3rdGenCunarder

The closet usually has two pairs of the larger size, but you can ask for the smaller ones. Last winter, my steward couldn't find any of the smaller size. I can shuffle around the room in the larger ones, but I don't take them home because they're too big to be safe on stairs in my house. 

A comment about the "ice white" gala night in Alaska. The first time I did an Alaska cruise on QE, I thought that was stupid. Glaciers are blue, not white. So in defiance (and because I already had the skirt), I wore a long turquoise skirt and bought a white top that had a little bling on it. So, like a glacier, snow on top, blue ice below. And then on board, the description was blue and/or white and/or silver. Plenty of people didn't dress in those colors anyway. 

2 hours ago, jp2001 said:

Thank you, that is helpful.

 

I have sailed on Cunard a few times but they were Transatlantic Crossings and I didn't pack light for those. I'll probably have to add a checked luggage. My problem is I'm officially flying to Seattle but disembarking on my layover in Vancouver. Not sure they'll let me check my luggage to YVR and not SEA.

 

May I ask what type of outfits you wore for the port days dinner? 

For port day dinners, I generally wear what @Victoria2 described. Dress trousers and some kind of dressy top. I have a lot of lightweight dressy jackets that I've accumulated over the years (there's a great thrift shop near me), so a silky tank top and a jacket works well. Dressier than required, but easy to pack. I love to dress up, and I'm going to shower after being out and about much of the day, anyway. So if I have to change, I change into something that looks worthy of an evening on a Cunard Queen. 

5 hours ago, D&N said:

@jp2001

Not sure that aircon works differently indoors on a ship in Alaska from anywhere else. We certainly didn't notice.

Seems like you'll be fine. You plan something for gala nights; otherwise anything that isn't ripped jeans or sportswear that fits in your packing should be suitable.

My wife wouldn't feel that way, but she wouldn't go on a cruise and pack light!

I don't pack light, either. Alaska cruises have a reputation for being less dressy, and I did find that on HAL. But the level of dress I saw on my Cunard Alaska cruises was about the same as on other Cunard cruises. I would love to have all sea days formal/gala. If a sea day is not a gala night, I don't wear a long gown, but I dress up more than I do on port days, and even on port days I do a little better than Cunard's idea of "smart casual."

1 minute ago, cccole said:

Thank you for the details.  I did not read back thru the posts.  Details matter.  Cherie

 

 

I don't think there were many details, just a mention of it.

Interestingly, the only times I've seen service dogs have been on Cunard, not HAL. One was for a diabetic woman. Little thing, a bit overwhelmed by a large cocktail party--band playing, all those feet that might have stepped on it. She might have been better to have it in one of those chest packs, because it couldn't have been paying much attention in that situation. But other times I saw them, the dog was calm.

The other one was with a woman who had posted here on a similar thread about 5-6 years ago. I recall some very strong anti-dog sentiment on that thread. I ended up behind her in the queue to change dining reservations. Lovely dog, very quiet, Because of some comments she had made about her travels, I figured it was her, and I was right. She said it's hard work to travel with a dog, in her case, a large lab. The owner has to supply all the food. And they brought along his bed.  This was a 10 day cruise IIRC, and a large dog eats a lot in that time. Some people with a child came up and wanted to pet the dog, but she explained he was working. Then she said that he would have some free time that afternoon and said where they would be and that the child could meet him then. 

23 minutes ago, cccole said:

I went back to the OPs original statement.  It was not about people having horrendous encounters with dogs on cruise ships but the presence of non service dogs on cruise ships.  The only way a non service dog is on a cruise ship is most probably the owner lied.  Many of us would love to bring our dog(s) on a cruise ship, but we are not going to lie to do it.

 

At least one person questioned posters who observed non service dogs and asked for specific examples of how they knew it was not a service dog.  Several examples were provided.  It doesn't mean that all of us have experienced any of those issues.  But when asked, examples were given.  And many have observed adorable, well behaved non service dogs.  We just wish it was our adorable, well behaved non service dog.  It is an insult to the trained service dogs and their owners when people lie to bring their pet to an environment where they are not allowed.  I think HAL should do a better job.  I think someone mentioned that Cunard lets you bring your pet in a kennel and it remains below deck for the entire cruise.  Sounds like an option.

 

JMO, Cherie 

Cunard does have a kennel on Queen Mary 2. I'm not sure about the other Cunard ships. The QM2 kennels are for transatlantics only. I believe it's just cats and dogs. That's all I've seen embarking or disembarking. The service is used mainly by people who are relocating between North America and the UK or Europe. If I had to relocate, I'd want to do that, rather than have a pet in a cage in the hold for such a long flight. 

