amias

Don't worry. I had the same problem but on check in all I had to do was sign the actual paper contract. Took an extra minute during check in. All good.

7 minutes ago, jollyjones said:

Interesting. The first thing I asked my steward for was the pillows, he went to see and came back and told me they were not available. 
Also I have poked and prodded the bathroom light switch and nothing changes, it’s just on bright or off. Dunno what I’m missing. 
And having to bring your own coat hangers on board? I can see that it’s necessary but really?

 

But thanks for posting, I appreciate the info. 
 

Sorry about the pillows. And about the bathroom light! Again, maybe your steward can help with that. Packing our stuff on hangers is a result of pure laziness - they go straight from the suitcase to closet rail, saving us precious ship time not having to transfer our clothes to hangers! The chrome hangers are also a good option - untangling those wood ones can be frustrating. 

We disembarked a week ago and found both types of pillows on the bed - memory foam and a soft, fluffy one. Perhaps you might ask your room steward for ones that suit your needs. When we first began sailing QM2 we took a nightlight then realised that the bathroom light has two settings.  Bright for while showering, make up etc., and a low light for during the night.  The controls are to the outside of the bathroom door. We tend to pack handing clothes on lightweight, velvet covered hangers so that we can just push those interlocking hangers to one side and not have to bother using them at all.  (Too late for you, I realise). Hopefully you will enjoy the rest of your time on QM2.

1 hour ago, jollyjones said:

Lucky you Joe3.

My embarkation was an absolute nightmare, standing for hours (literally) shuffling slowly forward in stuffy and airless conditions - a long queue to get in the queue, which was also very long, then finally another very long queue through security. 
Didn’t get on board till well after 4pm. 
Then very disturbed to find:

No power points or usb outlets by the bed - big fail. 
No shaver socket in bathroom in which to plug my nightlight - second big fail. 
What twisted mind dreamt up those bizarre coat hangers? They are going to drive me berserk every time I need something out of the closet. 
A fixed hair dryer in the drawer that would be most useful to use? Yet another huge fail. 
No choice of pillow. I am accustomed to having memory foam pillows available but apparently not so on this ship. So six nights of rotten sleep coming up. Wonderful. 
 

I hope the rest of you enjoy your cruise but I can already tell I’m one and done for Cunard. 
 

Tag1000 (post 82) requested that we report back on what happened about the return cruise we had booked for later in May. Since Cunard couldn't get us over there, we would therefore have to cancel the return trip.  Happy to report that Cunard have waived cancellation fees for that crossing despite it being paid in full and past cancellation date. We are still in the dark about OBC and hotel fees which were including with our original booking.  Have been told to call back next week when the dust has settled a bit and hope for a positive answer.

We are among those affected. Were due to sail from NY to S'Hampton next Sunday.  Thankfully we have been able to make other arrangements for sailing, but are told that we will lose the OBC and hotel charges which were complimentary when we booked almost a year ago.  It was not our choice to cancel this crossing (and not Cunards 'choice' obviously) but why should we forgo the benefits as booked? In addition were booked to return to US later in the month of May but now Cunard cannot get us to the UK meaning that the return journey cannot now be undertaken. Waiting to hear whether or not we will have to pay full price for 'cancelling' the return portion of the voyage. No answer from Cunard rep today. Anyone else in the same position?

Many thanks for the advice. Will look into Carmel and Dial 7 and go from there.

Can anyone recommend a car service to take us from Red Hook to Penn Station? Is Uber or Lyft a good option?  We waited a very long time for a taxi last time we returned following a crossing and thought that a pre-booked car might be the best way to go. Would appreciate hearing other people's experiences.

We did this last June, traveling from Penn Station to Norfolk, VA. Disembarkation was very slow then we had to wait quite a while for a taxi. The journey - in NYC traffic - took close to an hour. Our departure from Penn was at about 1pm (I think) and I would have worried about making an earlier train. We will be doing the same itinerary late May but will make sure we arrange for a driver instead of a taxi this time.

Thank you. Might risk packing the swimsuits!

Is anyone able to comment on how warm the solarium pool is? We have sailed transatlantic several times and the outside pools have always been too cold to use. Next crossing is May, and I doubt that the weather then will be suitable for outdoor swimming.

