david,Mississauga

On 11/22/2023 at 9:19 AM, ExArkie said:

Is this the usual practice now (again)? For our B2B in December 2022, everything - including all of our hanging clothes - had to be put in suitcases.

It was a couple of years before COVID when we had to pack everything (except the flowers) to be moved to our new cabin.  Our steward even contacted the head housekeeper but was told the clothes on hangars must be packed.  If we didn't have to go through the palaver at the Red Hook terminal we would have carried them ourselves.  I'm pleased to read that the convenience of the passengers is again being considered as we have to change again next year at Red Hook.

1 hour ago, maggielou362 said:

I like using my smartphone and I use the internet for lots of things for my own convenience, but as far as I know there is no law that says everyone HAS to have internet access and smartphones. Unfortunately, life has become so difficult, expensive and exclusionary for those of us who choose NOT to use this technology. Similarly, it's not compulsory to have a driver's license or a credit card, but damned if I know how people manage to go about their business without them  (unless you're a corrupt oligarch or druglord, I'm sure THEY have no issues). Glad that WantedOnVoyage has clarified that there is an alternative for those who do not wish to be glued to their "devices" permanently.

There are a lot of people who can live without a smartphone. I was recently on a long-distance train trip across Canada with a total of seven people in the group. Only three had smartphones and one uses it only as a basic phone.  There are a lot of people who, for varying reasons, do not have a driver's licence.  I can't imagine not having a computer and tablet and a basic mobile phone and credit card and driver's licence. But I draw the line at smartphones.  

There are some events in Toronto where "ticketing" is only on a mobile device. I have spoken to some who do not  have this and asked how they manage to attend. Well, even those whose devices seem to be attached to their hands have found that they sometimes get lost or stolen (or otherwise surgically removed) or they run out of power at an unfortunate time or stop working. There has to be a back-up. And indeed there is, so I have been told.  When our son goes to a baseball game he tells the customer service desk people his phone packed it in and, after providing proof he paid for a ticket, they print a ticket.

I am thankful that Cunard provides computer terminals. I don't want to be sending e-mails from that small tablet I travel with.

On 11/18/2023 at 5:59 PM, Senga said:

The thing about changing flights in Montreal enroute to Toronto is you have to pay for BOTH seats and the inconvenience of transferring through the airport.

For the transatlantic flights I was booking, the same number of points were required for a non-stop Toronto-London  flight as for the ones that involved a change in Montreal. The Toronto-Montreal portion was on a local narrow-body flight with the usual Business Class seating.  It was the same for westbound flights, although the taxes are much higher because of the UK's air passenger duty which is considerable especially in premium economy or Business class.

The airport fees/taxes were the same - a mere $66 - even though two airports would be used for the one with the change.  

10 hours ago, NE John said:

It may not show on the Cunard site but ask for the Grills drinks package and it’s there. 
Same scenario you mentioned when I booked Alaska but it was part of the Grills fare. My price was a special “call us” deal and it was a really good deal for PG. 

As recently as last year we had an Alaska cruise in PG. We booked early and received OBC and the drinks and gratuities package. Our travelling companion booked later at a much lower fare and did not receive any of these benefits. Enquiries were made through our travel agent as to why and Cunard said that the Grills offers are not available on some substantially lower fares.  It sounds like a similar policy to not providing the promised OBC on Future Cruise Deposits on some promotional fares.  

For next season I see three fares for Alaska cruises. The highest fare promises the usual drinks and gratuities. The two lower fares including the Black Friday sale do not mention them. If the package is available when not promised then that is a great thing.  But I would want to see it in writing before I started signing for drinks.

I remember seeing this posting a few weeks ago.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2973745-cunard-black-friday-sale/

6 hours ago, NE John said:

When booking Grills suites from the US (as I see you are from here) you get gratuities paid and a Grill’s Drinks package included (drinks up to $12, not the $13.50 of the full package). The Grill’s Drinks package covers plenty though and we took advantage of it for both alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks. Please factor that into the price too. 

From personal experience, I know those perks don't apply to all bookings. Some promotions do not offer it.  I have seen some recent promotions that don't mention the drinks and gratuities for the Grills.

