Boarding: so far so good.

[Jack E Dawson]

13 hours ago, RJChatsworth said:

There has been dancing in the evenings - no hosts.  Dancing lessons have continued during the day.

 

We love afternoon tea in the Queens Room on Queen Elizabeth but it’s orf!!  Instead you have to go to the Britannia restaurant, the Lido or the PG restaurant.  We haven’t bothered!

First of all RJChatsworth, thank you so much for taking all the time to answer the many questions on this thread. However, what I'm not seeing is  what are the basic COVID-19 restrictions/protocols that have been imposed on this cruise. Are you required to wear masks anywhere on the ship? Is there any onboard testing? Have any of the normal activities (dining, shows, lectures, etc) been modified due to COVID-19 precautions? Bottom line, how has COVID-19 impacted this cruise, if at all?

Thanks and all the best to you on this start back to Cunard cruising.

 

Jack

[Se1lad]

Quick Question regarding toiletries in QG.  Are these the same brand as previous, and are they still provided in small bottles, or have they moved to wall mounted dispensers now?

[RJChatsworth]

Jack - somethings I have mentioned like 4 in lifts and no Queens Room afternoon tea. All activities are continuing but you are expected to wear face masks outside your cabin except the daily line dancing passengers in the Queens Room are not wearing their’s!   The theatre seating is in twos with adjacent seats not for occupation.  You are asked to self distance as you leave the theatre.  There are reminders that masks must be worn in the theatre and drink/food must not be consumed or served in the theatre.  There are strategic dispensers.  There is no routine testing.  There is little paper in existence apart from menus in the restaurants.  Sudoku and crosswords from the library and Britain Today, the Daily Programme and letters to cabins.  Books can be taken from the library.  I haven’t seen any Cunard brochures.  The Tours office is open but we are not stopping anywhere!  Future Cruise bookings is open but you can’t just turn up and queue, you have to book at the front desk or by phone to the front desk.

[majortom10]

10 hours ago, Jack E Dawson said:

First of all RJChatsworth, thank you so much for taking all the time to answer the many questions on this thread. However, what I'm not seeing is  what are the basic COVID-19 restrictions/protocols that have been imposed on this cruise. Are you required to wear masks anywhere on the ship? Is there any onboard testing? Have any of the normal activities (dining, shows, lectures, etc) been modified due to COVID-19 precautions? Bottom line, how has COVID-19 impacted this cruise, if at all?

Thanks and all the best to you on this start back to Cunard cruising.

 

Jack

You are required to wear masks when walking around inside the ship except when eating or drinking. Masks need not be worn on promenade deck or open deck. All table service at bars. In the theatre masks are to be worn at all times with no food or drink allowed. One scam which seems to be popular is to avoid wearing a mask inside some people have been ordering glass of water with no intention of drinking it so that they can take their masks off. Having said that there is some confusion if you are inside and social distancing and reading etc. whether youwear a mask or not.

 

 

 

[Jack E Dawson]

Thanks RJChatsworth and majortom10. It will be interesting to see how all these safety measures and precautions morph as Cunard, and the cruise industry in general, get more experience under their belts. This is such a fluid situation. 

 

Jack

[RJChatsworth]

Se1lad - Penhaligon’s in moveable plastic bottles that are the same size as Molten Brown bottles.

[saintgeorge]

Have just noticed on Cunard Website that a suite in Queens Grill has come available for 24 September.

[delondin]

Would someone currently on board be able to show drinks prices as considering getting the drinks package. Thanks 

[exlondoner]

The lack of paper seems a way of saving money rather than anything else, as nobody seems to think paper is dangerous for Covid transmission. If you buy a drink in the bar, I assume you no longer get a paper receipt, so how on earth can you check your final bill?

[RJChatsworth]

1 hour ago, saintgeorge said:

Have just noticed on Cunard Website that a suite in Queens Grill has come available for 24 September.

I should grab it!!

 

In an earlier post I reported that there were no advance menu sheets in the QG cabin folder.  Today we began receiving them.

[exlondoner]

We've been so busy asking for details about the ship, we haven't really asked if you are having a nice time, with reasonable weather, calm seas, and nice views, etc.

[ace2542]

21 hours ago, RJChatsworth said:

no Queens Room afternoon tea

Hardly worth going then is it? The afternoon tea is a major draw for a lot of people. I can't imagine the QM2 without it. Do they serve it someplace else like the dinning room or is just not on offer?. Why don't they offer  it the entire afternoon but only sitting per person stagger it out and do it that way though I know you can't answer that question.  Or maybe the afternoon tea is gone and will never come back? What have they said about it?

