rtdiva

On 10/15/2023 at 11:38 AM, crystalspin said:

So I had a fine capsule wardrobe in coral/teal/black -- but to some extent I felt like I was wearing someone else's clothes! And this is despite the fact that I buy A LOT of permanent wardrobe items on eBay! 

See my newest post.

ann

Just returned from our 80 days around the world cruise.

Clothing- surprisingly the ship had a “ second hand Rose” sale event. Passengers could donate their unwanted items. I donated a bunch plus bought two tops. One of which was kept. I threw away a pair of well worn short heels. 

In order to downsize our luggage, I gave other clothes including shoes to our room steward. You must label the bag with the stewards name otherwise they cannot take them. Nor can they take items from the trash. 

I found it difficult to organize a time to find charity shops. I also found it difficult to part with much loved by probably dated tops. 
 

Popular day time styles were printed linen tops or dresses. White crochet combo cotton outfits. I had three different colors and fabric pants with tops. 
 

Cunard requires evening wear for dinner plus formal clothing. I took one long dress, two satin pants, a variety of tops and chiffon “ kimonos “. Bunches of jewelry. 
 

That said: Most men wore jackets, tux or suits. Women a variety of styles.

Day wear- almost anything goes! 

On 11/14/2023 at 9:55 PM, Carolfay said:

Heels?  Yes, always.  As long as I'm able to strut my stuff.

You go girl! Strut when you can, cause sooner than expected your stuff falls! I’m turning 79 next week, if I’d do it all over again (2 decades of cruising) I’d play the dress up game! But darn it, playing how little to pack, is where I’m at now. 

2 minutes ago, bluemarble said:

I'm hoping to catch a glimpse of some of the planned fireworks this evening via webcam. There's a Southampton VTS notice indicating the fireworks were to begin for QV at 1800 and for QM2 at approximately 1845. Not quite sure how that aligns in with QV's currently scheduled departure time of 1630 and QM2's departure time of 1800 but I'll be keeping an eye out for them.

Are fireworks only traditional for World Cruises?

1 hour ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

For years, I have seen the complaint about formal/gala "I don't have space to pack an evening gown." An evening gown does not have to be a Disney Princess gown, which is technically a ball gown with a wide skirt. An evening gown with a less extravagant silhouette is packable. That said, I've seen some beautiful full-skirted ball gowns onboard on New Year's Eve. 

 

I like the 20's night. My fringed flapper dress is the most packable and comfortable dress I've taken on a cruise. The problem is people don't do 20's style EVENING dress. I've seen men in striped blazers and straw hats (is that even 20's??). I have not seen the Al Capone gangster look, although I've read reports of that here. For men, 20's is easy. Tux with a wing collar shirt. Think Gatsby, not Capone.

I love watching passengers dressed in their finery, my complaint is when others dislike others choice of dress. We choose Cunard for transit to destinations not for clothing choices. So, yes we enjoy traveling on other lines too. And yes, a tux is packed with a long evening dress.
 

The 20’s style evening so excited me, I suggested the same theme for a ladies luncheon here. Over a hundred women enjoyed dressing in costume. On Cunard I’ve noticed it is often the organized dancers who use the ballroom, taking the advantage to theme dress. 

On 12/12/2023 at 6:30 AM, tacticalbanjo said:

I personally hate the costumes that appear on the 20s nights. So tacky. It's a formal night not a fancy dress party. I don't mind colour themes or a nod to the theme with some jewellery etc but anything beyond that just looks to me like you don't know how to dress formally.

Ah! You are correct! Most of us do not know how to dress formally, as we are plebeians, not royalty or invited to the White House. Well I was once. Most of U.S. Americans think the word gown refers to what Disney Characters wear. 20ties a formal night? No, it is a costume party. While I too, do not prefer to wear costumes, Cunard is encouraging passengers to do so. On that note; time is flying, have fun, dress as it may be the last dance. 

