RedMeerkat

Cruise Mapper is now showing QV going straight to Santa Cruz de Tenerife instead of docking at Walvis Bay tomorrow.  That will upset a few people...

20 hours ago, maz48 said:

We were on that cruise and the noise and some juddering at the back of the dining room some evenings was pretty bad. There was lots of talk about it. It was very similar last year at the same time as we always ate in that part of the dining room, and I know they had to do some work in dry dock, was it a pod? 

We were on that one too (24 Nov - 6 Dec) and thought the same when eating in the lower Britannia level (deck 2) for breakfast or lunch.  Very similar to the vibration we experienced on the same cruise last year shortly before she had two days in dry dock

3 hours ago, Victoria2 said:

I take two pairs of black evening shoes [with another non black whacky coloured pair] after seeing a fellow passenger break one of her evening shoe heels and didn't have a back up pair.

 

I'm also packing for QV tomorrow and now you've made me panic as I only have one pair... (they are new though so hopefully will be fine)

TK Max, Matalan and your local charity shops.  Yes, really, and scouring the charity shops was way more fun than buying expensive new stuff.  

29 minutes ago, lissie said:

Because sitting down for a formal lunch AND dinner is a bit much? 

Because you want a change?  Because you want to eat outside in the sunshine?

As someone who came down with Covid 36 hours after disembarking from QV on 11 December and is now having no Christmas due to still being ill from it, I’m very grateful  to the OP for being honest about their symptoms.  I knew the risk of course, but I obviously caught it from someone onboard and there were certainly a few people around coughing, and any one of them could have been the one that has ruined my Christmas.  Luckily I’m in ok general health (and not yet 60) so expect to make a full recovery, but missing out on Christmas does rather suck.  I hope the OP and husband have a wonderful day tomorrow!

Sorry to hear this happened to you on board.  I was on the last QV cruise and despite taking what I thought were reasonable precautions (using stairs, regular hand washing, using sanitizer etc) I came down with Covid 24 hours after getting home.  Nowhere else I could possibly have caught it other than on board.  Personally I suspect the buffet, but I also heard people coughing round the ship and fear not everyone was as honest as you have been.  Hope you feel better soon!

Why would anyone not just read Cunard’s very clear guidance on what they mean by Masquerade?  I agree it was far more than 10% in the restaurant taking part (late sitting) on QV recently.  Also note that the Gala ball starts during late dinner sitting so you miss a fair chunk of it if enjoying your dinner fully!

exlondoner - red and gold is super easy for men too.  Just wear a red bow tie and gold waistcoat or cummerbund.  Men have it way too easy with the same old dinner jacket on formal nights anyway 😉

You’ll be fine in a dark suit and tie.  Don’t agree though that the gala night theme is mostly observed in the Queens Room.  On QV last week the roaring twenties theme was wholeheartedly entered into by very many people who we later saw in numerous areas other than at the gala ball.

Getting home from my first Cunard cruise on Sunday was a nightmare.  Heavy snow at home in Gloucestershire and it was touch and go getting up the hill to the village where I live.  Photo of my garden on Sunday below and had to leave car on the main road and drag my luggage down the footpath!  Worse was to come though.  After nearly three years dodging Covid, the gods have punished me for taking my first holiday since early 2019, as I tested positive yesterday 😞

Great thread.  I was also on the cruise (my first) and enjoyed it very much.  QV more than lived up to expectations and the food (we were in Britannia) and drink were exceptional.  Quick tip that might help with the appalling WiFi connectivity, which one of our party discovered by experimenting. There is a button which can be toggled on or off called “limit IP address tracking” (found within the settings for the specific Cunard WiFi connection itself).  Turn it off and the speed of connection magically improves.

24 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

I think that’s what most people do. For heaven’s sake don’t worry about the cruise. Most passengers are lovely and you’ll have a great time (unless the weather is gruesome).

Oh don’t worry, I’m past the point of worrying about what others think of me.  I just find some of the opinions here a little - odd…

16 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

Well. to be fair, if I've been out in the sun, I do shower and change before lunch and also, a cup of tea in PG  but the talked about liveried staff stuff affecting level of dress is outdated. old fashioned and completely  out of touch with the reality of life onboard Cunard ships and quite frankly, gives the incorrect impression to those thinking of giving Cunard a try.

 

Thank you for posting this.  I’m about to embark on my first Cunard cruise (QV next week) and find some of the opinions here rather odd.  I’m going to wear my jeans at lunch and not consider myself in the last bit slovenly (which by the way is a description I personally find offensive) but I’m looking forward to “dressing for dinner”.

8 hours ago, indiana123 said:

 

I'm just packing for QV next week, and can't wait.  I have packed a couple of posh kind of track suits  to mix and max for just strolling  or wheelchairing about and doing the chair exercises. (depending on the day's energy and pain levels!) Do you think I should take those out..  Would hate to upset anyone like the OP!

 

You most definitely should wear them.  I’m going to be slovenly in jeans during the day on the same cruise. 😉

18 hours ago, LadyL1 said:

 

Perhaps for our own comfort we should arrive as near as possible to given time, after all staggered arrivals makes for more speed and comfort, and probably safety as Covid has not gone away.

I’m sure your right, but when my arrival time (1545) is 15 minutes before the quoted “final boarding time” of 1600, I’m not happy leaving it that late!

Just now, exlondoner said:

Perhaps they assume you have had lunch before getting to the terminal?

I’m sure they do, but the friends I’m travelling with are experienced cruisers who’ve never been given such a late time before and so we’d assumed we’d be on board for lunch (yes I know what they say about assumptions!)

On 11/16/2022 at 1:42 PM, Bell Boy said:

 

The Lido has now reopened for Lunch on embarkation day until 3pm

Grills restaurants open for lunch for suite guests  .

Not very useful for those of us who’ve been given a 3.45 pm boarding time…

On 11/12/2022 at 8:28 PM, maz48 said:

Those of us on a thread for our next Tuesday cruise on QV have all just had our boarding times changed to later. No reason given. A fellow cruiser had theirs changed from 1pm to 3.45!   We are arriving by coach(for the first time) so arriving later anyway and expected to just arrive, check in and board straight away, but it seems the terminal might still be full.

I’m on QV on the cruise after you and I’ve also got 3.45pm.  How did it turn out for you and anyone whose time was that late?