Winchester Ranger

Which ship are you considering?

I have been looking at maybe sailing on Miracle again, rekindle some happy memories and all that - but I wouldn't do anything shorter than 7 days especially in light of the advice in this thread.

I've been looking at Carnival again recently as a potential next cruise after I sail with Cunard later this year. We sailed on Miracle many years ago when she was new and quite honestly it was one of my favorite cruises ever.

So here I am doing my research on YouTube 10 years later regarding the usual stuff - what the cabins are like, best suites, and recommended onboard restaurants etc etc and up pops a link for "fight on Carnival cruise ship" - so I click on it out of curiosity and up pops more of them, lots more in fact, some of them are little more than shouting matches but others are really nasty violent brawls - with language so bad I wouldn't want to post links here. A search for trouble on other cruise lines came up with only one video.

I know this isn't a popular question especially in the Carnival forum so please try not to take offence, but I would like to ask if there are certain ports of departure or itineraries that should be avoided to reduce the risk of encountering this type of behavior ?

Those Q5 suites look really nice on QM2, I think a Penthouse would be my top choice as a solo traveller (aft suite as a couple) - but the Q5 would be really nice.

One problem (without an upgrade of course) - I'm in a balcony cabin for $2,100 and the Q5 would be $12,400 on the same crossing - there is absolutely no way I could justify an additional $10,000 no matter how good QG is.

Put another way I could do 6 balcony crossings for just one Q5 crossing.

That's fantastic news - Nick and Nora's that was the one !! I remember eating lobster and sipping on a really nice Chardonnay while watching the sunset.

Miracle was my favorite cruise, I love her.

Wow, what a deal to turn down, it's almost certainly gone to another guest by now.

Wish they had called me, I would have paid $500 for an upgrade on my 8 night crossing.

Cunard informed me last week that I've been upgraded to QG from PG for my trip in late November. The cruise seems a long way off to be upgrading already but I'm not complaining.

That's the cruise I'm on if you mean Nov 25th Eastbound, wow some folks have all the luck. :(

Self and DW sailed on Miracle back in 2004 when she was sailing out of Baltimore (yes, Baltimore actually had/has a cruise ship terminal) when she was new and although we have sailed on several ships since then I don't think I ever fell in love with another ship to quite the same extent that I did with Miracle.

So what kind of condition is she in these days - has she had a re-fit or is she getting a little worn around the edges ? Does she still have the same "detectives" theme and the same supper club at the top of the glass staircase.

Any updates ?

I'm in the same boat both metaphorically and literally speaking - my first solo TA is in 6 months, and I've never solo'd before - ever, and in my opinion age shouldn't make any difference.

Look at it this way - if you don't find anyone to pal on with during the voyage you can always chat with the prettier crew members, or just enjoy all that free time. Solitude can be, and should be, wonderful.

A transatlantic cruise like this affords you the opportunity to disconnect from every day annoyances - cell phones, email, Facebook, work - all the things that we fill the empty space in our lives with. How often do we get 8 days to just turn it all off while eating great food and enjoying all the amazing shipboard amenities that a modern liner like the QM2 has to offer ? Personally I am relishing the prospect.

Plus you are about to put something very cool on your personal "life resume". Firstly, very few people have, or ever will sail TA, especially in their 20s. But even cooler than that is the fact that you will have put your name against a piece of maritime history. QM2 is the world's only true ocean liner - she isn't a cruise ship in the typical sense, and you are young enough that when she is retired in 20 or 30 years time you will be able to say that you once sailed on her - speaking personally I likely won't see that day, but for me the "cool" factor for someone who will is immense.

Do it - you'll be glad you did.

One of my many bad habits (the list is available on VHS and Betamax) is that I tend to look for a great deal and focus on price for any given trip, and then spend the entire waiting time trying to figure out a way to get an upgrade. In fact I just did that very thing today while trying to figure out how to use my air miles to get an upgrade on a flight I have booked to travel to the UK in 2 weeks.

So here I am with my obstructed view Balcony all booked and paid for on QM2 for November and (of course) I find myself wondering about the possibility of Cunard offering some type of last minute upgrade offers for empty suites.

So what's the form for this, is Cunard's M.O. :

1. Upgrades with Cunard - don't make me laugh.

2. Sometimes they make you a cash offer a couple of weeks before sailing.

3. Sometimes they randomly upgrade you at no cost.

4. Something else ?

Experienced Cunarders please pitch in.