On 12/1/2023 at 5:54 AM, sparks1093 said:

Evidently having a limited palate saves me a ton of money, so I'm good🤣. (Although I do like trying new things when given the opportunity.)

I too, have a limited palate, not refined, however that said, I’m bringing on all future cruises a selection of seasonings. I have seldom used salt on any dishes in the past, now I do. We sailed six cruises this past year on four lines, I don’t expect the best cuts of meat with exotic names, just a tasty mouthful in the MDR. For awhile I thought I had tastebuds affected by covid, or as some of you have pointed out is it an ageist thing? Turned grizzled? Or numb?

We’ve an WC coming soon: South Pacific - Southampton. We are interested in performing and visual arts. While performing arts are often included in excursions, I don’t find “ arts in action”  offered through the normal sites. Stuff like artist or crafters making art. 
Any suggestions to links or YouTube would be appreciated.

Ann

On 11/28/2023 at 1:44 AM, JVes said:

 

Oh, I'm sure you will too!

My travel agent considered what we look for when we're winding down & having fun, and matched us to Princess. I hope you're matched with the line that works best for you!

 

And let us know when you're doing your own countdown! You're going to be so very excited just with the anticipation. I found that watching the online cruise internet gurus was really helpful: I made myself a cruise book based on Ilana's Ultimate Cruise Planner (from life well cruised). I removed all the bits that didn't apply to us (childcare, for example), and added a lot of things that other cruise gurus mentioned.
I actually wound up not using most of the book I made, but the exercise of making it both gave me something useful to do, it also put it all in my mind. I made two copies, my partner had the other one.

 

I think that if I were to give two pieces of advice to new cruisers, they would be:

Match your cruise line to your own personality and how you vacation.

and 

Make a cruise book based on the advice you get from a wide variety of sources. Including Cruise Critic.
 

You'll probably not do most of the things in the book, but at least you'll be making an informed decision about what you'll do or not do.

 

One thing I really should have done - & will do in the future - is to tell Medical that I'm allergic to penicillin.

 

 

Also, Gail and Marty, thank you for the compliment.

 

Julia.

 Julia, 

Our first of now over fifty cruises was a short four days from Southern California to Mexico and back. I knew nothing about cruises, nor did I do research. A short cruise was a way to find if I would get sea sick, claustrophobic or simply didn’t like it.  I LOVED IT. I loved the  lively Mexican music, the Caribbean limbo, the choices of tasty foods, the rooms were cleaned, beds made, I was spoiled. The crazy games people played. Cultural entertainment onboard. I gained eight pounds which is a lot for someone who is 5’3” tall. It was a good thing I had brought a pair of loose fitting pants. 

Now twenty years later, I do research via CC or YouTube for excursions, we choose itinerary and price over which ship to sail on. We’ve sailed Carnival to Cunard, Celebrity to Azamara. Princess to Holland America as well as others. We’ve sailed through the Panama Canal as well as the Suez. We LOVE Australia.

One of the reasons we cruise is to enjoy the company of others. We can live  our lives only once but it sure is exciting to enjoy other’s experiences through friendships made on a ship!

welcome to cruising!

ann

55 minutes ago, ClipperinSFO said:

 

Looks amazing!  My kind of crossing!

 

When in the voyage did the snow occur?  Closer to land, mid ocean, in port before you left?

This particular voyage had many elderly who had to be evacuated, I believe once while sailing the southern coast of the states, before we boarded, once in NYC and then sailing north from NYC towards Halifax. The last was during the most intense storm I’ve witnessed on sea. The ship had to divert itself behind an island, a peninsula, in a bay, (???) to allow a helicopter to be successful in the evacuation. It was during the late evening after multiple attempts to land the helicopter. I’m also under the assumption we stayed overnight in that area. So I’ll say to answer your question about a day from N.Y.C  closer to land. QM2 handled the storm well. The remaining days after the storm passed were fine. We’ve not any hesitation to doing the same crossing again. 

