TheOldBear

QM2 is Cunard’s raison d’etre, carnival only bought it to build QM2 to profit from the transatlantic niche market, and seem to be doing quite well from it. QM2 also serves as a ’halo’ product to draw in attention, her secondary purpose. Where QV, QE and the new ship come in is making it ‘worth it’ to maintain the brand, economy of scale for shoreside operations so to speak. They can bring the Cunard shipboard atmosphere to more people at once in more locations, but the real Cunard experience is on the Atlantic.

 

Arcadia going to P&O was actually because they decided they needed to maintain the QG, PG, Britannia set up/ ratios from QM2 on QV. Arcadia as a smaller ship could only accommodate a much smaller QG and PG (indeed I understand it was to be only QG and Britannia at one stage in the ship’s development) and had no grand lobby and a cramped queens room. You can see this from the ship’s current deck plans.

 

The degree to which they altered the vista design for QV and QE makes me think they might have a similar degree of free rein here, to raise the lifeboats if the promenade is deemed an essential Cunard distinguishing feature (and they do promote it a great deal). Remember we’ve only seen a single artists’ rendition so far and it was likely based heavily on Koningsdam as the Cunarder’s design has yet to be finalised.

I think it is safe to assume that a promenade would be considered a popular feature - on the recent westbound crossing quite a few hardy souls were out on the deck despite force 10 or 11 winds.

The wind was mostly off the bow, and the doors from the interior of deck 7 to the promenade were roped off. [did not stop folks who had enough outside from coming in with a blast of air]. The terrace doors ere open, so you could come up from deck 6 [where there were a few folks in the 'minnows' pool] or down from deck 8 to reach the promenade.

I've seen some really nice designer (Polo, Gucci) track suits for us guys.

 

Could a track suit pass on formal night?

Hopefully not on Cunard :p

What is long life milk? We sail on our first Cunard cruise this Friday but have sailed on many cruises and have always seen fresh milk, and not just on 7 nt cruises. There are usually containers at breakfast buffet as well as small pitchers at the tables. I usually ask milk not cream for my tea. Dh drinks his coffee black but wants milk in his cereal.

It's also known as UHT - Ultra High Temperature pasteurized milk. An unopened UHT container is shelf stable for months - but it does taste different.

We just ordered cream [half & half] with a room service breakfast, and kept the leftover cream in the refrigerator for later use.

Strange that they would do it from the bridge. Wouldn't it be easier from a lower deck?

The bridge wings are wider than the ship - likely nothing else does, and they don't want the sample dragged along or bouncing off the hull.

I din't bother to use the last day of my Spa pass, as the pool was closed in the afternoon. A couple of hardy souls were using in 'minnows' pool on deck 6 around mid day.

I am just wondering why it would need to close at all? The local gyms around my home are all 24 hours. If there are no cabins below the workout center, then why close it?

Perhaps no passenger cabins - but likely crew quarters.

I travel in two weeks from SJU PR arriving to same port. I dont have passport. Cant get an original birth certificate because take to long. I only have photo copy and drivers licence. Has anyone traveled with copy? Is it ok? :loudcry:

I think the consensus answer will be no.

The certificate needs to be an original issued by the appropriate local government agency.

I'm a first time cruiser and would like to know about Meals in the complimentary dining venues, i.e.:

• Two main dining rooms on every ship except Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Escape and Norwegian Getaway which have three
  
• Buffet
  
• 24-hour Dining venue (on select ships)
  
• Room service menu items (convenience charge may apply)
  
• Outdoor Buffet (on select ships)
  
• Pool Bar and Grill (on select ships)
  
• Coffee Bar (regular coffee and pastries included, specialty coffees at nominal extra charge.
  

Is there still an associated fee with dining in these venues and the two main dining rooms? or are they free of charge?

 

Thank you for your answers.

I'm not sure I understand your question, but in general if its not explicitly listed [room service "convenience charge" or a specialty restaurant] it is included in your fare [not 'free' ;-) ].

If you need to sign for it [e.g. drinks, specialty coffees, spa services....] then it is not included.

On my first cruise, I recall someone who was shocked by accumulating thousands in bar charges - he bought multiple rounds and did not realize that when the bartender used his card and asked him to sign he was spending real money.

We show a 3PM time on the e-ticket. [deck 5]

Our current plans are to arrive at the terminal between 1 and 1:30, prepared to wait if necessary [book or kindle in the carry on]. The terminal is plain industrial space - but it is not too bad as waiting rooms go.

