Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

Merged:Outbreak on QM2 as it pulls into New York?

Annabel50

By Annabel50,
in Cunard Line

 Share

Recommended Posts

Underwatr

Underwatr

Posted
Posted
4 minutes ago, Splice the mainbrace said:

Does this mean that to sail back to Southampton directly from Barbados is not an option?

 

It appears that that letter was only sent to passengers planning to disembark in New York on Jan 3. First paragraph: "As you were due to disembark Queen Mary 2 on 3 January 2022 in New York..."

 

Passengers who had booked to return to Southampton on the ship no doubt will be given a different letter with different options.

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Fayecruises

Fayecruises

Posted
Posted

I don;t know if this helps  but my husband and I were on the Queen Mary 2 in March 2020 when we were kicked off in Fremantle Australia  It happened very suddenly and everyone had to leave within 24  hours    Cunard did the best they could and boy it was a shock  - in the middle of a world cruise with tons of luggage   They booked people with air and verbally told us if we do not like what they booked we can do it ourselves and they will reimburse us   We did that and it took us about 20 hours to get home    They paid for hotel in Sydney and all taxi costs and all luggage since we had more than the alloted amount   I used my credit card points and they reimbursed me for that amount It took about 6 months to get it all refunded  (we wanted a refund and not a credit)   We flew to our home airport of Washington DC and not New York  Hope this helps a bit   I can;t believe that lightning strikes twice and this has happened again to my dear Queen Mary2

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ace2542

ace2542

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Roland787 said:

I am currently onboard QM2.  We are at anchor off Barbados.  To put it kindly Captain Hall has provided no context to passengers as to why the cruise has been halted.  We have been given zero information as to the status of COVID cases onboard.  There are rumors of a charter flight having been booked to fly North American passengers home on the 1st and 2nd.  My family and I are beyond disappointed with the near total lack of communication from Captain Hall / Cunard.  I have sent Captain Hall the following letter via the pursers desk:

 

"Captain Hall, 

 

I would like to first thank you and all of your crew for all that you have done and are doing to provide a pleasant and safe journey for all onboard Queen Mary 2 under such extremely extraordinary circumstances.  I am also grateful to all Cunard, Carnival UK, Carnival shoreside personnel who are working to make arrangements for North American passengers to return home.   

 

As a passenger who joined Queen Mary 2 in Brooklyn on the 22 nd, I would respectfully ask that you please consider sharing with North American passengers the context of how Cunard came to the decision that Queen Mary 2 will head directly to Southampton UK vs. stopping at a North American port to disembark North American passengers.  From news reports it would appear that the port of New York has closed due to Omicron?  Is there a reason Queen Mary 2 could not make a stop in an alternative North American port to disembark North American passengers?  Cunard forcing North American passengers to disembark in Barbados and fly commercially during the pandemic feels a bit like Cunard is abandoning the North American passengers.  My elderly parents and I drove to the Brooklyn Cruise terminal rather than flying from our homes in Central Virginia specifically in order to avoid flying during COVID.  We had not foreseen any possible circumstance under which Cunard would not return us to North America via ship.  If you would kindly consider sharing with the passengers some additional information about why Cunard has had to make the difficult decisions that it has made, that would go a long way towards alleviating some of the anxiety and concerns felt by myself, as well as many other passengers.   

 

Best wishes to you and all of the Queen Mary 2 crew!"

FWIW is it their intention to arrive back in Southampton Jan 10th or are they going to gun it across the atlantic at 29 or 31 or however many knots and make the crossing in 3 or 4 days as they can do probably 3 from Barbados. Many of the UK passengers will have transport booked for them on Jan 10th coaches and the like to get them home.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
newcruise

newcruise

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, ace2542 said:

FWIW is it their intention to arrive back in Southampton Jan 10th or are they going to gun it across the atlantic at 29 or 31 or however many knots and make the crossing in 3 or 4 days as they can do probably 3 from Barbados. Many of the UK passengers will have transport booked for them on Jan 10th coaches and the like to get them home.

The news items posted by Host Hattie indicate Cunard’s intention to return to Southampton by January 10. Whether passengers will be onboard has not been addressed as yet.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Host Hattie

Host Hattie

Posted
Posted
Just now, newcruise said:

The news items posted by Host Hattie indicate Cunard’s intention to return to Southampton by January 10. Whether passengers will be onboard has not been addressed as yet.

