Victoria2

I am so sorry you had such a rotten time and that you haven't yet been credited with the refund but when you booked the tour, the small print in the blurb does say 48 hrs cancelletion If you need to cancel within 3 days of your holiday departure date, please speak to the shore experiences team once you’re on board. Cancellations cannot be made via My Cunard at this stage. Once on board, if you need to cancel your shore experiences before the cancellation deadline (generally 48 hours before the ship’s arrival in the relevant port) a 10% cancellation fee will be applied to your on-board account and the full amount paid will be refunded to your original credit/debit card. In order to process any cancellations, tickets must be returned to the on-board shore experiences desk. We regret that we’re unable to refund the cost of experiences cancelled after the cancellation deadline. If you do need to cancel after the deadline, we’ll credit the original credit/debit card you used with the full amount you paid, however, a 100% cancellation fee will be added to your on-board account. and although this doesn't absolve Cunard for the delay in crediting your account once it was approved, it does show that they didn't have to give any refunds for the late cancellation. Hopefully, you'll receive the refund soon.

Of course, it does depend what time of the year you're sailing, and where. Mid summer, the sun will be high. Spring and later summer and nowhere near the equator, the sun won't be as high...that's as long as my geography teacher was right a decade or so [ 🙃 ] ago! edit having seen some photographs, I'm actually looking forward to our cruises on QA this year!

I know, I have sailed a few times since the change, but for those who haven't sailed since the change of passenger 'muster', the post was ambiguous. Now no one can say they aren't aware of both passenger and crew muster arrangements.

I prefer the term 'dress code traditionalists' rather than fanatics and no, I don't think Cunard are clear. They fudge that. david63 has got it nailed in his last two posts. I'm a relative newbie to Cunard and don't have the connections to the Cunard past many have so maybe that's why I can see both sides of the coin but I look to where the future of Cunard lies, the stability and ongoing existence of the line and in 2024 onwards, it's no good looking back. Like it or not, the future is still of a well dressed passenger cohort but with tweaks which bring on a more relaxed style and if the ships sail full, or very nearly, then that's is what is demanded from 'today's' passengers.

Luckily, the QV crew/staff were back 'home' for our '22/23 cruises. I know quite a few were hoping they weren't going to be transferred to QA but acknowledged they had no say in the matter. Selfishly on my part, I'm hoping to see some familiar faces when we board QA.

Not at all clear which drill he was referring to as staff and crew took part in passenger muster, when facilities were on hold for the duration so my post stands as information, if needed.

No drill as such for us last year. Each time, we checked in on boarding at the designated drill section [can't remember if it was with boarding passes or we had to nip to the cabin for our cruise cards] and that was that.The 'drill' info., was on a loop on the television. edit It can be done any time up to around 4pm.

On our TAs, immigration was carried out by UK border forces, on the ship coming over. Very civilised.

Grief, no thanks. I might be very rude [can't abide the pompous] and Host Hattie might have to rap my knuckles! 😁

My experience of onboard showing off pomposity had nothing to do with how anyone was dressed.

King Amo, I totally agree. The high bar set on this board by some is not the norm and could put newbies off when the reality is of a well dressed passenger community whose chaps may or may not be Gala black tie'd and who might/might not wear a jacket of an evening.

Bad manners to admire a beautifully turned out fellow passenger? I think you are taking 2 plus 2 and making 5.

There is little pomposity onboard although I have come across the odd passenger who likes to show off. Bless their little cotton socks! 😀 They don't realise how amusing they are! We follow dress advisories above and beyond for the most part, and I definitely care what folk wear, but hopefully, I have the manners not to show it. 🙂

buchanan101,what you wear is your own business. My comment was a general one. My thoughts and mine alone. Yours are yours. Fine.

To my mind, a dress shirt is one which can be worn with a tie...or not for a more relaxed style. I have yet to see a polo shirt worn with a tie.

No hefting luggage around with private transfer but there again, what do I know as we gave up portering our own bags many years ago and let others take the strain

There's more leeway to circumvent road issues than those involving trains.

Harsh maybe but given the number of times strikes, the weather and 'incidents' delay or cause cancellations these days, I wouldn't want any possible angst at the end of a holiday. For peace of mind, I'd go private transfer or take the Cunard connection.

I wouldn't trust the trains to London at the moment if other methods of transport were on offer! Personally, we'd book a taxi/limo but that's for two of us. If I didn't want to pay private transfer costs, I'd grin and bear the Cunard transfer.

Just shows how different we all are as I think a long sleeved black polo shirt [do they even exist?] would look awful so lets all agree to disagree, be mindful of advisories and accept the fact interpretation is all and even though some might not like others' interpretations, it doesn't mean they're wrong as far as the loose Cunard guidelines are concerned.

Jackets are optional/ many regular Cunard passengers wear them/when it's hot some remove them for fear of over heating/some passengers remove them for ease of eating. but when 'we' get down to talking BMI, height, waist and anything else remotely personal, 'we' are utterly losing the plot! Each to their own!!

Good Lord, don't go there!!!!😲

To my mind, they add an element of elegance, a completion if you like, if elegance can be ascribed to a chap! 🙂 I will be very interested to see how the dress code is interpreted on QA and if the more contemporary decor has any influence on the more traditional Cunard dress code.

Safety hats to prevent the excess spit from angel trumpets landing on heads!

Depends on the ship and the cabin. QV 1s have a separate snug which is a second single bedroom so no need for a second cabin although if we sailed with anyone other than family, we'd def. book an inside for night time. QE and QV's 2s have separate master bedrooms so the sofa bed in the sitting rooms would be separate, same with QE1s. Other than that, I know of passengers who booked a Q6 or a 5, and an inside as he snores! 😁