bluemarble

I don't think anyone has officially identified this one yet although I suspect many of you do recognize this port. I'll go ahead and formally identify this one now as Manhattan, New York. One online source I found (Liverpool Ships) describes this painting as follows. "The QUEEN ELIZABETH approaching her berth at Pier 90 in the North River at New York in the late 1940s. (from an original painting by Robert Lloyd)"

You will receive new keycards from guest services for your follow-on 14 day cruise. The new keycards may be delivered to your cabin the afternoon or evening of the final full day of your first cruise. Or you may need to pick them up from guest services the morning of your arrival in Melbourne. I've experienced both procedures on QM2 in the past. Most recently last month, new keycards were delivered to our cabin during the last full day of the first voyage. On the morning of the changeover day, you will need to scan off the ship using your keycards for the first cruise. You will scan back onto the ship using the new keycards for the next cruise. Whether you will be required to actually leave the ship will probably depend on whether the authorities in Melbourne require the ship to be "zeroed out". If not, you might be able to simply scan off the ship and then immediately scan back onto the ship at the gangway if you don't want to disembark during your day in Melbourne.

The 2023 dress code and theme schedules are now complete! I have learned the schedule for one of the voyages in December which had been missing from the QE document until now. Thank you so much to everyone who helped contribute to this project by letting me know the schedules you were seeing in My Cunard. My only resource for these documents is the information provided by guests booked on each voyage who let me know the schedules they see posted. I appreciate the help of everyone who took the time to respond to my requests for this information. For easy reference, here are the links to the 2023 Dress Code and Theme Schedule documents once again. QM2: QM2 2023 Dress Code and Theme Schedule QE: QE 2023 Dress Code and Theme Schedule QV: QV 2023 Dress Code and Theme Schedule Here are stats on the number of gala evenings per week for each ship derived from these completed 2023 schedules. QM2: 1.80 Gala Evenings per week (down from 1.87 last year) QE: 1.72 Gala Evenings per week (up from 1.68 last year) QV: 1.71 Gala Evenings per week (down from 1.75 last year)

I first learned the dress code and theme schedules for 2022 were being posted in My Cunard sometime in late September 2021. I first heard most of the schedules for 2023 were being posted in My Cunard on November 24, 2022. If they follow that schedule again this year, perhaps we'll start seeing dress code and theme schedules for 2024 voyages in a bit under two months.

That's the correct cruise line.

From the "Southampton Transfer Booking Form" for booking transfers on board the most recent QM2 crossing to Southampton which arrived September 18th, 2023, the motorcoach transfers to Heathrow Airport were $90 per person. That same $90 price is what's shown for motorcoach transfers to Heathrow as add-ons to future crossings to Southampton during the booking process on the Cunard US website. For Heathrow, there were four separate transfers listed on the booking form (for Terminal 2, Terminal 3, Terminal 4 and Terminal 5). There was also the note "All Heathrow motorcoach transfers - For flights 2.00pm or later only." If you happen to be interested in Cunard's private transfers, here were the prices for those options to Heathrow listed on the booking form. Luxury Large Sedan - Mercedes E class or similar: $349 per vehicle Ultra Luxury Sedan (Limousine) - Mercedes S class or similar: $399 per vehicle Minivan up to 4 guests - Chrysler Voyager or Mercedes Viano or similar: $419 per vehicle Large van up to 6 guests - Long wheel base Viano or similar: $459 per vehicle

Correct. I figured that would be the easier of the two ships to identify.

It's still listed as Q1-Q4 having tender priority on the "Grill Suites: what’s included" page of the main Cunard website. "Priority tender services in Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4 suites on all ships." The new brochure is out for April 2024 – January 2026. The online version of that brochure also still lists Q1-Q4 as having tender priority. "Priority tender services All ships Q1-Q4 suites"

Yes indeed, that's La Coruña/A Coruña, Spain. Would anyone like to identify the two ships?

Let's try this one. It's a capture of a Cunard ship departing a port we've seen before as seen from another ship's onboard webcam. I've blurred out the banner naming that other ship and the date/time of the image.

Here's a view of today's sunrise as seen from QM2 sailing the North Atlantic with two days to go until we reach New York. Generally cloudy conditions plus a lack of ambition on my part to get up early enough have prevented me from posting a sunrise photo previously during this voyage. I'll rectify that situation now.

