Winchester Ranger

I did a TA right at the end of November/early December and quite honestly I wouldn't even want to go across in the summer. The weather on the US side was bright sunshine and clear nights, the sea turned grey and the skies clouded over mid-Atlantic and suddenly it felt a lot more like winter which to be honest was part of the experience for me. Walking outside into a cold wind and some fog and then coming back inside for hot tea and cakes was perfect.

I think I watched the movie "Juggernaut" one too many times :)

If you work and have specific dates to work with (as I do) then there really isn't an option - you have to book early. If I was retired or had flexibility with dates then I would absolutely take a chance and book at the last minute especially for the less popular winter crossings. For my last TA they were selling off empty balcony cabins for $500 per person which is amazing value, that was down from the $1,200 per person rate that I had to pay.

Hi WR,

 

Your questions brings back memories of a cruise on the Furness "Queen of Bermuda" in 1966.

 

IIRC there was early bkfst, bkfst, late bkfst, elevenses, lunch, late lunch, tea, late afternoon snack, dinner, after-dinner snack and midnight buffet.

 

My recollection of the midnight buffet is of two very long tables loaded with fruits, fish, fowl, meats, pastries and breads.

 

 

Ira

Ira that is simply awesome, and if I was still in my twenties I would consider that to be a personal challenge. Three breakfasts, now that is just pure heaven.

An interesting article from 2008 as to how and why the midnight buffets gradually disappeared from all cruise lines:

http://archive.sltrib.com/story.php?ref=/ci_7883820

One of Maureen Ryan's stories featured Cunard's signature "Midnight Feast" and I never did ask her to expand on the details.

Has anyone ever experienced it on one of the older ships - was it really at midnight, how long did it last, what food did they serve etc etc.

It piqued my curiosity.

Thanks, that's good to know - I'm starting to think about taking another trip on her.

I hope they refurbished the pool surround, ceiling, and hot tub - they were very shabby. Also several of the showers were broken.

If there is one area of the ship that needed work it was the pool.

My wife and I are staying at Aloft for two nights before we sail back to Southampton. How easy was it to organise the car service? It sounds very convenient.

Just ask at reception. I didn't specifically ask for a car service (in the US "car service" denotes a guy in a suit and tie holding a clipboard with your name on it - usually at the airport), I just asked for a "nice car" and they arranged a really nice new Buick SUV complete with leather seats and a driver in a suit - I think it was $45 and the guy was so nice on the ride over I gave him 60 bucks - well worth it. After my nightmarish ride from JFK to the hotel it was a delight, I will never ever ride in a NYC yellow cab again. I'm shaky on that price, but you get the idea.

As for the bed bugs thing - if they get into your luggage and hitch a ride home with you it can literally render your house uninhabitable, and New York is ground zero for bed bugs. Always try and book a newer hotel and always check the registry.

After doing a lot of research I chose Aloft in Brooklyn for my overnight stay before cruising - and you really need to do the overnight, it removes all the stress of trying to make a same day departure.

The hotel is only a 15 to 20 minute drive from the docks depending on traffic and it was very clean and modern - most important of all it has a 100% bed bug free rating, something that is absolutely critical to check when staying in New York (there is even a website set up for this purpose). I thought the rate was amazingly good for just over $120 (I think I got lucky with some type of reduced price) and I enjoyed a nice meal from room service before settling in for a great night's sleep. The next day reception organized a really nice car service to take me to the docks, not just some awful NYC taxi, it was a fantastic way to start the trip.

I booked my flights through Cunard for a return from the UK after an Eastbound crossing. Business class transatlantic on British Airways was an absolute steal at $1,600 and I forget what economy was, but First Class was almost full price at about $4,000 - and after paying just $2,000 including $750 of onboard credit for 8 days of luxury sailing, paying $4,000 for a 10 hour flight just didn't sit well with me. The nice part was that they allowed me a nice long stay in the UK and didn't expect an immediate return after arrival.

I recommend using Cunard's service but be sure to compare rates to the official airline prices before booking.

The space is quite small, and cigarette smokers are a penny a dozen - so the cigar smokers would never get a look-in if it was opened up to all comers. When you walk in there is that delightful smell of cigar smoke, brandy, and leather - it's a special place, and the conversations I had in there were not to be found anywhere else onboard.

I have no problem with a cigarettes only lounge, I would happily honor its rules and avoid it like the plague.

The one and only recommendation I had for Cunard was to double the size of the Golden Lion pub, I could never get a seat in there unless I waited in line for it to open.

Otherwise she sounds pretty nice, just so long as the Commodore Club (aka Ten Forward) is still there.

Oh well, it's good to aspire :D

It seems like every time I take a look at TA crossings on QM2 I always take a peek at the Grand Duplex pricing to see if they are offering them with a 90% discount.

For TA crossings I'm solo because I'm traveling and not cruising (which would always be with my significant other) - so if I was crazy enough to solo TA in a Grand Duplex it would price out at $64,000 (or roughly 44,000 pounds sterling), or put another way it's $8,000 a day.

I wonder if I would be the first solo to ever book it ? Oh well, for those of you who have booked that class of cabin you have my admiration, and did you find it worth the money ?

Remember that you always have the buffet dining option if you choose not to do the formal dining.

I discovered on my TA that a lot of cruisers take that option to avoid the formality of dinner in the MDA. Honestly though, the tuxedo and formal dining with good company made the trip for me.

There's a reason they serve it with a bucket.

Cunard really should pay attention and provide guests with a bottle of complimentary water - well hydrated passengers make much more sense than ill ones.

