Queen Mary 2 Finally on Her Way Home

[Solent Richard]

Just picked up minutes ago from a friend on one of my fb groups, the Grand Lady has departed Durban...

 

 

It must be true, it was on their stateroom television....

 

 

Arriving Southampton 08.00 am Tuesday 14 April.

[Germancruiser]

The ( for me anyway) greatest ship on her last voyage for a long time! God speed and farewell! Safe journey home for all remaining passengers and crew! What an end for this years world cruise! Coming home to a world so changed!

[showingdiva]

For the captain, crew and remaining passengers - and for the wonderful ship herself - my relief at the news she's on her way home is palpable.

Safe journey back.

[hypercafe]

I wonder what will happen to the passengers and crew. Many are not English and once dumped off must go somewhere.

[exlondoner]

1 hour ago, hypercafe said:

I wonder what will happen to the passengers and crew. Many are not English and once dumped off must go somewhere.

 

I assume you mean not British: they are not synonyms any more than US and Canada are. For those who are Europeans, the Eurostar is still running a service, as are a few ferries. For those from the Americas perhaps the thought of a seven hour flight is less daunting than that of  much longer one from Aus?

jame

[hypercafe]

I was thinking about most countries have their borders closed to some degree, even the EU. Many airports are closed throughout Europe and the cross channel train is only one a day, I believe. Over here boarders are closed. The crew is from all over the world. I would guess it's very hard to get to the Philippines or Asia now. I would find it very daunting to be standing in the terminal in South Hampton now unless I lived close by.

[BklynBoy8]

Won't be able to sail on you this year.

 

But looking to sail on board with you QM2 next year. Re Booked this morning and will count the days to see you!

 

Take Care and God Speed, Queen Mary 2 "Queen of the Seas"...

[BJLord]

Solent Richard are you able to determine from your friend's FB why the QM2 has turned 180 and heading back north east?

[Pennbank]

The QM2 has turned back towards Durban for a Medivac

Edited April 2, 2020 by Pennbank
photo

[bluemarble]

QM2 has reduced speed to below 8 knots and has changed course to the east. I'm reading elsewhere that she might be doing a medivac (as I see Pennbank has mentioned). That would be consistent with her current course and speed. If that is indeed what's happening, then once that operation is completed, I expect she will resume her course to the southwest.

Edited April 2, 2020 by bluemarble

[bluemarble]

QM2 is back on course now. Heading southwest at over 20 knots.

[Ray66]

Due back in Southampton on 16th April now - until 15th May.

 

http://www.southamptonvts.co.uk/Live_Information/Shipping_Movements_and_Cruise_Ship_Schedule/Cruise_Ship_Schedule/

[Guest SilverHengroen]

As an aside to my dream itinerary posted in another thread, QM2 will actually be passing St Helena on her way home in the coming day or so, albeit she will probably pass well to the East! She seems to be maintaining a good ~25 knots, but that makes me wonder, I assume her range won't allow her to go from Durban to Southampton in one trip, where is she likely to stop to refuel? Or even better if anyone has inside info on what the plan is! 

[bluemarble]

I think the plan is for QM2 to make it all the way to Southampton without refueling. On Roy's abbreviated trip blog thread, sfred provided a range estimate of 17 days for QM2 on a full load of fuel. On facebook, I'm reading that Captain Hashmi has announced an updated estimated arrival time in Southampton as the evening of April 14th.

[milamber]

It will be interesting to see if Cunard put any arrangements in place for those overseas guests who need to travel home from the UK. We heard from our American friends on board yesterday who seemed to be under the impression that they could get a taxi to a local hotel where they could stay whilst they booked a flight back to the States. Given that taxis aren't running, hotels are closed, public transport is severely limited and flights few and far between, overseas guests aren't going to be able to get home without some considerable assistance. 

Edited April 5, 2020 by milamber

[PORT ROYAL]

9 minutes ago, milamber said:

It will be interesting to see if Cunard put any arrangements in place for those overseas guests who need to travel home from the UK. We heard from our American friends on board yesterday who seemed to be under the impression that they could get a taxi to a local hotel where they could stay whilst they booked a flight back to the States. Given that taxis aren't running, hotels are closed, public transport to London is severely limited and flights few and far between, overseas guests aren't going to be able to get home without some considerable assistance. 

 

If Cunard Customer Services wanted to assist, then everything is already in place.  

 

Edited April 5, 2020 by PORT ROYAL

[BlueRiband]

Milamber, I thought that the passengers remaining on the ship beyond Australia are all people who supposedly cannot fly for medical reasons?   I'm confused why your American friends are still on board if they now want to fly back to the US.   If they truly cannot fly due to medical reasons they are going to need housing until Cunard resumes TAs.  

Edited April 6, 2020 by BlueRiband

[rog747]

All the approx 250 passengers who were allowed to remain on the WC at Freemantle all of whom stated they were deemed Unable/Unfit to Fly....I gather Cunard required proof of that.

