*Miss G*

In a word, yes. Here is a pic of the fridge showing a split of sparkling wine. You could easily remove the top shelf and fit in a 750 ml bottle if more height is required.

12 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

Nope.

Magic e makes the proceeding vowel sound 'o' say its name, as in toe

 

. and jam goes on first!!! 😄

But the double-consonant rule would make the a in “jam” a long vowel!  Do you put jame or jamm on first? 🙃

(Also, the cream goes on first.)

4 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

Nope.

Magic e makes the proceeding vowel sound 'o' say its name, as in toe

 

. and jam goes on first!!! 😄

But the double-consonant rule would make the a in “jam” a long vowel!  Do you put jame or jamm on first? 🙃

37 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

Don't you just love language.

 

You say pot holders. we say oven gloves

You say cookie, we say biscuit

You say biscuit we say scone

 

and don't get me started on rubbers!!!! 😀

I thought I’d better respond to this, here, lest we shut down that poor man’s thread.  😂

We say oven mitts!

And, speaking of mitts, we say “tuque” for winter hat!

Dare I ask everyone’s pronunciation of “scone”? We always say sconn, where the vowel is short.

1 hour ago, artvlay said:

Can women wear pants in Dining room for dinner?

As soon as I saw the question, I knew this was going to be a fun thread.

@artvlay, here are the dress codes for both the Smart Attire and Gala Evenings. Trousers are acceptable at all times. Pants are a personal choice. 🫢

1 hour ago, Yukon1955 said:

On the June 23 cruise to NYC, we saw the ship slow in mid ocean unexplainedly three times

There are mandatory (zoned) and voluntary (when spotted) speed limitations to protect right whales. Are you sure it was a power failure?

20 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

Hmm. In my book, 'quite good actually' means surprisingly, very good!

British understatement and all that.

Yes, that’s what it means to me, too.

Lamb is very dear in the US and Canada. Usually, it’s from New Zealand. I was shocked at how inexpensive it was in England! So, of course, I had to buy some. It was a real treat!

In Canada, and in some areas of the US, carbonated beverages are called “pop”.  It gets confusing for me when “lemonade” is used in place of “pop” for clear fizzy drinks in the UK. In NA, lemonade is actually lemonade! 😂

Welcome home, @Kordy!

Bon Voyage, @Tattycoram!

2 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

 

It may be an enrolment centre, but I don't think that you can do your Canadian interview there. 

 

It was not an option for me when I had to do the Canadian interview. 

Would love to hear from someone who is applying, or requires a second interview, whether they can see that option. When I was there, in 2022, the room was full of Canadians waiting for their interview. I spoke with both the American and the Canadian officers who were doing them.

I am so excited for your cruise, @Tattycoram!!  Have a wonderful time. I can’t wait to hear all about it!!

6 hours ago, snaefell said:

Having done 2 Eastbound TA's on P&O & RCI we are looking at a way to go to New York & back without flying so at least one way on QM2 is looking likely so reading your report was invaluable & very enjoyable,we were due to sail on a cruise on QM2 some years ago but had to cancel at the last moment due to my Mother being Ill & have been looking for a chance to get on her ever since!

Not sure if we could put up with the enclosed balcony,we are so used to glass ones,it seems very enclosed but if the weather isn't good I guess it is a good idea!

happy travelling,thanks for a great report!👍👍

You are so welcome and I am happy that it was helpful!

The ice thing is funny.  In NA, you get more ice but in the UK you get less.  I sometimes forget that until my drink comes.  🫤

The use of different words for the same thing is funny too.  (Re: @TouchstoneFeste’s comment on draught vs fountain.)  We were out for brunch with a group of friends a few weeks ago. (In England.) One of the ladies asked what was on draught, so I immediately thought “Oh good! I can ask for a Prosecco and won’t be the only one with an alcoholic beverage!” The waiter brought her a coke and I was happy with my Prosecco. 😂

I found the same when I moved from Canada to the US. Canada has their own words for things but they also use a lot of the same words as the UK. Plus it’s what I grew up with, coming from England and having a large British population there. And then there are the regional words which have different meanings, on both sides of the border, so you can imagine the mental gymnastics I had to use when searching for the correct word in the US.

Example 1: After moving to Florida, I asked the server where the washroom was. She looked at me like I was nuts until my husband said to her “Ladies Room” and explained that a washroom was where you did your laundry. (He’s from the south.)

Example 2: When trading in my Canadian car at a Florida dealership, the salesman asked what model it was. I replied “ZX2”. (Zed, ex, two) He looked confused and asked me to repeat it. Same answer: “ZX2.” Still confused, he asked me to spell it. I looked at him like he was nuts and said, slowly, “Z…. X…. 2.” He looked at me like *I* was nuts until my husband said “ZEE, X2”. 😂

Final Example: Now we’re in Washington, DC. The outdoor tap was leaking so I went to the store for a washer. The salesman asked if he could help. Yes, please. I am looking for a washer for the outdoor tap. He looked confused, so I replaced the word “washer” with “o-ring”. He still looked confused and said “Tap?” I thought “Oh oh. I have obviously used the wrong word.” So then I said “faucet.” Now he’s really confused, so I madly search for another word and come up with “You know… the thing on the outside wall of the house that water comes out of!”  ”OH!  You mean the SPIGOT!!” 🤣

Aye yai yai.

