Not-quite-Live < limited > cruise journal: QE (Q427) Alaska cruise: 10 night, 30 Aug – 9 Sep 2024 plus Vancouver pre & post

[Sugar Magnolia]

1 hour ago, mking8288 said:

setting up a new & different eSim from GigSky that's reported to be compatible with RC ships - Cellular At Sea branding, ring a bell for you ?

 

I plan to try GigSky on the Sky. Couldn't be any worse than NCL WiFi.

 

[dexddd]

18 hours ago, exlondoner said:

Thank you so much for going to all this trouble.

 

I think an excuse that any form of potatoes is to source is really scraping the bottom of the barrel.

Well, how about constant dropping ports or reducing port times, after final payment, for environmental reasons, no joke.  Yet, for environmental reasons, Luna got announced yesterday.

[dexddd]

Other lower 48 news since you have to renew, option to do online passport renewal - not sure if live.

[JIMESOPUS]

19 minutes ago, dexddd said:

Well, how about constant dropping ports or reducing port times, after final payment, for environmental reasons, no joke.  Yet, for environmental reasons, Luna got announced yesterday.

Prima TA in April just made several changes

 

[mking8288]

What matters most with our "home" away from home for 10 nights ... onboard the QE: 

Housekeeping - Cunard's steward that serviced us gets an A for job well-done. Assigned and responsible for 17 cabins, all balconies or higher - servicing twice a day (unlike NCL) - ours cleaned by mid/late morning, especially when we are out & about for breakfast somewhere (or gone ashore, etc.)  Remembered to insert the "card" outside in the door/key slot to "clean or service our stateroom"

 

 

On both sea and port days, where we spend little to almost no time inside our stateroom between the major cabin servicing in the morning and evening, we declined and informed our steward to skip our cabin for turndown services ... but, he would still duck in - upon seeing us leave for late dinner downstairs - to place the Daily Programme & chocolate on the bed/pillow for us.  

 

Whenever towels were used and when he's in the cabin, replace & exchange them, worthy of extra recognition directly from us to say thanks.  Towel animals aren't common onboard Cunard, not something we expect or ask for either and we are fine with that.  

 

We leave plates, cups, utensils & dishes from Room Service in our cabin and he would take care of removing them  - not expected to leave them outside in the hallway or to call for someone from Room Service to come & clear them.  

 

The mini-refrigerator is larger, taller than the ones used by NCL, although they looked nearly identicial but clearly its capacity is bigger.  Room Services is free & complimentary, available 24/7 and a quick call away - and of course, morning hot/continental breakfast options by using the "Door Tag" hanger, leaving them outside the cabin by 1 AM.  With the water kettle, tea bags & instant powdered coffee, including decaf can be readily made ... plus 3 or 4 "tea biscuits" for those middle-of-the night "hunger"  About the item that we could've asked for, a daily bucket of ice but never saw the need for it - we did bring onboard several cans of soda & bottled water, purchased during our pre-cruise stay in Richmond/Vancouver, BC.

Feeling special for sure, even the twin nieces staying in the over-sized Inside cabin has bath robes & slippers in the closet, waiting for them ... and they had plenty of room, each in their own bed (split apart, not pushed together, as requested)  

 

As far as we are concerned, Cunard's "steerage" class is fine for frugal world travelers like us.  Looking at "last" minute QM2 TA crossing leaving from NY later this year ... the total prices aren't bad, not at all vs. flying sardine-like in a narrow & tight aluminum tin can with 2 engines. Checked !   @dexddd ... will have to renew my passport next month first, great if I can easily do it online, otherwise - the old fashion way.  

Edited 29 minutes ago by mking8288

[mking8288]

20 hours ago, Sugar Magnolia said:

I plan to try GigSky on the Sky. Couldn't be any worse than NCL WiFi.

Always good to have an alternative in addition to the standard backup option ... while the Red Bull Mobile Data was good & worked onboard Cunard's QE, as it is listed among the 200 ships with coverage ... NCL and RCL ships aren't ... then, I stumbled upon GigSky, which is said to work at sea (as "cellular" roaming) and compatible.  There is a free 100 MB trial, similar to RedBull - going to try GigSky next week once we are at sea and/or - indirectly - connected to Rogers, Bell or other Canadian providers via ship's "connection" - possibly dividing usage between Voom onboad (day pass ??) and GS (a good "lifeline" ashore since Voom isn't good when out-of-range from the ship)

 

I put the eSim on the Google Pixel 7 Pro instead of the Samsung Galaxy S24, as P7P's chipset allows for hotspot/tethering, not an option for Susan's S22's or my newest S24.  Now that I have the iPhone on iOS 18, maybe will add GS's eSim to it.   Verified that my Visa Signature Card qualifies for 20% discount with any data plan so that's cool.  

 

RC just updated their prohibited rules banning the use of extension/adapter with multi-outlets (nothing to do with surge-suppressor) - very recently - going to leave those behind, with 3 usable outlet including one for 220V - I think we can manage fine, using higher output, fast USB charger.   

 

Going to leave the Sony Vaio NB computer home and take the Lenovo Chromebook (touchscreen) next week - HDMI output for "playing" - should result in a trimmer & lighter backpack for Station Zebra maritime use.  

 

 

16 hours ago, JIMESOPUS said:

Prima TA in April just made several changes

And, that is not the only Prima sailing with changes ... looked up the Prima NY-TX 15 days repo next January and ports getting dropped & times changed.  Then, those Bermuda stops being ... pom poms still getting waived, NCL can't do no wrong ... what more can we say over there.  Vote with the credit card, wallet and cash on putting down deposits, bookings - in how & where we spend our cruise dollars ...  

 

Near term, eyes on hurricane forecast & maritime storm systems ahead ... looks like rain gears are called for, oh well.  Unlikely that RC will repeat our NCL 2023 Fall cruise by dropping anchor off Staten Island to ride out the storm for 3 nights before returning to the Manhattan pier, one can hope for changes, right.  

Edited 2 minutes ago by mking8288