Live from QE, sailing 18th Jan.

[3rdGenCunarder]

1 hour ago, 57eric said:

I have masks with the Cunard logo but don't know if I'm allowed to post where I got them.  I probably found them through an Internet search, so give that a try.

 

Thanks for the suggestion. I found lots of them!

[LadyL1]

A day of packing and a last trip to the spa: the treatments have been very good, plus a few offers have come our way.
The sea has been been slight with constant passing showers, and we we snow wending our way through the English Channel at 12.8kns.
The “jungle drums” have been operative in the last few days, one being the new ship will be named on Feb 8th plus other rumours re future itineraries. Whatever, the cruise industry needs desperately to get back on its feet, and we must accept that for the foreseeable future this will not be the same as pre COVID. It is no good harping on the past, we must take what is offered and enjoy what one has booked! We have a cruises booked  on both the the QE & QV this year, but disappointed that S’ton roundtrip to the Caribbean in November/December is not being offered on one of the smaller Queens, either this or next year. Perhaps being saved for the new ship☺️!
So,  having had the “last supper” and  delicious menu as expected just a quick breakfast awaits. There seems to be a huge number of crew leaving tomorrow, and I wish them good luck in getting new future contracts which they desperately hope for!

This evening, another rendition from the Beatles Experience, which I am sure will be widely appreciated, is a fitting send off. 
This has been a very enjoyable cruise, and we have met some lovely people. Roll on the next one!

[Victoria2]

.

Enjoyable and interesting. Thank you for sharing the last week plus with us.

[majortom10]

15 hours ago, LadyL1 said:


 

The “jungle drums” have been operative in the last few days, one being the new ship will be named on Feb 8th plus other rumours re future itineraries.

There is a member of CC who I think works for Carnival UK or P&O and posts on P&O forum and occasionally on Cunard username molecrochip and he has already "suggested" that the new ship will be named on 8th February.

Edited January 30, 2022 by majortom10

[IB2]

I see her now, out of the window, all lit up and off on another voyage…

[Jimmys Chippy]

We were on this cruise and had a great time, there has been one drawback though, I’ve just received my PCR results, which were submitted on the way home, yesterday, and it’s a positive. I guess all those who were happily coughing out and about on the ship, and there were quite a few, are going to be hearing the same.

[Annabel50]

We got off QE on 13th December, on return from the Canaries, having tested negative. Took a lateral flow on arriving home the same day negative. We isolated whilst awaiting PCR which came back next day positive. We had kept ourselves to ourselves pretty much on the cruise due to my husbands health issues so I was a bit surprised whilst recognising omicron is highly contagious.Took a further PCR same day via NHS which was negative. So can only assume the external company we used had contamination issues in their lab. I had no symptoms and my husband was also negative. Like you we saw a few coughing over people and also some not using hand sanitiser in the public areas, totally selfish. 

Hope you make a speedy recovery if you have got COVID and it may be worth ordering an NHS PCR like we did which you are entitled to if you have returned from abroad. 

[Host Hattie]

1 hour ago, Jimmys Chippy said:

We were on this cruise and had a great time, there has been one drawback though, I’ve just received my PCR results, which were submitted on the way home, yesterday, and it’s a positive. I guess all those who were happily coughing out and about on the ship, and there were quite a few, are going to be hearing the same.

Sorry to hear about your unwanted souvenir of the cruise, I hope you recover quickly.

[Jimmys Chippy]

8 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

Sorry to hear about your unwanted souvenir of the cruise, I hope you recover quickly.

Thank you, it’s not often you get a free gift from Cunard so we’re taking it as a plus!

[Jimmys Chippy]

32 minutes ago, Annabel50 said:

We got off QE on 13th December, on return from the Canaries, having tested negative. Took a lateral flow on arriving home the same day negative. We isolated whilst awaiting PCR which came back next day positive. We had kept ourselves to ourselves pretty much on the cruise due to my husbands health issues so I was a bit surprised whilst recognising omicron is highly contagious.Took a further PCR same day via NHS which was negative. So can only assume the external company we used had contamination issues in their lab. I had no symptoms and my husband was also negative. Like you we saw a few coughing over people and also some not using hand sanitiser in the public areas, totally selfish. 

Hope you make a speedy recovery if you have got COVID and it may be worth ordering an NHS PCR like we did which you are entitled to if you have returned from abroad. 

We’ve ordered some NHS lateral flow this morning, we have no idea when this was contracted so 10 days isolation for something that may have been picked up around 10-11 days ago seems excessive.

 

The ship did everything they possibly could and were quick to pounce on anyone who’d forgotten their mask or to sanitise. Most crew were double masked, tables sanitised and left for a period after use and our staterooms were sanitised daily. The only puzzle was the seating in the MDR, where in a room at 20% (and that’s being generous) capacity they insisted on very little separation between the tables. 

