david,Mississauga

We have taken both the morning and afternoon excursion; both years it was in the month of May. The weather was better in the afternoon, but of course there is no guarantee. One thing we remember is in May there can be a lot of snow still on the ground as you get to the higher altitude near "Summit." It is a terrific trip which we have done three times and never tire of it.

An acquaintance in the Buffalo area found himself being asked to pay Apple for an app. Fortunately he did not. I gave him the URL and toll-free phone number for ArriveCan and assured him it was free.

Thank you, bluemarble, for posting these itineraries. Although I would never book a voyage two years in advance, I do like to see what is available. It often gives us an idea of what we would like to do. In one of the earlier e-mails about the new QA it was indicated that ship would be doing the Alaska cruises to provide more capacity. There were rumours amongst some of the crew on our recent QE Alaska cruise that 2023 would be the last year for Alaska for the QE because the QA would take over. Obviously the QA will not being doing Alaska cruises in 2024. Based on these rumours we booked an Alaska cruise for next year because we are very fond of the QE and see nothing appealing about the QA. For long-range planning we thought of a Norway cruise on the QV for 2024. We see the QV won't be doing those after next year.

On the Alaska cruise of the QE in June we had a bottle of Contessa, a decent Italian sparkling wine. This was in PG. Our friend had the same in his cabin. I suppose it was too much to hope for the end of Pol Acker.

The last few Cunarder editions received before the pandemic were sent to me by e-mail. Even then, some regular parts of the brochure were no longer there. The only brochure we received in the post from Cunard in about three years was a booklet about the Grills. We haven't been on Holland America in seven years and we get one or two printed brochures from them every week. Since we reached the Diamond level, I suppose Cunard knows we are loyal so they don't bother with us.

Turtles06 beat me to it, but since I had pulled some photos from my files I will post two of them. The first view of the Queen Mary 2 was taken close to the top of the funiculaire on Dufferin Terrace. The second one shows how close you can get to ships at berths 21 and 22.

There are several piers in Québec City. The area around the main terminal - berths 21 and 22 - is a good spot for close views. If the ship is departing from berth 30 east of there, a good view can be had by walking east a little along the attractive boardwalk. For a wide-angle view, the Dufferin Terrace at the Chateau Frontenac Hotel gives stunning views. It is high above the old town, but there is a funiculaire. There are a lot of steps to climb so we always use it. Here is a map showing the cruise ship berths: https://www.portquebec.ca/en/cruises/information-for-cruise-ship-passengers/access-to-docks Unlike most ports, Québec does not show berth assignments more than one month in advance. https://www.portquebec.ca/en/cruises/vessel-schedules/seasonal-schedule

Actually it is not crap. As I understand it, cruise lines are required to ensure that everyone boarding a round-trip cruise has ArriveCan completed properly. Having this verified at the time of embarkation makes the arrival back in Canada easy for everyone. My exerience was excellent on Cunard's Queen Elizabeth cruise to Alaska round-trip from Vancouver. No-one could embark until their ArriveCan was completed properly. Shore staff assisted passengers who had not done it properly. During the cruise, the purser's staff collected customs declaration cards from all passengers. When the ship arrived back in Canada everyone disembarked and went on their way without speaking to any officials. It couldn't be easier. Without ArriveCan, passengers would have to present their vaccination proof to a border official on arrival back in Canada. I am far from being a "techie" and I don't do apps. The on-line version was simple and easy to read on a large screen.

The latest Government of Canada information (updated on 2022--08-18) continues the information that passengers must complete ArriveCan, have proof of vaccination and proof of a negative COVID test which must be taken prior to embarkation if there any Canadian ports of call. https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/cruise

HAL is causing confusion saying 12:00 a.m. Railways long ago put an end to possible confusion by having trains depart at either 11:59 p.m. or 12:01 a.m. Canadian railways and others that use the 24-hour clock will say 23:59 or 00:01. It is best to avoid times of midnight or 12:00 noon if at all possible.

