D&N

35 minutes ago, napria said:

 I can’t even imagine what I’m going to do for the three week voyage I’ve booked for 2026.

We fly relatives in from Scotland if we're away for more than 2 or 3 days. Our girls don't need walks, which makes things much easier. They cope with having a neighbour visit twice daily for a day or two, but wouldn't appreciate the lack of company for any longer.

20 hours ago, napria said:

Fencing? Is there still fencing?

On one of the very recent Queen Anne threads the couple who were on for 50+ days tried  fencing.

Had four nights there mid May. They dragged me into some barn type room with paintings on ceiling. Otherwise we just wandered about past all the architecture. We did go into the odd place that took our fancy. Personally I prefer the exterior of the Colosseum to those bits inside. I might feel differently if they had shows feeding live human bait to lions. And why don't they have chariot races in Circus Maximus?

However we had four wonderful dinners, most of the lunches were ok, and I had no problem finding decent coffee (unlike New York).

Oh, and I found a navy blue tux for our next trip on QM2. 🤣

6 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

I had a traumatic experience yesterday. I bought something I thought was Camembert that was actually vegan Camembert. It is one of the most horrid things I’ve ever had, composed of additives, slimy, and tasting nothing like cheese. I’m sure no actual vegan would touch it. I felt nauseous all evening.

We'll just stick to Comté.

Although we had a Burrata and Mortadella salad for lunch today.

I'm usually quite careful to make sure I don't buy anything labelled vegan or bio (organic). Normal stuff suits us fine.

Comté is of course unpasteurized, but we've eaten so much of it for so long we might be immune to any risks of listeria. 😀

Haven't commented as we've not had a sheltered balcony. One return crossing in a glass balcony on deck 12 and two more booked in same cabin.

We weren't on the balcony much and won't be in future. We won't be in the cabin that much either. There is too much to do on QM2 to be wasting time in a cabin.

I hadn't paid attention to the date.

Not many years ago almost everything shut down on May 1st. Trains and buses might operate a Sunday service if anything. Restaurants were generally open though as with everyone on holiday they would be full at lunch times.

That's relaxed a little recently and some supermarkets have opened in the morning for half a day. I'm not sure how museums and other attractions are affected but I wouldn't count on being guaranteed to find any particular place open without enquiring in advance.

7 hours ago, Vineyard View said:

Thank you so much for this further information. It still sounds as if the location of La Perouse on the main thoroughfare is set back further than most with one way better?  
Any recommendations as a local on staying in Nice only,  or taking a day to venture further for an adventure is more than welcome. We should have 2 1/2 full days to explore. I am guessing that Nice can easily take that time and more. Then we will want to return! 

That's my point. One way should mean less traffic overall. We were at Quai Lunel, which is part of the one way system, one evening about a month ago and there was very little traffic.

As a local, we aren't really into culture. We try and steer clear of Nice unless we want to visit particular shops or restaurants. Nothing wrong with Nice, but it's a city and cities don't seem as relaxed as small towns.

Just about everywhere along the coast and in to the back country are worth visiting, in our case for rambling or lunches. But if you're going to see cultural stuff, for me you don't have enough time to go anywhere else.

2 hours ago, exlondoner said:

Wouldn’t that be hogging another eating area?

But it's a "lounge", not a buffet, food hall or restaurant. Similarly to my feelings on the pub, if someone wants to sit all day sipping drinks in a a lounge or pub I don't see why they should vacate their seats for someone that wants to eat.

I know there are folk that might sit there without drinking. I think on QM2 there's a corner where craft activities take place.

Not a venue we'll use anyway. Didn't like the atmosphere. Thought we would, but in practice I think it might be that pub, buffet, casino and Carinthia share a common theme.

3 hours ago, exlondoner said:

 No, mine wanted to be talk about candlesticks instead. They too were vital bedside furniture until WW1.

Depends where you lived. I believe that when we left Shetland in January 1958 they were just starting to install electricity.

I have no memories prior to being carried around Aberdeen Harbour in the early hours of the morning of our arrival.

10 hours ago, david63 said:

That would be dependant on whether it is feasible/practical to adapt it for LNG

Or other technologies that might become available before it's needed.

19 hours ago, Winifred 22 said:

What sort of line is it then

Probably referring to it being shown as a thin rather than bold line on the South Western network map, with the half hour service shared between South Western and Great Western (might need to watch ticket validity). The routes to and from London are shown in bold.

1 hour ago, Millieloulou said:

Montagnolo Affine

We rather like that too.

Always used to get it from Waitrose but found Ocado do an M&S version. When we visit my sister there are problems with taking them out for dinner so I order most of the food we need to make dinners for them from Ocado for delivery just before we arrive. The wine and hard cheeses come from here with us.

19 hours ago, NE John said:

The floor was pretty packed during Beatlemania to do a ballroom stroll

More likely to be latin. There are steps in Cha-Cha, Rhumba, Samba & Jive that can be done virtually on the spot. We can probably take up less space than those who just throw themselves about to the music. Elementary Salsa and Mambo are other options and we don't know any other steps in those dances anyway.

We're on the floor quicker than most and start a Quickstep or Foxtrot if music suits that, dropping to Social Foxtrot (might be known as One-Step Foxtrot in US?) as the floor fills. We can often thread between disco dancers as it's really just a sort of walking to the music. And there's a couple of steps in Waltz and Social Foxtrot that keep you in the same place. If all else fails we're able to change dance part way through a track.

I see enough space for us in that photo!

@Ashley24 Toulon is a main base for the French Navy and also a major freight port and a main ferry port for Corsica and Sardinia. The actual port of Toulon is full with those activities.

