glojo

I take onboard your comments and also take onboard the VERY KIND comments of the other very kind folks. I note how you check the location of the emergency telephone, and the alarm buttons whenever you take a lift. Well done, but do you actually check them to see if they work? I am sure, that just like every other guest on these ships, you do not. We take it at face value that those emergency buttons work? The first time in all the years we have sailed with Cunard, we used that emergency alarm it never worked! All that happened was a recorded message told us 'Not to panic' not to panic!! That alarm and the other lift alarms on the Queen Anne were simply NOT emergency alarms, they are just buttons to press to hear a message telling you not to panic. What more could Cunard have done? I respect your opinion and thank goodness we can discuss this issue in the way that we have. I requested to speak to the captain, or the safety officer regarding this experience as I believe I had and still have some very constructive observations. Receiving a brief phone call from the Hotel Guest Services Manager, who in my personal experience was quite condescending when telling me she was not interested in the 'what ifs,' was not really understanding the compassion we might have needed so soon after this event? I would have liked the captain\safety officer to have listened to me and maybe accept that if all the lift emergency buttons were not fit for purpose and were these emergency buttons ever tested? Were in this self same condition when Cunard accepted this vessel? Should the ship builders have been informed? Should other cruise lines who own the same class of ship, built by the same ship builder be informed? I would like to think that these two senior officers would not have been happy with this safety issue? The siting of the emergency telephone must surely be located in a location where all guests can reach it? I accept we can ask about what if someone collapses and cannot get back up? Can I take the stance of the Hotel Guest Services Manager and state: "We are not talking about the 'what ifs!!" Not a polite way to respond to your question and hopefully I have better manners than to take that stance. Firstly, if feasible, having the telephone located on a side panel, approximately midway between the front and the back of the lift plus maybe 3ft from the floor, or the height of the arm supports of the average wheelchair. This to me might be a better location. If someone collapses and cannot get back up, then hopefully the lift will stop at the selected floor and they will receive the attention they require. Or one more What if,,,,,,,,, What if they collapse and what if they cannot get up? Then hopefully they might be able to drag themselves to where they can just reach that door and open it. Opening that door, I believe triggers a working alarm, it was certainly louder than the emergency button. Plus we must take into account that in this example, the casualty would not be able to reach the emergency alarm button! Just thought.. If this mythical casualty was unable to raise themselves off the floor, then could they possibly telephone a friend or partner travelling on the ship? I totally accept the criticism regarding the title of this thread and agree with Victoria2 regarding a better option, my mistake, and I apologise. I do however feel like we have been fobbed off and my observations have fallen on deaf ears. For those folks confined to a wheelchair, please be aware that in the case of an emergency and you are on your own in these lifts, there is s good chance you might not be able to reach that pesky telephone 😞 I will be passing onto 'the boss' all the support and kind words offered by you very nice 'shipmates' Thank you for the 'Head shed's email address and if we get a response, I might update this thread. Finally..... Thanks again and big hugs John

Hi Cheng Thank you for the description and I note the significant number of countries signed up to this arrangement and does it cover wages for the crew? I see that we have designated officers to board this type of vessel to ensure they comply with the flagged states conditions. I have absolutely no idea about these regulations but do have first hand experience of coming to the aid of an old tramp steamer whose fire and bilge pump had stopped working and they were taking on water from corroded valves.. The ship was in a shocking condition (way back in the 1960's) Apologies for going waaaay off-topic 😞