Canada does not require a test for arrivals, only departures. I wonder if Cunard is insisting on it anyway for passengers disembarking in Québec. Obviously those doing a round trip from the UK or the USA to Québec will need it. The e-mail we received yesterday has a paragraph specific to our embarkation in Québec. It says a rapid antigen test may be taken up to two days before boarding. This is a switch for Cunard who has thus far insisted it be no more than one day before for Canadian embarkation. The COVID information on the website still says two days for US departures and one day for Canada. The Canadian government allows two days. We boarded the QE in Vancouver in June and had to take the test one day before. Of all the cruise lines going to Alaska from Vancouver that I checked, Cunard was the only one insisting on the one-day rule.

Although ArriveCan can be a nuisance to complete, the advantages at arrival back in Canada are considerable. Cruise lines are required to ensure that everyone boarding a round trip cruise has completed it properly. (As discussed in other posts, this is not required for a one-way cruise from Canada.) We recently took an Alaska cruise to and from Vancouver. There was some confusion at embarkation because many passengers were confused as to the first Canadian port of call on the return so had not completed it properly. On our Cunard Queen Elizabeth cruise it was Victoria, with Vancouver being the disembarkation port the next day. So this had to be corrected on the pier before those passengers could board. During the voyage the purser's staff collected customs declaration cards. When we arrived in Victoria the ship was cleared within minutes and passengers could go shore without any formality. The same applied on return to Vancouver. Passengers did not have to speak with any border officials because Cunard had checked all passports, ArriveCan and customs declaration forms and completed a manifest. Customs officers were available for anyone who had something to declare over the allowance, but it was an arrival without any fuss. It's a pity that arriving by air cannot be as civilised!

Going back, say, 10 years ago the list of speakers was often inaccurate. I can remember the names of people, even some well-known people, being included yet they were not on board. Then again, there were times when a name was not mentioned. On one crossing we were surprised to find Anthony Inglis and the National Symphony as a feature, yet there had been no publicity about that. The maestro told me it was mentioned on the UK Website but not on the US version. For our recent Alaska cruise on the QE, the booking site showed that Dr. Rachel Cartwright and Peter Hillary were the guest speakers. That was accurate.

Pharmaprix is the Québec name of the Shoppers Drug Mart chain. Their site says they charge $40 for a rapid antigen test. That is the same as in Ontario and cheaper than in British Columbia. You can search for the most convenient location. https://www.pharmaprix.ca/en/health-and-pharmacy/covid-19/testing/antigen-screening The postal code for Le Concorde is G1R 4W6.

I had said there was nothing at all that appealed to me about the Queen Anne. A recent e-mail from Cunard indicates that the PG staterooms will have a walk-in shower. Finally, there is one thing.

On our previous QE voyage, in 2019, when we were in Britannia we had those with the smoked salmon and cream cheese in the Queens Room. Yes, they were delicious. But we are trying to cut down (at least a bit!) on carbs. When in the Grills I can't resist those cheese rolls at lunch. Nor can I resist the scones. It is so hard to cut down on a Cunard ship. One time on the QM2 Osman, the MD of the QG, told me many people take lunch or tea but not both. Perish the thought, I said.

I detect a not-so-subtle put-down of people who enjoy one of the traditions of the sea. I doubt I would go on a forum of a line I have no intention of sailing with and make comments about people who like to dress casually - or even like slobs - at dinner. People unfamiliar with Cunard should realise that Cunard has dumbed down the dress code over the past few years. I'm not going to compare the present with our first crossing almost 50 years ago. As recently as 2008, on the soon-to-be-retired QE2, there were four formal nights out of six. The non-formal nights required a jacket and tie in all four restaurant classes. The cafeteria was available, as it is now, as an alternative. I met a lot of people on that crossing and not one complained about the tradition of dressing for dinner. After that, the number of formal nights was reduced to three even though the crossings were soon increased to seven nights. Now it is a mere two "gala nights". On our first cruise on the QE in 2013 there were three formal nights out of seven. On the 10-day Alaska cruises we have taken there were just two. I think 99% of the ships in service have a casual dress code. Surely there is room on the seas for a few ships (and not just those of Cunard) for people who want something different.

