Solent Richard

That is a standard school of thought and it offers a higher degree of security should there be any delay in the airline flight and for short delays one can be sure the ship will wait. There was a well documented example on one of my facebook groups involving Cunard just before Christmas 2023: and that was what one would accept as a simple flight London to New York. There does seem to be a misconception however regarding Cunard and Travel Agent booked flights. The passenger is well protected when their cruise and flight are part of a 'Cunard fly/cruise package' arranged: whether sold by either Cunard or sold through a travel agent. Not so when one uses a TA to arrange one's flight choice of a different airline flight, maybe a different flight dates, and when one wishes to purchase a seat other than 'economy'. The same rules will apply (as did in my earlier example), and Cunard (or any other cruise line) will have no responsibility should there be a flight delay. Of course its a good little earner for Cunard (or whatever cruise line) as they can block book return flights from port cities where both the cruise departs and returns to the same destination and similarly where the departure and arrival ports are different aka cruise turnover ports.

Good morning @bluemarble . I noted over on the 'World Cruises 2026 that @Ocean_Liner_Traveller mentions Queen Mary 2 Visiting Moorea and Papeete in 2016. My 'Where in the World' list is most likely well out of date but for July 2021 Moorea doesn't get a mention. Do forgive me if it has been listed since then....

We too certainly had an outstanding time visiting those two islands: albeit not on Cunard but Silversea. While not being over impressed with the French legacy on Tahiti I certainly found the memorials to Captain Cook and The Bounty at Point Venus inspiring ..... *********

Whatever, the price is worth paying.

On the contrary @NE John , it's what our Royals are all about, 'Service and Duty'. We see Queen Camilla on our television news channels almost every day attending some opening or another. With the exception of course of our recent export across to your fair land. 😉😈

My brochure clearly indicates Dakar as a port of call in the itinerary and map. I guess an oversight then... ******* Funnily enough, I was only saying to my wife over lunch, Dakar is the only port on a Cunard World Cruise that we've not visited.

I see the Queen Mary 2 2026 World Cruise (M603H) itinerary has two most interesting calls on 18th and 19th February.... Papeete (18th) .... https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2015/05/15/tahiti-one-way-to-see-the-island/ and Moorea (19th).... https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2015/03/13/moorea-one-way-to-do/

Or our new Queen?

And that fellow cruisers hits the nail right on the head: and hence the reason my wife and I have drifted from Cunard - lack of new itineraries and more of the same old same. A recent switch to Azamara gave us an experience of three new ports on one cruise: all of which were excellent choices and either of which would be not too difficult for a Mediterranean based Cunard ship. But of course we shall give Queen Anne more than one try. We would certainly require a second cruise onboard to check out whether the Cunard onboard ethos was to our entire satisfaction. Maidens are always a good experience, blending the new with the exciting, and offering the opportunity to meet up with old friends who no doubt will be onboard in abundance. @NE John , for your information the three new ports of call I mentioned earlier were Thessaloniki, Kavala and Cannakale.

We did an Alaskan cruise with Regent and it was an outstanding experience..... https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2013/03/21/regent-seven-seas-alaska-cruise/

...and why not.... ******* ***** And of course, once purchased then followed by a visit to Harry's Bar.

Excellent decision on both @schattenfell71. I trust they've removed the scaffolding from the Cathedral at Santiago de Compostela by the time you get there.... Sometimes the bane of my photography 😉 .....

That's what I tried to highlight.

Happy St Valentine's Day to members of this board. My wife and I have enjoyed a number of St Valentine Days at sea on a number of cruise lines. No less than three have been while sailing across the Pacific - when the most memorable one was onboard Queen Mary 2... Do you have a Cunard St Valentine's Day memory to share?

I've recently completed a guide to what can be achieved on one's own while visiting A Coruña on a cruise ship. Here's the link to my blog which I trust will be of use to cruise visitors... https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2024/02/09/one-way-to-do-a-coruna/ ******

Just for you @EA1978 . My recently updated cruise blog link...... https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2024/02/09/one-way-to-do-a-coruna/

Having put in an extra shift on my cruise blog to cover Queen Anne's Maiden Voyage port visits I had better now share it with the good folks of Cruise Critic. There are two ports of call, click on the links to have an idea what is on offer. First up is A Coruña on Sunday 5th May..... https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2024/02/09/one-way-to-do-a-coruna/ ....followed by Lisbon on Tuesday 7 May.... https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2014/08/20/one-way-to-do-lisbon/

Neither have my shirts. 😂

Wow. Now there's a turn up for the books.

Humble apologies. 😄😉

As has been said earlier, yes, there is an entrance on both sides of the ship and as is my style here is the photographic evidence... ***** Mind, if I happened to be on a 9 night cruise with thousands $$ OBC you'd never find me near the place . 😂 😂

Not being a conspiracy theorist I'll stick with @Bell Boy 's simply put line of 'it's WHO you know...' *******

Ahoy there @57eric . I would guess a mid-voyage upgrade would be dependant on the length of the voyage and would be unusual on a 7 night trans Atlantic. My OP did state 'the following day' though I had the notification on the evening of sailing (telephone message) from New York. Alas, as always, I was out and about socialising at the sail-away and then in the various other entertainment venues once we had slipped from Brooklyn. The following day I joined an interesting table in Britannia Club with one of the guest speakers, the British Athlete Derek Redmond. Needless to say we got on like a house on fire.... As @Bell Boy says at # 13, it's 'who you know' and my wife and I have been fortunate on multiple occasions to experience Cunard upgrades from Club to Princess and on one occasion, Princess to Queens Grill. The most amazing upgrade though was not with Cunard but onboard a Viking ship when we were upgraded to their top grade 'Explorer' Suite.... That was thanks to us being the 'Top Viking Sailors' on that particular sailing.

I too have borne witness to that statement and from an unimpeachable source. Tin hats at the ready Major. 😉😉

😄 I believe they are standard. Due to my fast upgrade I didn't have the opportunity to take a decent photograph of the Atrium view - this was my earlier effort...