maina

We had very good luck with Cunard's one way transatlantic airfares. I didn't realize that you didn't necessarily have to fly in/out of England, which was a big plus for us. We wanted to do a QM2 westbound transatlantic, but were starting our trip by spending 3 weeks visiting family in the Netherlands. Cunard booked us into Amsterdam, no problem, and on the airline of our choice (Delta). We flew out of Boston as it's the nearest big airport to where we live in Maine. the fare was just about literally half of what the round trip fare would have been.

Holiday Inn Midtown is very well-located and not a bad place at all unless you want a luxury hotel. It even has a rooftop swimming pool. We stayed there before our first transatlantic on QM 2 a few years ago, not booked through Cunard but through a U.S. bidding site where you put in your desired cost and location (neighborhood) and take a chance on what hotel you get. It's on the far west side of Manhattan, and was quite a quick trip by cab to the QM Brooklyn dock.

If Cunard transfer does not suit for some reason (e.g., cost, schedule, convenience) you might try Smith's for Airports. http://www.smithsforairports.com/index.html Great survice, and not just to/from airports but pretty much anywhere you need. We used their car service from St. Pancras train station, where we arrived on Eurostar, to Southampton. The cost was very reasonable for two of us with 2 suitcases. Company is based in Portsmouth I believe, so makes lots of trips to/from the Southampton cruise terminals.

To address one of the original poster's questions about "any time dining" (does anyone remember back that far, with all this discussion of neckwear?), for breakfast and lunch there is basically any time dining in Britannia--come any time during the serving period for that meal, and you can have a table for two or can opt to share. If opting to share, you get randomly put with whoever else is coming in the same time you are. We thoroughly enjoyed the random seating, and got to meet lots of interesting people that way. We also enjoyed our dinners with our assigned table mates in the evenings in Britannia. If you have made new friends on board, you can arrange to meet at some set time and ask to be seated together at breakfast or lunch.

Wow--who would have thought my query should spark such a long and interesting discussion! Maybe now we need to do Dubai-Southampton and then the QM transatlantic add-on. Somehow I find it hard to think so far ahead--we don't even have any plans for 2015 yet.

Thanks. I remembered seeing the world cruise segments in a print brochure, which I'd thrown out. Went on the Cunard site and downloaded the 2016 world cruise pdf brochure, and sure enough, there I found the QM Dubai-Southampton segment: 23 days, departing April 18th. For unknown reasons, it doesn't come up when using the interactive search feature on the website, which is what I'd been trying.

Thinking about doing a world cruise segment in 2016 that includes Dubai, as we have a grand-daughter who has just accepted a job there that begins in summer 2015. We've been on the QM and would love to go on her again, but I'm having trouble figuring out the 2016 world cruise offerings. I think we'd like to fly over to Dubai from the U.S., visit grand-daughter, then do Dubai-Southampton. Searching on the U.S. Cunard site, there is no Dubai-Southampton leg listed for the QM. However, on a commercial site there is indeed such a segment advertised in the British market, where it is showing as a fly-cruise package. (Iglu is the site--sorry, can't post direct link but if you google "Queen Mary Dubai 2016" you can find it.) I suppose it would be smart to call Cunard to check, but thought I'd ask you folks first since some of you have insights on the vagaries of Cunard's marketing. :confused:

Lynn--In case you need translation, Flemish is basically a dialect (actually several dialects) of Dutch. The written language is regular Dutch. Our son, who just returned to the U.S., spent the last 5 years in the Netherlands and his Dutch is pretty good. If you need the paperwork translated, he might be able to help, or knows others who can.

Ann

Lynn, so sorry you are going through all this! We did not opt for Cunard Care but have gone through "Insure my Trip" to search for the best policies. We've purchased Allianz and a couple of others. We fortunately have never had to use our travel insurance, so never had to submit a claim. I therefore have no way to judge the companies, but "Insure my Trip" collects traveler reviews of the various plans so you can read about others' experiences ahead of time.