Suggest you just pay that little bit more and make reservations for Todd English.

 

If money were no object I'd take one of the aft suites. I'd enjoy the private balcony overlooking QM2's panoramic aft end.

Hmm they do look really nice. If I win the Powerball......

I always wear a cummerbund with a DJ - pleats upwards.

Which of course is entirely correct - bravo.

White tuxedos are particularly elegant right up until the moment you spill gravy on them, then you look more like James May than James Bond.

I wear black tuxedos exclusively now (if I'm wearing one at all), and don't forget the Cummerbund.

For anyone interested in the rules of etiquette, at least the American version (yes, they have some):

When is it appropriate to wear a white tuxedo - between Memorial Day and Labor Day only. It is considered not only acceptable but proper to wear a white dinner jacket or mess jacket in place of a black dinner jacket.

When should you wear a bow tie - you can wear a bow tie with pointed or notched lapels. Shawl lapels, as you see on some tuxes and smoking jackets, should be accompanied by a bow tie.

Can I remove my tuxedo when I'm dining - generally, at a black-tie affair, you want to keep your jacket on at all times, if you are planning to strip off for any reason, you should consider wearing a waistcoat instead of a cummerbund.

Is a Midnight Blue tuxedo considered acceptable - when Edison's lightbulb replaced the candle, it made the black tuxedo look a bit green. It took a gentleman of the rank of the Duke of Windsor to discover that a very dark blue tux looked blacker than black in artificial light. Lighting might have improved, but a midnight blue tuxedo is still an excellent choice.

There are many, many more "rules" - but these seem to be the most common questions.

Sorry to burst your bubble but there isn't a balcony in that cabin, but that is the one that George and Barbara Bush travelled in if that excites you at all. It's a strange shape and certainly not the nicest or most practical of cabins in the QG. Just to add that there is no fresh air accessible in there either as there are no opening windows/doors.

You know I just noticed that on the deck plan - so come on capn, you have to choose your own free suite to play in this thread ;)

I agree, Winchester Ranger.

 

Your postings have added such enthusiasm to the Cunard CC board : ) I don't think you will find your crossing a disappointment.

Kind words sir, especially as I thought I was just being an annoying "newbie" :D

Passenger expenditure per sea day is surprisingly constant regardless of sail dates and frequency, and the ship is continually at sea during the season - so even if she sailed faster and added an additional cruise with all those saved days it wouldn't affect revenue significantly - she just needs to be at sea to make money.

Keep feeding them rich, salty food and push the bar sales - while at the same time cutting down on fuel consumption.

I guarantee you that Cunard (Carnival) monitors fuel usage and alcohol sales with equal scrutiny but I would be fascinated to see the change in bar sales per passenger mile as the younger crowd in summer gives way to the older brigade on the winter sailings (at least I assume the winter sailings are for the seniors).

I would love to load some of those numbers into an analytical tool like Tableau and view the results, especially since that's my job :D

So I caught myself idly browsing through the suite options and categories on QM2, noting with almost gay abandon that they are all still available for my 11/25 sailing date, and of course I can still upgrade........(dream on).

Now I'm soloing on this one and maybe that makes a bit of difference for cabin selection, maybe not - but either way I decided that if I had my pick of all the suites I wouldn't automatically select a Grand Duplex in spite of the obvious appeal of such an expansive cabin.

So my choice ? Cabin 10001, the Queen Victoria Suite, a Royal cabin - class Q3, price for solo expats - the positive bargain basement price of just $23,714.75 (do they really need to add the 75 cents ?). I really like the layout, and that huge curved window looks amazing, although I would imagine the balcony gets a bit "blowy" at full tilt.

Your choice ?

Knowing something about how "these things" work it is highly likely that one of the party has prior convictions for a serious offence - they may be 85 now, but they were 20 once upon a time and the legal system has a very long memory. I have an elderly uncle with some less than salubrious activities in his distant criminal past, classic black sheep of the family and all that - he can never visit the US, entry would be denied.

Of course it could all be a case of mistaken identity, but this is one of the drawbacks of the visa waiver program - you are not pre-authorized, you have to know that you are "clean" before attempting entry. If you think that's strict I had to have a blood test at the US Embassy to prove that I didn't have any STDs before they would let me in (the very thought !!), and that in addition to producing my (blank) Scotland Yard criminal history record (and a chest x-ray for TB, and extra inoculations with accompanying certificate etc etc). Yes, the US is strict - don't even get me started on filing US tax returns.

