exlondoner

So am I, and I dislike clanking, and carrying stuff I don’t have to. How would they know? If they had had booze confiscated. If they had seen someone else have booze confiscated. The usual sorts of ways you know things.

Generally. Does anyone know of an instance where it has ever been enforced?

Yes, I have spent many happy hours gazing at the Atlantic on QM2, often from the chairs in the galleries on Deck 3, where the spray sometimes covers the windows, sometimes pondering why on earth Manx Shearwaters should want to live there.

The restaurants (like all the Grills facilities) are both up on Deck 11, and even the seats that aren’t next to the windows have excellent views. The Grills lounge is a nice shape again with nice views, and the Terrace and Upper Terrace are expansive and high up. On a cruise with plenty to look at, this can be really good, even if you do have to wrap up.

I really don’t think the Vista PGs are worth it, though the other Grills facilities on the Vistas are much superior to QM2. I should sell a child or something and go for QG. 😀 We went in PG once and have been impoverishing ourselves by booking Q4s ever since. I have few thoughts about QA, except that some of the interiors look rather nice, but it clearly won’t be like QM2.

Which ship are you envisaging? I’m not sure the QM2 is allowed in Flam, but on the other hand she is adored in Hamburg, and sailaways are sometimes spectacular. Hamburg is such a lovely city that there is plenty to engage one on two calls, though it is not as much fun now the ship is tucked away in the new cruise terminal. I must say I have found one fjord looks pretty much like another, but they are all exciting to sail along and feel you can almost touch the sides. As ports I liked Stavanger and Alesund.

Just a few answers. It is rumoured the 2024 cruises are going on sale next month. If you use a real TA, they can sort out hassles for you. 12 day cruises definitely worth it, if you’ve got the money and the leave allowance.

Really. Never been to a hairdresser, never owned a hairdryer. But I do find the balcony very helpful in warmer climes.

As one who has never owned a hairdryer, I am somewhat mystified. Doesn’t five minutes or so on the balcony deal with the issue - unless there is a storm, obviously.

I should be astonished if anyone checked.

Havila? I had a flyer from them the other day. Can’t remember the name of the ship.

There isn’t tea on the first day. I bet you’ll sail through the terminal, not pausing for breath if you arrive then. But I must say I would arrive a little earlier.

I’m glad you liked Bournemouth: the bay is beautiful and this year the sea was very warm for Southern England. It does, surprisingly, have a Premier Division football team, but not, I think, much rampaging in its very small ground with a capacity less than 12,000. Incidentally, I feel rather guilty, because having complained previously about being called a Brit, I called Australians Aussies in an earlier post. Sorry about that.

Why did Fremantle Shoreside Security think they could do this? Really how dare they?

Nobody at Southampton takes the least notice of allocated times. It might be better if they did. Obvious I don’t know about Fremantle, but even the most authoritarian functionaries are not going to separate you from someone in a wheelchair. You all rock up together.

It looks chilly and Norwegian.

I imagine this is not helped by passengers waiting in their cabins to disembark.

Yes, I think the sheer joy of lounging around in great comfort looking at the sea, while other people do everything for me, and bring me excellent food, tends to blunt my critical faculties.

Obviously I am a comparative newbie with Cunard, and QV is the only ship I haven’t travelled on since Covid, but I must say I haven’t really noticed any evidence of decline. On the other hand, I have noticed some recent improvements, such as being able to disembark directly from the cabin.

I was on one of the 3 Queens with 400 Aussies and I must say that, as far as I could tell, they were just as smart as everyone else, that is pretty smart. Is it different at home?

Talk about cricket? 😀

Our concierge too was always very helpful. But a room without natural light is not somewhere I should want to stay a minute longer than necessary, particularly when there are so many alternatives available - like the cabin.

Don’t they leave the TV on with the announcement?

There is an illy coffee machine and kettle in your cabin. This has the benefits of windows and a view, which the claustrophobic concierge lounge sadly lacks.

I did but only because it was where I once had to gather for emergency drill. I am still traumatised.