Cats2010

These carpets hurt my eyes, but at least the dark brown ones in the cabins have disappeared ....

In my opinion the provision of dog/cat kennels on ships is over the top. Leave the animals on land, where they belong. I wonder how much the charge is for these animals on board ? Do they get room service? LOL.

But ... it very often has not only emotional but also practical reasons why dogs and cats accompany their masters on a transatlantic ... I like Cunard for providing kennels for them, while I agree that it is stressful for the animals. However, it is even more stressful for them to be separated from their masters when they are looked after by somebody else, even more so if kept in a home as a "paying guest", so taking them along on QM2 is the best choice, not to forget the room service they enjoy! :cool:

While cruising the Suez Canal, Cunard recommended not to do excursions. I could imagine that they do the same for Istanbul.

This is a very nice picture. Thank you for posting it, bluemarble!

Four weeks without seeing her... Hope all goes well.

And I was just thinking how much I would love to see all the work being done!! Love that ship too....but would also love to see the work being done!:)

I could very well imagine that it is up to the discretion of Blohm und Voss and Cunard of what is distributed to the public, because who would give away his know-how so easily?

However, I am quite certain that there will be all kinds of publications available once the work has been done :cool:.

Another webcam where one can see a a familiar profile in the background.

 

It's unfortunate the Blohm+Voss doesn't appear to maintain their cams. On the previous link it appeared that one was intended to be a closer view of the Elbe 17 drydock but it's slipped down to only show passing harbor traffic.

I must say that I do not want to see how our beautiful ship is disassembled ...

Very Hapag Lloyd of old look. Must be the popular Hamburg port stops influencing the designs.

:p :p

Finally something that actually looks Art Deco..I'm glad its not blue..the whole ship is turning this pale grey blue look ..replacing the warm colors from the original design..and was very nice contrast to the many cold overcast days on a TA....I was on the Jan 3 crossing and the casino staff spoke of how small it will become and it was a mistake. The single cabins should have been on a deck that was rebuilt for more singles and larger family type rooms that many lines have added

Yes. I can do very well without slot machines etc., and the Grand Lobby should remain what it is supposed to be, which is "Grand".

I don't like the shape of the design. It's so stark and straight, at odds with the curved lines in the glass along the railing and the circular designs along the edge of the level above. It just doesn't "go" with the rest of the area.

I agree and would prefer it to be more elegant and "friendly".

At the moment the geometric pattern bothers me somehow, but I hope that, when looking at it after it has all been completed, this may change.

However, I always thought the red carpet would be a reminiscence to the red funnel ...

June 10th - July 10th....

 

Wonder if I can get away with wearing a football shirt on formal night in the Queens Grill?

:eek: :D

What dates are Euro 16? Hate football!

Me too and I hope not to be aboard while the games are on, because conversations will not be limited while on TV, but continue for breakfast, lunch and dinner :rolleyes:

but why so many people care about what others are wearing? :confused:

I think that there is some competition involved, mostly amongst women :rolleyes:, but I also love to dress up and I think it is just a matter of good taste to adapt to the beautiful environment of QM2.

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan certainly has the right to make and enforce their laws. I'm just surprised that a cruise ship was banned from entering Jordan's territorial waters because two (or seven, as previously reported) are reported to have noro.

 

"...Answering a question about cruise ships and tourist numbers, Madi [Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority Commissioner for Economic Development and Investment Affairs] said in a phone interview that over the past two months, around 20 ships carrying 30,000 tourists from several nationalities docked at the Aqaba Port..." copied from http://www.albawaba.com/news/jordan-denies-british-cruise-ship-over-norovirus-fears-833708

 

Of those ships carrying 30,000 tourists, are we to believe that there were no cases of gastro-intestinal illness reported on board and/or that it wasn't reported to Jordan's authorities?

 

I can understand that you are disappointed - so am I, since I had to cancel some segments of this world cruise.

As I said before, such laws are designed to prevent epidemics. That is why they are so strict and do not allow exceptions.

Whether or not there have been more noro virus cases on other ships we do not know, but if this was the case those ship companies acted against the law, which might have consequences.

 

Since Cunard states that only two passengers are currently symptomatic, it does cause one to wonder why the Jordanian authorities are apparently taking such a draconian position in not allowing the ship to dock in Jordanian waters. :confused:

 

Salacia

The decision the Jordan authorities took is most probably in application of their law. In order to prevent outspread of infectious diseases, such laws are often designed on a large-scale basis and do not allow exceptions. Allowing them would mean acting against the law.

