QE2 - January 3, 2006 - Six Day Crossing

[Transatlantic Tom]

Actually, I'll be in the Mauretania (2nd sitting), unless I get bumped up to Caronia...

 

 

Doug:

 

Like sfo-john and juliecat, my wife and I are in Mauretania (late seating).

 

I hope that you and your father can make the crossing. Having read so many of your postings, am I correct in thinking that this would be your first QE2 crossing (or is my memory just failing me) ?

 

Tom

[sfo-john]

I just booked the extra two days to Ft Lauderdale. It's definitely worth it and now I get to sail into and out of NY!

[Calliope]

Sounds like you're pretty pleased that you took my advice and checked with Cunard. I guess that make three of us whom are a bit blown away by Cunard's offer! All you others, Cunard is just a phone call away (800) 7CU-NARD. ;-)

[sfo-john]

Yes, definitely I'm very pleased with your advice and thanks so much! If anyone is deciding to do this for a Mauretania level booking be sure that you keep your dining room preferences (early, late, etc..) They switched me to early sitting by mistake, but I got it sorted out. Anyway, it's a total bargain for two extra days at sea and the chance to sail from mid-town Manhattan.

 

 

Thanks again!:)

[dougnewmanatsea]

Like sfo-john and juliecat, my wife and I are in Mauretania (late seating).

Sounds like late seating Mauretania is popular too.

 

Not sure if we would do C or M, to be honest. I am a little leery of a guarantee in an M category as some of the M cabins are closets. M1 cabins mostly look decent but probably not a big enough price difference between M1 and C6 to make it worth it.

 

So I guess we would probably wind up as a C6 guarantee, but will see. If we really wanted to cheap out we could book an M7 guarantee, which practically constitutes a free crossing given the value of the air ticket included.

 

Having read so many of your postings, am I correct in thinking that this would be your first QE2 crossing (or is my memory just failing me) ?

Memory not failing you - this would be my first time on QE2 altogether. I've wanted to do a QE2 crossing for practically my whole lifetime and I figure time might be running out.

 

In fact I'm not a Cunard past passenger at all, have visited QM2 and been on QUEEN MARY in Long Beach (long, long ago, as child) but that's it.

[Transatlantic Tom]

Doug:

 

That all sounds right on the mark. As I said before, I hope that you are able to make it for the January crossing. It should be a fine voyage.

 

Be sure to keep all of us on this particular thread up to date about your status !!

 

Best Wishes

 

Tom

[Calliope]

I just pulled out of my dusty files the list of daily dress suggestions from the begining of the 2003 World Cruise. Each day's dress was listed as being either informal or formal. Not once during the entire month of January, 2003 was casual dress listed as the dress of the evening. Even on days when the great ship docked overnight in a port the dress was informal. So I guess that I better pack a couple of extra ties and button down shirts to wear during the crossing.

[mufi]

Well on the 04 World cruise section Singapore to Southampton there certainly were casual dress evenings. They were a welcome change in the hot areas we passed through.

 

David.

[stowaway2k]

I guess that make three of us whom are a bit blown away by Cunard's offer! All you others, Cunard is just a phone call away (800) 7CU-NARD. ;-)

 

Make that four! ;)

 

Kyle

[Vic The Parrot]

Sorry

 

 

I won't be able to make it like I thought I did.

Something came up, and it's impossible for me to go.

Hopefully I'll join everyone in Jan 2007.

[Ken_W]

Hi Vic, sorry to hear you won't be able to make it. I think it just sunk that embarkation is just about 90 days away (that pesky final payment coming due is the clue). Hopefully I'll be around for the 2007 as well!

[guernseyguy]

.....so on my luck, expect further price reductions! Seriously tho, since so many of us have booked guarantees, it will be interesting to see where we end up, and what logic, if any is behind it! Don't know what long range forecasts in the US are suggesting....but in the UK the Met Office are predicting a colder than average winter..

...see here : http://www.metoffice.com/research/seasonal/monthly_forecasts/headline.html and shiver......

 

Peter

[signman]

Still looking for someone to share a C6 guarantee.

[Calliope]

Well, I just experienced five wonderful days onboard the Str. DELTA QUEEN as my partner and I rode her from the Queen City 470 miles up the Ohio River to the Iron City. Now, I only have to wait about 85 days till Southampton and boarding the QE2 for Ft. Lauderdale with my friend "Confetti"!

 

Hopefully, I'll be able to while away a few of those hours untill Southampton onboard the sternwheel steamboat NATCHEZ when she comes to Cincinnati, from New Orleans, to raise money for Hurricane Katrina relief! :-)

[mufi]

.....http://www.metoffice.com/research/seasonal/monthly_forecasts/headline.html[/url] and shiver......

 

Peter

 

In Guernsey?

 

David.

[guernseyguy]

In Guernsey?

 

David.

 

David,

 

While the sea does tend to moderate things a bit....Guernsey is in the area that is expecting a colder than usual winter....see here:

 

http://www.metoffice.com/research/seasonal/regional/nao/index.html

 

....but I was also thinking of people who will be staying in London before hand - and trying to get to Southampton on the 3rd.....You know how well British transport copes with a few inches of snow.....:rolleyes:

 

Peter

[Ken_W]

So I'm sitting at home, quietly working, the buzzer rings, and FedEx is delivering my pre-crossing Voyage Information booklet. I faxed in my Guest Registration Form last week (downloaded from the Cunard website) so that's already done, so now just send me my tickets please!

