maz48

We were onboard just before Christmas and heard that someone prior to our cruise had said the ship was cold. I packed a couple more cardigans but never needed them. The ship was a perfect temperature. In fact everything was perfect.

Most if not all of those close to the terminal or in town are closed on a Sunday. I have been looking too. Seems a taxi to the airport locations will be the way to go. Not too far but annoying when there are all those close to the terminal on all the other days.

I'm sailing on QM2 on Sunday. I'll go to the purser's desk and ask if they can enlighten us. Of course, it won't be as much fun as all this speculation. :D

I guess if you ask 6 different people they will give you 6 different replies, as usual!!

Obviously red is the new black this season along with silver stripes worn either straight or diagonally. Green is popular among some of the more daring youthful travellers, whether used with the popular diamond ensemble or the much more restrained and traditional square.

 

We have seen some fabulous creations in delicate red edging worn with the very new orange which seems to change to red occasionally: a nice touch if not over used.

 

Purple seems to be confined to the cheaper ranges and we would not suggest wearing this in the higher rated establishments.

 

It will be interesting to see how these very new radical changes are accepted in the coming season.

 

David fashion notes.

The new way for the fashion police to spend their time! Excellent post.

In an attempt to further add to the confusion, ours have no border, four solid red boxes with silver stripes, first time sailing Cunard, Q3, Deck 10, with Cunard transfer to airport on disembarkation.

 

The correct cabin number is shown, so I'm happy.

No, yours has red border with red inside;)!!

So then, all the tags have a red border with different coloured insides, some with silver stripes? Or have I missed someone with different colured borders?

We need Sherlock or Poirot on this one.

They would be laughing if they knew how we were trying to decipher their coding. It does look like the silver stripes are for diamond. Anyone else have silver stripes?

So maybe the silver diagonal stripes mean you are Diamond then? The stripes must mean something. Surely they aren't on there just for decoration so must mean priority baggage delivery or something else. But they say no priority baggage delivery so...???

The E-tickets have changed, though that isn't a problem of course. I have just re-printed ours and they came out about 5"x4". I was quite surprised as I expected them to fill a whole A4 sheet. Look more like a ticket than the old kind. They have your arrival time first so it is rather obvious and also tell you to arrive at your allocated time, no earlier or later.

I rather think there will still be a whole load of cruisers getting there before midday and filling the terminal as there is little else to do once out of your hotel, particularly the older ones.

They do 'share your excitement to step aboard' though:D.

I wonder if the days of the bell boys will end soon. Not as easy without the priority check in desks. I suppose they are a bit dated now.

Maybe we are looking at the colours of the tags wrongly. As we have been told that there is now no priority baggage delivery(apart from maybe the Q1's and Q2's), maybe the colours are for disembarkation and therefore by deck as that is how disembarkation goes. Again I think Q1's and Q2's have priority disembarlkation so that is why their tags are differently coloured(silver stripes). Just an idea.

Our luggage tags are red outer rim with green inner. We are Q3 on deck 6.

Just seen the post above and maybe Deck 6 are red with green centres, so nothing to do with cabin grade or World Club ranking.

We all know whose experience these things enhance and it isn't the passengers. I really don't know how they can say all the rubbish they do everytime they change something. Just be truthful and honest.

So, remove the person manning the priority desk and put them on the escorting duty.

 

Saving for Cunard nil, benifits for the passenger nil, excluding the bunch of fives risk from one of the peasants.

 

Or am I too thick to understand?

 

David.

I think Cunard are hoping we are all too thick to understand.

(But no you aren't)

Just looked and our e-tickets are different now too with time of arrival more prominent. Fortunately we have midday, though normally turn up at 11.15. I wonder what they will be doing with all the passengers who arrive early, make them stand outside? Hotels turf you out at 11am normally so lots of wandering the streets in future. I just can't see any of these changes will enhance our experience.

I think I would rather stand in the Britannia line than risk the glares and worse when taken in front of them. Plus it just isn't right to do that to them either.

Typical. First time we get to go in the Priority check in line and they change it so we now have to upset others by being sent in front of them. I think I would rather wait with the Britannia lines than do that.

Surely the other way round is better. Keep the Priority line and if empty move someone from the Britannia line over. Makes them feel better so happy all round. I have seen that at airports and other cruise lines.

Even though the information on the ESTA site says you don't need a printed copy of your acceptance, always take one. We have cruised TA's a few years on different cruiselines and have aways had to have a copy. The first time, in 2010, no amount of arguing that the site said you didn't need one would get you anywhere, though the cruiseline did allow you to either go online to get a print out, or try to do a new one. This was on a TA from Barcelona and the poor passengers were told if they hadn't managed to have the printed proof by Madeira that they would be off loaded. We were told that the cruiselines had just been told they had to have this printed proof.

As far as the round trip TA's they don't know that you won't be getting off the ship, you might change your mind anyway, so safer for Cunard to ask for it.

We have done cruises from America and always have to still show it, even though we have been accepted into the country in the first place.

I'm sorry to hear your news. It looks like you are recovering at a good rate so please don't feel this is the end of your cruising. Try and keep positive and your eyes on the future. Work hard at the therapy too!!

The cruise we just disembarked from had a long line snaking round past a shop for the whole final day. From before 9am till I went to bed, constant. Worse than in the photo above. At one point 6 passenger service assistants were helping. I was so curious to know why it was so so busy. We had been onboard for 9 nights but most were only on for the second part of our B2B, a 4 night cruise.

We did our first Princess cruise last year, 26 nights on the Crown Princess.We had Anytime dining and were in a normal mini suite, so no perks. Every evening some passengers arrived at the popular times and had what looked to be regular reserved seating by the windows or with a certain server. We asked about reserving and was told 5.45pm or after 8pm or 8.30pm, can't quite remember but just the wrong times for us. We were very perplexed about it.

This is an old thread and the coffee card changes have been in place a few years now. I read the whole first page before realising the date so that was wasted time.

More like a cheap motel than a supposedly classy cruiseline. If they have to use the bulk buy dispenser stuff, get proper good quality body wash and shampoo. I am sure Molten Brown, Elemis or other mid range company could do a good deal for bulk buy. Not too much to ask surely.

Isn't there a legal requirement for length of time between dry docks? I mean for mechanical, hull checking etc, not re-fit? How long is it since QM2 was in dry dock?

I do agree that by the time a re-fit is finally organised there will be so much that needs doing not everything will be able to be done which will be a huge shame.

Thank you for the videos and photos, really great to see as we will be on the same cruise in a few weeks.

Off topic, but what I don't like at one(or more) of the terminals at Southampton is the bag and personal security just before boarding. That could all be done in the time you are sitting waiting to be called to check in and then boarding could be quicker.