QM2 Cancellation 23rd & 30th April

[ballroom-cruisers]

It looks to me like Cunard are doing their utmost to get the ship operational in the shortest time consistent with the necessary repairs, and also going the extra mile to offer a lovely Coronation voyage at a price that is a generous giveaway.  They could not do more for passengers in the circumstances and they should be lauded for making this all happen when the circumstances that led to the cancellation of the two TAs was not within their control.  Everyone who books a holiday of any kind would know it is not risk free - and indeed walking down the road to post a letter is also not risk free.  We should make the most of the positive things we have and not dwell incessantly on the negatives.

[buchanan101]

1 hour ago, Solent Richard said:

 

I believe @Bell Boy alluded to it yesterday though I can't find his comment any more.

 

Anyway, here are the important details ...

 

The Kings Coronation Grand Celebration

2 May 2023, 5 Nights, RMS Queen Mary 2

 

Roundtrip Southampton

 

Southampton - Liverpool (overnight) - Two Glorious Sea Days - Southampton

 

Inside Stateroom from £194 pp

Oceanview Stateroom from £244 pp

Balcony Stateroom from £294 pp

Club Balcony Stateroom from £394 pp

 

Princess Grill Suite from £481 pp

Queens Grill Suite Q7 - Q5 from £578 pp

Q4 Queens Grill Suite from £771 pp

Q3 Queens Grill Suite from £964 pp

Q2 Queens Grill Suite from £1639 pp

Q1 Queens Grill Suite from £1929 pp

 

Pre-register xxxxxxxx  xxxx  today, this cruise goes on sale from 1pm on Thursday 27th April 2023

Those are very low prices... <£1200 for 5 nights in a QG compared with ~£7000 for a TA?

 

I'd be going on that if I could but off to Lisbon on 7th. Well, not sure I'm that keen on the Coronation, but it looks like a bargain

[LouChamp]

Aloha.  The Coronation was scheduled far enough in advance that if Cunard was going to have a special sailing they could have notified booked passengers about the cancellations and rescheduling.  They seem to be not transparent with this.  I know other ships when fully chartered or in need of sudden repairs have changes but I am disappointed with Cunard for their lack of transparency. I love Cunard having sailed with them since the 1970s and countless times on QE2, QV and the QM2 in all classes. Let’s hope they clarify and do right for those whose long planned and expensive holidays have been affected.

[buchanan101]

7 minutes ago, LouChamp said:

Aloha.  The Coronation was scheduled far enough in advance that if Cunard was going to have a special sailing they could have notified booked passengers about the cancellations and rescheduling.  They seem to be not transparent with this.  I know other ships when fully chartered or in need of sudden repairs have changes but I am disappointed with Cunard for their lack of transparency. I love Cunard having sailed with them since the 1970s and countless times on QE2, QV and the QM2 in all classes. Let’s hope they clarify and do right for those whose long planned and expensive holidays have been affected.

 Not sure I understand your point -  the special sailing is only because the fault resulted in the cancellation of a TA return. Were they supposed to predict this fault?

 

And I expect that the schedule for 2023 spring was already decided and being booked before the Coronation date was announced - given that you've been able to book April/May 2024 from Feb 2023 (15 months in advance) I am sure of this - the Queen was still alive when April/May 2023 trips were bookable.

Edited April 26, 2023 by buchanan101

[ballroom-cruisers]

4 minutes ago, LouChamp said:

Aloha.  The Coronation was scheduled far enough in advance that if Cunard was going to have a special sailing they could have notified booked passengers about the cancellations and rescheduling.  They seem to be not transparent with this.  I know other ships when fully chartered or in need of sudden repairs have changes but I am disappointed with Cunard for their lack of transparency. I love Cunard having sailed with them since the 1970s and countless times on QE2, QV and the QM2 in all classes. Let’s hope they clarify and do right for those whose long planned and expensive holidays have been affected.

 

I would take a bet that the TA that would have been taking place during the dates of the Coronation weekend would have already had in place special Coronation related activities and events on board, and organised well before the current period.  It is quite possible that the newly advertised voyage is a replacement for what would already have been a fabulous special cruise, and some of the pre-arranged happenings will now be on the new Southampton to Liverpool voyage instead.  Those who are lucky enough to get a stateroom on this new cruise will no doubt have a glorious trip and I bet the crew will enjoy it as much as the passengers. I would go if I could too.

[wftjm89]

51 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

I think we're all relieved that the 2 month guess turned out to be incorrect and mostly understand that a short cruise to fill the gap is a reasonable thing to do in the circumstances. 

Two months was the potential time frame I was told. As I'm sure you can understand, these things develop at quite a pace, and until the issue(s) were properly identified and solutions found, subject to regular change. 

