Cunard QM2 14th Jan to 11th Feb 2022

[bluemarble]

2 minutes ago, Matelot70 said:

Queen Victoria has joined the party. Shot into the setting sun from our balcony

 

I just noticed Queen Victoria had joined the party as well, having just returned from a trip to Antigua. I've been looking for her on a webcam without success. I think she's hiding behind QM2 on the IWCP "Shallow Draught" webcam view. Thanks for the photo. We now have five cruise ships at Bridgetown this afternoon.

[Matelot70]

Just now, bluemarble said:

 

I just noticed Queen Victoria had joined the party as well, having just returned from a trip to Antigua. I've been looking for her on a webcam without success. I think she's hiding behind QM2 on the IWCP "Shallow Draught" webcam view. Thanks for the photo. We now have five cruise ships at Bridgetown this afternoon.

A tender has just left QV and is heading into port. Does this make 5.1 ships?

[bluemarble]

Ah, I found a webcam image at Bridgetown including QV. Here's a capture from another of the IWCP webcams called "Brandons Beach 1" found at "www.iwcpinc.com/cameras/brandons-1-nccview/".

 

 

QV is to the right in this image and appears to be on her way back to Antigua now. QM2 is near the center of this image.

Edited January 25, 2022 by bluemarble

[Matelot70]

Just now, bluemarble said:

Ah, I found a webcam image at Bridgetown including QV. Here's a capture from another of the IWCP webcams called "Brandons Beach 1" found at "www.iwcpinc.com/cameras/brandons-1-nccview/".

 

 

QV is to the right of this image and appears to be on her way back to Antigua now. QM2 is near the center of this image.

If she is we have a mystery. I am sure her tender not QM2's has headed South from here. It was getting too dark to see who was aboard. QV us very slowly moving NW.

[bluemarble]

21 minutes ago, Matelot70 said:

If she is we have a mystery. I am sure her tender not QM2's has headed South from here. It was getting too dark to see who was aboard. QV us very slowly moving NW.

 

Yeah, perhaps another case of suspect information being reported by AIS. QV's reporting a destination of St. John's, Antigua but an estimated arrival time of 16:30 today (two hours ago). She's currently heading west at 8.5 knots, not a more northerly course you'd expect if she were really heading to Antigua.

Edited January 25, 2022 by bluemarble

[Megabear2]

Is not Queen Victoria currently the quarantine ship for P&O as well as Cunard.  There were reports she took passengers from Ventura in Antigua to quarantine. Perhaps she had others aboard from the other two P&O ships operating in the Caribbean who finished and came out of quarantine and were flying home from Barbados?

[bluemarble]

Not to turn this QM2 blog into a discussion of QV, but I see QV returned to Bridgetown a couple hours ago. She has taken over the berth vacated by MSC Seaview earlier this evening. QM2 and QV are now both docked within the port of Bridgetown.

[bbtablet]

20 hours ago, asto said:

 

 

 

 

7 hours ago, bluemarble said:

Not to turn this QM2 blog into a discussion of QV, but I see QV returned to Bridgetown a couple hours ago. She has taken over the berth vacated by MSC Seaview earlier this evening. QM2 and QV are now both docked within the port of Bridgetown.

Did I understand that one of QV's functions in the Caribbean at the moment was to receive covid passengers and crew by transfer from Cunard and P&O ships? - perhaps that is what is happening now from QM2?

[Dermotsgirl]

2 hours ago, bbtablet said:

 

Did I understand that one of QV's functions in the Caribbean at the moment was to receive covid passengers and crew by transfer from Cunard and P&O ships? - perhaps that is what is happening now from QM2?

Yes, QV is in the Caribbean as a ‘support ship’ for other Cunard and P&O ships.

 

if they are seen together in port, I think it’s safe to say that some sort of people transfer is taking place 

[jgd3rdbcfd]

We heard from the crew of QM that during our Holiday cruise on QM, WV was the quarantine ship for all of Carnival Inc cruise ships.

[bluemarble]

I have a question about the upcoming February 1st Gala Evening on this cruise. That evening was originally scheduled to have a Masquerade theme. I suspect that has been changed as it has on other recent voyages because of the existing face mask policies.

 

Have you received an update about what the theme is going to be (if any) for your February 1st Gala Evening? Or are they going ahead with the Masquerade theme?

Edited January 26, 2022 by bluemarble

[plod1]

As already mentioned in your other thread, I confirm that the 1st February theme was 'Masquerade' and that has now been changed to 'Black and White' and that ha been showing as such for a couple of weeks for me.

