Bon Voyage to those on Queen Victoria on her return to service

[safarigal]

5 hours ago, Solent Richard said:

So very sorry to read about your luggage.

 

I would have thought Cunard have little choice but to eventually replace your cases like for like.

We shall see......................

[roscoe39]

13 hours ago, safarigal said:

We shall see......................

hey Safrigal, sorry about your case. I had an experience in San Francisco a couple of years ago when I was disembarking and one of the forklifts put its fork through my Samsonite case. The port authorities denied responsibility and said to claim on insurance even though it was clearly their fault.

The only saving grace when discussions began with the insurance company was that I insisted on the ship/port giving me something in writing stating the accident happened on their watch.

 

I would be prepared that you might have the same reply....

 

Just picking up your blog now, hoping to see you next year....

 

regards...

Edited June 12, 2022 by roscoe39

[safarigal]

17 hours ago, roscoe39 said:

hey Safrigal, sorry about your case. I had an experience in San Francisco a couple of years ago when I was disembarking and one of the forklifts put its fork through my Samsonite case. The port authorities denied responsibility and said to claim on insurance even though it was clearly their fault.

The only saving grace when discussions began with the insurance company was that I insisted on the ship/port giving me something in writing stating the accident happened on their watch.

 

I would be prepared that you might have the same reply....

 

Just picking up your blog now, hoping to see you next year....

 

regards...

I am ever hopeful that Cunard will do the right thing! Even if they don't it's so wonderful to be back on board :). QV is waiting for you!

[Solent Richard]

11 hours ago, safarigal said:

I am ever hopeful that Cunard will do the right thing! Even if they don't it's so wonderful to be back on board :). QV is waiting for you!

Now that's what I call a perfect attitude.

 

Many years ago Celebrity contrived to lose one of our cases between the ship and the terminal at Buenos Aires - we had a post cruise hotel stay there. They initially tried desperately for me to claim on my insurance but I stood my ground.

The case was eventually discovered at the airport after we had departed and then had an amazing journey   around South America eventually arriving home...

 

******

 

To be fare to Celebrity, they eventually gave us a 33% discount on another cruise which excluded air fares. So we booked an ex Harwich cruise on Celebrity Infinity. 

 

I wish you similar good luck.

 

 

[57eric]

If there was ever a report on the drydock work, I missed it.  Was it technical only?  No reports of anything being refreshed in the passenger areas?

[lissie]

21 hours ago, Solent Richard said:

Now that's what I call a perfect attitude.

 

Many years ago Celebrity contrived to lose one of our cases between the ship and the terminal at Buenos Aires - we had a post cruise hotel stay there. They initially tried desperately for me to claim on my insurance but I stood my ground.

The case was eventually discovered at the airport after we had departed and then had an amazing journey   around South America eventually arriving home...

 

******

 

To be fare to Celebrity, they eventually gave us a 33% discount on another cruise which excluded air fares. So we booked an ex Harwich cruise on Celebrity Infinity. 

 

I wish you similar good luck.

 

 

Between you and @safarigal you've just about convinced me to buy some airtags! 

[2BACRUISER]

9 hours ago, 57eric said:

If there was ever a report on the drydock work, I missed it.  Was it technical only?  No reports of anything being refreshed in the passenger areas?

Believe some new carpets went in whilst she was on Tyne then Belfast was akin to MOT on undercarriage and tenders to get her safe to sail with passengers ticket up to date. Note not confirmed. 

[2BACRUISER]

@safarigal is there a quarantine area on QV at present we have a deck 5 midship  balcony booked for Aug and I'm wondering if we will be moved? Thanx 

[safarigal]

6 hours ago, 2BACRUISER said:

@safarigal is there a quarantine area on QV at present we have a deck 5 midship  balcony booked for Aug and I'm wondering if we will be moved? Thanx 

The corridor doors to the staterooms are closed near to the C lifts on decks 5, 6, and 7 on the aft starboard side, so I am assuming that's the area set aside for isolation. I have not heard of anyone being called to return to their stateroom immediately, so hopefully they are not in use at the moment.

[WestonOne]

Nice to hear you had a military band send-off.  We used to have one playing on the quay for every sail away in the dim and distant past but it has been decades, I think, since there was one when I sailed out. 

I would like to think this would be a regular thing, but I doubt it 😞 

 

Edited June 18, 2022 by WestonOne

[Host Hattie]

And Welcome Home, that time seems to have gone very quickly.

I've really enjoyed reading @safarigal's reports, I hope your missing items turn up and you have a good journey home.

