MaraHornraven

Thanks chaps, I won't carry too much on then, maybe just a dress and shoes, probably easier for the gents (I know my dad will be defiant and board in his jeans!) I know we've a good few days on board, I just know our excitement will be brimming and waiting until 3:30 is a bit of a bummer!

Well, spare a thought for us bottom of the rung passengers. First time I checked, 21 days out, our boarding time was 2:45. I've just checked again, it's 3:30. Apparently the ship leaves at 5:00! Should I be packing my first nights gear in a carry on (I can't remember how long it takes for our cases to arrive at the stateroom!)

Nice idea, but I don't have the current disposable income to think about buying shares! Maybe one day. Alas, the cruise was originally a TA bought pre-pandemic when we all had businesses doing well in the wedding industry (which pretty much disappeared overnight with the first wave of lockdowns 😪)

Haha yes, priorities!! Can I take my hairdryer, then can I sneak on board some booze to save us just a few pennies (although we are STILL umming and ahhing about the drinks packages 🤦‍♀️) It's not like we're big drinkers or owt, but the last bar bill we had (Hamburg round trip in 2019) frightened us!!

Probably not much fun in December though! I think we're in a sheltered balcony, but I guess sticking my head out would increase the volume of my hair! In any case, thanks to all who replied, I'm unfortunately a bit of a worrier and overthink EVERYTHING!

Hahaha, ok, I won't worry about some rum then!

Fabulous! Thank you! Have since heard my cousin once took 12 bottles of fizz in their hold luggage in neoprene cases!!!

Ok, thank you both for the reassurance, I was worried the on board ones were like those at the swimming pool or something!

Oh damn! Found this on the Cunard webpage "Passengers are not permitted to bring on board irons, kettles or appliances with heating elements, however hair dryers, straighteners and curling tongs are permitted." https://my.cunard.com/en-gb/mycruise/articles/warnings?otprrf=1 Was pinning my hopes on that! Tongs and straighteners ok? So what am I left with on board? Can anyone confirm what the cabin ones are like?

Sorry to jump onto another thread, but we're boarding in Southampton in 3 weeks and one thing says we can take wine and fizz and one of my fellow passengers called Cunard who said, up to a litre of spirits. So what's the rule?!

Sorry to ask something so ridiculously trivial, but I'm a bit of a fuss pot with drying my hair and need something with a concentrator nozzle on it and a bit of oomph! What are the ones on board like (been on QV in 2019 and cannot remember, but I seem to recall they were pretty weak!) If I take my own, will it A: Be confiscated or B: Blow the electrics?! Like I say, sorry for the trivial question, I did do a search before posting, I promise. Found one line on another thread that seemed to suggest it would be okay, but what do the experts think?

Oh crumbs, this all sounds a bit worrying! We're booked on QM2 for 5 nights (Dutch Christmas Markets) in December. My mum thought sitting the 4 of us on a table of 8 would be fun, which it probably will be (I'm just a bit shy!) and we're on the Late Seating. How likely are we to be shunted onto this chaotic sounding Open Dining?!

Haha, thanks for the tip, I loved those magazines when we did the Hamburg round trip in Jan 2019! 24 days until we board so hopefully another few days and we'll find out our time

Oh you lucky things, when do us normals usually get to start boarding? (I'm far too excited and want it to be the 10th Dec already!!)

Oh that is odd - yes, we've been offered it multiple times and it's in our extras to be able to book.

No, probably not!

I mean, this has been our thinking (not worrying about the bill at the end!) But seemingly as we're a foursome, unless we fork out for four drinks packages, we can't share it seems (they order and I drink!) It may still work out cheaper. Will relay all this back to the mother and see what she reckons.

Damn, ok, we were trying to save a few pennies (dollars!!) But it obviously won't work the way we hoped it might (by subverting the system!)

Thanks for the advice! Our thinking had been we'd only be drinking together in the evening and therefore we'd put two drinks packages on my parents cabin and order on their room cards for 2 alcoholic drinks and other drinks on our cabin. Will that work?

Admittedly we went Jan 2019, but, the coach shuttle dropped us at the Rathaus (we went with Cunard), and from there, it was a 15-20 minute walk out to Miniatur Wunderland. We got a taxi on the way back I think but I cannot recall how much (wasn't expensive though I don't think). As Capt_BJ said, it's definitely worth it, we killed hours in there, there are so many little things to spot, little models up to no good especially made me laugh! It gets very busy though, and admittedly we went pre-covid, so they may have changed their rules. I took hundreds of photos, though for what I've never know, the place just fascinated me! Enjoy!

Hello lovely knowledgeable internet folk! I'm due to sail on the Dutch Christmas Markets cruise in December (38 days and counting!) with my parents and sister. Mum and dad caught the bug back in 2017 with a TA from NY to Southampton and subsequently we went to Hamburg and back in Jan 2019 for my mum's 60th. The bar bills have tended to be eyewatering (I think we spent somewhere in the region of $1000 on the Hamburg trip.....) I've been trying to convince the parents that booking a Drinks package this time might be a better idea, however, there are a couple of snags that I wondered if you could help us with: Two of us are drinkers, the other two aren't - if we were to purchase the drinks package for one cabin only (2 people), how does it work when it comes to ordering more than one drink? I've seen a suggestion you have to order one drink at a time, at 10 minute intervals... I've also seen that it's a 15 drink per day limit - is that per person or per cabin? Bearing in mind the above, is there a way to spread the alcohol across the four of us? It will primarily be myself and my dad drinking, with mum and sister having probably a cocktail and glass of fizz each night. The over $12 limit - do you just pay the difference with the discount, or the whole amount? Mum wants to be able to buy the odd bottle of fizz and wants to know what discount she'd get, if any! I'm trying to get to the bottom of how it would work in practice and indeed, whether you can use it to your advantage or whether they've closed any possible loop hole! It's going to cost $700 for the package so I guess not a huge saving, but $300 goes towards a lot of other things on board so if we can save it, we'd like to! Thank you in advance (and sorry if it's a cheeky ask!!)