Folks understandably sing the praises of those that have been nice to them, indeed I have wrote a number of letters to various captains asking them to commend that certain crewmember, or officer. However, does it cause a tiny bit of frustration when we might complain about the actions of 'joe Bloggs' regarding a certain issue, then the next poster states how they thought Joe Bloggs was a very nice person? Might the nice comment be placed in a new thread? Selbourne, I am Cunard through and through, and you are perhaps experiencing something very slightly similar to our last experience. Our Guest Services Manager deemed it reasonable enough to deal with my complaint over the telephone and she could not get off the line quick enough. Telling me that she was not interested in the 'What ifs' and she was only 'interested' in what happened!! She showed absolutely NO interest in what happened. Could not give a flying fig about our welfare and never carried out any follow-up. I have NO idea about the location of any emergency telephone in the lifts on P&O ships but it would not surprise me if they were on the floor? For us, we paid no attention to its location, in fact we never realised one existed until my wife read that silly piece of paper!!!! It would have made me laugh if it read...'You are now leaning in a pile of dog poo!!!'😂 Apologies for my silly sense of humour.. Regarding your comment about Indian and Asian officers. That is clearly your experience and I for one accept what you have said. On one World Cruise, we were off to the World Cruise Dinner at Hong Kong. I was told special transport had been booked for me as I have a largish wheelchair and sitting upright is beyond extremely painful. That night my wife and I were escorted to the car park where our trusty 'steed' awaited us,,, Oh boy, oh boy. We were confronted by the smallest SUV you ever did see. No lift and a very short ramp. The roof of the vehicle was level with my shoulders. The ramp was so steep, it took two men and a woman to push me up. a the top of this ramp, they put blocks behind the wheels to stop us from rolling backwards. Then the Chinese men started to try to pull my body sideways to get into this stupid noddy car. I confess I was desperate to go as my wife had bought a dress especially for the event. After five minutes of unadulterated pain, with tears of pain in my eyes, I had to say enough was enough... Now I come to my point There were two white female officers present, both were in tears, both could not apologise enough. The senior officer stated that if I wanted to, we could take two friends to the Raffles Hotel for the evening ALL expenses paid. They were so forgiving\compassionate but I was in no state to go anywhere other than my cabin and throw some morphine down my throat. This most definitely does not take away from your remarks and I am not naming names, plus I do not think it matters one jot regarding the number of cruises we have had with Cunard. PS. We have just received a nice hamper from the 'Customer Relation' department of Cunard but, it does not answer my complaint Regards John

Agreed but I believe we also have something called the Paris Memorandum of Understanding? Which may well cover exactly the same conditions, but does it have a larger lasso to ensure flagged states enforce the required standards? Please note I bow to your superior knowledge and these are as usual questions and not statements of fact. Changing the subject slightly and to highlight my tactful point about folks not holding their camera correctly. I googled 'Guardsman Buckingham Palace' You will find umpteen images of guardsmen either standing close to an upright wall, or standing in their guards box?? The whole world can sometimes be seen leaning one, two, or even more degrees. My horizons however, are always level😇 (pet hate)

Hi Bill Thank you for that. I obviously have a hazy memory as I thought the US Coastguard had similar powers to our Marine Accident Investigation Branch, If a foreign flagged cruise ship were to berth in the UK, then our MAIB can carry out listed checks on that vessel, BUT I cannot remember the specific regulation and the requirements needed for the search. Would damage and a number of injuries be acceptable? Thank you to both your good self and cheng for the much appreciated replies. Those measuring the degree of list 🙂 Please can we accept that there might be varying opinions on the angle of list as we are reliant on the photographer holding the camera perfectly horizontal under harrowing conditions. Some folks might be able to do that, but would I? It is nice to see folks having a bash at guessing the degree of list GMerick I love your protractor app Whenever I am out on the balcony lazing about in my reclining wheelchair, if the weather is really rough, abd I can see the horizon, Then at the steepest part of the ship's roll, I snap a picture of the upright balcony partition along with the horizon. That gives me an image of the perfect angle (If you can follow my poor grammar) .