Sooo, in theory. LARGE mega cruiseships have to 'giveway' to all those 'idiots'(NO offense intended to any CC sailboat readers) you see darting across AND in front of cruiseships sailing down a narrow strait too the open sea??:eek:Absolutely Scary!!

 

Mac

Nope - vessels 'constrained by draught' have right of way over shallow draft vessels [displays three vertical red lights, or a black cylinder 'day shape]

See https://news.usni.org/2017/08/21/photos-show-collision-damage-uss-john-mccain-ship-arrives-singapore-10-sailors-still-missing

Just the LI E (Long Island Expressway), always a joy ;)

Fortunately, these days apps like Waze will provide alternatives to the world's longest parking lot.;)

We show a 3PM check int time - and have a 70 mile or 90 minute drive. This is from Long Island [or Lawn Guyland for the phonetically challenged ;-) ] so there are no bridges or tunnels to get stuck at.

We plan on arriving between 12 and 1, prepared to wait in the terminal [books and change for the vending machines].

It's my first time on any ship, and I'm taking the QM2 for a transatlantic crossing in September.

Which sailing? We will be doing a TA Roundtrip - cruise M733B (roll call link) from 7 - 22 September. There are also 'roll call' threads for each way from Nw York, and the Southampton round trip.

How does seating work in the restaurants and bars? Such as the Carinthia Lounge, Commodore Club, etc. Does one just sit down at an available place or are there hosts who seat you?

The only fixed seating is for dinner (same table every night, with the same folks - unless you or someone else someone wants to try an alternative (Veranda, Kings Court, room service) for the evening.

We usually choose a table for six, and give things a couple of dinners to 'gel' before considering asking for a change - so far we have not needed to ask.

Sounds silly, but I have social anxiety, and these sorts of things make me nervous.

 

Thanks!

Here's a thing. Say you do a t/a b2b, can you stay on board whilst docked in NY, and if so do you still need a visa. Also my DW is a Malaysian national and wondering if she can travel on UK visa, or would she need a visa for USA, even if staying on board?

The ship needs to be cleared [down to zero passengers] before any passengers for the next segment can board. I recall reading that there can be accommodation in the terminal - but that is a bare functional space - not a comfortable lounge.

For the visa issue, check with the US State department - online or at a consulate or the Embassy.

We has 8003 for our last cruise. Very convenient to the Library, 'A' staircase & elevators, Scenic elevators, spa and the Commodore Club

There was no heavy weather on our sailing, so I cannot comment about the ride.

Oh yes - there was a quickly resolved plumbing issue with a non-sucking toilet one night. This was back in 2010.

1) If it's anything like the last cruise I took (albeit out of Port Canaveral and 20 years ago), you'd have to put in more effort NOT to have help with your bags than to have help with your bags.

2) Unless you're standing against the wind, it probably won't be too cold to stand outside with your winter weather gear on

3) I hate myself for being this pedantic, but...you won't be departing along the Hudson. It will be the East River to New York Harbor to Long Island Sound and then on to the Atlantic.

I will be pedantic :)

None of the ships (QM2, QV, QE) will fit under the East River bridges. From pier side at Red Hook, you have a nice view of lower New York Harbor, including southern Manhattan, Governor's Island & the Statue of Liberty.

And of course, NY Harbor is part of the Hudson River.

See the NOAA chart at this link

The ship sails fairly close to Liberty on its way under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, then continues toward the Ambrose buoy. Along the way, the pilot boat comes alongside, and the pilot heads back to shore. Once Coney Island is out of sight, then just open ocean until the next stop [southampton in our case]

We purchased with the "Three for All" promotion, including pre-paid gratuities.

Just checked my emails - the confirmation from the [un-named big box store travel agency :p ] included the prepaid gratuities.

The email from Cunard did not - and neither did the printed voyage brochure. [That arrived today, with a sheet of 4 pre-printed luggage tags]

I didn't try to print my e-tickets on the voyage personalizer - it might show there [or the promotion may be named]

We are starting our round trip with the 7 September crossing - and have selected a table for six, late seating.

It's my understanding that in difficult navigation conditions for cruise ships, if the Captain is not on the Bridge, the Staff Captain is. Is this the same requirement for the Second in Command in the USN?

That role is the Officer of the Deck [OOD] when underway, or the Command Duty Officer [CDO] when pier side.

