Jack E Dawson

3 minutes ago, RJChatsworth said:

 

A tip for future passengers on QM-2, the toiletry area is now minuscule in the clothes shop.  No paracetamol, no Elastoplast/band aid, no hair mousse, no Colgate toothpaste although this has been replaced by a make I have never heard of. I don’t think I missed them and this list is perhaps not exhaustive!

 

RJC,

When we were onboard the QM2 on the May 8th Crossing, I developed a blister and needed a bandaid. Oddly, I found that they were for sale in the Library gift shop. They were located to the right and down low as you enter the Library gift shop from the hallway.

Jack

2 hours ago, RJChatsworth said:

 Tonight is the first formal evening and the show is ‘Be Our Guest’ with the singers and dancers.  We have seen it previously but I’m looking forward to it again.

 

Hope you enjoyed the show. When we were onboard the May 8th Crossing we greatly enjoyed all 3 of the different shows put on by the QM2 singers and dancers. They are a very talented bunch who really give it their all. We were surprised that at least one of the singers had been on our 2018 Crossing. 

Jack

Thanks for what I hope is the first of many reports RJChatsworth. I am setting here in my den isolating with COVID (feeling fine). Now I will be able to travel again on the QM2 vicariously through you as I recover. 

All the best.

Jack

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

Thanks D&N and ExArkie. Next trip I will gove it a try. 

Jack

50 minutes ago, D&N said:

 

 

Ahhh, my beloved Pol Acker. I am so jealous D&N.

If only we could get here in the States I'd buy it by the case. 

I had one left over bottle from our recent crossing and thought about putting it in my checked bag for the flight home. However I was afraid the cork might pop out in the reduced air pressure of the planes baggage compare, so we drank it the last night while packing.  I'll have to research the physics of that before or next Cunard cruise. 

Thanks

Jack

Jack

7 hours ago, RomanRy said:

Hi,

Any help appreciated, it is our first cruise.

How formal will the evening be? 

Do I need to wear a full length black dress? 

Would knee length be acceptable? 

 

Please any advice welcome, if it helps we are staying in a Queens type of room, called the 'grill'

 

Thank you !

You may want to check out Queen Mary 2, 29th May round trip crossing. 

It's the thread below yours. The pictures will give excellent guidance.

Jack

47 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

So get with a travel insurance broker ASAP to discuss best strategies. I recommend InsureMyTrip.com but do’t know if they can sell to non-US folks.

 

Considering all that is involved, in addition to a significant amount of money, Flatbush Flyer is exactly right. Get with a professional insurance broker and get it in writing. We have used InsureMyTrip and had to file a claim. They came through like champs. 

All the best to you and your wife.

Jack

MCC retired,

On our Crossing last month out of SH we were traveling with friends who received a boarding time 2 hours earlier than us. We are Gold level and it was their first time on Cunard. We had an unobstructed Britannia balcony and they had a sheltered balcony. I can't figure out the rhyme or reason to the Cunard boarding schedule. I suspect it that it might just be completely random except for Grills, Diamond and Platinum. At the terminal there certainly was no attention paid to individual assigned boarding times. It was first come - first serve.

Jack

16 minutes ago, BklynBoy8 said:

 

 

Going to be Sailing on the QM2 in September we always debate when to start, what to take and how much? Some on another Forum amazed me with their timing.

 

Dee and I have always made a fun event out of selecting what to bring and packing. Its a way of stretching out the trip for us. About a month before departure we open a bottle of champagne and make an evening of selecting what we are going to wear. I put on my tuxedo, to make sure it still fits and that I remember how to tie a bow tie. Dee tries on and models all the dress/shoe/accessary possibilities for both casual and formal nights. The goal of the evening is to narrow down and select what we will be wearing for each of the 7 nights and what we are going to wear on the plane. A digital picture is taken of each outfit  and stored on one of our phones. Then about a week before departure we layout all of the daytime clothes we plan to bring. Finally, 2 nights before departure we do the actual packing. Of course we each have a large checked bag and a small carry-on bag. Packing night usually turns up some surprises but doing this 2 nights before departing gives us a day to make last minute changes.  Shoes are probably the biggest challenge of packing since they are bulky and take up a lot of space. I try to limit myself to 3 pair and Dee to 4 pair. To make the best use of space we stuff our socks inside of our shoes. 

Probably a case of TMI but I hope this helps.

Jack 

You are welcome 3rdGenCunarder. Dee and I have benefited so much from the objective reviews and advice from CruiseCritic posters. While we would have enjoyed our first Crossing on the QM2 in 2017, it was made so much better by CruiseCritic. Even on this most recent Crossing, our third, we boarded armed with more great advice and knowledge from this Board. 

Jack

10 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

Thank you, Apologies I seem to have caused the hijack this time !

No problem. 

I submitted my review and will wait to see if/when posted. 

Thanks

Jack

2 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

@ICEX21 & @Jack E Dawson, you might have already done it but would you be able to write a review for your trip ? There's been a lot of negativity recently and it sounds as if you might be able to provide some balance ?

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/collect/

 

Thank you

Will be happy to Host Hattie

Jack

4 hours ago, Luv2Crus40 said:

Thanks for all the input.  We plan to call Cunard directly so I can order the package for my husband and the premium non-alcoholic package for me.

