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Aboard QM2 now (9-23 Sept)


MarkBearSF
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Can someone help me out with what the unpublished always available items are?

 

I believe they are as follows - others, please feel free to add or correct the list.

 

 

  • Shrimp Cocktail*
  • Caesar Salad*
  • NY Strip Steak*
  • Chicken Breast
  • Portobello Mushroom

*these are items I've ordered

 

 

- Mark

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I believe they are as follows - others, please feel free to add or correct the list.

 

  • Shrimp Cocktail*
  • Caesar Salad*
  • NY Strip Steak*
  • Chicken Breast
  • Portobello Mushroom

*these are items I've ordered

 

 

- Mark

 

Thanks, and to Underwatr also.

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I stopped by Boots at West Quay Mall during our afternoon in Southampton. Steve likes Aleve/naproxen and we were running out. I didn't see any on the shelves so I asked the pharmacist and was told that it's only on request at the counter and only for female period relief. I said my sister was traveling with us - she gave me dosing instructions for "my sister."

 

Yet, no problem getting pain relievers with codeine. Every country has their own quirks!

 

- Mark

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Daily notes and tips.

 

 

 

  • We received new CWC pins in a new design
  • Tip (especially if you have difficulty with stairs) Sit in a side section in Illuminations (non-Planetarium). When leaving Illuminations, rather than joining the crowd of salmon swimming upstream, go to the less-used side aisles and walk down to the exits on either side of the stage. (Not the doors marked, "do not open") - the second set of doors have a bar on the right door to open. This lets you out right next to the A stairwell elevators - thus saving not only the walk up the auditorium stairs, but the walk down the 3L corridor past the theater to the B elevators.
    DO NOT ever enter through the doors (which should be locked in that direction anyway)
  • Passing on another tip from a very frequent cruiser - If you have trouble finding available washing machines, try the laundrettes on Deck 10 & 11. As he explained, "the rich don't wash their own clothes."

- Mark

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Daily notes and tips.

 

 

 

 

  • We received new CWC pins in a new design
  • Tip (especially if you have difficulty with stairs) Sit in a side section in Illuminations (non-Planetarium). When leaving Illuminations, rather than joining the crowd of salmon swimming upstream, go to the less-used side aisles and walk down to the exits on either side of the stage. (Not the doors marked, "do not open") - the second set of doors have a bar on the right door to open. This lets you out right next to the A stairwell elevators - thus saving not only the walk up the auditorium stairs, but the walk down the 3L corridor past the theater to the B elevators.
    DO NOT ever enter through the doors (which should be locked in that direction anyway)
  • Passing on another tip from a very frequent cruiser - If you have trouble finding available washing machines, try the laundrettes on Deck 10 & 11. As he explained, "the rich don't wash their own clothes."

- Mark

 

Good stuff. Thanks, Mark, although I'm reminded that maybe the newly rich became that way because they washed their own clothes. I'll use the ones on deck 10 and 11 at the end of October, do a user survey and report back accordingly.

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Was it time for new (higher level) pins, or did they give you new pins mid-cycle, as it were?

 

We're still a couple of years from Diamond, although 2019 should move us well along the path.

 

The new style were being issued about 3 years ago when we got our white diamond rectangular badges..

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Was it time for new (higher level) pins, or did they give you new pins mid-cycle, as it were?

 

We're still a couple of years from Diamond, although 2019 should move us well along the path.

 

Yes. Mid-cycle. We reached Platinum in 2008, and cruised again in 2009, 2016, and last year in 2017. We received them this time (voyage 11).

 

- Mark

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Further notes...

 

 

 

  • The night before last, they needed to do plumbing work and there was a notice in the Daily Programme that hot water would be unavailable from 1-5 AM.
    It's a westbound crossing with a time change at 2 AM. No guesses whether the work started on the first 1:00 AM or the second one...
  • Again the non-themed formal/gala menu was underwhelming. And quite unusual.
    The six "normal" main courses included:
    Salmon Filet, Cod and Seafood en brochette, Stuffed Sole, Steamed Vegetables, Vegetables en croute, ...and Chicken Marsala.
    Fortunately the spa and classic roast items were Strip Steak and Veal Medallions. Still, I've never seen three fish and two vegetable entrees on any dinner menu, not to mention a "fancy night" one.

- Mark

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MarkBearSF, remember you from a previous QM2 ‘meet and greet’.

A question if I may, and if you have the time to have a look...what is opposite Deck 5 cabins 5180-2-4-6? The deck plan shows ‘blank’. Considering that location on portions of the QM2 World Cruise in Feb/March 2020. Do not want to be near a crew galley or something noisy. Appreciate any information you may be able to provide. Enjoy the rest of your voyage.

Cheers...Crown Vic...

