fourmile.ranch

The wall decorations are very interesting, eg the history of Cunard and don't forget to look for Homer Simpson who is hiding on one of the walls!!!

Homer Simpson was on my to-do list on my first crossing. He's hardly ever mentioned here, poor guy. Thanks for pointing it out!

We were required to bring our ship card which was scanned and told we could remain in our cabin during the next muster drill.

I did not realize that Room Service was available on embarkation/turn around day after 11:00 am on QM2. Kings Court is always so busy.

 

For those who have used it, is there usually a long wait? I know each cruise can be different.

Don't remember it being any longer than other times we used room service. About 30 minutes give or take.

On our last crossing on QM2, we ordered room service as soon as we arrived at our cabin. Gave us time to relax, settle in and get familiar with the room while we waited for a burger and club sandwich.

Did anyone hear if Fourmile.ranch ever receive an upgrade on either leg? I'm guessing that since there was no follow-up posting the answer is no.

You are correct the answer was no. But it did feel like a bit of a homecoming returning to the same stateroom as the year before.

This year we took care of the whole upgrade issue by booking a higher category. I guess if Cunard really, really wants to upgrade us this year it will have to be into the Grills.

That was a hint, Cunard!

Great post! Thanks for sharing.

We took this tour in November on the QM2 and can confirm everything MarkBearSF and Kynance says above with the exception that our tour did not make it backstage of the theater. We did however have an extensive tour of the hospital and asked the doctor lots of questions about care, cost and the likes. Since our group was overly interested in the hospital we may have had the theater cut out due to time. Also, while traveling Burma Road we visited the crew's cafeteria, bar and peeked at one of their cabins.

Tickets to Back Of The House are a bit elusive. There are 16 in total with a certain number going to Grills passengers (see your concierge) and the rest are available at the Tours desk on the first full sea day of the voyage. We checked in with the Tour desk upon embarkation and there was no way to register early for us. Be there when they open at 900a the next morning. The clerk told us there was not much reason to line up before 8:30a but we arrived at 7:30a and were numbers 5, 6 & 7 in line. So it depends on how much interest your fellow passengers have.

Just a note, you are there to register your interest in the tour as opposed to buy tickets. How the actual process of selection works, who knows. But if you are among the chosen (we were), you will receive an invitation in your stateroom a few days later with all the details of where and when. You will be required to sign a waver.

And a photographer will accompany you and take several photos. One was delivered to our stateroom the final evening of the crossing. A rather unflattering one from the anchor deck. Not sure what became of the rest.

Very enjoyable but as MarkBearSF notes, once is enough.

That apron, though.

Surely they are now treated just like everyone else.

The fact this post exist says they are not.

I'd go for 10:00, depending on where on the ship your cabin is located. Baggage and customs can be a bit of a zoo.

So it turned out to be a non-question. Our small local airport strangely had airfare yesterday to New York for less than Denver International, which has happened only never before. It is so small an airport there is literally only one flight per day to Denver and back so we had no choices in the end.

Our flight back home departs LGA at 2:30p, plenty of time even without self disembarkation. Because of the one-flight-a-day thing on the front end of the cruise, we don't arrive in NY until 1:49p. Only 19 mins beyond arrival guidelines but enough to scare us into arriving the day before departure. So we now have a day to experience NY, 2 weeks aboard the QM2 AND free airport parking.

How could this get any better!

Cheers!

For those who have used self disembarkation in New York (assuming a cab ride to LGA on a Sunday), what is the time frame you are comfortable with in selecting your flight home?

I noticed that Cunard is showing a lot of Roundtrip crossings on the QM2. I wonder why someone would book that? Now we are real cruisers and that might appeal to us.

Our first time with Cunard was a Westbound crossing in 2016. It was such a fantastic experience we booked at RT crossing in 2017 and will complete our second RT later this year.

Other than the sheer joy of it, there is also some financial reasoning. All totaled, our round trip in '17 was only slightly more than the Westbound in '16. During our 1st time aboard the QM2, one of our dining companions mentioned that for the price of airfare to London we could have just sailed Eastbound also. Once we were home and did the math inclusive of airfare, the round trip was the basically the same (within a couple hundred) of a one way crossing. As long as time is no issue, I imagine that motivates some RT bookings.

Cheers!

Can anyone tell me how many people actually wear masks on the night of the Masquerade Ball please?

We had a Masquerade Ball on our November 2017 RT crossing. Fortunately, the Halloween masks were all on clearance shortly before we sailed and we found a couple of 'perfect-for-the-occasion' masks for about two bucks a piece. At least one in our party attached hers to a stick due to glasses. Both were in abundance at the party. There was a parade in the Queen's Room for all the participants who marched to Masquerade from Phantom of the Opera. Not everyone was in the parade as not everyone was wearing a mask. Seems like there was a prize for the most original mask but I don't remember what it was.

The most delightful surprise was the Asian couple who came wearing surgical masks. After the initial shock of wondering if they misunderstood the theme, we realized the joke was on us. They were lovely, posed for several pictures and marched in the parade. I am hoping to see them again this year!

They do sell masks in the Grand Lobby and I believe I saw them again at the entrance to the ballroom the evening of. We thought there would be a craft class offered that morning where you could make your own but there was not.

So whether you have a mask or not you should go. It's a hoot and those who are dressing up would appreciate being seen.

Cheers!

Has the dining experience deteriorated as much as they say in the reviews?

Nope, not a bit. Just bear in mind the meals are massed produced in order to feed 1200+ people at a time. An amazing feat in itself not exclusive to Cunard. Keep your expectations in line with reality and you will have an amazing time not to mention delicious food. Cheers!

I found it interesting that you got a mailing with your luggage tags, as I haven't seen that in more than five years. We are forced to print the tags out, fold and staple them and they look dreadful. I liked the old way better. Out of curiosity, what do the luggage tags you received in the mail look like?

I did not receive them last year but other friends did. Called Cunard and found out my account was set up not to receive mailings. Might want to check the status of that option on your next booking.

Hello all! Booked a round-trip TA with Cunard for the 2nd year in a row which is still more than 2 months out. Although we booked the room we wanted (same cabin as last year) we received a mailing with our luggage tags with cabin number. Just wondering if there remains a possibility of an upgrade since we are still a long time out or do the luggage tags assume the dream is over? Has anyone ever got upgraded after this point? (And yes, our booking has the option of accepting an upgrade.)