shippmates

I would do the museum on your own. There is a lot to see and I think 45 minutes would be rushing your visit.

When I was in Hamburg on the Queen Mary 2 they had a free shuttle into Hamburg and made it very easy to tour the city and walk the Elbe tunnel. It was very interesting to see.

Let's hope we can celebrate the King in the same way. It will be so exciting and interesting to see and experience.

My favorite ship out of Baltimore was the Grandeur. Loved the size of the ship, the crew, the solarium and just the all around family feel of the ship. Most of the passengers were older and most of them have sailed that ship for years. It seemed every time we boarded the ship we knew someone and the crew would recognize you. If I was doing a long cruise with lots of sea days I would do the Anthem. I was on the Enchantment in December and found not much to do except play trivia. The show were very limited on the 8 day cruise.

I will also be on board and can not wait to see how Cunard celebrates. I am from the US and have always been interested in the royal family. Just think only 24 days until we board.

The calamari looks delicious. I can't wait to have some but I have to wait until October.

So sorry for your loss and all that you are going through. As some previously said contact your travel agent if you used one. That is part of their job.

Have you tried filing a claim with your travel insurance company? That may be a better option at least there you would get cash instead of an FCC if that is the case.

I enjoy the way Cunard is set up. The food is pretty much the same in all dining rooms and the service is a little above the other lines. It would be nice if the other lines would enforce or passengers would adhere to the dress code. On Cunard it is so nice to go into dinner and see people in dress clothes and not shorts, sweatpants or even jeans. Cunard has become my cruise line of choice.

I will do ship excursions the first time in a port or if the excursion is a long distance from the ship. I then know that the ship will wait until we return. In Southampton and Hamburg I have taken the ship free shuttle and did sightseeing in the town with not problem getting back to the ship.

I enjoyed your posting and your trip sounded amazing. I am just now getting to travel in Europe so hope to be able to visit some of your cities. Thanks for a neighbor in the New Cumberland/Mechanicsburg area. Enjoy your cruise.

I just booked 4 more solo cruises for next year. They make a B2B2B2B. First a TA on the Anthem, 2 days to LeHavre, and switching to Queen Mary 2 for a sailing to Hamburg and then a TA back to NYC.This will be a total of 25 days on both ships. I will be trying a single cabin for the first time on both ships.

Grandeur of the Seas. When she sailed out of Baltimore we did most of our Royal cruises on her. Many interesting cruises especially when it caught on fire. What an experience and before we got off in the Bahamas we had booked another cruise on her. I miss her as I do not care for the Enchantment.

You will enjoy Portland. Very easy town to do on your own. If you have time visit Holy Donut just look for the line, The donuts are good and some of the flavors are very different. Enjoy your cruise.

If you do not need your formal clothing for your other travel why not ship them directly to the Queen prior to your vacation. Another option would be to ship your parkas and books to someone at home. It make be pricey but it sure does make traveling easier. Enjoy all your trips.

I know I wish I had just one for day with my husband. I often think of this when I hear the song by Scotty McCreay " Just 5 More Minutes". It does not matter how long we had them with us it is never long enough. I am so sorry for your loses.

So sorry for your sadness so close to losing your husband. Your Mother will be glad to have you by her side.

I sure hope they keep the traditional gala night dress code. That is what makes Cunard so special. I love to see all the formal clothes, if I wanted to see shorts and t-shirts at dinner in the dining room I would cruise on Carnival or even Royal Caribbean on some sailings. I hope Carnival Corp will read this and keep Cunard the special cruise line it is. I will report back after my sailing in April and May.

Did you check with HAL to see if you could change the name on the second reservation if you can find someone to replace the canceling passenger. The cruise line may let you change the name if it is 3 days or more prior to set sail date.

The no show will get their port charges and taxes refunded along with any other purchases.

My husband's final wish was to be buried at sea and also for me to continue cruising. His final wish was fulfilled in August from the Queen Mary 2. This was to have been our 50th wedding anniversary celebration but that was not to be. The Captain did a beautiful and moving service. I had to get approval from the Captain which was very easy to do. Just had to show it was an acceptable urn and I had the correct paperwork from the funeral home . I will be back on the Queen next month to visit his burial site. My heart goes out to you and anyone that is making the big step to sail solo. Let us know how it goes.

CC Jack the Cunard September 29, 2023 sailing is from NYC with stops in Boston, Halifax, Sagaunay, Sydney, and 2 overnights in Quebec City. This is a 14 night sailing but you can get off the ship in Quebec after sailing for 7 days.

I loved the Dutch hats given by the crew. I was going though my things the other day and I found my hat signed by a crew member from when we were on the Maasdam in the early 2000's. I can still see my husband trying to find the Yum Yum guy to take his picture because I wanted one with him playing the chimes. He finally did find him and I still have the picture. I wish I still had my leather document holder we were sent with the cruising paperwork back then.

Rotterdam - October 22 - November 3 2023 Caribbean Sunfarer Shippmates

Dressing to the nine's is what I love about Cunard. It is so nice to see the ladies dressed in their fancy dresses and the men in their tux.