RJChatsworth

Thanks for the replies, but as yet, not a single one to encourage us to go on a Christmas cruise. More to discourage us. Perhaps I was expecting too much and it is much like any other cruise. I thought someone might mention the Madeira fireworks. Perhaps I have believed the hype and they are not so special either!

We have completed over 50 voyages on Cunard but never at Christmas or New Year. Apart from decorations etc what is different? We don’t particularly want extra quizzes and parties but what is the attraction please other than to get away from the cooking and washing up? Are the meals the same with the addition of turkey on Christmas Day? Experiences that would entice us for once away from family get-togethers would be appreciated? The Canaries would be our favoured choice.

A few years ago I asked our cabin steward about tips in currencies other than USD. He said it didn’t matter which currency they received because Cunard gave preferential currency exchange rates for the crew transferring money to their own country.

As some aficionados might argue that white jackets on formal evenings are inappropriate at certain times of the year in the northern hemisphere!

Isn’t there another reason too in that in an emergency the crew have a limited number of specialised wheelchairs for exiting passengers from ship with no lifts (elevators) working? This means they can only accommodate a certain number of passengers requiring assistance and it would aid emergency disembarkment if they were in a defined number of cabins i.e. those classified as disabled cabins.

Sounds good gumshoe958! I was hoping the Queens Grill had been turned into a Greggs!

Anyone reading this thread might get the impression that the QM-2 refit was mostly about swimming pools and carpets in the corridors. Is any going to let us know about the public areas and cabins or is it secret?

When do they take them down? Before 3rd January eastbound transatlantic from NY or during?

Not as far south as Bristol, I’m sure! We were staying beside Lake Ullswater in the Lake District last weekend. Perhaps left too soon!

Funnily enough Victoria2, we have also booked the Northern Lights on many occasions on both Cunard and P&O and each time we have moved them on with the comment, ‘Do we really want to go on a cold cruise?’ We once went on Hurtigruten and didn’t like it. It was in a January, very cold, Spartan ship and didn’t see the Lights. Subsequently, I think they now offer a free cruise if you don’t see them. We don’t generally do P&O these days, but only yesterday talked ourselves out of going on Aurora next March to the Lights. Unfortunately we want to cruise January through March and Cunard don’t oblige unless you want to fly to the other side of the world and we have now given up on that. I have always wanted to see the Lights since I was a small boy. Back then when about 10 years old and living in Penrith, I was walking home from school along a dark lane and all these white car headlights seemed to be coming over the brow of the hill toward me. There were no cars! When I got home all the neighbours were out saying, ‘Those are the Northern Lights.’

Hi Victoria2. Are you currently at sea, to coin a phrase?! I am quite envious as you seem to be permanently sailing. I love to read your travel stories. We are land-bound until mid October and then looking forward to QE. Seems a long time since we were on her.

It might be too late now, but we have been put in the position of having to change cabins a couple of times on B2B bookings. On each occasion Cunard reservations spoke to the Berthing Department and they were able to reallocate vacant cabins on the two sectors so we didn’t have to change cabins.

The reason given for changing to La Specia from Livorno on 26th October is that the berth in Livorno is no longer available. What on earth does that mean? I can think of numerous reasons from the berth has been damaged to some other line has offered more money to berth there etc. I wonder if the same argument has been used on other dates? We have been to Livorno so many times we are looking forward to going to La Spezia for the first time.

And I’m not convinced, through experience, that the Loyalty scheme plays any part in it. The only loyalty that possibly plays a part is whether the Maitre d’ recognises your name!

Yes, Livorno to La Spezia on 26th October 2023.

We have just been advised by Cunard that our QE visit to Livorno in mid October has been cancelled and replaced by La Spezia. Anyone got any thoughts about La Spezia? We haven’t been there before and we are reluctant to take a Cunard trip to places like Lucca when we haven’t been to La Spezia before. Many thanks.

Yes we sailed on it in 1973 or was it Cunard Adventurer? We flew to Antigua from London in November 1973 and stayed a week at Cunard’s La Toc Hotel, then a week sailing around the West Indies. On the way home the BA flight from Antigua was via Barbados. Just before take off from Barbados there was a major power failure at Barbados airport and our plane couldn’t leave. We were all strapped in waiting to take off. After an hour or maybe a lot longer, I don’t recall, the Barbados airport stall put flares down either side of the runway and we took off. I wonder whether Health & Safety would allow that today?!

Interesting! On QM-2 a couple of weeks ago we had the QG restaurant invitation card in the cabin with no table number on it and there were no numbers on the tables the whole time we were on the voyage.

I should have perhaps mentioned in the previous post that a long time ago there was a card in your cabin which you took to the restaurant and the card had a table number on it.

That's an interesting question. Whenever I have mentioned loyalty status in QG they don't seem interested. Perhaps it's the same in all the restaurants. They say it is all to do with when you booked, but I can't believe cabin category doesn't comes into the mix. On our recent B2B to New York in QG there were no numbers on the tables. On arrival at the podium on the first day the relief Maitre d' fiddled with his computer and instructed a waiter to take us to a particular table.. We were one of the first in the restaurant and we were taken to an area where there were five tables of two in a row and the last one was up against the wall. The other tables in the row were occupied and each was served in turn from the centre of the room to the wall. Could it be a coincidence in an empty restaurant we all turned up in turn in this one row from the centre of the restaurant to the wall. It seemed quite strange at the time. With no numbers on the tables gives the Maitre d' much power in allocation by seeing whether he likes you, perhaps what nationality you might be and whether you are known to him - the so called family/club factor.Does it matter, I don't know. It did at the time and we asked to be moved but that's another story mentioned elsewhere.

This rings a bell from a previous theme a long time ago. Does there come a point in the booking procedure that they say we can’t take anymore bookings for wheelchair passengers because in a real emergency we wouldn’t have the crew to cope with the lifts not working. Presumably for Health & Safety reasons there must be an upper limit on each voyage. Does anyone know what the H&S implications are?

If they tell everyone in advance about the off-menu meals the kitchen might be overloaded. Perhaps they hope you find out slow-time! It’s like caviar - they don’t advertise that and I’m told if you request it you are restricted to the number of times you can have it. Depending on who you are!! Reminds me of the old times on P&O. They had Stilton but only on request if you knew about it!!

Victoria2 - Andrew Naylor, now you are going back. He was the real deal! For years he was in charge of QG on QE-2. And do you remember the lovely Michael who took a kip every afternoon when QG closed by laying on the settee type seating in parts of the restaurant. He had a favourite spot. He didn’t seem to want to go back to his cabin.

Agree Windsurfboy. The two tables next to us were astounded when I told them we’d ordered curry off-menu. They started to do it with steak pie mentioned earlier.

Following on from #51 we had a great rapport with our Head Waiter who came to table to chat regularly. We even met him in Kings Court where I told him not to answer when I asked why Md always went to certain tables only and he gave a knowing laugh!