bluemarble

I'm going to guess this one is Honningsvåg, Norway. It was a tender port for QV (in her pre-2017 configuration) in your post #289. And this photo is a reasonable match to one of the Honningsvåg cruise piers as seen on google street view.

Traditionally the summer/autumn itineraries two years hence have been announced during early to mid September. Covid caused significant disruptions to those announcement dates the past few years. The announcements of the 2022 through 2024 summer/autumn itineraries were delayed anywhere from early November to mid January. One hopeful sign that Cunard might be getting back to a more typical announcement schedule is that they announced the 2025 World/Exotic itineraries in early March this year. That's back to when those itineraries were typically announced pre-Covid. So perhaps we can expect the rest of the 2025 itineraries to be announced sometime next month. For 2026, we can probably anticipate the winter/spring itineraries to be announced in March 2024 and the summer/autumn itineraries to be announced in September 2024.

@WoorimBeachLady, did you find this on the Cunard UK website (at https://www.cunard.com/en-gb/stateroom-upgrade which is accessible from Australia/New Zealand)? Or have you managed to find it somewhere on the Cunard website for Australia/New Zealand (at www.cunard.com/en-au/...)? I haven't been able to find it anywhere on the '/en-au/' site although I suppose I just might not be looking in the right place.

I don't know if the Cunard Upgrade program applies to Australia yet. I don't see any mention of it on the Cunard Australia website. The pages for the Cunard Upgrade program are found on the Cunard US and UK websites at "www.cunard.com/en-us/stateroom-upgrade" and "www.cunard.com/en-gb/stateroom-upgrade" respectively. I don't see a corresponding "/en-au/" page. I suppose it could be in a different location on the Cunard Australia site although a search for "Upgrade" on the Cunard Australia site does not produce any relevant hits. The terms and conditions for the Cunard Upgrade program found on the Cunard US and UK websites state the following. "The period in which you can submit an upgrade offer is called the “offer period”. The offer period starts eighty (80) days before the advertised departure for your voyage."

I can't offer any advise as to whether Cunard will be increasing the prices of their drinks packages. I can tell you when Cunard first introduced their drinks packages in August 2018, the Beers, Wines & Spirits package was priced at $69 per person per day. Since then they have only increased the price to $70 if you purchase in advance. I believe that $1 price increase corresponded with the resumption of service a couple years ago. The current price for the Beers, Wines & Spirits package increases to $75 per person per day if you purchase the package on board instead of purchasing it in advance. If you do wait to purchase on board, you have the option to skip the first (partial) day and purchase on the second day instead. And you can use OBC if you wait to purchase on board which can be useful if you happen to have a large amount of OBC to spend.

From the OP's posting history, they embarked 3 August. That would be the 3-night cruise Kiel to Southampton, V320C, 3 August-6 August 2023.

I don't think you actually have 72 hours to decide if you want to accept the upgrade according to the terms and conditions that apply in the US for upgrade offers submitted on or after July 13, 2023. They do state "All payments must be made within 72 hours (3 days) of us notifying you that your upgrade offer is accepted...". But these additional paragraphs in the terms and conditions for the US Cunard Upgrade program indicate payment for the upgrade is automatic if your offer is accepted. "8.1. If your upgrade offer is accepted we will immediately and automatically collect payment from you using the credit or debit card details you provided when making your upgrade offer." "9.3. If we attempt to collect payment from you using any credit or debit card details that you provide to us and these payments are declined, we may (but are not required to) contact you to arrange an alternative method of payment. If we are unable to contact you in a reasonable time, or, if we decide it is necessary for us to allocate the upgraded stateroom to another guest, we will inform you by email that our acceptance of your upgrade offer is withdrawn. In these circumstances, we will allocate you a new stateroom in the same grade as your stateroom and you will not be entitled to travel in the upgraded stateroom. Any stateroom we allocate to you will be an equal or higher grade to your stateroom but may not be the same stateroom you originally booked or which was first assigned to you."

Right. You may have noticed this item from the information @Solent Richard posted. "Will Diamond members be able to dine in this restaurant rather than Steakhouse at the Verandah?" The answer for all four of Tramonto, Aranya, Aji Wa and Sir Samuel's is this. "Further information on Cunard World Club benefits will be shared at a later date." Edit to add: Sorry, I think I misinterpreted your post as it related to getting your favorite main from Aji Wa in QG, not whether you could dine in Aji Wa using your Diamond benefit. My mistake.

Thanks for that. There are four different renders for the Golden Lion Pub in your attachment. I'll post them here since I've only seen one or two of them posted elsewhere so far.

The stated terms and conditions for the Cunard Upgrade program are different between the US and the UK. From the Cunard UK website, one of the stated eligibility requirements is • you have booked directly with Cunard The equivalent eligibility requirement listed on the Cunard US website is simply • you have booked a fare that qualifies for the Cunard Upgrade program I reside in the US and I also received an upgrade offer email for my upcoming voyage even though I booked through a travel agent.

