Megabear2

There's a strange unidentified yellow object in the sky up here in Newmarket!  Strange rumblings and exclamations of excitement from the gathered ensemble in the breakfast room mixed with trepidation as to whether this could be an early sighting of the Death Star or a forewarning from the  Emperor of his latest devious plan to bestow us with hail stones and copious amounts of freezing rain.

The going is officially good, the forecast is for a dry and bright morning, turning to a cloudy afternoon with sunny spells with the threat of an isolated light shower. A small miracle - could it just be I might, yes really, not need that heavy duty raincoat this afternoon?

Very cold and miserable here at the home of racing. Took nearly 6 hours yesterday in torrential rain and today it continued.  Who in their wit and wisdom decided to dig up the M25 near St Albans for two junctions in the run up to a bank holiday and to proudly announce it's until Summer 2025!  All very depressing. 

For the first time in 50 years my packing for this weekend's racing consists of three winter weight woollies, two pair of boots, my Austrian winter hat and a heavy raincoat. Certainly no hope of glamour this year!  On a more positive note the hotel has switched the heating on, Dutch Decoy is declared to run and the new super horse City of Troy has arrived from Ireland.  I just have to not freeze to death or get washed away before the big event!

Just now, exlondoner said:

According to the brochure, standard insides on QV are 152, those on QA 148. I would call that a very slight difference, not a considerable one. QM slightly larger at 157.

QA is 13sqm apparently around 145sq ft. This is actually slightly larger than P&O Arvia at 135sq ft and these are more than adequate as their layout is different.  The one inside shown in the videos I have seen does not have a layout to make the small space feel larger in the way QE and QV has. 

This is all beside the point really, the fact is there is a big market for inside cabins on all cruise lines from Southampton which seems to get overlooked by posters on all of these forums.  With rising interest in cruising many will choose an inside as a tester and these cabins will become that.  The person to whom I replied was in my opinion a little flippant about those choosing inside cabins.  

My point was they aren't "cheap" when compared with other lines sailing from Southampton and no matter how good the offering is if new UK passengers - as suggested in the X comment two days ago by Cunard - are being tapped for this ship "designed for the UK market" it's best not to forget those people.

5 hours ago, buchanan101 said:

The plugs would be in a strange place if beds at the side...

 

If you book an inside you know what you are getting - and aren't expecting to be spending much time in there. There's a reason why they are cheap and you get everything else the same as 80% of the rest of the passengers.

 

The other cabins are no different in size to Vista cabins AFAIK

The QA insides are considerably smaller than the Vistas and Queen Mary.  As for "cheap" as the ship has been built without any single cabins they will in a lot of cases be the only reasonably priced cabin for many solos.  For 14 nights on 8 September that miniscule inside cabin is costing me £3508.  Admittedly the 24 May late booking on  late saver was only £2098.  There are apparently 348 of these cabins which is a fairly large number on a 3,000 capacity ship.  You mentioned P&O's Britannia back in your comparisons and she has 448 with no outsides and her insides are 170 sq ft minimum.

These "cheap" inside cabins will need to be filled to ensure the ship stays profitable. Disregarding the people choosing them is a little short sighted.

9 minutes ago, BouncingWheel said:

I have seen P&O sell excursions to sites that are closed for renovations. They just cancel and give refunds before arriving in port. I think there is a set list for ports and they just repeat without full checks on the finer details such as if it is actually open or it’s current hours.

Not much use to the OP as he's bought the park tickets as advised by p&O and presumably they weren't cheap.

1 hour ago, Poole Boy said:

Looks a bit tight either side of the bed, first impression ( from the video) it is not as wide as the insides on QE or QV. but same bathrooms as the balcony cabins so a big plus there, will need to wait a couple of weeks to see one in real life

Having seen it - I'm in a deck 7 inside just along from the one in the video - I've placed an upgrade bid in the hope that I'm lucky, I was prompted this morning I still coukd do so. The bathroom is nice but the placement of the television is the deal breaker for me. Being on the side wall rather than the wall opposite the bed seems rather silly and I can also envisage possible noise issues through the wall.

2 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

It would be difficult to think of anything more calculated to annoy the bulk of the passengers than fitting a shower curtain in the grades below club. 😀 Perhaps issuing them with oars, but even then I’m not sure.

Looking at the inside there wouldn't be much room for the oars, but they do get the nice shower!

