Starstruckharper

Welcome back to this side of the Atlantic, QM2

According to Marine Traffic, the QM2 is now ten or so nautical miles out of Le Havre, and picking up speed as she sails for New York.

I encountered a similar issue on my upcoming TA - my vacation planner told me that I could add a second person to the booking at any time up to six days before the ship sailed, and that the only additional charge would be that person's port taxes, gratuities, etc. Definitely check with yours if you have one, though.

It's a pretty busy port -- you could always watch the comings and goings of ships (The Marine Traffic app is good at giving you information about where any given ship is coming from/going to).

There is a specific exemption in the "No extension cords" policy for extension cords connected to CPAP machines.

Is it a) possible b) rude or c) against the rules to tip any musicians you happen to be especially appreciative of on a transatlantic crossing?

According to Marine Traffic, QM2 has slipped her last moorings and is gliding down Southampton Water towards Liverpool - Bon Voyage!

35 knots is SS United States fast... she's probably got a current behind her if she's going at that speed.

Is there any indication the port stop in Liverpool is also a repair stop? I know Cammel Laird is up there in Birkenhead - anyone know if QM2 is due in?

Update: right on schedule, QM2 has moved berths at the Southampton Ocean Terminal.

Possibly the special occasion nature of the voyage would add a bit to the formality? Yes, it's cheap and short, but it's the *coronation*, so maybe folks will be more willing than usual to dress up?

All the advice I have read suggests going with a third party insurer. The link below is a good place to compare plans, a good number of which have cruise coverage included. Not sure if it's geared for travellers outside of the United States, however. https://www.squaremouth.com

I was watching QM2 on Vessel Finder as she made her way back from Australia on her world cruise. As she was sailing up the West Coast of Africa, she was still managing 16 or 17 knots on only three engines. What a magnificent machine she is. (Sidenote: Is the proper grammer "*The* Queen Mary 2" or just "Queen Mary 2?")

Okay for the record the band continuing to play (if that's not an apocryphal story) was not frivolous or pointless - keeping everyone as calm as possible was and is absolutely vital in emergencies and doing so saves lives.

I called Cunard about the issues, and received word that in the process of fixing one fault, they found another more serious one - possibly in fixing an exhaust fault they found a bigger engine issue. (Again, this is wild speculation).