DaddyWarbucks

Thanks Safari Gal, long time no see.  We live in Sarasota on the west coast, of Florida, a shorter drive home, not to mention saving a day.

I have not been on the ship recently, but can say the laundry room will be open and detergent is supplied.  afternoon tea is served in the Queens room, Grille passengers take theirs in the Grille lounge.

I asked my TA about disembarking at Port Canaveral which is closer to my home than FLL, and was told told that it was not possible because there are no immigration officials located there.

Ruth and I are holed up in steamy Sarasota Florida.  We are crossers more than cruisers.  We both wonder what the new normal will be on Cunard when the ships are free to sail again.  I can live without a self service buffet, but will we have to wear face masks everywhere?   We know that ships carry easily transmittable  viral diseases, will Cunard's new restrictions, whatever they will be, diminish the pleasure to the point of it not being worth the effort?

Warbucks

The art dealer is owned by the cruise line.  Moreover, you will note that they do not sell their wares when within 12 miles of land.  That makes it difficult to sue them when they are on the high seas.  Caveat emptor.

Looking for an update please. Is washing powder available?  is it free?

No problem wearing your workout clothing from your cabin to the gym and back.

It can be a bit of a gamble. A table for 4 is risky, if you don't get along with the other couple, then there is no alternative but to ask for a new table. A table for 6 or 8 is safer as there is probably another couple you hit it off with. Of course if you are in a table for 6 or 8 where all the rest are on a family reunion, you will really be outsiders.

If the QG is way under booked, that would mean many empty cabins, No cabin servicing = no gratuities for the staff. The same goes with the dining room. Since the marginal cost of a cabin/day is low, Cunard (or its pricing algorithm) will lower fares to fill as many berths as possible. Also, they will upgrade passengers. The lower level now empty from an upgrade will be easier to sell than a Q grade cabin.

We were in Dubai a year ago. The funnel on the QE2 had just a wisp of smoke, so there was some activity aboard. The number of cabins in this refurbishment suggests that the ship was completely gutted to make rooms that will be competitive with contemporary Dubai hotels. I doubt if there will be anything that QE2 past pax will recognize. Our first crossing on the QE2 was in a cabin having just 98 sq. ft. fitted with bunk beds.

If you book seats on a National bus also leaving from Victoria station, It will cost you a fraction of Cunard's price. However, they will drop you off down town Southampton at the bus station where you will have to catch a taxi, Still you will be considerably ahead. Southampton taxi drivers know when ship departures are so you should not have to wait very long for one.

Here's more:

Dubai Is Turning the 'Queen Elizabeth II' into a Floating Hotel and Museum

February 7, 2018

Getty

Since 2008, the ship has been docked in Port Rashid.

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The renovation has been 10 years in the making.

Just when you thought Dubai was done opening tourist attractions at a breakneck pace, there's another one slated for 2018. The Queen Elizabeth II, which has been docked in Port Rashid since 2008, is getting a glamorous makeover as a floating hotel and museum. Not much other information has been released; however, a recently launched QEII website shows pictures of a woman dancing in confetti and people holding sparklers, so it's bound to be fun, right?

The renovation of the Queen Elizabeth II has been a long time coming. After 39 years of service, the ship took her last journey from Southhampton, England, to Port Rashid, Dubai, in 2008—and has been there ever since, unused. Initially, there were plans to immediately begin remodeling the QEII into a floating luxury hotel, according to a Telegraph article. Initial plans put the renovated ship alongside Palm Jumeirah—an artificial island built off the Dubai coast—as part of a larger marina complex with restaurants, private homes, other hotels, theaters, and a heritage museum dedicated to the QEII.

A global recession didn't help those plans, reports Lonely Planet. The engine was permanently turned off in 2013, and since then, Dubai's hot, humid conditions have taken a toll on the ship. (We're talking mold in the cabins—not exactly a warm welcome.) But recently, construction and cleaning crews were spotted at the ship, and the refurbishment appears to be under way.

It looks like they are finally doing something with the QE2. See http://qe2.com

Just so you understand, All the singing and all the music is prerecorded. What you watch is a pantomime.

You will find your table number on a card in your cabin, No problem with 2 suitcases.

Does anyone remember when sorbet was served in between courses to cleanse the pallet? How about the orchestra when it had 13 members? Not long ago, they put paper doilies in between plates. No more.

We rented a car, saw what we wanted, on our schedule, not theirs and saved some money too.

Another consideration for a high deck on a transatlantic crossing is that you are well above the center of gravity. While there are stabilizers to assist with any rolling of the ship, any pitching will be amplified in the higher decks.

Cunard uses a pricing algorithm similar to to the one airlines use. If say, three months before sailing, the ship is 70% sold and history shows that it usually is 80% sold, the prices will be dropped. Conversely, if the cabins are 90% sold, the prices on the remaining cabins will be raised.

It might help a bit to know that on the QM2, all p1 and p2 cabins are on deck 10.

We have just returned from a WB crossing on QM2. The PG Matre D' Attila could not do enough for us. Beef Wellington was not on the menu, but no problem, he produced 3 for our table of 6. Flambe deserts every night. I give him credit for saying yes regardless of what Cunard regs said. Apparently the Maitre D has a lot of discretionary power.

There is an AVIS location at 211 Atlantic Ave. It's about 10 minutes from the pier depending on traffic lights.

Yes you can. See the purser.

The Cunard building in New York has a number of rooms that that rival a cathedral. Tis a pity that they no longer own it.

http://www.samrohn.com/360-panorama/cunard-hall-new-york/

The treadmills in the gym all have docking stations.