Live from QE, sailing 18th Jan.

[bluemarble]

1 hour ago, LadyL1 said:

We should be arriving in Cadiz at 9.00am tomorrow.

Saturday is now Gibraltar, then a mid evening arrival in Malaga departing Sunday evening.

Monday - Cartagena

Tuesday- Valencia

Wednesday- at sea

Thursday is now Lisbon. Antigen test for this port $25.

All before arriving home on Sunday 30th.

 

Thanks for the itinerary updates. That's quite a fruit basket upset with none of the ports on the same day as originally planned. Except for Cadiz (now a day earlier), it looks like it's essentially a reversal of the original port order. Excellent that you still get to call at all the ports.

 

For the sake of my dress code/theme schedules, is your second gala evening still going to be on Sunday, January 23rd (originally a sea day but now Malaga) or are they going to move it to your new sea day on Wednesday, January 26th?

[Rocky of London]

A nice relaxing cruise....can’t wait for our Feb cruise on this ship....please keep the updates coming 😘

 

 

[majortom10]

7 hours ago, LadyL1 said:

Chatsworth

So sorry about the disruption of your planned cruise: if it had been us we would have been gutted!

 

Majortom

You said that you cancelled this cruise, but at present you seem to be missing out on a glorious winter escape.

 

Yesterday we thoroughly enjoyed  Rob Bayly’s (ex BBC programme director)talk on the making of the Antiques Road Show.  Masks and seat distancing in the theatre, but to be expected. The lecturer on astronomy, my husband found to be less riveting and left after 15 minutes. Such a shame as this is one of his favourite topics.

Last night was a wonderful B&W a evening with dress code well adhered to. Our mains of half a lobster and chateaubriand both excellent choices, the lobster as tasty as any I have recently had! The Queens Room came to life with dancing and a very good band.

 

This morning we saw a most impressive sunrise just after 9.00am local time. So far today,  it has been wall to wall sunshine with springlike warmth and flat calm sparkling seas and one does not really require a coat on the outside deck. The WOW factor for the day was that I had my first swim in the midship pool and needless to say I was alone! The aft pool was seriously cool (even for me).

 

We should be arriving in Cadiz at 9.00am tomorrow.

Saturday is now Gibraltar, then a mid evening arrival in Malaga departing Sunday evening.

Monday - Cartagena

Tuesday- Valencia

Wednesday- at sea

Thursday is now Lisbon. Antigen test for this port $25.

All before arriving home on Sunday 30th.

 

If you have any questions, I will endeavour to find out for you.

So far, and so very good!

Perhaps so but I wasnt prepared to take the risk of a chance of being off loaded by Cunard in a foreign country with Covid and all the problems involved if wife wasnt positive or vice versa. So do not regret transferring it to a cruise in March which I am also going to transfer on 1st February to a cruise in November 2023.

[BestGuessed]

We did likewise Majortom.

 

We would have loved to have been onboard now but the risk of being offloaded in a foreign port was personally unacceptable to us and although that risk is minimal the “what if” worry would have blighted our cruise.

 

Having said that we really envy everyone who is onboard at present and hope you all have the most fantastic cruise. 🌞🍾🥂

[3rdGenCunarder]

On 1/18/2022 at 9:02 PM, RJChatsworth said:

Thanks LadyL1 and I look forward to further reports.  We were due to sail on this voyage in the PG.  We had packed. Then at 4.30pm the day before sailing my wife received a Covid ping on her iPhone to say that she had been in the vicinity of someone with Covid 6 days earlier.  She felt fine and all subsequent lateral flow tests have proved negative.  I called Cunard in accordance with the terms of the Cunard Health Declaration Form completed 48 hours earlier.  Cunard cancelled our booking and have given us an FCC to the full amount.

 

Bon Voyage!

 

Sorry to hear you were so close and then couldn't go. When you called Cunard, did they ask for documentation of the contact? On my side of The Pond, we don't have the sort of tracing you do, so I guess it's an honor system to report if I find out I've been near someone with covid. Some people may hope for the best and not report a contact.  

[LadyL1]

Firstly a few questions answered.
1. We are certainly having the room serviced twice a day, and butler very visible and helpful.
2. The thermal pool in the spa area is shut but all treatments available.
3. We were not given dates of the 2 remaining formal nights on the amended itinerary. The B&W was a day earlier (19th) than expected.

 

We docked at around 9.00 am and It has been a fabulous day here in Cadiz, with more wall to wall sunshine. Walked miles this morning in this historic city and the warmth was certainly uplifting with jumpers left on the ship.

On our port side the super yacht YAS is berthed, and beyond that we can see the Island and Coral Princess ships.  Not sure if they are mothballed or having maintenance performed!