My advice: After wearing a lightweight fleece jacket topped with a hooded weatherproof windbreaker on deck, go inside, have a cup of tea with Fireball Cinnamon whisky. Or just stay in! 

The pic is of a crossing in January 2020. The crew made snow angels! An absolute thrill! 

3 hours ago, seafarer68 said:

Inside mid ship low down ?

On the QM2 and all other ships we sail, we select rooms that have cabins both above and below us. I prefer for convenience, near stairs or elevators . 

On 10/29/2023 at 6:50 AM, seafarer68 said:

Another question, but this time about a possible future cruise,please...

 

Which is the best direction for a Transatlantic...Southampton to America or America to Southampton?

Either way has special views of N.Y.C. 
You haven’t addressed where your cabin should be located. We’ve found an inside cabin works for us on crossings, as there isn’t anything to see until the morning of your arrival or afternoon departure; A quick jog to the promenade will give you the “aw” and save a few bills used towards excursions ( there aren’t any) or drinks! Or specialty dining.

5 hours ago, Janet&Carl said:

 

We personally like Azamara as well but have not sailed with Cunard.  My preference is MSC Yacht Club but they do  not do WC on ships with YC.  😞 We have just returned from our third Azamara voyage doing the Greek Isles and it was very comfortable but I feel the facilities and activities would become repetitive on such a long WC.  Taking another look at HAL because I do like their pole to pole offering. 

 

HAL has musical entertainment of all sorts that practically suits anyones style. We would have preferred her for 2024 WC but the itinerary was one we’ve sailed before. Cunard is naturally heavy on British lectures etc. A tea pot with cookies is a lovely addition to have in the cabin for a morning wake up. However for my taste a few Mexican & Asian not Indian offerings on the MDR menu would have helped with the blandness, or maybe my tastebuds have lingering effects of Covid. Seems like many lines serve well plated meals but are bland. Cunards passengers have interesting stories, some we have kept in touch with. HALs passengers are more relaxed, less dressy, still friendly. The ships handle the seas well. The wait staff are well trained. Perhaps the age range is older.

Azamaras 2024 WC has a great itinerary, but is too pricey for my wallet. However it is nice not to have to pull out the ships card for everything. 

5 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

If by staying with Cunard, you are referencing the QM2, that is an excellent choice, as she is the last remaining liner capable of handling rough seas in reasonable comfort.

 

However, the other Cunard ships, while newer than the Azamara fleet are just basic cruise ships. Size of the ship has little bearing on sea keeping ability. The excessive rolling, as you navigated around Ireland, can be caused by shallow water effect, which increases wave height and reduces the period. When navigating in coastal waters, the Master may not have the ability to steer a preferred weather course, whereas in open waters this isn't an issue.

 

While the ship's design/scantlings are key factors, many additional contributing factors are also present. Other than the QM2, the other Cunard ship designs are from HAL, with the new Queen Anne a Pinnacle Class and the other 2 being Vista Class.

 

The interior decor of the Cunard fleet may be more comfortable than Azamara, but expecting the Cunard fleet (except QM2) to handle seas, in similar conditions, better than the Azamara fleet requires additional studies than a single coastal voyage.  

Hmmmm…Azamara Journey was the smallest of cruise ships we’ve sailed on in two decades, good to know her size wasn’t the problem . On QM2 during a TA sailing in January, the winds were bad, the snow on the deck was fun, the waitstaff could make snow angels. I was confident she would sail on. I may need to reassess my thoughts about smaller ships.  Azamara Journey was otherwise comfortable and more attractive in interior design than the two Queens we’ve sailed on. Personal taste.

