david,Mississauga

Not in my experience. We had such a bad experience the first time we disembarked in NY - yes, it was decades ago - we didn't disembark there again for about 40 years. We have, however, embarked about a dozen times and never had a problem.

We have disembarked in Southampton much more than New York. In Southampton we have not once been treated rudely by officials, nor had our luggage misplaced, nor had the cruise line-arranged transfers messed up. Never once have we had a good experience disembarking in New York, although one time in 2016 it wasn't nearly as bad as others. After the nonsense we endured this past October I am determined to avoid New York.

On our June cruise in Princess Grill on the QE we had Contessa. On our October voyage in Britannia Club on the QM2 we had P.A.

From reading these replies - and those on similar discussions - one might get the impression the best reason for using a TA is to get a discount. In Canada, discounts from TAs are not common. My reason for using a TA is service. It is not for a possible discount or for the gifts we have received from our TA on board. This year is the 50th anniversary of our first Cunard voyage. Two of the crossings we had would not have been possible without the assistance of our cruise specialist. When the cruise line says: "No, it can't be done" an experienced TA - especially one with connections with the line - can get things done. A while back a CC member said it was nonsense to say that a TA works for you as opposed to the cruise line. Based on my experience in the past 50 years that person is wrong. Fortunately, Canadians are still able to purchase future cruise deposits so we find there is no advantage for us to book on board.

I am pleased that Cunard supplies a kettle in all grades of cabins. Tea-pots are available on request. In Britannia and Britannia Club, room service would not supply a china tea-pot, but the ones they have sent are silver-plated which is good for keeping the tea hot. Even before Carnival bought the Holland America Line we found it was impossible to get a decent cup of tea. It is worse now in that tea-pots are not readily available. On a recent HAL cruise, even in our Queens Grill sized suite there was only a coffee maker. The lounge for suite passengers had the only source of suitably hot water (hissing and sputtering from the spigot) on the ship, but alas no tea-pots. The way HAL serves the tea at afternoon tea would make a serious tea drinker laugh or weep.

On a recent voyage on the QM2 we were in Britannia Club. At the next table was a couple who had been upgraded - the only ones in their group of about 20. The dining assignment card is now called an invitation to dine in the Club. They thought that was a one-off. The next day they dined in Britannia, not necessarily with the rest in the group, and at dinner they had the open seating. After a couple of days the Britannia M.D. told them they were in the Club for the voyage. So after that they took most of their meals in the Club but occasionally dined with the group in Britannia.

I cast another vote for the Commodore Club. Even when we are travelling in the Grills, it is our favourite place for a drink.

Deposits were not always refundable on US and Canadian bookings. I don't remember when that changed, but on our earlier crossings on the QE2 in the 1970s and 80s the deposits were not refundable. But they were small set deposits, not a percentage of the fare. I recall it was $50 pp in Tourist Class and $100 in First Class.

Our first voyage on the QE was in 2013. Tea was served in the Grills lounge, which was very nice. The problem was it was often full, so the passengers arriving later were served in the PG. I suppose someone decided they may as well just serve it to everyone in the PG. On our Alaska cruise in June there were very few passengers taking tea in the PG. They could have easily managed everyone in the Grills lounge - at least on that voyage.

The time factor is not as important to us as the convenience of not having to stand in a lengthy queue. My wife has poor mobility, although she requests wheelchair assistance only rarely. For boarding in Vancouver a wheelchair is helpful given the start at lower level, then going up to the convention level, then back down, then security, then dealing with U.S. immigration. Disembarking is much easier, although we will request wheelchair assistance if we are going to take a taxi. The cost of the transfer with Cunard is high: it is Can.$60 pp if booked in advance or US$60 pp if booked on board. I recall the taxi was about $40. As for the original question, we have had three arrivals in Vancouver (one on HAL, two on Cunard) over the past six years and there has been no immigration/customs procedure at all. Even this year with ArriveCan in effect, Cunard had all our information which was given to the Canadian officials so we simply walked off the ship as if it was a ferry boat.

We also have stayed at both - twice at the Fairmont and at least six times at the Pan Pacific. We almost always stay on the club or Gold floors. Although overall we prefer the PP (more smoked salmon and better evening hors d'oeuvres as well as a better view in the club) the deciding factor for us is the price. Often the price difference is considerable. For example, this past June the Club at the PP was $650 and the equivalent at the Fairmont was only $420. But for next June the PP is $520 and the Fairmont is a ridiculous $1050. From my experience, when the rates are very high a long time in advance they usually come down closer to the date. As noted, both hotels will deliver the luggage to the ship. Until the pandemic, the Fairmont had a car for the benefit of passengers with mobility issues that would take people to the check-in area on the lower level of the terminal. That service has been discontinued.