I do know that for medical expense coverage through travel insurance you need to first go through whoever your primary insurer is before submitting bills to the travel insurance plan. That was made very clear in the policies for the several plans we've purchased. When we first took out travel insurance we were on a group health insurance plan through employer which did cover overseas medical expenses; however, you had to pay first and then submit claim forms and detailed bills to them. Any medical bills not covered by your primary insurer could then go on to be submitted to the travel insurance plan.

More recently, we aged up to Medicare, and as I understand it "traditional" Medicare does not pay for medical expenses outside the U.S. (but I am no expert so others may know better). However, we are on a Medicare Advantage plan not traditional Medicare, and this particular plan operates the same as our previous group plan, i.e., pay the bills for overseas care, submit the bills to them for reimbursement (or partial reimbursement), and then submit any remaining bills to the travel insurance company. I called before we went on our recent trip to see what our Medicare Advantage coverage procedures were. It's still a 3-step process--pay bill yourself; submit to Medicare Advantage plan company forst; any remainng balance submit to travel insurance company

The trip interruption coverage is another story. I suspect the reason that Berkeley is asking you to submit the doctor's bills/insurance statements in order to get reimbursed for trip interruption (the 11 days) is to prove that the interruption was due to medical necessity. Might it be possible for your treating Dr. here in the U.S. just to write a detailed letter to Berkely Care which covers the whole sequence of events from when you were first taken ill, including your diagnosis and the need for leaving the ship and for repatriation? That should be enough to prove medical necessity in order for the insurance company to at least give you reimbursement for the travel interruption part of your claim. I can understand that they need more detail (bills, insurance denials or coverage, etc.) for paying the medical portion of your claim.

Cunard needs to have a much better system in place for covering the bureaucratic logistics of onboard medical emergencies and treatment. For example, they should routinely provide a copy of their medical bill which the patient, or someone designated by the patient, can use to seek reimbursement--be that from a group insurance plan, travel insurance, or whoever. My husband and I went down to the medical facility on the QM to get some tylenol, since there was none available to purchase in the little "drugstore" onboard. We were in fact handed over the itemized bill on the spot, and it was charged to our onboard account. In your circumstance, being so ill and incapacitated, that step may not have been done at the time. Did you ever get the bill from Cunard? I can understand why Cunard has billed your credit card for your onboard care since they can't bill insurance companaies directly themselves. However, they need to provide you with an itemized copy of the bill so you can submit the appropriate claim(s).

For those who are traveling solo, it might be well worthwhile to name someone as a healthcare power of attorney, and for Cunard (or any other cruiseline) to ask the traveler to voluntarily have that information on file with them in case of emergency. That way, even if the traveler is incapacitated there is someone with whom to communicate, to whom a copy of the bill could go, etc.

Wishing you well in your recovery and in your battles with the insurance bureaucracy!

Ann

I had no trouble at all booking a massage on a recent QM2 transatlantic. The daily program often has specials for particular spa services, so it might be worth waiting until you are on board. I didn't book one of the specials, but just a "tension zone" massage, which was great. I believe I did it on the next to the last day, and there were plenty of openings then and not many customers in the spa. It was virtually a walk-in--when I checked on available massage openings, there was one in 15 minutes, so I took it. (This was my first ever massage, by the way, and I'm now hooked.)

Emily B12--Your comparisons make a lot of sense to me. While we've only been on the QM, I agree that there are so many nice public spaces there that I'm not sure why we would need/want another dedicated lounge or deck area. The main attraction for PG for me would be the cabins and possibly the food, if in fact the food is appreciably better than in Britannia. I don't even particularly care if our waiter gets to know our preferences, or that we have special concierge services. I think I'm talking myself out of trying a Grills experience. :D