If you open Google Maps and search for "Toulon" it will show the natural inlet with all the ports. The map will show a red dotted line around the Toulon City boundaries and you will see the port of Seyne-sur-Mer in the South-West corner of the inlet.

Here's a screen shot of it.

We've never stayed in Nice. We only travel in for lunch, dinner or shopping and go home afterwards.

But a positive comment on potential traffic noise levels outside La Perouse. One way traffic westbound was introduced on Quai Rauba Capeu and Quai des États-Unis in 2020. There have been legal challenges to that, but the latest judgement a few weeks ago at the Marseille Administrative Court is in favour of the City and the one way system remains.

I imagine road noise levels are lower with the one way system.

You have received very good advice from others here, I just wasn't sure if their experience was recent enough to be aware of the traffic situation.

We plan to delay our next booking. We are booked on QM2 in June 2025 and September 2026. We had planned to make it an annual event from June 2025, but with the dry dock in June 2026 that wasn't an option. I've decided I couldn't face leaving here for that length of time again so soon after September 2026 so we'll miss June 2027 and probably book for June 2028.

The other issue is release dates. If 2027 is released next March, we'd be booking that before even making our next B2B crossings.

I'd rather review any onboard changes before booking another trip. We're quite flexible dancers and will dance to almost anything and in whatever space is available. Beatlemania seems fine to me, I'd be able to fit a ballroom or latin dance to most of their tracks that I can recall. But if we can't dance every night we won't be making any more bookings.

We don't go to watch or listen to any of the other entertainment on offer.

There are recent YT videos from a couple that were on QM2's voyage to Norway in June.

Much of their onboard footage is fairly average, but they use a drone camera when off the ship and they have posted some amazing footage of QM2 docked in the Fjords.

I'm sure I'll upset some folk by passing the opinion that QM2 makes the Fjords look amazing! 😀

On 7/28/2024 at 6:54 PM, Moxiefurball said:

Since there is only one flight I am almost a little worried that if a Sunday flight to Southhampton would somehow get cancelled then I would very little time to rebook with a train.  We have been to London, so don’t need to go there unless the Eurostar only goes directly from Paris to London without any stops such as Southhampton. Or is there another train  from Paris to Southhampton.  All answers will,be greatly appreciated.

I'm not familiar with the Eastern's Paris-Southampton schedule. It might depend on how late on the Sunday it might be cancelled. Even so, you have the choice of Eurostar or there will be many more flights to Heathrow or Gatwick. In such an emergency situation I would take a car from St Pancras, Heathrow or Gatwick to the port.

If Eurostar has any stop before London St Pancras it will be in Kent, nowhere near Southampton.

Have you looked at what sort of aircraft Eastern Airways use and any luggage restrictions. In the past their fleet consisted of quite small planes? Personally I would book Paris to Heathrow (BA are probably most frequent) or Eurostar to St Pancras then a pre booked taxi from either to Southampton with an overnight hotel within 10 minutes of the port. In both cases you have multiple trips per day and if one is cancelled you can easily transfer.

2 hours ago, david63 said:

Whilst I don't disagree that itineraries (of virtually all cruise lines) are repetitive I think that it is unfair to say lack imagination. I suspect that arranging a ship's itinerary is far more complex than looking at a map and saying let's go here, here and there.

 

There is the physical capability as to whether the ship can get from port A to port B in a reasonable time-frame and if it can is there a berth available that will be able to handle that ship. Then there is the question as to whether Cunard has a port agent at that port and whether provisioning and excursions can be arranged. And one other thing that will be considered is what the cost of using a particular port is going to be.

 

With everything that has to be arranged that is why cruise lines only have one or two new ports in their itineraries each year and bearing in mind that such planning is done three, four or more years out.

Port capacity is another issue.

I remember watching P&O Arcadia bobbing around off the east of the Cap d'Antibes one day. It had been scheduled to call at Cannes but conditions in the bay were too choppy to tender.

Where they found to anchor would have been ok but the customs at Antibes would only accept a maximum of 850 passengers. I can't recall how many were onboard but it was over that number and they were refused.

It's mainly Regent that I've seen calling there.

1 hour ago, WantedOnVoyage said:

and had lunch at the Martinez in Cannes. Still not good enough!

They want everyone on the ship to do that though. Obviously not all in the Palm d'Or but spread around all the overpriced restaurants.

Monaco are quite clear that they only want ships of Oceania or Seabourn size with clients in the market for a pair of Louboutin shoes or something from Tiffany's.

4 hours ago, ronpes said:

Currently being dragged round Macy’s in New York. The boss (aka my wife) tells me it’s a great way to escape the New York heat and might have a look whilst we are there.🤦‍♂️😳

A bit late now, but for future reference (unless you do this already). If you see anything you like, take photos of it and make sure to get a clear picture of the label including barcode. When you get home you probably find it cheaper online.

34 minutes ago, GeorgianGal100 said:

Oh and I'm sure the cats will be so thrilled to have you home.

I'd missed that they had cats. I'm sure they will be scolding them for abandoning them for so long. We move Scottish folk into our place to serve our girls if we're away for more than a couple of nights.

1 hour ago, exlondoner said:

How much is Chateau Petrus?

$4,500 for the 2014. That's in the QE-QV-QA list from March this year.

edit: I just chose the Haut-Brion to fit the $800.

1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

With $800 OBC not sure what else we would spend it on.   We already have Premium Drink Packages with booking.

But I don't think the Premium Drink Packages run to this ........

Might I suggest:

Château La Mission Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan Grand Cru Classé 2001 $700 (plus 15%)

🤣

17 minutes ago, david63 said:

You can have them all if you want😂

Can you send them to France please? Maybe include the drivers and management.