QM1

Picture of the arrival at Cobh tuesday evening:

Cobh was already in our schedule when we booked 3 months ago. We had a fantastic arrival there.

Just had lunch on the last sea day onboard QV, waiting for a lecture on astronomy. It has been a wonderful cruise around the British Isles.

We will be on Cunard´s Queen Victoria when she sails around the British Isles next month. We are Cunard fans so another line was no option.

5 hours ago, Bill_R said:

Didn’t pay over 12K to wear a mask on a cruise ship.

Covid does not care how rich you are, sorry. It's a democratic disease;-)

I just came home from a QM2 cruise, spending 7 days in "splendid isolation". There weren't many cases on board as much as I could figure. When leaving, about half a dozen were escorted from the ship by medical staff. I spoke to only one other passenger affected, he caught Covid on the TA before our cruise and was isolated on the same day as me. The Covid- station on QM2 is on deck 5 forward (sheltered balcony).

I officially tested negative at a test center about 20 hours before boarding. Just to be absolutely sure I did a private test at home (again negative) the morning before I entered the train to Hamburg to board the Queen Mary 2. And just hours after entering the ship I felt sick after a short nap and was tested positive that very evening.  "Just in time" as it absolutely never should be.

13 minutes ago, Avery's Gram said:

My husband asked why I didn’t just walk out on my own.  But I took the isolation seriously, and felt that too just leave would be the wrong way to end the ten days, by ignoring the rules.

 

I don’t have any problem with being quarantined as I certainly did not want to pass a disease on to anyone.  For me, it was nothing but I know people are still getting sick and some are dying.  A good friend is dealing with the bad effects of long Covid.  So being in quarantine, as annoying as it was,  felt like a way a safeguarding others.  Being forgotten at the end of it, though…..seemed to trivialize what was actually a sacrifice for me.  

 

Sorry if this sounds petty or like I was feeling sorry for myself.  As I told friends, it was a 21 night cruise.  The first 6 days were good, the last 5 were good, but the 10 in the middle were pretty lonely.

 

Barbara M. In NH

I also took it serious, for the same reasons as you. I also found it strange that in the end I was apparently forgotten. Maybe it was because I had been written off the list of the sick, why others prepared the note that I was to be picked up personally. There were some miscommunications, but all minor. For instance the last test result was not communicated, only that I was free to go.

The train back, well, that was another issue. Trains, and Deutsche Bahn in particular, certainly do not have a friend in me, for many reasons, again confirmed yesterday.

7 minutes ago, Avery's Gram said:

Oh, right….I’m not holding my breath though!  I got very annoyed with Cunard and the way things were not communicated very well during my isolation time.  I was never contacted by Medical Center and it took my husband standing in front of the pursers’ office to get me released from quarantine after my ten days was up….

 

I felt like they were very efficient in getting me into isolation, and then sort of checked me off their list and forgot about me.  (I was told someone would come to release me between 10 am and 1pm …..I called at 1pm, at 2, my husband asked the purser, at 4 he called again and at 4:15 someone finally came.)

 

And when I did call the Medical center that day, I got the message that their voice mail box was full and couldn’t even leave a message.  

My checkout time was 8.40. And the letter expressively said: you'll be picked up from your cabin. 45 minutes later I called the purser asking them wether I was forgotten , or if anything important had occurred. My partner (who was partially isolated as being close contact) in the cabin next to me experienced the same. When 10 minutes later no one had called back I called the staff outside my door, whose supervisor after a call to whomever said I was free to leave on my own. The guy next door who also had caught covid (from a table companion on the TA before) didn't wait for anyone, I met him outside the ship waiting in the huge taxi queue.

19 hours ago, bluemarble said:

 

Looks like that container ship might be Costco Shipping Virgo. Length 400 meters, beam 59 meters, ETA Hamburg 00:00 local. Will be entering the Elbe in about an hour.

Yes, C.S. Virgo (2018/195.000 grt) was waiting to enter Hamburg. I had my good lenses with me and among others photographed waiting in the huge traffic jam north of the river Elbe:

Thalassa Avra (2014/149.000 grt)

Outbound was:

Ever Grade (2018/219.000 grt)

36 minutes ago, Avery's Gram said:

Ah, yes…..lots of room service, but for 10 days no one entered my room so I cleaned my own toilet and basin, made my own bed, washed my own mugs, emptied my own trash, etc.  All of which I do at home, no problem….but not the service I am used to on a cruise!

 

Off the ship on June 5 with the same letter promising future cruise credit soon but nothing yet.  Too bad…..I’m still getting lots of “Sign up now!” Notification emails advertising lovely trips!

