*Miss G*

Apparently a Lamborghini = a lot of fun, judging by the neighbors across the street. I am still waiting for the northern lights. 

1 hour ago, alc13 said:

Ours was taken about 10 pm, US Eastern.Std Time.

 

Quite a long exposure.  The colors were much fainter to the eye.  

Thank you!  I was out at 10:00pm est but too many clouds. I shall keep a lookout this evening and hope I get lucky. 🤞

2 hours ago, alc13 said:

What a night!  Here is the view from Maine.  The clouds cleared up in time. 

WOW!!!!!!!

May I ask what time everyone was taking pictures?

1 hour ago, thinfool said:

Can someone post a link that refers a dui restriction on a non-native US person?

I know that Canada has a restriction, but I also know that there is a rehab provision if  you pony up the cash to be rehabed.

This request is for a US restriction.

 

https://www.estavisaus.org/news/american-visa-criminal-record

https://www.help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-1409?language=en_US

2 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

My niece had visibility in eastern PA, too.

 

Oh my gosh, I am so jealous!  I am in Canada, at the moment, and the clouds obscured everything!

Of course, it’s sunny today, so maybe tonight!

2 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

My niece had visibility in eastern PA, too.

 

Oh my gosh, I am so jealous!  I am in Canada, at the moment, and the clouds obscured everything!

Yes, bon voyage, @jrmende63!  Have a wonderful time!

4 hours ago, DaisyDancer said:

The Northern lights were visible in the south of the UK last night!

Oh my gosh, how wonderful!

Our walk home from my daughter’s birthday dinner last night.  (My daughter’s home.)

There was one on the Rotterdam in April, ending at the Orange Party. By all accounts, including my daughter and son-in-law, they had a blast. I’ve also seen them on the other HAL ships and they always look like they’re having fun. I’ll probably join in, one day, just to see what it’s like. 

Oh, good Lord! That looks painful. I hope you have some good products for it though it does look better!

1 hour ago, Easybimble said:

 

I’m not brave enough to do a proper “review” but these are my thoughts:

 

We’ve only  been cruising since 2019 and only ever been on Cunard line so I guess we are pretty unadventurous.

We have done a couple of world voyages and various trips since our first transatlantic on Queen Mary, we kind of found something we liked and stuck with it.

 

When Queen Anne’s voyages went on sale, we booked four trips on her as we saw the promotional videos and imagined it would be similar to what we already enjoyed, but newer and  more modern.

We like to sail from Southampton whenever possible and with Queen Victoria in the Mediterranean, we chose some QA itineraries we liked and looked forward to the first trip which is just coming to an end, (H424) Croatia etc

 

The trip itself has been ok but the ship has been a disappointment for us because we have found it difficult to do the things we like and are used to doing with Cunard.

 

These are things that won’t be of interest to a lot of people so don’t let me put anyone off Queen Anne as we have spoken to many people who really like the ship.

 

The ship has a lot going for it being shiny and new, accommodation feels fresher, toilet and shower area are much nicer than on the older Cunard ships, the smart tv is mostly useful and being able to switch to the various channels without having to remember the channel numbers is very convenient.

 

 We ate in the Artisan Foodhall buffet, we never got round to trying the Britannia so can’t  comment on it.

We found the buffet difficult to get used to at first, having everything served over the high counters seemed hard work, moving from station to station and getting too much or too little of everything meant we wasted more food than we usually would.

 

We found the buffet food to be hotter and generally better quality than recent experiences on Queen Victoria and Mary so that was a plus for us but it was much more of an effort to get what you wanted.

We did however miss the pop up nights you get in the Lido on Queen Victoria, German, Indian night etc, nothing like that happening on QA.

 

The cheese selection was excellent with some very nice cheese varieties available rather than the usual boring ones we encountered in the other Cunard buffets so no complaints there.

 

We thought the desserts were similar to those in the other buffets, cold ones were better than the hot ones.

 

We had our Diamond benefit meal as a lunch in Sir Samuels, it was fine but we did prefer the Veranda on Victoria.

 

As others have commented, it seems that the attempt to incorporate the Cunard lounges and areas into this style of ship are a bit hit and miss. 

We were initially liked the more ”buzzy” Queens Room but by the end of the cruise the novelty has worn off for some reason.

Likewise with the Carinthia Lounge, it’s kind of hard to know where it begins and ends. I accidentally wandered into a staff area trying to find out.

 

We found the entertainment in the theatre good on the whole, the digital scenery and projected backgrounds seem to work very well  and allow for fun productions.

We don’t like the seats which we found uncomfortable, and the colour scheme is a bit bland for us.

The view of the stage seemed pretty good from the areas we sat in, (towards the front to be fair).

 

We enjoyed the offerings from the Bright Lights Society, Noir and Fizz, they took a while to get going but once they did they were a lot of fun .

 

The launderettes are excellent, especially the dryers, no problem with operating the machines or arguments (on this trip anyway)

 

Now to the nitty gritty.

Our favourite thing to do on a cruise is to lie on a steamer chair in a shady spot on the promenade deck relaxing with a drink and a book, watching the sea go by as the sound of the waves  rush past the ship, undisturbed by music… having a comfy snooze….

But…you can’t do this on Queen Anne of course.

 

Might seem a small thing but this was the biggest disappointment for us, the absence of any seating on the promenade deck as it is filled with the lifeboats.