Have never had an Air Transat flight cancelled, nor have any of my friends or family. That doesn’t mean to say that it can’t happen; just that it hasn’t happened in my experience.

As @Globaliser says, make sure to allow for contingencies.

12 minutes ago, gnome12 said:

But if you don’t have Nexus already you can’t cross that bridge, because you have to show a Nexus card at the Canadian side to open the automatic gate. So you might as well do it at the Peace Bridge. 

It is a couple of km from the Rainbow Bridge. The fact remains that it is an enrollment center.

2 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

Sorry - I don't know what "Whirlpool" is?  I am guessing that is a bridge?  If so, never used it.

 

This still shows as current for Fort Erie Nexus interviews when I search online.  This was the Peace Bridge.  

 

When I booked my Canadian interview, this was the only location that was offered at Fort Erie, and it was clear that you make your appointment in advance with the Canadian side, and then you drive over the bridge and present at the US side without an appointment.

Wow!! That is so much more different now! But what a pain if the traffic is heavy.

1 hour ago, gnome12 said:

Whirlpool is a Nexus only bridge in Niagara Falls. It has customs agents for US and Canada at their respective ends of the bridge, but as far as I know it is NOT a Nexus enrollment centre.

Whirlpool IS an Enrollment Center. I have been there. It is on the US side of the Whirlpool Bridge.

On 7/3/2024 at 10:59 AM, lots-of-km2 said:

 

One major disbenefit is the email bombardment that AARP starts once you join. Several junk emails a day, no exaggerating -- not only from AARP but from a lot of third parties.  Opting out of the emails and unsubscribing doesn't seem to stop it completely.

That’s why I have a junk mail email address. I never use my personal email to sign up for anything deemed unimportant. AARP is one of them. 

4 hours ago, buchanan101 said:

sure what happens if people miss the departure and are ashore with no passport

As @TheOldBear says, they retrieve your passport(s) from your safe and hand them to the port agent.  A full account is detailed in the attached post by a former HAL Security Officer. You’ll find it about halfway through the post. It’s an interesting read.

16 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

 

This was less than a year ago.  I drove to the CBSA site on the Canadian side, then had to drive across the border to the US side for the US interview.

Interesting. I’m assuming you went to Whirlpool. I’d be interested to hear whether this was a one-off or it becomes the norm. Whirlpool also has both US and Canadian officers so it’s strange it was broken up. Thanks for responding.

26 minutes ago, Clewgarnet said:

I don't think, "anniversary of smashing my spine to smithereens" will be on their radar for me to get any special treatment, but how lovely!

 

Oh no! I am so sorry to hear that! Absolutely, you should treat yourself after, what I’m sure, must have been a horrible experience. And happy upcoming birthday! (I hope they notice.)

Whoa. Paragraphs are your friend. Good luck to those who try to slug through that.^^

2 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

We did ours at Fort Erie, and after the Canadian interview (booked) drove across the border to do the US portion. (Not booked, just walk in). Then drove back home.

The Buffalo-Fort Erie Enrollment Centre has both the US CBP and CBSA officers onsite. (Hence, Buffalo-Fort Erie). Are you saying they no longer do? When did you have your interview? I am thinking, perhaps, that it happened during the aftermath of covid and the dispute between Canada and the US where Canada was not allowing US CBP officers to be armed on Canadian soil.

2 hours ago, Bell Boy said:

This is because QA does not have Solo Cabins.

That surprised me! It is Pinnacle-class so I just assumed that it would have the same solo cabins as the ships on HAL. Reading all the differences on this ship has me curious to sail her.

Customer service is a thankless job and is not suited for everyone. It is especially difficult if their hands are tied when addressing ancillary services issues. Angry customers will eat at your soul and will further deteriorate your psyche. The price to be paid has repercussions. Be nice. You are making or breaking their day. 
 

A customer needs to feel that they are being heard. Obviously, that did not happen here. Someone who is dedicated to “service” will find a way to cut through the obstacles. That also did not happen, although it seems that they tried. It is so easy to say “We didn’t receive the email”, as a way to absolve the guilty party of the responsibility, than to address and resolve the problem. 
 

A 40 minute wait for a meal is far too long. A way to prevent this from recurring is to ask when the best times are to arrive and adjusting your expectations. Alternatively, a request can be made for a standing 

reservation at an agreeable time. 
 

The fact that someone mentioned a compensatory amount of $1,000 was not helpful, as this would raise the expectations of the complainant. Perhaps that party was having a laugh or perhaps there were differing circumstances. We will never know. The comped meal at a specialty restaurant was a good one, and would have solved the MDR situation for one evening, at least. 
 

In the end, the OP’s expectations did not align with the reality. It should never have happened, but it did. 
 

I am sorry to hear that things did not go well. If my husband was raging during a family vacation, I would be crying too. OP, I hope you find a line which meets your expectations.

I paid 175% booking through Cunard US.