We just received a flyer from Cunard with some tempting Princess Grill pricing on a few 2015 transatlantics. I'd like to maybe try it, in part because of the larger cabins, though husband thinks it's not worth the extra cost over Britannia grade. In all honesty, I think the Britannia dining room is way more attractive than the Grills dining rooms, and we've had good experiences with the food there on two prior transatlantics. I know that there is assigned "anytime" seating in the Grills restaurants for dinner. Here's my ignorance: For breakfast and lunch can you sit elsewhere, as in Britannia, with different people (if you choose to share table)? We really enjoyed getting to meet a variety of people at breakfast and lunch, and would hate the idea of being with the same people for all 3 meals, even if we were compatible and companionable. And, can I assume that Grills passengers can eat in Britannia for breakfast and lunch, since no one ever checked which "category" we were when we entered? I've read that one of the advantages of the Grills dining rooms is a wider opportunity to order "off menu." Since we aren't very fussy, we always found adequate choices on the Britannia menu and didn't feel the need for even more choice.

Austcruiser84--

For benefit of those of us who are from the U.S., could you provide edification as to what/who are "Bogans"? They are apparently people one would not want to associate with on a cruise. ;)

We were on the westbound transatlantic immediately preceding the New England-Canada trip, and found the food in Britannia to be overall as good as it was 2 years ago. Early on we had one very poor quality cut of roast beef, and we stayed away from the beef dishes (steak, etc.) for a few meals. However, our table companions had beef at several later meals which they pronounced to be excelllent, so we tried again with the beef Wellington. That was a very well cooked and a high quality piece of meat. Soups were somewhat of a disappointment, as there seemed to be a few basic cream-type stocks with various flavors wafting through; e.g., the leek version hardly tasted of leeks at all. Our recollection is that soups were better 2 years ago. Fish, although frozen I'm sure, was uniformly well-prepared and well-seasoned. Vegetables and starches accompanying the protein part of the diners were also well-prepared, as were the vegetarian meals, according to one of our table companions who had these some of the time. We ate in Britannia every night, for half the lunches, and breakfast a couple of times. We used Kings Court more than we did on our earlier crossing, but that was more for speed and convenience than because we didn't care for Britannia food, and never felt the need to pay extra for any specialty dining.

On our first Cunard voyage (QM 2 transatlantic) 2 years ago, we went through an agent, selected a particular cabin, and I believe had her check that we'd accept upgrade. Two weeks before we were to leave, we were upgraded from ocean view to sheltered balcony cabin. For our transatlantic earlier this month, we went through Cunard and selected a sheltered balcony aft as the price was lower; when I saw here on CC that others had requested and gotten upgrades, I called Cunard and we were able to switch to a midships sheltered balcony cabin at no extra charge. We did not go the guarantee route either time as we preferred to pick out the location.

We did predominantly land-based travel using trains in Europe for quite a number of years before going on a Cunard voyage (2 transatlantics). Therefore, we are used to traveling light with just two carry-ons and a tote. For the transatlantics we added one large "suiter"-type case for all our fancy duds, and made out just fine. I thought it weighed a ton, but when it was weighed at the airport we were surprised to learn it was only about 43 lbs. If we'd had longer than an 8-day voyage, or had been doing port visits where we needed a wider variety of clothing, we probably would have taken an additional large case. I now have a very lightweight large case we could bring, which weighs I think 4.75 lbs, probably half the weight of comparable-size cases.

To each his/her own regarding shoes, but I've never been a shoe-holic so am not about to change that for a trip. For formal and informal evenings, I've brought one pair of heels and one pair of dressy-ish sandals, but again, I've only been on 7 or 8-day crossings. The sandals are a style that can be used in less dressy situations too. My husband has brought one pair of black dress shoes, a pair of sturdy sneakers (trainers for you Brits), and a pair of brown shoes which are god for walking but which can be used for informal evenings or going out to restaurants ashore. For me, an ocean voyage is not an opportunity to see how many outfits I can bring/wear, but that's also the way I am in my everyday life. Ladies (and gents): How often do you look down to see people's footwear? :D

Maybe I'm misremembering, but it seems the areas mentioned on QM 2 where smoking is allowed/not allowed are the same as they were when we took our first trip on her in early June 2012, though maybe it was allowed on balconies then (?). These definitely were the rules on the voyage we were just on (Oct. 8-16 transatlantic). One morning we came back to our cabin on deck 5, sheltered balcony, when the steward was in there making it up she asked if we smelled cigarette smoke. We did indeed smell it quite strongly, and it definitely wasn't us. She said one of our neighbors must have been smoking on the balcony, and that she would check it out and report it if she found any evidence (ashes). Meantime, she propped open our balcony door and room door to air out our cabin for us. I must say the ventilation in Churchill's must be awful, because the whole area outside it as one entered the Commodore Club reeked. Made me not want to enter the Commodore Club.