[D&N]

1 hour ago, plod1 said:

As already mentioned in your other thread, I confirm that the 1st February theme was 'Masquerade' and that has now been changed to 'Black and White' and that ha been showing as such for a couple of weeks for me.

That's a shame. I don't quite see the problem! 🤣🤣

[RJChatsworth]

Keep seeing QM-2 and QV berthed in Barbados as a backdrop to ‘live’ cricket from the Kensington Oval in Barbados where England is playing an International T20 match against the West Indies.  Much heavy cloud without sunshine and 20 minutes play lost due to rain.  However, both ships look splendid!

[exlondoner]

Even to see the lovely ships, I'm not really sure I could bear to watch England at the moment. 😀

[bbtablet]

Any updates would be very welcome, Matelot70.

 

Perhaps having too much fun at the moment?!

[Matelot70]

5 hours ago, bbtablet said:

Any updates would be very welcome, Matelot70.

 

Perhaps having too much fun at the moment?!

Yes very hectic fun more later

 

Tuesday 25^th to Saturday 29th

Sorry not to have continued my on the spot report but a combination of internet problems and runs ashore have given little spare time. Adjusting from 7 relaxing sea days to a hectic 7 days of port stops has been very demanding!

Firstly comments on ship matters. Moored at Barbados and as has been commented on another thread a busy day at the port as we moored up at the outer harbour quay. A tight fit for this ship but it left us with a beautiful view of the sea. The ship came alongside with no shoremen to take the ships lines which is something I have not seen before, don’t know if anyone else has. With tenders obstructing the view I couldn’t see how this bit of seamanship was completed. Coming back in the afternoon Queen Victoria a few hundred yards abeam. Saw a tender come to port with quite a few crew on board and after a short while depart south as darkness set in. Queen Elizabeth did a couple of turns on the spot and then sailed off westward to become a pinprick of light on the horizon. That’s good we thought there can’t be any major issues as we went to dinner. Just as we returned there was Queen Victoria off our stern sailing into port so we started to wonder again. A member of the restaurant staff told us he had been quarantined on Queen Victoria before coming aboard here and that all the crew on Queen Victoria had been allowed to go ashore since they left Southampton. We can only guess at any transfers of passengers or crew that might have taken place because we witnessed nothing. On Wednesday we left Queen Victoria as we sailed to Grenada.

One new thing was that our on board account to date was charged to our credit card in Barbados. Had the date been different that might have caused problems with the account we use for credit card and other bill payments particularly with the difficulties in accessing bank accounts from aboard. We were warned a 2 days ahead but I have never experienced a transaction like this 10 days into a cruise and it is perhaps something to need to be aware of if this is the future system.

Grenada was a very wet day that passed normally and next day we berthed in a slightly less rainy Dominica. Our regular room steward who has been missing since we the observed the PCR tester outside a room he was servicing.

 Beautiful arrival in St Kitts with the waning moon and probably Venus still bright in the pre dawn sky. Beautiful tropical day for the first time. On departure tonight the Captain announced we would  be getting to St Martin at 10pm for an overnight stay. 2 reasons are a medical emergency that could not be dealt with in St Kitts and  the fuel tanker didn’t turn up at St Kitts so we will have to refuel overnight at St Martin.

Will try to update soon with land side experiences

[Matelot70]

54 minutes ago, Matelot70 said:

Yes very hectic fun more later

 

Tuesday 25^th to Saturday 29th

Sorry not to have continued my on the spot report but a combination of internet problems and runs ashore have given little spare time. Adjusting from 7 relaxing sea days to a hectic 7 days of port stops has been very demanding!

Firstly comments on ship matters. Moored at Barbados and as has been commented on another thread a busy day at the port as we moored up at the outer harbour quay. A tight fit for this ship but it left us with a beautiful view of the sea. The ship came alongside with no shoremen to take the ships lines which is something I have not seen before, don’t know if anyone else has. With tenders obstructing the view I couldn’t see how this bit of seamanship was completed. Coming back in the afternoon Queen Victoria a few hundred yards abeam. Saw a tender come to port with quite a few crew on board and after a short while depart south as darkness set in. Queen Elizabeth did a couple of turns on the spot and then sailed off westward to become a pinprick of light on the horizon. That’s good we thought there can’t be any major issues as we went to dinner. Just as we returned there was Queen Victoria off our stern sailing into port so we started to wonder again. A member of the restaurant staff told us he had been quarantined on Queen Victoria before coming aboard here and that all the crew on Queen Victoria had been allowed to go ashore since they left Southampton. We can only guess at any transfers of passengers or crew that might have taken place because we witnessed nothing. On Wednesday we left Queen Victoria as we sailed to Grenada.

