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Much depends on the line and the route, as mentioned above, as well as the time of year.

I've done 3 TAs on QM2, all north Atlantic. Layers are definitely recommended if you're going to be spending any time on deck. (At least two of my TAs have involved multiple days where the decks were closed due to weather.) 

Indoors on the ship should be pretty temperate, but the AC can be cranked, so a cardigan or shawl can be helpful. 

I'm both a knitter and a reader, and am frequently found ensconced in the Carinthia Lounge on QM2 with my knitting and/or a book. (I'm a die-hard ereader user after injuring myself carrying an over-loaded tote bag of books back to the library, although I did take two paperbacks on my recent leg of the QV world voyage, to be read during excursions on the water.)  

One issue with the Carinthia Lounge that I found on my last TA (November 2022) was that it was being used for trivia, which meant that it filled up and became quite noisy a few times per day. At those times, I'd migrate to the Chart Room, or the Commodore Club, or the pub, depending on what else was going on. The library is a beautiful space, but the seats were frequently all occupied. 

On QV, I usually ended up in the Chart Room, with occasional forays to the Commodore Club or the pub.  

From what I recall, it's not identical to the MDR, but there are usually some of the same items (usually one of the soups from the MDR is offered in the Lido).

When I was on QV during this year's WV, some of the gala nights were themed in the Lido - I seem to recall that the Indian night in the Lido was a gala night, but I could be mistaken. 

Sadly, it looks like the Sunday Riley Light Hearted is no longer available, or isn't available in Canada - at least, I can't find it on the Sephora or the Sunday Riley websites. 😞

I use the Paula's Choice "Youth Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50" (stupid name, but great product.) It's light (truly fluid), melts into my skin, and despite being super-oily on my face, I forget that I'm wearing it. It's unscented (I'm super sensitive to scent), and works really well. During my Panama Canal cruise a month ago, I got a horrid sunburn on my back (areas that I couldn't apply sunscreen to, travelling solo), but my face stayed sunburn, even tan, free. 

I do know the feeling that you mean, though - one of the other PC sunscreens gives me that feeling. Sephora is now carrying some PC products (but not this one, I don't think), but PC does ship to Canada. 

I hope I left her in good shape for you, Roscoe, and have a wonderful time!

There were definitely some H. Buckets on board on the leg that I was on - one lady in particular complained about how she knew that 'they' couldn't control the weather in Florida, but couldn't they have done something about the weather in Florida?  

The cruise line might also offer an excursion + transfer option (I know Cunard does this after TAs) - you disembark, get on board a coach with your luggage underneath, have your excursion, and arrive at the airport at a more reasonable time.  

2 hours ago, ex-koelner said:

another first time cruise here with a stupid question... is it really neccessary to have the baggage tag laminated or placed in a plastic cover? I never thought about that. Is there any other way to attach it?

The instructions on the luggage tag call for folding and stapling around the handle. 

Because I have to fly, and because I don't want to have to go hunting for staplers (or bring one), I use the plastic slips linked above to hold the tags. They were cheap, and if you get the wider ones, they should be usable with all (or almost all) lines. As long as the room number and location code are visible, they should be fine. 

I always travel solo, and I've never had an issue booking transport. Definitely book through the cruise line if you're unsure about an area - paying for that convenience and ease of mind can absolutely be worth it.

Also, when you're travelling solo, the cost advantage of booking a taxi on your own is often much less. I took the hotel shuttle to the port at the start of my last cruise. For a couple travelling together, it would cost more than getting a cab, but for a solo traveller, it was cheaper.

I also second bringing only what baggage you can easily manage on your own. Except for this last trip (which was 16 nights long, and required a lot of extra cruft), I only bring a checked rollie bag and a carry-on-sized backpack (Tom Bihn Aeronaut 45), plus my purse. This last trip had two checked rollie bags, the Tom Bihn, and my purse, and it was a bit of a hassle to manage. 

I'm a solo female traveller who struggles with depression, so while I can't speak to the horror of losing a child (as I'm child-free), I can speak to some of the fears. (Please note that I pretty much only cruise on Cunard, so some of my comments may be specific to that line.) 

I took my first cruise (a transatlantic on QM2) after losing a partner suddenly and unexpectedly in 2016. She and I had always talked about doing a TA, but hadn't gotten around to it, so after she passed, I took that first trip 'in her honour', as it were (about a year later.) I fell in love with it, and have done two more TAs and 3 other cruises, since then. My nesting partner has zero interest in cruising, so I travel solo. 

What do you like to do on cruises? 

I'd recommend booking on a ship with fixed dining times, and requesting a fixed dining time, at a shared table. It can be awkward at first, but it does give you a daily 'touch-point' with people who know your name. (If no one is at your table on the first night, ask the maitre'd to move you to a table that does have people coming to the MDR.) 

If you're a crafter, go to the crafter's meet-up, or walk the ship and find someone else crafting and ask if you can join them. Knitters are friendly! If you're not a knitter/crocheter, but you're interested in learning, pick up some yarn & needles at home, bring them along, and ask in the meet-up if someone can help you! (YouTube is also great for learning, but less likely to encourage conversation.) 

Most ships have solo traveller meetups, although I must admit that I've never attended them, but when I've walked past, they've seemed relatively well attended (at least on Cunard.) 

If you're worried about getting lonely and bored, maybe try a cruise that has a lot of port stops? 

QA is a new ship, so will likely be somewhat different, but when I was on QV last month there was an LGBTQIA+ meetup (unhosted, I believe) every afternoon, and there were gay couples all over the ship. 

