VK3DQ

2 minutes ago, IB2 said:

Boris likely misspoke.  All the evidence is that it is age OR medical conditions that present a risk.  You don’t necessarily need both.  People with both shouldn’t be travelling at all.

Hmmm but why not .. I have a problem with my spine , it will never get any better  I use a small mobility scooter , I suffer a great deal with pain and have medication to help control it  , I am 73 y/o and have a number of health issues .

However I still intend to enjoy my life as much as possible , I dont expect that I have very many years left to me  so I intend to enjoy my cruising for as long as possible  and if the corona virus gets me ..well you gotta go sometime 

Regards

John

Hi Folks

We are booked on QE leaving for a cruise around the north Island of Ne Zealand

Cunards Australian season looks to be fairly solid with cruises around Australia , coastal cruises and  loops around New Zealand .

I dont think there is a more stable situation than these cruises anywhere in the world at the moment .. I'm fairly sure our April 1st departure will not make April fools of us

Regards

John

Hi 

I doubt if too many of the lines can withstand having  no income for several months ......

Regards

John

3 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

 

That may be true ,but historically no cruise line has ever sailed round Australia in the winter

P & O Australia do and have done for years , and now Carnival Australia are here all the year round  also some Princess ships have been based here year round ...the winter market has not yet been tapped ...with RCL and their private Island happening soon I expect they will wish to operate year round also

Interesting times we live in

Regards

John

6 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

But what will QM2 do in Australia in winter.

 

I'v

In Australia our winter is far the best time to cruise .. the WET season at Christmas time is by far the worst time to cruise , with good marketing QM2 could have a very good winter season down under ...just look at how fast the QE sailings sold out a few weeks ago

Regards

John

13 minutes ago, bazzaw said:

Anybody know why some of the QV and QM2  cruises are excluded from this new policy???? I think I understand why the QE cruises have been excluded.

Hi 

It appears that you can cancel and get a Future cruise credit ..but not cash ..

Also you can go as booked but dont get the extra OBC 

Thats my take on things

Regards

John

22 minutes ago, lissie said:

 

Now that's interesting - that implies that the ability to cancel the cruise is available to those of us on those cruises - interesting 

Yes I noticed that ,,we are holding out as long as possible we wont get the same cruise at the price again , so we want to go as booked

Regards

John

26 minutes ago, NSWP said:

Take ye olde Dinner suit and tuxedo John, otherwise you will get the 'Stare' from the posh Brit Cunarders.

Oh Dear dont have a dinner suit that fits any more BUt I am having a new hat for the trip and I do have a rather nice waistcoat that allows me to drape my pocket watch chain over my ample girth .... the dinner suit has been slit up the back for use in my pine (cardboard) box when the time comes ......with brass handles though

I am trying to be positive if we get confined to barracks well QE  will be better than home .... as long as I have my laptop and some internet.... That girl pinched my hat !  On board MAASDAM

11 hours ago, VK3DQ said:

 

I dont even mind that in Q3 Penthouse on QE in fact I dont care if its 11 sea days 

 

Regards 

John

PS as long as the butler service is maintained !  -{

Steerage !!!!!   hehehe This is our first time on the other side of the Velvet rope !!  I intend to enjoy it

Regards

John

3 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Why not as long I'm not confined to my cabin.

I dont even mind that in Q3 Penthouse on QE in fact I dont care if its 11 sea days 

Regards 

John

PS as long as the butler service is maintained !  -{

2 hours ago, NSWP said:

Queen Elizabeth coming into Eden this morning.  Yes Mic, some well heeled Brit Cunarders and Aussies on board, bet they hit Coles Liquorland and IGA and ye olde Whale Museum, plenty of tours going on too. The 2 fish and chip shops down near the wharf would have made a motza today.

Thats my ship !!!  we board on April 1st for a trip round the North Island of New Zealand ....I'm not going to cancel just hope Cunard dont cancel

Regards

John

Showing Passengers leaving ship and screening process  ...live 

Regards

john

Live feed from Oakland  

31 minutes ago, Kiwi Kruzer said:

It’s docked at Alameda, in Oakland , SF . I believe it’s an old isolated and abandoned military base. You can see it on google maps . Looks to be well out of the way.

