Open Air Dining on QM2

[ladylondon]

Hello all-

 

My husband & I are booked on our first Cunard liner passage.  We are meant to leave tomorrow on the QM2 and are very excited, but starting to get a bit nervous about contracting covid.  I just received an email from Cunard stating that out of an abundance of caution they are requiring masks indoors everywhere except when in your stateroom or while dining. I figure we would be most likely to get it around other unmasked people while eating. Can anyone comment on if there are any open air dining options on board?

 

Thank you!

[exlondoner]

The mask requirement is very good news. I was just talking to,them this morning (about something else) and mentioned I thought they should insist on more mask wearing.

 

 

There's the Boardwalk cafe, but that usually only open in good weather. Or room service on your balcony, if you have one. But the TA weather is often too windy for outside eating to be enjoyable.

[BigMac1953]

The Boardwalk Cafe is quite small and self service. I would be surprised if they opened it if they have a Covid scare.

[exlondoner]

1 minute ago, BigMac1953 said:

The Boardwalk Cafe is quite small and self service. I would be surprised if they opened it if they have a Covid scare.

And a staff shortage and, going West, a wind over the deck of perhaps 40kts.

[Jacqueline]

In my opinion, it is the right move, at the moment, I see that you live in London ( y daughter is in school there). As there has been a “live with Covid” policy there for some time, you may be more immune than you realize.

You are much less likely to contract the virus now than you were last week, given the new requirements, so look at it as good news,

 

[ladylondon]

Thanks so much for your replies.  We are still deciding on whether or not to go.  I believe this particular crossing has been sold out for quite some time.  I know some people already boarded in Hamburg and we are debating on how we feel about being on such a full ship.

[zak477]

We were on the QM2 for the 14 day, Caribbean cruise and the Boardwalk Cafe was never open.  We were told, not enough staff. 

Tried room service  only once. After a 1 hr. wait, I called to ask how much longer for our breakfast and we were told maybe another 1/2 hr but may be longer.   We went to the dining room. 

We also found out that , If you have a balcony, the dripping rust is not conducive to eating, drinking and/or just sitting.  The maintenance of the QM2 is deplorable. 

Masks are the least of your worries while onboard. 

[rakkor]

42 minutes ago, zak477 said:

We were on the QM2 for the 14 day, Caribbean cruise and the Boardwalk Cafe was never open.  We were told, not enough staff. 

Tried room service  only once. After a 1 hr. wait, I called to ask how much longer for our breakfast and we were told maybe another 1/2 hr but may be longer.   We went to the dining room. 

We also found out that , If you have a balcony, the dripping rust is not conducive to eating, drinking and/or just sitting.  The maintenance of the QM2 is deplorable. 

Masks are the least of your worries while onboard. 

 

Given the fact that the waiting staff were probably run off their feet looking after passengers who were in  quarantine and unable to leave their staterooms I think you are being unfair.

[Victoria2]

1 hour ago, zak477 said:

We were on the QM2 for the 14 day, Caribbean cruise and the Boardwalk Cafe was never open.  We were told, not enough staff. 

Tried room service  only once. After a 1 hr. wait, I called to ask how much longer for our breakfast and we were told maybe another 1/2 hr but may be longer.   We went to the dining room. 

We also found out that , If you have a balcony, the dripping rust is not conducive to eating, drinking and/or just sitting.  The maintenance of the QM2 is deplorable. 

Masks are the least of your worries while onboard. 

I wouldn't like rust drips whilst I was eating on the balcony so you have my sympathies on that score but staff wise, I think anyone travelling/flying/cruising or any 'ing which involves staff, depleted, over worked  or not, should go with a 'well I'm here and I'll make the best of it' attitude.

 

I don't know what the t&cs are in the US but I know we have the facility to transfer all our '22 bookings to next year if we had any concerns. That's prior to full payment.

 

No way. We want to cruise and will go with the 'I'm darned lucky to be here and will put up with any glitches' which may or may not occur. 🙂

 

.

[moses0]

We sail the 8th July. Really discouraged that there is still so much covid aboard. Understand the problem but wearing a mask everywhere on my vacation is not my idea of a good time. Did it back in March and it was not fun. Do other lines have this issue? My daughter just got back from a Disney Mediterranean back to back cruise and the had no covid. I would cancel if I could. 

