Not required on voyage

[Dunvectrin']

Mrs Dunvectrin and I are returning to our US residence from Europe. 

We have approximately 5 standard suitcases and a couple of "carry on" types with essential medicines etc. 

 

We have our gala/masquerade tux's and ballgowns and daily wear in two of the larger ones. The rest ...we don't need for the crossing. 

 

Is there a way to have those items stored ( we have a sheltered balcony cabin) and we pick them up in NY? 

 

Thanks all in advance.

[57eric]

This question has been asked many times, with responses ranging from "absolutely" to "absolutely not".  Let us know how it works out for you.

[PORT ROYAL]

2 hours ago, Dunvectrin' said:

Mrs Dunvectrin and I are returning to our US residence from Europe. 

We have approximately 5 standard suitcases and a couple of "carry on" types with essential medicines etc. 

 

We have our gala/masquerade tux's and ballgowns and daily wear in two of the larger ones. The rest ...we don't need for the crossing. 

 

Is there a way to have those items stored ( we have a sheltered balcony cabin) and we pick them up in NY? 

 

Thanks all in advance.

A polite request to PD while onboard has always brought a positive result.

[Dunvectrin']

Thank you but PD? I am unfamiliar with the acronym. 

30 minutes ago, PORT ROYAL said:

A polite request to PD while onboard has always brought a positive result.

 

[PORT ROYAL]

4 minutes ago, Dunvectrin' said:

Thank you but PD? I am unfamiliar with the acronym. 

 

Purser’s Desk

[Dunvectrin']

Of course!! D'oh 🙂

Just now, PORT ROYAL said:

Purser’s Desk

 

[exlondoner]

12 hours ago, Dunvectrin' said:

Of course!! D'oh 🙂

 

Never heard or seen the abbreviation either. Anyway, don’t they call it something different now or have they reverted to the traditional name?

[PORT ROYAL]

3 hours ago, exlondoner said:

Never heard or seen the abbreviation either. Anyway, don’t they call it something different now or have they reverted to the traditional name?

 

Some said “Purser’s Desk” others have stated “Guest Services”, but that became an oxymoron.

One shortened “The large raised desk outside the Purser’s Office, where sometimes obnoxious, disinterested and dismissive crew stand, under the guise of assisting paying guests” to Purser’s Desk.

 

 

[exlondoner]

12 minutes ago, PORT ROYAL said:

 

Some said “Purser’s Desk” others have stated “Guest Services”, but that became an oxymoron.

One shortened “The large raised desk outside the Purser’s Office, where sometimes obnoxious, disinterested and dismissive crew stand, under the guise of assisting paying guests” to Purser’s Desk.

 

 

I don’t think they are disinterested, which means neutral: often their self interest and lack of interest in the passenger is all too evident. On the other hand, sometimes they’re lovely.

[Victoria2]

I guess unsmiling efficiency can be misconstrued as disinterest by some, but obnoxious? Not in any of my dealings with the Front Desk.

[exlondoner]

17 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

I guess unsmiling efficiency can be misconstrued as disinterest by some, but obnoxious? Not in any of my dealings with the Front Desk.

They were pretty obnoxious when I had Covid last year on QM2, and they insisted that all communications with, say, the QG or the Medical Centre, went through them. Compared with the Grills Concierges, who are probably part of the same team, they come a long way second. 
 

And actually I should have thought smiling should be part of the job, however unpleasant  some (just a few) of the passengers undoubtedly are.

[Victoria2]

4 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

They were pretty obnoxious when I had Covid last year on QM2, and they insisted that all communications with, say, the QG or the Medical Centre, went through them. Compared with the Grills Concierges, who are probably part of the same team, they come a long way second. 
 

And actually I should have thought smiling should be part of the job, however unpleasant  some (just a few) of the passengers undoubtedly are.

I don't count anything Covid as normal interaction however unpleasant it might be seen.

 

I count smiling and generosity of spirit to be a Grill's Concierge necessity. As long as the Front desk is efficient, and they have been for me, I couldn't care less if it's service with a smile or not. I want efficient service. That's all.

[exlondoner]

4 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

I don't count anything Covid as normal interaction however unpleasant it might be seen.

 

I count smiling and generosity of spirit to be a Grill's Concierge necessity. As long as the Front desk is efficient, and they have been for me, I couldn't care less if it's service with a smile or not. I want efficient service. That's all.

Well, my Covid experience was deeply inefficient, I’m afraid. Actually completely different from my experience this year, where I could speak both to my butler and to the lovely concierge. It saved an awful lot of repetition.

[Victoria2]

2 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

Well, my Covid experience was deeply inefficient, I’m afraid. Actually completely different from my experience this year, where I could speak both to my butler and to the lovely concierge. It saved an awful lot of repetition.

As I said, anything Covid is not a normal everyday interaction and differences have obviously occurred.

 

Plus, if I had Covid, I would not be encountering a non smiling Front Desk as I would be confined to barracks.

Edited November 14, 2023 by Victoria2

[Host Hattie]

5 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

As I said, anything Covid is not a normal everyday interaction and differences have obviously occurred.

 

Plus, if I had Covid, I would not be encountering a non smiling Front Desk as I would be confined to barracks.

You would still need to contact them by telephone though if they answered the call. 

