thenoflygal

It's terrible and they shouldn't charge what they do for it!

I think the friends on Deck 11 will likely have to wait for you on a bench outside (unless they are platinum or diamond level cunard world club members, which have access to a disembarkation lounge). The rest of you will likely disembark within 15 minutes of each other. I would select a specific area (area 1, area 2, area 3) at the pickup circle to meet up.

I have a few questions about the Disney Cruise from NYC port regarding timing, and as this will be our first Disney Cruise I would appreciate any advice! I am trying to figure out if I can go into work on the day our cruise departs and/or on the day it gets back. The schedule says all aboard at 4:00 PM. What time do you start boarding the ship in NY? How long does this take? (We are getting dropped off by taxi). If I got there at 3:45 would that be good, or does check in take a long time?

Our ship also gets in on our return at 7:30 am. Can you get right off the ship, or is there staggered disembarkation? I am hoping to get in to work around 10:30 or 11, but I just have no experience with this line.

I am in agreement with many on this thread that you are actually paying a bit more for peace of mind. On all of our Cunard-booked excursions, the guide and chaperone were in contact with the ship if there were any time-related problems. On a recent Windsor Castle tour, we hit thick traffic on the M3 and got back in an hour late to Southampton. Since we were shipping out at 5 to go to NYC, this would have been a huge problem and quite possibly caused us to miss the ship. Our guide called twice to update the tour office of our status.

On top of that, our day visit was superb and our tour guide was extremely knowledgable and knew exactly where to go and when to avoid the crowds. We have also done day trips to Wales, and excursions in Norway. They were all worth the price.

As for a walking tour, if you are in a place that you do not know well and wish to feel safer walking with a group, I would say it might be worth it.

Disembarkation times depend on the floor your room is on in QM2. It is very organized. They let you off by floor. Each floor has a lounge area on the ship that you sit in after 8:30 am, and you are let off QM2 in order from the highest floors to the lowest (meaning floors 12 & 11 and priority guests get off at 8:00) We just got off in Brooklyn yesterday. Our room was on the 5th floor. Our scheduled time to disembark was 11:00 am. They dismissed us a bit early, at 10:30 (in our experience, this is frequently the case). By the time we picked up our luggage and went through immigration/customs it was 11:10 am.

If you are traveling with a room on floors 4,5,6 I would actually schedule your car service for 11:30 am for peace of mind.

If you can manage to carry off all of your own luggage without assistance, you can apply at the front desk to self-disembark during your crossing, and you can likely walk off the ship in ny starting around 6:30 am.

*At the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, there is a covered walkway to the immediate left of the building with signs noting Area 1, Area 2, Area 3 where people get picked up. I highly recommend letting your car service know that you wish to be picked up in a specific area (i.e. please pick us up in Area 1). That will avoid the chaos of trying to find them in a sea of people and luggage and taxis.

We were just in Flam last week on board the QE. We had a great day. We did take the train up (booked independently) and rented bicycles down. I truly spectacular bike ride, although the 1st 1.5km or so is very tough.

After that it was an easy ride.

 

As others have said, note your train departure time and ship arrival time. Cunard is bad an telling you when you will arrive in port. Last week, the QE pulled up to the dock and only let out the ships excursion train passengers at 6:30 am, no one else was allowed off. Then she pulled back to allow for the HAL ship to dock. Everyone else on the QE had to tender starting at 8 am.

Great info, thank you!

Not sure if you would be interested in something as informal as this, but I recommend you take a cab from the port directly to your hotel to drop off your luggage, and then get a Metrocard. If you take the M1, M2, M3, or M4 bus straight down 5th Avenue, it is really a great (and economical) tour of Manhattan! If you pick it up at 96th street and ride it straight down, you will get to see the Guggenheim Museum, Cooper Hewitt Museum of Design, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Frick Museum, Central Park & the Central Park Zoo, 57th Street with all major designer shops as well as Grand Army Plaza and the Plaza Hotel, Rockefeller Center, the New York Public Library, and more! The best part is, if something interests you, you can hop off and see it, and then just walk back to 5th Avenue and continue down on the next bus. I lived in NYC for 6 years and a lot of our guests loved this. During weekdays, the bus is not crowded. Just be careful around 4:30-6:30 the buses fill up during rush hour.

