Merry Maid

Ah... remember "Pale Ale with fish, Brown Ale with meat" :D :D

But only white wine goes with carpets.

MM

I hope the boarding procedure will have been sorted out by tomorrow when we embark. Last year we had a fairly long wait but that was because the airbridge developed a fault.

Blue Riband, did you notice which bars were open on boarding. Not that I'm a lush but my holiday does not officially start until I have my first Bombay Martini in my hand whilst sitting on a bar stool. It used to be that the Golden Lion was the only bar open in the afternoon of embarkation.

MM

Thats the Verandah booked, thanks for the help Sal n Pep.

mm

Hi Merry Maid,

 

It will be listed in your voyage personaliser.

If this isn't working (and it wasn't just now for me) then the usual format is, I think... :

 

Informal.

Formal.

Formal.

Informal.

Informal.

Formal.

Informal.

 

Keep trying the VP as this will be accurate for your crossing (rather than my experience listed above based on several previous crossings). Remember this can be subject to change (shoreside don't always know what happens on the ships, or indeed, many times, that they even have ships :( ).

If the VP doesn't work before you sail, ask at the Purser's Desk when you board, they'll know.

 

Edited to add: Salacia has found the link I couldn't! Well done Salacia :)

 

Have a great crossing :)

Thanks Pep. It was there all the time but I completely overlooked the 'Itinerary' tab, my two remaining brain cells don't get together too often these days.

MM

Thanks Salacia, of course the information was on the VP. Never actually used the itinerary tab before for a TA. Normally just take what comes. As this is an 8 day crossing we are having 4 formal nights, lovely.

Thanks again.

MM

Hi, I'm travelling on the June 23 WB TA. Does anyone know how to find out which are the formal nights on this crossing. I've never needed to know before but there is a celebration during this trip and I want to book the Verandah but don't want my partner to miss a formal night in the MDR.

Thanks

MM

I'm with you.

I never really understood the loathing of that room, and Kings Court for that matter.

 

Both have , er "had" their own little quirks about them which I got used to. But I can't wait to see the updated versions. Guess it's time i booked another crossing. :D

I think the Winter Garden reputation suffered from those awful, awful "Art" auctions. Every day those weary canvasses would be wheeled out to put the space out of bounds, unless you were prepared to put up with the auctioneer's spiel. After they finished I quite like to sit there quietly in the post lunch period.

MM

As we travel fairly light we always get off the ship "Self-Help" and on occasion we have been off before the yellow cabs start rolling up in numbers. Then we have used the Town cars or Limos to a midtown hotel for a fixed price which is quoted before you get in. If memory serves it was $40 last year.

MM

Thanks Blue Marble, I can't say I've ever noticed that before, but then I'm not very observant. It looks like I've got the sitting of my choice for the next TA though. I prefer late sitting but unfortunately my digestion does not.

Yes, early seating is usually the most popular. For the specific back-to-back crossing from New York you have indicated you are considering on another thread (July 24-August 9, 2016), early seating is waitlisted in both directions.

 

Regards,

John.

That's interesting Blue marble, how did you find out about the waitlisting. I've only been put on my non-chosen sitting once a couple of trips ago and it was a pain to have to queue up on embarkation day to see the MD and try and get it changed.

MM

Ok, Ok, Pax, Pax. A carry-on e.g. an airline bag or small roll-on I grant you is not much of an encumbrance. However, people, a quick look round the queue on your next boarding and I guarantee you will marvel at the stuff people choose to hump around the terminal. And, as I have seen with my very own eyes, there are those whose cases are indeed too large to go through the scanner and must perforce be opened and scrutinised. Myself, I much prefer hassle-free travel. Travel is difficult enough in this security conscious age without complicating it further for ourselves. The more you tote the more you have to look after.

But as the man said, everyone to his own. So pull along your cases, festoon your necks with straps and handbags (purses for our cousins) and man bags, cling on to your vanity cases with one hand while manipulating your walking stick with the other and keep everyone waiting while you put all this stuff down and fumble about to find your tickets, Credit cards et al. Fair enough. I'll stick to my way you to yours. That's freedom. Long may it thrive.

MM

Now this is what I call a thread! The lack of erudite exchanges such as these is why I visit only rarely. BTW, where may I obtain one of these 'prolixies'? Heaven forfend I should be behind the trend when I board next month.

MM

I have never had carry on luggage opened and inspected, it just goes through the scanner.

Well i can only speak from my own experience of standing in the queue while peoples' possessions were rummaged through and that was only last year. Maybe the scanner was broken. But I yield the point.

It still does not explain why people encumber themselves so. As I said, each to their own but it still puzzles me.

MM

...why so many people burden themselves with 'Carry-On'.

Exactly what does one need to keep about one's person at all times?

1. Documents. 2.medication 3. Valuables e.g. jewellery camera stuff like that. All of which can be contained in a small shoulder bag, (mens' as well as ladies').Maybe not the camera but you get the picture (Pun alert)

There is of course the obligatory gallon of water in case of severe dehydration between the terminal entrance and the nearest tap.

But each trip I make the amount of luggage being carted around the terminal seems to increase. Roll-ons, suit-carriers, duffle bags of enormous size. People with walking sticks and mobility aids make their already difficult life a lot harder by toting all this stuff with them. Each to his/her own but it is a puzzle why people insist on lugging all this stuff about all the time. Plus, most of these bits of luggage have to be opened and inspected by security thus slowing down the boarding process greatly.

