silvaner

Does the shuttle accommodate wheelchairs?

I drive to Newark and park at off site parking.  When l book the Cunard shuttle l do as MCC Retired suggested.  I provide a flight number and time on the booking. Cunard has no way of checking if you are actually on that flight.

when l arrive at the airport (by shuttle bus from the parking lot) l go to the designated meeting place. Eventually a CunArd employee appears and escorts all the passenger to the bus to Red Hook.  

I have just completed a 30 day NYC round trip to Norway in the Princess Grill. I am Diamond and have traveled in all Cunard grades. I normally book a P2 guarantee. I sometimes get what I pay for, but have been frequently upgraded to a P1 or Q6 and Q5. I was once upgraded to a Q1 on QV, a truly magnificent experience. The P2 is the best value for money on Cunard. The only drawback is the long, long, long walk to the dinning room.

I’m normally a lurker but feel that my observations might contribute to this discussion.

The selection of a good table is subjective. Some want a window and others do not like the walkers staring at them. In the QG table selection is based on grade. If you are in a Q1 you get the best table, best service and most attention from the Maitre’ D. In the PG table selection is based on booking date. The earlier you book the better the table. Both Grills try to accommodate specific requirements stated at the time of booking. I always ask for a table for two by a window with lots of light. (My wife does not see too well when they turn down the lights in the evening). I normally get it.

Without a doubt the menu and choices have been reduced. Rack of lamb has reappeared on the PG a la carte. There are indeed fewer choices on the a la carte menu and no deserts. Some of the choices are terrible. Everyday I ordered shrimp cocktail. It was excellent. Halfway through the cruise it suddenly changed its name and became to a bowl of guacamole with three small shrimp on top. Many of the former a la carte entrees now appear in rotation on the regular menu.

The lunch menu is the same in all restaurants. Until recently the dimmer menu was the same except that some of the Britannia choices never appeared on the Grills menu. For instance, when Britannia served roast turkey it never appeared in the Grills. Now the Grills dinner menu is totally different from Britannia’s.

Special order is still available in PG. You just have ask nicely and not ask for anything too complicated. For instance, a couple of times we had roast chicken served by a head waiter at the table and other times we asked for one of the lunch entrees to be served at night. Each time, it was freshly cooked not held over and warmed up. We frequently had fish that was not on either the main or a la carte menus. The Maitre’ D always had to check with the Chef to see if it was possible. We were never denied our choice.

It is still possible to get hidden entrees at lunch such as cheeseburger and fries.

I have not sat in them, but the new chairs in QG look uncomfortable, especially for men with wide shoulders. I noticed that a few chairs had been temporally replaced with the old chairs for a voyage segment.

Sorry about the date. I should proofread what I typed. When I last visited Flam I was on the QV and we anchored. We were not allowed off until all the tours had left. A much small ship was tied up.

Here is an extract from the port info for 2016 cruises aurlandhavn.no

102 Sø 24.07.2016 Saga Pearl II 07.00-16.00 Kai European Cruise Skjolden Stavanger

103 Ma 25.07.2016 Queen Elizabeth 11.00-20.00 Kai European Cruise Bergen

108 104 Ty 26.07.2016 Monarch 10.00-20.00 Kai European Cruise Olden

Its a little compressed but you can make out the times. Maybe the port info is incorrect. Note that the QE is at the Kai so tendering will not be a problem.

According to the Flam port website aurlandhavn.no the QE is in Flam on 27 July from 1100 to 2000. I think you should breakfast before you get off.

If you live and book in the States and your British friends book in the UK, the bookings cannot be linked.

When Queen Victoria first sailed the smaller Q5 staterooms were midship and the Q4s were at the back. I think it was 4 years ago that Cunard switched them and the Q4s moved to mid ship. The speculation at the time was that the location closer to the elevator that went to the grills deck eliminated walking for some, but not all, of the higher paying passengers. It was obviously impossible to switch the Q1s. Except for the Q1s, the more you pay the closer you are to the elevator.

On a recent Queen Victoria cruise some passengers draped a large Rainbow Flag over their balcony railing. They were told to take down.

I have done it on the Crown Princess. Provided that the previous port was a European one you have no immigration obligations. You can stay in your cabin or wonder around the ship. It is a fantastic opportunity to take photos of the public rooms without any passengers in the way and even take a peek at the suites while they are empty.

If you want you can go into Southampton and do some shopping etc. Princess normally provides a free crew shuttle bus to West Quay shopping mall. If you do not want to ride on that, you could always take a taxi. Before you leave the ship, you should get an in-transit pass from Guest Services which will allow you to bypass the embarkation lines.