Colin_Cameron

The Diamond Priority group tends to be one of if not the first to disembark

10 minutes ago, VanCoerte said:

AND - if I end up waiting in the Priority Lounge: where is that?

It can vary depending on the numbers involved. On QV/QE we've had the Commodore Club or the upper level of the restaurant. On QM2 we've always still been at breakfast when they've called our group so we never got to the lounge.

This is what I’m seeing on my VP.

Wine Collections 

Price: $299.00

Our expert sommeliers have handpicked a range of fine wines from around the world to create two distinctly different yet equally exquisite wine collections: the Commodore’s Collection and the Captain’s Collection. From crisp whites to full-bodied reds, each Cunard wine collection comprises an exceptional mix of wines for you to choose from, to create your very own tailor-made selection, of either 6, 12, 24 or 48 bottles 

From $299

But there’s no link to the pdf.

Hi blue marble, your UK FAQ link gets me a 404 error (as does the US one). The other ones both get me the pdf the same as your original post.

1 hour ago, Lakesregion said:

Follow Cunard's lead on this and you will not be incorrect.

In the one they sent me, for evening Smart Attire for men, it says ‘collared shirt’, but shows as an example a picture of someone in a collarless shirt.🤔

21 minutes ago, sfred said:

... only available in 6- and 12- bottle quantities,

I can’t get at the details of the packages through the UK website either via the FAQ or the voyage personaliser but it does quote the same “from $299” as bluemarble’s link. Interestingly it also says “6, 12, 24 and 48 bottle packages”.

2 hours ago, david,Mississauga said:

I also have wondered about that. We don't read it often, but there are complaints on this forum from time to time from men who think it is a huge inconvenience to wear a sport coat/blazer even without a tie.

My guess is that it's the same people who complained about having to wear a tie when it was "jacket and tie", and the same people who complained about having to wear a suit or dinner suit when every sea-day was "formal".

And now that Cunard has apparently done away with the need for a jacket on the Australian itineraries it will be the same people who will complain about having to wear a "collared shirt". And when they win that battle it will be the same people who will complain about having to wear long trousers.

5 hours ago, Se1lad said:

 - they obviously think this change will increase their revenue.

It won't do that if they keep this a secret until you board the ship.

I remember this. I think 2011 but haven't seen it since.

Find a decent photo showing the side of QM2. The ordinary balconies are above the promenade deck, the sheltered balconies are below it.

Just Google images for “Queen Mary 2 sheltered balcony” and you’ll find lots of pics. Unfortunately a number of them are normal glass-fronted ones but you can easily see the difference.

Not from Cunard, but we’ve had the opposite experience where the item was valued higher once we got home. When asked to explain the discrepancy the local jeweller said they were different types of valuation. One was an insurance valuation, ie. “What would it cost to replace the item”, I forget what he called the other but it was basically “ What could I expect to sell it for.” So the low one is what he would pay for it in order to sell it at the high one.

Or it could be that that type of item is generally cheaper in Australia than wherever the Cunard valuation was written?

But as long as you love it, that’s the important thing.

Hi Hattie,

Have a great time.

Since you're in QG could you ask Osman if he's doing the second half of the World Cruise, Specifically Perth back to Southampton?

Regards, Colin.

11 hours ago, lissie said:

Its South Pacific is my issue - I can dress for south pacific - sarong, jandals, flowers in my hair, my man has a Hawaiian shirt. But this doesn't seem to go with Cunard formal wear  LOL. Any clues - any pictures? 

That's exactly the problem I'm having so await any answers with interest. Similarly for "African", "Neptune" and "Mariner's Balls".

It may be a coincidence but having had several failed attempts (Firefox/Win10) I tried "Private" Mode and it worked first time. Saved me from having to clear the cache and cookies.

We’ve been to Norway numerous times, both cruises and land holidays. And we cruised in Alaska 20+ years ago with Cunard (hard to believe now that they had three ships in Alaska at the same time!).

In my opinion Norway wins by a nose. The fjords in Alaska are much bigger and that scale somehow makes them less impressive. The Norwegian ones being narrower and tighter on both sides of the ship.

