Planning to cruise

I am pleased to see that there was a matinee classical concert. We were told on Anne that "all that has gone", to our concern and disappointment.

Good to know, many thanks. Next year we arrive at the embarkation port a couple of days in advance. It will be good to get on board without delay. We have done a few Viking Rivers but always arrived latish after flights and transfers. That has never been good and this time we decided to get ahead.

In over 200 nights total on QM2 I have only been inside the gym for muster drill.

I have had experience of trying to do this sort of thing with Cunard but, like you, without success. We booked Cape Town to Sydney but having been to Sydney we thought we would disembark a few days earlier and visit someone. Cunard wouldnt entertain it. As it turned out it was academic anyway as we never went anywhere thanks to covid cancellation of the whole thing.

We would never go on the "horrid monsters". There are smaller ships, more itinerary based with less entertainment. They will not be to everyones taste but we find we can mix that with Cunard happily. Cancelling. We have only done so once, not wishing to repeat QA as our next cruise on her was a longer one. We knew that unless we transferred the deposit to another Cunard booking of the same or higher value we would lose it. I might have been willing to cut our losses but DH was not prepared to lose the cash! Whilst still on board we looked at other Cunard cruises of at least equal cost and decided to transfer to another longer one on QM2. We went to the future cruise office and asked them to make the change. They said they could not do so, were unable to do the paperwork. Dont ask me why. Although the person was pleasant and polite we had the impression that they were more interested in making new sales. We contacted our agent on return home who immediately organised the change to a different cruise and ship in a cabin of our choice without fuss. I am UK based.

We just go with the flow on close tables, sometimes getting chatty, sometimes it is only polite exchanges. Once we did have an issue. In PG on QV with tables side by side. Nothing wrong with the other pair, perfectly nice people but DH in particular didnt care for the mans frequent topic of conversation. Too medical, especially as at the time DH had seen enough of medical establishments for a while. We didnt want to move, we had a great window table. After a few days we realised that they were always in the dining room almost as soon as it opened. We deliberately went a little later, which suited us and were able to say something on the lines of hello, have you had a good day, oh dear I see you are leaving, never mind we ll see you again. It worked and we ate in peace. In PG since Covid the tables have been more angled, still close if you want to engage but are not face to face if you want to be less sociable.

Correction. I now see that the post referred to the QE2. Apologies. My first visit was on QM2, and the subject of my photo. She towered above the houses.

I have one like that too. On our numerous Stavanger calls we have always docked by the Gamle Stan. Old Town. This year we were further down by the new concert hall, still accessible enough. I note that some ships have to use moorings by the Oil Museum. When we were there a private yacht was docked in the harbour also. A massive thing, more like a small cruise ship, the type more usually seen around the South of France. It took up a stretch of waterfront opposite the Old Town. The Canning Museum, by the way, is no more. The smaller basic shed with only the exhibits about the fishing industry has been absorbed into a larger more modern building that portrays industrial history generally. We stuck our heads in to see what it was like but did not visit.

Yep. I am familiar with the built environment too and the QA layout and sizing shortcomings were glaringly obvious to me, from our room to public spaces and traffic flow. I realise from posts that many people do love QA and look forward to sailing on her. Thats fair enough. Its a good thing that we dont all try to be on the same ship. Its also good that Cunard has a different style of ship to broaden their appeal. For some QA is the only realistic Cunard option while other ships (other than QM2) are not sailing from Southampton. I do appreciate the other views. But QA is not for us. We have other options with Cunard and another line and cancelled future QA cruises. I know I am not alone in doing so.

..... but not for non Grills passengers, the majority

Possibly not, I dont know. QM2s size and any port limitations would be something for the OP to consider and investigate when deciding on a TA v port to port or a combined journey. Only QM2 offers the latter.

I am on that too with the crossing back to Southampton from NY. Only one port in Iceland and its not going into the longer fjord port (Geiranger, Flam).

We have learned to do so by experience. We once had the worst table in QM2 BC and couldnt get moved. Our fault for not checking first and probably getting bumped down. On QM2 as frequent flyers we ask for and usually get the front section of Britannia between the doors and the mural. In the "good old days" it was where officers sometimes hosted some large tables. Another input into the tabe allocation algorithms is length of time on board. The longer your journey the better your table. World cruisers trump those on segments. If there is an embarkation / disembarkation day on your cruise you may be asked if you wish to have a different table on changeover - the wonderful Stanley again who works various dining rooms on the ships.

