RJChatsworth

Lovely skies today but a chilly breeze and only 13C/55F. When we embarked in Southampton on Friday we were in a queue at the point of embarkation. A guy came down hurriedly saying, please make way for some VVIPs and repeating it. Everyone moved to the side to allow them to go through. They were youngish couple. We didn’t recognise them. Strapped to her back was a dog carrier and inside there was a white dog of designer proportions. I wonder if they were heading for the kennels? I bet not! Although to be fair I haven’t seen it about. a few years ago I saw a designer dog in the Queens Grill Restaurant and mentioned it on CruiseCritic and there was quite a response. I say no more. At noon the Captain said we had completed 1300 miles from Southampton with 1700 to run. The nearest land was the Azores. We are averaging just in excess of 20 knots. We reach midpoint at 2200 tonight, ship’s time. He said the weather would abate in time with calm, smooth seas prior to arriving in New York. Who’d believe a sailor!

Verandah, oh tv24, we are booked for tomorrow evening!

To D&N. Thanks for reminding me it’s Britannia Club. I remember when it was first introduced on QM-2 and we thought it was the best idea since sliced bread as we couldn’t afford the Grills. Can someone please remind me but when originally introduced wasn’t it known as Club Balcony? Or have I got this totally wrong for which I apologise?

We are in portside which is for deck 12, deck 13 are starboard.

Apologies for a previous error, the ship was Endurance and not Endeavour. The speaker was Mensun Bound, explorer and archeologist. He led the group to find Shackleton's Endurance. This evening's meal in Club Britannia this evening was good and after my altercation with the waiter the meal takes less than an hour rather two hours as previous. A bit too quick but I'm not complaining! A couple of snippets from Sunday's Daily programme. A request for passengers not to punch a hole in their voyage/key card as it renders them useless. Who would punch a hole in the microchip? Where do these people come from? I forgot to bring my punch!! Secondly, US and Canadian citizens booking certain cruises onboard for 2022 and 2023 will have their tips/service charge paid. The Rest of the World: 'Please go away'. Off to hear the singer Jenny Williams in the Theatre.

No is the short answer to breakfast. After a long time to order, a wait of 20 minutes to get a yoghurt, I had a minor explosion with the waiter. Less than 6 in restaurant but as others came in they were served immediately by other waiters. He made comments like, ‘I thought you were on holiday?’ which didn’t help. Anyway at lunch he didn’t acknowledge us once, but he was very quick! We have another little gripe to ourselves about the CB restaurant. This is our 50th Cunard voyage (apologies for mentioning it again) and we are on for the 3 week duration. We were given a poor table almost at the back against a wall. The Maitre d’ said all the three rows of tables from the windows are taken by passengers who embarked before us in New York and Hamburg, but almost all of them never turn up for breakfast or lunch. We go to all three meals. Interestingly in the Grills, passengers turn up for breakfast and lunch in high numbers. Minor rant over. After lunch fewer in the front desk queue - running out of questions maybe! Went to another brilliant lecture this afternoon by the guy who found Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ship Endeavour which sank 107 years ago in the Antarctic. It had been a 10-year project with them finding it in March 2022. In answer to HH, the Wi-Fi hasn’t been too bad albeit a little slow at times. The router box is fixed to the ceiling outside our cabin so that must help. However, today was the first time I tried sending emails but they wouldn’t go from the cabin. I spoke to the lady in the library and she said that sometimes the signal through the heavy cabin doors is the problem with sending. The emails went perfectly on my iPad in the library.

It was very rough last night - thought I'd roll out of bed. Had to hang on to everything in the cabin. We don't mind it being like that. It's now late Sunday morning, Force 3 only and temps of 13C/55F with bright skies. Speed 22.5 knots. I note on the cabin navigation channel the resting point of Titanic is marked on the map. That is new to me. The front desk longish queue reformed after breakfast. What are they all talking about! Went to a superb lecture this morning by Malcolm Nelson a UK customs office or ex. He was talking about all the ways smugglers bring drugs into the country. He was based at Heathrow. He related a story about an incoming passenger from the Far East. He collected several items of bedroom furniture in baggage claim. Headboards, wardrobe, dressing table and bedside tables which he manhandled on to several trolleys. He then pushed them one at a time into customs. They thought this a bit strange, what might he be hiding? They took the whole lot apart, did lengthy tests on the wood to see if the drugs had been dissolved in water and impregnated into the wood. Nothing! The traveller just watched very calmly. Then it transpired he gone to a funeral and been left all these items in a will. He didn't want the stuff but felt he had to take it with him as he was seen off by relatives at the far airport. He had paid high excess baggage charges. He now went off at Heathrow smiling with one trolley and thinking about the insurance claim for the bedroom furniture he never wanted in the first place!