I hate replying as my medication is making me as high as a kite but if we are curious enough to work out the degree of roll from that video clip, then when you can see an object that you know should be upright. Freeze frame the picture. Transfer it to a suitable piece ofr software, perhaps photoshop. Then maybe use the rotate option. Possibly eight degrees but that bmight be my wonky eyesight

Totally agree withoiut water then it is just a strong wind. permission to blame my opioid medication

Modern radars can pinpoint the squall, let you see its size, the direction of travel, plus its speed. Colours on some radars will let the watchkeeper quickly see its strength, plus of course you can program alarms into these things to give you early warning. We can also buy an excellent radar for your own use and it would not break the bank 🙂

Strange how I am being accused of making assumptions and yet here we have a post doing just that and please sbtagent, I read your post with a smile on my face and I accept your remarks as being posted without the intent to argue. I have absolutely NO experience driving these huge ships. ?They are huge boxes 🙂 with a pointy end and a blunt end. Their very shape makes them extremely stable in a variety of sea conditions, but only a galah would disagree with the original post. Explorr rolled. Full stop and I guess I am guilty as charged. I am guilty of suggesting she rolled. The original post talked about a squall and I responded to that in good faith. Squalls in my opinion, do not just appear, unlike in the days of Nelson when sails would have to be hauled in and secured. That took time, time they would not have, unlike a 21st century cruise ship weighing 100k tons plus and to push, shove or lift 100k tons takes a lot of energy. Now to your specific allegation regarding sea time and knowing about the running of a ship or a ship's routine ships. For twelve years I served in the Royal Navy, firstly on a small aircraft carrier of some 22000 tons and no stabilisers but who cares, such a large ship rarely rolled, then I served on small ships, the first a 1200 ton open bridge ship that was not just fast, her acceleration was a site to behold, but in rough weather those living in the rear half of the ship could not get to the galley for their food, whereas those of us in the front half could not get any medical attention. Suffice it to say we were sometimes sailing through consistent bad weather for a weak or more but suffice it to say no one went hungry. Pot mess boiled in the laundry equipment and ships biscuits dated from the 1940's. They were the days. We also had an open bridge and by open I mean just that. Completely exposed to the elements and yes, solid green water would crash over the bridge absolutely drenching the watchkeepers who would stay drenched for the duration of their watch!!! so do I have any experience of a ship's routine on ANY ship? Next ship I served on was a brand new guided missile destroyer which we took on a 365 day World cruise, all paid for by the British tax payer 😇 BUT... No cll phones or mobile phones, no email or Internet. We could be at sea for thirty days or longer and the only communication we would have with family, wives or girlfriends was by ood ols fashioned letter writing and if your wife failed to number her letters then it could get confusing getting these letters in the correct order, Finally a really nice, small 2500 ton frigate. During one period of my time onboard, we deployed up into the Artic Circle, to serve with ships nvolved in our 'Cod War' with Iceland. I note you are from Norway and may well have experience of sailing on the high sea in winter, where if we were on the upperdeck, (a dangerous place tgo be} We were not allowed to shave, life lines were rigged everywhere a sailor would need to walk. However we had special clothing to keep us warm, goggles to protect our eyes, and wait for it... A special grease smeared just about everywhere that seawater might land? Why the grease? A cunning plan used to prevent the sea water from hitting bare metal and instantly freezing although every forenoon watch would see jolly jack tar wielding a rubber coated ledge hammer smashing ice that had managed to form on the upper deck. What experience do I have, When refueling I would be out on the bridge wing keeping an eye on our tanker when the front third of that ship would leave the water and would would for a brief second see our sister ship, refueling on her starboard side!! Those were the days/We would regularly roll to over thirty degrees which could be 'interesting. So, do I lack the knowledge of a ship's daily routine on ANY ship? I might respectfully suggest that I do, BUT.... I have NO idea of a ship's routine aboard a cruise ship. However a A pound to a penny of horse manure, I might suggest there is a possibility of ALL bridge watch keeping officers having to be familiar with the Captains Standing Orders, or similar named book. It is nice to discuss these issues without insults or name calling. We all have our say and opinions will no doubt vary. This is my attempt at using Photoshop to demonstrate angles of roll. The first shows a five degree roll which would see plates sliding off tables etc, the second showing a thirty degree roll which during our time within the Artic circle was a regular experience. My own personal experience is that no modern day cruise ship could survive that type of roll Fingers crossed I have not offended anyone? 🙂

