david,Mississauga

In a little over a year we are taking a Southampton-NY-Québec voyage. The tours are already showing on "MyCunard." For New York there are four excursions plus two pricey private car and private guide tours. The four excursions are priced from $79.20 to $123.30. The length of those tours are four, six and seven and a half hours.

My experience has been the same as that of Victoria2. I am working with my fourth travel agent in 51 years. Why am I with a fourth? The previous three retired. I have recommend all of my TAs to friends and relatives and all have been happy loyal customers.

Several people have mentioned that Uber is not permitted to enter the terminal. I don't know if there is an exception for people with mobility issues, but there were signs at street level pointing west for Uber drop-off and boarding. There can be a lot of standing and definitely a lot walking around the terminal. We always book a wheelchair for my wife. We meet the staff with wheelchairs on the first underground level where buses and taxis drop passengers off. This is a subtle hint that you should find it more convenient to take a taxi. Despite the fact that most people on Cruise Critic talk about Uber, taxis still exist. (As a non-smartphone person I can't use Uber and always use taxis or Skytrain in Vancouver.)

Regarding checking in early, although all cruise lines have their check-in desks in Hall C of the Convention Centre, they don't start the procedure at the same time. Boarding is also at the discretion of the cruise line. For example, in July of this year there were just two ships at the terminal Our ship, the Queen Elizabeth, had check-in start at 11:00. Boarding commenced at 12:15. The NCL ship had started check-in and boarding earlier than that. A few years ago we checked-in for the same Cunard ship a little before 11:00 and were on board at 11:20 - and we weren't the first. One good aspect of all this is if you are checked in early and have proceeded through security and the US border control there is seating to wait for the boarding call.

If anyone has difficulty accessing "my voyage" or getting it to do what is promised as I have had (except for my last voyage) you can pick up your cabin phone and a human will make the booking for you.

As someone who isn't going to deal with e-mails on my small tablet I appreciate the computer terminals. They can be quirky, though. On some of them I could not connect to my Bell Canada e-mail, so I had to remember which ones would. As others have indicated, the new internet system is fast compared to what it was even a year ago. On this summer's cruise all eight terminals worked and if one needed re-setting the librarian would do that. On last year's cruise there were always two or three that were not working.

From my experience and the experiences of others Cunard always says no to such requests. If there is no law being violated you should be able to do it. If you have a good travel agent, get that person to escalate the request. It was dealing with Canada not New Zealand, but it didn't take long for my TA to obtain a "deviation of itinerary" from Cunard.

You were fortunate to be at Broadway Dock, which is our favourite for easy access to the town. We were docked there on the QE three voyages ago. On our last two cruises we were docked at Railroad Dock aft. Because of the danger of rock slides passengers must take shuttle buses to the land end of the pier. Those whose ship is docked at the forward berth have been using tenders for the very short trip across the harbour. Thanks for the photos. Although it has been a month since we disembarked the QE I am still suffering withdrawal.

We had that same stateroom on our 2022 Alaska cruise. The balcony provides great views, but we found it to be cramped compared to other balconies we have had. We had to re-arrange the chairs a few times in order to get the door open. I also highly recommend the luxury coach on the WP&Y excursion. That can be booked only through cruise lines. There are only two of these parlour cars so not every train has one. We took it in 2023. It was pricey - especially for Canadians as the fare is in US $ - but we enjoyed it. The outdoor balcony on the rear is at least double the size of those on the regular coaches and there are benches to sit on. Being at the end of the train it sways and bounces more than the other coaches. When this luxury service started there was a self-serve buffet for the generous snacks, but for safety a box of delectable "goodies" is brought to the passengers. The wine was very good too. This was our third trip on the WP&Y and the first in the luxury coach. Now that there is a loop at Summit the excursion is a bit shorter than it was when the locomotives had to be taken to the rear in order to pull the train back to Skagway.

I have not connected to wi-fi until my recent cruise on the QE. I wouldn't use the internet at all if it wasn't free as a perk for our loyalty. I confess to reading the CBC news and checking e-mails from time to time but I do so on the ships' computer terminals. I don't have a smartphone but travel with a small tablet on which it is not convenient to send e-mails. On previous voyages I tried to get the "my voyage" system to work and when it did not I gave up with it. The stateroom telephone worked and the staff at the purser's office or, when we are in the Grills, the concierge provided me with good service. A few weeks ago I tried it on my tablet and it worked for the first time. So I occasionally checked my on-board account. That was it. As for the frequent complaint of the lack of USB ports, I couldn't care less. My camera can be charged by plugging it into the mains (either the North American or UK ones) with the adapter that came with it.

We have paid Cunard a few times for the posting of cards. They would be stamped: "posted aboard RMS Queen Mary 2" or similar wording. The cards always arrived to the recipients, but always took a long time. Some of them on an e/b crossing were postmarked in Germany. We have used the pillar box on board a couple of times. It said if you have stamps for the country where the ship was next calling you could deposit your mail up to a certain time. We used this (successfully) only when the next port was Halifax and we had Canadian stamps with us.