The show was excellent this evening considering the movement of the ship. The Ent Dir said they were determined to perform. On recent QE cruises we have been on, the Royal Court Theatre Company has performed to canned music. Tonight's show was with the 8-piece orchestra and I believe it really makes a difference to have live musicians. Prior to the show, the Captain Andrew Hall came on stage to introduce some of his senior officers. He then gave some numbers which those interested in such things may be interested. I'm now stretching my memory! 1945 passengers from 22 countries 699 Brits 554 from the USA 451 from Germany Others from Canada, Switzerland, France, Australia etc 1005 crew from 55 countries. That's it!

The Club Balcony lunch today was very good, soup hot, moules in curry sauce as they should be and service up to scratch. Do hope we are now back on course! The queue is still there after lunch! We are really enjoying being back at sea and on a transatlantic voyage. It must be three years since the last. We have been on three voyages since cruising resumed last August but they are not the same as a transatlantic. I can’t put my finger on the reasons but perhaps more days at sea which we enjoy. This morning we went to a lecture by Jeffrey Weinberg who has worked for several recent US Presidents. He was excellent. Tonight is the first formal evening and the show is ‘Be Our Guest’ with the singers and dancers. We have seen it previously but I’m looking forward to it again. We have booked dinner at the Verandah for next Tuesday. It is $45 per person but if you have the Diamond vouchers $20pp. Alternative dining at La Piazza is now $25pp. That seems to have gone up in price somewhat unless I am mistaken.

Forgot to mention in above. The queues for the front desk have been round the corner and down the main wide corridor since we embarked yesterday. Has been like it all morning. Considering that all paperwork had to be in order to get on yesterday, what can they be talking about? Few have laptops/iPads with them. Are they all getting there tips removed!

Sunny skies this morning but now clouding over. A few small fishing boats about. Went to Club Balcony restaurant at 9am for breakfast. No orange juice and awaiting croissants from the bakery. Took 30 minutes to get poached eggs on toast. The toast was warm and fresh but the poached eggs were cold and hard. I am getting a bit exasperated with this restaurant as kitchens next door and few taking breakfast. In answer to someone saying you can get ice from the cabin steward, I know that. My comment was about no ice on first arrival with Pol Acker when looking forward to a drink. Bar soap is obtainable from the cabin lady and was the first thing we asked for. Soon be lunch and hope there is an improvement. Expecting strong gale force winds tonight of 70 knots and seas of 7m (23feet)! Moderating tomorrow.

masks - answered in post #5. MDR - seem to be sharing. Numbers seem to be down but haven’t got a figure. As mentioned previously all deck 8 cabins seem to be out of service.

JED - Do hope you can creep out of the den soon, fully refreshed after Covid. After dinner this evening there was a letter in the cabin from Yoyo and Olesja, Voyage Sales and Loyalty Managers confirming that all our Cunard Diamond Benefits would be restored at the beginning of each sector. Yippee - three trips to the Verandah now! This evening's meal in Club Balcony took 2 hours, far too long. We got there at 6.30pm to catch the 8pm show but missed it by 30 minutes. The late show was too late for the first evening. The soup was not warm enough for me but generally the meal was good. The restaurant was about half full, perhaps par for the first night. I smiled when a guy, on his first night, clumsily tried to give the Head Waiter running Club Balcony, some dollars in front of us all. They almost spilled on the floor. It reminded me of a story I have told on here before. A Maitre d' told me he found it embarrassing to be tipped dollars because he was salaried and well paid. There were lots of people working in the laundry etc who were poorly paid and they were the ones who really needed it. For several years we have travelled in the Grills, but it is nice to be back in Club Balcony. I thought the cabin would be cozy but it is larger than I had remembered. We had originally booked a Southampton to New York B2B for the end of July. Then I realised I could change a 2 week voyage for this 3 week voyage for the same price. The Club Balcony cabin is fine and all 3 cases are stored under the bed. There is some rust on the balcony but perhaps it is due for a refit soon. I note in here the Pol Acker doesn't come in an ice bucket, there are no white things to put the glasses on and no metal stopper to save it going flat! But I don't care! That's all for now.