[Annabel50]

Good luck with it all............you may not be aware but whilst you were away gov rules changed isolation is 5 full days provided you test neg with a lateral flow on day 6 and 7. For what its worth we only ate in the mdr on the first day service was too slow and as you say too close which didnt work for us, take care.

[lissie]

1 hour ago, Annabel50 said:

. Like you we saw a few coughing over people and also some not using hand sanitiser in the public areas, totally selfish. 

Hope you make a speedy recovery if you have got COVID and it may be worth ordering an NHS PCR like we did which you are entitled to if you have returned from abroad. 

I'm starting to find it more than a little annoying that people now assume if you have a cough you have Covid. You  can have a cough from: 

* cardiac disease - its a  known side effect of some drugs 

* hay fever 

* asthma 

* catching a bit of pastry in your throat the wrong way  - that was my dance teacher tonight!  

 

Just saying not everyone who coughs has a comunicable  disease. 

[Annabel50]

Agreed but at least have the courtesy to cover your mouth when doing so, that is the point being made 

[kentishfred]

Glad everybody seems to have had a good time. As someone who had been booked on the cruise but had cancelled due to the policy of offloading is anybody aware if this happened to any unfortunate soles who may have tested positive when onboard.

 

Hopefully the EU policy will be history when my next cruise is due in April.

 

Thanks 

[barriedavis]

There was some chatter that, when we stopped in Lisbon, there was a yellow flag on the mast and about 8 people had, by then, been off loaded having tested positive.  Others were tested, as they had been in close contact with the positives, but tested negative although they were confined to cabins.  Have to say that the staff were well drilled and followed good procedures all the way through.

 

[kentishfred]

Hi Barrie

 

Thanks for the reply. Hope you had a good cruise

[barriedavis]

If anyone is going on this cruise in the future and likes trivia, make sure you turn up, particularly the Progressive Trivia on sea day mornings.  We did 5 sessions and managed to win.  There were 17 teams at the start but only about 6 at the end.  It wasn't too testing  and presented by the very personable Becky.  The top four scoring teams all got good prizes and, as winners, won quality binoculars, a leather travel set (wallet, glasses case, luggage tag and a file for travel documents) plus a bottle of sparkly.  The music trivia at night by Felipe (10pm) was not well attended which was shame as he worked hard, offered bottles of red or white wine as prizes as did the evening quizzes.  The daytime activities usually gave stickers to the winners which could be swapped for quality prizes at the end of the cruise.  I like trivia and ended up disembarking with 5 bottles of red wine, 1 sparkling, a corkscrew, a wine stopper and the stuff listed above.  I also gave some prizes away as I had no room to pack it all!  The piano "name that tune" (not my thing) was won by someone with a score of 15 out of 24 and they got a wine cooler. Well worth attending and having a go.

Edited January 31, 2022 by barriedavis
Speiing error

[Jimmys Chippy]

3 hours ago, kentishfred said:

Glad everybody seems to have had a good time. As someone who had been booked on the cruise but had cancelled due to the policy of offloading is anybody aware if this happened to any unfortunate soles who may have tested positive when onboard.

 

Hopefully the EU policy will be history when my next cruise is due in April.

 

Thanks 

I think the potential of being offloaded overseas is a massive problem for the cruise line in containing the virus aboard the ship. The dutiful thing in reporting symptoms to the ship’s doctor is vastly  outweighed by a foreign quarantine. If Omicron has taught us anything is that it spreads like margarine, no matter how much the hosts think they can keep it to themselves.

[LadyL1]

During the voyage we did not see any tables become permanently empty in our restaurant, persons missing because of quarantine. I was not aware of passengers leaving in Lisbon, but wonder if cases were picked up during the antigen testing required to leave ship in Portugal. What a sad way to end a cruise.

Let’s face it, Covid is everywhere: but still felt safe onboard, far more so than visiting local dining venues or supermarkets. Hotels don’t test on check-in, and far fewer folk are wearing masks. If you have a future cruise booked, go for it! Expectations are not the same now, but enjoy what there is and accept the limitations of foreign travel.

We tested this morning as required, and fortunately both returned a negative result.

[majortom10]

44 minutes ago, LadyL1 said:

During the voyage we did not see any tables become permanently empty in our restaurant, persons missing because of quarantine. I was not aware of passengers leaving in Lisbon, but wonder if cases were picked up during the antigen testing required to leave ship in Portugal. What a sad way to end a cruise.

Let’s face it, Covid is everywhere: but still felt safe onboard, far more so than visiting local dining venues or supermarkets. Hotels don’t test on check-in, and far fewer folk are wearing masks. If you have a future cruise booked, go for it! Expectations are not the same now, but enjoy what there is and accept the limitations of foreign travel.

We tested this morning as required, and fortunately both returned a negative result.