[Jack E Dawson]

We sailed on the May 8th westbound Crossing. This was the first QM2 voyage where all mask requirements were lifted except for in the infirmary. It was a HUGE step in bringing a sense of normalcy back to cruising although probably a false sense. If there was some sort of magic ball that could tell us when this COVID mess would be over, it would be an easy decision as to go or to wait. But we don't have that. Who knows what the situation will be in another year, three years or even five years. We weighed the situation as best we could, talked to our doctors and made the decision to go, not knowing that mask restrictions were going to be lifted two days before we boarded.We also spent a week in London before boarding. Ironically, we stepped off the ship in NYC COVID free. Then, a week after returning home, Dee contracted COVID from our 6 year old grandchild who caught it in his gymnastics class. So what are you going to do. 

All the best to you on this very personal decision.

Jack

[exlondoner]

I'm very much comforted by the fact Cunard may be reintroducing masks. It has made me feel much better about our impending cruise. Though the latest omicron variants seem to be adept at circumventing precautions.

[ladylondon]

Thank you all so much for your thoughtful replies.  We have made the decision to go and see what happens.  We are going to be as careful as possible, but we know we can not remove all risk from our lives. It has been over 2 years since we had a proper holiday and who knows how long until things return to "normal" again.  We're going to try to make the best of it & hopefully we will have a lovely time. I'll let you know what things are like on board.

[Host Hattie]

Welcome to Cruise Critic, I hope you have an enjoyable cruise despite the restrictions.

[moses0]

1 hour ago, ladylondon said:

Thank you all so much for your thoughtful replies.  We have made the decision to go and see what happens.  We are going to be as careful as possible, but we know we can not remove all risk from our lives. It has been over 2 years since we had a proper holiday and who knows how long until things return to "normal" again.  We're going to try to make the best of it & hopefully we will have a lovely time. I'll let you know what things are like on board.

Good for you

[Jacqueline]

Have a wonderful trip!

 

[sogne]

14 hours ago, zak477 said:

We were on the QM2 for the 14 day, Caribbean cruise and the Boardwalk Cafe was never open.  We were told, not enough staff. 

Tried room service  only once. After a 1 hr. wait, I called to ask how much longer for our breakfast and we were told maybe another 1/2 hr but may be longer.   We went to the dining room. 

We also found out that , If you have a balcony, the dripping rust is not conducive to eating, drinking and/or just sitting.  The maintenance of the QM2 is deplorable. 

Masks are the least of your worries while onboard. 

On board now maintainence is continuous  on ship especially in port rust on ship is like a car having wheels.

 

[Colin_Cameron]

14 hours ago, Jack E Dawson said:

If there was some sort of magic ball that could tell us when this COVID mess would be over ...

It will be over when those with the disease (whether they know it or not) stop passing it on to those who don’t. And not before.

 

No transmission = no mutations = no new variants.

[exlondoner]

1 hour ago, Colin_Cameron said:

It will be over when those with the disease (whether they know it or not) stop passing it on to those who don’t. And not before.

 

No transmission = no mutations = no new variants.

 

Or when the prevalent variants are as harmless as the other coronaviruses which cause colds. I imagine that will count as over.

[moses0]

7 hours ago, Colin_Cameron said:

It will be over when those with the disease (whether they know it or not) stop passing it on to those who don’t. And not before.

 

No transmission = no mutations = no new variants.

Sorry but that's not possible. Try as you may.  Many on this very Board have done everything possible including double masking quadruple vaxing staying away from others , kept all the rules and still caught it. Soon it will have to be treated as we treat colds and flu

[majortom10]

8 hours ago, Colin_Cameron said:

It will be over when those with the disease (whether they know it or not) stop passing it on to those who don’t. And not before.

 

No transmission = no mutations = no new variants.

It will never be over we will have to live with Covid forever all we can hope for is treating it like many other diseases. You get new variants of many diseases especially flu so Covid will be no different.

[penlady]

My next-door neighbor told me she remarked to her coworkers that I was going on a cruise and said that would not be her due to covid and I was very quick to remind her she had not even stepped out of our state and got very ill with covid. 

[ladylondon]

We are just back from our voyage.  We had a delightful time.  I must say, I have never seen such a large number of people consistently be complaint with masking requirements.  We felt very safe, stayed away from dining with others and have hopefully avoided catching anything.  We would certainly cruise with Cunard again 

[Host Hattie]

Thank you very much for reporting back, it's good to hear you enjoyed your trip.