I carefully chose a cabin away from elevators, that didn't have a public deck above me, and was NOT connected to another room. The upgrade fairy put me right opposite the laundry in a cabin that had an inter-connecting door and I spent 8 nights listening to football matches into the early hours of each day.

I now refuse all upgrades, an inter-connecting door is a cruise nightmare for me.

If you're essentially alone in the world with no ties and plenty of cash I would imagine you could do worse things. But the lack of comprehensive medical facilities and not seeing loved ones and family members for such extended periods really wouldn't make it attractive for me unless I was leading a very lonely life in retirement.

I wonder why it's always cruise ships that have outbreaks of Norovirus and yet we never hear about the crews of naval warships being similarly affected, and they live in VERY close proximity to each other.

By the way, I saw some earlier posts questioning the validity of calling it a Norovirus outbreak - well the CDC boarded the ship and took swabs off various surfaces aboard the ship and they tested positive for the Norovirus bacteria. So someone is walking around with infected poo on their hands - nice thought isn't it?

Looking at a couple of these posts I can see why some people are solo cruisers......lighten up.

So let me start by saying I have only done one solo cruise - transatlantic on QM2 for 8 amazing days and I feel a need to share some of my experiences about what, for me, is the trickiest part of solo cruising - dining.

So I went into the buffet area only once and ran into an elderly Irish gentleman who was sailing solo - his experience of the cruise was very bad, he referred to the Queen Mary as a "glorified ferry" and I actually felt sorry for him because I think that one of the reasons he wasn't enjoying himself was because he was eating all his meals in the unpleasant rattle and clatter of the buffet area. As for me, I took all of my evening meals in the MDR which is the Brittania Restaurant on QM2, and this being Cunard the dress code was either formal or ultra formal which definitely changes your experience for the better (in my opinion). I opted for an 8 seater table and can clearly recall sitting there anxiously on the first night waiting for my tablemates (as I had arrived first). First up was Barbara, a blonde 69 year old retired flight attendant, Barbara was quite frankly stunning - and at 69 !! She was also marvellous company, next up was David a very quiet, shy entrepeneur and farmer - another super guy to dine with. From there however things began to take a turn for the worse - there was an English guy who rolled up halfway drunk and very loud with a martini in hand, a Scottish couple complete with a wife who felt it her business to ask the most personal questions and then offer unsolicited life advice - this may not sound too terrible until I add that she figured out that the loud English guy was in fact gay, and offered to provide him with certain services of an intimate nature that would "cure him" - all this with her husband sat listening in bemused silence - I suspect that this was not his first rodeo as the saying goes. Then there was a shady character from Germany who claimed to be writing a book about entrepreneurs and a very loud party girl who loved to shout out obscenties much to the consternation of our fellow diners at other tables. I became firm friends with Barbara and David, but reached the point on cruise day 3 that I was dreading dinner even as I sat munching on breakfast and realized that I had to act, so I saw the Maitre d' and switched tables - and my new tablemates were all wonderful company even though I was the only solo at their table apart from one of the guest speakers - the famous Maureen Ryan.

I say all this because I had considered doing what the elderly Irish gentleman had done - dining alone in the buffet, but I pushed myself into the company of others even though I am by nature quite reserved - and quite honestly the experience completely made the cruise for me because I still find myself thinking of the people I met all these months later.

One other small story that I add for no other reason than the fact that it comes to mind as I type. While I did take afternoon tea with the aforementioned Barbara on at least one occasion, I did also choose to take it alone in the crowded Queens Room on at least one other. I took a book along with me for company and sat there quite contented as I gulped down gallons of tea and half a dozen cucumber and egg sandwiches. I noticed a lady sat at the table next to me and the poor thing had a terribly disfigured face. She seemed to be looking around trying to catch someone's attention for company - as a fellow solo my heart went out to her and I invited her to sit with me which she did without saying a word. It turned out that the person behind that face was so wonderfully kind and polite, and I choked up a little when she thanked me so profusely for sitting with her. I think of her often.

So for my summary of solo dining - well, as Thomas Edison so famously said - opportunity is missed by most people because it arrives in overalls and looks like work. Well solo dining is a little bit like that - yes there is the possibility that you could end up sat at a table of unpleasant characters, but if you are willing to work at it you can, and will, find some great company onboard, and the absolute worst thing you can do is hide away from view. If you want to be assured of solo company the transatlantic voyages are a sure thing, as they are used by many as a means of traveling, not cruising.

Hope you enjoyed my ramble, I think it's some type of therapy because I'm ready for another cruise.

Do you remember her name? I'll do my best to find her!

I do, it's Anne Foard (pronounced "Ford") from Chester - if you do happen to find her, please tell her that Mike sends his best regards and hopes she has a wonderful cruise.

Thanks - it's very kind of you to offer.

I flew back from England yesterday and met a wonderful lady on the flight to Chicago, turns out she was heading to Miami to meet up with friends and sail on Silhouette transatlantic and then on into the Med (hope I got the right ship). She was in her 80s and I helped her clear customs and escorted her to her next flight, bless her she was so grateful.

It would give me great peace of mind to know she arrived safely.

Incredible stupidity really, and there's definitely at least one mattress to avoid on board.

I can't comment on the difference in treatment between US and UK reservations but I can add that that I negotiated a $500 OBC credit in late November for the 250th TA crossing.

In my experience the right technique can get you anything. Always be polite and present the issue as a mutual problem, tell the operator that you know it isn't their fault, and ask if perhaps a supervisor could help. That's my SOP, either way enjoy the cruise.