sfred

Thanks @exlondonerfor the more recent update. Sounds like a significant downgrade from previous. There used to be the tea menu listing many different tea choices (around eight or ten types as I recall), a range of finger sandwiches served by the lounge waiters, and lots of different cakes and sweets.

Yes, no worries on shorts at breakfast or lunch. Unfortunately QM2 doesn't have the outside grills courtyard dining area, like QE/QV. And yes in the Lounge you'll get a tea menu with the range of tea choices. All teas are served loose-leaf in a pot with a strainer for the cup.

Congratulations @BklynBoy8! One person we always looked forward to in PG on QM2 was the maitre d', Atilla. Unfortunately I think I remember reading that he has retired from Cunard. A few years back, the Grills Lounge also did an after-dinner string concert. (This was in 2018 on an eastbound TA). It was quite enjoyable, especially with an accompanying cognac, port, or Irish coffee. Not sure if the concert still happens, but you could still enjoy the drinks. As others have mentioned, afternoon tea is also very nice in the Lounge. Best wishes for your voyage!

Thank you @ronpes for the compliments! 🙂 Mrs sfred and I also like the scottish accent, and generally have no problem understanding. Years ago in the 1990s we lived in London for several years, working with British Telecom. One of our work colleagues (a wonderful fellow) was from Glasgow, and we couild understand him easily from Monday to Friday afternoon, but after several pints at the usual Friday evening pub drinks, he became absolutely Indecipherable. I wonder how much was due to the accent, and how much was beer.

I've not needed this myself, but from other discussions on this board, my understanding is that you have to bring your own extension lead for medical devices (a lead only, not one with a surge-protected power strip which is incompatible with the ship electricial system). On embarkation, you get the equipment and lead checked out by Cunard enginnering staff. @bluemarblehas indicated that a 14foot (4.3meter) lead is adequate to reach the bed from the desk. (see post number 8 on this thread:

Unfortunately I don't think there are bedside power points available. The bedside lamps are hardwired into the ships electrical system. In other Cunard discussions on this topic, people needing bedside power for medical devices used an extension lead to bring power across the cabin from the desk. When I've needed power elsewhere on QV/QE (like the library) for my Australia devices, a US adaptor got me connected. If there are Europe plugs in the public rooms, I've not seen them.

On QV/QE, Britannia cabins have two US, one Europe, and one UK power points along the back of the desk. Photo shown below. There are two more US power points at the corner stand, used by the kettle for coffee/tea. You can unplug the kettle if you need additional power beyond the desk outlets. As @lissieindicated, we Aussies and Kiwis need adaptors for everything - no AU/NZ power. Apologies, I don't know whether the shaver socket in the bath switches off with the light. Around the QVQE ships in the public rooms, I've only ever seen US power points, unlike QM2 where I've only ever seen UK.

FWIW, the Australia T&Cs (as of 6 June 2022) are similar to the US. (Bolding added by me). 12. Hotel and Dining Charges (Gratuities) During the cruise, guests will experience excellent service from members of Our crew in a variety of locations. In addition, many more crew behind the scenes support those who serve guests directly. For Our guest’s convenience, a Hotel and Dining charge will be automatically added to their shipboard account on a daily basis. Grill categories will be charged US$13.50 per guest per day and Britannia categories US$11.50 per guest per day. These amounts are subject to change and guests may choose to alter or remove these amounts at their discretion. A 15% charge is automatically added to a guest’s onboard account for Bar, Wine & Salon/Spa services for each purchase.

That's unfortunate. As you say, QM2 usually departs towards the Angus Macdonald bridge, does a turn, and then back along the Halifax waterfront. We've done this twice on QM2, and both times we've had a water salute from a harbour fireboat and QM2 gave the city a long horn blast. It makes for a very enjoyable sailaway. Two photos attached below from 11 July 2015. Best wishes to @rafinmd and others aboard for the remainder of your voyage.

Nice webcam photo, thanks @bluemarble. For a moment, I had hopes that Skjolden might be an unseen "where in the world" port, but it is in fact on the seen list, contributed by @Colin_Cameronand identified by yourself in July 2021. Looks like a beautiful location in Norway.

Best wishes for the 4th of July from us down here on the opposite and underneath side of the planet! (Wishing we were aboard QM2 for the 4th voyage.)

😃 I went for the internet!

I second what @neeuqdraziland @BklynBoy8have said. If not too far a walk for the OP, the waterfront is a great stroll. Here is a view of the area from QM2 Deck 11 on our 11 July 2015 sail away. The cruise pier is at the left, just prior to the cargo cranes.