On 11/18/2023 at 11:03 AM, WantedOnVoyage said:

They were "hip" on any properly laid British table.... still are at The Victoria in Sidmouth.  I remember the days when P&O would lay out all 16 (or was it 18) pieces of cutlery at each place setting.  Fruit forks, spoons and knives, too.  To the bewildered, the rule was to work from the outsides in and the top sides were for afters. That was properly laid distinctively British table. I guess that why it's all but vanished now. 

 

...

 

Prior to our first voyage on P&O we had a brochure entitled: A guide to P & O silver or similar wording. I may still have it somewhere. When we boarded our first P&O ship in 1974 we were disappointed to see all the silver cutlery had been replaced with stainless steel.  

The Union-Castle Line had a large array of silver-plated cutlery.  Traditionally a fish knife was  paired with a fish fork. On our earlier voyages on the QE2 there was an impressive amount of cutlery - and silver service - even in Tourist Class.  On our recent QE cruise we did get fish knives and forks in QG with most, but not all, fish courses.

1 hour ago, Tango99 said:

Exactly. It’s a deal for new Aeroplan members but I’ve been collecting since 70’s when Nordik air operated!  And that’s a very rare and sweet deal to England. May I ask the routing you found please? and if you booked with an agent? I’ve family and friends in England and Wales but we don’t get over there enough. 

I booked it myself on the AC booking site.  It is a direct routing from Toronto to London Heathrow. I booked it about 11 1/2 months in advance on what would be the first day that bookings became available. Every day the booking period extends by one day, so timing is essential. There are usually four overnight flights from Toronto (no day flights unfortunately) and the cheap fare is usually available on the last flight of the day which is 23:45.

I did notice that it was easier to get a cheap flight with a change in Montreal. I see you are from Ottawa so that would be better for you.  You will notice that most flights cost over 200,000 points per person and that is one way. I would never have enough for that. The fare in $ is absurdly high. My travel agent who books my ships says the Cunard Line (and others) can often get us a good deal for a one-way flight, but I am pleased with what I got for free.

2 hours ago, Tango99 said:

That’s a much better price than the earlier sales. And even less per point than the 4c value years ago. 

Unfortunately, Air Canada has devalued Aeroplan points, i.e. they have raised the points fares considerably in the past year or so. I normally pay about 24,000 for Toronto-Vancouver Business Class but most flights are now three, four or even five times that.  A few years ago I got Toronto-Halifax for 16,000 points and it is now 42,000 on most flights.

Occasionally there is a really good deal and I accepted a friend's advice to only book after midnight when the best deals appear. For a flight from Toronto to England to board the Queen Mary 2 next year we managed to get Business Class for 58,000 points each and only $60 in taxes. That is about one-quarter the usual fare.

5 hours ago, ace2542 said:

Alaska like the Fijords will close forever to cruise ships in a few years. Norway is closing FOREVER to cruise ships in 2026 ships are banned in Olso and Bergen as well from then.There no point to Cunard getting the Queen Anne with the fijords ban and Australia withdraw.

I have not heard anything about Alaska closing to cruise ships. Many ports are investing in improvements to their facilities.  Unlike the Norway cruises, the fjords in Alaska don't get as many ship visits as the towns and cities. 

I am sympathetic to those who will lose the QE in their area, but delighted that it will remain on the Alaska run. A few years ago Cunard had said the QA would replace the QE on the Alaska cruises in order to provide more capacity.  It seems they don't need the extra capacity, probably because of the competition of a huge number of ships doing these cruises. There are often three a day from Vancouver.

We have taken an Alaska cruise on the QE on each of the three seasons (2019, 2022, 2023)  and look forward to more.

On 11/14/2023 at 2:54 AM, eroller said:

Nope you are not alone.  The carpets are actually quite stylish with their ombré design.  I think it’s quite obvious they are not faded or worn.  It’s simply a style and a very fashionable one at that used at many high end hotels.  
 

To me there are far more urgent needs for QM2 than the carpets.  The ship frankly looked quite worse for wear my last sailing on her.  It was sad as I’ve sailed her many times and never has she been in such poor condition.  This amazing lady deserves better.  I’m sure this refit will help but my feeling is she needs something much more substantial than what can be accomplished in this short time frame.  Even so I have high hopes and no question we should see an improved and refreshed QM2.  

