Cunard Cruisers - How are things where you are ?

[Host Hattie]

Greetings, Cunard Cruisers - In an effort to give our members a place where we can discuss how things are where YOU are related to the Coronavirus, hosts are starting these threads so we can chat during the crisis. Let's talk about creative ways our families and neighbours are coping and helping one another out; share ideas for parents who are at home 24/7 with their school age children; you get the idea.....  My only request is that we AVOID turning this into a political or health debate thread.  This is a stressful time for everyone.  Let's practice some kindness and make Cruise Critic a place members want to visit in this difficult time.  

   

I'll start ....   

I live in a small village on the coast of South Wales, we have a village shop and 2 pubs. Both now closed because of new restrictions imposed on Friday, the one directly opposite our house is planning to continue with takeaways, we had Fish and Chips from there on Friday. I already had my groceries delivered so I’ve been relatively lucky, just long waits to get onto the Ocado website. Our nearest town has a Coop and a NISA and they’ve been relatively well stocked – so my husband says I haven’t been out ! His Mother lives there and he’s done a few bits of shopping for her – not always successfully, she was expecting minced beef yesterday and he delivered a packet of mint sweets !! 

I’ve been working from home since last Wednesday, again not always successfully – our Company has a large number of employees in mainland Europe who have already taken all the available log-ins before we get up in the morning. Things were better on Friday so I’m hoping for some improvement this week. I’m due back on site on Wednesday, although things may have changed by them. I’m also a Union rep so I’ve been trying to make sure people are looked after. A steel works isn’t very easy to “hibernate”. 

It was my birthday yesterday so instead of going to the classical concert we’d planned, I found the same pieces on Youtube and Mr HH made me a lovely meal. He’s still working for the moment although he’s due to be made redundant at the end of the month anyway. 

We didn’t have any cruises booked so I’ve haven’t had anything to cancel/re-arrange. We had a week’s holiday in Spain at the end of February, with the benefit of hindsight that seems to have been perfect timing. 

Stay safe everyone and let’s keep each other company. 

[Chart Room Princess]

I live in downtown Chicago, Illinois. On March 21, the entire state was subject to a stay at home order until April 7 at this time. Only essential services are open, grocery stores, gas stations, banks, Medical, government offices, etc. 
 

I am able to work remotely from home but may have to go to work at times since I work for the state. Many restaurants are open for take out or delivery only.  Shopping for groceries is an adventure because people started hoarding essential items. 
 

I had a week in Florida in early February so at least I had a vacation before this started. We will see if my May and July trips will go forward. Take care and enjoy your time at home with your family. I am spending my time doing spring cleaning.

[pinkpanther52]

Hello from Edinburgh 

 

Also working from home until further notice. Work in customer services for the Civil Service But our enquiry lines are pretty quiet and quite a few IT issues so maybe just as well. It’s very strange not being in a busy office.

I live under the flight route for Edinburgh airport and noticeably much quieter than normal.

 

Managed to get some supplies but struggled with milk, bread and dishwashing liquid. 

Have set up a help group through our neighbourhood watch for all our vulnerable neighbours.

 

Jackie

[Austcruiser84]

I have seen multiple cruise ships on Sydney Harbour each day. Ovation of the Seas has been parked for a week now. I believe people are still stuck on it and I truly feel sorry for them because it's not the Queen Mary 2. 

 

I feel fortunate that I've always had a positive cruise experience, except for that one time on QE where I got stuck with the dinner dictator / menu matriarch who tried to tell everyone where to sit and what to order each night.

 

Interestingly, people have been pretty kind hearted at this time, which has surprised me a little given the media images of supermarket panic buying. But maybe people are only being nice to others because they think they will be more likely to part with the occasional roll of toilet paper or gift them a few squirts of hand sanitizer. 

 

That makes me laugh a little. Whenever cruising, walking the length of the Kings Court is the equivalent of running the hygiene gauntlet, with an army of wait staff all trying to lighten their burden of Purell into our hands. I always get frustrated with them since I regularly wash my hands. Now I can only dream of but a drop of liquid soap, the product being rarer than gold itself. 

 

I bet the people stuck on the Obesity of the Seas (not because of its multiple buffets, but more because of its size - QM2 isn't even top 10 anymore!) have lots of hand sanitiser. Lucky them. 

 

Speaking of luck, it's $80 million in Powerball this Thursday. I could buy a lot of hand sanitiser on the black market with that...at least 3 bottles and they might even throw in a roll or two of three ply (could be stretching my luck there). Or I could hire a boat and raid the Ovation, but I'm scared of catching smart casual and suddenly developing a taste for cheese whiz. They'd never let me on a Cunard queen again. 