Cunard submits the passenger itinerary with dates of birth - the US Immigration people run that file up against their latest UK criminals file and matches are automatically denied entry. Post 9/11 the Americans don't mess around and they would rather be safe than sorry. Their country, their rules.

Having said all that I am disappointed that Cunard didn't do more (a lot more) to help this elderly couple - a good marketing team would have recognized this as an opportunity for some excellent publicity.

Cunard fail.

I'm fairly ambivalent about caviar - not that I don't like it, and if it's served I'll certainly take some, especially if a glass of champagne is on offer with it, but that other "naughty" delicacy, foie gras I would happily sell my soul for, and yes I feel guilty every time I eat it.

Of course now I'm looking at ordering some Beluga for delivery to my UK address to make up for the fact that I'm flying over and not cruising over in 4 weeks time.......

Blue Ribband - good grief, those prices, and that's from 14 years ago !

Normandie - great photos, really good.

Is it me or do we get so much more for so much less these days, maybe I'm missing something.

I loved reading these posts - thank you all.

It seems like there is almost a generational thing here with each generation of liner, both old and new, offering something unique. Perhaps if I'm still around when QM2 retires and is replaced by something approximating the Isle of Wight with an engine, I'll be able to tell the youngsters about the majesty of the QM2 and how you could still do unthinkable things like smoking cigars.

I really do wish I had thought to cruise transatlantic on QE2 before 2008 though, sadly I did miss an opportunity there.

Thanks again for sharing - and I need to find a photo of one of those wood panelled staterooms, it has me intrigued.

I can still remember when Alan Wicker sailed on the QE2 for an episode of Wicker's World (anyone else remember that one - great, great show) - I was only a youngster but even then I was enthralled with his stories of shipboard life, I even remember that the cost of a master fantail suite for the world cruise was over 100,000 pounds for about 6 months of ultra-premier first class cruising - an absolutely unbelievable fortune back in the late 1970s.

So here I am, 2015 and as giddy as a schoolgirl at the prospect of sailing on QM2 Transatlantic in November. I missed out on flying on Concorde, and there at the back of my mind was the thought that I missed out on the QE2 as well, even though I could have sailed on her - my cruise life having started in 2004. So I'm overjoyed that I not only get to sail with Cunard, a British institution, before perhaps something terrible happens to them in the cut and thrust of the corporate world, but that I also get to sail on the QE2's successor.

So here I am doing all my research and I am seeing so many comments about how the QM2 is great, but don't even try and compare her to the QE2.

So for those who were there, those who sailed on the QE2 not in 2008 but back in her heyday - just what was she like, specifically what was a cruise day on her like - the food, the service, the staterooms, the entertainment - I mean in 1975 not 2005 and preferably first class.

Exactly what did I miss, please :)

What happened with the ship -did they return to port, or continue on ?

Those parents are in a living nightmare right about now, I can't begin to imagine the pain.

It's so annoying when people start calling new posters a liar just because their questions are sometimes at cross-purposes - it's a good job I'm not a moderator because their next post would be on Cruisemates.

Bubbe2005 - I'm on the same cruise as you only earlier (November) but I have cruised before, just not transatlantic and not with Cunard, so my advice is limited but I'll try and give you some general "first time advice".

Firstly make sure your passports are all in order, for everyone in your party including children. Although you can take a chance and fly in on the day of the sailing, the prevailing good advice is to arrive a day early and spend a night in a nearby hotel, especially as your cruise is in January so winter weather could be an issue. Don't worry about cash, you will be issued with an onboard charge card, and it's a big plus that you don't drink alcohol as that tends to be where people rack up the big bills. Cunard offers a kids club and you may want to check that out to give you a break during the cruise - plus they tend to be really good with kids from what I have heard (none of my own).

The buffet dining may be more to your liking if you want to avoid the formal scene with all the dress-up, something that tends to define transatlantic cruising.

Good luck with your new life in the UK, and as someone who made the move in the opposite direction always remember that if it doesn't work out the ships go both ways ;)

Enjoy your cruise, and I hope you get the taste for it. :D

Having done many crossings in all levels of accommodation with two in Britannia Club. One of those occasions was as a solo traveller.

 

I found the 'freedom' dining times that Britannia Club offer suited me down to the ground and offer so much more flexibility.

 

Whatever you choose, have a great crossing on a magnificent ship.

Thanks, I hope to have a great time too.

I'm currently binge watching YouTube videos of the ship - honestly I wish I was onboard her right now.