TouchstoneFeste

1 hour ago, Gomac said:

Thanks for the data point. 
 

Has anyone received an upgrade offer from a Sheltered Balcony to Princess on the QM2 TAs or is Britannia Club the highest they will offer?

Not quite sure how they structure the offers. We're in a Q5 on the same crossing as @Pushpit and got the offer to bid on upgrades all the way to Q1.

3 hours ago, rakkor said:

They are currently on Victoria, or were last week - we saw them on Elizabeth last September. 

 

They were on the QM2 in May 2022, so apparently they're frequent visitors.  We enjoyed them too.

11 hours ago, techteach said:

I think the idea for mounding is to get a taste of everything in one bite.

Not the place for this discussion, I suppose, but having said that :) 

It seems like a poorer solution than allowing me to do it myself - or more to the point NOT do it if I just want a taste of each element.

2 hours ago, david,Mississauga said:

 

piling food up so I have no idea what is beneath the top layer

 

Yes! Why on earth do they do this? We had a restaurant in town, otherwise fine, but they'd do this and also deliver the salad with all the ingredients in neat little piles around the plate. So we'd end up tossing our own salads and then disassembling the main course so we could cut the meat without squirting the potatoes across the plate.

33 minutes ago, CHACruiser said:

Is proof of vaccination needed to board ship? 

We are on the Dec 15, 2023 crossing.

Although this is an appropriate place for this question (and @fourmile.ranch gave the correct answer), I'll mention that there's a roll call for this voyage:

Just now, TouchstoneFeste said:

Prompted by this discussion, I decided to purchase our internet plans in advance. When I did so, I was first prompted to select which passenger, then it asked "for how many devices". (Afterwards, I was able to repeat the operation for my wife.)

 

Since we'll have just one device each - $20 per day - I didn't look closely at the multi-device prices, but I recall it being something like $38 for two devices; adding more probably saved more, but again, I didn't particularly take note.

 

Others may point out that you can actually use one device as a sort of a hub ...

And I should have said more clearly ... there's no additional discount for buying a second plan for a spouse, although I suppose you could buy one plan for two devices and share an account. This would have saved a couple more bucks per day.

17 hours ago, newbie202020 said:

Hi, new to Cunard so please bear with the basic questions. Can I ask for a refund for the wifi voyage purchase if I change my mind later?

 

Also, where can I find a quote for 1 plan with 2 devices? I've heard that, on other lines, the discount can be about 20% compared to buying 2 plans with 1 device each (this is assuming it's same speed for both options?) Thanks!

Prompted by this discussion, I decided to purchase our internet plans in advance. When I did so, I was first prompted to select which passenger, then it asked "for how many devices". (Afterwards, I was able to repeat the operation for my wife.)

Since we'll have just one device each - $20 per day - I didn't look closely at the multi-device prices, but I recall it being something like $38 for two devices; adding more probably saved more, but again, I didn't particularly take note.

Others may point out that you can actually use one device as a sort of a hub ...

1 hour ago, Host Hattie said:

Wow, she's a big girl !

I believe "ship of size" is the acceptable term, although "zaftig" or "big boned" may be used.

On 9/18/2023 at 7:57 AM, NE John said:

The Great Pancake and French Toast Debate of 2023! I love how CC topics make twists and turns…

The French* call it "pain perdu" (lost bread) - bread that's still good, but too old to serve as "fresh". So ideally it would be slightly stale French bread. My mom made it with Wonder Bread, of course. Which I think can't actually go stale.

*or at least hoity-toity French restaurants

On 9/7/2023 at 1:47 PM, Omittingstew said:

The website advertises that they match to "Marriot Bonvoy - Ritz Carlton Yacht Collection." Anyone try just matching their Marriot Bonvoy Status? 

I have been pursuing this, since I have Bonvoy Gold Elite status through my credit card. On my initial email exchange I noted that I haven't affiliated with the Ritz Carlton Yacht Collection per se. The response said "The only requirement is a valid and current membership with Marriot Bonvoy. It does not have to be with their sister brand Ritz Carlton Yacht Collection". (For what it's worth, the email responses have all come within 2-3 days; the most recent one noted that approval may require 10 days.)

It's complicated by the fact that Marriott doesn't issue physical membership cards, but I got a screenshot of my digital card and am sending that in. I'll report back when I find out more.

13 hours ago, bluemarble said:

Cunard has offered reduced deposits for US bookings in the past. Sometimes it has been a 50% reduced deposit (12.5% instead of 25%). Other times it has been a very low fixed deposit amount such as $100. Often those have been during their limited-time promotions such as their Memorial Day and Labor Day sales.