Here's a link to the Cunard press release "Cunard Announces Exclusive Partnership with Two Michelin-starred Chef Michel Roux". https://www.carnivalcorp.com/news-releases/news-release-details/cunard-announces-exclusive-partnership-two-michelin-starred-chef I can't get the included link to the renderings of the dining venues to work. Those renderings can be found in this additional article from Seatrade Cruise News. https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/news/famed-chef-michel-roux-teases-new-menu-cunards-queen-anne

Apparently Sir Samuel's is going to be the venue previously generically identified as "Steakhouse & Grill". Sir Samuel's is going to be offering a steak and seafood menu on Queen Anne. Also, it looks like the Golden Lion Pub will be offering both lunch and dinner on Queen Anne.

It looks like all three of the cruise ships that were scheduled to call at Stavanger today are headed elsewhere. AIDAdiva arrived at Bergen a bit after noon local time today instead, Viking Venus is bypassing Stavanger to proceed to her next scheduled stop at Oslo tomorrow and QV is bypassing Stavanger to proceed to her next stop at Skjolden (rescheduled from Flaam some months ago).

I just thought of a potential issue with the shareholder benefit for those who are now booked on 6-night crossings instead of the original 7 nights. My reading of the Carnival Shareholder Benefit is that the shareholder OBC amounts are as follows: Onboard credit per stateroom on sailings of 14 days or longer - US $250 Onboard credit per stateroom on sailings of 7 to 13 days - US $100 Onboard credit per stateroom on sailings of 6 days or less - US $ 50 Seems to me, those on the crossings that have been reduced to 6 nights will now only receive $50 shareholder OBC instead of the $100 they would have received for the original 7-night crossing. Similarly, those who booked a 14-night back-to-back crossing as two separate 7-night crossings would have been expecting a total of $200 shareholder OBC. Now in the situations where those separate bookings consist of one 6-night crossing and one 8-night crossing, I suppose they will now only receive a total of $150 shareholder OBC. It looks like those who qualify for the Military Personnel Onboard Credit Program may have the same issue with that program as well. I note those who were already booked on impacted voyages (whether lengthened or shortened) are to receive $50 OBC as compensation for having their departure or arrival dates changed.

Yes, that is Visby. The webcam capture is from QV's recent call there on 1 August 2023. It's appropriate you were able to identify that image. Here's your quote following your identification of our previous photo of Visby submitted by @sogne way back in post #934.

Let's try this one. It's a webcam capture showing a Cunard ship at a port I think we've seen only once before on this thread.

I'm pretty sure MPCorcoran is a registered user although you can't find him using the member search function in the boards section of this site. I just ran a little experiment to search for the names of the last 50 members who have submitted Cunard reviews. Only 29 of those 50 reviewers can be found using the member search function in the boards. I'm not sure what the criteria is for a user to show up in the board's member search function. It's definitely not posting history in the boards as I first suspected. Several members with 0 posts in the boards show up via a member search. Another mystery, I suppose.

I guess you could say Cruise Critic and researching all things Cunard has become a hobby for me. I'm retired from a career in computer programming.

I find it interesting that the review in question does not show up in the results when I do a search of reviews for the destination "British Isles & Western Europe". It does show up in the results when I do a search of reviews for the destination "Mediterranean". QM2 is currently on a Mediterranean cruise that departed Southampton 28 July. The reviewer could possibly have been on the 7-night cruise that disembarked in Civitavecchia on 4 August. That's very quick to have a review posted for a cruise that ended only two days ago. Perhaps they posted the review while still on the cruise, although they do discuss the luggage collection at disembarkation, so that doesn't seem likely.

Here are the port timings for voyage Q330A, Western Mediterranean, 18 Sep - 25 Sep 2023. 18/09/2023 Barcelona Depart 23:00 20/09/2023 Naples Arrive 07:00, Depart 19:00 21/09/2023 Civitavecchia Arrive 07:00, Depart 19:00 22/09/2023 Ajaccio Arrive 08:00, Depart 18:00 24/09/2023 Palma de Mallorca Arrive 08:00, Depart 18:00 25/09/2023 Barcelona Arrive 07:00 These are the timings found on Cunard's partner websites for Spain (cunardcruceros.com), Austria (cunardline.at) and Switzerland (cunardline.ch) as well as several other travel agent and cruise booking sites which unfortunately I can't name. And just to show off a bit, they also match what's hidden in the HTML code for the itinerary on Cunard's own website (cunard.com) when I view page source in my browser. For example, here's the code revealing the timings for Naples. ... ,"arrivalTime":"07:00","arrivePartOfTheDay":"Early morning","departTime":"19:00","departPartOfTheDay":"Early evening","portDetails":{"id":"NAP","name":"Naples, Italy", ...