Funny that some USA pax on board now are quite OK to want a flight back PDQ from the UK to get home to the USA!!

What a travesty...

The QM2 is not sailing to NYC any time soon -
As for what Cunard does with the NYC originating WC passengers I do not know but I would think that Cunard has a duty to house them until the ship can operate again if they cannot fly.

If any pax now elect to get a flight home from the UK to the USA (flights are still running, as are trains from SOU to LON, but many or most Hotels are closed) then Cunard could take the stance and not pay for it, but I doubt it....

Those pax are also attempting to fly against Dr's orders - Travel Insurance would be invalid and airline may not let them fly anyway 

 

Edited April 6, 2020 by rog747

[Solent Richard]

10 hours ago, BlueRiband said:

Milamber, I thought that the passengers remaining on the ship beyond Australia are all people who supposedly cannot fly for medical reasons?   I'm confused why your American friends are still on board if they now want to fly back to the US.   If they truly cannot fly due to medical reasons they are going to need housing until Cunard resumes TAs.  

Err yes, an interesting point and maybe one that may answer some criticisms being levelled by those still remaining onboard.

[milamber]

Blimey, that's all a little judgemental. I can't speak for anyone else on board, but our friend has a problem which means a 7 hour flight across to New York is just about manageable, but that a 24 hour plus series of flights from Perth was totally out of the question. I assume that the remaining passengers also have issues which vary. I can't imagine Cunard would have kept anyone on board who didn't have a good reason to stay. Our understanding is that the process to decide who could remain on board was pretty rigorous.

[Cruise NH]

1 hour ago, milamber said:

Blimey, that's all a little judgemental. I can't speak for anyone else on board, but our friend has a problem which means a 7 hour flight across to New York is just about manageable, but that a 24 hour plus series of flights from Perth was totally out of the question. I assume that the remaining passengers also have issues which vary. I can't imagine Cunard would have kept anyone on board who didn't have a good reason to stay. Our understanding is that the process to decide who could remain on board was pretty rigorous.

 

Well I don't know how rigorous it turned out to be.  This was the process that I went through...first you had to inform the pursers office of your request for medical dispensation. 

 

Around noon on the 15th (everyone had to leave on the 16th remember) someone delivered the medical waiver to your cabin for you to fill out.  This waiver released Cunard from any legal obligation should you get sick or injured on the trip home.  It required your signature and the doctors/medical professional's as well.  You had to present yourself to the medical unit between 3-6 that afternoon for evaluation.

 

We went down around 2:40 and it was already packed with people.  I don't remember what time I was actually called in, maybe 5ish or so.  I had to meet with a nurse first.  With her you explained your situation (severe anxiety in my case, I hadn't flown in 30 years) and she bluntly told us what it was going to be like on the ship should we stay.  The nurse flat out told us they couldn't force us to leave.  In the end I agreed to see the doctor, but my impression was that if I said okay, I understand the situation but I want to stay then I would have been allowed to.  Of course I didn't test that.  

 

After another wait I went into see the doctor who again went over the conditions on the ship after Fremantle.  She was actually pretty good in bucking me up for flying and in the end she gave me a  prescription for anti-anxiety medication (and the pills) and I left.

 

When we walked out of her office we saw no one was there.  It was after 6PM and everyone else had been told to leave and they would get a call.  There must have been hundreds more people waiting because I know some people were up in the Royal Court Theater waiting their turn.

 

Were all those people called?  I have no idea, I suspect many of them are the people currently on board.  The medical unit could have been seeing people the next morning but I have no knowledge of that.  It would have been cutting it pretty close.  As it was I didn't get our flight request in until 7pm on the 15th but I had all our flights reserved by noon the next day (16th) and we were off the ship by 3pm.

 

It was a very stressful couple of days!

 

 

 

 

[Host Hattie]

I can imagine, what did they tell you about it would be like to stay on the ship ?

[Cruise NH]

1 hour ago, Host Hattie said:

I can imagine, what did they tell you about it would be like to stay on the ship ?

 

No entertainment, very limited access to public areas, no choice of dining. And then they of course brought up the prospect of someone testing positive and how that would look...confined to rooms for the duration, etc.

 

A lot of the discussion was about how things would be in April when the ship actually got to the UK.  I wondered if it would blow over by then but the nurse in particular talked a lot about how other viruses in the past have acted, SARS, H1N1 for example.  She thought it would be worse by mid April...and I guess she was right.

 

 

 

[Host Hattie]

Thank you

[Trevor33]

If there are coronavirus cases on board when QM2 arrives on 14th April at Southampton is there a possibility that the ship will be quarantined in Southampton and those on board not able to travel onwards as has been the case with the Princess ships etc. QM2 is not due to go anywhere soon. I understand the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal in New York is to be turned into a hospital facility.