It was addressed in the letter posted earlier in the thread.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Underwatr

Underwatr

Posted
Posted
9 minutes ago, Roland787 said:

There's a new unsubstantiated rumor going around that several key members of the bridge team had become positive causing them to halt the cruise, as they need to fly in more ships officers.

I had picked up that impression somewhere - the term "officers" was used in one of the scant few communications on the topic. It's not in the letter that was sent to all passengers yesterday however so I'm not sure where I had picked that up. Of course bridge officers would be "essential roles" which is one term used in the letter.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Underwatr

Underwatr

Posted
Posted
13 minutes ago, Fayecruises said:

They paid for hotel in Sydney and all taxi costs and all luggage since we had more than the alloted amount 

Today's passenger letter discusses the airline luggage limits and says excess luggage will be stored onboard and delivered after QM2 reaches Southampton (including US passengers, which I expect will take some time...). 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Bedruthen Great Review Rare

Bedruthen

Posted
Posted
On 12/28/2021 at 6:01 PM, PORT ROYAL said:

Interesting.
Two photographs, two different locations, with a complainant about the filthy condition of a single stateroom.

❓

They are screen shots taken from  the video that was posted

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Dermotsgirl

Dermotsgirl

Posted
Posted
40 minutes ago, Underwatr said:

I had picked up that impression somewhere - the term "officers" was used in one of the scant few communications on the topic. It's not in the letter that was sent to all passengers yesterday however so I'm not sure where I had picked that up. Of course bridge officers would be "essential roles" which is one term used in the letter.

Yes, I had certainly gained the impression that it was officers they were short of, rather than other crew. The new crew members are being flown from the U.K. so that sounds more like bridge crew than, say, cabin stewards or waiters. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Annabel50

Annabel50

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Wishing everyone a safe trip home whether you sail or take the flight option its a logistical nightmare with many flights also being cancelled due to crews and pilots falling sick. Im sure even though it appears there is zero communication, there will be a lot going on behind the scenes to try and accommodate all as best as possible.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
EvaBME

EvaBME

Posted
Posted (edited)
8 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

My friends on this cruise will be expecting to stay on until Southampton, as she can’t fly anymore. 
 

 

What would happen if someone was physically unable to fly, and they had to return to NYC?   Sometimes the reason people cruise is because they are unable to fly.  

Edited by EvaBME
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Annabel50

Annabel50

Posted
  • Author
Posted

If Cunard can not accommodate that on one of carnivals vessels, then I guess they would have to be in touch with their insurers to look at options. There are many people that cant fly that use Cunard, so Im sure that will be taken into consideration and well planned for when dealing with a critical incident, they will have well rehearsed plans in place.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
ShipFan13

ShipFan13

Posted
Posted

I feel so very sorry for my fellow passengers on here. Feel sorry for Cunard and QM2 they have been my favorite cruise line for years and I travelled many times with them as I'm a Diamond member.

 

My wife and I were scheduled on this New York to Caribbean trip and then we were going on from New York to Hamburg on January 3rd.

 

As I sat in the hotel in New York, watching the news on the spread of this Omnicron I told my wife I don't want to go down to the Caribbean I just don't feel good about this trip.

 

We decided to drive home and thought we might come back to New York and take the January 3rd portion to Hamburg, but now I see they have cancelled it.

 

Feel so bad for everyone and for Cunard. I have a pretty bad phobia of flying so I always take the ships to travel. I don't know what I would have done being down in Barbados right now and my only two choices are to fly to New York or England.

 

Will definitely keep reading this thread and my prayers and thoughts are with all involved in this situation.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Boytjie

Boytjie

Posted
Posted
21 minutes ago, EvaBME said:

 

What would happen if someone was physically unable to fly, and they had to return to NYC?   Sometimes the reason people cruise is because they are unable to fly.  

 

Anyone that absolutely cannot fly should not be cruising either as there is no guarantee that you can sail back to Point A. Any kind of emergency can happen out on the ocean.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites
navybankerteacher

navybankerteacher

Posted
Posted
41 minutes ago, Boytjie said:

 

Anyone that absolutely cannot fly should not be cruising either as there is no guarantee that you can sail back to Point A. Any kind of emergency can happen out on the ocean.

It would be interesting to hear what conditions make it "absolutely impossible" to fly - while still making travel on a cruise ship -- bearing in mind that there can be no absolute guarantee that the cruise ship you start on will be able to bring you home.

 

I suppose some such condition might exist --- but my years of experience hearing of people who

"ABSOLUTELY CANNOT" do things have taught me that "ABSOLUTELY" does not mean "in all cases" --

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...