I hope everyone else on Queen Victoria's first cruise had a good time.

[safarigal]

1 hour ago, Host Hattie said:

And Welcome Home, that time seems to have gone very quickly.

I've really enjoyed reading @safarigal's reports, I hope your missing items turn up and you have a good journey home.

I hope everyone else on Queen Victoria's first cruise had a good time.

It really was a wonderful cruise - there was a great upbeat atmosphere on board and the staff seemed so happy to be back. I'm at Heathrow now, and wish that we had been able to stay on for her next voyage!

[LadyL1]

Thank you so much for posting and it made me quite envious when reading of your travels on dull days here.

So looking forward to cruising on QV later this year: also have one for next year booked😊. 

[2BACRUISER]

@safarigal it was lovely reading your blogs of your recent trip on  the 1st sailing back for QV after shutdown but I wondered if you or anyone else on the trip would be writing a review of the actual state of QV, good, bad, hopefully no ugly 😀 we are due to sail her in Aug and the only reviews are from end 2019/2020. 

Many thanks. 

Edited June 24, 2022 by 2BACRUISER
Grammar

[57eric]

4 hours ago, 2BACRUISER said:

@safarigal it was lovely reading your blogs of your recent trip on  the 1st sailing back for QV after shutdown but I wondered if you or anyone else on the trip would be writing a review of the actual state of QV, good, bad, hopefully no ugly 😀 we are due to sail her in Aug and the only reviews are from end 2019/2020. 

Many thanks. 

Thank you 2BACRUISER.  I too have been mystified by the absence of commentary on this.

[Jailhousepete]

Can’t believe you are the first sailors on QV since we left it on 28 March 2020, hope all staff are OK, is Michael still one of the dining room managers - hope everyone has a wonderful time.

[safarigal]

On 6/23/2022 at 11:54 PM, 2BACRUISER said:

@safarigal it was lovely reading your blogs of your recent trip on  the 1st sailing back for QV after shutdown but I wondered if you or anyone else on the trip would be writing a review of the actual state of QV, good, bad, hopefully no ugly 😀 we are due to sail her in Aug and the only reviews are from end 2019/2020. 

Many thanks. 

I didn't write a review as such but at the end of my blog in the epilogue I described the changes on QV, but they were mostly my experience of what was different rather than the actual state of the ship.

I had not been on Queen Victoria since 2017, but apart from the COVID and possible cost cutting changes things seemed to be much the same. The musical entertainers on board were certainly excellent, and it was nice to have a variety of performers play at the sail aways rather than just one group that I don't particularly like which tends to happen on other ships. I think Neil Kelly does a really spectacular job as ED. From my point of view, overall it was good, I feel quite envious of you sailing on her in August!

[cook68]

On 6/24/2022 at 7:54 AM, 2BACRUISER said:

@safarigal it was lovely reading your blogs of your recent trip on  the 1st sailing back for QV after shutdown but I wondered if you or anyone else on the trip would be writing a review of the actual state of QV, good, bad, hopefully no ugly 😀 we are due to sail her in Aug and the only reviews are from end 2019/2020. 

Many thanks. 

We are on board next Sunday 3/6 I will be reporting back once home and maybe on board if time and web access. 

[Victoria2]

18 hours ago, cook68 said:

We are on board next Sunday 3/6 I will be reporting back once home and maybe on board if time and web access. 

Please could you report on television reception and as well as wi fi connection.

[safarigal]

33 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

Please could you report on television reception and as well as wi fi connection.

I hope they have fixed the TV reception by then! The wi fi was great for the most part in our deck 8 cabin and the Commodore Club on the June 5th voyage, despite them saying it would not work in port. Hopefully it will continue to be functioning 🙂

[Host Hattie]

It's good to have a positive report about the wifi, the other ships still seem to be struggling. I wonder if they did something to improve it during her dry dock ?

[Poole Boy]

1 hour ago, Victoria2 said:

Please could you report on television reception and as well as wi fi connection.

Still no tv reception they are experiencing ‘technical Difficulties’ so the daily program says , internet is in my opinion poor both slow and frequently disconnects, I would not be happy if I was paying for it,  Cunard my voyage is OK would be nice if it was updated with current information, my on board account is now 5 days out of date so will need to go to the purser to get an up to date statement .  Otherwise all is good on QV 

[exlondoner]

16 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

It's good to have a positive report about the wifi, the other ships still seem to be struggling. I wonder if they did something to improve it during her dry dock ?

 

It's a bit out of date now, but the basic wifi was OK on QE in April. A bit slow, but not terrible.