Drumbeat16

I don't understand the lengths people will go to for the sake of a dining table - hopefully I never get that precious 😕 

I can access it via the My Cunard - Before You Sail screen on the Australian site.

The pop-up is driving me balmy 😬

51 minutes ago, LeeW said:

Lots of assumptions here, but no real answers yet except john1970.  We are NOT flying to the US.  We are flying from Heathrow to Amsterdam, so considered domestic (and out of Terminal 5, without the extensive security issues of a US flight).  Would like to get into Amsterdam as early as possible and the main nonstops are in the 1230 or 1430 timeframe. We've done the Princess transfers for a US flight multiple times and are familiar with how long that takes - looking for folks with experience flying to Europe from Heathrow.

 

A flight from Heathrow to Amsterdam is NOT a domestic flight!

10 hours ago, LittleFish1976 said:

I book Cunard through them and have the membership. Do they still provide additional OBC beyond what Cunard are offering and get you a small discount on the fare without membership? That's what I've been getting. Also, 15% discount with travel insurance.

Before I made my last booking with Cunard I asked if there were any additional benefits for club members and was told there wasn’t so I have not joined. I dislike the fact the membership fee is automatically added to your invoice and I have to ask for it to be removed.

I did get additional OBC on a different booking without membership.

7 hours ago, Ozwoody said:

All true, except by car, at least on the east coast, and SA.

No border check points now, there was when I was a young fella, but a half century later, and everything is changed.

Not sure about WA; Tas; and NT, but can't imagine they would have road border check points these days.

 

ps: yes I know there is a little water between Tas and Vic, but you can still drive via the ferry😁

There are definitely checks in SA and WA, at the border going into WA but not until near Ceduna coming into SA. A very nice officer went through the fridge in our motor home with me.

I have a couple of bookings with the cruise specialist that you mention, they keep adding the club fee to my bookings but as there doesn't seem to be any advantage when booking with Cunard I keep declining it.

33 minutes ago, buchanan101 said:

I'm already planning late 2026 for another crossing - working on the OH with the carrot that we could do the literary festival one.

what route does yours follow? Do they use the Suez canal or are cruises now avoiding that area?

It is currently planned to go via the Suez but who knows whether that will happen 😕

1 hour ago, BklynBoy8 said:

 

So happy with your decision. May I suggest Deck 12 since Deck 13 does block the forward view with the Bridge blocking the view.

 

We like Deck 12 away from the B Elevators and Pavillon Pool since some of those cabins have a overhang from the Sun Deck. Just a thought if you look at the Port Side photo of the ship and Deck area.

 

We too enjoy the Britannia Club Restaurant and it's intimacy. And the Ala Carte Menu gives you alternate selection. Don't give a second thought that it is at the other end of the ship and 10 deck below. Good reason to walk off the meals....lol 

It is a guaranteed cabin so we won't be given the choice, it's not until March 2026 so a long time to wait to find out 😀 

6 hours ago, Catchum said:

No one can guarantee you a sooth sailing.  A ship on calm water will be stable  ship on rough seas will be ... not so stable.  A lower deck midship cabin will be better than a high one forward but we have had a midship cabin on a low deck on a large ship with the waves making the porthole into a washing machine and struggling to stay in bed (not a hardship to cling on to DH)

 

Did you enjoy your Hurtigruten cruise despite the seasickness?

We did enjoy our Hurtigruten voyage, it was only 3 nights as a last minute booking and thankfully I only had motion sickness on a short section when the ship was on open sea (and I hadn't thought to take medication with me). Sailing through the fjords and crossing into the Arctic Circle was wonderful.

Thank you all for your replies. I made the decision and contacted our TA this morning to upgrade to Club Balcony.

I am aware the cabins are the same as the standard balcony but I think we will enjoy the smaller restaurant more on a longer cruise. The difference in price per night per cabin is AUD$ 33/ US$ 20.4 - too good to miss.

54 minutes ago, LittleFish1976 said:

Personally, I would jump at the upgrade at that price! Apparently the dining options are more extensive in Club compared to straight Britannia.

 

Were you in the Barents sea on the Hurtiguten ship by any chance, as I would consider that pretty rough. The H ships are also an enormous amount smaller than the QM2. I've sailed up the front on deck 10 on the QM2 and barely felt it rock at all crossing the Tasman (with its reputation for being pretty rough). I've also sailed on the Spitsbergen - you can't compare them at all.

 

Take your upgrade and have a lovely time. (Stemetil works well for seasickness!).

We recently did a 3 day test cruise on the QE and I was completely fine although I don't think it was particularly rough. We're booked on a Xmas cruise to the South Pacific on the QE so that should give me a better idea I think. I will be taking an assortment of remedies as a backup!