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Good stuff. Thanks, Mark, although I'm reminded that maybe the newly rich became that way because they washed their own clothes. I'll use the ones on deck 10 and 11 at the end of October, do a user survey and report back accordingly.

 

If you are on the October 25th from NYC, you will see me there! I'm staying on deck 10 - no where near the old or newly rich - staying in an inside ;-)

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If you are on the October 25th from NYC, you will see me there! I'm staying on deck 10 - no where near the old or newly rich - staying in an inside ;-)

 

I'm also scheduled to occupy an inside cabin on deck 5, solo, on Eastward Oct. 25 crossing. Thankfully the wife has other obligations that week or she would be breaking the bank for one of those very nice Queens Grill suites.

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One reason why I've been willing to pay the higher fare for the holiday Caribbean cruise. I think the higher fare partly subsidizes a higher budget for the executive chef.
I love a philanphropist to help us stingys who pay as little as possible.You'll have to get Bill Gates on board,literally.
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I love a philanphropist to help us stingys who pay as little as possible.You'll have to get Bill Gates on board,literally.

I also believe it primarily affects the particular sailing that has the higher fares. If you cruise in the off-season you won't get the high season menus.

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I also believe it primarily affects the particular sailing that has the higher fares. If you cruise in the off-season you won't get the high season menus.
Unless someone can post these different menus.I believe every penny of every fare and menu cutbacks goes in the coffers of the ivory towers at Cunard.
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When cruise critic makes it easy to post pictures, I'll post pictures.

 

 

  • To answer the questions about 5180,2,4,6, I did some reconnaissance and as expected, the blank space is... a blank wall. I don't know if we've had a cabin there, but we like Deck 5 and often have had such stretches on the inner wall. I've never found them noisy or problematic. At the end, there is a crew door, so there will likely be some crew activity, but it's never been a problem. (We're currently in a similar situation in 8047)
  • It's been quite an eventful crossing. In contrast to the trip over, which had flat seas and warm weather.
    On the return, the usual route would've taken us directly into tropical storm Helene. Instead, we dawdled a while in the Bay of Biscay to let her pass to our west and then headed south towards the Azores and crossed on a much more southerly route than normal. Then today, Captain Wells announced that a medical emergency necessitated heading north to detour offshore of Halifax for a medivac helicopter evacuation. It completed today around 3 PM ship's time (1 PM EDT) As a result, we may be delayed into NY the morning after next. (He also announced that we'll be using the Deck 12 engines). Way south then way north.
    (Since we're flying out of JFK at 4 PM, I'm personally not too concerned. We'd rather spend time waiting on the QM2 than at JFK)

...and as to the quip about the rich not doing their own laundry - did it really look like a serious question requiring responses? It was advice from a veteran of MANY trips on the ship. Take his advice if you care to.

 

Oh, speaking of menus... Last night I ate a spotted dick. And I liked it.

 

- Mark

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We are on roundtrip TA from 18th Oct-1st Nov and in an inside cabin on deck 11 and have never used a laundry room on any of the cruise lines we have been on plenty of time to wash clothes when you get home.

 

Then you must be bringing a LOT of luggage! Or you wear the same clothes more often than I would.

 

I just completed a return Trans-Atlantic voyage on QM2 and realized that I could have reduced my luggage by half (or more) with the convenient availability of the self-laundry. I had brought one garment bag with 3 suits and 3 pairs of nice shoes plus a spare jacket just in case, but then - having never previously taken a passenger ship and not knowing what I'd want to wear - I filled a second full-size suitcase with a variety of casual and dressy clothes sufficient for 7-10 days.

 

 

In the event, all I really required was two sets of workout gear and about three-four days worth of shirts and pants which would have fit in a carry-on sized bag, since I mostly avoided wearing my most casual clothes and opted for my nicer shirts and pants. The more temperate weather mid-Atlantic made my hot-weather clothing redundant, so I could have left that gear in the car in NYC for my days in Manhattan and Brooklyn before and after the voyage.

 

Wearing the same casual outfit twice in one week would not be noticed, nor the same suit twice each week, especially as I could mix out a different shirt and tie.

 

I was in cabin 12-001 and the Deck 11 laundry was mere steps away from the 'A' Staircase. Seldom crowded after 1800hrs when I was prepping for the 2030 dining.

 

It is true that some pax acted quite entitled about the laundry, but most were polite and some were quite pleasant to chat with while ironing etc.

- some folks left their clothes in a machine for hours (perhaps expecting that some kind of laundry fairy would complete the job?) rather than attending their laundry in a timely manner

- some rudely dumped out others' clothes the instant the cycle was completed, rather than at least placing them respectfully in the baskets provided

- some set the drier to a 90 minute cycle when half that would have been sufficient

- some folks seemed utterly clueless about the simple, intuitive instructions for the machines

- too many women seemed shocked to see men doing laundry and ironing ... dudes WTH ?? ... pick up your game!

 

PJ

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