On my last ship [decades ago] I was qualified for OOD only for 'independent steaming'. For that status, the OOD also is the conning officer [the person giving direct orders to the helmsman] so they have both 'the deck' and 'the conn'.

For 'sea and anchor' detail typically the XO served as OOD, and I was either the 'conning officer' or was down in Main Control depending of who needed to be trained in what.

Well, if our flight to LGA that morning arrives on time at 9, AND our bags actually make it onto the flight, AND there isn't a massive line for taxis at LGA, AND there's no traffic on the BQE, we'd like to go into Manhattan and go to Ellis Island.

 

I realize there's a greater chance of dodo bird and passenger pigeon being on the menu for dinner that night, but was wondering if it was a complete nonstarter due to us needing to stay at the terminal after checking in.

Not due to need to stay in the terminal, but the logistics of getting to the museum from Red Hook.

The Park Service vendor for access to Ellis Island is Statue Cruises - they have advance ticket sales & schedule information on their web site.

You need to plan on four legs: Red Hook to Battery Park, Ferry to Liberty & Ellis Island, Ferry from Ellis Island to Battery Park, Battery Park to Red Hook.

Starting with an 11 AM bag drop, you might be able to get back to the ship by 4 - but only if you are not planning on a worthwhile visit on Ellis Island. [Add the delay to check / retrieve your carry on bags before visiting the museum, and the preferred 30 minutes in Battery park before the ferry departure ]

My wife and I are booked on the QM2 transatlantic cruise leaving NYC 9/7 and I'm wondering if it's possible to check our bags at the terminal, leave the terminal for a few hours, and then board closer to the final boarding time?

 

Thanks in advance.

Yes you can drop off your checked bags, even do your check in paperwork, and then leave the terminal area [with your carry on bags] - but there is not too much convenient to the terminal.

What were you thinking of doing in the area?

Will you be driving, walking or attempting public transport?

There is a deadline for all passengers to be on board - and if you miss the deadline, you get to watch the ship sail away. :-/

We don't have recent experience with the Red Hook terminal - but we usually plan on arriving noonish, and each have a book or kindle in our carry ons. The waiting area is not uncomfortable, and the wait is usually shorted than expected.

I have some nice fireworks photos, taken hand held on a "Hornblower Cruises' Fourth of July dinner cruise,

I was using a Panasonic FZ-50 fixed lens camera, with very effective optical image stabilization. Looking at the EXIF information, some of the nice shots were over once second - but fixed objects [lighted windows on background buildings] were still sharp [not blurred by camera shake]

Actually, cruise ships traverse the kinds of channels described all the time. Most ports and routing choke points have "traffic separation schemes" (the "shipping channel" in the article, but they have quite a lot of "exceptions" to the strict rules: fishing boats, ferries, pleasure craft), but the approaches are wide open to however the Captain of the vessel wants to approach the scheme. These are at all major ports, the approaches to the canals, Dover straits, Gibraltar, Strait of Malacca, Danish straits, etc, etc. Each and every one of these has a vast amount of traffic around, entering, leaving, anchoring, drifting, fishing, whatever.

 

And the author is looking at it from a Navy perspective, where there is a team of several people (10-12 depending on the ship type) assigned to a bridge watch, while a cargo vessel will have 2-3 total, and typically no one awake in the engine room. Engine rooms have been automated for decades, so that it is manned only between 0800-1700.

 

Even a cruise ship's bridge at night is only manned by two watch officers, and two ratings.

It's been about 40 years since I last stood a watch as OOD, but Perry class frigates did not have that many folks on the bridge watch - even for "Sea and Anchor" detail.

For 'independent steaming', I recall on the bridge

• The OOD [me]
  
• Helmsman
  
• 2 lookouts [mostly on the bridge wings, sometimes one would be stationed on top of or aft of the helo hanger
  
• A "messenger of the watch" - shared with CIC
  

CIC would have 3-4 folks on duty, and Main Control was manned [2 watch standers + 2 'sounding and security' on patrol below decks] but I found MC watches a valuable time for paperwork - little to do unless something broke.

The Captain frequently slept in his chair [The only chair. Perry class FFG's originally had a second chair for the helmsman, but this was removed to honor tradition on most ships]

For our roundtrip, both legs have a 'black and white' ball, an un-themed formal night plus masquerade [eastbound leg] and roaring 20's [westbound leg]