Fun and games in Flam this morning. QE arrived early and although we had been told we would be tendering it came alongside the mooring. However soon after along comes the Koningsdam who was due to moor, but the QE is stopping her doing so.

 

So the two ships swap places, but meanwhile the 8.30 train left without all the Koningsdam passengers who were booked on it.

 

Obviously all those who were on a booked excursion got refunds, but lots of disappointed people as there were not enough free spaces for them to book onto a later train.

Oh good to know of these possibilities! Thank you!

If you want to ride the amazing Flam railway, you should book this first, since the railway tickets tend to book up quickly during the height of the tour season. The Flam railway is a five minute walk from where you dock or tender, so this can easily be undertaken as an independent excursion. We booked our tickets online at the Norwegian Railways site at https://www.nsb.no/en/?gclid=CMuvnubiitMCFYoy0wodZb8BnQ .

If that site is showing that everything is booked, other cruise critic posters have mentioned trying https://booking.visitflam.com/en/to-do/a585205/the-flåm-railway/showdetails, and they have stated that this site has access to different ticket sand sometimes has availability even when the Norwegian railway site lists no availability. Also, people have reported on the forums that when the train was initially sold out, they kept checking and eventually tickets opened up due to cancellations. Another option is to check with your cruiseline – it will be more expensive to purchase this excursion through the cruiseline but worth it if you cannot purchase the tickets independently.

 

A quick online search seemed to recommend that you shouldsit on the right side of the train on the Flam to Myrdal journey. The view on that side was quite lovely, but might also be on the other side.

 

I know you weren't looking for other options, but in Flam, we had a lovely afternoon visiting a goat farm, exploring the beautiful town of Undredal, and then eating local cheeses (includingbrown caramel goat cheese) and a delicious lunch that was organized by FlamGuide Service (http://www.fjordsafari.com). Fjord Safari's booth is located about a minute away from the Flam railway platform, so you will have no problem finding your tour. You can combine this tour with a hike and boat ride along the fjords if your group is all physically fit. It was a very pleasant and enjoyable excursion, which I would highly recommend. We traveled in May, before the goats move to their summer farms so thisexcursion had to be individually arranged. Flam Guide service stayed in contact with us and gave us updates as they worked to book this reservation, and they also helpfully provided car seats for our children. Our tour guide was highly knowledgeable and helpful and this tour was one of the highlights of our cruise.

Thank you so much! This is great information and I will look into all of these options. This is exactly what I wanted.

You can book Flam railway online, but should do it asap. The station is about 200m flat walk from where the ship docks.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Thank you!

We had a lovely time in Halifax in July, 2015. It was around 75 degrees F and sunny. We did not find it necessary to book an excursion. Halifax is a very walkable city. Right next to the port is the indoor farmer's market and a great boardwalk area with shops and food kiosks (try a bear claw!) We also walked to the citadel and explored that area, roamed through the Victorian gardens (my favorite part of Halifax) and visited the Halifax public library, which is a brand new and gorgeous piece of sustainable architecture. Happy sailing!

Can anyone recommend the best excursion for the Queen Mary 2 port in Flam, Norway? We are having so much difficulty deciding what is best. Options include the Norway in a Nutshell excursion with buffet lunch and a ride down the steepest road in Norway (is this harrowing is my question) or the Flam railway, round trip. There is also a 3 hour cruise in the Stryn valley. I am leaning NIN, but I have heard varying reviews, including the trains are extremely crowded. Do the trips come with a guide to shepherd us through the crowds? Any advice from those who have traveled to this area with Cunard would be very much appreciated!

I did back to back Transatlantics for the summer, and I can assure you there is something great for everyone in your party! As for kicking back and reading, we did a lot of that. It's so nice to find your special place on the ship that you gravitate to to read. At times this was the Winter Garden, or a table next to the Window in King's Court, or the relaxation lounge at the Canyon Ranch Spa, or up by the pool in a lounge chair. There are so many options!