22 minutes ago, TowandaUK said:

Paul and Carole have done a piece on YouTube of an inside cabin. 

That looks absolutely tiny and yet the measurements state it is slightly bigger than an inside on P&O's Arvia.  Could be the colours making it look so much smaller but there is a marked difference in size with the other queens as well.

Just noticed the tv is to the left on the wall not in front of the bed which has the mirror.  To me its inferior to Arvia's as the dressing table mirror is against the wall and the tv opposite the bed above the fridge. 

I personally disliked Arvia but her inside cabin seems a much better design with more thought.  Disappointed.

11 minutes ago, buchanan101 said:

Does this help?

 

 

Have any of these vloggers ventured into the cheap seats of the insides and ocean views?

1 hour ago, Cloudyrain said:

I have just read reviews of people who have been in the same cabin and they were happy with it and would stay in it again: there are photos which show it’s not obstructed in a traditional sense as the hot tub is on the prom outside the balcony of the cabin. 
 

I really wouldn’t let this ruin your holiday or be worried sick about it: it’s a great location for the amenities, and when you are in the Fjords and sailing you are generally looking upwards, not downwards. I would also suggest sitting in different areas of the ship to appreciate the views from different angles 😊

I'd be worried about noise and shenanigans in the hot tubs if it was me allocated this.  I note the OP doesn't seem to have spoken to P&O so it might be worth a word to see if there is an option to go elsewhere?

1 minute ago, brian1 said:

Just read that Ingar the lady captain we had on QE is now in charge of QA.She's OK, she waited in person with trays of fizz when our tour bus was 4 hrs late in Sri Lanka.

I love her.  She was on QV with us for a deck party with her family and was the life and soul.  The next morning QV broke down and we limped to Cadiz for repairs. She made an announcement that the lady drivers comments she'd heard around the ship would require any gentlemen so doing to walk the plank.

3 hours ago, sandancer said:

Staysure only pay out £75pp per claim. However the cruise cover is for the term of the policy and is an add on. Our old Nationwide policy paid £150pp and cost £20pp extra annually. Nationwide no longer allow us cover. 

Is this Nationwide refusal since the new insurer?

The Queen's Room can be described as "functional".  

32 minutes ago, pete14 said:

If it is adult only, it won’t be necessary but perhaps a small arcade can be squeezed in for grown ups to use without the need for the excuse of taking kids in there.
By the way, you now have a yellow card for breaking the rules and introducing stuff from a non- P&O cruise line.

Kalos did it first, Sir! Honest .... but have you seen Edge's tenders - our disability friends couid really do with these so I make no apologies for wanting them!!!!

5 minutes ago, twotravellersLondon said:

Warning of thunderstorms today… but meantime log in issues for last couple of days.💦💦🥲☔️🌂🌂

 

hope all are well.

Oh dear, looks like I'm bringing it with me as I go east then!

7 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

I understand the cruise cover is now £27 per each cruise, and you only need to add it to the policy when the next cruise is due. Still a very good deal since, if a couple, you would redeem your payment if you only had 1 claim a year for 10 cruises, which in a year is highly unlikely, whereas one missed port in say 3 cruises a year, is very likely in todays safety conscious times.

One rider, not sure if it is £27pp, or as now it covers both parties, as my informant is a single lady.

Is the payout still £150 per missed port though? 

£27 per cruise is quite high compared with others in the open market where it is still possible to buy an annual add on.  For those who do large numbers of cruises per year it will probable break even with the likes of Sttaysure and Avanti.  Unless there are major complex medical conditions there won't be much in it for multi cruisers.

Awake all night with the thunder and lightning accompanied by torrential rain, they really weren't exaggerating!  At one point the storm was directly overhead and the flashes were literally seconds apart.  

Today the long drive to Newmarket for the next three days.  I'm just hoping the roads are okay and not too congested, the joys of the M3, M25 and M11 await!

So a vote on No.26 which was Ventura's arcade to bribe the kids?  

Well this is a day of mixed blessings! Beautiful sunny morning, 8.30 dentist appointment told everything is perfect and a bill of £26.20 for a quick clean up.  Email received from Cunard telling me I've got an upgrade on Queen Anne which was a surprise so all was right in my world. Then an hour ago the sky went dark, huge clap of thunder and rain started. Now I've had a local update email telling us we have a yellow weather warning and to expect torrential rain and thunderstorms overnight.  