Hi Ken I apologise if my post gives that impression, I am simply asking questions. Please do not read into my post ANY criticism of anyone. Only an inquiry along the lines of our own Marine Accident Investigation Board will resolve this. Ken, Do you know the name of the American equivalent? Apologies again if my post contained any accusations. Take care John

My observations are that steaming through hurricane force winds at 23knts is going to spoil anyone's day. This speed is quite fast for the ship sailing into a squall, it might even be termed as 'questionable'. However I was not there and it might have been acceptable to maintain that speed? Will there be an official board of inquiry into this incident? If so will the speed be something they look at? I accept the captain was not on the bridge, I also accept I am not privy to the captains orders, but should he have been notified that the ship was approaching a very violent squall? Should the ship have taken the necessary action to avoid this event? Obviously the board of inquiry will have a gazilion questions that the captain will need to answer. Please note I am not speculating as to the cause of this horrible incident but is it in the interest of the cruise line to blame the proverbial 'rogue wave'? Rather than the fact that their ship steamed flat out into a violent squall!! Apologies for being so blunt but my brain keeps asking the question 'why' Thankfully this event should be logged in the ship's little olde black box which might exonerate the captain and his bridge team, or hold them accountable for decisions they made. I was not there and will not speculate as to whether it was a 'rogue wave' or steaming way too fast for the predicted conditions? I read that after the incident the captain went onto the bridge and ordered the ship to immediately slow down. The words 'horse' and 'stable doors' comes to mind, Another question a board of inquiry might ask is ;What does the captain's standing orders' state about notifying the captain when the ship is heading towards a squall, violent or otherwise? Again a question and not me speculating Folks are saying the ship was rolling after this event. Had the stabilisers stopped working? Or could the rolling have possibly have been the sometimes awful shuddering experienced when the ship slams into the waves? These large ships are quite stable, plus the modern day stabilisers are fantastic, but,,,, In very rough conditions the ship tends to frequently head on into large waves. This slamming sees the ship, shake terribly. This action will see folks inspecting their meal as it appears once more after being digested. I have an app on my telephone which measures a ships roll. I believe the worse conditions we have experienced on a cruise ship was approximately two degrees. This was recorded in the winter of 2014 when we were onboard the Queen Elizabeth crossing North Atlantic. Before departing from Southampton Captain Wells informed us that we would be travelling the southerly route for this crossing as there was really adverse conditions for the Northerly route. Unfortunately for us, the hurricane was so huge, it mattered not which route we took, we could not avoid the challenging conditions. For two or three days we were reduced to between speeds of 12 - 14knts. For those living in the very front of the ship. it was like living inside a lift continually going 'up and down... Up and down'🤑Our planned average speed for the crossing was 21knts, that was most definitely not a practicable speed which made us a day late arriving in New York. Boy did some idiotic passengers complain about that delay. We however had enjoyed looking at that rough weather. My wife was on our very first cruise and she was amazing, We sat in the Commodore Club which I believe is above the bridge and we watched waves crashing over the bow. then hitting the ship's superstructure before bursting completely against our windows completely obscuring our view. By crikey when going for our meals the restaurants were practically empty. The ship's staff ALL needed commending for the way they conducted their duties and looked after the hundreds of passengers that were 'ill' The shuddering I have mentioned was to me quite funny watching my wife's gallant attempts of walking along a corridor/ Her left hand holding firmly to the hand rail on the left bulkhead (wall) and her right hand firmly holding onto the right. I will never forget her nice smile as she frequently looked back at me to see how I was fairing. Yup, that shuddering was shaking us like a rag doll. Obviously the ship's theatre was closed but much respect to Captain, now Commodore Wells retd. His leadership was commendable and thankfully no 'freak waves' and very little damage apart from crockery. I mentioned our experience of a ship experiencing very powerful hurricane force winds with waves that were 'to be remembered 😗 I hope no one was seriously injured on the Explorer and they enjoyed the rest of that cruise. This is what I mean by inquiry and I am confident that America must have an equivalent that will deal with American flagged ships. Something to read. Lots of unfounded speculation which sadly 'points the finger' at the captain 😗 😞 I say WAIT and see Regards John

