own country. Yes, these protocols were in place when most of us booked but Cunard did state "....however as the world evolves so may our policies and procedures. Rest assured we will continue to work with the government and scientific advisors to continually review our protocols so you can have an enjoyable and relaxing holiday...."

New response from Cunard!

Good Afternoon,

"...Thank you for your email.

I note your concerns around the Shore Excursions and not being able to go ashore independently.

I am pleased to advise that Cunard has today announced that guests travelling on voyages from 13^th October, will be able to go ashore independently but must adhere to the specific COVID-19 protocols in each destination. However, as restrictions in each destination are changeable, and some destinations may only allow cruise line organised experiences ashore, we highly recommend you do look to purchase Cunard shore experiences prior to travel ensuring you always have the option to explore each destination.

Testing that may be required to go ashore in various destinations on your itinerary. These tests will be available to purchase on board.

I am sure you will agree this is fantastic news and we look forward to seeing you onboard soon....."
 

Further to my original posting, I have just seen the following post on the P&O CC Board and, considering Cunard, P&O and Princess lines are all owned by Carnival, it seems strange that they are placing different restrictions on passengers depending on which ship they are sailing on:  

"...Will I be able to go ashore?

In accordance with health authority guidelines, fully vaccinated guests may choose to explore destinations independently, and should comply with all local guidance relating to social distancing and face masks.

Guests aged 17 years or younger who are unvaccinated sailing on Regal Princess from 30 September to 3 November and Sky Princess 5 October to 5 November on 2021, will only be permitted to go ashore through shore excursions sold by or through Princess using tour operators who comply with our COVID-19 controls. Self-exploration or participation in shore excursions not sold through or operated by Princess will not be permitted....."

This seems a far more sensible requirement to the one being placed on Cunard cruises, do you think this will be rolled out to all their lines anytime soon?

By the way contrary to what people may think regarding my post, we have actually booked 4 excursions out of the six ports we are visiting, so I'm not pointing this out just to go ashore independently, just for information.

On 8/18/2021 at 10:06 PM, LadyL1 said:

 Sadly there are some who do not accept being “socially responsible “. Hence the numbers of  the virus being reported.

Surely if all passengers on board have been double jabbed they have all been "socially responsible|". As we learned this week even if you are double jabbed you can still pass on Covid viral load and infect others at the same level as those who have not been jabbed, and you can still catch Covid, albeit with a hopefully less serious outcome. It will be very interesting to see if any of those on Cunard Excursions have any problems avoiding the virus, particularly as many will be sitting together for a couple of hours on a bus. Let's hope they open all the windows!!

4 hours ago, LadyL1 said:

For those of us on these early voyages, we booked fully aware of the protocols.

Who knows where some might go in Liverpool, Glasgow or other city if given freedom to disembark independently.

This comment sounded very "Mrs Bouquet" - are you trying to imply Liverpool, Glasgow or any other city on this trip are "dens of iniquity"?

You are correct re the earlier voyages, but as I mentioned Cunard did state their policies and protocols would evolve in line with current UK guidance, they haven't!

Just had an email from Cunard pertinent to our trip on 1st October around the UK:

"..Important information.

For your voyage, shore exploration will only be possible via one of our curated shore experiences. To ensure your well-being, each of our shore experiences will be delivered by one of our vetted shore partners, with enhanced hygiene measures and reduced group sizes to allow for social distancing..."

This trip is two and a half months after the UK was opened up! Surely it is not necessary to still treat us like children. It has recently been established double jabbers can catch and can pass on Covid - so having the jab really only protects yourself from serious illness not from catching Covid but it does not protect others from catching it from you. With the best will in the world taking groups of passengers on a coach to an excursion will not guarantee a Covid free experience.  Cunard announced earlier in the year they would be changing their protocols in line with the current UK Governments as they evolve - so why haven't they?