3rdGenCunarder

The problem with those reviews is that you have no context. If you read these boards, you get a sense of what the different people are like. Some are quick to criticize while others are quick to defend. So reviews and "live from" threads are more useful. Some people who post reviews on the review board might do that and never post anywhere else. They may be people who never came to CC to do research. Then they're disappointed and post an unhappy review.

The only thing I can think of is coordination between the PG kitchen and MDR servers.

When CO was new, there was talk of a special area in the MDR, but I've never seen that. Since I don't sail on Pinnacle ships if I can help it and I like fixed dining and I'm 4-star, the only real value of CO for me is the upgrade. If the math works out, as it did for my next two cruises, I'll do CO. (I already have the tote bag, so I don't need another)

Many years ago, we were on QE2 to Norway and Svalbard. It had been an unusually cool spring and we were sailing through scattered ice floes. During dinner one evening, we hit something large enough that it felt like being in a car going over a speed bump. DH bolted from the table to get outside to get a look (He said it appeared to be the size of a 1-car garage). The poor waiter ran to the table to see if DH was feeling sick because when somebody moves that fast, there's usually a bad reason.

Perhaps it's just habit. I sometimes find it hard to type QE without adding the 2.

My fight was with the cable company (comcast/xfinity). Even though I showed up with all the paperwork (death certificate, etc), the idiot could not figure it out and I ended up with two accounts, both active. I went to a different location where the employees had a clue and finally got it sorted out. We each were primary on a different credit card, and secondary on each other's card, so in case of something bad, the survivor would be covered. I forgot that one card was in DH's name and used it at a gas station. Uh oh! Had I just done something illegal?? I called the credit card company and the nice woman said "It's okay, it's only the one charge. Just pay it off, and when it has a zero balance, call back and we can cancel it." Oh, the things you don't think of until you're in the middle of the paper storm!

You should be able to check in when you arrive, but you'll be sent to the Large Holding Pen to wait until embarkation starts. (If you're diamond or Grills you get to wait in the Small Holding Pen, a charming and more intimate--meaning crowded--settting.) They usually give you a number when you check in. The number is based on when you checked in, not the embarkation time assigned in advance.

Go see the b'way musical!

Sounds like they're really leaning into their themes. What movie(s) did they show to go with Masquerade? I remember that for Roaring 20s, the TV programming including "Some Like It Hot."

On Eurodam this winter, the man had a very nice voice. The woman tended to screech. Between that and the overall volume, I didn't last long there.

Yes! That's it. Thank you for checking on it. My QE is red and QM2 is black. Looking forward to adding to the collection.

A friend who lived in Buffalo NY said they had two seasons, winter and the 4th of July.

Rutherfurd is wonderful. My first was Sarum. I started it on the plane to London and finished it on the QE2 going home. In between, we toured around the south of England, and on a whim, stopped in Salisbury, which was perfect timing for reading the book.

I'm looking for an empty journal. I don't keep a diary/journal at home, but I do when I travel. It's fun if the book matches the destination. I have five of the old Ocean Books journals, plus the cheap spiral QM2 and the little aqua and gold journal. More recently, a red QE and a black QM2. Now that I'm trying QV, I hope to find QV journal to add to the set--and one for QA when I sail on her.

Happy to hear that it's a good day. I hope your hands heal quickly. Shopping question. Does the ship sell any kind of Cunard journal, maybe with the ship's name on it? I very much miss the Ocean Books journals with the wonderful pictures. For a while after they were gone, the journals that were available looked cheap. But the ones I've seen more recently on QM2 and QE are pretty good. They're red or black with the ship's name on the front. Anything like that?

@vswan, you have a VERY lucky grandson! I bet your daughter has reminded him to make sure you have a good time and to be ready to give you therapeutic hugs. Yes, the paperwork drags on. Some of it is ridiculous. One insurance company asked me to fax an original death certificate. I wanted to ask them if they knew that what comes out of a fax machine is NOT an original. But you reach a point where it's just kind of "yeah, whatever" and you let it go.

I got it, too. I'll have to ask my TA about applying it to my next cruise. If HAL says no, I'll wait. I have until July 2027 to use it.

All of the "spa" cabins are forward so that they are "just steps away from the spa." I had an aft cabin on Eurodam this winter, and my cabin was MANY steps away from the spa!

It's summer, so kids are on vacation, which means a lot of cabins with 3 or 4 passengers, not 2. I think of that as "sold out plus." That adds to steward and waiter workload.

Yes, taking a call during dinner (or any meal) is rude if it's any longer than "sorry I will call you back," and then only if it's an important call that the person had been waiting for. I agree about the endless selfies. Worse are the narcissistic young women who take each other's pictures. Not a quick "stand there and I'll take your picture," but tossing the hair and striking a pose like they think the picture is going to end up in Vogue. But I have no problem with food porn. That has become a part of travel in my family. Come to think of it, not only travel. We text "look what I made for supper!" pictures when we try new recipes. For us, it started during Covid when we couldn't get together for meals.

Ahh, guess they got tired of all the phone calls.

@AryMay, that's definitely a croc. Look at that smile!

I find it hard to feel sorry for someone with "only" 620 nights on Cunard!

I'll be on QV for the first time in October. I haven't sailed out of Southampton in 5 years, and I don't remember which terminal it was. Possibly the Princess terminal, which I've always disliked. It looks like QV will be at Mayflower Terminal and two MCS ships at city terminal. Will three ships with the same access route cause traffic issues? Also, will there be priority boarding for WH diamond and platinum?

Ah, yes, white bags in the elevators are a sure sign of rough seas.