 

I'm not sure when their last reduced deposit promotion was in the US. Lately their promotions seem to have mostly included extra OBC rather than a reduced deposit. About the best I can suggest is to keep checking new promotions as they are announced.

 

Do be sure to check the terms and conditions if you see a reduced deposit promotion. Sometimes those reduced deposits are non-refundable, especially for promotions offering a low fixed deposit amount.

There was a sale as recently as September 5 with rather stunning reduced fares and 50% deposits. (I was notified by email, so this might have been targeted at occasional passengers rather than regular ones.) As @bluemarble says (and as always, very reliably) you'd have to keep watch to find out what's on offer. Be wary that these sales might not include bonuses normally included on full price tickets for North Americans, such as a free drinks package and gratuities.

18 hours ago, LibertyBella said:

 

Gosh, arriving at Santorini is an absolutely spectacular experience, as the view is stunning.  We selected the all-day tour that included Akrotiri, because my priority is always seeing archaeological sites. We were first off the ship and went right on a tour bus at the bottom of the hill. 

If you have any interest in archeology at all, don't miss Akrotiri and the museum.

1 hour ago, godfreyb said:

Well why didn't they say that??????

In the version I took, at any rate, it said something along the lines of "press the M key", "press the Z key" I remember thinking, "What an odd way of doing it". Easy to skim over it and understand it as "click the M button", since this is the normal behavior for a web survey. I wonder if they wanted you to be poised over the keyboard, since this was (as I recall) a speed-driven portion of the survey.

2 hours ago, bluemarble said:

Here's a link to an earlier thread I remembered where it turned out the "Missing Immigration Information" email was triggered by issues with the Emergency Contact details.

 

This year I noticed the Emergency Contact area simply wouldn't accept all of my wife's info (although it accepted mine). A call to Cunard sort-of fixed it, although the "Relationship to you" field remains empty. I anxiously await notification of the absence.

28 minutes ago, roscoe39 said:

Fasten your seatbelts…… Bette claimed it as her own. 

Didn't realize that. Thanks.

14 hours ago, roscoe39 said:

All about Eve.,one of my favourite screenplays of all time including one of  possibly  the best ad-libbed  lines ever in cinema.

Not sure which one that is.

16 hours ago, roscoe39 said:

Norma also claimed to be ready for her closeup. Between that and "fasten your seatbelts" arguably the two most immortal lines ever spoken on celluloid.

But just to be clear (you left it ambiguous), "Fasten your seatbelts ..." was spoken by Bette Davis in "All About Eve". Also made into a musical (Applause), although I can't recommend it.

3 hours ago, exlondoner said:

Sorry stupid me. I didn’t realise it was two photos. Thank you.

As I said, an easy mistake to make. 

2 hours ago, techteach said:

@exlondoner It is just the side of the tub. Bad pic.

No, good pix, just bad juxtaposition :)

I just received (and completed) a survey about the Cunard loyaty program. They're clearly trying to figure out the best way to tune the program. (It was a little strange trying to make some choices, since we're only at the Silver level and are unlikely to be asked to dinner with the senior officers anytime soon.)

5 hours ago, exlondoner said:

What is in the triangular bit to the left of the bath? The whole thing looks quite an awkward arrangement.

Wow! It's just an optical illusion, but I see why you're asking. Those are two different pictures, taken at different angles, and that "triangular bit" is just the side of the tub in the upper photo.

5 hours ago, Cotswold Eagle said:

Are you suggesting it's possible to see Orkney in the half day the OP has in Scrabster? Even if the ferry times worked, which I doubt, the return journey would take a half day in itself. 

You may be right ... I assumed the OP's original itinerary dropped them and picked them up at Stromness or something. In any case, I'm no expert in this part of the world - just greatly enjoyed my time in Orkney and wanted to convey that - so forgive my ignorance.

Having just returned from Orkney, I would recommend not missing even a half-day excursion there. Amazing neolithic and Viking monuments, and the town center in Kirkwall is charming and much less touristy than most of the places we visited.

A half day seems a little crushed, but I would do it. Scrabster (aside from having an all-time great name) seems less interesting.

19 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

I always thought it was Balboa, but I looked it up and it was Magellan. I suppose he can be forgiven for a not always accurate name considering he had just made it around South America, which can be a rough passage. 

 

Balboa saw it a few years earlier but didn't name it. I think he should get a lot of credit for getting across the Isthmus of Panama without a canal.

Wow, you're right! I have been wrong for a very, very long time.

22 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

That's understandable. I sometimes wonder what Magellan was thinking when he called that ocean Pacific. 

Balboa, I think.  He was viewing it from onshore and obviously on a calm day :)