david,Mississauga

I have often seen some big differences in booking two consecutive voyages separately vs as one voyage. As a point of interest I was looking at the autumn Québec-NY-Southampton voyage. I am booked on the first segment and was considering booking the second segment. If booking the two segments as one voyage the pp minimum fare for an inside is CAN$3444 and for an obstructed view balcony it is $4721. The first segment costs $1210 inside and $1225 for obstructed view balcony. The second segment is $1146 and $1530 respectively. By booking separately the saving for an inside is $1088 pp and for the balcony it is $1966. There is a good chance you would have to change cabins between the segments, but for this saving I would think it was worth it. On one trip I managed to get the same cabin for both segments and saved some, but nothing like this. I have not seen a difference this large before, although I am sure it has happened.

Whilst on an Alaska cruise on the QE in June I purchased a FCD in Canadian funds. The agent advised that these can be purchased only by residents of the USA and Canada. She conceded that people from Britain and other countries are really upset about this - and rightly so.

If I can figure out how to take a screenshot from my rather basic tablet I will do so but will also try to get a printed copy. When we boarded the Queen Elizabeth in Vancouver the passengers who had difficulties at the five check-in areas were those who had relied on their smart devices. A few people were frantically poking, swiping or scratching their heads. Cunard had recommended that all documentation be printed - and insisted on that for the e-ticket and boarding pass, which not everyone did. Those of us who had everything printed just breezed through each stage. We were on a winter train trip from Halifax to Montreal with my previous tablet. It was basically an amusement. There was a serious delay due to a fatality involving a car at a level crossing which would cause us major problems getting home from Montreal. That one time when I really needed that tablet is when it died, never to work again. None of the four of us had a smartphone but we all had a "stupid phone" and they worked.

The author of that paragraph obviously has an optimistic view of the quality of internet access on cruise ships. From my experience most times it is very slow or difficult and from time to time it is complete rubbish.

Another reason I use Amex for all travel is the double points I earn. They can be converted to Aeroplan on a one-to-one basis.

I take the Canadian across the entire route once or twice a year. Many passengers don't tip at all, but many - maybe most - do. Unlike cruise ships where tipping is easy to figure out, there is no recommended amount. The on-board crew change in Winnipeg. For many years I used to leave a tip in the dining car for every meal, but the inconvenience of having plenty of coins and small bills has caused me to do what many others do. On the last meal before the crew change or the end of the trip my friends and I leave a tip. Dining car tips are pooled and shared between the diner crew. Sleeping car attendants keep their own tips. Most people I know tip between $5 and $10 per night per passenger. The same would appear to be a common tip in the dining car. As for drinks in the lounges the usual percentage would be appropriate. Most of the time the bar attendant will open a tab with your credit card and settle up at the crew change or end of the trip. That's when we tip them. One time we splurged on Prestige Class. We tipped the sleeper attendants - known as concierges in Prestige - more than we would normally do, but they were fabulous. VIA staff are well-paid and they know that many people don't tip. So anything, even a modest tip, is appreciated.

We have embarked the QE three times - once in Southampton and twice in Vancouver - and each time we have boarded from deck 3 through those double doors.

My interpretation is that "full completion of a vaccination course" means, for example, two doses of MRNA such as Pfizer or Moderna. As you know, the third dose is known as the first booster. At this time Cunard is not requiring a second booster, i. e. a fourth dose. This was explained to us in an e-mail from Cunard shortly before our Vancouver embarkation on the Queen Elizabeth. Of course it is possible the rules are different in the UK vs North America, but there were a lot of British passengers on our Alaska cruise.

If you booked through a TICO-registered travel agency in Ontario you there is compensation available. https://tico.ca/consumers/overview

The situation will change according to the number of COVID cases which are discovered on board. Of course, no-one can tell you accurately what that situation will be. It can change at any time. On our Alaska cruise a few weeks ago the launderettes were closed for the first three days. They were re-opened after that. Other restrictions were eased, such as the limit of four people per lift and the closure of the Verandah restaurant.

Thank you, Fouremco. We have a day in Halifax two days before the termination of the cruise in New York. I know Halifax well. The central library is not far from Pier 22. Although we don't have smart-phones I do have a tablet. I have seen a lot of people using wi-fi on the pier. (As the old saying goes: if you want to find free Wi-fi just follow the crew.) It is also available in the VIA Rail station across the street. Printing the confirmation could be a problem, so I will check with the library. I have thought of another option: we can have our son complete ArriveCan for us and forward the e-mail confirmation to us. Hopefully the printer on the Queen Mary 2 is working. It must be difficult for people on ships who don't have these options, such as those on an ocean crossing or a privately-owned vessel. We have read reports of some unusually obnoxious border officials who like to send people to quarantine even if they are not miscreants and have made every effort to comply.

Our TA makes those arrangements. I forgot to make that request at the time of booking, but he added it by phone to our two bookings. Apparently even TAs have to wait on hold for a long period, but I'm sure he could do other work while waiting.

We request it in advance. I understand it is available at some piers without an advance request, but the way things are now it might not be a good idea to leave it to chance. It has been a few years since we boarded in Brooklyn and fortunately we have no bookings at present from there. We do have an arrival there in October, so we shall see how that goes. Our last two Cunard embarkations have been in Vancouver and the assistance provided was excellent. The last time, a few weeks ago, there was no waiting at all to meet with a cheerful attendant with a chair. Vancouver's Canada Place terminal is much like an airport and assistance is needed for people who have difficulty with long walks and queues.

