Salacia

It is rare to find a travel writer who pays his or her own way - As "guests" of the cruise line, how impartial do you find their reviews?. At the very least, I would not call them journalists, out of respect for journalist who risk more than an inner cabin on a cruise ship.

Certainly not, she is 8 years younger than me. :D:D:D

Well, Mrs. SR seems like a really good sport, and she has an amazing smile. You are a lucky man. -S.

I am gutted- having planned our first cruise for months and persuaded the OH that he wouldn't look out of place with the tuxedo and bow tie bought, not to mention the cost plus my ball gown, I have just read the Voyage Personaliser to find our 4 night cruise to Hamburg next week has NO formal nights.

 

To say I'm disappointed is an understatement !!!!!!!!!!!! There's no way I'm going to be able to persuade him to wear his suit if it's not a formal night.

Hi Vera. Sorry for your disappointment. Am I correct in thinking that the trip you have booked as a 4 night, is also sold as 2 separate overnights, i.e, ->Southampton to Hamburg<>Hamburg to Southampton? If so, then I'm sure you can understand why no formal nights are scheduled.

Certainly you and your husband can wear your formal attire on this short trip, but I'm guessing that not many others will be dressed formally. Is it possible for you to return the garments you purchased? Or perhaps you will decide to take a longer Cunard voyage sometime in the future?

Bon voyage,

Salacia

On my wish list is that someday, a Cunard ship is in the Hudson River (NYC) on July 4th.

...

Now to the important question, what are whirled peas??

World Peace

Well talking of 'dance hosts' I was rather touched to receive an invitation by email yesterday to become one.

 

Now that would put the cat among the pigeons except that it was for 'duty' on a Saga ship.

 

On the plus side I noted that there was no charges made while on the minus side I have experienced said ships and felt so sorry for the guys lack of activity I volunteered my wife to keep them in practice.

Your wife didn't mind that you volunteered her?

So you also get the chance of a price adjustment after having booked In Australia? I thought it just applied to those in the US. It is really quite unfair for us in the UK not to be able to do this.

---------

To the OP,

Have you tried clicking on the Find a Cruise tab at the top of this page? ^^^ You can get quotes from TA's on there.

Hi Ray. Hope this makes you feel better: the booking conditions on this side of the pond have changed.:)

I've seen complaints about the food on QM2 and service issues. Is it because of unreasonably high expectations and lack of understanding between British and US customs?

 

I've found the food to be good on Carnival and NCL, so I can't believe that the QM2 is going to be worse. Obviously things go wrong in any ship restaurant.

 

 

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Hi Steve. Have you not also seen praise for the food and the service on QM2? Scroll up and you will see praise and some reasoned responses.

Just my personal opinion, but I'd hate to see opposing views trashed - after all, this is Cruise Critic, not cruise cheerleaders.

Bon voyage,

Salacia

Totally agree with Dial 7.. We use it all the time in Manhattan with excellent results and professional service.

 

Negative feelings of Uber....heard too many stories about the unregulated mix of service and personalities. Depends upon the driver you have.

 

Cunard Shuttle was once experienced and they did not show for us at the airport and we were lucky to share a cab with another couple to the ship. The message did not reach Cunard to send a Host to escort us.

 

True LaG is experiencing a lot of constructions for the next several years. And the BQE does experience backups....

 

A reliable car service knows the route and you have a dedicated driver.

Mark & Bklyn Boy = excellent advice.

P.S. Bklyn Boy, do you remember the Camelot Inn?

Got it: she wears the thong bikini, and you wear the pants.

By the way about July weather. Our September days in Halifax were sunny or a bit rainy. Our July's visit was so foggy you could hardly see anything :) . It was not only in Halifax, but all the way from Boston. Ship had to use a horn every 10 minutes for safety reasons.

Hi Tatka. July weather - our experience mirrors yours on at least three occasions. We were happy that we didn't sign up for tours because the weather was so bad you couldn't see the hand in front of your face.

To those who haven't pre-booked a tour: No worries, just hop in a cab at the port and the very skilled taxi drivers will navigate the fog and rain and take you where you want to go and bring you back to the ship in time. I have a very high opinion of the taxi drivers in Halifax, skilled in driving as well as the history of Halifax. (Please let me know if your experience was sub-par. Thanks, -S)

 

Because I'm the male half of our glorious marital conglomerate!!!

 

Thanks for your reply, but I'm sorry that I don't understand.

 

Have a happy voyage.

Salacia

Partial quote

 

Just to clarify that I don't wear thongs. Or bikinis! But thanks for the reply!

 

You're welcome. So why did you ask " Are thong bikinis acceptable? They always are in our usual holidays but I'm guessing this is different! What are people's experiences?"

 

Are worried that you will be confronted with passengers wearing thong bikinis on Cunard ships, because I don't think you need to be concerned about that. However, here have been some comments regarding Speedo wearing men exiting the pool sans coverup. :)

Partial quote

 

 

Can my wife wear swimwear straight to the pool or deck with a coverup? Are thong bikinis acceptable? They always are in our usual holidays but I'm guessing this is different! What are people's experiences?

quote]

 

You and your wife can wear swimwear straight to the pool with a coverup. Certainly you can both wear thong bikinis at the pool. Some might see as a bit cheeky, but if that's what you're comfortable swimming in, let the sun shine in ! :)

Pick up and drop off areas at LAG have changed during the construction chaos. Sorry for repeating myself but please don't rely on previous experience to get you to the pier or back to LAG - it's a new ball game, and the rules are likely to change during the on-going construction. http://laguardiaairport.com/traveladvisories/

outdrswomn, if you haven't already seen it, you might want to check out this advisory page for LaGuardia while it's undergoing construction: http://laguardiaairport.com/traveladvisories/

Bon voyage,

Salacia

First time I have booked this late... Wait-listed for early (6:30 PM), dining on QM2 sailing on 5/24. My TA says I am 191 on the wait-list.