Thanks for the recommendation. We took your suggestion and visited the Solent Sky Museum during our day in Southampton today. Some very interesting aviation exhibits indeed. I also enjoyed seeing the Calshot Spit Light Vessel on display there. Here is a photo I took of that vessel.

Our day in Hamburg went well. Because of our late arrival (about 3:00pm), I didn't plan anything specific. I took the Cunard shuttle to the Rathaus to explore on my own. I decided to walk to the Elbphilharmonie which I had only seen from a distance before. I managed to get this photo. I suspect our day in Southampton tomorrow will be similar. We'll probably take the Cunard shuttle to Westquay and visit the nearby parks.

Another unusual (unscheduled) opportunity this morning for QM2 to pass Cuxhaven during daylight. Here's a photo I managed to take of that occasion.

During the one QM2 Christmas cruise we have been on (2013), they took down the main Christmas tree in the Grand Lobby on December 31st to make room for New Year's Eve festivities there that evening. The remaining Christmas decorations were taken down by the end of the voyage on January 3rd.

I appreciate the detail of your analysis. Yes this was indeed a designated optional Gala Evening. Per the daily programme: "(Smart Attire is acceptable for guests who are finally disembarking tomorrow if preferred)". I think your stats are spot on with my very general observations in the Britannia restaurant on Gala Evenings during our past several voyages. Just one or two in the "way short" category, such as a gentleman seen in Britannia in a hooded sweatshirt this past May. We only saw him walking toward the restaurant entrance, so I suppose there's always the possibility he was just passing through from G32. One can hope anyway.

Right. I first noticed that only a few days ago. I have my suspicions that change is a proactive step on Cunard's part to avoid another conflict with MSC Meraviglia in Brooklyn on Sunday, May 4, 2025. So far I can only place MSC Meraviglia in Brooklyn up to Sunday, April 27, 2025. But if MSC extends her schedule of mostly Sunday calls at Brooklyn during 2024-2025 into May 2025, that would have caused a conflict with QM2 there on Sunday, May 4, 2025. At any rate, we now know QM2 will not be doing an overnight in New York on May 4-5, 2025. Instead she will be doing an 8-night crossing including a call at Le Havre.

Last year they started decorating QM2 for Christmas on November 27th about half way through the Caribbean cruise that departed New York on November 20th. If they keep to that pattern this year, you may just miss the decorations. The Caribbean cruise departing immediately after your crossing is my best guess for when they'll start decorating QM2 for Christmas this year.

I'm not sure when it started but yes, it has been the pattern during this voyage to have two veggie main courses each evening. One has been marked with a symbol indicating "plant-based" and the other with the symbol for "vegetarian". Someone who understands such details will need to explain that distinction for me.

I thought it tasted OK. My main reaction was I found it spongier than French Toast I'm used to. I suppose the larger Texas Toast size of the bread had a lot to do with why I thought it was different as well.

For the record, this is what the French Toast looks like in Kings Court on QM2. I tried it for the first time this morning (with syrup added after taking the photo) and found it a different interpretation compared to what I'm used to for French Toast as an American.

And here I am on the same cruise thinking how remarkable it was in the Verandah restaurant a couple evenings ago on a Smart Attire evening. Almost all the gentlemen were wearing jackets even though that's no longer required by the Smart Attire dress code. I was pleasantly surprised. I can't comment on the grills and I can't say I've paid attention in the Royal Court Theatre.

Cunard has offered reduced deposits for US bookings in the past. Sometimes it has been a 50% reduced deposit (12.5% instead of 25%). Other times it has been a very low fixed deposit amount such as $100. Often those have been during their limited-time promotions such as their Memorial Day and Labor Day sales. I'm not sure when their last reduced deposit promotion was in the US. Lately their promotions seem to have mostly included extra OBC rather than a reduced deposit. About the best I can suggest is to keep checking new promotions as they are announced. Do be sure to check the terms and conditions if you see a reduced deposit promotion. Sometimes those reduced deposits are non-refundable, especially for promotions offering a low fixed deposit amount.

Playlist from today's matinee performance "An Afternoon of Strings" with the Strings of the National Symphony Orchestra and the Harmony String Trio under the direction of Anthony Inglis on board Queen Mary 2. 1. "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" - Mozart 2. "Serenade for Strings" - Dvorak 3. "Adagio for Strings" - Barber (a tribute to September 11th, the departure date from New York for this NSO crossing)

I recognize this one as Valletta, Malta. That brings back memories of the very first port photo I contributed way back in post #24 on the first page of this amazing thread. Thanks for your contributions.