Having lived in New York City for 7 years, there is no shortage of great things to do. I would actually skip the Empire State Building, and go by cab to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Spend a couple of hours seeing the special exhibits and have lunch in the Petrie Court Sculpture Garden. After, you can wander up Museum Mile to the Guggenheim, the National Academy Museum, the Neue Galerie (which has a beautiful Viennese-themed cafe) the Cooper Hewitt Museum, and the Museum of the City of New York or go into the Met's backyard and explore Central park. Then walk one block over to Madison Avenue and walk down. There are many wonderful shops in that area, including shoe stores, clothing, bookshops, coffee shops, gifts, etc. It's wonderful just to window shop! If you are short on time during your stay, you can walk back over to 5th Avenue and take the M3 bus all the way down Fifth Avenue (I call it the cheapest tour in NYC!) and you will see so many wonderful things go by the window and you can get off wherever you like! (Central Park, the Frick Museum, Rockefeller Center, the Plaza Hotel, the New York Public Library, Lord & Taylor's,the Flatiron Building, Washington Square Park) Another gem is the Morgan Library if you have the time.

I believe your hotel is fairly close to MoMA, the museum of modern art. If you are interested in this and will be there on a Friday, Friday nights it is FREE to all from 4PM to 8PM.

As for weather, mid-October can run the gamut, but it normally the high is around 65 and the low is in the upper 40's F. A mid-weight coat with a hood is a good bet, and a good sweater. It might be sunny and crisp, or cool and rainy. It might be a bit breezy. But either way, you will have a wonderful time!

They do! We just got back July 14, 2015 and it was fab. Usually, it's out around 11:00 PM. They have a lot of little things: fruit cups, leftover tea sandwiches, delicious french fries, curry with rice, hot dogs, and the BEST chocolate chip cookies ever. It looked like sometimes they were putting out leftovers from supper/lunch too. They also often have nice mousse cups and yes they did have a chocolate display one night, but all the other nights offered the midnight buffet as well. Great after dancing/films!

I wouldn't be too intimidated by this. Certainly, you wouldn't walk around the ship in gym cloths or jeans after 6 and it is actually quite nice to see everyone dressed spiffy for supper on formal nights. Most women are not wearing ball gowns. I saw many wearing long black skirts with a pretty jacket or blouse, which is a nice way to present on a formal night. There were also some in black dress pants with a nice top. You don't have to go all out to still fit in. Your husband would have to have a sports coat on informal nights and wear a tie with a dark suit on formal nights to dine in the main dining room, go to the bars, dance, or attend the shows. But you could still dine in the King's court in your everyday clothes if this does not interest you, and that can be good too (we met several people who did this regularly).

Easy fix: each pack a dark pants suit and you are good to go!

Ignore any rare improper person who gives you a dirty look presumably because of your outfit at any given time. Although this did not happen to us, we witnessed it happening to others and it is a classless reaction by some of the grouches who seem to make a hobby out of it.

Seth Gopin. He is an architectural historian. Very engaging with original ideas and quite knowledgeable and approachable. His lectures were so packed every seat was taken and people were standing outside the theater to listen.

There is so much to do! We really enjoyed going to the quizzes in the Pub, attended Insights lectures about astronomy and architecture, and we went to the Aquatherapy pool and saunas in the Canyon Ranch spa (you can get a 3 day pass for $75USD, highly recommend this). There are also some excellent musical performances (flautist, harpist, jazz/piano in the bars) and great dance classes. Something for everybody. We also read several books while lounging out on deck. You won't be bored, there's something for everyone.

You will have a wonderful time!

To answer a few of your excellent questions -

There is a hairdryer in the room in a little drawer under the tv. It is fine for gents, but I found it totally fried my hair! Ours also had a musty smell that lingered on my hair. I really found that I wished I had brought my own (there are plugs in the same vicinity right there in front of the mirror next to the tv). I recommend bringing your own for the ladies in your group.