Pepper--

Your suggestion of Marks & Spencer style is spot on. I'm from the U.S., but recently went into the Marks & Spencer in Southampton to try to find another "outfit" before boarding for our QM 2 transatlantic. When we did our first voyage in 2012, Cunard still had the 3-division dress code, and I understood that pretty well. The "informal" style for women still eludes me. After looking over what I'd brought, I decided I needed something more, and Marks & Spencer did the trick--got a dark, but not long, skirt that will be fine for work plus a dressy top. Once onboard, I saw that women had a very wide range of attire on "informal" nights, ranging from dressy slacks and tops to quite elegant-looking cocktail dresses that would have probably been appropriate for formal nights as well. The 2-division dress code is a lot easier for men to understand I think. In most women's minds, the term "informal" does not conjure up the image of a cocktail dress (at least in American English)! :D

Ann

MWillow--So glad you enjoyed your QM 2 experience. It sounds as though you really took advantage of a lot on offer. We were on board for your last leg, from Southampton to NY. Only our second ocean voyage ever, and second transatlantic on QM 2. First was eastbound 2 years ago, and we loved our experiences both times. My step-daughter did watercolor lessons on the QM 2 several years ago; she liked it so much she's been doing it ever since and has gotten quite good.

This time I vowed to try a few things I hadn't done the first time, and accomplished two of them--got a massage and used the spa one day, and participated in trivia in the Golden Lion. Did not manage to persuade husband to do dance lessons, but maybe next time . . . And maybe water color lessons next time too.

As others here say, QM 2 is addictive.:)

We were on the same cruise, and at the meet and greet, and concur with most of the review--only part I disagree on is the Cunard dancers and singers. Dancers were good, but we were underwhelmed with the singers, some of whom seemed flat much of the time, and all appeared to be over-mic'd most of the time. We aren't dancers, and wish we were, as it sounds like great fun. Next time maybe we'll take dance lessons. Several other highlights of the trip for me were the excellent performances by RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts); the Margaret Atwood talks (one of my favorite authors-what a thrill); and the wide variety of talented musical presentations around the ship, ranging from harp, classical guitar and string quartet to jazz and piano. This was our second transatlantic on the QM 2, and second ocean voyage period. We'll be back for more!

We disembarked from the QM TA the day you embarked, and are suffering from withdrawal that will be mitigated slightly by reading your posts. We live in Maine, and were wishing we could stay on to be dropped off in Boston or Bar Harbor! We met a fair number of pepole who were staying on for the NY-New England-Canada-NY leg, and some who were doing the whole round trip from Southampton and back, 27 days I believe. Quite a few French folks boarded in Cherbourg, and I wonder if they stayed on or flew back from NY.

I received the same survey, but don't remember that on my version there was any 14-day option. Because we live in northern New England, having Boston as a start or end point would be appealing as it would be more convenient than NY. In the notes, I suggested that having Boston or Quebec embarkations added might make it attractive to Canadians and expand that market. I do think that adding one port for the 8-day transatlantic voyages makes a lot of sense.

Dry cleaning prices look very reasonable, laundry not so much. $2.00 for one piece of underwear? $3.75 for a t-shirt or polo shirt? $2.00 for a pair of socks/tights/stockings? Presumably items such as these would just need to laundred and folded, no pressing needed.

Yum to the menus! We'll be in Britannia, so not sure how different those menus will be, but it's always fun to read menus. Thanks for posting.

Thanks for posting this. We are doing westbound TA on October 8th, so it's nice to see recent daily programs and get a taste of what we'll experience onboard. Looking forward to seeing the menus too!