On QM2 now (December 15-22)

[MarkBearSF]

4 hours ago, GMCOLT said:

Is there a way to e mail the ship. I am bringng a model QM2 to give to the captain on January 3rd. My sister will be doing her first cruise and I will be taking her to the ship.

Mike

Hi Mike,

I enquired and the address is info.qm@cunard.co.uk

I hope your sister has a great crossing!

[GMCOLT]

Thank you. She is thrilled about t hff e crossing.

[MarkBearSF]

Update:

 

• The corkage charge on the QM2 is unchanged at $25.  I assume the extra $3 on QE is an adjustment for the tip-free Aussie itineraries.
• The galley elves are now assembling the Gingerbread Village next to Sir Samuels, across from the Chart Room on Deck 3. I'll try to post a picture tomorrow.

[canoncruiser]

Hooray!!!!! Glad the hot canapés are back in the Commodore Club-my fave pre-dinner spot. Sounds like things are being sorted properly. I’ll be boarding in 3 weeks for a Winter E’bound crossing -FAB!!!!😊😊 

[LittleFish1976]

10 hours ago, MarkBearSF said:

Update:

 

• The corkage charge on the QM2 is unchanged at $25.  I assume the extra $3 on QE is an adjustment for the tip-free Aussie itineraries.
• The galley elves are now assembling the Gingerbread Village next to Sir Samuels, across from the Chart Room on Deck 3. I'll try to post a picture tomorrow.

In what way are the 'Aussie itineraries' tip-free? Australians are charged the daily gratuities rate as well as being charged the % increase on the purchase of any drink. Confused by your comment.

[MarkBearSF]

Just now, LittleFish1976 said:

In what way are the 'Aussie itineraries' tip-free? Australians are charged the daily gratuities rate as well as being charged the % increase on the purchase of any drink. Confused by your comment.

 

I had understood that Cunard was bundling the gratuities into the price. (I likely was confusing Cunard with Princess, which I also follow). Thank you for the correction.

[MarkBearSF]

Seas were extra bumpy this morning. So much so, that when taking a shower, while turning around to rinse off, a swell knocked me out of the tub! 
Luckily I suffered no bumps, bruises, or discomfort whatsoever. (My back was to the side of the tub at that moment, and although the tub's high sides stopped me from stepping back, they also bent me at the knees going down - so I landed directly on my butt. And in the process, I did a full "Janet Leigh" from the movie Psycho pulling the shower liner off the rings, which slowed my fall - and then provided a surface on which to "sit" when I landed)

It could've been bad, but was really just silly.  And I'll never complain about a shower curtain again!

Edited December 18, 2019 by MarkBearSF

[Lakesregion]

1 hour ago, MarkBearSF said:

Seas were extra bumpy this morning. So much so, that when taking a shower, while turning around to rinse off, a swell knocked me out of the tub! 
Luckily I suffered no bumps, bruises, or discomfort whatsoever. (My back was to the side of the tub at that moment, and although the tub's high sides stopped me from stepping back, they also bent me at the knees going down - so I landed directly on my butt. And in the process, I did a full "Janet Leigh" from the movie Psycho pulling the shower liner off the rings, which slowed my fall - and then provided a surface on which to "sit" when I landed)

It could've been bad, but was really just silly.  And I'll never complain about a shower curtain again!

Photos we need photos!!

[Host Hattie]

That sounds nasty, I hope you're OK?

[Underwatr]

I hope the shower curtain's OK (and/or you're not in the stateroom I'll be in starting Sunday)!

[MarkBearSF]

4 minutes ago, Underwatr said:

I hope the shower curtain's OK (and/or you're not in the stateroom I'll be in starting Sunday)!

 

The outer curtain was unaffected, but the inner liner was totaled. On the way down, I pulled it entirely off the hooks to separate it from them. (We're in 9070)

And yes, I'm totally fine. When Steve heard me fall, he rushed in concerned. I was sitting there on the floor laughing at the image of it all.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday cruise!

 

Edited December 18, 2019 by MarkBearSF

[Underwatr]

Barring a last-minute upgrade (hope springs eternal!) I'll be up on 11. The NYC-NYC segment is sold out completely, so I guess that means an upgrade is unlikely.