There are so few crossings now I wouldn't want fewer. My first three QM2 crossings were six nights. Fortunately we were never delayed. The earlier discussion of speed efficiency reminded me of a chart that was posted aboard the P&O's Canberra. I don't remember all the details but it showed how much fuel was used per hour or per day. As this ship was originally a liner that did long ocean voyages to Australia the maximum speed was an impressive 29 knots. She was a turbine steam ship. I recall the optimum speed for fuel consumption being about 20 knots. On some of our cruises the ship ran slowly at 16 knots which was just as bad for fuel consumption as the higher speeds. According to the chart, the maximum speed at that time was 26 knots. The fuel use was considerable at that speed. We reached 24 knots on some stretches.

Indeed, over the decades there were cabins "promoted" to a higher restaurant class. When we took our first crossing in First Class (with dining in the Columbia Restaurant) in the 1970s we had a large midships cabin on Three Deck. Many years later that had become a PG cabin. On our last QE2 voyage in 2008 we had a cabin on Four Deck which was identical to the Tourist Class cabins we had previously. But now it was a Caronia (formerly Fist Class Columbia) restaurant cabin. Although we never travelled in the Grills on the QE2, I noticed at one point the assignment to the two PG restaurants was based on one's cabin number.

On the QM2 we have experienced all four "classes" at least twice each and on the QE twice each except for Britannia Club. Britannia Club is something we enjoy when we don't wish to book the Grills. Although the Club staterooms are the same size as other balcony staterooms, on the QM2 those on the 2016 addition of Deck 13 are better decorated and have a bathroom with a large shower stall and a glass door. After experiencing the Grills on the QE a few times I won't book the Grills on the QM2. The dining room, lounge and ample deck space on the QE is superior according to many people. Most people find the PG staterooms on the QM2 are better than those on the Vistas. The biggest problem with PG staterooms (except on Queen Anne) is the provision of a deep bathtub. On the QM2 only the most extravagant QG suites have a separate shower. On the Vistas even the cheapest QG suites have the convenience of a separate shower. My DW can no longer handle getting into a tub for a shower. Some say once you have been in the Grills there is no going back. Being realistic people, we don't find that at all. We do what we can reasonably afford from time to time - and, yes, we have enjoyed our voyages in Britannia. For the foreseeable future we will book Britannia Club on the QM2 and QG (we hope!) on the QE and QV.

I can't help thinking of our first cruise to Alaska in 1972. There were only two cruise ships from Vancouver. One was the vessel we were on: the Princess Patricia of the Canadian Pacific Railway and the other was the Prince George of Canadian National Railway. Each carried about 300 passengers. The only other cruise ship at least in late summer was the Oronsay of the P&O, which was based in San Francisco. It carried about 1,000 passengers. We docked at the usual ports (Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway) as well as Prince Rupert and one other, probably Wrangell. We visited Glacier Bay. Nobody pressured us to buy diamonds anywhere. It was many years before we took another Alaska cruise and noticed the difference. In July of this year we took our fourth cruise on Cunard's 2,000 passenger Queen Elizabeth and noticed that all ports had fewer ships than on most of the previous cruises including one on Holland America in 2015. We were lucky. We had decided we needn't go ashore at any ports unless we needed a pharmacy, although I always enjoy Skagway - mainly because of the trains even if we aren't taking the excursion. Even Juneau had only three ships, although one (Monstrosity of the Seas or some such) seemed to take up two berths.

Of course it hasn't been customary for a very long time (even Emily Post in the 1930s edition of her famous book recommended against it). On two crossings on the QM2 - not too many years ago - I have seen one man in white tie and tails. The gent in QG even had a top hat and cane, which he handed to the maître d' Osman on entering the restaurant. On the other crossing a much younger man was in white tie in Britannia.

We had no issues with our PG cabin on Deck 4. As "WantedonVoyage" said the balconies are bigger. All PG cabins are midships, no matter what deck. We found ours to be very quiet - no noise from the deck above or below.

That sounds good to me.

We have had three crossings - one on the QE2 and two on the QM2 - when the ships were assigned to Red Hook but were re-assigned to a Manhattan pier. I wish that would happen more often.

We considered that one, but instead are taking the September voyage from Southampton to Québec via New York. What we would really like is a direct crossing that calls in Halifax en route to NY. We only managed to do that once. Disembarking in Halifax was as seamless as arriving in Southampton or Vancouver. Also, there is a good VIA Rail train from Halifax to Montreal with connections west. No offence to New Yorkers, but we have yet to have one disembarkation in Manhattan or Brooklyn that didn't have a major issue so we do that rarely. (Departures from NY have always worked well for us.) Having done this voyage in reverse I know in-transit passengers have to leave the ship in N.Y. and wait for permission to re-embark. But that's not nearly as bad as dealing with an actual disembarkation.

For a few years the QM2 called at Halifax on two crossings per year - two nights before or after New York. We took a w/b crossing in 2014 and disembarked in Halifax. My mother, my wife's mother emigrated to Canada through Pier 21. I was touched to be able to recreate that crossing. My father, father-in-law and some uncles embarked and disembarked troop ships at that pier during the second World War. Sadly, Halifax hasn't been a call on crossings for several years. There are two calls a year on New York or Québec based cruises. Many passengers on the QM2 visit the Maritime Museum.