Last night in the theatre, the vocalist Jenny Williams was the main act. We did not attend but our near table companions all said that it was not the best of evenings. Tonight is singer/comedian Allan Stewart,  but will give him a miss in favour of the jazz in the Commodore Club.

The aft pool remains unheated, so will now wend my way to the midship pool, in the hope that it has been topped up to a decent level and look forward to my pre-ordered Dover sole, for this evening’s meal.

 

Edited January 21, 2022 by LadyL1

[3rdGenCunarder]

Thanks for answering my question about the thermal pool. Not what I was hoping to hear. QE's thermal suite is the best of any of the spas I've tried. I find the one on QM2 to be dark and dreary. HAL's vistas are good but require going out to a hallway to go from the pool to the loungers. The layout on Koningsdam is terrible, with people walking through what should be a quiet area. But QE has the loungers and pool connected so that it's easy to go back and forth. I hope covid numbers decline and it's open when I'm on her in June. There's something decadent about lying on a heated lounger while sailing past snow-capped mountains.

[BigMac1953]

On our port side the super yacht YAS is berthed, and beyond that we can see the Island and Coral Princess ships.  Not sure if they are mothballed or having maintenance performed!

 

I think they were there in November when we were there, so I guess they're mothballed.

[RJChatsworth]

56 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

Sorry to hear you were so close and then couldn't go. When you called Cunard, did they ask for documentation of the contact? On my side of The Pond, we don't have the sort of tracing you do, so I guess it's an honor system to report if I find out I've been near someone with covid. Some people may hope for the best and not report a contact.  

Three days before sailing you have to complete a Cunard Declaration of Health Form in the UK and questions relate to the previous 14 days.  One is about being contacted by Track & Trace in that period.  After completion of the form you are obliged to advise Cunard of any changes.  Therefore I called Cunard and as we had been contacted within 14 days our booking was immediately cancelled.  Cunard is being ultra-cautious, because like in the USA, you only have to isolate for 5/6 days here if you test positive. My wife has had no symptoms and has taken multiple lateral flow tests all of which have been proved negative.

 

I wouldn’t take the risk of not telling Cunard because if she had gone down with Cunard she may have been taken off the ship in Spain.  I think this is a requirement of the Spanish authorities rather than Cunard.  Also, on another Cruisecritic site there is a suggestion that insurance companies don’t insure you for repatriation if it’s the Spanish authorities’ decision you leave the ship rather than Cunard’s.

 

When I called Cunard, they answered within minutes, cancelled our booking and issued an FCC promise to the full amount which I have already used to book a replacement cruise.  I therefore didn’t have to hassle with insurance companies!

[3rdGenCunarder]

5 minutes ago, RJChatsworth said:

Three days before sailing you have to complete a Cunard Declaration of Health Form in the UK and questions relate to the previous 14 days.  One is about being contacted by Track & Trace in that period.  After completion of the form you are obliged to advise Cunard of any changes.  Therefore I called Cunard and as we had been contacted within 14 days our booking was immediately cancelled.  Cunard is being ultra-cautious, because like in the USA, you only have to isolate for 5/6 days here if you test positive. My wife has had no symptoms and has taken multiple lateral flow tests all of which have been proved negative.

 

I wouldn’t take the risk of not telling Cunard because if she had gone down with Cunard she may have been taken off the ship in Spain.  I think this is a requirement of the Spanish authorities rather than Cunard.  Also, on another Cruisecritic site there is a suggestion that insurance companies don’t insure you for repatriation if it’s the Spanish authorities’ decision you leave the ship rather than Cunard’s.

 

When I called Cunard, they answered within minutes, cancelled our booking and issued an FCC promise to the full amount which I have already used to book a replacement cruise.  I therefore didn’t have to hassle with insurance companies!

 

Thanks for the clarification. I understand your concerns about being taken off the ship. The spectre of all those people being flown home from Barbados convinced me to cancel the Feb Caribbean cruise. I hope your wife continues to be okay. 

Edited January 21, 2022 by 3rdGenCunarder

[Host Hattie]

What a shame @RJChatsworth but good to hear that you were dealt with quickly and that Cunard are doing the responsible thing.

 

[LadyL1]

 

We should have docked in Gibraltar at dawn but this was abandoned (whilst very close to berth) because the wind was gusting at around 40kn. A very pleasant morning at sea on the way to Malaga with good visibility, sunshine and clouds. No lack of interest on this cruise, more like a “magical mystery tour”!

Around 2.00 pm we berthed in Malaga: quite a chop on the sea and QE was assisted in with 2 tugs. It is fortunate  that we will have the sun on the balcony until sunset, and we are in a perfectly sheltered spot, but this afternoon too hot to sit here for long.