 

When we consider that QM2 is in her mid-life stage, it is not unreasonable to expect issues to occur more frequently and if we cast our minds back, QE2 received a massive overhaul with entire systems being replaced at around the same mark. I hope that Cunard/Carnival are being sensible and fixing the issue properly, as it would certainly not reflect well for a pattern of repairs that require cancellations to become the norm. 

[Solent Richard]

1 hour ago, Windsurfboy said:

Thank you  Solent Richard  where was is ,or is it a TA that can't be named 

A TA who is allowed to operate on one of my Cunard Facebook groups.

[ballroom-cruisers]

3 minutes ago, wftjm89 said:

Two months was the potential time frame I was told. As I'm sure you can understand, these things develop at quite a pace, and until the issue(s) were properly identified and solutions found, subject to regular change. 

 

When we consider that QM2 is in her mid-life stage, it is not unreasonable to expect issues to occur more frequently and if we cast our minds back, QE2 received a massive overhaul with entire systems being replaced at around the same mark. I hope that Cunard/Carnival are being sensible and fixing the issue properly, as it would certainly not reflect well for a pattern of repairs that require cancellations to become the norm. 

 

I am quite sure that Cunard will do everything in its power to try to make sure cancellations do not become the 'norm' - if they did then it would be better to sell the ship or scrap it. After all ships have been operating that are quite a bit older than QM2 without frequent cancellations or significant loss of operational time.  We all know that there is nothing any of us do that is zero risk of a problem - we plan holidays, and activities as part of normal life knowing that there is always some probability that is non-zero there will be a problem or issue - same when driving your car to the stores - you could have a flat tyre, or the engine could fail at any time - but normally those things don't happen and most of the time things are fine - same with a cruise ship.

[LittleFish1976]

Just now, wftjm89 said:

Two months was the potential time frame I was told. As I'm sure you can understand, these things develop at quite a pace, and until the issue(s) were properly identified and solutions found, subject to regular change. 

 

When we consider that QM2 is in her mid-life stage, it is not unreasonable to expect issues to occur more frequently and if we cast our minds back, QE2 received a massive overhaul with entire systems being replaced at around the same mark. I hope that Cunard/Carnival are being sensible and fixing the issue properly, as it would certainly not reflect well for a pattern of repairs that require cancellations to become the norm. 

 

Thanks for passing on what you were told by what sounds like a reputable source.

 

I don't see why both scenarios can't be correct.

 

If the problem with the engine became apparent around Cape Town and they made it back to Southampton, then surely they could do their little slow-speed trip up to Liverpool and back again without much risk, staying close to home. Keeps the tills ringing and (some of the) customers happy.

 

If we assume it is a larger problem to fix properly then the ship may not want to venture too far until it is resolved, putting a TA, let alone two TAs out of the question for the time being.

 

Would Norway want to see her in the fjords if part of the problem relates to exhaust quality?

[EXB]

https://www.cunard.com/en-gb/coronation-voyage

[buchanan101]

43 minutes ago, ballroom-cruisers said:

 

I am quite sure that Cunard will do everything in its power to try to make sure cancellations do not become the 'norm' - if they did then it would be better to sell the ship or scrap it. After all ships have been operating that are quite a bit older than QM2 without frequent cancellations or significant loss of operational time.  We all know that there is nothing any of us do that is zero risk of a problem - we plan holidays, and activities as part of normal life knowing that there is always some probability that is non-zero there will be a problem or issue - same when driving your car to the stores - you could have a flat tyre, or the engine could fail at any time - but normally those things don't happen and most of the time things are fine - same with a cruise ship.

QM2 as a liner has a harsher life and fewer days in port than any cruise ship.

 

[Victoria2]

A wonderful short cruise for those able to slot it in and absolutely amazing prices.

 

Go for it if you can! 👍

[3rdGenCunarder]

1 hour ago, EXB said:

https://www.cunard.com/en-gb/coronation-voyage

 

When I follow this link, it takes me to a page that asks me to choose US or UK site. If I choose US, I get an error message. So perhaps this isn't being offered in the US? 

 

I hope they give people on the cancelled voyages first chance to book this. If I were in the UK, I would absolutely want to do it.

 

 

[buchanan101]

3 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

When I follow this link, it takes me to a page that asks me to choose US or UK site. If I choose US, I get an error message. So perhaps this isn't being offered in the US? 

 

I hope they give people on the cancelled voyages first chance to book this. If I were in the UK, I would absolutely want to do it.

 

 

The U.K. site says it can be booked from outside U.K. but has to be in GBP - so I guess try the U.K. site when it’s open for  bookings 

 

Can international guests book?

Yes, please call the Contact Centre who will be able to process your booking, which will be made in GBP.

