welshred

Roughly one hour.

We are arriving now at Pier 21 in Halifax at 11am.
 

We are UK passport holders and we have just left Muscat in Oman an hour ago.

No visa was required.

Don’t hold your breath on that happening.

We found it strange how there was NO book club on our return 25 day transatlantic on QV but the librarian did kindly let us borrow paperback books for the two advertised books that we showed him online.

We were on QV during Nov/Dec and queried the book club with the Librarian.

Despite showing him a screen shot of all the scheduled books, he reliably informed us the book club ceased after the last World Voyage.

We weren’t too bothered because in recent years the book club meetings had become self-hosting anyway.

A couple of years ago, our ship berthed in Messina and it was only a short walk to the centre. We booked on the 24 hour red Ho Ho Bus.

We went back onboard for lunch and I went back outside in the afternoon to go back on the Ho Ho Bus and was informed it finished at lunchtime.

Yes, why?

We seem to be given Diamond pins every time we sail.

One cruise is one voyage. Southampton-New York-Southampton is one voyage unless it is booked as two voyages.

I guess it will very much depend upon whether you have booked this as one or three voyages.

We returned from QM2 yesterday and a few days earlier it was announced in our Daily Programme that a Royal Standard and the Laconia Cup were being returned to QE2.

What is interesting is the fact that there were actually two Royal Standards displayed on the wall in the Queens Room; one small and one large.

The Daily Programme referred to the larger one on the starboard side but it was the smaller one on the port side that was eventually removed.

I guess it must have been a typographical error in the Daily Programme.

He welshred, 7 hours from Llandudno to Southampton, do they make you walk from Birmingham ???????

 

David

In fact, it is seven and a half hours when you catch the coach from Bangor.

Yesterday, we disembarked QM2 in Dubai and flew back to Manchester in that time.

The only problem with Intercruises is that their phone number is an 0843 one so it can be expensive.

That iisn’t the only problem..

Intercruises use Ellison’s who never have wi-fi but Eavesway do have wi-fi.

On a seven hour journey from North Wales, wi-fi can help.

Yesterday, we booked a sector on QM2 including a call at Cochin in India.

I am surprised to be advised by Cunard that they do not recommend an Indian e-visa despite this latest news.

http://www.seatrade-cruise.com/news/news-headlines/india-waives-biometric-capture-for-arriving-cruise-tourists.html

Very odd.

Am I correct in assuming the new ship will have no obstructing balcony staterooms?

Yes, I too have have certainly noticed there are currently no deals available for the remainder of 2017.

Eavesway have internet on their coach but Ellisons do not.

This makes a huge difference when faced with a seven hour journey.

Ellisons are used from North Wales and the North West.

If you book a Cunard Fare and choose a coach transfer as your complimentary benefit then you will have no choice but to use Cruise Connect and they do not commission Eavesway.

For the record, Cruise Connect is Intercruises.

The Senior Officers' Party is simple to organise on QM2 because the Queen's Room is private and at the aft but not so on QE and QV.

At the start, staff will collect admission tickets for a certain length of time at both entrances but then abandon their positions with obvious consequences.

We sail frequently with Cunard and these days we are just as happy (if not happier) to dine early in Kings Court.

We certainly would not let any cock-ups by Cunard spoil our voyage,

incidentally the last time we did this round trip in Nov 12, the ship DID dock in Manhattan because of storm damage to Redhook. We went on an organised coach tour that day which we didn't enjoy too much hence why we have organised our own itinerary this time. .

By coincidence, we were on that voyage and were also disappointed with the ship's tour when we spent far too long in Chelsea.

Ever since then we have always made our way into Manhatten from Brooklyn by bus and subway.

We are surprised how cheap and easy it always is.

Chef's Galley?

I don't like the fact that non-dining passengers still walk straight through the Verandah from Deck 8.

An excellent suggestion but it begins to become rather monotonous after a dozen return trips.

Will Netflix allow me to download films to watch later?

Sadly, I don't have a Netflix account and Sky Cinema won't allow me to download films to watch offline.

Of course, if the coach had wi-fi then I could watch Sky Go on my iPad.