Hi Folks

Looks like the old Naval Air Station , if you use street view you can see a large multi story barracks area .. that would be real fun

Regards

John

Hi Folks

Please show VK3DQ & VK3IVIP & MIL Elsie  sailing on board Queen Elizabeth to New Zealand Ex Sydney and Return 1st April 2020

Also Serenade of the seas to New Zealand on November 21st 2020 Round Trip Ex Sydney

Regards

John

9 hours ago, fionaanne1 said:

Not strictly true  We always ask for a table for two because I am as deaf as a very deaf thing and although my husband is well used to me ignoring him 🙄, I am conscious that I can sometimes appear standoffish or rude if I do not respond when other people speak to me. I get weary of having to always explain myself and frankly I often feel left out of the animated conversations on a larger table.

That said, in the past we have had delightful next table companions. 

Hi Folks

Yes I am another "deaf" person dining with people that dont understand deafness can be a real pain in the rear

Deaf people sometime need to select their table and chair to suit where sound is coming from  and there is nothing worse than people who shout so you can hear also those who whisper or talk so fast one cannot understand them 

So after years of frustration many "deaf" people prefer the company of people who understand their issues..its not being rude or unsociable  I like company but sometimes its very hard

We are a party of three so we normally get a table for four with the spare seat unused , this allows me to have maximum choice of where I sit ....

We are in Queens Grill for the first time on Queen Elizabeth from April 1st

Regards

John

On 2/23/2020 at 3:46 PM, VK3DQ said:

Hi Folks

 

We just booked on QE for April 1st North Island of New Zealand trip ,,, 11 nights

 

Air: Yes Yes Yes       Air City: Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne       PRICING DETAILS             All amounts are quoted in   Australian Dollars .           Cruise :  2,633.18  2,633.18        5,266.36 Taxes, Fees & Port Expenses :   115.82   115.82   115.82       347.46 Total Fare :  2,749.00  2,749.00   115.82      5,613.82 Total Amount Received:  5,613.82 Net Due: 0.00 Payment Details Booking is paid in full.     So $5613.82 for Three persons for the 11 days cruise including return air from Melbourne   this is for a Penthouse suite in queens grill    Am I right in thinking that this was a rather good deal??     What do you think   Regards   John   Just got cabin allocation   6111 very happy boy ,,,but still waiting on air  arrangments          Hi Folks  Just got our

Hi Graham

Are you involved with boarding for Cunard??/ We are booked on Queen Liz on 1st April

If so what if any fast track boarding is available for the grill class...yep we got a cheap deal in queens grill

Not to say that your standards service was no good  just my little fat legs dont work so good anymore

Regards John

Hi Bazzaw

No We are well traveled but not yet on Cunard , our last cruise was on Maasdam which we enjoyed  and like you  thought queens grill was out of reach  I think ours is a Q3 but will not get cabin no until one week out but could not resist it when we saw the price

Wife will have to break out her posh frock (Grin)

Regards

John

Hi Folks

We are booked on QE for an 11 night round North Island of New Zealand return Sydney sailing April 1st

$5,6k for three persons in Queens Grill Penthouse suite including air ex Melbourne 

I thought I was seeing things when this first popped up as a fare for suite rather than per person then they changed it to a per person fare with the third person just paying port fees and taxes

so here we go

Regards

John

Hi Folks

We just booked on QE for April 1st North Island of New Zealand trip ,,, 11 nights

3 hours ago, lyndarra said:

Thanks. I was thinking of copy pasting the review topic by topic to here so that I can add stuff or detail that I'd forgotten or omitted.

I Hope you looked after the MAASDAM for us... life without the Ocean Bar is very hard  .... Happy hour again is it???!!

Regards

John

Hi Folks

Send her down to Australia and let her do a winter season of cruises to the pacific islands  ..great weather at this time of the year and a market waiting for a quality ship

Regards

John

PS a safe part of the world 

Hi Folks

With all the issues in Asia at the moment it would seem to be the right time for RCI to bite the bullet so to speak and commit to sailings year round from Australia.

This would enable their new private Island to shine and would give Australians a better choice of ships in our winter time , which is actually the best time of the year to cruise to the Islands avoiding the cyclone season and tropical weather

How about it folks ????

Regards John VK3DQ

4 minutes ago, cruiserchuck said:

 

I would not be surprised if folks flying back to the United States are quarantined like those being returned from China.  As others have pointed out, the quarantine onboard has its issues.  The US has been strickter with quarantines than the WHO recommended.

I agree here I suspect other countries will do similar things without warning 

Regards

John