Wonky

17 hours ago, Denarius said:

Just returned from a fly cruise on Azura sailing from Malta and visiting Greece, Italy, Croatia and Turkey. Passprts checked and stamped at airport on arrival and again on departure. No checks at ports including Turkey, which is non EU.

Quite interesting to see how many days you have been “in” the EU. I’m guessing they think you have been there since arriving which could have serious implications for the 90 in 180 days rule.

I possibly missed this elsewhere but a couple of days ago protocol changed for staff on board. No longer mandatory but still can if they want to. Don’t know if this is worldwide but we are on Ventura. Always a surprise when someone you see everyday has a moustache that you weren’t expecting 🤣

Yep, we got one too for Ventura in October, only £100 though, maybe because we’ve already paid up or maybe because it’s only 10 days. I was thinking the same, probably to stop cancellations. It mentions if you cancel or change you lose it at least 3 times in the email.

It’s really annoying as you used to be able to before the website “upgrade”!

Thanks for the replies, glad we are not confined to having it in the main dining room👍

Hello all, considering taking a wine package on Ventura this autumn. How does it work, do you have to have the wine in the dining room, they deliver it and you take to where you want to drink it or does someone look after it and deliver it where you want it? Many thanks in advance.

On 4/10/2022 at 9:24 AM, Cathygh said:

Something else to factor in. Air Traffic Control made lots of people redundant. It takes a year + to train new staff and the trainers were laid off and were told there would be no trainees for a year or so. 

More like 3 years!

On 2/12/2022 at 2:24 AM, Victoria2 said:Sit on the stairs of a lift lobby and the wifi speed is fine

This did make me laugh out loud! Of course in 2022 it’s natural that you should need to leave your cabin and sit on the stairs in order to send an email or text!!! Sadly we did experience exactly this last year on QE, watching many elderly people have to do just that.

I’ve had a constant discussion with Cunard over the last few years about wifi. At times they have told me the charges are in line with other cruise lines. I pointed out that it wasn’t even in line with sister companies, which they had to agree with in the end and were apologetic. For me the obvious thing to do would be what P&O do, £10 per day for the whole cruise, think they might actually make more money as a lot of people simply won’t pay the extortionate fees currently in place. 
Having done an MSC Yacht club cruise a couple of years ago I agree with the OP, Cunard are very much stuck in the 80s/90s and need to haul themselves into the 21st century.

Hello all, anyone on board Iona currently? MIL on board and no contact so had a look on AIS and it appears to be heading for Tenerife after donutting in Funchal harbour! Nothing bad going on I hope?

Disappointed but not surprised, have been discussing with the Mrs last week and said if it was my company I’d bin the “short” cruise to give the more profitable 30 odd day Caribbean every chance to go ahead. Timing of the email I thought was a bit annoying. I know a few managers from my past that would send a controversial email just before leaving the office for the day! 
I wonder if they will let the staff off in Southampton, I know last year that was the only place they could get off.

Been trying to think and I’m pretty sure it’s Thatchers cider. This wasn’t on the menu you get at the start but just ask if there’s something you’d prefer. Bizarrely the only thing they struggled to replace was Diet Coke which was “out of stock”! Funnily enough it was available around the rest of the ship.

Actually a few of us lucky ones have, in fact about 10! Very well organised, ship’s medical staff gave us a COVID test at about 0900 and we got “in transit” passes in case we wanted to get off in Southampton. Rather nice only having to share the whole ship between the few of us, almost a hot tub each!

We were also on that cruise and overheard another couple complaining to the concierge about water in their cabin. They also were concerned about the lack of comms. Then another couple were complaining about works (grinding) above their balcony, once again no comms. Amazing what a short message about what was/is going to be done would have helped each situation. 
As we moved from PG to QG from the previous cruise we were very surprised by the lack of space between tables in QG. 

On 10/8/2021 at 7:30 PM, Electra 7 said:

hope you are having a wonderful time we were supposed to be on that cruise anyway not to be listening to music and just wondering if john James band is onboard

They were indeed!

A few menus for your perusal…

Nice pic and some lovely sunshine for our stay. Little bit breezy and haven’t seen many boaters venture out from the adjoining marina!

Can we talk about Cunard wifi? This has possibly been done on here before but I just don’t get the absurd pricing. We have a couple of hours each as we are gold but we do like to use the internet quite a bit and the prices on Cunard seem just daft!

I actually think they are losing money by doing this too, bare with me…My other half cruises quite a bit with P&O with her mother and they have a “reasonable” £10 per day if you buy the whole cruise. I would happily do that for this cruise which would have been £120 where as now we will not buy any or at the very most one 2 hour package for $45. Having spoken to other guests they are very much of the same thinking. I don’t get it, anyone else?

Well, have just left the Solent on a cruise ship for the first time in several years and it feels great!  

Fortunate(?) enough to live in Southampton so didn’t need to get a taxi until 1145 for our 1215 check in time. A brief bit of panic as for some reason the Future Mrs Wonky (FMW) couldn’t get the NHS app to play ball with the vaccination dates. Seemed to be a very poor mobile signal down in the tent so that possibly had something to do with it. Next time will definitely print it out! Pretty slick procedure for the testing, then into the main building to answer some health questions for the port authority (exactly the same as we had already answered for Cunard). Following these into the “pen” for the anxious wait of the negative test result. FMW wasn’t worried at all and she was proved correct and we were then allowed to proceed to check in. This is very quick as currently photos and credit cards have already been loaded at home. Probably a good to keep this!

Bit of a queue at security, but even including this and our NHS app panic we were still on board by 1330.

After an afternoon tea, walk around and relax in the cabin, we were treated to a beautiful sunset an an amazing sail out pass the freshly painted QM2. I’ll leave this here for now whilst we go for dinner and I try and work out how to add pictures!!!

55 minutes ago, Jack E Dawson said:

Wonky,

Hope you will share your onboard experience with us, either during or shortly after your cruise.

Thanks

Jack

I’ll do my best!

Couple of things we didn’t know on our first cruise in grills which were not pointed out…

When first on board you can have lunch in the grills (afternoon tea at the moment) we just assumed it was in the main restaurants🤦‍♂️
Your table is always your table whenever you come to the restaurant. We love this.
Teas and coffees are free in the grills lounge most of the day but not soft drinks which is a bit odd.

Wifi is the most expensive on the planet I believe! 
We have only been twice so some of this could be wrong but will find out Friday (subject to successfully passing the COVID test🤞)

Has anyone had any response about what happens if you test positive ON BOARD on the way back? I’ve asked the question but had no response. Stay on the ship for an extra cruise? Escorted by Border Force to a Heathrow quarantine hotel??!!

On 3/16/2021 at 11:42 PM, BklynBoy8 said:

That's been gone since the previous upgrade of Cunard Site. 

 

Luckily many I think made copies before it was removed.

I question the word upgrade! Same as BA, used to be great, have loads of good stuff on the iPad app until it was “upgraded”.

I was fortunate to have a travel agent get me a QG on QM2, not the room I wanted but by the sound of it the website crashed and they have been struggling to recover. A lot of pent up demand I guess. Hope you manage to get something.

Good morning all, we intended to fly to Oz/NZ and tour in 2023 and then return by cruise in Queen’s grill. Having compared QV and QM am somewhat surprised by the difference in price between leaving Southampton or leaving Sydney. 
SOU-SYD QM £50,000 for 2 (60 nights)

SYD-SOU QV £57,000 for 2 (53 nights)

Have I read this wrong or is there an explanation for this? Better Queens rooms on QV?  Our cruising to this point has been limited to a couple of cruises on QV in princess.

Thank you in advance for any help!