I have posted this in the review section but feel it might be better posted here: Introduction (The lull before the storm) We took this cruise to compare the Queen Anne to her three sister ships, so my observations are all about my wife and my own personal observations. We had an adapted Queens Grill suite, my only complaints about this suite was how I dislike using a soap dispenser to apply soap to a flannel!! Now a serious observation. You pay top dollar for these cabins and yet the TV is fixed to the wall alongside the bed making it impossible to view from the bed. I, like a number of other disabled folk spend most of my day laying on the bed which rules out watching the TV. This is an adapted cabin designed for disabled guests and no real thought has gone into the needs of 'the end user' All the TV needs is a hinge for it to simply pull out, thus making it watchable. I have wrote to Cunard regarding this issue along with a far more serious incident but I fear my observations fell on deaf ears. I think they were our only complaints about this cabin. It was of ample size and unlike Britannia class cabins, we had ample room to stow all our belonging for our nineteen day cruise and my wife does like to take a 'number' 🙂 of dresses all of which were stored nicely in the wardrobes. There is in our opinion space for those contemplating going on a World Cruise. So I can say the cabin is an ample size for a large wheelchair user plus the size of the balcony is ample for my reclining wheelchair along with two sun loungers and a table. To me the ship might be a nice cruise ship but in my opinion she fails to compare to her three sisters. The Queen Anne felt crowded and we never felt like we were aboard a Cunard ship. Whilst accompanying my wife around the upper deck, we always felt in the way of other guests who were out enjoying the fresh air. We found there was usually insufficient room for folks to pass so we were regularly trying to find locations where we could allow folks to pass by us. Unlike the other three ships where there was ample space and come to think of it, was there room for sun-loungers? I cannot recall seeing any but that might be down to me. Now for a very serious observation The Lifts We had the misfortune to be stuck in one of the ships lifts for just over FORTY MINUTES!!! I joke not. We were trapped on the tenth deck, with the lift wobbling, the cables groaning for just over FORTY MINUTES. This long period of time can be explained by my being in a wheelchair but no, that is not an acceptable excuse. As soon as we were trapped we pressed the emergency alarm. Then EVERY FIVE MINUTES, we took it in turns to press that alarm. The only 'comfort' we had was every time we pressed the alarm, a stupid recording told us, 'Not to panic, the alarm has been received!!!’ EIGHT TIMES we pressed that alarm, once every five minutes and ‘Don’t panic, your alarm has been received’ How did we get out? A good question. The lifts on the Queen Anne are definitely not the largest of lifts, my wheelchair just fits into this cosy location, but after forty minutes, for a challenge I decided I would try to turn my wheelchair around so I could face these defective doors. After a twenty point turn, my wife noticed a tiny piece of paper stuck on the wall in the corner that was behind my wheelchair! On inspection my wife noted how it described using the emergency phone that was again, low down on the floor and had been concealed by my chair. As soon as my wife used this telephone, it triggered an extremely loud alarm that made it a challenge to speak to the person on the end of this piece of communication. My wife explained we were stuck in a lift and had been here for just over forty minutes. The person she spoke to was amazed that we were stranded in a lift?? He asked for details of the lift, where in the ship it was located