The fact that a new design is fashionable and used at many high end hotels doesn't impress me at all. Rubbish is rubbish. 

One of the top hotels in Halifax, Nova Scotia, replaced all corridor carpets a few years ago. They look like it was a solid black or dark blue and someone took a can of white paint and threw it randomly over the carpet. It is the ugliest  I have seen anywhere. In fairness to Cunard, having seen what this high-end hotel has done I am now far less annoyed at the corridor carpeting on the QM2.  

On 11/3/2023 at 4:35 PM, NE John said:

Slightly off topic question, do QG/PG pax get priority embarkation for every port? Or only for just S’Hamptom/Brooklyn? For instance priority in Vancouver for Alaska cruise? 
I’ve been on Cunard ships since 2008 but first time Grills experience this summer. 

We have boarded three times in Vancouver, as recently as this June. There is priority boarding. The sign said: QG, PG, BC, Diamond, Platinum.  It was very busy and I got the impression no-one was being turned away due to the boarding time issued by Cunard. 

We board in Southampton in about 10 months. It is a long way off, but I will be watching closely to read of passengers' experiences.  We are in BC and have requested assistance for my wife who cannot stand or walk for long.  

To me it appears that the first photo is the Veranda Restaurant  as opposed to a stateroom area. 

22 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

Themes for a Gala evening, unless dressing in a lovely long dress/beautiful separates with husband in full black tie is considered a theme, aren't required.

 

In fact, themes are a real PITA! They cause consternation/folk in fancydress/worries about what to wear...Ditch them all and just go with GALA!

I was just going to post a similar comment. From my experiences the majority of passengers do not follow the theme. Like us, most have dressed in what I will call traditional ocean liner formal wear.

6 hours ago, sfred said:

 

There is a shuttle (or at least there was back in 2019).  Dropoff was at the Victoria harbour ferry / Destination Victoria Visitor Centre.  The visitor centre had free wifi.  It's about a 2km level walk from the cruise pier into the city, through the pleasant residential neighbourhood of James Bay.  We shuttled into town, and walked back to the ship.

The shuttle was also running this year and also last year. The drop-off point has been changed to the rear of the Empress Hotel and Convention Centre. 

10 minutes ago, david63 said:

Quite often you can find the exact times from the port's website

Also, the port websites will usually give the terminal or berth assignment. On our more recent voyages the Cunard site would say terminal information would be provided later and it never was - not even on the boarding pass. That is not important for Vancouver, but it matters in other ports such as Québec.

18 hours ago, WantedOnVoyage said:

...  But when you order Cherries Jubilee, it just comes preplated so there is not even an option of tableside preparation. 

...

 

A year ago we had a week on the QM2 in Britannia Club. There was a flambéed dessert every night, including Cherries Jubilee on at least one of the nights. If that is gone from PG on the QE I fear it will be gone in the much cheaper Club on the QE and the QM2.  

16 hours ago, em-sk said:

 

Is this the Halifax to Heathrow flight?   That flight is on a 737max.  That aircraft type is a bit more limited in terms of space than the widebody aircraft that are used on other routes. 

 

Halifax is in a weird situation.  Last month I did Halifax to Vancouver non-stop, also an Air Canada 737max.  I think that domestic flight is longer than the flight to Heathrow.   

Although we live near Toronto, I considered booking the Halifax-London 737 Max because it is the only day flight I can find on AC and is only six hours. We despise flying overnight.  The Business Class section is sold as Premium Economy because these are not "pods" with sleeper seats which people expect for the high transatlantic fares. As we are returning from the UK on the Queen Mary 2 we need only a one-way flight. The Premium Economy fares are reasonable on that plane. By booking 11 months in advance we were able to get a Toronto to London flight in pods for a reasonable number of Aeroplan points, so we don't need the Halifax flight this time.  

I fully agree with a crackdown on carry-on luggage. When we fly steerage we pay to check even a so-called carry-on size suitcase which might (barely) pass muster. In Premium Economy and Business Class they allow two large bags to be checked at no extra charge - and so they should at those fares!