Even we had no idea we would miss it so much.

 

We looked for alternative outside spots to relax in and struggled to find anywhere shady as the  external lounging

areas  are mostly on the high decks (shade free and windy unless the ship is stationary).

 

We also struggled to find any loungers that had not been reserved by guests putting towels on them. Despite the signs saying that items left for 30 minutes or more would be removed, we watched people peg their towels out and disappear for meals, happy in the knowledge that their encampment would be there when they returned. 

This happens on other Cunard ships of course but with outside space limited it seems much more prevalent on the Queen Anne.

 

We found the loungers themselves quite uncomfortable, covering them with towels to cushion them made little difference to our bony frames.

 

We ended up spending “outside” time in the Pavillion area for want of anywhere else but watching the sea through glass from 60 feet up or whatever it is with piped music and high level of background noise was not that enjoyable for us.

 

The Pavilion area with its opening roof canopy looked like a very good idea in the promotional videos and is probably loved by sun worshippers but we found it too warm when the sun shone and  also quite noisy when the roof was closed.

 

This has gotten to sound a bit moany by now and it definitely wasn’t meant to be.

We found the staff were friendly and helpful and couldn’t fault them. We recognised quite a few we have known on the other ships.

 

To summarise….for us the Queen Anne doesn’t seem very Cunardy, I realise that  people who knew the QE2 probably said the same when the Queen Elizabeth replaced her. 

I think however that if you somehow just woke up on the Queen Anne, not knowing how you had got there, you wouldn’t know you were on a Cunard ship.

 

The bits we liked about the Queen Anne were unfortunately outweighed by the things we didn’t like so we will seriously think about whether we will cancel or transfer our other QA bookings.

 

It’s a lovely ship and a lot of guests seem to be enjoying her but she’s not for us.

I found this a very balanced review, and not at all “moany”.  I think you have fair and valid points and it’s good for those researching to see them.  I love the pinnacle-class ships on Holland America so I am mostly curious to see Cunard’s take on them.  I honestly haven’t met a ship I haven’t liked, although I can’t say the same for some passengers!  😅

10 hours ago, Kodiak99 said:

Thank you all so much for the great advice. Can I get a coffee maker in my room, or do I have to request it from room service?

If you have a Neptune or Pinnacle Suite, there will be a coffee maker in your room.

1 hour ago, jrmende63 said:

London’s  ground and I met each other today. Rain and a wet sidewalk made for a slippery surface. I am ok. Just a swollen knee. Not bad though. 

Oh no!  Sorry to hear that.  I hope you have a quick recovery!

Aw, I am so sad that you didn’t think the QM2 was for you!  I echo @exlondoner in that I am wondering if the Queen Anne might be something you’d enjoy.

Forgive my memory, but I don’t recall if this was your first cruise or just the first cruise with Cunard.  Have there been other lines you have tried and, if so, what is your opinion on those?

Thanks for reporting back!

I have just spent a wonderful week with my friends. Honestly, you can’t beat this.

1 hour ago, HappyInVan said:

Hence, I scrutinize HAL's investments with interest. It is the best crystal ball insight into where HAL will be in three years time.

If you are not interested in sailing with HAL, that is fine. There are many of us who are. All you need do is move on. 

Iceland Air is not unsafe. To say so is ridiculous. 
 

When I unexpectedly landed in the hospital the night prior to my flight, all I had to do was provide the evidence and I received a reimbursement. 

5 hours ago, Petronillus said:

OP's icon identifies her home as Washington State. Are there other states named Washington outside the USA?

When viewing on a phone you can’t see the location. 

3 hours ago, jrmende63 said:

only thing is even in premium seats, the area between the seats is tight between our seats and the next row in front of us. 

 

 

I have to comment that the Dreamliner economy seats on KLM were fantastic. Just goes to show how configurations on different airlines are. 
 

I am sorry that you had a dismal experience with Jayride. That is very good to know. Welcome to London!

55 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

I agree, "that's a big difference."  

But why would you come on the Holland America board to promote another line?

33 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

 

Lets take this to a different level.  We were recently cruising on the Seabourn Encore where DW and I were having pre-dinner cocktails at their Observation Bar (kind of like the Crows Nest).  The bar tender put a large platter in front of me (at the bar) with a double scoop of caviar and all the fixens.  I said to the bar tender, "I did not order any caviar?"  He answered, "but I know you like it!."  And that is the difference and kind of what I used to expect on HAL (although no caviar).  

 

Hank

Bur you’re talking about an exclusive experience on another line vs what we are purchasing on the Holland America line.  That’s a big difference. We are purchasing the Holland America experience. 

24 minutes ago, badtwin said:

But that is the beauty of fixed dining with the same wait staff.

 

 

I have to agree that the same wait staff is important to my dining experience. They get to know your likes and dislikes and they work hard to ensure that any sensitivities and allergens are addressed. This is why I prefer to have fixed dining. 

I am dying to sail the Queen Anne to find out for myself. She’ll be so different from the Vistas and the QM2 so I am intrigued.   One caveat, though.  I will be on a cruise, so my review will lean toward the positive!  And I refuse to use the launderettes!

Huh. And here I just assumed you had to have a passport — and keep it updated — in order to have NEXUS. I think that’s helpful (and nice) for permanent residents who aren’t able to get/renew their passports due to war or civil unrest in their home countries.