Once again we are blessed with excellent crew members whom we rely on. As you would expect the service has been faultless and the food excellent. Tonight we have ordered chateaubriand to be followed by crepes Suzette; what could more pleasant?

My next excursion is to the pool probably followed by a brisk walk to the promenade ashore.

Proving to be a great UK winter escape (so far).

 

 

 

[Host Hattie]

Sounds wonderful @LadyL1, I hope you're not too disappointed to miss Gibraltar.

[djwcruisejunkie]

Thank you LadyL1 for taking the time to post. It's good to get a first hand account and sounds like you are having an enjoyable cruise. Like MajorTom we cancelled our Jan cruise and moved it to this summer, as we didn't want to risk being offloaded in the Canaries. Current debate is whether to move it to 2023 after Feb 1. 

Hope you continue to have good weather and a fun cruise 😁

[LadyL1]

 

Our second day in Malaga has been very relaxing: it is a lovely cruise port that is eminently walkable with superb historical buildings. It seems it can only get better as they are building a mega-yacht marina, but the construction work does not affect visitors from the ship.

A little of what I have heard around the ship from listening and watching

*In the dining room another conversation about pax numbers, with the waiter saying max 60% at present.

*A moan about no Caribbean calypso band on board!

*Mask wearing is very strictly enforced (easy to forget when leaving room) which seems totally accepted

 

 There is a new production in the theatre tonight, “The Outsider” so will give that a viewing. Whether we will join the 60’s Motown night in the Queens Room, just Depends.

A photo of the deserted ship just after 10.00pm.

 

[3rdGenCunarder]

Thanks for another update. I'm glad to hear that mask wearing is being accepted. Yes, it's easy to leave one behind. When I go out, I wear mine on a "mask chain," so I can take it off outdoors but it's there when I need to go outdoors again. I'm not a lanyard wearer on a cruise, but needing to have a mask handy might convert me. 

 

Another thing to add to the packing list, a magnetic hook for the back of the door to hold my mask and remind me to take it. (At home, it hangs from the doorknob so I can't miss it)

 

Are the shops on board selling masks?

 

[Rocky of London]

That is a very empty area..only 10 pm as well.....I wonder what it will be like on the 20 of February......on our wedding  anniversary cruise.

[white_bear]

Thank you, LadyL1, for the blog - very informative for us as Cunard first timers boarding QE in February.

[majortom10]

21 hours ago, Rocky of London said:

That is a very empty area..only 10 pm as well.....I wonder what it will be like on the 20 of February......on our wedding  anniversary cruise.

Nothing new it was like that in August/November and cannot be down to Covid because on our last cruise before Covid in October 2019 we sat in the bar there talking to a couple having a drink at about 9-30 and we were the only ones in the bar there were more staff.

 

Edited January 24, 2022 by majortom10

[LadyL1]

Last night we saw the new show, and thought that the dancing troupe for this was less in numbers than usual: only 10. The graphics used were excellent and it was somewhat different from the those gone before. It was pleasing that the theatre was reasonably full and the entertainment appreciated.
Arrival this morning in Cartagena was greeted by showers and quite a cool temperature. We berthed behind the AIDAblu which we saw depart at 18.00. For us, it was a shame that the aft of the ship was east facing so we could not enjoy the afternoon sun. The pool area captured the sun setting and I enjoyed 30 minutes in the pool. With a long walk in town today the exercise rate is keeping some impressive figures (it helps by using the stairs except when descending in 👠!
I was wondering if anyone reading this can enlighten me?  An attempt to shift an existing deposit to a more expensive already booked trip later this year, was declined. This being that I would have rebooked the same cruise, now that there are a few Grill cabins available and the total spend greater. At one time, whilst onboard, one could peruse the Cunard booking site without using internet time,  but that is not possible now.
A few observations that might interest some! The “alternative evening dining” in the Lido does not seem to be operating. I hope this is not permanent as we have had some very pleasant meals there. Also, afternoon tea is only available in the Queens Room (3-4.00pm) or the Lido. This afternoon, the classical pianist made for good listening.
We are now waiting to set sail for Valencia  and yet another memorable dining experience. 
This cruise is certainly relaxing and enjoyable even if the weather is slightly cooler than the norm!

