Smokeyham

Just wanted to give a quick review of the Southampton Harbor Hotel, which we are staying at for three nights before a cruise. We have really enjoyed this hotel. Very comfortable room with heating and air conditioning that works well. There is a pool and hot tub on site. A small decanter of gin is provided. The restaurant and bar on the top (6th) floor provides lovely views over the Solent and we have enjoyed seeing ships arriving and departing. The hotel is adjacent to a marina which is pleasant to look at and walk around. Staff are very service oriented and helpful. There is a free shuttle to cruise terminals, but there is limited space, so sign up early. If you can't use that then there is taxi and Uber service, which are not too expensive. There is shopping and restaurants nearby (including a Tesco Express), but this is not within walking distance of downtown. The cost is also higher than other options.

I know this is an old thread, but we are in Southampton today and can see P&O's Britannia from our hotel room. As someone living in America, it would be interesting to try this line.

I love that this thread is still going! Hoping to hear many more crazy stories over the years.

Sending the bag to the hotel is a great idea! We will be in Southampton for two days prior to boarding, so this is a great solution. As you say, then you know that you have your bag.

Thanks for all of these great suggestions and information!

We are in the same situation, i.e. no dancing experience but want to give it a try. We will try to learn from YouTube dance lessons, though we live a long distance apart and so cannot practice together. My hope is that the reality of the situation is that there will likely be some "serious" dancers, but also enough people that are in a similar position to ours that we still give it a go.

Actually, this was posted March, 2023 (one year ago) for Star Trek VI. The information seems relevant for the Star Trek cruises and most will likely apply to future cruises. A friend works on these cruises and the information posted tracks with what she has told me.

Can anyone advise if waltz lessons are offered on the Queen Mary 2 on Transatlantic crossings? If so, when are they typically offered and is a sign up available/recommended? Thanks. P.S. We know it would be better to take these on land in advance, but our circumstances don't allow for this.

I know this is an older post, but I am still hearing good things about Dora The Explorer in 2024. Thanks for your recommendation.

Thanks so much. That is very helpful!

Thanks for that info. We are currently trying out a variety of cruise lines so have not yet settled on as our favourite so far. Our thinking is that we would like to find a good TA who will do a good job on both cruises and on land based trips, including securing good rates. We would like to have a one-stop shop where the TA would also make air bookings for us, but after reading the posts above it seems like some will no longer do air fares, and that is not critical to us.

Hello, I previously started a thread asking about power outlets in the QM2 Britannia Club Class balcony cabins and had some very helpful answers. I know the ship recently went through a refit and was wondering if there have been any changes (i.e. more plugs added by the beds and/or USB plugs added? From the prior thread I understand there are American and UK power outlets at the desk, and one UK power outlet behind the bed (which is used by the beside lamps). I am wondering if anything has been added beyond those. Thanks

Thanks so much. I understand that QM2 recently did a refit, so I wonder if they updated/increased the number of plugs in the cabins? I have started a separate thread to ask that question:

@rimmit Thanks for this great review! It is really interesting to learn how themed cruises are different from a regular cruise. I'm looking forward to reading the next segments of your review.

Thanks for the responses so far. If we are not to get a better fare, and only get a small reward for booking through a TA, then I guess we have to wonder if using a TA is worth the "cost" of losing control of the booking and relying on them to watch for lower fares. Am I missing something here? Our TA will not book airfares for us. She will look into hotel bookings and transfers, and is a one-person operation.