I had the soft drink package, and it was hit or miss whether or not they had me sign when I used it - maybe 1/3 of the time I got a slip? I didn't add a gratuity to those, but at the end of the voyage, I gave (relatively small - $10) cash tips to the waiters in the Chart Room, whose service really was above and beyond (they'd see me coming, catch my eye, confirm I wanted a drink, and bring it to me wherever I ended up sitting down.) 

I ended up with the QV bug after leaving the ship - I disembarked Wednesday morning, and was evacuating my digestive tract (just out the top, thankfully) by Wednesday evening. Flying home overnight that night was Not Fun, and the next 3 days were primarily sleeping and being feverish. I felt off on Wednesday afternoon, but figured that it was exhaustion plus a lot more walking than I had been doing for the previous almost 3 weeks. 

I managed to not spread it to my partner, however - diligent hand washing (and acute symptoms stopping while I was on the plane) seem to have done the trick. 

23 hours ago, islandgirlejfan said:

I just came off a cruise on the Rotterdam.  I went to Ulta because pretty much all my makeup had went bad and I didn't want to look haggy for the evening.  I'm not a huge user of it, so it totally PAINED me when the bill came $200.....I signed up for a credit card that I really didn't want because I wanted to save $40.  I can't even talk about how I felt in Ulta as a 62 year old woman!  LOL, I felt like a fish out of water trying to even find what I wanted!  It was right there with buying bras.....I don't care for that either! =P

What I really wish is that I could get *samples* like Avon or Mary Kay used to provide.  The Mary Kay stuff was neat because it was just enough, not to mention the sizes would be just enough to pack and not having it laying around forever.  I really wish I could get something like this.  I have looked at eBay and seen them, however you don't know how old that stuff is either.  

Sephora does sample/mini sizes of a lot of things, and if you go into store, you can usually get a sample of foundation products, which is nice. 

I can't wait to see her (and get aboard!) in Fort Lauderdale on Monday!

On 12/27/2023 at 7:42 PM, roscoe39 said:

aloha darling Patti, the ship is not the same without you both..... I get on the 25 February through to the 28th April then a week in London then through the states and home. Sadly not to Hawaii this year....best regards....R

I'll keep your chair in the Chart Room warm for you! (I'll be on from 22 Jan to 8 Feb.) 

20 hours ago, LarsenPNP said:

Ah heels.... my 'Don't I look good sitiin' down shoes'.  I love them, but every time I put them on, I don't make it from my closet to the bedroom door without retreating to change to a ballerina flat, skimmer or wedge.  I have a crazy cute pair of leopard print peep-toe pumps that I want to bring on my next cruise, or will I relent, and pack the leopard print skimmers.... hmmm... who will win?? 😆

In my circles, they're known as "Taxi" shoes, or another, significantly less polite, epithet. 🙂

On 12/17/2023 at 3:15 AM, watsonbeau said:

Some good Insights lectures - Bill Miller and Derek Tedder very good and some up to date films in Illuminations - Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning, Barbie, Oppenheimer. First week was the Literature Festival so that was very busy for those into authors etc.

 

How was it on the ship during the Literature Festival? I'm looking at the 13 Nov 2024 TA, which is the Literature Festival for 2024, but I'm mostly interested so that I can be on board for my birthday. While I'm a reader, I'm not a big 'Author' person. 

The lack of announcements is one of the things I adore about Cunard, actually. There is one announcement daily, at noon, and barring emergencies (or emergency drills), that's it. 

2 hours ago, Lois R said:

Hi, once but nothing like what just happened.

Well, fingers crossed that the stent & removal help, and that your numbers come down! 

I'm glad they were able to get the stone out, and put the stent in. Fingers crossed that it solves the problem! Have you had problems with stones before? 

Whereas, the last time I was aboard QM2, there was a blind woman with her service dog, and that dog was perfectly behaved - laid under the table while she ate, led her around without issue, and was generally what you expect from a service animal. 

1 hour ago, exlondoner said:

Which jurisdiction are you referring to? Personally I have never been bitten by a child I didn’t know nor knocked to the ground by one.

In Canada, the UK, and the US, assistance dogs (not emotional support dogs) are by law allowed with their person into public spaces, including restaurants, shops, hospitals, and public transport. (Info for the UK found here: https://julius-k9.co.uk/blog/uk-law-assistance-dogs-and-emotional-support-animals; US information here: https://www.ada.gov/resources/service-animals-2010-requirements/; Canada information here (regulations differ by province): https://www.supportdogcertification.org/article/service-dog-certification-and-regulations-canada) 

These dogs are well trained, and would never be allowed into service if they were at risk for biting or knocking someone down. 

21 hours ago, exlondoner said:

And warn the rest of us. I think I remember someone claiming they had seen a support dog in the KC. Eeek.

Hopefully you don't mean a service dog. They are allowed everywhere their person is, by law. And well trained service dogs (which licensed service dogs all are) are almost certainly better behaved than most children. 

On 11/26/2023 at 7:18 AM, Victoria2 said:

Try eating it when it's for one.

I have often thought of asking for a doggie bag and have soggy orange duck for breakfast instead of crispy bacon.

Wouldn't need the extra portion of brown sauce for that although breakfast orangey duck on toast doesn't quite have the same appeal. 😕

While my father-in-law was in chef school, his son took the leftover duck a l'orange that FIL had brought home and had it on Kraft Dinner (Kraft macaroni & cheese for the Americans.) 

15 years later, and we still won't let him forget it.