JT1101

8 hours ago, ExArkie said:

I did have Clear for a short time, when the total cost for me and my wife was covered by a credit card perk. We both had TSA Pre-Check before signing up for Clear (and still have Pre-) as a benefit of Global Entry. 
 

Unless the program has changed in the past couple of years, Clear doesn’t include Pre-Check, but is sold as a substitute for it. The functionality of Clear is that one can skip the line where the TSA agent checks your identification. If you have Pre-Check, you go to the front of that line for security. If not, you go to the front of the “ordinary humans” line for security. 
 

One of the ancillary functions of Clear during the days following the COVID shutdown was that it would consolidate your vaccination records and communicate those to various agencies. That was beneficial in dealing with the Hawaii entry requirements in the early months of post-shutdown travel. It was of no benefit whatever to some other locations. 

As I mentioned, the Clear program may have changed, as I have not kept up with Clear since dropping it. Edited to add: Just checked the Clear Web site. Looks like they will bundle it with Pre-Check as an option, but do not automatically include it.
 

We found Clear to be beneficial once, when we could avoid slightly longer Pre-Check lines at LAX. Otherwise, it offered little to no advantage, as the identification lines for Pre-Check have not proved to be inconvenient at the variety of airports we traverse. To me, as a Global Entry/Pre-Check member, the benefits of Clear do not justify its cost, particularly since the credit card no longer pays the full amount. 
 

Thanks for the insight. I was going to mention that CLEAR is not government but rather a private security firm that is trusted and vouches for you. 

Another Travel Agent benefit - free CLEAR (which for US citizens includes TSA Pre). FYI this is CLEAR: 

https://www.clearme.com/clear-plus?utm_source=website&utm_medium=nav

Does anyone else here have CLEAR? If yes is it worthwhile?

We even discussed this in the past:
 

1 hour ago, NE John said:

In June 2023, while driving from Bath to S’hampton we when past Stonehenge to our left and the miles of traffic northbound was intense. It was the day of the Solstice so that was a factor. We oddly enough had no traffic going south. It was cool seeing the site so close. 
I took @exlondoner’s advice and arrived the day before the TA to avoid this traffic situation. 

And I will be there the day before embarkation likewise. My major "watch the clock" is the need to be in Southampton, check into hotel and clean up and change and get to The Grapes on time in the evening for the friends meet. Since we'll be driving away from Heathrow by 7am I think there s sufficient time.

I always root for wilder seas. In 2018 we got them - it was the December TA where Captain Hashmi had to steer us south then north then south again to avoid the worst of it. 

Not yet. Don’t know where I will be on the run so harder to predict. 

27 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

Customs is very unlikely to hold you up, immigration might, as you are arriving at such a busy time. I think the order is Avebury, Stonehenge, Salisbury, Southampton.

Yes that’s the correct order.

7 hours ago, Winifred 22 said:

Are you that all in one day ? How are you getting between places ? 

Well I will be wheels down at Heathrow at 5:55am. figure an hour to get through customs. I'm being picked up at the airport by someone and then we're off to the races. The nice part is Stonehenge, Avebury and Salisbury are in a line and Solent Sky is right close to my hotel. All I really need to do at the hotel is a fast freshen up and drop my bags then head to The Grapes. 

Got my tickets from English Heritage for my sightseeing places! As I am a member tickets are free. My planned itinerary is Stonehenge, Avebury, Salisbury then in Southampton Solent Sky. As I have to be at The Grapes in the evening to meet friends I will need to watch the time. 

Agree on whales. If you look at other close by ships they likewise are slowed down. 

Strange, I never got lost in Kings Court. 

3 hours ago, reeves35 said:

Is it expected that, as the older Cunard fleet members cycle through drydocks and updates, they Lido (Vistas) and Kings Court (QM2) buffets will be remodelled and rebranded as Artisan Food Halls?  The traditional buffet as seen on the older ships is pretty old-hat these days with most modern ships being launched with a food-court type arrangement which is both better for passenger flow and more hygienic with minimal touching of utensils by passengers.

 

I believe QV is due for a remodelling around late 2025 so maybe we will know more then.

 

 

Both of the Vistas will likely see their Lidos remodeled simply because they are too cramped. King's Court was just remodeled in 2016 and the result was a model for efficient space usage and easy flow of people. King's Court is also part of the identity of Queen Mary 2 so I doubt it is going to be rebranded into generic cruise ship nonsense. 

I would get a roomette

I would be taking either the Lake Shore or the Cardinal to do it. 

Nicely done Pushpit. 

I will say the King's Court coffee is also kept fresh during the day. I've been in there at odd hours and knocked back a cup and it was fresh and good. 

Excellent. I was also considering using Amtrak to head for home. 

5 minutes ago, moses0 said:

What has the state of the seas been like in your experience in December?

The seas can be energetic and the temps will be in the 40s (Fahrenheit). It can be windy. Generally a good water resistant jacket and cap will do for it. 

And...the TA strikes again! I asked her about these drinks packages and added I was a teetotaler so at the current price none of them made sense unless I proposed to drink Hot Chocolate and mocktails nonstop every day. She agreed and said let her see what she can do. So I let her.

She got back to me today. She was able to get me the PREMIUM NON-ALCOHOLIC OPTION for about 70% of its normal cost (I don't want to know how). At that price I could justify it on the theory that a mocktail every dinner and coffees and teas earlier create a breakeven. At that level it seemed worthwhile. 

Or.....just name the ship Queen! Have informative murals and such talking about Live Aid and bronze statues of everyone centered by Freddie Mercury in the Grand Lobby...😉

3 minutes ago, Pushpit said:

That's where Cruise Critic comes in! But yes I think it's part of Cunard's cunning plan not to be too overt on pricing so that people buy a drinks package out of convenience or thinking they will be charged for coffee at breakfast. Currently a big range of soft drinks, teas, coffees, hot chocolate are in the $4.50 to $6 area after including the 15% service charge, with a pint of soda water at under $5. Mocktails are more varied but $9 including the service fee is a good baseline.

So about where they were last time I sailed. Cool. I already knew coffee and such are free in both Britannia and King's Court. I was thinking about stuff like the decadent Hot Chocolates in Sir Samuel's and the mocktails at dinner. 

I would think the only way to figure out if a drink package is worthwhile is to know the prices of drinks beforehand so you can factor it up. For example, I am a teetotaler so if I looked at a drink plan it would be either the Specialty Hot Drinks or Premium Non Alcoholic. The issue is without knowing what Hot Chocolates, Tea Fortes, non alcoholic Cocktails et al cost it is hard to make an informed decision. 

Let's be honest here - while I do feel the ship needs some more explicit callbacks to Cunard history and tradition she is without a doubt beautiful. For example the artwork in the main lobby where the image changes depending on where you look from is an outstanding piece of art. 

Just give us a ship model or two with some informative plaques and such talking about Cunard and Bob's Your Uncle. 

Cunard has spoken to this before and even shown it off on kitchen tours - everything is made fresh on board. It even makes sense as the raw ingredients take less space to store, have a longer shelf life and cost less than buying ready made items. As to them looking alike they should - I've worked bakery before and part of being good at it is consistency - dough patted / rolled out to the same thickness and cut properly and baked uniformly. There are some exceptions - like some American style buttermilk biscuits for example where they are scooped and dropped onto the pan - but uniformity is generally the rule. 

1 hour ago, ElmaLee said:

Why is that?

Because cellular type communications usually are based on range to cellular towers. Something like Starlink on the other hand is satellite based. 

Something like that is better for shorter cruises that stay mostly close to land than, say, a Transatlantic.