and what deck? This left my wife and I flabbergasted. If I had not been so stupid as to turn my wheelchair around, would we still be trapped in that lift? After being released, we spoke to a young officer and I requested to speak to either the safety officer, or the captain. For days I made this request via our concierge until in the end it got embarrassing. Eventually I was told the captain refused to speak to us! For folks that know me, I am a very polite friendly type of character and I was amazed by the captain’s arrogance. They simply stated they had delegated this task to the Hotel Manager! Why not delegate it to an engine-room mechanic? If I had been some type of VIP, would the captain have been so arrogant, did she deem we were to insignificant for her to waste her valuable time with? In my world, the captain is responsible for the safety of the ship, the welfare and safety for both the crew and the guests. Did the captain ask about our welfare regarding our health? Did she ask the medical officer to ask how we were? NO…. Her silence was deafening. All we got was a polite but useless telephone call from their hotel guest manager. Note I say how this person was both very polite and very friendly. Sadly for me, Captain now Commodore Wells set the bar for captains of the Cunard fleet and I am still extremely upset by the TOTAL lack of concern regarding my wife and I. I had told the Hotel Manager how the ridiculous piece of paper was totally inadequate and a new one should be re-sited and if an engineer needed to discuss these issues with me, I could make some constructive observation, like the location of the emergency telephone, there is no way I could reach it, unless I threw myself out of my chair!! Sadly I was never contacted an no doubt those cabinets will remain where they are. A new sign was produced and placed in a better location. This sign instructed that in an emergency use the emergency phone. It then gave its location. This sign was posted in every guest lift. The day after our terrifying ordeal, we were once again on deck 10 when my wife heard the emergency alarm sounding in that same lift. We then saw a crew member go up a few stairs, then use a ‘T-Bar’ to operate a valve?? That opened the lift doors, this mechanic then very quickly run away We then saw a very distressed person run out from the lift screaming, ‘Twenty minutes, I’ve been trapped in that lift for twenty minutes’ By now this poor man who looked very distressed was shaking a guest who was just standing in the area of that lift. When we returned home, I wrote a letter to Cunard, expressing my concern about the lifts of Queen Anne and who knows what other lifts fitted to the Cunard fleet. Whilst on the ship when I spoke to the Hotel Guest Services Manager I had said, ‘What if we were trapped in that lift and there was an electrical fire?’ What if I had a heart attack, or stroke?’ The response I got was to ‘Not worry about the what if’s’ Unbelievable, hence my letter to Cunard. After approximately four weeks we got a reply from a very nice lady who tried to convince me the emergency alarms were monitored and the issues had been ‘investigated’.. If I were to believe her claim then I would have to accept that whoever was monitoring these EMERGENCY alarms must have been possibly deaf and blind, or engrossed in reading a book or had simply gone walkabouts. Don’t forget the guest who the very next day that poor gentleman who had also wasted twenty minutes pressing the alarm before using the phone. Yup, of course those alarms work!!! Sorry for the length of this post but if you sail on the Queen Anne, PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT BOTHER PRESSING THE EMERGENCY BUTTON, but instead locate the cabinet and use the phone, be prepared for the very loud alarm that might make you jump. Happy cruising Regards to all John