The dreaded masks! To be worn everywhere outside the cabin except when eating and drinking. I assume that is inside ship and not outside! I was expecting to see a notice about only 4 in a lift but the numbers seem to be unlimited. The Captain is Andrew Hall. Haven’t come across him before. The Entertainment Director is Amanda Reid - have seen her a few times.

Hope so but don’t hold your breath!

Arrived at Southampton early at 1145 and boarded easily. There was a bit of confusion at check-in as staff hadn’t seen an ArriveCAN form for entering Canada at Halifax before. It is one form with both my wife and my name on it. This couldn’t be correct, we should have one form each - NO! When in the cabin I rang the front desk. Question: our 3-week cruise is made up of 3 voyages, Southampton to New York, New York to New York and New York to Southampton. Wi-Fi for 3 weeks would cost 21 days x $15 per day = $315 and I can only offset my $135 Diamond benefit against it - not my wife’s as well. As we are on 3 separate Voyages shouldn’t I get $135 benefit per voyage. They didn’t know and reply is taking some time! Looking at cabin plan in little booklet in room I note that all deck 8 cabins are grey in colour with no numbers. I do hope they are not expecting that much Covid isolation!! PS: The kind lady at the front desk has just phoned to say our 3 week cruise is made up of 3 voyages and therefore I am entitled to $135 Diamond benefit for each sector which will more than make up the $315 -win win! Very happy bunny!

We are boarding tomorrow in Southampton and not particularly happy about new directive about mask wearing but best to be as safe as possible. We didn’t consider cancelling/moving on with FCC because it might be the same next time. This is our 50th voyage on Cunard so didn’t want it kicked into the long grass! It’ll be interesting to see whether the number of passengers is down!

An earlier post by Kristal as she boarded QM-2 in New York mentioned that rapid antigen tests were being conducted at the Red Hook terminal. Does anyone have any details? Are they conducted by or under the auspices of Cunard? Or are they a pop-up stall that might not always be there? And what is the cost? Hopefully tests before boarding in New York may soon be faded out but somehow I don’t think they will!

Many congratulations Kristal on successful tests. You can finally relax! And not having to pay $250. Enjoy QM-2. If you have a moment for comments from the voyage I am sure we’d all be pleased to receive them.

On the Cunard web site under the heading, 'Pre-cruise testing for voyages departing from Southampton' it reads as follows:- '............organise and purchase a private antigen test to be taken within one day prior to arrival at the embarkation terminal. This can be at any time the day before or on the day of embarkation.' The above suggests to me that you can take the test from 0001 on the day before departure right up to embarkation the next day? Does anyone have a different view if departing from Southampton?

Thanks for update Kristal and look forward to how you get on with QM-2 pre-embarkation test in Denver before flying to New York and boarding.

Thanks for the update Kristal and look forward to more. Sorry to learn about the abortive trip to Tavistock. Just been staying at Crowne Plaza (hope I’m able to say that) with a great meal at the Village down the Barbican.

We had a deck 4 QG on QE last February. The depth of the PG and QG cabins is the same on that deck, just a difference in width. There was no noise. The balconies are deeper than those on the higher decks so if you stand at the rail, turn round and look up you can see all the balconies above you. I did hope that no-one above balanced their drink on the rail!! We survived.

I agree with all the comments about CPS, we have used them for years. However, a word of caution, we turned up at Southampton docks on 20th February 2022 for a QE voyage at about 1215. I guess there were about 30/40 cars ahead of us and there were drivers to take the cars away standing around all over the place, but only one check-in person. We were told not to get out of the car and had to sit there for 45 minutes. After a two-hour journey to the docks we had an urgent need! Just as we left the car I did see one other check-in person turn up. They gave no explanation when I asked except to say that they were short of check-in staff! It was a Sunday so I did wonder whether staff didn’t like working that day or whether there was some other reason like staff sickness or some cost saving measure? I do hope CPS is back to normal service. Our next embarkation is in June.

Hi Kristal. Anymore news about a test in New York before embarking QM-2? I read that there are free observable lateral flow test stalls or places on street corners near Times Square. That makes me nervous as nothing comes free these days. Someone must be paying for them?! I still favour Bloom Labs even though the cost is $75 pp.