 

And now I have to set all things Cunard aside and get back to work.... bleah!

[Paul NH]

I am curious about something. Is everyone (or even some) on this string actually booked for a 6 day sailing ... or a longer intinerary? I noticed a number of times that the Cunard website and other online travel agencies do not recognize just the immediate QE2 crossing as a stand-alone itinerary. Where did people find the 6-day itinerary?

 

Paul

[juliecat]

I'm onboard for just the crossing. I didn't know about it until I read about it on this board. Luckily my travel agent knew how to find it.

 

They sent me the book of shore excursions for the entire World Cruise with my pre-cruise docs. Now I wish I could take off three months and do the entire trip.

 

Oh well, someday...

Julia

[Calliope]

Cunard LA has been marketing the 6 night, January 2006, Southampton to New York crossing along with the two extra nights to Ft. Lauderdale fairly heavily. Over the past three months I've recieved no fewer than two direct mailings from Cunard offering this crossing. The most recent mailing, which came last week, offered rooms at $100.00 less per person than the previous circular. Also when I added the two extra nights to Ft. Lauderdale the round trip air from Cincinnati was thrown in for lagniappe!

[tandemtourer]

I noticed a number of times that the Cunard website and other online travel agencies do not recognize just the immediate QE2 crossing as a stand-alone itinerary. Where did people find the 6-day itinerary?

 

While captaintandem and I thought we had done our last crossing on QE2 this thread and the knowledge that there won't be many more opportunities to sail in or out of Manhattan made us consider booking the January 3rd.

 

Having read about the exceptional pricing available on this thread last week I telephoned Cunard for specifics. The person on the other end of the phone could only quote a price for guarantees for SH to NY, when I asked about the additional two days to FLL both she and her supervisor stated that SH to FLL was unavailable. (Not only that, she also told me that only P1-P3 cabins could dine in Princess Grill. As I had inquired about a P4 this was of some concern.)

 

Last weekend we received the September 2005 Special Value Selection direct mailing. Page 6 lists both SH-NY and SH-FLL. For all classes the two extra days on board amounts to an additional fare of $100 per person.

 

We might just be joining the Winter Crossing Club!

[Transatlantic Tom]

I am curious about something. Is everyone (or even some) on this string actually booked for a 6 day sailing ... or a longer intinerary? I noticed a number of times that the Cunard website and other online travel agencies do not recognize just the immediate QE2 crossing as a stand-alone itinerary. Where did people find the 6-day itinerary?

 

Paul

 

Paul:

 

I think most of us on this thread are making the Southampton-NY crossing. A few, as you've noticed, have added the NY-FLA segment.

 

I didn't "hear about it" or recieve any brochures to get me started; knowing that there was to be a 2006 World Cruise (and hoping that the bosses weren't going to tinker with tradition) I just assumed/prayed there would be a Southampton-NY transatlantic crossing as the first leg of a World Cruise. I called Cunard reservations in February to get things started.

 

Tom

[Calliope]

The New York to Ft. Lauderdale segment could very well be sold out. The space available is limited by the number of passengers booked from Southampton and New York to LA and beyond. Also thrown into the equation is the number of passengers that will be starting their 2006 World Cruise in Ft. Lauderdale, amongst other things.

 

I'd bet money that Cunard has some Byzantine formula to determine how many berths they will let go to passengers whom wish to travel to the balmy climes of Florida from England. It certainly behooves someone who is interested to jump on the offer as soon as possible and not wait.

 

Now, this said, I also would not be surprised that if another Cunard LA reservationist was contacted space could be found. I don't feel, due to personal experience, as if the current crop of Cunard LA reservationist have a good grasp of the product.

[eroller]

. I don't feel, due to personal experience, as if the current crop of Cunard LA reservationist have a good grasp of the product.

 

 

On this point I agree 100%! In fact I usually call three to four times to get the quote I want. Every agent quotes something different, and sometimes can't honor the quote when they go to actually make the booking. Many of the agents have no clue what the difference between Mauritania and Caronia is.

 

Yesterday I was able to get an agent to upgrade me from a C6 to a C5 guarantee, and refund me $225 to boot!

 

Prices keep dropping on this sailing, but keep in mind the lowest prices are only available to past Cunard passengers or specific "prospect" passengers that were sent a special mailing. Without the Cunard past passenger number, or the "prospect" number on the mailing (which matches the name it was sent to), Cunard's (or should I say Princess) reservation system will not approve the rate. Believe me, I've tried for friends that are neither past passengers or on the "prospect" list and was denied the rate when I tried to book it.

 

FYI, category C6 on now on waitlist only.

 

Ernie

[guernseyguy]

Yesterday I was able to get an agent to upgrade me from a C6 to a C5 guarantee, and refund me $225 to boot!

 

Ernie,

 

Thanks for the info - I have forwarded to my SFO friend who has made the booking - time to find out how good his TA is!

 

Peter