 

Does anyone have any experience they would like to share? I am traveling solo so I am thinking my odds are improved by selecting a table of 8.

 

Any advice?

Hi Captiveguru. As silly as it might sound, whomever it is who arranges table seatings does some kind of magic - at least that has been my opinion after 13 cruises. Not foolproof, of course. So if you find on the first night that your dining arrangements are not to your liking, please speak to the maître d after your first dinner (that's when arrangements settle down a bit.)

Many recommend you request a different table if you don't like what is shown on the dining schematic in you cabin upon embarkation. But that card won't give you any idea of whom you are seated with - you can only find that out by showing up for dinner.

Regards,

Salacia

"Please note: Russian visas are not necessary when joining an organised shore excursion or booking private arrangements online through the Voyage Personaliser or the Shore Excursion Office on board. The full programme of shore excursions available for your cruise will be displayed on the Voyage Personaliser at least 12 weeks prior to departure. It is a requirement that all guests stay in their excursion group to ensure they comply with visa regulations. Should you choose to visit St Petersburg independently, a visa must be obtained, prior to arrival" copied from http://www.cunard.com/destinations/regions/baltic-norway-fjords-cruises/st-petersburg/

Compliments to H.Hattie for starting a very interesting thread, and those who have replied.

Interesting reading, evocative of many memories.

Cheers,

Salacia

well that's dope

 

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Is it really that important who the Captain is on your Cunard voyage? My educated opinion is that they are all well qualified.

And as for as the security issue is concerned, my guess is that Cunard has excellent connections - and that's no dope :cool:

Salacia

Does the Library has foreign language books?

I'm having no problem reading English books, but my Mother who is from Holland can only read in Dutch. So, far we always have been able to find a Dutch book or two on our Celebrity cruises.

Presume it will be the same on Cunard?

Hallo Waihekean. Yes the QM2 library has books in several languages, but sorry to say - apparently not Dutch.

"Queen Mary 2 Holds approximately 8400 English and 800 German book. The rest of 10 000 books are Japanese, Spanish, Italian and French." - quoted from https://ask.cunard.com/help/fleet/library

Goede reis,

Salacia

.I paid the normal amount in cash this year.

 

I didn't call the police either time, but I did contact the appropriate POC after the first instance and was told that that's the procedure for the time being. Are you suggesting that he's in on a shakedown scam as well? Perhaps someone ought to call the NY Daily News.

 

There seems to be a veiled accusation of some sort lurking behind about half of your posts. Perhaps you should work on that.

Underwatr,I've not suggested anyone is on a "shakedown scam", but I noticed you wrote that "it makes one wonder".

As always, thank you for your suggestion regarding my posts, but perhaps you are projecting something that simply isn't there?

Have a nice day :)

Salacia

Thanks, I scrolled up and read your post "Had I known I would have ensured I had sufficient cash to pay my parking fee but the attendant at the lot accepted what cash I did have."

 

and the "In early 2017 the same situation persisted but who knows whether it will change"

 

If I understand, you did not pay the established parking rate (apparently,

not just once but twice) because you paid less in cash.

 

No doubt I am not understanding correctly.

 

On 13 occasions, we drove our car out of the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, and if cash was demanded as payment to drive out of the lot, we'd back up, park the car, and stroll over to have a conversation with the nearest NYC Police Officer - and there are many in the proximity :)

For clarification: we paid our parking fee by credit card...just realized that what I wrote above might have sounded like we drove our car out of the lot "Bonnie & Clyde Style":eek:

As I mentioned upthread I did send Jason Rubino an email the first time I experienced cash-only at exit. His reply to me was basically, Yup, that's how it's running for the foreseeable future (although he did mention attendants having a Square credit card reader, it wasn't offered to me in 2017).

Thanks, I scrolled up and read your post "Had I known I would have ensured I had sufficient cash to pay my parking fee but the attendant at the lot accepted what cash I did have."

and the "In early 2017 the same situation persisted but who knows whether it will change"

If I understand, you did not pay the established parking rate (apparently,

not just once but twice) because you paid less in cash.

No doubt I am not understanding correctly.

On 13 occasions, we drove our car out of the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, and if cash was demanded as payment to drive out of the lot, we'd back up, park the car, and stroll over to have a conversation with the nearest NYC Police Officer - and there are many in the proximity :)

A suggestion from a native New Yorker -

IF you find that your time ashore is limited once you pass security and you don't have the time to devote to a tour of the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island...hope in a cab outside the Terminal and tell the driver to take to you to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal.

Without sighing up for a tour (time consuming and expensive) the Staten Island Ferry will grant you excellent views of the Statue of Liberty at no charge, round trip! (I don't recommend the hot dogs sold on the ferry, but I have been told the beer isn't bad.)

Enjoy the free ride on the ferry and then hop back on the next ferry back to Manhattan. If you have time to spare before all aboard time, there are other interesting things to see. But walking all the way up and down the crown of the Statue??? To each his/her own.

If interested, you can find the Staten Island Ferry schedule here: http://www.siferry.com/schedules.html

Regards,

Salacia