The kennels are at the top, and there is an outside area for excercise. Owners may visit their pets, but the pets are not allowed out and about on the ship. And in answer to the question about abandoning ship, Cunard provides dog and cat life jackets. 

2 hours ago, TRLD said:

Certainly proper training involves obedience training. It involves far more than basic obedience. It also includes making sure that the dog can handle diverse environments without becoming distracted or easily frightened. The group i.support that provides service animals for veterans takes a great deal of time working with the dogs prior to introduction, as well as after to make sure that the dog not only performs correctly, but that it is a good fit and a good home for the dog.

 

This is how it should be. Seeing Eye is in Morristown NJ, and when I go there, I often see trainers walking dogs through the town, practicing navigating traffic lights (and traffic around the Green in Morristown takes a lot of navigating!), and learning to deal with distractions. Good for you for working with a training group. Properly trained service dogs are amazing. 

7 hours ago, Kay S said:

Anybody have a favorite from the old productions shows?  Will some return?  Guess we'll find out eventually.

It depends on the production company they're using and who owns the show design. If they've gone back to a previous contact, old shows might be used again. 

7 hours ago, TRLD said:

There are only so many cabins for entertainers. They did away with production shows when they increased the musicians for music walk  They cutback on some of the music walk positions (Lincoln Center and went from 2 piano to one). Not sure how many slots the new production shows will use compared to 1 step. might be other changes as they go away from the branded acts on the music walk.

I think you mean Billboard went from 2 pianos to one. Lincoln center never had two. They started out as a quintet. But within a year they were down to one violin, not two, so a quartet. The duos are good, but there isn't the variety of sounds/arrangements with two instead of 4 or 5. 

12 hours ago, HappyInVan said:

What is a well trained dog? On command, the dog follows its master closely. Not interacting with other dogs or strangers. Not pulling its master along on a leash.

 

What is a well trained service dog? It patiently leads its blind master. A medical dog pays 100% attention to its master. Not rush at strangers for attention.

Someone who trains service dogs posted several pages back. I wish he/she would come back and explain what the training entails. Obviously, it's to do whatever the service is. But, in addition, is the dog given basic obedience training?

Another poster said that you can't be sure because maybe it's a service dog that wasn't well trained by its owner in basic behavior. I always thought the training for a service dog included basic behavior. Certainly, any service dogs I have met were well behaved. 

And of course, let's not forget that training a dog is about training the owner as much if not more than training the dog. 

6 hours ago, BouncingWheel said:

It must be the way the photos have been taken as all indoor rooms look like they have low ceilings which cannot be the case as the ship hasn’t been built for the Borrowers.

I've been thinking the same thing, especially about the second atrium picture. I'm sure Cunard didn't lower the ceilings for their Pinnacles, and that area off the atrium isn't like that on HAL.

3 hours ago, buchanan101 said:

The theatre looks little different from many land theatres with the dress circle being quite low over the stalls. Lines of sight will be fine; they will have done if for improving capacity. 

I don't think there is a dress circle. If you look at the deck plans, the seats toward the front are shown on deck 2 and the seats toward the back are shown on deck 3. That's because of where the entrances are--you enter the front from deck 2 and the back from deck 3 because of the slope of the floor. (That's how it works on K'dam) 

QE and QV are like that, too. Front seats accessed from deck 1 entry, back from deck 2. Plus they have the boxes, which are at deck 3 level.

4 hours ago, safarigal said:

I'm excited about the information, and that there will be a dedicated viewing area in the heart of the action on the waterfront, but it will be standing only. For those of us shorter people we may not actually get to see much, but at least we will be able to hear!

Maybe we should go out early to stake out a good spot!

1 minute ago, Host Sharon said:

This seems to be the norm now for Carnival UK brands. I was booked on the Iona and Arvia maidens, both of which had date changes so I had to cancel but, given the naming cruises were the ones that had all the events, was not upset. Sun Princess is also having both a maiden and a naming cruise.

In a way that makes sense, two opportunities to get media attention for the line. But Cunard doesn't seem to be making much of a fuss about the maiden. I hope there will be a celebration at each maiden call, but it won't be the big deal that the naming is set to be. 

I would be peeved, too. It does seem that the two cruises before the naming cruise are warm-ups when you'd expect them to be a big deal. 

I understand (and agree with) the choice of Liverpool, given its significance to Cunard, so why isn't the Around Britain cruise the maiden? Were they hedging their bets, scheduling cruises before this just in case things ran late and they had to cancel something? 

First post copied oddly. Trying again. 

This arrived via email this morning. Still no word on who will actually do the naming. 

10 hours ago, reeves35 said:

Does this low roofed theatre design match with other HAL Pinnacle class ships?

