Partial TA

[napria]

I didn’t know how to properly title this post, but we’re booked on what seems to be the end (Middle? Beginning?) of a TA crossing. We’re getting on QM2 in Quebec in September, the ship is overnighting there, then off to NY by way of Sydney, NS.

 

Question one: I see on My Cunard that we can book shore excursions in Quebec, but I’ve always wanted to just explore Quebec City. I’m not much for walking around with a tour guide and I’m not interested in taking a bus or train.  Is it feasible to simply get off the ship and walk around?  It looks like the ship terminal is right there in the lower part of the city.

 

Secondly: There’s a Lobster Bake shore excursion in Sydney that sounds fun. We have shipboard credit that came as an incentive to book.  I tried to purchase this shore excursion but I don’t see how to do it with the credit.  Can I pay with my card and then convert it to the credit later (assuming we haven’t spent all our credit on other things). Also, what happens if the weather is foul?  Will the excursion be canceled and money refunded? Or will we be standing on the beach, eating lobster in the rain?

 

Lastly, this leg of the trip is only five days.  Someone mentioned that it was cut down from seven days and that was much discussed here. I can’t find any discussion of this.  Should I be concerned? We’re taking this trip because we want to try out Queen Mary 2 before the three week TA we booked about a month ago (for two years from now).

 

Thanking all in advance for your kind information.

 

 

[Summergee]

Quebec is very easy to explore, just get off the boat and explore. You can only use on board credit for items bought on board. Sorry but can't answer your other questions.

[TheOldBear]

40 minutes ago, napria said:

I didn’t know how to properly title this post, but we’re booked on what seems to be the end (Middle? Beginning?) of a TA crossing. We’re getting on QM2 in Quebec in September, the ship is overnighting there, then off to NY by way of Sydney, NS.

Cunard sells 'voyages' in multiple segments.

The Quebec to Brooklyn sailing is a segment of a longer Southampton to Southampton round trip [and also a Brooklyn to Brooklyn round trip].

Cunard sells the shorter segments as just New England and Canada sailings.

40 minutes ago, napria said:

 

Question one: I see on My Cunard that we can book shore excursions in Quebec, but I’ve always wanted to just explore Quebec City. I’m not much for walking around with a tour guide and I’m not interested in taking a bus or train.  Is it feasible to simply get off the ship and walk around?  It looks like the ship terminal is right there in the lower part of the city.

Since QM2 is doing an overnight in Quebec you can check in on board, check in for your muster drill and just come and go as you like - as long as you are onboard at the posted time before sail away.

On a normal embarkation day [not a overnight port visit] there are no tours scheduled for embarking passengers.

40 minutes ago, napria said:

 

Secondly: There’s a Lobster Bake shore excursion in Sydney that sounds fun. We have shipboard credit that came as an incentive to book.  I tried to purchase this shore excursion but I don’t see how to do it with the credit.  Can I pay with my card and then convert it to the credit later (assuming we haven’t spent all our credit on other things). Also, what happens if the weather is foul?  Will the excursion be canceled and money refunded? Or will we be standing on the beach, eating lobster in the rain?

On board credit can only be applied to purchases made onboard. 

Excursions and even port visits can be canceled due to inclement weather [in November 2022 we skipped two ports in Norway due to weather]. Canceled excursions are refunded to the original payment method - back to the card when purchased in advance [my.cunard.com]

 

40 minutes ago, napria said:

 

Lastly, this leg of the trip is only five days.  Someone mentioned that it was cut down from seven days and that was much discussed here. I can’t find any discussion of this.  Should I be concerned? We’re taking this trip because we want to try out Queen Mary 2 before the three week TA we booked about a month ago (for two years from now).

Last June your sailing, and the following M432B sailing were adjusted due to scheduling conflicts with MSC's mega ship

[quote]

We’ve recently been advised that Brooklyn Cruise Terminal is now no longer available on 6 October 2024. Upon review, unfortunately, there are no suitable alternatives in New York on this date, which means we need to change your planned itinerary. Your voyage will now embark two days earlier from Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, on 4 October 2024and disembark as planned on the existing published date (25 October 2024). Your voyage will now become two nights longer (21 nights) and include two new ports of call, giving you the opportunity to explore the picturesque Rhode Island port of Newport on 05 October 2024, and the historic city of Boston on 06 October 2024.

[/quote]

So your sailing lost two scheduled ports, and our sailing gained them - extending our sailing to 21 days, with the eastbound crossing starting from Boston after the two new port visits.

 

40 minutes ago, napria said:

 

Thanking all in advance for your kind information.

 

 

 

[Jim_Iain]

Quebec City is a very easy city to tour on your own.    The ships park at the lower part of the city and you can either climb the steps or take a tram to the upper city.  

[napria]

1 hour ago, TheOldBear said:

Last June your sailing, and the following M432B sailing were adjusted due to scheduling conflicts with MSC's mega ship

[quote]

 

We’ve recently been advised that Brooklyn Cruise Terminal is now no longer available on 6 October 2024. Upon review, unfortunately, there are no suitable alternatives in New York on this date, which means we need to change your planned itinerary. Your voyage will now embark two days earlier from Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, on 4 October 2024and disembark as planned on the existing published date (25 October 2024). Your voyage will now become two nights longer (21 nights) and include two new ports of call, giving you the opportunity to explore the picturesque Rhode Island port of Newport on 05 October 2024, and the historic city of Boston on 06 October 2024.

[/quote]

So your sailing lost two scheduled ports, and our sailing gained them - extending our sailing to 21 days, with the eastbound crossing starting from Boston after the two new port visits.

 

 

Ah! That works for me as I just wanted a “taste” of the ship before our longer voyage. And we already have another vacation booked for the end of October.  

[david,Mississauga]

The QM2 usually docks at Berth 22, which is  the most convenient for location and access to the ship (escalators and lifts to the long gangway).  The Port of Québec doesn't publish dock assignments until one month before.  Occasionally the QM2 has been assigned another berth but on the three embarkations we have had it was always # 22.

 

On your day the QM2 is the only ship in port, which is rare in September. There have always been three other ships in Québec.

 

https://www.portquebec.ca/en/cruises/vessel-schedules/seasonal-schedule

 

There are maps showing the location of the docks.

 

https://www.portquebec.ca/en/cruises/information-for-cruise-ship-passengers/access-to-docks

 

[napria]

1 hour ago, david,Mississauga said:

The QM2 usually docks at Berth 22, which is  the most convenient for location and access to the ship (escalators and lifts to the long gangway).  The Port of Québec doesn't publish dock assignments until one month before.  Occasionally the QM2 has been assigned another berth but on the three embarkations we have had it was always # 22.

 

On your day the QM2 is the only ship in port, which is rare in September. There have always been three other ships in Québec.

 

https://www.portquebec.ca/en/cruises/vessel-schedules/seasonal-schedule

 

There are maps showing the location of the docks.

 

https://www.portquebec.ca/en/cruises/information-for-cruise-ship-passengers/access-to-docks

 

Those links are so helpful!  Thank you!

[NE John]

13 hours ago, napria said:

There’s a Lobster Bake shore excursion in Sydney that sounds fun.

If you’re really intent on having great local lobsta’, I’d book that excursion now and not wait to use OBC. Since you may not have real New England/Canadian/cold water lobster available to you, definitely go for it!