We have always been happy with the Premier Inn for a one night stay.  There is one near West Quay Shopping Centre  - handy for any last minute requirements - and is also close to the Duke Of Wellington Pub (fish and chips) and the Pig In The Wall restaurant/bar.  It's just a few minutes taxi ride to the port.  

9 hours ago, NavyPanda said:

 

Cunard caters primarily to British tastes. This tends to mean that little to no seasoning is used for many dishes, which is very different to the approach on the other side of the pond. For example, most British people will be happy, and indeed often prefer, simply steamed or boiled vegetables and potatoes to accompany their meal with no seasoning added in the cooking process.

 

Not at all sure where you are getting this information. No seasoning? British tastes? I have to admit to having a preference for appropriately seasoned food, added during the cooking process.  This despite being British! 

Very much OFF topic but wanted to say how much I admire the painting of the sweet peas. Lovely. Have a wonderful cruise.

I didn't recognize the first one of Hattie's as Oban but you are, of course, correct. That was a great trip.

Got it - St. Peter Port.

Got it - St. Peter Port.

Same trip, opposite end of the land mass.

How about this one?

osborne66

Nothing to add except to agree about local bands, but also noticed your signature.  I am a Scouser too!  Cheers.

The dock is actually not in the city of Cork - it is in Cobh which is a smaller but attractive town.  As the previous poster stated the Titanic Museum is located there and another thing to see is the cathedral situated on the hill.  Cork City is about 20-25 minutes away on the train.  The train stop is right next to the ships dock.  The train station in Cork is about a ten minute walk to the main city center - shops and restaurants - and I believe the HOHO bus stops just outside the station but we have never used it. Cork is easy to walk around on the south side where most of the shops are located but the north side of the river is very hilly so the HOHO bus is probably a good idea. My family are from Cork and visits there always included a stop at Shandon Church where you can go up to the tower and ring the bells (check website for opening time).   No hanging from bell ropes - its all done from a wall mounted rope system.  There is a bus from the main bus station near the city center to Blarney - it's about a half hour ride - or a taxi will  get you there in half that time.  The Jameson Whiskey Distillery in Midleton  is a short distance from Cork - history of whiskey making, tours etc.  if you are interested in that type of thing.  Train goes to Midleton or they actually run their own bus on certain days of the week.  City bus also stops there.  If the weather is nice the train stops between Cobh and Cork at Fota Wildlife park. 

Enjoy your trip.

We parked in the Cruise Terminal lot at Red Hook during a b2b Transatlantic.  It was very easy - self parking and plenty of space available. We drove up and dropped the check in luggage, then parked the car within a two minute walk of the terminal.  On our return two weeks later we handed the 'parking ticket' to the attendant, paid and were on our way within minutes.  This was a July/August sailing and we were a little concerned about whether we would find space, but looking over the lot from the deck we saw only 10 or 12 cars in total.  We would certainly use the parking facility again.

Enjoy your trip.

Thanks for the link - we'll take a look. Further research shows that the Rainforest, Gatun and Locks Cruise appears to be quite new and does not have any reviews at this time so wondered if anyone had done it recently but not left a review.

Appreciate you taking the time to respond.

We are booked on the Zuiderdam in early December for a partial Panama Canal transit. Looking at excursions there are two which interest us and wondered if Cruise Critic members who have previously taken these excursions might weigh in with opinions. We stayed on board on Gatun lake last time so would like to branch out a little on this coming trip.

One: Monkey Watch and Canal Nature Cruise (high speed boat trip - not sure about that part of it!)

Two: Rainforest, Gatun and Locks Cruise

Is there somewhere on Cruise Critic that may already have the information we are seeking and I'm just missing it?

Thanks for any observations you can offer.

We recently sailed Concierge Class and only a regular breakfast menu was in the room. We didn't realise until later that we should have had an expanded menu so be sure to check. I commented on Cruise Critic on our return that while we usually have breakfast on the balcony, we gave up after two days and resorted to the Ocean View. Day one order was delivered 45 minutes late and there were mistakes in the order. Day two it was delivered 45 minutes early, items were missing and the coffee we ordered arrived as two cups, each half filled with cold coffee! Breakfast in the OV was less relaxing but was fresh and hot with lots of items to choose from. If you choose room service breakfast I hope it works out better for you than it did for us.