Hi @Port Power. As you've found, the Australia site does not yet have the functionality for an online Cunard account. There are a few incorrect links scattered on various Australia pages which take you to the UK Login/Register page. One link is somewhere in the Manage my Booking process. Another link used to be on the World Club benefits page, but I think that one is gone now. However you might get to the UK login page, once there there's nothing that Aussies can do because the page does not recognise Australia World Club numbers, which are all numbers (no letters). It also used to want a UK format post code. Perhaps one day this functionality will be added to the Australia (and US) sites. *sigh*

The below Halifax tourist map might give you some ideas for places nearby to the cruise pier, as well as a sense of distances required. Mrs sfred and I have been to Halifax twice with Cunard, and had a very nice day each time. There's a Canadian chain of coffee shops called Tim Hortons that has free wifi if you're needing internet access.

Hello @VeesterG. This information assumes you are based in Australia and booked through the Cunard Australia website under Australia T&Cs. If you are from elsewhere, or booked through a travel agent, your conditions may be different. Standard final payment for Australia is indeed 90 days. But different fares and Cunard promotions may have different conditions. Also a while back Cunard was extending the final payment date to be closer to sailing date to ease traveler concerns about cancellation. Your final payment date is usually shown on page 2 of your booking confirmation email, in the section called "Payment details", which is between "Pricing details" and "Cancellation schedule". Usually, the wording is "Final payment of $xxx.xx is due by {date}". If these words are not shown, give the Cunard Australia call centre a bell on 13 24 41 and they can help. Final payments are typically done in one of three ways: During the booking process when you paid your deposit, you had a tick box option for Cunard to automatically charge the credit card you used for your deposit to pay the final amount. If you chose this option, you don't have to do anything on the final payment date. The Australia call centre will take your final payment over the phone on 13 24 41. You can use bank transfer to send final payment from your Australia bank account. Carnival's BSB and account number used to be on the Cunard Australia web site, but looking today I can't find them in the FAQ where they used to be, so perhaps this has changed. The call centre should be able to tell you the current BSB/account numbers. You specify your name and booking reference in the comments field on the transfer, and it used to go through smoothy. The advantage of this method is that you avoid Cunard's credit card surcharge, which in Australia is 1.1% for Visa and MasterCard, and 2.75% for American Express. It is not possible in Australia to pay through MyCunard Manage my Booking. Hope this helps, and best wishes for your voyage.

I kept three older QE deck plans in my computer, from 2017 2019 and 2020. None of them shows the Yen symbol in the "key to symbols" list, and none of the cabins has that symbol. As @bluemarble points out, the current 2022 QE plan does have the Yen symbol in the key list, but not by any cabin. The current QV 2022 plan has the Yen symbol in the key list, and also on cabins 7.150 and 7.171, the Aquitania and Berengaria suites aft on deck 7. On QE, these two cabins are 7.150 and 7.177, the Rostron and Bisset suites. I have old QV plans from 2015, 2019, and 2021. 2015 QV does not have the Yen symbol, and in 2015 (pre-QV refit) these aft deck 7 suites were 7.142 and 7.159, and have a + symbol indicating 3rd berth is a single sofabed. 2019 and 2021 are like 2022, with the Yen symbol. So perhaps during the QV refit when the aft cabins were added, Cunard added the 4th berth and the Yen symbol to the deck 7 aft suites. One possible explanation for why the current 2022 QE plans have the Yen symbol in the key list is that a Cunard deck plan PDF creator incorrectly cut and pasted the QV key list across to the QE plans, and forgot to delete the Yen symbol from the QE list. Another possible explanation is that these aft deck 7 QE suites should have a Yen symbil instead of a plus.

Welcome home QV. You look as good as when we last disembarked, in San Antonio Chile in February 2020. Thanks @Solent Richardfor the photos.

Thanks for your review @mcloaked. Very useful. I recently booked QM2 to Norway for the Northern Lights voyage later this year in November. Your review and photo further increases our enthusiasm. Your comment about wifi stability is similar to our experience on QE in Alaska. Transpacific from Japan the wifi was fine, but it was in&out in Alaska whenever the terrain blocked the sightline to the satellite.

With QE anchored in the Queensland industrial port of Gladstone to wait out the virus, and QV and QM2 about to lay up in the UK, I'm curious about the composition of the remaining caretaker crew aboard, and what sort of activities still get done. My guess would be that most hotel crew (restaurant, entertainment, housekeeping) have disembarked and the passenger areas closed off. Remaining crew might be a minimal number of engineering and deck crew for maintenance and security. Perhaps a bridge watch for security, ongoing painting, rotating operation of the diesels for electrical generation, routine maintenance, etc. Is this right? Anyone have any insights?