For breakfast we actually preferred the King's Court buffet. I would usually eat a boiled egg, smoked salmon, and some fruit (they have lots of cut up fruit). They also have eggs made to order, bacon, pancakes, sausages, kippers, roasted tomatoes, muesli, yogurt, cereals, porridge, toasts and pastries, and cold cuts. It's nice to eat and go because many of the activities and lectures are wonderful in the morning! (Try to get a table in one of the little alcoves by the window and look out at sea)

I also REALLY enjoyed the lattes and the frangipani pastry for breakfast one morning at Sir Samuels. My DH had one of the best donuts he has ever tasted there too. I wouldn't recommend it for a healthy breakfast, but it is nice to indulge in this quick treat if you are in a rush one morning.

Lunch and Dinner in the Brittania are excellent!

We did not like the Internet, it was extremely slow. My husband bought a 2 hour plan just to check in on a few work-related e-mails. Phone calls are cheaper on your cell phone than the room phone, and I was able to text family occasionally, but easily, for not too much money on the Maritime Network that your phone automatically connects to as you get away from shore (I believe it was $1.79 US per outgoing text and $.50 for incoming, but don't quote me on that one!)

I would also HIGHLY Recommend dining in La Piazza, one of the King's Court conversion restaurants. You can call from your room phone to find out which nights they offer it. We sat by the window and such a lovely Italian dinner, we are still talking about it!

Bon Voyage

I'll be sure to post a review, but we just returned from the 175 Anniversary Cruise (July 2nd through July 14th - Southampton, Liverpool, Halifax, Boston, New York). It was our first time on the Queen Mary 2. My husband and I are in our mid-thirties. We thought everything was absolutely wonderful! The ship is beautiful, the staff were so hard-working and consummate professionals, and they did pull out all the stops to celebrate on the ship and in the ports. Obviously, a transatlantic liner housing 2500 passengers and 1400 crew will get some wear and tear crossing the Atlantic Ocean each week, but we saw nothing obviously out of place. To say that the carpets are "threadbare" and that things are looking terrible is ridiculous. BTW the food in the King's Court was great and nicely presented for a buffet. Each day they had a special display in addition to the main courses and salad bar: Tonkatsu, Cream Puffs, Sushi, Chocolate Desserts. It was never overly crowded or closed. I'm not sure where some of the more negative posters are used to eating, but maybe they should order room service for all of their meals and leave the delicious offerings of the wonderful chefs on the QM2 to the rest of us!

Thank you all so much. You have been most helpful to us!

Oh now I am very nervous about this! :eek:

HI,

I just received a notice from Cunard for our upcoming cruise that we have been upgraded from a Sheltered Balcony (midships level 5) to a Balcony Forward room on level 11. While it is so lovely to be visited by the upgrade fairy, I am concerned about my husband and seasickness. I chose the level 5 room for that reason. Do you think we would feel too much motion in the forward room on level 11? Any experience with seasickness on a high floor being resolved by rooming in the center of the ship?

Thank you! The library sounds great, now I can't wait to check it out! I am also happy to hear about the potential for a book trade-in.

A relaxing Vacation equals Reading for me, so I am packing part of my suitcase with several books and my Kindle for our upcoming TA. I have never been before, so pardon my question, but what kind offerings do they have in the QM2 Bookstore? Do they sell magazines? New books? Paperbacks? All the things I read online only mention history books and sailing, which is wonderful, but I am curious about the offerings in case I don't see anything in the library that I like. Many Thanks!

I was so so excited when I heard that Disney was returning to port in NYC in 2016! I have been waiting for this EVERY Day since they left. But when I looked on the DCL site they are only offering 4 seven day cruises in October of 2016. Why October only? Does anyone know? That is literally the worst time of year for our family to travel (kids just started new school year, work schedule in full swing) This is the most densely populated area of the country and it's cold for 1/2 the year! Disney could clean up with cruises from the Northeast! Their cruises from NY are always full. Why do they keep snubbing this part of the country? Is there more to it??? Anyone else disappointed?