Hi Dermotsgirl Please accept my apologies if I somehow suggested you mentioned 'azipod' I can assure you that it was not intended and I genuinely apologise. Bloodaxe has beat me to it by responding to your comment about older sjps that have the good olde tried and tested propellors and by crikey they can vibrate as that pesky propellor acts like an egg beater 😗 I have no idea regarding your knowledge of the various types of ship's propulsion and I do understand how this can be confusing 😊 I hope I have not offended you by my talking about 'fake news'. This comment was used to describe folks talking about an azipod propulsion unit leaving the water (I guess in theory it might be possible)

Totally agree with your second point about but whilst waiting is it right that we repeat posts that are very likely factually incorrect? Bloodaxe picked up on what I was describing as a 'Siemens gizzmo' and just for his information and please accept I fully understand your callig it an 'azipod' system. That is exactly what I thought she has, BUT.... When I researched her type of propulsion, She actually has the Siemens version of the azipod and it is called the SISHIP SiPOD-M.. Or to us Saga sailors.. The Azipod system 😑 The attached image is of the Siemens system and please note the stern of the ship is to the right of the image. If those propellors came out of the water, the ship would be in a whole world of hurt!!! 🫢 I am not saying the author was wrong to say the propellors were out of the water, but I am suggesting it is probably 'fake news'. I am deliberately suggesting it is probably fake news purely because of the location of these amazing systems, be they azipod, or sipod. They are brilliant. Below is the Azipod system, the same but slightly different

An interesting topic and what an awful predicament for passengers faced with an overloaded car and a deadline to get to the ship! Is there a policy whereby if you have booked this service through Saga, you will not be left behind? I looked at the image of a driver stacking in those cases and cringed! What type of rear view does the driver have once they take to the highways and bye-ways of our fair land? Yes they got you to your destination but were they breaking the law, or more to the point, were they not just putting your lives at risk, were they having a total disregard for other road users? Could a guest simply say 'No, I am not putting my wife's life in danger?'',

I read your post with great interest as you have clearly got some sort of insider information. I am guessing my eyesight is not as good as it once was as I have read the interim Marine Accident Investigation Boards report, but I failed miserably to find any hint of how those engines failed. IF, and it is a HUGE if, but if the ship's propellers were out of the water and the engines had died, then so what, they were dead in the water and simply ballast. Now Please, please do not think I am making light of this terrible ordeal. You were there, I was not but if the ship was underway, she would have been under the command of a highly qualified officer, yes it was a force 11 and whilst those engines were working that sea state should not have been a problem but I must emphasis, with the engines working. Losing one engine would not be nice, losing both would see the ship being blown about. BUT.... She is a 58000 ton ship, she is not Cross Channel Ferry and please note these vessels will easily handle a force 11 storm, BUT... Getting into, or out of harbour will be what sees these ferries being cancelled and the same usually applies to cruise ships. The Saga ships are unlike your average merchant ship in so far as just like any number of cruise ships, they do not have conventional propellors. Right underneath the ship these ships have Siemens latest gizzmos and for those two things to be out of the water whilst underway would not be something to behold. You were there, I wasn't. In my defence I have experienced multiple hurricane force wind situations whilst serving on 1,200 ton ships up in the Artic and North Atlantic and those ships never had any modern stabilizers etc. .Obviously whenever possible, these winds are best avoided. Much respect to those crazy trawlermen who sometimes sail the high seas in even smaller ships. Please do not think I am making light of your experience.. I am sure I read somewhere that the captain ordered\suggested that passengers go to their cabins and lay down on their bunks. Excellent advice and I cringed when I saw pictures of passengers sat in what looked like restaurants!!!! No votes for that situation and again, in my experience, you DEFINITELY do NOT want to be in the vicinity of loose fittings or furniture. The poor crew will have the very dangerous job of securing just about anything and everything that could possibly move and I dread to think what can move in a restaurant. Any spilt liquid makes for an extremely dangerous situation. Were the propellors out of the water?? Who knows apart from a helicopter pilot, but yes you might here them trashing about if they are active and near the surface. When then ship lacks propulsion then in deep water you go where the wind takes you and possibly broadside on to the wind. Finally whilst the ship was operational the captain would know the weather conditions and I would like to think he would have ordered the crew to prepare for rough weather. Then would he possibly make an announcement to the passengers to check they make sure they secured anything in their cabins that might come loose and obviously he would have all doors to the upper deck closed and then try to skirt the worse of the storm. On the AIS plot it looked like she was indeed skirting the Bay?? I hope I have not said anything that might cause upset as that is the last thing I want. My thoughts go out to the next of kin and family of the deceased and to those that were injured, I wish you all a speedy recovery.