 

There is little more the cruise lines can do to prevent this happening. It's almost always going to be the fault of a passenger not declaring an illness or failing to adhere to basic hygiene rules.

 

We've been on plenty of ships across a number of different cruise lines and have never seen anything, but the highest standards of cleanliness aboard the ships. We have, however, seen plenty of passengers failing to sanitise their hands, picking up food and putting it back, sneezing without covering up and so on.

Unfortunately you are right. I have regularly observed that passengers do not comply with basic rules of hygiene, although spreading of bacteria in general is impossible to control and sanitising hands before eating and after etc. does not kill the noro virus. However, Cunard tries to reduce the risks and passengers should try as well.

While on QM2 in 2010 or 2011, there was a noro virus outbreak and I remember that within 2 days it was gone, which was quite an accomplishment.

Still, I would have liked to be on this cruise.

I am thinking of going on the queen mary 2 complete 2018 world cruise. What happens if you get a retinal detachment or other types of medical emergencies and you need a hospital or surgeon. How does cunard handle the situation if you cannot wait and its on the transatlantic portion or other portion not near ports?

If you look at it from a distance point of view, the biggest portion is between Tenerife and Namibia, and I am not sure of the quality of medical treatment in West Africa. All the other places on QM2's 2018 world cruise should not be too problematic.

I have been abord QM2 once when there was a medical urgency somewhere between Ireland and the UK. From the news I learned later that everything went well.

Best wishes :)!

Do you get a refund if the service turns out lousy?

 

 

David.

I never had lousy service on a Cunard ship. Should this be the case, I would present it to the purser's desk.

So you are tipping to get a better service rather than to reward one.

 

David.

Yes, it's bribery and corruption wherever you go :D

I am tipping before as well to get the service staff's attention, on a ship and more often on a hotel holiday.

I think it is the most normal thing in the world to tip for an extra service, and it is better to have some Dollars ready before the steward arrives and has had a chance to disappear quickly.

[quote name=pepperrn;49503355

Each time I fly I have to make the best of it; standing in line "landside"' date=' and then wasting time at coffee shops, bookstalls, duty-free and eateries "airside".

[/quote]

I recommend to do what Pepper uses to do, dorset. What happened to me once when I spent time in an airport building before taking off is that I missed the last call and just made it into the plane the very last minute ... :D. Don't do that!

It's nice to watch the planes coming and going from a terrace. You could also swap with your travel companion/husband/wife when queuing for check-in.

What immediately came to my mind when I was reading your post is that in one European capital there is no airport at all at the moment where one could wait. You probably know the reason.

I think you are correct. I've lived in NY all my life and I've only seen something that looked like a ferret once, and that was in Trump Tower.

:D :rolleyes:

I believe that in Europe the cruise lines have tea/coffee making facilities in the cabins but when ships have got back to UK and are proceeding across the Atlantic they had to take them out. Do American ships have tea/coffee making facilities when in American waters?

I have sailed American ships in American waters but never saw tea/coffee making facilities in a cabin.

How about dinner on a boat that takes you around Victoria harbour? The illumination (including the laser show that Keith proposed) is fantastic!

Please forgive me if I'm the last to notice this, but I'm pleased to learn that tea and coffee makers will be added to all QM2 cabins during the up-coming refit :)

 

"...Cunard, which found inspiration not only in Queen Mary, but also in its guests, announced that in conjuncture with the remastering of all of its staterooms and suites, it will also introduce tea and coffee makers in each cabin." - copied from http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cunard-announces-new-details-on-remastering-of-queen-mary-2-and-queen-victoria-at-seatrade-cruise-global-300236881.html

 

Salacia

I think this is a good idea, most of the hotels offer it as well.

Thank you for sharing the information, Salacia!

Yikes, how can the process of refitting cabins (amongst other areas) be silent? Of course there will be noise, smells, and commotion as furniture is removed, rugs glued, coverings of the walls changed, soft furnishings changed.

Cunard has been straightforward in saying that the refit will continue through 2017 and that the schedule is subject to change.

 

But there are other areas of the ship that we don't see that will be undergoing changes. How those changes work will only be known once the ship leaves dry dock. And I suspect that is why many experienced mariners don't book a cruise immediately following dry dock. Others love the thrill - just a matter of personal preference. -S.

I wonder what other areas of the ship (that we don't see) will be subject to changes. Would you let us know?

And yes, some of the changes will not be silent, but they won't be noisy either, and as a whole it will probably just not be as comfortable as we know it from the past.

Don't forget that most of the ship will be newly decorated and, in order not to disturb passengers, there will be instructions to keep inconveniences to a minimum.