It seems very different from Koningsdam. Here's a picture from 2019. All the lights hide the ceiling height, but I don't remember it it being so low.  K'dam is sort of theater in the round, whereas QA is a traditional layout. K'dam seating looks more steeply raked, but that could be the difference in camera angles.

10 hours ago, exlondoner said:

There doesn’t seem much rake in the theatre, but I assume they’ve worked that out.

And it looks narrow and deep. I like to sit near the back in case I don't like the show and want to leave quietly. But that seems awfully far from the stage. I wonder whatever happened to my opera glasses? I may have to pack them.

2 hours ago, Mary229 said:

They have kennels.  Try getting one of those kennels. 

Yes, usually the first accommodation to sell out for a TA.

4 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

Yes, it is a question of "law or not law".  Your state has a law about getting a doctor's letter for a handicap placard.  That is the law.  The law that governs service animals, the ADA, a federal law, specifically states that establishment owners can only ask two questions regarding service dogs;  one, "is that a service animal", and two "what service is the dog trained to provide for the owner".  That's it.  That is the law, and asking any other questions is against the law.  Now, SCOTUS has ruled, in Spector v NCL, that foreign flag cruise ships do not fall entirely under the ADA.  Specifically, the cruise ship's "internal policies and procedures" are not subject to the ADA.  So, while the ADA requires the cruise line to have accessible cabins, and to not charge more for accessible cabins, the policy of requiring documentation to obtain an accessible cabin is up to the cruise line.  Their determination as to whether or not to allow you to book an accessible cabin (their internal policy) is different than their ability to not allow you onboard due to your disability (ADA requirement).  Asking whether or not a person needs a service animal onboard is to question and possibly deny that person accommodation on the ship (illegal under the ADA, and not an "internal policy")

I have clicked the thank you icon on several of your posts, but I want to comment to thank you for this this. The bold I added sums up the situation. it sounds like the same thing to ask "what is the dog trained to do" and "what is your medical need for the dog" but they are not the same according to the law. 

Medical privacy is a big deal and the "service dog" cheats know this. The annoying part is anyone with a clue about animals (or pet owners) can tell a fake from the real deal. I've seen real service dogs on cruises, and they're calm. They don't jump up to greet people. They don't try to sit on the furniture. They don't expect handouts from the dinner table. And if you go to pet them, their owners say "I'm sorry, but my dog is working" or something like that, not "He's friendly, go ahead. Isn't he adorable?" In one of the pictures a page or two ago, a dog in a stroller is being petted by other passengers. Unless the dog was "off duty," that's a no-no.

If you see what you think is a fake service dog, report it. But don't expect any explanation or answer from the ship. 

I haven't received an email from stockperks confirming that Cunard has accepted my request yet. But I got a new confirmation because of my upgrade, and I can see the obc listed on the confirmation. 

I think they must have worked on the app, because initial reports were not favorable, but like @Victoria2, once I saw how the app works, it was easy. What I liked most about it was that the app would take the picture of my brokerage statement. Faster than taking a picture and uploading it to an email in the old system.

Interesting about the invitations. For QA in May, I did receive an invitation and also saw the notice on "my Cunard." I bid to move from Britannia balcony to PG. I had four options--Club, PG, QG and QG penthouse (don't remember the specific categories of QG listed).

I bid on PG. QG was more than I wanted to spend, and I chose not to bid on Club because the only upgrade I wanted was PG. I don't think Club's improvements over Britannia are worth the price differential, although many people do. And I thought, what if they liked both bids and decided to give me Club when I could have had PG??? Of course, I'd never know. Just as when i didn't have my bid accepted on QV, I would never know how much more I might have bid to be successful. That's what makes it so intriguing.

Cut to the chase--my bid was accepted! This is about 6 weeks out, for the May 24. I bid about 40% of the range of prices. 

Not surprisingly, the cabin is starboard side. There was much more availability on starboard, probably because people are hoping for nice scenery from portside as we sail anticlockwise around Scotland. But given that we'll likely be in shipping lanes, I'm not bothered. Because I got a PRINCESS GRILL cabin!!! (oops, do I say "suite" now?)

50 minutes ago, NE John said:

Yes. Boston is quite compact and you’ll see Tea Party site on the Trail. Aquarium is near Tea Party site too. 

I like Boston and it's a walkable city to explore. The aquarium is excellent.

But I can't agree with the freedom trail suggestion. There are too many "points of interest" that are just plaques on a modern building. "On this site, the Boston Massacre took place in [year]" and I'm looking at a 20th century high-rise. Yes, look for some historic places, but don't make the map a pilgrimage to every "site."