 

Barbara M. In NH

Hi Barbara,

in my letter it said the credit amount would be communicated in two weeks the earliest. If you left on June 5, its just two weeks now, so give them a bit more time. Its not a pressing issue I guess.

1 hour ago, exlondoner said:

 

Decent of them in a way in view of all the room service you were compelled to have.

Well, yes, I was surprised. On the other hand, the only service I really got was the food from the Britannia (no one ever entered my room to clean or so, but I must say I didn't expect that either). I wanted to pay the Britannia staff extra tip, but it was too late during the deboarding hustle as I only had bigger banknotes with me and I wasn't allowed to leave my cabin until picked up.

To add, Cunard also reimbursed the service charge.

To follow on my Covid experience, when leaving QM2 yesterday I received a letter stating that I will receive a future cruise credit soon. Thumps up to Cunard!

As for the chaos mentioned above I must say I thoroughly dislike the Steinwerder terminal where I have been for the first time now. Far from the city next to the container harbor, austere, worthy of the cheap bunch of cruise ships only, certainly not Cunard. Plus, there are no photo opportunities to take pictures of the ship (from the city you can just see the funnel). A far cry from the location near the spectacular "Elphi" from where the QM2 departed until recently.

We waited in a taxi line ca. 150 m long. and it took us one full hour (!) before it was our turn. The taxis came slowly one by one, a disastrous service of the Hamburg Taxi Innung. Very bad from the City of Hamburg! Cunard should consider to apply for one of the other locations available in that otherwise beautiful city. 

On 6/21/2022 at 4:53 PM, sogne said:

He could not hire a car because he was positive I suspect as per German restrictions. If you had read the explanation to your first question you should have been able to work it out for yourself.(post 42) As I assume he is disembarking in Hamburg Wednesday I suspect he is  busy.

Exactly. I disembarked the normal way this morning.

Staff was always very friendly. There were a few little miscommunications, that was all. Nothing that caused trouble.  I am not left with any bad feelings.

First they said I must stay on board. But I asked to disembark and they tried. But overnight nothing could be arranged beside a 1000 Euro Special transport back home, 5 hours south. No option of course. I am not allowed on public transport, and who would have rented me a car? My Hamburg friends are on holiday, too. So they was no Choice really.

6 hours ago, ace2542 said:

What do you mean you tested positive at the begining of the cruise? Did you test positive when the ship was still in port or the first night or day after it had sailed?

I checked in at 3 pm, went to the cabin, slept two hours, woke up with slight fever. Then someone send me the news that a relative I had met a few days before tested positive. I then called the doctor on QM2, got tested, and about 9 pm or so got the result and was put under quarantine, my partner separated. The ship left Hamburg the next morning at 8. 

And I absolutely agree with you, Barbara, with what you wrote about the heavy coffee cans vs the heavy cabin door. Quite a challenge.

Hi Barbara,

well, you endured the same. Not advisable😉. I am in 5063. Its a beautiful day. Out there. My Partner is also in quarantine, Next door. She is negative so free to move. But she is not allowed into the Restaurants. Same as the couple on the other side, where the man caught COVID-19 at the end of the TA before.

Mainly the Nordfjord today. Very majestic. Brillant weather.

6 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

I'm so sorry to hear that, how disappointing for you.  I hope you're feeling OK and being looked after.

Thank you, yes, I am feeling better. Fever is gone, a strong cold remains for now. 
but the whole cruise is wasted. Looks like there are about another dozen Passengers or so also affected.

😷 I‘m currently in Quarantine onboard QM2, missing not just Flam. I was tested positive at the begin of the Cruise. Sitting on the balcony looking at life in sunny  Olden, eating too much for someone not allowed to leave the cabin. Staff does  its best, cannot complain. But how sad for the first real Holiday since the begin of the pandemic...

Thank you for your report, its very helpful after those 2 dreadful years since that notorious "Chinese import".
We are looking forward to board QM2 for the Norway cruise next month. Just one thing that came to my mind when reading: you mention "no self service" in Kings Court. Did they employ extra staff? I thought there is a shortage of manpower. Are soft drinks still free in King´s Court or do you also have to order them and pay extra?

Given the renderings, from the outside Queen Anne will sadly be no.4 out of 4 in the Cunard fleet. But no surprise, the British Queen with that name wasn't famous for her beauty either;-)

I am looking forward to sail on my favorite QM2 to Norway next month!

I have a different Email problem.

As my old email account has been hacked I want to change it in the settings. However, when editing the settings, its only possible to change the password, but not the email address. Can anyone help me?

Size/passenger ratio suggests that this ship will mainly do shorter cruises, one week, or two, and no world cruises.