Sorry I have no regrets about transferring this cruise and I am not prepared to take the risk of being offloaded in a foreign country and all being well, if they answer the phones tomorrow, will be transferring our cruise in March.

[lissie]

43 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

Sorry I have no regrets about transferring this cruise and I am not prepared to take the risk of being offloaded in a foreign country and all being well, if they answer the phones tomorrow, will be transferring our cruise in March.

I'm curious as to the terror of being off-loaded overseas? Its always a thing - the cruise we took pre-covid had  not 1 but 2 helicopter pickups of seriously ill people who were offloaded to Australia.  They may or may not have been Australians - in fact if they were from WA they  were probably further from home in a Queensland hospital than a Brit offloaded in northern Spain! 

 

We are doing a couple of repositioning cruises and yes we may get offloaded in Sri Lanka or Cost Rica - but these are countries with airports and many planes.  No where is impossible to get out of anymore.  At least if you are offloaded mildly ill and not desperately sick - you may have a chance of salvaging your holiday, once you are out of quarantine.  It sounds more interesting than being confined to a cabin for 10 days 

[Dermotsgirl]

I don’t think it’s a ‘terror’, but the risk of being offloaded is greatly increased, as anyone could catch Covid, and in the U.K. it’s very prevalent.  For example the most recent Office of National Statistics figure says that one in 20 people in England have the virus. So you can see how big the risk is, even with pre-boarding testing

 

Also there have been instances when people who test negative have been offloaded, as they have been deemed close contacts of people who have tested positive. U.K. travel insurance doesn’t cover this risk. 
 

Another thing not covered by U.K. travel insurance is when your partner tests positive and is unloaded and you test negative - your expenses are not covered if you opt to stay with your partner.

 

So there is a higher risk of an uninsured event happening and all the financial costs that this would involve.

 

This is why people aren’t keen 

[Jimmys Chippy]

25 minutes ago, lissie said:

I'm curious as to the terror of being off-loaded overseas? Its always a thing - the cruise we took pre-covid had  not 1 but 2 helicopter pickups of seriously ill people who were offloaded to Australia.  They may or may not have been Australians - in fact if they were from WA they  were probably further from home in a Queensland hospital than a Brit offloaded in northern Spain! 

 

We are doing a couple of repositioning cruises and yes we may get offloaded in Sri Lanka or Cost Rica - but these are countries with airports and many planes.  No where is impossible to get out of anymore.  At least if you are offloaded mildly ill and not desperately sick - you may have a chance of salvaging your holiday, once you are out of quarantine.  It sounds more interesting than being confined to a cabin for 10 days 

It depends on your personal situation, if you’re offloaded towards the end of your holiday you’re looking at ten days in a hotel room and a flight home only when you’re covid free. This may not bother those who are retired but could be problematic to those who have commitments at home.

[Jimmys Chippy]

3 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

I don’t think it’s a ‘terror’, but the risk of being offloaded is greatly increased, as anyone could catch Covid, and in the U.K. it’s very prevalent.  For example the most recent Office of National Statistics figure says that one in 20 people in England have the virus. So you can see how big the risk is, even with pre-boarding testing

 

Also there have been instances when people who test negative have been offloaded, as they have been deemed close contacts of people who have tested positive. U.K. travel insurance doesn’t cover this risk. 
 

Another thing not covered by U.K. travel insurance is when your partner tests positive and is unloaded and you test negative - your expenses are not covered if you opt to stay with your partner.

 

So there is a higher risk of an uninsured event happening and all the financial costs that this would involve.

 

This is why people aren’t keen 

We’ve done two cruises now post covid and we chose Southampton departures for both as we agreed that a positive test pre departure would be disappointing but we could just drive home and sit it out in time we’d have been off work anyway. A positive test on board is a different kettle of fish and could see you confined to cabin (maybe on your own) or left abroad with no definite date for a return. It’s why I think that many passengers with mild symptoms are more likely to keep it under their hat and try to “normal” it out.

[Jimmys Chippy]

1 hour ago, majortom10 said:

Sorry I have no regrets about transferring this cruise and I am not prepared to take the risk of being offloaded in a foreign country and all being well, if they answer the phones tomorrow, will be transferring our cruise in March.

It’s understandable to feel that way and I don’t blame people who feel uncomfortable with the situation deferring their cruise. We ended up on this cruise as we were due to be in California for my son’s wedding, but when omicron struck the amount of testing and potential for lots of plans to have to be adjusted on the hoof (our return flight was cancelled and rescheduled which made our mind up to cancel the whole trip) it was decided, unfortunately, that it wasn’t worth it.

 

A U.K. departure cruise is still susceptible to covid altering plans, but we feel they’re a lot less fraught with worry about departing and we know that with everyone jabbed and tested before boarding we were potentially safer than 11 hours on a plane. Our positive test is disappointing but we still had a fantastic break.