SylviaB

I've tried searching the Oceania website but haven't found anything. We'd probably like to use a pre-paid credit card as it gives us the best exchange rate, but I've heard that some cruise lines do not allow these. 

Thanks! That thread will keep me busy for a while 😉

Thank you! Much appreciated :)

Can anyone tell me when all the cruises for 2017 will be available? Looking at cruising either May/June 2017 or October/November 2017. I noticed not all itineraries have been released yet. Or am I looking in the wrong place (it's been quite a while since we cruised with RCI)?

Justpark.com

It's parking with individuals who have a spare parking space. We did this on our last trip, and it was less than half the price of regular cruise parking :cool:

Bathrooms seem nice on the refurb, no more shower curtain. I hope that will also be the case in the regular Britannia rooms and not just the club and single rooms.

I am disappointed that most Britannia rooms won't get a refurb until 2017. The inside cabin we had last week was getting rather tired, with the lacquer on the bedside table starting to peel and the television system is already years outdated. We're hoping to do another B2B transatlantic next October so I'll be keeping an eye on the refurb and hopefully we'll be able to get one of the new rooms. If not, I hope there will be a significant enough price difference between refurb and non-refurb rooms.

We've been taking transatlantic voyages on the QM2 since 2010 and on every voyage, West and East bound, they've put on Viva Italia and Apassionata. Is this just a transatlantic thing or on all Cunard ships. 5 Years of the same, and in my humble opinion, rather mediocre shows seems lazy and uninspired.

I know shows on Broadway last years, but this hardly in the same category. Viva Italia especially is filled with cringe worthy stereotypes and tropes.

I was on board too, I had a very relaxing time but did not bother with any of the jazz performances. It did not spoil my journey. I was disappointed with the lack of formal nights, but unlike several other people I spoke to, we knew about this in advance. Quite a few UK passengers were still expecting 4 formal nights as was announced in the voyage personaliser, and several women had bought outfits and matching jewellery for every of those formal nights. They did reinstate one of the informal nights as an optional formal night and most people did dress up properly.

Would the blue note jazz stop me from booking again? No. And it certainly wouldn't stop me if it was combined with the traditional dress code. Why should jazz be incompatible with formal wear anyway?

Then again, I was on board for 2 weeks, so got the best of both :)

I think the fairest way for all qualifications is to count days sailed and not voyages, a person could do a 21 day cruise, 1 voyage, but if they did 3 T/A voyages it would 3 cruises.:confused:

Maybe Cunard recognises that not everybody can take many days off from work to take long cruises but they would still like to reward returning passengers.

If it would solely be a case of rewarding passengers for the number of days they are on board, the only people able to reach gold, platinum and diamond levels in a reasonable amount of time would be pensioners (or trust fund babies). And as it stands the clientèle of Cunard rarely still has their original hair colour, so if Cunard wants to appeal to other generations, this is a good way to build a loyal customer base.

Thank you!

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If it counts as two, I'll reach platinum when I get back home, otherwise I'll have to have another cruise to get to that level.

I'm booked on a B2B transatlantic, I booked it as one vacation, not 2 separate bookings. Will it count as 2 voyages towards my World Club level or just one?

As bluemarble says, finding the adjusted dress code for this cruise on Cunard UK is not self-evident.

It can only be found if going via "The Cunard Experience" followed by clicking the link for "Musical Event Cruises" and finally clicking on "Learn More About the Artists" which then leads you this page:

http://www.cunard.co.uk/cruise-types/music-cruises/blue-note-full-details/ where it states

"One formal night with smart casual dress for all other evenings (jackets required, denim pants permitted but cannot be torn or have holes in them)"

If you search for the cruise itself via date or destination tools, you would not come across it. I've tried clicking every link with details there of the jazz theme. At no point during the booking process is the adjusted dress code made clear.

Anyone booking from the UK who is not particularly bothered about the details of the Jazz cruise or the artists, will be very unlikely to come across this page.

In contrast, people booking from the US were informed of the adjusted dress code during the booking process.

Although it is usual for the Cocktail parties to be on Formal Nights, I have had many invites with the dress code being informal to a cocktail party.

Cant really see what all the fuss is about,

Are Cunard forcing their passengers to dress down ? Its an option specifically for the Blue Note theme.

The informal theme is ship-wide, regardless of whether you're into the whole Blue Note Jazz thing. I guess we could still show up dressed in black tie and evening gowns on the nights we expected there to be a formal night even though it's officially an informal night. I know the saying is "you can never be overdressed or overeducated", but it would still be awkward. :rolleyes:

Tempest in a teapot. You'd think Cunard was requiring you to wear jeans. Enjoy the jazz and calm down.