 

[majortom10]

2 hours ago, LadyL1 said:

Last night we saw the new show, and thought that the dancing troupe for this was less in numbers than usual: only 10. The graphics used were excellent and it was somewhat different from the those gone before. It was pleasing that the theatre was reasonably full and the entertainment appreciated.
Arrival this morning in Cartagena was greeted by showers and quite a cool temperature. We berthed behind the AIDAblu which we saw depart at 18.00. For us, it was a shame that the aft of the ship was east facing so we could not enjoy the afternoon sun. The pool area captured the sun setting and I enjoyed 30 minutes in the pool. With a long walk in town today the exercise rate is keeping some impressive figures (it helps by using the stairs except when descending in 👠!
I was wondering if anyone reading this can enlighten me?  An attempt to shift an existing deposit to a more expensive already booked trip later this year, was declined. This being that I would have rebooked the same cruise, now that there are a few Grill cabins available and the total spend greater. At one time, whilst onboard, one could peruse the Cunard booking site without using internet time,  but that is not possible now.
A few observations that might interest some! The “alternative evening dining” in the Lido does not seem to be operating. I hope this is not permanent as we have had some very pleasant meals there. Also, afternoon tea is only available in the Queens Room (3-4.00pm) or the Lido. This afternoon, the classical pianist made for good listening.
We are now waiting to set sail for Valencia  and yet another memorable dining experience. 
This cruise is certainly relaxing and enjoyable even if the weather is slightly cooler than the norm!

 

Afternoon Tea was available in Princess Restaurant for PG/QG in November so unless they have stopped it because of numbers attending or another cut I dont understand why it is not on. But to be honest it wasnt publicised we had to ask if it was available or else we would never have known.

 

[bluemarble]

2 hours ago, LadyL1 said:

I was wondering if anyone reading this can enlighten me?  An attempt to shift an existing deposit to a more expensive already booked trip later this year, was declined. This being that I would have rebooked the same cruise, now that there are a few Grill cabins available and the total spend greater.

 

I'm not sure how much I'll be able to help, but I do try to keep up on Cunard's terms and conditions for both the US and the UK. Cunard does spell out a pretty good set of revised terms and conditions for transferring UK bookings under their "Covid-19 - Flexible Booking Terms" page found on the Cunard UK website.

 

"Prior to the balance due date on your booking, you can now:

• Transfer your booking to any Cunard voyage currently on sale (and not just to those within the next 12 months).
• Transfer your booking to a voyage of higher or lower value (and not just of a higher value, as is usually the case).
• Transfer your booking an unlimited number of times (and not just once).
• Transfer your bookings free of charge, as we will waive the current £100 administration charge for each transfer made.

This policy modifies the transfer policy in our Booking Conditions. This policy may be changed or withdrawn at any time without notice."

 

Although it isn't specifically stated here, I suppose Cunard's stance is that this policy provides for transferring your deposit to a new booking, not to another already booked trip. The transfer policy in the original UK Booking Conditions, which this new policy modifies, talks about treating a transfer as a new booking.

 

When it comes to FCC amounts obtained from a canceled cruise, they do specifically state those can only be applied to a new booking or to upgrade an existing booking.

 

Hope this helps some.

[RJChatsworth]

bluemarble - Whilst moving a booking on yesterday, I asked the the Cunard Reservations Agent whether the current favourable transfer arrangements you mention might be withdrawn when bookings open on the 1st/2nd February for the recently announced 2023 schedule.  I was assured they would not!

[LadyL1]

 

Tuesday saw the QE arrive in Valencia, and it was tipping with rain. Fortunately the sun made an appearance mid morning and the afternoon has been pleasant but chilly if caught in the shade. The weather has not stopped my daily swim, and so nice not to share the pool.☺️

It was over an hour after docking, before the Spanish authorities gave clearance to QE, and for disembarkation to begin. Captain Inger later apologised for this, but the situation shoreside was out of her control. With those ready to leave on tours, it was not a great start to the day being lined up in anticipation. Valencia is a very large port and about 45 minutes into the city on the shuttle. Just to the aft at right angle is the Costa Luminosa, and further away, the AIDAblu makes another appearance.

Tonight in the Queens Room, one has the opportunity to join in the traditional Scottish festivities, addressing the haggis and toast Robert Burns. I did notice that haggis is available as an appetiser tonight.

Thank you to Blue Marble and Chatsworth for enlightening me on the booking conditions, but I suppose that is what I expected although certainly a little vague. To book in the Grills whilst onboard is beneficial re OBC$$$.

Just to confirm that afternoon tea is available in PG, but not something we have partaken.

So late in the afternoon we set sail, and tomorrow is a day at sea and next and last port is Lisbon. We are truly heading home now, but would have been happy to stay in the Med for longer.

 

in answer to an earlier question, I have still not looked to see if masks are being sold onboard. I must remember!🙃

 

 

[Host Hattie]

Homeward bound already 😱, how long until you are back onboard ?