On 6/27/2023 at 3:31 AM, Janet&Carl said:

 

Most ? well Silversea is out of our price range - Azamara/Viking would be at the very top and MSC and Costa in the comfort zone 😉.  We actually like MSC and have cruised on them often but I would only like to book a suite.  Same with Costa.  Azamara didn't suit me as I was very sea sick and we were sailing in the Med.  I have done crossings on a few ships and never been sick !! so I dont know if it was because it was a small ship or because it was an old ship.  We are trying Azamara again this year to see how I feel as they would be our preference for our WC.

I have to chime in here regarding Azamara, first we love the size, attractive accommodations, entertainment, personal service, however, the ship rocked around Ireland. I can’t imagine sailing on it across the oceans. We r staying with Cunard for comfort. 

On 10/3/2023 at 12:24 PM, Capt_BJ said:

I sent my renewal in last month .... routine/normal processing ... had new passport in hand in under 2 weeks. I'm in Florida ... sent to Texas facility. I used priority mail to send it in, and they used same to return (traceable).

Got mine back in three weeks, priority and expedited from somewhere.

2 minutes ago, rtdiva said:

Upcoming on a WC 8 sea days from Namibia to Spain. 😱 . 

Oh for gosh sakes…I’ve done numerous T/A and trans Pacific. Sea days are important to recover from daily excursions when the cruise is port intensive.

Upcoming on a WC 8 sea days from Namibia to Spain. 😱 . 

Cruisemom has it right on. I’d like to add: Breakfast. As most of us are creatures of habit we dine at the same time, thus often your breakfast companions become your new best friends.

I’ve not found a way to connect with potential Mahj Jong players. Other ships have bulletin boards in the library.

On 9/25/2023 at 4:00 PM, Mareblu said:

I would certainly agree that a pianist is more appropriate in the Commodore Club, where drinks taken to a subdued background music is appropriate.  Sailaway music should indeed be more vibrant.  The Newfoundland Due were superb in the Golden Lion and the Garden(?) Lounge, although the acoustics were not on point in the latter.  It was also rather stuffy and warm at times.  They did not always perform "diddle-di".  They willingly delivered whatever requested, which can be problematic for some musicians on the spur of the moment, but they seemed amenable and courteous, and such is their talent, all requests we witnessed were almost flawless, including haunting classic pieces and songs.  One of the many reasons we choose sailing voyages is for the variety of entertainment aboard at any one time, usually, so guests are free to choose.

We enjoyed the duo on QM2 during a summer Alaskan cruise. 

On 6/17/2023 at 1:38 PM, Aquadesiac said:

From what I gather about the Victoria Cruise, there will be opportunities for language classes on board. I've always felt my education was lacking because I'm not multi-lingual. I know enough to ask where the nearest loo is in a smattering of languages, but to be fluent, to be able to converse without internally translating in a tongue I wasn't born to... that would be a great accomplishment!

 

I love music, so I'd bring a couple of books of piano pieces and look for an unused piano on board. I wonder if there will be a passenger choir for you. You can't help but make connections with people you make music with.  

 

The DH and I always enjoy art classes when we're on board..more for the process than the end product, believe me. It's fun to rediscover your playful side.

 

Have a wonderful 3 years, Cheoptera. If you blog about your adventures, I will sign up to follow YOU!

Several years back, DH a jazz bassist coupled up with an excellent jazz pianist onboard. The pianist did as you want, found a lonely piano waiting for a touch. DH knew where there was a bass. They had a ball jamming in the morning. Generally passengers in our experience, are not allowed to touch the ship’s instruments. The hotel manager joined the other guest who were listening saying go ahead. All was fine until the fourth morning when person in her robe, who had a cabin nearby, complained. On another cruise a ukulele group was formed. 
 

On that note I’ll bring my travel set of water colors, glue stick and papers. I’m a collage mix-media artist who enjoys making art in the form of birthday cards for friends met onboard. One of the waitstaff said as I was rushing to class “ slowdown you are on vacation “ . We sail on the Queen Victoria out of SFO Feb. 2024.

Cheoptera…what doesn’t work- hanging around the buffet.