Cunard does not provide the specific port arrival and departure times anywhere on your booking information. But those timings are available on various travel agent and cruise booking websites. That includes Cunard's partner sites for Spain, Austria, and Switzerland. Other possible sources are schedules provided by some of the individual port authorities for ports that may be on your itinerary. Cunard does provide the specific arrival and departure times hidden within the webpage HTML code for the voyage itineraries on their main website. That's a lot of work though to find them that way using the view page source function of your browser. It's unfortunate that it takes extra work to find the specific arrival and departure timings for Cunard itineraries. If all else fails, let me know which voyage you are on and I'll be glad to post the timings for you.

Here's a long-winded answer to your question. The "What to pack" page on the Cunard website provides this guidance concerning the Gala Evening dress code. "At least twice on each seven-night voyage we’ll host a Gala Evening, where we do ask that you observe an elevated dress code. Again, it’s your choice whether to participate in these evenings or not. Many of our guests choose to sail with us specifically because they look forward to these events. Gala Evenings follow one of a few themes, with voyages of seven nights or more offering a chance to attend more than one. You’ll find many nods to these themes throughout the ship, so you'll want a wardrobe to match. Click below for our advice; whether you want to put on a show or give the theme a more subtle nod with an embellishment or accessory, the choice is yours." Unfortunately that's about all the Cunard US website has to say, leaving a lot of room for interpretation. However, the Cunard UK and Cunard Australia websites do go into more detail with these additional sections not found on the Cunard US website. "Formal dresses Floor-length dresses in sumptuous silks. Ball gowns encrusted with jewels. And off-the-shoulder cocktail dresses that kiss every curve. When it comes to formal nights on board (we call them Gala Evenings) our guests really do dress to impress. We theme these evenings to add even more of a sense of glamour to the occasion. And we always communicate this in advance so you can pack accordingly. Popular themes include Black & White, Roaring Twenties, and Red & Gold. But whether you simply nod to the theme with an accessory or go the full hog is entirely up to you." "Formal suits Formal suits are only required on board a Transatlantic cruise on Gala Evenings and, even then, there’s no pressure to dress-up if you don’t want to. Most of our guests, however, relish the opportunity to put on a Tuxedo for one night and channel their James Bond alter-ego. A formal suit, shirt, and tie of any colour will also do just fine for Gala Evening. And if you want to embrace the theme in your outfit choice, well you’re more than welcome to do that too. We’ve had many gentlemen on board who’ve given their partners a run for their money when it comes to their Gala Evening attire. So feel free to be as lavish as you like." Once on board, the daily programmes provide this definition for the Gala Evening dress code. This wording is the same whether it's a transatlantic crossing or another type of cruise. "What to Wear: Gala Evening From 6:00pm, we encourage you to join in the sense of occasion with eveningwear of dinner jacket, tuxedo, or dark suit with a regular tie or bow tie, or floor length dress, ball gown, cocktail dress, smart trouser suit, or formal separates. Guests are welcome to embellish their Gala Evening attire to fit the applicable theme of the evening." The daily programmes also outline those areas of the ship where casual attire is welcome. "Of course if you prefer to spend tonight in more relaxed attire, a selection of casual dining and entertainment venues are available for your enjoyment. Feel free to dress casually as you visit any of the following venues: Kings Court, Golden Lion, Casino, Carinthia Lounge, and G32. Please note non-ripped jeans are appropriate, but please refrain from wearing shorts, sports attire, swim wear or sleeveless t-shirts outside of the gym, spa and deck spaces." This quote is from a QM2 daily programme. For QE and QV, the Garden Lounge/Winter Garden and the Yacht Club are also designated casual venues.

Take this for what it's worth. I found one post on social media from someone on board who says they were told the itinerary change is because it was going to be too rough to tender.

The Terms and Conditions are different on the Cunard US website. I'm pretty sure the original terms included having to book directly with Cunard but they don't any more. I booked our next voyage through a US travel agent and received an upgrade offer email for that booking. Here are the eligibility requirements stated in the US Terms and Conditions (emphasis mine to highlight the key difference). (Q) Who is eligible for stateroom upgrades and for which voyages? (A) You are eligible for our stateroom upgrade program if you meet all the requirements below: • you have booked a fare that qualifies for the Cunard Upgrade program • you are the lead guest • you are aged 18 or over • you have paid your balance in full • you have not opted out of receiving pre-cruise communications If eligible, you will receive an email approximately 80 days prior to your cruise departure inviting you to submit an upgrade offer. Most voyages will be included in the upgrade program, but Cunard reserves the right to exclude voyages for commercial reasons. If you are uncertain whether you meet the eligibility requirements or have received an email inviting you to participate in the program but still cannot access the upgrade offering website, please call our Cunard Customer Service department at 800 728-6273.

No, there was no reason given. Just a quick one sentence post stating the itinerary change. I notice the weather forecast calls for windy conditions tomorrow. Several sites mention winds in excess of 30 mph during the afternoon, so that might be a factor since Villefranche is a tender port. That's just speculation on my part though.