Questions about QM2

[mheslop]

I know there have been some changes since I was last on in 2008. I have two questions:

 

1) Is formal attire required in the Kings Court specialty restaurants on formal nights?

 

2) What is the current situation vis a vis wifi? Do the cabins still have that CruiseEmail where you use a keyboard and the TV and pay for both incoming and outgoing messages.

 

Thanks!

[Ray66]

I know there have been some changes since I was last on in 2008. I have two questions:

 

1) Is formal attire required in the Kings Court specialty restaurants on formal nights?

 

 

No. The dress code for that is Elegant Casual every night.

[William Dean]

2) What is the current situation vis a vis wifi? Do the cabins still have that CruiseEmail where you use a keyboard and the TV and pay for both incoming and outgoing messages.

 

They've got rid of that dreadful interactive television, and there is no wireless internet throughout the ship. Charges are from $0.75 per minute down to about $0.40 if you buy an eight hour package.

 

Whether you use the ships computers or your own the charges are the same.

 

WD

[Underwatr]

Whether you use the ships computers or your own the charges are the same.

Of course with your own computer you can compose your emails offline in Word/Notepad/etc, and then only be charged for the time to paste the message and upload via your email client.

 

I have too little experience with use of Cunard's own computers to know whether something like that is possible if you use them.

[William Dean]

Of course with your own computer you can compose your emails offline in Word/Notepad/etc, and then only be charged for the time to paste the message and upload via your email client.

 

I have too little experience with use of Cunard's own computers to know whether something like that is possible if you use them.

 

It isn't, I'm afraid. They charge the same amounts as I stated earlier for the use of Word.

 

WD

[StarFlyr]

and there is no wireless internet throughout the ship. Charges are from $0.75 per minute down to about $0.40 if you buy an eight hour package.

 

Re wifi throughout the ship, that depends on how you define throughout the ship. On our recent voyage on the QM2, wifi worked fine in our 6th floor cabin. I say several people using laptops in the public areas on the 7th deck and most of them were online.

 

We signed up for the 480 minute plan for a 21 day voyage and it worked fine. While in theory, that's about 23 minutes a day. Somedays we didn't use it at all which gave us a bit more time to browse the internet when we did.

 

You are not allowed to use Skype on the ship's computers and I don't know how Skype would have worked on a laptop, but i DID make some Skype calls with my iPhone via the ship's wifi. However, generally speaking, the ship's internet speed is TOO slow to support Skype calls. I'm guessing my successful Skype calls were made when the ship's internet traffic was on the low side. About 2 cents a minute for Skype plus 40 cents a minute to use the ship's wifi.

[StarFlyr]

Of course with your own computer you can compose your emails offline in Word/Notepad/etc, and then only be charged for the time to paste the message and upload via your email client.

On my recent voyage, I composed mail offline with Mozilla Thunderbird (a free mail program). I used the Windows version, but I see they also have a OS X version although I don't know if it works the same as the Windows version in reference to offline composing.

 

With Thunderbird, I could then sign on the QM2 "clock", upload and download my mail and then go offline to read it which saved many valuable 40 cent minutes for other uses.

[Bigmike911]

There is wifi on the ship. The signal strength varies with location, but my biggest complaint was the lack of bandwidth. It was difficult to use due to the limited capacity and the number of users. At 1 a.m. it was easy to get on, but still slo

 

The capacity issues occur in the internet rooms and the library, but apparently not in the official Cunard spaces. The concierge had no problem accessing my airline and printing my boarding passes, which I had tried to no avail on the public computers.

 

In the end, the lack of internet is not really a problem. There are lots of other things to do on the ship. The mobile phone network worked fine and was modestly expensive.

 

Turn the computer off and enjoy the cruise.

 

Mike

[mheslop]

They've got rid of that dreadful interactive television, and there is no wireless internet throughout the ship. Charges are from $0.75 per minute down to about $0.40 if you buy an eight hour package.

 

Whether you use the ships computers or your own the charges are the same.

 

WD

 

Thanks for the reply. I am very familiar with all the charges and the speeds. I really want to know if I can use my computer in my cabin with wifi as I can on the QV and the QE and on other ships. I am not sure if that is what I am reading on this thread. Could you confirm that wifi is indeed available in the cabins. thanks.

[mheslop]

It isn't, I'm afraid. They charge the same amounts as I stated earlier for the use of Word.

 

WD

 

You can, in fact, compose on Word (or another app)offline on your own computer and only pay for copy/paste and send. If you compose on the ship's computers, you will pay to compose. This is what I do for my blogs. I compose for as long as I want on my computer offline, then log on, cut and paste and send. Saves a bundle.

[William Dean]

Thanks for the reply. I am very familiar with all the charges and the speeds. I really want to know if I can use my computer in my cabin with wifi as I can on the QV and the QE and on other ships. I am not sure if that is what I am reading on this thread. Could you confirm that wifi is indeed available in the cabins. thanks.

 

I'm sorry that the replies on this thread are substandard (I've seen your post on Pugwash's blog) but have to confess that I haven't helped by a typo. It should clearly read that there is NOW wifi throughout the ship - not NO wifi.

 

Apologies.

 

WD

[mheslop]

I'm sorry that the replies on this thread are substandard (I've seen your post on Pugwash's blog) but have to confess that I haven't helped by a typo. It should clearly read that there is NOW wifi throughout the ship - not NO wifi.

 

Apologies.

 

WD

 

No apologies needed - I should have realized it was a typo. thanks so much. Cheers!