I have a question regarding difficulties accessing ArriveCan within 72 hours of a return to Canada. We recently had an Alaska cruise - Vancouver to Vancouver - and had no difficulties with ArriveCan. We do not have smart-phones and found the on-line version easy. During the voyage on the Queen Elizabeth I tried to access ArriveCan using the ship's desk-top computers. I had no reason to do this other than curiosity but we will need it on the Queen Mary 2 in early October. I could never connect - the circle went round and round on my attempts over three days. I sent an e-mail to ArriveCan and received a reply (after we got home!) saying it was a problem with Cunard's internet. I had no problem connecting to any other site, including e-mail. Our next voyage is one-way Québec to NY with an immediate return to Canada by air. I know I don't need to complete ArriveCan for this one-way sea voyage. But if I can't connect to ArriveCan within 72 hours how can I complete this for the flight? Closer to the trip I can contact ArriveCan for advice, but I wonder if anyone has suggestions so I can plan well in advance.

We noticed at embarkation for our recent Alaska cruise there were many passengers who had completed the form incorrectly, specifying Vancouver instead of Victoria. This was the only delay we noticed at embarkation as this had to be cleared up. During the cruise it was indicated in the programme twice that prior to arrival in Victoria passengers had to produce the ArriveCan receipt at the purser's office and again when stepping off the ship in Victoria. This wasn't true. We asked the Grills concierge about this and she checked and said no, as our ArriveCan was checked on embarkation. (No-one could have boarded the ship without it.) Getting off in Victoria and disembarking in Vancouver involved no immigration/customs formalities whatsoever. The customs declaration forms were deposited with the purser's office a few days in advance and all passengers simply walked off the ship and went on their way - all very civilised.

Thank you for your posts, Mr Chatsworth. May I ask is there a harpist and string trio on board? If so, are they playing occasionally at tea in the Queen's Room? We recently had a cruise on the QE and were disappointed there was no harpist. There was a string trio and they played at various locations which was pleasant. But they didn't play once at tea. One day we were treated to an amplified saxophone which made conversation impossible. Another day it was an amplified guitar. Fortunately, a pianist played on some days. We are taking the QM2 Québec-NY cruise in Britannia Club so we are pleased to hear your experience there is better than on your first segment.

My wife couldn't stand in line for half an hour let alone four hours. Since her knee operations we have requested wheelchair assistance at airports and cruise terminals, although she sometimes doesn't bother with it if it seems the queues are short and moving quickly. Did you happen to notice how this assistance would be offered during this situation?

On our recent cruise on the QE I couldn't get it to work. We had plenty of free internet time - which may or may not have helped - but I couldn't be bothered trying to log on to something that gives me a problem. We checked our account every three days by requesting a print-out from the Grills concierge or the purser's desk. Some lounges gave paper receipts for drinks and some didn't - a mystery.

The departure can still be viewed on this Webcam. I backed it up by 14 hours as of 08:20 Eastern time. The QM2 - and most ships - usually depart by sailing north and then do a sweep of the harbour. Sadly, the QM2 merely backed from the berth, spun around, and sailed away. The operator of the Webcam, however, zoomed in to provide some good views.

I have been lucky - on our three visits to Halifax on the QM2 it has been a lovely day. (We have not been so lucky on our train trips, though.) This Webcam is live, but you can usually back it up. https://www.novascotiawebcams.com/en/webcams/pier-21/

As has been mentioned previously, for Canadian departures Cunard insists we can get the rapid test no more than one day before boarding. This meant we had to have it in Vancouver. Our TA said if we test positive we should phone him right away and he will deal with it. This is just one of many reasons I will not take an ocean voyage without booking through my TA.

An excellent point indeed. For our recent cruise on the Queen Elizabeth from Vancouver there was a vague notice on the site where we had so much to complete (I don't remember where) suggesting it would be good to print out certain items. As non-smartphone people we had no choice. Except for the first desk to verify the ArriveCan receipts (some people apparently were not aware that Victoria was the first Canadian port of call on the return) check-in was quick. As expected, Cunard didn't like the photos we uploaded but that took only seconds. I did see people fiddling with their phones and I hope the day never comes when it will be mandatory to have one of those things.

We used Shoppers Drug Mart the day before our Alaska cruise. The closest one is on W. Pender. It took us 22 minutes to walk from the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel but only because my wife has to walk slowly. I could walk it in half that time. Appointments need to be booked by phone. We arrived early and were dealt with immediately.

The Waterfront station used by the Canada Line (from the airport) is not the one that is immediately accessible to the east of Canada Place. I have used this several times. When you exit the Skytrain area into the Waterfront station building by escalator or elevator (the ex-Canadian Pacific Railway station) you go out on the street, turn right (west) one block then right again. This is not a problem if your luggage is on wheels. It is about a 10-minute walk.

Another thing to watch out for is the profit the credit card company can make because of a mistake. Although I have been lucky with cruise lines, there was a hotel in England that billed us for an extra night. I had stayed there many times so I didn't suspect criminal intent. I contacted them by e-mail and they immediately apologised and refunded the charge. Because banks have different sell and buy rates, which of course are always in their favour, when the £ refund was converted to Canadian $ they made about $20.00. I protested to Amex Bank and after getting the explanation about the difference in rates I said to the agent that if I made an error or cancelled something I accept that I should pay the rate difference, but I shouldn't have to pay because of an unauthorised charge. She agreed and wiped out the amount. I know the amount was small, but if we let banks get away with this they will make more profit than they are entitled to.