Edited August 17, 2021 by ace2542

[Host Hattie]

On 8/15/2021 at 2:16 PM, RJChatsworth said:

 

 

We love afternoon tea in the Queens Room on Queen Elizabeth but it’s orf!!  Instead you have to go to the Britannia restaurant, the Lido or the PG restaurant.  We haven’t bothered!

 

15 minutes ago, ace2542 said:

Hardly worth going then is it? The afternoon tea is a major draw for a lot of people. I can't imagine the QM2 without it. Do they serve it someplace else like the dinning room or is just not on offer?. Why don't they offer  it the entire afternoon but only sitting per person stagger it out and do it that way though I know you can't answer that question.  Or maybe the afternoon tea is gone and will never come back? What have they said about it?

 

Already covered ....

[ace2542]

Are they doing the comp wine tasting for the platinum members?

[ace2542]

2 hours ago, exlondoner said:

The lack of paper seems a way of saving money rather than anything else, as nobody seems to think paper is dangerous for Covid transmission. If you buy a drink in the bar, I assume you no longer get a paper receipt, so how on earth can you check your final bill?

You can check it on your room tv I am sure?

[Host Hattie]

Just now, ace2542 said:

You can check it on your room tv I am sure?

That's not an option on Cunard unless there has been a technology upgrade recently.

[exlondoner]

I must say I have usually enjoyed having tea in the PG restaurant, more so than in the Lounge, though I love the lounge at other times, but everything seems a bit cramped at tea.

[ovccruiser]

1 hour ago, ace2542 said:

Are they doing the comp wine tasting for the platinum members?

I am on the 1st October cruise and according to the bits received from Cunard so far, yes they are. As usual, I can't find it. It did say there were no Officers or Captains party, but I am sure it did say the wine tasting was still on.

[majortom10]

Yes they are doing complimentary wine tasting for Platinum and Diamond and is better as they serve 4wines to your table and serve it with cheese, grapes and crackers. For those that are able to download My Cunard App when you get onboard if it works, it doesn't on my phone, then you are able to check onboard account balance on there.

 

[exlondoner]

11 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

Yes they are doing complimentary wine tasting for Platinum and Diamond and is better as they serve 4wines to your table and serve it with cheese, grapes and crackers. For those that are able to download My Cunard App when you get onboard if it works, it doesn't on my phone, then you are able to check onboard account balance on there.

 

 

Its not the balance I'm concerned about. It is checking that I've actually had everything I've been charged for. Hence on the last morning I compare all the paper receipts I've collected from the bars etc with what is itemised on the bill. I can't do this without a paper receipt.

[Mumsysailor]

57 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

 

Its not the balance I'm concerned about. It is checking that I've actually had everything I've been charged for. Hence on the last morning I compare all the paper receipts I've collected from the bars etc with what is itemised on the bill. I can't do this without a paper receipt.

Perhaps you’ll need to keep a small notebook in your pocket and make a note every time you spend onboard. 

[Victoria2]

1 hour ago, exlondoner said:

 

Its not the balance I'm concerned about. It is checking that I've actually had everything I've been charged for. Hence on the last morning I compare all the paper receipts I've collected from the bars etc with what is itemised on the bill. I can't do this without a paper receipt.

I agree.

We have had a few anomalies over the years, a few reasonably expensive ones i.e. a round of drinks for $150 on one occasion assigned to our cabin when luckily, we were in a different bar and signed a slip there so could prove it wasn't us even before checking the signature,  and check our signed slips against the account a few times over a two or three week cruise.

It's a brave person who doesn't check and the slips are the easiest way to do it.

[RJChatsworth]

The weather has been mixed, yesterday quite poor but today quite good and have spent much time on the balcony. Have sailed round Mull and by the capital Tobomory which has 1000 people.  We had about 10+ dolphins frolicking around the ship yesterday.  Information has not been very forthcoming so never sure what islands you were passing.  Yesterday we went past Staffa (Fingles cave) but if you didn’t know you’d have missed it.  Would have expected an announcement or a piece of music!  Today the navigational channel was showing Tobermory at noon hours after we had left.  At about 4pm it showed next stop Southampton on Friday which suggests we won’t be seeing anything else with a slow ride home!

[exlondoner]

I think it is disappointing they can't give you lots of voyage info, when the whole point of the trip is what you can see from the ship.

[Cathygh]

4 hours ago, ace2542 said:

You can check it on your room tv I am sure?

I seems the plan going forward will be that it will be on the new app. Not sure if they have started this on Cunard yet. It will no doubt be the same as the P&O one, which is having lots of teething troubles..but the one thing that did work well for me on the P&O version was that I could see my account.