Just asking'

MM

Prolixity is it? Well, that's a lot better than being wordy...prolixity has so much more s p a r k l e.

But is it purple?

MM

A Dress Question. Well it got your attention didn't it? Here we go, my partner who, poor thing, has only travelled Cunard once before, went to town yesterday. As she passed an Haute Couture Emporium, she was wrestled to the ground by 3 burly women, dragged kicking and screaming into said emporium where she was 'PURSUADED' at knife point and with threats against the dog to purchase what she describes as a BEAUTIFUL SPARKLY TOP - in purple, no less.

The question is, dear reader, can she wear this on formal nights with suitable pants/trousers? I, having no dress sense or indeed interest, am unable to advise her. Nature having blessed me with a metabolism which ensures I remain the same size irrespective of the calories I consume. (A deletorious effect on the gin bill though). Consequently I wear the same two outfits year after year. No doubt this question has been asked many times but after trawling through numerous 'Dress' threads I am rapidly losing the will to live and have more interesting things to do on a Thursday morning. e.g Shave the cat!

All sensible suggestions very gratefully received, thank you

MM

Years ago in Australia tipping was definitely not the thing. It was the same in Japan where to offer a tip was regarded as an insult. I've not been back to either place for some years now so I expect they are the same as everywhere else.

MM

Did this once years ago on QE2 when it was part of a round trip. Soton - NYC - 5day cruise - NYC - Soton. In all honesty the 5 day portion was not nice. It seemed to be a kind of booze cruise for the July 4th holiday. I was glad when the ship arrived back in NYC and the party-goers disembarked. The stops en route were interesting to us though short as they were. Maybe things have changed now. We gave up on short cruises a long tie ago, apart from the TA's of course.

MM

Reposted : Seen on this board a long time ago.

Oh the Dress Code, the Dress Code, A Cruiser’s best friend

If we didn’t have the Dress Code we’d come to a no-good end.

If we didn’t KNOW what we HAD to wear and how to tie our tie

We wouldn’t be able to curl our lip and look down on the other guy.

Oh the Dress Code, the Dress Code, such grand formality

If we didn’t have the dress code what would we wear for tea

If we didn’t have the correct attire in which to wrap our ass

We wouldn’t be able to curl our lip and look down on the other lass.

Oh the Dress Code, the Dress Code, the DJ black or white

If we didn’t have the dress code we’d never get it right

But when we’re right on a formal night we feel quite fabulous

But when we’re wrong THEY curl their lip and THEY look down on us!!

MM

Let's be honest, if they took out the planetarium altogether it would be no great loss. The shows were mediocre to say the least. The chances of getting a working seat were about 50/50 and the same shows were repeated voyage after voyage. I gave them up ages ago.

MM

Merry Maid, I will agree that the cooked evening meal we eat around 6 pm is normally just called tea, but its actual name is High Tea to distinguish it from Afternoon Tea. Check it out. By the way I would be interested to know how you have elevated yourself from the ranks of the working class. I have worked in a professional capacity all my life, but still consider myself to be working class, otherwise I would never have had an income. Out of interest I don't come from Moston and have never lived in that area no matter what my pseudonym may suggest.

Well I don't have to check it out, I lived it.

My elevation as you call it was entirely out of my control. I was elevated out of the working class by the great leveller Anno Domini. I am retired so now belong to the leisured class.

Apologies for the geographical mistake but perhaps it explains the interest in the somewhat arcane distinction. Had you been brought up in the Moston I knew I dont suppose it would have occurred to you. Eee, this takes me back to the good old days of the 'Crossing/cruising' dichotomies. Happy days.

MM

Thanks to all for replies.

MM

I understand that there will be at least 4 boats in Funchal for the New Year fireworks. It is some years since I was at Funchal and I can't remember how big the berth is there. Does anyone know if there is enough room for 4 vessels to get alongside?

MM

There's one good thing, you certainly won't have to worry about what you need to pack, just as long as you have a clean T shirt and a pair of jogging pants. ;)

 

Does it HAVE to be clean?

MM

Just thought I would point out that Afternoon Tea and not High Tea is the light meal that is served between between hours of 4 pm and 5 pm. High Tea is a completely different event - this is the cooked meal (usually cooked) eaten by the working classes between the hours of 5 pm and 7 pm.

As an ex-member of the 'Working Class' born and raised not too far from Moston i have never in all my 70+ years heard the meal taken between 5 and 7 i.e. teatime referred to as High Tea. It was simply 'Tea'. High tea was reserved for teatimes usually at weekends on some special occasions and was not usually cooked. It consisted normally of cooked meats, ham especially, beef, potted meat, which I suppose we must now call Paté, salad was often involved and maybe cake.

I certainly never heard my, or anyone else's, mother shouting for us to come in and get our 'High Tea'. Or, 'Your dad will be home for his High Tea soon'.

It's all moot.We call it dinner now. Language changes. Dinner is now lunch or even, heaven forfend, luncheon. Lunch was what you took to school to eat at lunchtime which is now 'morning break' Heaven knows where supper has gone. It used to be the bite just before you went to bed, perhaps a biscuit with your cocoa. Ou est les wossnames de thingy?

MM