I'm curious to see if Cunard will let you do that. I was under the impression that both people in the cabin had to order the higher priced package. Would appreciate if you would post what Cunard tells you.

Thanks

Jack

D&N,

Some people just make style and fashion look so easy and so much fun. Consider yourselves in that group. Next time there is more wailing and gnashing of teeth about having to dress up on board I may just post pictures of you guys.

Thanks

Jack

Dee and I both remember seeing you on the QM2. Too bad we were not able to connect. Hopefully our paths will cross again. In any case, I think we all had a great voyage. 

In my experience, if you watch Cunard prices they can fluctuate dramatically. However, if you have the flexibility to travel with less than 90 days lead time and are not cabin/class focused, some great deals can be had. 

Jack

9 hours ago, exlondoner said:

 

I'm sorry to seem disbelieving, but did you really go from Victoria Station to Southampton? No wonder it took 21/2 hours. It is a bit like going from NY to Chicago via Washington. The station for Soton is Waterloo. And the better trains take about an hour, unless there are interruptions for engineering, or indeed strikes, which we have now been threatened with.

Well now you tell me exlondoner:)

We chose that train because it left from Victoria Station, walking distance from our hotel, and because it was cheap. I originally said $28 but it was actually 28 Pounds. Would loved to have done it in an hour but we did not want to have to take the tube or cab to get to the train station. Next time I will know better. Thanks

Jack

9 hours ago, techteach said:

@Jack E Dawson How did you manage all of your luggage on the train? I read there isn’t a designated area for it on the train, and I imagine we’ll have 2 large rollers and at 2 carry-ons. I have memories of a carry on sliding down an escalator in Boston…and trying to get our luggage on a train on the Tube in London. There were irritated stares from commuters. I’m still leaning towards hiring a car.

Techteach,

We had 2 large rollers and 2 carry-ons. The train was never very full so we just stacked them on the seat in front of us. The conductor was fine with that.

Jack

16 minutes ago, ICEX21 said:

I think we were quite close at one point in the Commodore club

Would this be you or your brother-in-law? Sorry about the quality/lighting of the photo.

Jack

ICEX21

Also wanted to mention that Dee got COVID last week. That just confirms our decision to move forward with life but try and make smart decisions.

Jack

11 minutes ago, ICEX21 said:

Hi Jack,

 

What a great opening post! I wanted to do something similar but I've only just returned from our trip and I've been struck down with covid.

So good to hear you enjoyed your first Crossing. Dee and I had hoped that we might have had a chance meeting onboard. I think we may have been close a few times. We saw/heard the American Bull Dog. We were just heading into security when they were coming into the terminal and getting their initial document check. We were in the first seating and had a window table on the upper level on the starboard side. We also plan to do another Crossing next year but it will be a last minute booking (inside of 90 days) and driven by pricing.   Jack

3 minutes ago, ICEX21 said:

To answer this, there wasn't a talent show, but there was a passenger participation song and dance show on the return journey back to Southampton as a couple I knew who were staying on board were telling me about it yesterday.

ICEX21,

Things are just so fluid right now with COVID restrictions. I think we were fortunate that our Crossing was the first to drop masking requirements. Even though we still choose to mask in the theaters, we found the atmosphere on board to be pretty relaxed. Was that your experience. 

Jack

4 hours ago, schattenfell71 said:

The ABBA Arena is at Pudding Mill Ln, London E15 2PJ

 

My hotel is The Guardsman, 1 Vandon Street, Westminster, London SW1H 0AH

schattenfell,

We recently did the reverse schedule of what you are planning, spending a week in London first then sailing on the QM2. We booked our train from London to Southampton through The Train Line, see link below. The train runs between London Victoria Station, which is walking distance to your hotel, and the Central Southampton station, a very short cab ride from the terminal where the QM2 docks. The train takes 2 1/2 hours. We were very surprised by how much the prices varied by what time you traveled. There were 4 of us, so we got a group discount, and paid $28 per person for First Class. However, the train after ours was $126 per person. Crazy.

Jack

https://www.thetrainline.com/

On May 1st we landed in London where we spent a week sightseeing. We mainly explored outside venues and uncrowded inside sites, always wearing a mask indoors. On May 8th we boarded the QM2 bound for NYC. We wore masks in the Royal Court and Illuminations theaters. On Sunday May 15th we arrived home to Chicago. Dee spent the next day, Monday, snuggling with and reading to our youngest grandchild. The next morning he tested positive for COVID. That Friday Dee tested positive. Fortunately her symptoms, and his, are mild. Dee and I gave a lot of thought to canceling this voyage. We are so glad now that we didn't but instead moved forward with our lives, made the best decisions that we could and had a wonderful time. We are so grateful to the staff and crew of the QM2 who made this wonderful voyage happen. 

Jack

29 minutes ago, Luv2Crus40 said:

Thanks.  Are the prices the same for Brittania dining room,  etc.?

I spot checked 4 of the drinks and they were the same as elsewhere on the ship on our May 8th Crossing on the QM2.

Thanks so much rakkor.

Jack