Edited April 26, 2023 by buchanan101

[3rdGenCunarder]

4 minutes ago, buchanan101 said:

The U.K. site says it can be booked from outside U.K. but has to be in GBP - so I guess try the U.K. site when it’s open for  bookings 

 

Can international guests book?

Yes, please call the Contact Centre who will be able to process your booking, which will be made in GBP.

 

I did see that. I think they aren't promoting it in the US because it would mean last-minute airfare for a relatively short cruise. Plus, Cunard doesn't need us. I expect this to sell quickly.

[buchanan101]

4 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

I did see that. I think they aren't promoting it in the US because it would mean last-minute airfare for a relatively short cruise. Plus, Cunard doesn't need us. I expect this to sell quickly.

It's priced to sell quickly - absurdly cheap per night compared with a TA - about 25% of the cost per night

[bluemarble]

42 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

I did see that. I think they aren't promoting it in the US because it would mean last-minute airfare for a relatively short cruise. Plus, Cunard doesn't need us. I expect this to sell quickly.

 

Plus, I'd be concerned if we in the US booked this through the UK office we might end up booking under the UK terms and conditions. Among other things that would require £2 million of medical insurance cover. At least that's something to clarify for anyone from the US who might want to try to book that Coronation Celebration Voyage.

[Starstruckharper]

I was watching QM2 on Vessel Finder as she made her way back from Australia on her world cruise. As she was sailing up the West Coast of Africa, she was still managing 16 or 17 knots on only three engines. What a magnificent machine she is.

 

(Sidenote: Is the proper grammer "*The* Queen Mary 2" or just "Queen Mary 2?")

Edited April 26, 2023 by Starstruckharper

[safarigal]

I must say it is somewhat annoying that those of us still on QM2 and not aware of when we are going to fly home, have not been told about this sailing even though the QV folks were sent a letter. I am sure there are some US folks on board QM2 with us, who would jump at the opportunity 🙂

[eroller]

7 hours ago, jsailox said:

The problem would appear to be corrosion in the funnel which contains the exhausts for the four diesel and two auxiliary gas turbine generators (which are only needed when QM2 is travelling at speed) and various ventilation exhausts. The two additional funnels at the stern are exhausts for the galley ventilation system and the onboard incinerators."

“During the 2016 refit, QM2 was fitted with “exhaust gas scrubbers”.
This cleans the emissions of the engines; it is of course especially relevant when cruising in areas of specific scientific interest (such as the Fjords, where she is due next month).
From what I can gather (though don’t know for certain) these are situated inside the funnel.
These areas get very hot when the engines are running, and have corroded to a point where significant repair/replacement is needed. 
The problem has been identified. There is a known fix, and it’s not especially complex but is a major job in duration terms. It cannot be done when engines are underway, hence the need for the unscheduled cancellation. “
 

https://shipandbunker.com/news/world/494161-flagship-cunard-cruise-ship-relaunched-after-scrubber-installations

 

 

If indeed the issue is corrosion, this is not something that occurs overnight but over time.  One would think regular inspections by the engineering team would uncover such corrosion, and take preventive measures.  There may of course be more to it, but that is my initial reaction. 

 

Based on my last sailing on QM2 (March 2022), the evidence of deferred exterior maintenance was everywhere.   In fact I've never seen the ship look worse (on the exterior).  It was sad to see as I do take pride in QM2 and she has been my favorite ship since her introduction (although maybe not anymore).  Based on those observations I can't say I'm surprised they let the funnel casings deteriorate.  They might have saved some money then, but they are paying for it now.    

[watsonbeau]

Understand M311E as the Coronation Cruise is called, the itinerary is in Liverpool 3rd/4th overnight then 2 sea days before returning on 7th. One black and white Gala night (assume Coronation Day). Just spoken to TA.

[Insights]

All Kudos to Cunard... 😇

It seems there are still USA passengers on QM and If I was one, I would love to sail to Liverpool for the Kings coronation. A once in a lifetime experience and an exceptionally super end to a world cruise. Cunard has grabbed success from the jaws of failure... Always remember... Life is what happens while we make plans

[exlondoner]

1 minute ago, Insights said:

All Kudos to Cunard... 😇

It seems there are still USA passengers on QM and If I was one, I would love to sail to Liverpool for the Kings coronation. A once in a lifetime experience and an exceptionally super end to a world cruise. Cunard has grabbed success from the jaws of failure... Always remember... Life is what happens while we make plans

Except nobody seemed to tell Safarigirl which seems a bit daft.

[Insights]

whic

4 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

Except nobody seemed to tell Safarigirl which seems a bit daft.

Which means she may be in for a happy surprise? (and all the extra days onboard at no cost)

[Windsurfboy]

Fantastic  news. 

 

Fantastic value an absolute steal, if only we lived nearer, and hadn't just got off QM2 on Sunday. 

 

Safarigal should be able to book on board, or walk across road to carnival house