One new thing was that our on board account to date was charged to our credit card in Barbados. Had the date been different that might have caused problems with the account we use for credit card and other bill payments particularly with the difficulties in accessing bank accounts from aboard. We were warned a 2 days ahead but I have never experienced a transaction like this 10 days into a cruise and it is perhaps something to need to be aware of if this is the future system.

Grenada was a very wet day that passed normally and next day we berthed in a slightly less rainy Dominica. Our regular room steward who has been missing since we the observed the PCR tester outside a room he was servicing.

 Beautiful arrival in St Kitts with the waning moon and probably Venus still bright in the pre dawn sky. Beautiful tropical day for the first time. On departure tonight the Captain announced we would  be getting to St Martin at 10pm for an overnight stay. 2 reasons are a medical emergency that could not be dealt with in St Kitts and  the fuel tanker didn’t turn up at St Kitts so we will have to refuel overnight at St Martin.

Will try to update soon with land side experiences

Correction should have read QV crew NOT allowed ashore since Southampton 

[sogne]

1 hour ago, Matelot70 said:

Yes very hectic fun more later

 

Tuesday 25^th to Saturday 29th

Sorry not to have continued my on the spot report but a combination of internet problems and runs ashore have given little spare time. Adjusting from 7 relaxing sea days to a hectic 7 days of port stops has been very demanding!

Firstly comments on ship matters. Moored at Barbados and as has been commented on another thread a busy day at the port as we moored up at the outer harbour quay. A tight fit for this ship but it left us with a beautiful view of the sea. The ship came alongside with no shoremen to take the ships lines which is something I have not seen before, don’t know if anyone else has. With tenders obstructing the view I couldn’t see how this bit of seamanship was completed. Coming back in the afternoon Queen Victoria a few hundred yards abeam. Saw a tender come to port with quite a few crew on board and after a short while depart south as darkness set in. Queen Elizabeth did a couple of turns on the spot and then sailed off westward to become a pinprick of light on the horizon. That’s good we thought there can’t be any major issues as we went to dinner. Just as we returned there was Queen Victoria off our stern sailing into port so we started to wonder again. A member of the restaurant staff told us he had been quarantined on Queen Victoria before coming aboard here and that all the crew on Queen Victoria had been allowed to go ashore since they left Southampton. We can only guess at any transfers of passengers or crew that might have taken place because we witnessed nothing. On Wednesday we left Queen Victoria as we sailed to Grenada.

One new thing was that our on board account to date was charged to our credit card in Barbados. Had the date been different that might have caused problems with the account we use for credit card and other bill payments particularly with the difficulties in accessing bank accounts from aboard. We were warned a 2 days ahead but I have never experienced a transaction like this 10 days into a cruise and it is perhaps something to need to be aware of if this is the future system.

Grenada was a very wet day that passed normally and next day we berthed in a slightly less rainy Dominica. Our regular room steward who has been missing since we the observed the PCR tester outside a room he was servicing.

 Beautiful arrival in St Kitts with the waning moon and probably Venus still bright in the pre dawn sky. Beautiful tropical day for the first time. On departure tonight the Captain announced we would  be getting to St Martin at 10pm for an overnight stay. 2 reasons are a medical emergency that could not be dealt with in St Kitts and8  the fuel tanker didn’t turn up at St Kitts so we will have to refuel overnight at St Martin.

Will try to update soon with land side experiences

DGPS accurate 2 the inch mm 

[Matelot70]

8 hours ago, sogne said:

DGPS accurate 2 the inch mm 

Not seen a DGPS that can moor a ship like QM2 to the quayside unaided

[Matelot70]

Arrived at St Martin at 2200 fuel barge alongside this morning. Off for the day sorry for some typos last night. Will try to catch up the rest of the experience asap. No news yet of the medical emergency

[SeaSalt07]

Thank you Matelot70 for the updates. I enjoy them

[Matelot70]

24 minutes ago, Matelot70 said:

Not seen a DGPS that can moor a ship like QM2 to the quayside unaided

Additionally many nautical charts have not been re surveyed to GPS accuracy. On a yacht with an electronic chart it showed us sailing across a small Greek island, an obvious chart problem as we never left the water.

[Host Hattie]

Have a great day

[sogne]

3 hours ago, Matelot70 said:

Not seen a DGPS that can moor a ship like QM2 to the quayside unaided

DP I suspect  depths in Brigetown probably accurate.  In my 25 years SAR came across several GPS mishaps usually not updated or wrong scale