 

On that, Im hoping to do another Transatlantic again when all this blows over and the Aussie dollar climbs out of its crypt. Plus a top London hotel owes me a free stay after they failed on so many accounts (one of which being the five time charge to my card, causing a freeze by my bank - I did check if Cunard had recently bought any hotels). 

 

For now, though, I'm just enjoying some wine and cheese while watching Netflix. Which reminds me that Cunard ships don't do video on demand still and I'm now out of both wine and cheese and I can't just call the butler to deliver it to my stateroom or suite (not that my last butler showed himself until midway through the last cruise!). 

 

But in these troubled seas, I realise there's more important matters to consider: like whether Cunard will use this shutdown to lower the dress code even further 😜 ...

 

 

 

[busmech]

For me in the San Francisco bay area, its work as normal. I work on transit buses so I am essential services. Have been enjoying the commute though. Did book the Sydney to SF trip in May on the chance it might happen. But have moved it to the march Dubai to Southampton on the QM2 next year. Wishing for the best.

[Host Hattie]

Nice to hear from you all and congratulations @Austcruiser84 on being the first to mention dress code !

I hope we're all still maintaining standards and dressing for dinner ?!

[alc13]

Dressing at all happens later and later in the day... 

 

Life here in rural Maine in winter for this retiree doesn't feel all that different.  Mr ALC13 works from home, so not at all different for him.  One of us does occasional food shopping but we're relatively well stocked up, including some toilet paper, thank goodness.

 

Happy Birthday, Host Hattie, and stay well, everyone!  Hoping we're all back on board soon.

[Host Hattie]

Thank you, I had booked today off as a holiday so I'm enjoying the Spring sunshine, the wind is a bit cold but it's pleasant if you can find shelter.

 

[bluemarble]

Where we live in Iowa, the effects aren't yet as extreme as in other parts of the US. The main restriction here currently is on meetings of more than 50 people. Cinemas, churches, and schools are closed. Many restaurants are remaining open for take-away only. As elsewhere, hand sanitizer is impossible to find in the stores.

 

I'm retired now, and before that, I worked from home anyway for several years. So the idea of spending a lot of time at home now is not new for me. Mrs. Bluemarble works for the school system, so she is on leave for at least the next three weeks after which time they will re-evaluate the situation. Sounds a lot like Cunard doesn't it? I'm not expecting the schools to reopen for the remaining seven weeks of this school year after the current hiatus.

 

For in-home entertainment to get us through the lack of cruising opportunities, we will be digging into our archive of ocean liner and Cunard videos. Here are some of my favorite titles in that collection.

 

Floating Palaces (4 episodes)

The Liners (4 episodes)

Superliners: Twilight of an Era

The Queen Mary: Greatest Ocean Liner

QE2: The World's Greatest Ocean Liner / End of an Era

QE2: The Final Voyage

Sleeping Beauty: The QE2 in Dubai

Mighty Ships: Inside the Queen Mary 2

Man-Made: Queen Mary 2

Ocean Queens: The Story of Cunard

Getting There is Half the Fun (A Cunard Presentation)

Mr. Ocean Liner: The Life and Times of Bill Miller

Cruising Queen Mary 2 to Rio

Carly Simon: A Moonlight Serenade on the Queen Mary 2

Travels & Traditions with Burt Wolf: Atlantic Crossing

Edited March 23, 2020 by bluemarble

[moses0]

Hi from Merritt Island Florida. At this time we have 7 reported cases of Covid 19. As more testing becomes available we will probably see more. Kennedy Space Center is down the road from where I live. We see regular Space X launches these days. Hopefully they will continue. Supposed to be a launch today. We are also close to Port Canaveral and several cruise ships are docked in port. I believe the Disney ships have sailed for Castaway Cay their private Island. 

I am the pastor of Calvary Chapel Merritt Island. Yesterday we went totally online with our services. It was weird preaching to an empty church. Every preachers nightmare. :)  We continue to pray for the health and safety of all. 

[Host Hattie]

@bluemarbleThat's an impressive list of titles.

Has anyone watched the Netflix series set on a liner ? Dubbed from Spanish I think ? I'll try and remember the title.

[bluemarble]

23 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

@bluemarbleThat's an impressive list of titles.

Has anyone watched the Netflix series set on a liner ? Dubbed from Spanish I think ? I'll try and remember the title.

 

Would that be "High Seas"? Haven't seen it, but found it via a google search.

[Host Hattie]

That sounds about right, it's fantastic in an awful way !

Currently watching Mamma Mia 2 here, we saw the first one on deck on the Azamara Journey anchored off Sorrento.

[frankp01]

We're in Philadelphia, where things have been pretty quiet for the last week or two. I've been retired for 2 years, but have my own small software business, so working from home is nothing new for me.