[Victoria2]

3 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

You would still need to contact them by telephone though if they answered the call. 

Would I? At that stage, I would hope most of my interactions with authority would be monitored by the Grills Concierge and again, mostly facilitated by the Butler and Grill's M'd.

As to the Front Desk,  I wouldn't see any facial features which was the point I was making #9.

[exlondoner]

5 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

Would I? At that stage, I would hope most of my interactions with authority would be monitored by the Grills Concierge and again, mostly facilitated by the Butler and Grill's M'd.

As to the Front Desk,  I wouldn't see any facial features which was the point I was making #9.

That is what I would have hoped, but on QM2 in 2022, they wouldn’t let me communicate directly with either of those excellent people. I spent a lot of time explaining my needs to people with inadequate English, such as the fact that I wanted to speak to the Medical Centre to discuss whether my husband should have the anti-Covid drug, something that was not only none of their business but the person from the Purser’s failed to understand anyway. When I was finally allowed to communicate with the Medical Centre, I had a most helpful conversation with a doctor. I don’t think that behaviour is really inexcusable. Sorry.
 

On the other hand, I have had many pleasant interactions with the Purser people.

[NE John]

There are probably many new faces in the cruise/hotel industry post-Covid and there needs to be a “boatload” more training for these folks. 

[Victoria2]

11 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

That is what I would have hoped, but on QM2 in 2022, they wouldn’t let me communicate directly with either of those excellent people. I spent a lot of time explaining my needs to people with inadequate English, such as the fact that I wanted to speak to the Medical Centre to discuss whether my husband should have the anti-Covid drug, something that was not only none of their business but the person from the Purser’s failed to understand anyway. When I was finally allowed to communicate with the Medical Centre, I had a most helpful conversation with a doctor. I don’t think that behaviour is really inexcusable. Sorry.
 

On the other hand, I have had many pleasant interactions with the Purser people.

Interesting. I had to see the doctor last July and the Front Desk had nothing whatsoever to do with my requests.

The Grills' Concierge would have heard the comments made in my cabin, in the lounge had I been denied access to the medical centre without explaining my needs to unqualified staff, Covid or no Covid.

The Captain, or his/her PA in the first instance, would have been verbally cc'd into my tongue lashing of unqualified staff making medical decisions.

Edited November 14, 2023 by Victoria2
added 'her'

[exlondoner]

1 minute ago, Victoria2 said:

Interesting. I had to see the doctor last July and the Front Desk had nothing whatsoever to do with my requests.

The Grills' Concierge would have heard the comments made in my cabin, in the lounge had I been denied access to the medical centre without explaining my needs to unqualified staff, Covid or no Covid.

The Captain or his PA in the first instance, would have been verbally cc'd into my tongue lashing of unqualified staff making medical decisions.

Well, we were both quarantined at the time, and not especially well, so my opportunities for expressing discontent were somewhat limited. The good thing is that things were vastly better this year, and the concierge was as usual lovely. Mind you it would have been better still not to have had the tedious disease.

[Victoria2]

Didn’t the Butler keep in touch? Did you page him/ her? Did the medical centre check in with you daily as you were poorly enough to be concerned about the anti virals for your husband? 
 

Poor show if none of this happened.

[exlondoner]

14 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

Didn’t the Butler keep in touch? Did you page him/ her? Did the medical centre check in with you daily as you were poorly enough to be concerned about the anti virals for your husband? 
 

Poor show if none of this happened.

We were not in our cabin, but several decks away in a quarantine cabin, and the only number I had was the Purser’s. In any case the butler, who actually did everything he could for us, was not allowed near us. He bought our meals down to the end of the corridor and left it there for someone in the appropriate regalia to deliver. The QG restaurant did usually ring up to see what we needed, bless them. The concern was not so much that we were poorly, as that my husband’s age was something of a worry, but we eventually decided the antivirals were more trouble than they were worth, as it would mean stopping other medication. Anyway, he felt well enough to drive home, luckily. We were in quarantine for the last three days of the trip, and I can’t honestly remember if we were checked on every day.

[Victoria2]

The Covid measure you had to endure is now a thing of the past and now at least you can stay in your cabin and have access to other telephone numbers.

 

I still find it incredible non medical staff were even contemplating fielding calls to medical staff. That to me is worth an official complaint, to the Hotel Director/Captain when onboard and one to the complaints dept. once home.

[exlondoner]

7 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

The Covid measure you had to endure is now a thing of the past and now at least you can stay in your cabin and have access to other telephone numbers.

 

I still find it incredible non medical staff were even contemplating fielding calls to medical staff. That to me is worth an official complaint, to the Hotel Director/Captain when onboard and one to the complaints dept. once home.

It was a while ago now, thankfully. I imagine the plan was to stop the medical staff being unnecessarily troubled at a busy time, much as GP’s receptionists do. But it does depend on the gobetween having an acceptable standard of English.

[Victoria2]

1 minute ago, exlondoner said:

It was a while ago now, thankfully. I imagine the plan was to stop the medical staff being unnecessarily troubled at a busy time, much as GP’s receptionists do. But it does depend on the gobetween having an acceptable standard of English.

Still would have complained at the time but too late now. Water under the bridge now as you say but thank goodness Covid panic stations are less panicky now.