Thanks, Pushpit. I am aware of that and will likely book it for next year when we take a QM2 crossing from Southampton to NY and on to Québec City. It is a 737 Max with a domestic Business Class section. Because they are not the sleeper seats that people expect on International routes, that section is sold as premium Economy. not Business. The fare seems reasonable - whether in $ or Aeroplan points. Most of the time the same plane starts in Toronto at 06:05. The add-on from Toronto to Halifax is often free. An alternative is to fly the day before or even take the VIA Rail train to Halifax. At the senior officers party we met a woman who is in training for the future voyage sales office. She is from Halifax and talked to us about that day flight, which she has used several times. For many years there was a day flight from Toronto to London on Wardair and later Air Canada, but no more. We used that day flight a few times. It was amazing how little jet lag there was compared to flying overnight.

That closet is in the bedroom to the right of the set of drawers and cabinet that contains the safe. It would be more useful it was just inside the door of the suite.

We had been on the Alaska cruise on each of the previous three years that the QE has been doing these. It was not our intention to do another so soon, but when Cunard said they were relocating the QE to Seattle as of 2015 we thought this might be the last opportunity. I won’t go into the long list of reasons why I prefer cruises based in Vancouver over Seattle. For the purposes of limiting risk with our travel insurance we had to wait until my consultant declared me to be stable. That was at 2:30 on a day in April and, having advised our travel agent of our intentions; an hour later we were booked on the QE. The fare was heavily discounted, so even though we didn’t get the usual Grills perks of generous OBC, drinks package and paid gratuities we saved a lot. It was our fifth time on the QE, the second in QG. The first cruise of the five was to Norway. On a previous discussion about embarkation in Vancouver I mentioned how easy it was. A lot of that (but not all) was due to my wife needing a wheelchair to handle the long distances on two levels and possible long queues. A notice handed out at check-in said that staterooms would be available by 1:15, but ours was ready on embarkation at 12:15. When we reached the suite there was only one voyage card in the envelope, notwithstanding it being addressed to both of us. I went to the purser’s office where a friendly clerk apologised and quickly made up one for DW. A short while later a purser phoned us to enquire if my good lady was on the ship because their records show she was not checked in. This seemed strange because we both did on-line check-in 21 days prior, had our printed boarding passes processed at check-in, had them scanned at the entrance to the ship and scanned again when we went to our muster station. When I explained this the chap had no idea what was going on. This was a first. We had splurged on Queens Grill last year so were spoiled and wanted the same experience. I decided on a Q3 on Deck 4 to be close to the public rooms. From our experience in a Deck 4 Britannia cabin a few trips back I knew that the Deck 4 balconies were deeper than on higher decks. To me the Q3 was noticeably slightly larger than the Q4s. The thicker support posts and the extra closet are a clue. Some people don’t like the layout of these Penthouse suites on the Vistas. There seem to be three complaints. Some people don’t like the angles, preferring their accommodation to be square or rectangular. Some don’t like the division of the bathroom into two connected rooms with the whirlpool bath and shower stall separate from the sink and toilet. Some don’t like the partial division of the suite with a curtain to span the gap, basically making two smaller rooms. For the reasons many dislike them we love them. For one thing, DW likes to have a nap most afternoons, so with the curtains drawn I had access to the loo, the balcony and the bar without disturbing her. When we went to our first meal, the affable maître d’ Sandro remembered us from last year. He pointed to the table we had on that cruise and told us we would have a window table this time. It doesn’t get any better than this, we said to each other. There was no shortage of staff in QG. There was no longer any disappointment with some food items as we had on our first post-pandemic voyages. We rarely attend the “big shows” in any ship’s theatre. I would prefer to endure root canal than suffer through singers shrieking into hand-held microphones and dancers jumping up and down and rolling about the stage to loud pop music. But there were two low-key shows we did attend and didn’t have to discreetly leave. Our favourite after dinner entertainment was to sit on one of the three levels of the gorgeous Grand Lobby and listen to the string orchestra. It was a pity there was no harpist on board. This is the first time in about 15 voyages there has not been a harpist. The concierge said sometimes there is and sometimes there isn’t. Because we can no longer purchase future cruise deposits, we made a booking for 2026 on the QV. For several years we have wanted to experience the other Vista but never booked it. It will mean flying round trip between Toronto and London, something we thoroughly dislike (flying one-way across the pond is bad enough) but I think it will be worth it. I usually don’t mention the weather, but there has been much discussion about the bad weather on the previous cruise. Even the ship’s crew were still talking about it. Although it rained overnight every night, it didn’t rain at all on any day. There were even some sunny days. The daytime temperature never exceeded 15 C. Knowing the horrid heat and humidly that would greet us on our return to the Toronto area, I loved every minute of it.

The chances are you will be fine. I didn't want to discourage you, but to share my experiences. I have done two transatlantics on that deck and on one crossing there was no problem at all. On the other one it was only one evening and over-night. One out of 14 is not bad. My next TA is booked in 13037. It was actually worse one time when we were on Deck 10 forward.