I'm travelling to Newmarket tomorrow so rain is not welcome particularly as we need drying weather for Dutch Decoy on Saturday.  Also just found out I'm going to have to drive as the train journey home would require SEVEN, yes really seven, changes into buses and various disrupted trains ...

So much for life being good, I should have guessed!

Oh and while I'm nicking from Edge can I have her luxury tenders, pretty please?????

3 hours ago, kalos said:

 

Getting a bit cramped in this ship but can we have a modern bathroom?

Let you choose the ship as long as it is decent.

 

While your fitting those could I have room service Cunard Queen Victoria style ?

 

Could call the ship Dreamer as it will never happen .🙂

If we are stealing from other lines we could have Celebrity Edge bathrooms, now they are fabulous.

And a big yes for Cunard room service from me, plus in room dining from the MDR restaurant on Celebration nights.

43 minutes ago, TRLD said:

We are from the US and have sailedon P&O before  The first time we purchased a policy from the US authorized agent for P&O and the.policy was no.where near 2 million. Actually not even 100,000.

 

Now we have an annual.medical and evacuation insurance that is 500,000 coverage.

 

They do want you to have a policy that covers medical and evacuation atleast.

 

If you write they will say the requirements are the same for US. Though their US authorized TA will.say it is not enforced for US. 

 

 

Reading this you do have cover presumably for $500,000 for medical and evacuation which is sufficient for your use in the event of emergency?  I assume this policy is accepted by other tour companies you may use worldwide.  That being the case it is most likely the best you can do.  Realistically all P&O want you to have is enough cover to meet any onboard medical expenses and evacuation.  Once you leave the ship you would no longer be their problem and if you have sufficient cover to pay any onboard bill and evacuation actually off the ship you should be amply covered and I'm assuming this is why the agent is saying the £2,000,000 requirement does not apply.

There has been some debate on this issue on other threads and it seems to be confirmed any airlift from the ship to land is provided by the coastguard of the country involved for free.  Your financial obligations would therefore seem to be for P&O's medical bill and land based transportation, medical care ashore and repatriation.  Based on this as long as you are happy your $500,000 cover would meet all these costs you will most likely be fine with your current cover.  You do not state where you are sailing to but realistically and medical costs in a European country or the UK will be comfortably met by this sum.

Your booking through your US agent presumably has a cruise personaliser, and if there is an emergency insurance contact number required your travel agent should be able to assist with filling it it.

Only once have I ever been asked to show my policy and that was not read just nodded through.  So long as you have the $500,000 cover and have double checked with your insurer it will pay medical, evacuation and other associated Bill's I doubt you can do much more.

37 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

Clearly that did not work!

Having seen all three in the flesh I'd say definitely better than HAL to look at, though seriously is any modern cruise ship anything other than a wedge of boxes? Compared with the Prima class or the Virgin ladies the QA and HAL ships look like throwbacks to a different era!

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder though and I personally think for a modern off plan ship she could have been far worse.  The Cunard hull in dark blue with red and white offers classier exteriors. QA looks the part which is important, as I say the real story will be her interiors which from the odd photos released do look very good. 

Moving away from tradition though I must confess to absolutely loving the pale blue of the Oasis class RCI ships.

9 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

MB if you check her stats theres not a great deal of difference between her and Ventura, she is quite a bit a longer than Ventura but a tad narrower, and her passenger and crew numbers are very similar. In fact she will carry far more passengers than the other 3 Queens.

 

Yes I'm aware of that but she is longer than the HAL ships for the reason they didn't want her to be too boxy like the other Pinnacle class ships.  She will carry 3,000 passengers in her "stretched" body.  Passenger to crew ratio is still superior to most lines.  Apparently the cabins are smaller as there's quite a lot of discussion about the Grills suites.  No doubt we shall be hearing a lot on Friday when the first passengers go onboard.  Apparently the maiden is extremely busy with Diamond Cunard club members bring told there's too many of them to have their free club lunch.

17 minutes ago, Purdey16 said:

I agree megabear she’s not ugly at all and quite small to  Ventura when she passed, I enjoyed my day 

It was a great to be out there on the water. I thought the boat crew were excellent as well and made it really enjoyable.  I'm glad you enjoyed it as well.