I think it would come down to the individual ports and whether they took our fancy.

The only ship doing USA to AUS as part of a world cruise in 2021 seems to be QV. The segments are available on the UK website, and in a brochure I've had for several weeks. ( I can't see the US website but worth trying the following links. They may re-direct you.

Fort Lauderdale to Sydney, 37 nights: www.cunard.com/v105a

San Francisco to Sydney, 21 nights: www.cunard.com/v106

Regards, Colin.

Hattie, I have friends who had their picture taken out on deck and were amazed when it appeared in the following year's brochure. The photographer had told them what it was for at the time but they thought he was joking.

I've also spotted a few other faces over the years that I recognise, but not recently.

Just had a check through some of my own photos. Very few  show any smoke at all never mind black smoke. Mostly just a sort of heat shimmer which is invisible except against the clearest of blue skies.

The only time I remember seeing black smoke is as the diesels are fired-up, usually just before leaving port.

18 minutes ago, Bigmike911 said:

I presume you will use the evening suit (tails) at some land based occasion. Were you to wear it aboard you would likely be mistaken for the Maitre d'. In 18 voyages on Cunard, I have never seen any guest wearing one. 

No, purely for the cruises. I’ve worn it numerous times on QE2, QV and QE (not on QM2 yet) and can only remember one occasion when I was the only one. Not been mistaken for the maitre d’ yet.

12 minutes ago, Elephant1151 said:

onboard is only black tie event.

‘Roaring Twenties’, ‘Victorian Night’ and ‘Starlight Ball’ all suggest white tie and tails as a possibility.

I wouldn’t suggest anyone went out and bought an evening suit just for a cruise, or even rent one. But if you have one hanging in the wardrobe, why not wear it.

P.S. As someone pointed out to me, the ‘Roaring Twenties’ are only 50 days away!

Shhhhhhh.....🤫

36 minutes ago, brian1 said:

You've forgot the kilt,surely.

Due to the weight I only take that when there are no flights involved. It’s not just the kilt, there’s the jacket, waistcoat, brogues, etc., etc. The tails are heavy enough.

I have managed to convince my other half that, as we’re doing 13 nights on one ship and 35 on the other, she really doesn’t need 48 outfits.

4 minutes ago, ClipperinSFO said:

... call me old-fashioned, but first and last nights should jacket and tie, and all other evenings in between should be black tie.     

I guess we’re both old-fashioned.

We’re fast approaching a mirror image trip. Flying from the UK to Australia for a couple of months land tour plus 48 nights aboard QE and QM2. 

At at the moment my packing list for evenings on the cruise portion looks like:

1x dinner suit (tux)

1x evening suit (tails)

2x suits

1x blazer

3x jackets

...

...

And I’m trying to decide if I have enough!

Hi,  We're on the two weeks before you so our final payment date has now passed … and the price has gone up!

37 minutes ago, lissie said:

should I  wait  and expect a further price drop? 

Given the short time frame (10 days) I can't fault your thinking apart from the word "expect". "Hope for" would probably be better.

But as you want one of a small group of cabins I wouldn't hang about too long. The Deck 1, Deluxe Insides are great cabins. We've been in them half a dozen times on both QE and QV.

Regards, Colin.

12 hours ago, funinhounslow said:

 That is certainly an interesting way to look at a share that has lost 40% over the past couple of years...

There’s no such thing as a good price or a bad price. It depends.

Are you buying, or selling?

If you’re buying, do you think the price will go up? Then the price now is good. If you think it will go down, then the price now is bad.

If you’re selling, and the price now is more than you paid, then it’s good. If it’s less, then it’s bad.

The share price is now only a little above what I paid a number of years ago, and the shares are worth , almost to the penny, what the same amount would have been in a standard savings account. BUT in the meantime it’s also paid out about 50% of that value in dividends and shareholder OBC.

It’s all relative. Either to where it’s come from, or where you think it will go to.

Also, when they say a $100 share, paying a $4 dividend, is paying 4%. That’s only true if you buy it today. If you bought it X years ago when it was $10 then it’s really paying 40%!