Chelsea1

We just disembarked from the Getaway this morning in Southampton and it was deck 5 forward. For Hamburg port it was deck 7 forward.

Glad you arrived back in time, despite the taxi cost. We are boarding the Getaway in Southampton this coming Thursday on a similar itinerary and planning to do our own excursions. Having experienced a couple of significant delays on German ICE trains in the past we'll be extra careful. Really looking forward to the cruise - our first time on NCL/ Getaway. 

Yes, Bilbao is a difficult train journey from Le Havre (at least 12 hours and part by bus). If they had known they were going to be delayed it would have been much better staying the night in Paris and then heading to Bilbao the next day. But of course that is hind sight!

Also cannot have been easy finding accommodation at 10PM at night in Le Havre.

    
High-rise window cleaning must have been a intensive career. Glad it was lucrative enough to retire at 50, so enjoy your retirement and relax! 

Yes Dream cruises have - 2/3 nights, no ports, round trip Singapore for residents only. I think they started in December. Believe Royal Caribbean are doing similar short cruises from Singapore, again residents only, on Quantum of the seas.

I agree, would not feel confident to sign up for this at the stage we are currently at in the UK. 

In know Singapore (Dream Cruises) have piloted short cruises for Singapore residents only. However they require passengers to have a Covid-19 rapid test in the terminal prior to boarding and to download the contact tracing device which links to the very effective Singapore government monitoring systems, with emergency drills for what to do if a passenger show symptoms. 

I guess Holyhead, Harwich, Dover, Felixtowe, Falmouth and Portland are other potential  options - I think they could all accept the QE and QV, but not the QM2.

Carnival put significant financial investment, together with British Ports, into refurbishing facilities and expanding the capacity of Southampton, so I doubt if Cunard will move to a different home port for the UK based ships. Assume Cunard have favourable berthing rights at Southampton.

Port Tyne (Newcastle) facility has 2 berths and can handle liners with LOA length up to 300 M (985 ft) and maximum passenger capacity is 2000, so this would exclude the QM2 (LOA 345M, max 2,695 passengers) and would just about accommodate the QE and QV.

Liverpool has much better capacity, but not the global transport links, and is also further from Hamburg and the very popular weekend / transatlantic extensions. However it would be nice if Cunard did more Liverpool calls.

To be honest this whole discussion seems pretty futile, started by the opening post.

How can anyone here possibly know when the over 70’s will be allowed to cruise again? (Most are already able to).

I done know when I’m going to be allowed to return to work, or go for a meal in a restaurant.

We don’t even know when the UK Prime minister will be fully back in office!

What pointless question to ask at this stage.

Well based on today's price I have made approx 48% return in 3 business days. That said it is very early days yet. I bought the shares as a long term investment and do hope to benefit from the shareholder on board credit in the future. 

I bought 1000 shares today at £6.16, USD equivalent $7.60

I think you were certainly right there!

Singapore Ministry of Health  has stepped up the Singapore risk assessment from yellow to amber.

We got an email this morning instructing all employees to work from home starting Monday until further notice.

I spoke to our finance team in Singapore this morning for our weekly team meeting. They are very worried about the virus and the number of visitors passing through Singapore. They told me thy hope all cruises calling at Singapore get cancelled to help avoid transferring the virus in.

Based on the current situation I would not travel to Hong Kong either, or take a cruise in the region, even from Singapore. 

Cruiseluvva, I asked my husband, who enjoys cruising in the region and the local food etc,  the question last night "would you still take that Royal Caribbean cruise we were had booked for mid Feb from Singapore to Hong Kong"?

Answer "Are you crazy? No way! I'm not travelling anyway the region for at least 6 months"

I think the danger with this virus is that it is a new strain , most likely passed initially passed from animal to human, and so difficult to assess how it will progress. It seems to show mild symptoms is some people and serious respiratory symptoms, similar to SARS,  in others. 

We have travelled in China and Asia a lot for work and cruises - we were actually booked on the Quantum of the seas Singapore to Hong Kong leaving on 15th February, but had to cancel last year due to work commitments.

To be honest I would not want to be on a mass market cruise that does short China cruises or leaving from a mainland China port right now. However, right or wrong, I would probably be OK with Cunard, HAL etc. on a longer Singapore/ Vietnam / Hong Kong itinerary not calling at mainland China ports.

The most worrying part will probable be the airport - particularly Hong Kong. I would not want to do a city break in Hong Kong at the moment either, based on feedback from work colleagues there.

Interesting - thanks. I missed the Le Havre stops - they didn't show up on the map I was looking at!

There are four eight night transatlantics on the QM2 to/from NY and STN showing for booking - 3 westbound 1 eastbound - from 2020 to  2022. Does anyone know why this is?

Hope you are going to continue with your review - I was really enjoying your review style which is very engaging and informative. 

Looking at the marine weather charts I think you will have some fairly lumpy seas through to Monday night when the swell should start to reduce. It would have been the same on the southern route as there is an area of turbulence covering the Atlantic at the moment that you would have to pass through on either route.

We will be on board with you!

Does anyone know who is the current Captain of the QM2 and for the October 2019 transatlantic NYC to HAM?? 

I booked New York to Hamburg in Queens Grill leaving New York this coming 18th October.

It was significantly cheaper than NY to SOTON and includes British airways flight back from Hamburg to London.

I would vote for Veuve coming back on the QM2 - agree LP is tasteless. Would actually prefer Moet, or Heidseick to LP.

I do sort of agree regarding the 2 nights, however when I suggested 4 nights previously that was met with horror and "what will I do on a ship for 4 days?"

This October we are boarding in New Your sailing to Hamburg and I also offered the full segment, which was met with even greater horror. I had to offer!

The 2 nights with a flight home is acceptable, so I have booked it.

Also mum is excited to sail down the Elbe and dock in Hamburg even just for a day, as I really like travelling in Germany , as did Dad, and she has not been.

To be honest with the extras - first class train from Manchester to Southampton, upgraded direct flight back to Manchester and the single supplement for a mid-ships balcony - it is turning out to be a pretty expensive 2 nights.... and I am already being asked if the "noise and smell of the engines" will be a problem.

🙂