I don't really enjoy jazz music. I do enjoy the formality that comes with a Cunard transatlantic crossing.

I haven't had any time off in over 2 years due to working full-time while completing a postgraduate degree. This trip is a treat to myself for graduating. It was sold to me as having 4 formal nights, I love formal nights. It's why I prefer to cruise with Cunard rather than the other lines. True, I will still enjoy myself on this trip, but had I known I would have booked a different trip and it is a disappointment. And the fact that Cunard can't give anyone a conclusive answer or straighten this out only adds to the annoyance.

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The "emergency" email clearly hasn't made it to UK travel agents or even their own sales team...

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Even if you call Cunard UK enquiring about booking this cruise, they are still saying 4 formal nights. Asking about the Jazz theme they talked to me about the artists who will be on board and the concerts. When I specifically asked if the jazz theme will impact the cruise in any other way, I was told no, everything else is as usual and there is no obligation to participate in anything of the jazz theme.

I would contend that a seriously relaxed dress code (if that is indeed the case) is an obligation to participate in the jazz theme... :rolleyes:

And interestingly enough, Cunard has yet to pass that information on to travel agents in the UK. I just called several specialist cruise travel agents and enquired about this voyage, specifically asking how many formal nights there would be. Kind lady looked it up and said that on this particular one there would be 4. I also asked about it being a Jazz themed cruise, but she said it's only some concerts and performances and wouldn't affect anything else.

I can't say I'm happy with this at all. When I bought my ticket I was told 4 formal nights and the voyage personaliser reflected this.

Yesterday Cunard emailed me to "remind" me that there is only 1 formal night. Interesting use of the word "remind" as this information was not made clear to me when I booked.

In other words, they've missold this cruise to me. As others have said, had we known this, we probably would have booked a different voyage or even travelled on a different cruise line (there's a NCL transatlantic at the same time I was maybe interested in as friends of ours are on it).

I've informed Cunard of my disappointment. I'll see what they come back with.

:mad:

PS: my voyage personaliser still states 4 formal nights... They need to get their act together.

I did my first transatlantic on the QM2 5 years when I was 32. I'm about to go on my 6th in just over a month. Before that we cruised with Royal Caribbean.

So my answer is YES, go for it! Cunard is perfectly suitable for younger people. it's certainly different from Royal Caribbean (or Disney, did one of those too and very much enjoyed it), but it's nice to have the variety.

I find the transatlantics very relaxing and the inside cabins have plenty of space and storage. We combined one of our trips with a 5 week camping/road trip through the national parks in the west, so had loads of luggage, yet still had enough room.

I would doubt very much you'd be unhappy with the experience. I worried too about it being too stuffy, old or snobbish, but it really isn't. You might get this song stuck in your head on the first day though:

Unfortunately, the VP is not always up to date. For over a month, our VP for a 2016 WC segment was showing the QM2 as being in two different ports (over a hundred miles apart) on the same day. Eventually, it was corrected.

 

Bob

Which is why I called Cunard and asked for the most up to date information regarding the formal nights. Person helping me went to double check with a supervisor and confirmed that there would be 4 formal nights, not 1 as said on the Blue Note Jazz website.

Here is the link to the sales promotion that Cunard has been send out for months.

Natalie Cole & Blue Note Jazz At Sea.

 

 

"One formal night with smart casual dress for all other evenings (jackets required, denim pants permitted but cannot be torn or have holes in them)"

 

Bob

Yes, Bob, I noticed that webpage, I linked to it in my original post. But it does not correspond with the Voyage Personaliser. And I am trying to ascertain which one is correct. My phone call to Cunard this afternoon said that the VP is correct and not the website with the Blue Note Jazz information.

Just to clarify here's a screen grab of the VP.

On a crossing there are 3 formals each way.

 

If you are on an extended round trip, then there might well be an extra one, but you will definitely have 6 minimum.

 

On all other cruises, there are only two per week.

 

Stewart

Actually, according to the information now, over the 2 weeks, we will either experience 4 formal or 7 formal nights.

It is not an extended round trip, it's plainly Southampton - New York -Southampton.

Not bothered about anyone noticing the same outfit. I just like to know either way.

I'm booked on roundtrip TA. The return leg of the journey is one of the Blue Note Jazz at Sea cruises and the Cunard website states that these cruises only have 1 formal night.

www.cunard.co.uk/cruise-types/music-cruises/blue-note-full-details/

When I booked, my agent told me there would 7 formal nights: 3 on the first part, 4 on the second. My voyage planner confirms this.

On the roll call opinions seem to be divided over which one is correct. Phone calls have been made to Cunard asking to clarify, but the answers vary: 2 confirming that there will be 4 formal nights, 1 confirming the exception for this voyage.

Which one should I believe?