majortom10

Also depends where you expect to eat in the evening. If you plan on using Kings Court then there will not be a problem but there will be areas of the ship you will not be able to frequent on Gala (formal) nights including MDR.

Whatever it is it should have not been added to your card. If they do that erroneous charge a thousand times over a year across all 3 ships then it is a nice little profit. These charges are becoming far too regular and some for a lot more and they should be challenged and should be stopped happening.

We did a similar cruise on Oceana flew out and sailed back in March. The weather was awful raining in nearly every port. We arrived in Tortola to fine drizzle and the Captain announced that it will soon stop and the sun will be cracking slabs. However after breakfast we got off and the rain was now more than a drizzle and a bad sign was all the market stall holders had packed up and gone home. The rain got worse until by lunchtime the roads were flooded and we headed for Prussers Bar to escape from the rain. It was packed and I think everyone who was in there was off the ship and had the same idea. The rain seem to follow us around the Caribbean and it rained in Nassau, Bahamas and if my memory other ports of call. On the way back to Southampton the ship developed and engine issue so was late arriving in the Azores and all tours cancelled. The Captain said they had arranged for the shopping centre to stay open late and a shuttle bus was provided, but was nothing special and we only spent aboput an hour there before returning. We havent returned to the Caribbean since and think the only good day we had was in Antigua where we visited Nelsons Dockyard but in no rush to go back.

There is ship merchandise and clothing on all Cunard ships.

Yes we did Azura Maiden and have since sailed on her 4 times and had fantastic cruises albeit the last one a few years ago. I really dont get the regular statements on many forums about ugly ships and the common one used "it is like a block of flats". Majority of my cruise I am on the ship and dont care what she looks like just the facilities onboard and once in port I am interested in the port and dont spend my time staring at the ship. The ship that we didnt like at all of the ones we have sailed on was Oriana even though many liked her, we are all different and have differing views thankfully.

But that has nothing to do with the thread. Fires on ships whilst being built whether arson or not and whatever the size is horrendous and upsetting especially for those hoping to cruise on her when she is delivered. What has a picture of Azura and one of Bolette which in your opinion only is a proper ship got to do with the thread about fires on Arvia. Fortunately we are all different and have differing views.

Never had a photographer "pester" me in 2 5yrs of cruising. They have a job to do and many like having their photographs taken and purchase as a memory. Just a polite "no thank you" whether it be around the ship in restaurant or at gangway and they leave you alone.

I should imagine it is because it is Sunday morning as there will be no local traffic for people going to work and very few self disembark compared to those that dont.

Yes we preferred the late sitting freedom dining on QE.

You might get busier traffic but no great hold ups or delays over the years on leaving Southampton.

Perhaps it was tongue in cheek with a very heavy personal bias. If you think Arvia is ugliest ship you obviously havent seen latest Celebrity ships or Virgin.

If it is arson I dont think size of ship has anything to do with it. Arsonists will set fire to small ships just as easy, more likely they dont like the British.

That is nothing new they have been like that for a long time.

I see that it has been reported that there have been 2 fires on Arvia in the shipyard while being built. Fires were 2 weeks ago one fire in a rubbish bin and one in a cabin. A security guard was hospitalized with smoke inhalation and has caused 60000 euros in damage. The shipyard say it will not delay the delivery of the ship and the police are investigating and arson has not been ruled out.

We were offered a "paid" upgrade on Azura Maiden cruise from the inside cabin we had booked to a superior deluxe cabin for a very mediocre price increase so we snapped their hands off.

They are introducing it for one very good reason -money. They will get money for upgrades instead of giving them away and why put a fixed nominal price on a upgrade if there is a chance somebody might pay more.

Looking at dinner sample menus for QG/PG there is no Duck a l'Orange on a la carte menus. Dont know if it is a supply issue and only temporary or a permanent removal perhaps as a cost cutting exercise. We have had this in both QG and PG and is one of our favourite meals to order.

Yes I have seen those but in the past there was a link to examples of menus which showed examples of QG, PG, BC and Britannia for breakfast, lunch and dinner for all the ships and also speciality restaurants but when I click on link on website it say "page not found". Very worrying why they have been removed.

I have always looked at Cunard's website for examples of menus in the dining rooms and speciality restaurants for past cruises. We are due to cruise again in October and find it very strange that Cunard have removed the "example of menus" section from their website. Worry that the reason for removal is that Cunard like many other cruise lines are dumbing down their menus and dont want you to compare to avoid disappointment.

Just all turn up together at restaurant and request a table for 8. It could be an issue if you dine together every night and one of you catches Covid as you will be classed as a "close contact" and face the consequences of what the rules are when you go on your cruise.

Honestly only P&O can give you a definitive answer and then you know what the correct conditions and rules are so my advice is ring them or get your TA to do it and get it from the horses mouth and not second hand.

Spent 26 nts at Ullswater Nov/Dec 1976 on an Outward Bound course and climbing and camping up Helvellyn in thick snow certainly different. Havent been back since.

Think it will be a long time before Carnival start paying dividends on their shares.

If you plan on getting off in New York my advice is get up early and get off withg those disembarking early as foot passengers. Then catch the NYC Ferry close to QM2 and head for Pier 11 (Wall St) and then Manhattan is available at your choice. On your return you dont join the queue for those embarking for the first time there is a separate queue for "in transit" passengers. If you decide to stay on the ship for the day unfortunately you have to go through the farcical operation of disembarking the ship and then going through security and customs and then have to wait to be allowed back on the ship. This for some strange reason is an Americanism and no logical reason and has never happened to me in any part of the world in over 25 yrs of cruising and is nonsensical.

Best snack I have had for a long time recently in Austria for 5-90 Euros what a bargain.