On 10/19/2023 at 11:04 PM, gdlamberth said:

Any thoughts about Hilton at South Terminal?  Our plane departs from the South Terminal and the Hilton appears to be very near the train station also.  We'll be coming up by train from SOU.  Our thought was we'd drop our bags at our hotel at Gatwick then take the train into London for the afternoon/evening, come back to hotel get some sleep and catch our 1300 flight the next day.

Greg

We have stayed at that Hilton many times. It is about a five-minute walk from the railway station. We usually splurge on the Executive section. The rooms, in addition to being large, have a huge bathroom with a separate shower. The lounge offers a good breakfast, all-day snacks and evening hors d'oeuvres. There has always been an open self-serve bar from 5:00 to 7:00. It has been a few years since we have been there but I have read recent reviews and the bar amenity is still there.

We always cross the Atlantic at least one way on the Queen Mary 2. The Cunard coach transfers or a car service have always worked well for us. We always get a Britrail Pass and travel around, basing ourselves at the Hilton - although we sometimes go cheap for a while by splitting our stay there and staying at the aforementioned Premier Inn or in other parts of Britain.

Thank you "WantedOnVoyage" for the comments. May I ask: were there no flambés in PG or just a lot fewer than what was normal previously?  We were on the QE in summer of 2022 in PG and noticed quite a few items were flambéed but not as many as pre-COVID.  This summer we splurged on QG on the QE and there were quite a few main courses and some desserts set on fire. We are rarely in QG so I can't make a comparison to previous voyages.

Only once were we on board when someone exceeded 3,000 nights. It was on a cruise to Norway on the QE in 2013.  I forget the exact number of nights but a rough calculation was nine years.  

3 hours ago, exlondoner said:

I too travelled on her in July 2022, having first used her in 2006 and a few times in between. I didn’t really feel any major changes, certainly not ones that shocked me by being so much worse. Perhaps I am just unobservant. What I have observed is how much nicer the Grills facilities (not the cabins) are on the Vistas, but that has always been the case.

I think most of us would agree that the Grills facilities on the Vistas are considerably better than on the QM2.  As well, most agree that the PG staterooms on the QM2 are better than those on the Vistas. As for QG, even the cheapest accommodation on the Vistas have a separate shower. On the QM2 we would have to pay thousands more for one of the few suites that have that amenity. (My wife's ability to climb into a tub is not getting any easier.) 

After having been overjoyed with our recent QG experience on the QE, we have decided we will never again pay for the Grills on the QM2. Our next two QM2 voyages have been booked in the Britannia Club. 

1 hour ago, Underwatr said:

Thanks. You sent me looking for a photo of the Britannia bathroom in my own photos. Turns out I took more of the shelterred balcony but I did find one online.
Is the layout the same? Our preferred statroom layout put the bed to the right as you enter the room and I believe your bathroom layout is the opposite configuration from what I'm used to.  Definitely looks more up-to-date than the original furnishing.

The layout and apparent size is the same as the regular Britannia cabins. As to the configuration, my recollection from our two trips was that they alternate between bed on the right and bed on the left. We had adjacent cabins with a friend (although there was no "communicating door") Ours -13035 - had the bed on the left and his - 13037 -  on the right.  The deck plans appear to be accurate in showing the entry doors to the cabins.  

The actual partition is not removed. It is the narrow door that is opened. We have done this on the QM2 and the QE. Alaska was specifically mentioned in the first posting. We have had this done on the QE in Britannia and Princess Grill.  It worked well on the Alaska cruises as the weather was never fierce, just some rain from time to time.

6 hours ago, Underwatr said:

I understand that the newer Britannia Club staterooms on 13 have glass shower doors but they are otherwise essentially identical to Britannis staterooms on lower floors. They did have the advantage of building them into the new staerooms rather than adding them later.

We have stayed in one of those Deck 13 Club staterooms twice and have two further bookings. In addition to the shower door, the bathroom is more elegant with a marble counter; the bed-side tables have marble tops and the balcony door is the sliding type. 

I am not a serious photographer, but these pictures will give you an idea of the bathroom.