 

I'm glad the only casualty was the shower curtain liner. 🙂

[MarkBearSF]

17 hours ago, canoncruiser said:

Hooray!!!!! Glad the hot canapés are back in the Commodore Club-my fave pre-dinner spot. Sounds like things are being sorted properly. I’ll be boarding in 3 weeks for a Winter E’bound crossing -FAB!!!!😊😊 

I misspoke. The canapés are not hot. But they are very nice and VERY much improved over the pitiful Chips/Crisps, Olives and Popcorn that has been served over the past year or so. (although the C/C, O & P are still served in addition to the good stuff)

[MarkBearSF]

23 hours ago, MarkBearSF said:

The galley elves are now assembling the Gingerbread Village next to Sir Samuels, across from the Chart Room on Deck 3. I'll try to post a picture tomorrow.

Here's a pic. 

[canoncruiser]

Oh well, as they say-half a loaf is better than none.☺️

[MarkBearSF]

Just now, canoncruiser said:

Oh well, as they say-half a loaf is better than none.☺️

 

Indeed. And they were so good, I didn't notice that they weren't the hot ones of yore.

 

Edited December 19, 2019 by MarkBearSF

[MarkBearSF]

In his noon update, Captain Wells just announced that there will be a medical evacuation at St. John's and the gas turbines have been started. 

I wonder on what percentage of westbounds this happens. (It was also the case on our last one in September 2018, and I often see posts here about other crossings as well)

[TheOldBear]

41 minutes ago, MarkBearSF said:

In his noon update, Captain Wells just announced that there will be a medical evacuation at St. John's and the gas turbines have been started. 

I wonder on what percentage of westbounds this happens. (It was also the case on our last one in September 2018, and I often see posts here about other crossings as well)

 

This fall there were two helicopter medevacs - one to Cape Cod on the eastbound, and one to Cornwall on the westbound. 

[bluemarble]

1 hour ago, MarkBearSF said:

In his noon update, Captain Wells just announced that there will be a medical evacuation at St. John's and the gas turbines have been started. ...

 

Marinetraffic seems to have removed the ability to track vessels that are out of range of a land-based AIS receiver without paying extra. So I'm following along on my phone by purchasing something they're calling "Access 24 Plus" giving me access to QM2's satellite positions for the next 24 hours for a payment of 99 cents. Seems like a worthwhile experiment to see how that works.

 

I'm sure you know the situation better than I from being on board. What I am seeing is QM2 heading almost due west toward St. John's at a speed of about 23 knots. She appears to have been on a more northerly track than usual which makes me wonder if they have been anticipating the need for this medical evacuation for awhile and have now made the determination to proceed with it. At any rate, it looks to me like you are roughly 10 hours out from St. John's at the moment, so it will probably be a nighttime evacuation.

 

Looking forward to any further updates.

[majortom10]

2 hours ago, MarkBearSF said:

In his noon update, Captain Wells just announced that there will be a medical evacuation at St. John's and the gas turbines have been started. 

I wonder on what percentage of westbounds this happens. (It was also the case on our last one in September 2018, and I often see posts here about other crossings as well)

On our recent westbound TA in November there was a medivac south of Ireland and apparently were being taken to Cork, Ireland.

[MarkBearSF]

Got my birthday card today (photoshopped to show the cover and inside)

Looking forward to my special dinner tonight

• Cold Seafood Appetizer - Lobster, Prawns, Crab, Mussels
• Beef Wellington
• Crepes Suzette

 

Edited December 19, 2019 by MarkBearSF

[Host Hattie]

Happy birthday, have a great dinner

[MarkBearSF]

Just now, Host Hattie said:

Happy birthday, have a great dinner

 

Thanks!

[MarkBearSF]

On 12/16/2019 at 1:18 PM, MarkBearSF said:

we currently have the... slender Cunard pens. 

Yet another clarification. 
Britannia cabins still get the pencils. But, of course, with every drink chit comes an opportunity to get a pen. 😉

 

Edited December 19, 2019 by MarkBearSF

[bluemarble]

I followed last night's medical evacuation on marinetraffic. Looks like it was completed at midnight local time with QM2 a couple miles off shore from St. John's and CCGS Conception Bay assisting with the transfer.

 

Have you heard if this will result in a delay arriving in New York on Sunday? I've done some playing around on marinetraffic projecting QM2's future track which suggests she might be 2-3 hours late getting into the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. But that's just a very rough estimate based on her current position and speed of about 21.5 to 22 knots, and I'm wondering what you may be hearing on board concerning Sunday's expected arrival time.

Edited December 20, 2019 by bluemarble