JT1101

It makes sense for 2026 to be a bigger drydock. Cunard typically services their ships in a "tick tock" or "big little" sequence where they alternate major and minor refits. Last October was the minor she was supposed to have in 2020 but the shutdowns happened. It was the "little" so the next one is a "big".

Yup! They will tear down the diesels, overhaul the azipods and also refit the electrical systems. Really big jobs like new generators or new azipods would be both time consuming and crazy expensive, taking her out of service for months and the bill would be enormous since both would need to be custom built.

I agree that we need to take internet sources with a HUGE grain of salt. Overall QM2 propulsion has been pretty reliable. She had a couple of episodes early which were down to the Rolls Royce Mermaid Azipod units and which actually caused a lawsuit by Cunard (Carnival) against RR. That finally got addressed and since then the only major issue was in 2023; which I suspect could be attributed to the missed 2020 refit (which happened later in the year). Now if we see a gap suddenly appear in her schedule then we can assume they are going to put her in for additional work.

Well I'm partly color blind, so I stick to blacks, whites and grey lest I accidentally wind up looking like The Joker...

I used a travel agent this year for the first time. The fare did not change but they secured me more perks (higher On Board Credit, complimentary Verandah dinner).

The problem is this type of "internet mob" response is a social media phenomenon. ALL new ships have maiden voyage hiccups. Check back in 3-6 months once QA is fully shaken down and I expect the impressions will be very different.

I get it but it is just going in circles at this point.

Good Golly Miss Molly... 226 posts and counting on this? Methinks we have talked it to death.

Business units by definition are separated because they have their own internal operations. Carnival Corporation (sorry LLC is my error) is comprised of several such units. One is Carnival Cruise Lines (which causes confusion sometimes). Another is Carnival UK. Costa is another again. Cunard and P&O as Brands jointly compose Carnival UK. P&O Australia despite the name was part of Carnival Cruise Lines.

P&O Australia is a completely different animal than Cunard. Also Cunard and P&O comprise Carnival UK - a separate unit within Carnival LLC. P&O Australia is part of the main Carnival Cruise Lines unit. Costa is in its own unit also.

QA wil be allright. I do have a feeling the first minor refit she gets (in 2026) will add some more Cunard memorabilia to make her feel more connected to Cunard's traditions and heritage.

Point taken.

Well thats a change.Maybe the policy was always this but since the theme of the night is gala or smart attire that is what you'll see most everyone do anyway? I know I've been in King's Court on gala nights and everyone was dresses or suits. Perhaps my penchant for sailing in winter also affects this?

Actually yes they do maintain code; the only difference is on gala nights you can go to some exempt places but even there smart dress is in effect.

They aren't stopping having gala nights. And Cunard still maintains dress code shipwide at night, be it smart dress or formal.

I'm more than happy to dress up in a black suit, white shirt and black bow tie. I don't own a tux but the black suit has always met with approval on gala nights as it is a formal cut as opposed to a sport or casual cut. For the non gala nights I typically stay with the jacket but skip the tie.

All iPhones later than the 8 support fast charging. So do more recent (last 4-5 years?) iPad and iPad Pro. All Apple Silicon Macs also do.

Yes Apple devices have plugs. You just have to obtain separately as they rightly assume everyone has lots of plugs. In fact since the entire line now charges on usb-3 / thunderbolt one charger can do double duty.

I like Fixed because you get to meet new people also.

I kinda like fixed dining anyway, as it lends to the classical experience.

That space is not a permanent restaurant area. Sometimes in summery weather it may have some tables as a standup cafe but it is not permanent. I've been on Winter TAs and it is not open for example.

I expect it has largely stabilized.

Eh. Disney is not my thing. And it was Tips for Travelers that helped me know. Not by Gary dissing on it but because he laid out what a Disney cruise is, what you will be getting in terms of experience and really left whether you like it up to you. This is why I dislike vloggers like Ben and David and la Lido Loca among others. They are not really that informative and they really tend towards being overdramatic. Tips for Travelers, Ritzy Travel Guide, Emma Cruises and TravelTouristVideos among others take a different approach. They give context before reviewing, are informative and even when they give a positive/negative verdict they do put it into the context of their own preferences.

I like this move. It represents a quality increase as Union has good stuff. As far as the free coffees I expect they will not change their sourcing right now. I like the coffees on draw at King's Court and as mentioned Connexions.

That's what I like about the ones I noted (Tips for Travellers, Ritzy Travel Guide, Emma Cruises). They emphasize doing their homework so they know what type of line and ship they are sailing on and their delivery is very informative. Fraser at Sea sounds interesting - have to check him out. Also TravelTouristVideos go pretty well.