Indeed, a taxi is cheaper than the cruise line's bus, but getting a taxi can be difficult. In 2019 we got a taxi quite easily, but this past June the queue for taxis was immense. There was one other ship in addition to the Queen Elizabeth. Only a few taxis at a time can come into the loading area. It appeared we would be there for a long time, so our friend suggested we take our luggage up to the street level, cross the street to the Fairmont Waterfront where we had stayed before the cruise and ask them to get us a taxi. The two doormen recognised us and were glad to get us a taxi, which took only 15 minutes to arrive. For next year's cruise we will book the usually expensive Cunard transfer bus which will be more convenient. It won't actually cost us anything as we have a lot of OBC.

Of course people have to return, but not necessarily by air or by the same route. The three times we have boarded the Queen Mary 2 in Québec these were one-way voyages ending either in New York or Southampton. Similarly, it appears to me that most HAL cruises to or from eastern Canadian ports are one-way voyages. We have also flown a few times one-way to or from Vancouver and the other direction was on VIA's splendid train the Canadian. Domestic airfares are quoted by all airlines on a one-way basis. Strangely, flights overseas are always quoted on a round-trip basis, but the airline industry is a great mystery at times.

We have flown one-way from Toronto to Québec three times on Porter for a fare under $200. Although I do not fly economy on long flights, I have assisted friends with booking flights to or from Vancouver (to connect to or from a cruise) for under $200. While you have to check regularly for deals, it was not difficult to get those. There are one-way flights Toronto - Vancouver in the winter as low as $138 on Air Canada. I doubt it will be that cheap when the cruise season starts, but there are sales even in peak season. Porter will soon start Toronto - Vancouver service with Embraer jets. On a couple of dates I chose at random in both winter and summer, economy is $114 and their premium section is $421.

No-one, not even Cunard, will be able to answer your question. It was only earlier this month that the 2024 season went on sale and the date for that wasn't confirmed too far in advance. Many people asked about 2024. There was a lot of speculation and references to previous years. That was interesting but not really helpful.

I always thought "white tie" meant white tie and tails. I have a very old tail-coat I can still fit into, but I would have to get a new piqué waistcoat.

Although not for Southampton, in 2019 we were given a late boarding time for Vancouver. We were not in the Grills but are Diamond members. Our TA phoned Cunard and was told we should ignore that and plan on boarding at 12:00. In fact we were on board before 11:30, the earliest we have ever boarded a Cunard ship.

I can say only what is working for my wife and me. This year we had, unusually, two voyages: the first for 10 days and the other was for seven days. On the 10-day Alaska cruise on the QE we were travelling in PG with a friend who has a voracious appetite. So we took all three meals in the PG with him and most days afternoon tea. Despite not eating a huge amount of food I managed to gain seven pounds, which took me seven weeks to lose. For the second shorter voyage we were in Britannia Club on the QM2 and travelling without our friend who is a bad influence. We decided we would rather skip lunch than tea. Occasionally we had a bowl of soup in Kings Court, but nothing else until afternoon tea. I still managed to gain four pounds, though. This weight gain was never a problem even 20 years ago.

The concierge told me on a voyage in 2019 that the start dates of each Alaska cruise are known well in advance, but the ports of call and their order are harder to determine. Apparently Cunard doesn't want to disappoint people who book an Alaska cruise for certain ports and find that changes have been made. It seems that some other cruise lines don't have that problem, but many ships (e.g. Holland America) follow the exact same 7-day itinerary all season. Some of Cunard's relatively few cruises are of different lengths and different ports of call.

I have noticed in other years as well the Alaska itineraries have been posted later than other voyages.

A while back in an e-mail or a brochure Cunard said that the QA would be cruising to Alaska in order to provide more capacity. I feared that might happen very soon so we booked another cruise to Alaska on the QE for next year. Although the 2014 schedules for the QE have not been published - to my knowledge - it appears the QE will be in the area to do the Alaska cruises for that year. If the information I have seen about the QA is correct, it will not be anywhere near the Canadian west coast in 2024.

I was being facetious. Sorry, I will give myself a slap on the wrist.

Anyone who has read all of the comments on this thread might get the impression that blue jeans are compulsory for daytime wear. Although I haven't worn jeans since I was about eight, I take no umbrage at those who do. But many people dress casually without jeans and in no way is this stuffy.

Although the Canadian government has eliminated its COVID protocol for boarding ships in Canada, cruise lines can set their own policies. This summer and autumn we took two voyages on Cunard (one from Vancouver and one from Québec City) and Cunard's requirements were more strict than Canada's that were in effect at that time. May is a long way off. I'm sure I don't have to tell you to keep checking with the cruise line as changes can occur at any time.

I hope they will do that for you as they did for us last year. We had a voyage cancelled which would have been just a couple of weeks before the four-year expiration of the future cruise deposit. Cunard honoured it for a voyage this year, which would have been almost five years since the deposit was booked. It seems only fair.