On our recent Alaska cruise on the QE we were disappointed with afternoon tea in both the Grills and the Queens Room. The tea in the PG restaurant was quiet, which on our cruise was a blessing. There was no harpist on the ship, unlike all our previous voyages on the QE, and the string trio never played once in the Queens Room tea. There was a pianist on some days, which was very nice, and a noisy saxophonist on one day and a guitar, apparently amplified, on another. The service and the food was mostly as good as usual, except some of the finger sandwiches were stale. In the PG, loose tea was poured through a strainer, which was tasty. We didn't want sandwiches which were made with buns. I considered going to the Lido to get a few cucumber finger sandwiches (hopefully not the stale variety) and bring that to the PG. But I never did. We have another QE cruise booked for next summer and hope things improve. We love that ship so won't be deterred by the downgrading of the tea experience. We can always have tea in our stateroom or on our balcony.

That is what we were told a few years back. We were not on a transatlantic B2B but a Québec-NY-Southampton voyage - our favourite way to get to England. As instructed, we waited on board until the last call about 10:20 and were surprised to see hundreds in the immigration queue. My wife cannot stand for a long period and uses a stick. A kind woman saw this and directed us to a shorter queue. Being Canadians, we did not have to have a photo or fingerprints taken. After leaving the building we were allowed back in and after security we were shown to a designated waiting area along with about 200 people.

One day on the QE we had an amplified saxophone at tea in the Queens Room. We couldn't carry on a conversation and left quickly. On some days there was a pianist. Being in PG we could go to the Grills tea, which was quiet. We were surprised there were no cucumber or other finger sandwiches - even on request - just filled buns. We had enough carbs with the delicious scones. From what I have read afternoon tea is still done well on the QM2 so we are looking forward to our September voyage.

I have read a few postings on various Cruise Critic forums about cruise lines saying ArriveCan must be completed for a one-way voyage from Canada. As I said earlier, this is impossible as the system will not accept that. I don't use "apps", just the on-line version, but it is probably the same. At some point these cruise lines will see that.

Thank you for posting the video. I have enjoyed it whilst having my tea and scone (admittedly at breakfast not in the afternoon).

Was there a harpist on board? On our recent QE cruise there was not. I'm please that they had the string trio on your QV voyage as there was on the QE. Did they play at afternoon tea at any time? I was disappointed that on the QE they did not play once at tea time.

After reading much discussion on this subject, I decided to experiment with our existing ArriveCan account. Next month we are taking a one-way voyage on Cunard from Québec City to New York. It was impossible to complete ArriveCan, even by making up a date within 72 hours. This is not surprising since the information quoted above makes that clear. The ship is going on to England and not returning to Canada for a year so I couldn't even fool around with that scenario.

I agree that the officers do not want to associate with the passengers. In the 10 days on board the QE I never once saw an officer. But the function could still be held without the officers. (A welcome message could be played on the tannoy.) On previous voyages the hors d'oeuvres were a little better than in the other receptions and the drinks very generous. Many people ordered what I will call fancy cocktails. It seems to me the cancellation of this event is cost-cutting. As I said in my original posting they have never been crowded, unlike the other receptions that were always crowded. The disembarkation from the stateroom is good when it works. On our voyage there were delays and there was no communication with the passengers about that. Social distancing was non-existent with people queuing close together for long periods of time. We were on a Holland America cruise a few years ago. Although there was very little I liked about HAL, their disembarkation from cabins was efficient. The various colours and numbers appeared on the cabin television and we were told to proceed to the gangway when ours showed on the screen. So if there was a delay there was no need to join a mob scene. The wine tasting on our 10-day Alaska cruise was held at a convenient time but we don't go to these any more. The Verandah was initially closed "due to operational reasons" so we were each given a credit of $20 to our account. A few days later the Verandah did open. Because we were in PG we weren't going to bother with the free lunch there, so we did better with the credit. I must point out that overall we enjoyed the cruise and did not suffer from any serious cost-cutting. There was ample staff in the Princess Grill; the food was almost as good as before; the service from our stateroom steward, the concierge and the bar staff was excellent. We did miss the harpist, though.