If this is factually correct then this is fantastic news. I have booked a very nice cruise next year with an adapted cabin and yes with an evacuation chair. This will be our first cruise with this company and the only reason we have booked this cruise is because for the numerous cruises we tried booking with Cunard there were no evacuation chairs. We might say 'hard luck'. BUT........ What really annoys me and I mean, really annoys me is that there are adapted cabins available on the cruises we were looking at,but no evacuation chairs!!!!!! When I suggested this was a crazy state of affairs, the agent agreed with me but said these chairs are allocated on a first come, first served basis. For five seconds or so, I was lost for words, but I very quickly gave vent. To my very simple mind, an adapted, or disabled cabin is for persons, or person with a disability and SURELY Shirley, surely the cabin should have at least one evacuation chair. Then, and only then, should any spare evac chairs be allocated on a first come, first served basis? I am speaking here from first hand experience having just returned from a cruise on the Queen Anne. We had one of the ship's travel agents going through multiple cruises on the ships sailing from Southampton I think we put forward approximately ten cruises, several had vacant adapted cabins but NONE of them had a spare evac chair. Much respect to the person that has a mobility scooter but does not need one of those chairs, but sadly I feel the majority of users could use the stairs but opt not to, We even offered to buy a blooming evac chair but that is not allowed. Nor can I state I do not require a chair. It is non negotiable/ I also tried P&O and come up against the EXACT same situation. Madness, pure madness, yet I know that EVERY available adapted cabin on our Saga cruise does indeed have an evac chair. I wonder, if I fly abroad for my holidays, is it mandatory for me to have a parachute?

Apologies if this might be off topic, but before joining the ship, I wonder if it is possible to contact the Maitre D and reserve a table in the main restaurant for my wife, myself and my 'chariot I have a large electric wheelchair which is not the most maneuverable of beasts, plus I have to have the back reclined. A waiter will usually plonk a cushion on my lap and this cushion supports a tray which acts as my table. I do not want to just turn up and be a nuisance. For those of you that have sailed on this ship, could you suggest a location or table I could ask for? Our cruise is booked for November of next year, so I am guessing it's a bit to early to contact the ship.

Do not forget that Mr Kipling makes exceedingly nice cakes 😇

Would a passenger have access to company policy? Without a shadow of a doubt the LAST THING the Maitre d would do is be confrontational but... this person will have the full backing of the captain and if any passenger were to threaten, argue with or simply create a disturbance on our beautiful cruise ship, then I can see a passenger being 'shown the gangway'. Something a captain would not hesitate to do. My own thoughts are why would anyone spend a lot of money on a cruise with Cunard and then once aboard try to go into the main restaurant on a formal night and not be dressed accordingly?

Thank you both very much for the very informative replies. We are going on just a nineteen day cruise so a bottle of rum might last two or three hours. If however I want to enjoy this cruise and not be carried off in an alcoholic stupor, then just the one bottle will be more than adequate. I remember once when dining at the captain's table, I asked for a glass of Guinness, the other guests looked at me in total disbelief. Their eyes all looked like mini ping pong balls, the captain however looked at me with a big grin and said.... ,Finally, finally I can enjoy my favourite beer' 😊 The rest of the evening was a huge success, our table was the last to leave having taken a hint from the waiters who were all resetting the tables for breakfast but I confess this was pre covid .

Hi I would like to know the latest Cunard Queens Grille policy regarding complimentary drinks please. Is it two bottles of wine per cruise or possibly be two per day. I am not a great wine drinker and much prefer a Guinness followed by a glass of rum 😑 Thanks very much John

Am I missing something? What else could the Restaurant Manager do? Surely if the person had managed to sit at their table, then quite simply refuse to serve them any food!! They KNOW the rules and if they opt to act like a spoilt child, then that is their choice. Do not be rude just simply insist that this is company policy. Do NOT allow folks to do whatever they want. If I drove a car in America on the correct side of the road, would that be allowed purely because I come from England?