I have done TA and ports cruises on QM2 many times. I enjoy both. They are different. Obviously the ship, food, rooms and staff are the same. Both have formal nights. Both serve afternoon teas. TAs tend to have more daytime activities and talks. There is more than enough to do. With ports, there is clearly more emphasis on destinations. TAs, to me, feel less rushed but you also have daily time changes, gaining or losing an hour each tine depending on direction. I have been in PG on other Cunard ships but not on Mary so cant help.

On Ocean too. I have done river cruises and experienced weather, river level, issues with Viking. I concur with what you say. I have also done many ocean cruises adding up to some 18 months at sea in total. Ports have been missed for good reason, sometimes but not always weather related. Port departures have been delayed, missed or ships diverted for medical reasons. At the beginning of a world cruise the captain addressed the passengers doing the full journey. He told us that we although had booked with an itinerary we should realise that it was nothing more than a wish list. Circumstances could (and in a few places did) dictate otherwise.

Agreed. It is convenient, midships, but some tables are up against the window onto the atrium. I was glad not to be there, a bit goldfish bowl and feeding time viewing. Our own table was in a corner, up against 2 walls. We had refused one next to a noisy service station. The plus of being tucked away was the lack of constant passing traffic in a too cramped space

Club dining on QM2 and QV / QE is more intimate with speedy good service by a waiting team that gets to know the limited number of diners. QA Club dining room is larger with more diners to be served. More akin to Britannia. We found speed and efficiency of service variable. Wait staff whilst good often seemed under more pressure to get around everyone. As in Britannia, there were long waits if more people turned up. Tables are close together, it was difficult to get cheese and flambe trolleys close to a table when service was sometimes further away with the plate then being carried to the table. Very first world, but not Club as we know it.

The Casino pinch point was evident from day 1 on board. It affects the able bodied too when it is difficult for traffic moving in opposite directions to pass, especially at busy times such as theatre finish. Passing along the Queens Room thoroughfare by the bar can be another pinch point at times. Imo not well designed.

Corridors are narrower. There are more rooms opening out into the space. Movement in the corridors is more restricted for all.

Price differential between B and BC depends on which Britannia cabins you look at. The step from Britannia "from" price, entry level, to BC is steeper than from the most expensive Britannia room, BA. For years we usually booked BA rooms but decided that the upgrade difference to Club was not so great and we found it to be worth it. I agree with post #10 re QV and QM2 and QE is the same as QV. The QA club rooms are smaller than those on the other ships and feel more cramped. The Club dining room is much larger without the intimacy and "Club" feeling of the other ships. At the end of the day, as with most things in cruising, you pays your money and takes your choice.

One very minor correction: the statue in the park playing the violin is, I believe, of the 18th century great Norwegian violinist, Ole Bull, not Edvard Grieg. I was about to say the same thing. The violinist is OB, the photos also show a statue of EG. Another worthwhile visit in Bergen is to Troldhaugen, Greigs home.

Yes there was. The problem was that if you werent seated in the central part of the room you couldnt fully see what was going on because of the overhanging balconies above.

Well done Jonathan Ward. I always knew he would make it one day. He was 3rd Officer on QM2 8 years ago. Very sociable then. On a long cruise our room was near the bridge. If we were in the corridor when he passed he always spoke and also anywhere around the ship. We spoke again last year when he was deputy on QV.

Its interesting to contrast your day in Flam with ours there last month when the weather was hot and sunny. It was also the height of the tourist season. We did the same included tour which showed us parts we had not seen before. Your photo of the viewpoint cantilevered walkway showed a handful of people on it. It was jammed when we visited and despite (or because of) the great weather it was difficult to appreciate the view never mind get decent photos. We travelled on the railway during our first vist on a land holiday in 1973 when it was more of a local means of transport and less of a busy tourist attraction. As such, we have never been since on many cruise calls to Flam. The difference in 50 years is huge. Flam was just a station at the end of the railway line with a quay where people waited to connect to a local ferry. The hotel was there and a couple of houses. In July the sail out along the fjord was stunning in the longer light and better weather. We watched on deck for hours. We did have a shower that produced a huge rainbow across the fjord and rocky summits.

So many visiting the UK stick woth London. London while full of history and fabulous buildings and museums is not typical. There is so much more.