BlueRiband

And now that the incident has been well publicized, we'll next read of somebody suing Cunard for the emotional trauma supposedly caused by the incident.

Given that the Titanic II project had prolong periods of dormancy I won't believe that it is going to happen until a shipyard contract is signed. No yard is going to do that unless they are confident that they will get paid when the ship is completed. If 2024 passes and there is still no contract, I think this latest revival can be written off as something Palmer decided to do because he got bored with politics.

FWIW, when I was on board QM2 in late November the Voyage Sales desk was available by appointment only.

Two years ago the Belfast Telegraph said that Palmer was having second thoughts on the long term viability of the ship once the initial curiosity had worn off. It might eventually go the the Chinese market. One, Chinese passengers love to gamble. (And when people gamble the house always wins.) Two, there is a huge fascination with Titanic in China such that a theme park was building a floating but docked replica of the ship. It was estimated to be about 25% complete before that project ran out of money.

When it comes to finding a scooter parked in a hall, yes. However to get back on topic, door decorations seem to be more prevalent on some lines rather than others. I've never liked the practice. At best it's folk art. At worst it's about as appealing is spray paint graffiti.

The Finland-based naval architecture firm Deltamarin was working on Titanic II previously. In the first effort, it got as far as model basin testing but then the project went dormant 2015-18. In 2018 Palmer revived the project and it got as far as a "conceptual design for shipyard pricing." Then the project again fell silent until this latest revival. I'm skeptical that this time will be different. If my recollection of the ship dimensions is accurate, the top of the funnels of Titanic II would just about reach deck 13 on QM2.

Scooters in hallways block the passage of other passengers who also need mobility devices. The bariatric models are like mini-golf carts. If I see a scooter in the hall I give the Purser's desk a ring. Carnival's Cunard Line has done this for some years now: require that scooter-using passengers book an HC cabin. There was a lot of board bickering on the topic: "This was never a problem on QE2!" "Mine can fold!" "I cannot get to the bathroom if the scooter is in the cabin!" - and, my personal favorite - "What about the housekeeping carts? They are in the hall!" My booking confirmations for non-premium cabins all had the disclaimer, "Mobility scooters not permitted."

The Alaska Marine Highway system operates US-flagged ships. Its only port in the "lower 48" is in Bellingham, Washington. Some ships have basic overnight cabins and some are "day boats". They provide a vital transportation link among smaller Alaska communities. If you are more adventurous you might want to check it out. But be aware this is intended as A-B transportation and it does not offer cruise ship style dining or entertainment.

If there is a steep incline when getting on or off the ship, you might want to consider "walking" your wife's empty scooter up or down the ramp. (Of couse this presumes that you yourself still have the agility to do this.) From what I've observed in these situations, mobility impared passengers will be placed in a wheel chair and assisted by a crew member. Once she is ashore she can then get on the scooter. You both will have a lot more independence ashore if she can use a scooter rather than have to be pushed in a wheelchair. If this is your first time renting a scooter please check if you will be restricted to booking only certain cabins. Getting a scooter through a cabin door is only 1% of the problem. Where you will park it once inside is the other 99% if the problem. Many cruise lines have become very strict because too many passengers will try to leave them in a hallway. This is a serious safety problem and blocks the path of other mobility impared passengers.

If this is a business group did they use a corporate or group TA to book? Might that same TA also be able to assist you?

I use my US dollars but any widely circulated currency - used at the ship's embarkation ports - could be easily converted. Crew members probably do their own currency exchanges among one another.

This has been true at least since the re-start. Cunard does offer what they call the "At Ease" cancellation fee waiver program. But there is an important caveat: the protection ends 72 hours before sailing. I thought the benefits didn't justify the premium being charged and obtained insurance elsewhere for my last sailing.

See this thread: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2945605-merged-qm2-2024-brooklyn-revised-schedule/ Cunard may be updating the schedule make these changes.

Used what is now called "Express Disembarkation" today. It was a much less painful procedure than dealing with the baggage hall. (The only time I took the advice to hire a porter it went terribly wrong.) However today neither the escaltor nor the elevator was working at the Brooklyn terminal! Everyone had to decend the stairs but Cunard sent crew members over to carry our bags down the staircase for us. I don't know what they did about the mobility impaired passengers.

8124, 8126, and 8128 are wheel chair accessible cabins while 8130 is a Q7. I took a walk down to the end and "small peepholes" are found in 8116-8126. 8128 and 8130 had the larger peepholes. This suggests that only 5 cabins were updated.

Agreed. The dress code and formal atmosphere act as a filter. Potential passengers who see the ships are a mismatch for their preferred vacation style won't book Cunard.

There was a Senior Officer's party today and I inquired about this from an engineering officer. According to him there were no plumbing or other issues with the cabins removed but the replacement was just part of renewing areas of the ship. The only noticeable difference - if one looks closely - is that the "peepholes" on 8116-8130 are smaller than on the original cabins. Also, the outdoor Jacuzzis were replaced along with new steel decking around the pools.

As one who has always sailed solo, FWIW consider: 1) sailing solo for your first trip, and 2) seek a cruise line that offers a fixed dining and table option so that you will have stable company at dinner. Yes, the single supplement is pricey but the entire trip will be a waste if you have an incompatible cabin mate. Remember that this is not an weekend trip by car and you cannot pack your bags and leave early if things go badly. When I last sailed two of my table mates were widowed ladies - long time friends who were sharing a cabin. Later one confided to me that although they often traveled together, this was the first time that they had roomed together. Long story short, her friend had annoying and disruptive habits at night and she was now going to have to endure another seven days of that while sailing back to their home country.

An unofficial social media page has some images - the lifeboats have been removed and old carpeting has been ripped out. Damen Verolme Rotterdam (unoffical page)

According to the Port of Rotterdam website, the refit is thus described: "This concerns an operational 'refit'; both technical maintenance and renovation of carpets and staterooms." (Machine translated from Dutch.) The Damen Verolme Rotterdam dock 7 is their largest: maximum of 405m length, 90m beam and 11.6m draft. I'm hoping that once she arrives some images will show up on social media. There are not too many drydocks in the world that can accomodate her. On the US east coast Newport News - which builds aircraft carriers - appears to be the only place if she ran into serious trouble on this side of the Atlantic.

FWIW, morning Masses, on sea days, are usually held in Illuminations/planetarium. Evening Masses, on port days, are held in one of the Connexions rooms. I can be a challenge for first-timers to find either one.

As I read it, No. As of this writing the "At Ease" program brochure reads, " ..there is no protection from cancellation fees within 72 hours of sailing date."

Sounds like solos looking for the camaraderie of the same dining companions each evening are in for a lonely crossing. The lack of fixed dining is my main reason for avoiding NCL.

Cruise ships have been used for emengeny housing in the past and also to house Olympic athletes such as professional US basketball players. If NYC works this out with NCL it will put covid protocols to the test. Do migrants get served meals or can they serve themselves at the buffet? Do they have to mask whenever out of their cabin? Can they come and go at will? What testing/vaccination requirments will be required? If there is no covid testing for a migrant to board and live there for weeks or months then why should I be required to get a covid test to board a ship for a 7-day cruise?