I'm waiting to hear back from our TA to confirm the price 🙂

18 minutes ago, Pushpit said:

QM2? You would be fine. She is very different from those Norwegian tubs.  Maybe the occasional lurch but I have been in two Storm Force 10 events with QM2, one of which I slept through, and I only found out because the pilot wasn't prepared to board in those conditions. Very good price for a Club upgrade.

Thank you, I have read lots of comments regarding QM2's stability so I'm thinking I could take a chance. My husband is a good sailor so it's up to me really 🤔

I'd appreciate some thoughts on my current dilemma from all you experienced cruisers. 😊.

I am a novice cruiser and have previously suffered seasickness on smaller vessels (one was a Hurtigruten ship). I have only been on 2 short cruises and was 100% fine.

We are booked on the QM2 from Hong Kong to Southampton in 2026, currently in a mid-aft balcony cabin on deck 8. I have just spotted an option to upgrade to a guaranteed A2 balcony club cabin for a very reasonable AUD$35 per night per cabin. However, the A2 cabins on the Queen Mary are forward cabins on Deck 12 and 13 - shall I risk the chance of increased movement and possible seasickness???

Your thoughts are appreciated.

8 hours ago, Mary loves to travel said:

We're looking at doing Rottnest Island while we are in Freemantle for the day.

We'll be docked from 7am - 5pm.

 

While we could possible catch the 7:30am ferry, the 9 am is more realistic, putting us on the island at 9:30 am.

 

We'd need to be on the 2:30pm returning to Freemantle at 3 pm.

(the next return is 4pm, arriving in Freemantle at 4:30 pm.... with an all-aboard at 4:30 that's cutting it a little to close for comfort!).

 

So, my question:   we'd have about 5 hours on the island, 9:30am - 2:30 pm.   Is that enough to enjoy it, or would we be better off doing something in Freemantle or Perth?

 

Thanks,

Mary

 

 

What time of year will it be Mary, I'm guessing during warm weather? I think 5 hours would be OK but you need to decide if the cost of the ferry is worth it to you. Another option could be a scenic cruise between Fremantle (not Freemantle) and Perth but you might want to spend some time on land 🙂.

3 hours ago, roscoe39 said:

sorry but if the reason is that the Cruise ships (and there are several involved in being turned away over the years) are not coming to NZ because of them having to come with clean hulls, without the damaging organisms from other parts of the world, them I'm with the environment and our government for protecting them.. They can stay away and help keep our pristine fjords and Bays clear.

My thoughts exactly, the area is much to precious to damage.

2 hours ago, arxcards said:

If you want to walk-off breakfast (and the previous three days worth), take a walk up the hill. Beautiful views and a lovely sea breeze.

 

If what you say is true about cancelling all NZ itineraries, they have a couple of calls they need to cancel prior to this cruise. Has that already happened?

She is due to call in Auckland on her way to Sydney from San Fran on 10th October. She also has a NZ cruise departing Sydney on 27th November. One extra one after this cruise on 10th January.

 

I just think they are trying to add variety, otherwise they will just have 3 consecutive rounds of NZ & Tassie.

The cruise to NZ on Nov 27th has been cancelled also, and apparently changed to 7 day Tasmania cruises.

On 2/8/2024 at 11:30 AM, Cruiselover2025 said:

Just look for the most sun burnt ones, and you’ve found ur newbie

 

Not if they're Australians or Australian residents 

We recently cruised from Melbourne to Sydney and did not have internet access once we reached open waters (we are with Telstra).

Yes, passengers on board have advised it was a medical emergency.

The QM world cruise is now rerouting around South Africa rather than through the Suez. Obviously disappointing for passengers booked on the Dubai - Southampton leg but it seems there is no option to ensure passenger safety.

Rottnest Island is definitely worth a visit even if it's just to see the quokkas. The buses are a very good option, my days of cycling on Rottnest are over 😀.

Enjoy your visit when you get there

31 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

We love the shower over the bath. There is so much more space than in a small shower cubicle. The bath in QE is quite low and even with my dodgy knee I found it very easy to get in and out of. There was a grab bar along the side of the bath to aid getting in and out, and that could be grabbed if your husband was feeling unsteady at any time.

That sounds better than I thought, thank you for your response 🙂

We took our first Cunard cruise recently and may treat ourselves to PG one day so your report has been a great help 😀. The one thing that does concern me is the shower over the bath (my husband has some balance issues), would it put you off booking PG in the future?

2 hours ago, jland said:

I tried to find this bargain yesterday but couldn’t see those prices anywhere. Did anyone have any luck?

I’ve just found a verandah cabin supposedly for $1490 (oceanview and interior are 3 and 4 times this price)! However, trying to find a cabin for that price doesn’t seem possible.