 

Not being a movie buff, I'm not familiar with the following movies. But they're the list of clips that the Peabody Essex Museum Ocean Liners exhibition had in a video loop. Might be worth tracking them down for some entertainment. Each has at least one ocean liner-related scene.

 

We were planning a BTB crossing in December. Sure hope things have calmed down by then. Take care, everyone.

 

Phil

[Lanky Lad]

Still working, but as I spending time inside, just started a jigsaw called "the ocean's Greats".   Ships of course.

[hypercafe]

I am here in NYC on Staten Island not far from the VN bridge so during normal times I see the QM often. I am not young so I also saw the original QM, QE and QE2 on a regular basis. This place is locked down and looking grim altho being retired for 12 years things are about the same at home. Plenty of food and take out. We have a June trip planned on the QM to Boston so we'll see. Right now I'm afraid to get on a cruise ship. As for dress, I put on the dinner jacket I bought for the trip every night😃. Happy birthday Hattie!

[T5LHR]

Prime minister in the UK has just instructed us that we must stay indoors. Only able to leave the house to go to get essentials like food and medication. 

 

No gatherings, and any shops that do not sell any essentials like above, will have to close from midnight tonight. 

 

Will be enforced by the police. 

 

For me, personally, I have had my wings clipped. My aircraft is in Africa, and stuck in a country where the airspace has been closed. The crew who were on duty are stuck with it and can't get home. So, I will be "home" till I am able to physically go back to work. 

[Host Hattie]

Yes, the new restrictions sound straight forward but I'm not sure what difference that will make to my work.

 

[T5LHR]

21 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

Yes, the new restrictions sound straight forward but I'm not sure what difference that will make to my work.

 

 

Apologies Hattie, I am not sure what you do outside of the CC world... But, I do hope, if possible, you are able to work from home, or if not, it is something low risk and remain safe. 

[milamber]

We heard from some friends on the QM2 earlier today as they slowly plod along the ocean on the way back to Southampton. They really aren't the type to complain, but it really does sound like things have gone from bad to worse on the ship. Everything is shut, decks closed off to passengers, internet being stopped and much more, they say they are cargo now rather than guests, but you have to love them, Cunard still insisting on a jacket for dinner for men 🙂

[sfred]

Thanks Hattie for starting this thread.  We're in Brisbane Australia, and restrictions here increase almost daily.  Australia has  mandatory self-isolation for international arrivals, closed "non-essential" businesses, and restricted domestic travel across state borders.  Many people are out of work, particularly those in the travel or hospitality industries. 

 

We were on QV in February from Rio to Santiago, and thankfully got back home before all the stuff hit the fan.  No travel upcoming until the end of the year, on QM2 NY to NY Christmas and New Year.  Hopefully things will have been sorted by then.

 

QE is anchored just up the coast from us, in Gladstone (an industrial shipping port for the resources industry).  Hopefully she can be restarted quickly when conditions improve.

 

A fun ship movie to add to the list is 1948's "Luxury Liner" with George Brent, Jane Powell, and Frances Gifford.  QV played it on one of the sea days off Argentina.  It is about a cruise ship captain (Brent) and his daughter (Powell).  The daughter stows away onboard a voyage from New York to Rio.  There are some great ideas in the movie for Cunard's entertainment directors, particularly Xavier Cugat and his Cuban orchestra. 

 

Best wishes everyone!

 

[Colin_Cameron]

Not really sure what things are like here. We haven’t been out since we got home on Saturday from our cancelled QM2 trip.

 

We’d been away from home for two months (should have been three) and as we’re prone to power cuts at this time of year we’d emptied and turned off the freezer. As we thought we would be ‘locked up’ for two weeks we tried to do an online shop from Australia but that wouldn’t work and once we got here we found that the first available delivery slots are next month. Fortunately friends and neighbours had anticipated our return and we are adequately stocked for the short term. Then tonight’s news!

 

It seems that domestic repairers are not considered essential services so I spent the afternoon stripping down, repairing and rebuilding the dishwasher which had gone on strike while we were away. 

 

Mrs C_C has now finished the holiday washing which means I have enough ironing to see me through to Doomsday (which might not be that far off).

 

As we weren’t due home until nearer the end of April we had also run down the coal stock. Given that we’ve gone from 30C to 30F in a couple of days, with hindsight, that now looks like a bad decision. I wonder if I could swap ironing duties for log chopping duties?

 

Once I get done with that there’s all the photos from our trip to be sorted out (Good news: There’s not as many as there might have been). And then there’s he family history research that I haven’t looked at for at least a couple of months. I think boredom is the least of my worries.

[milleruszk]

We live in Northern NJ and most of the shops here have been closed for the past week.   Grocery stores, pharmacies, liquor stores are still open.  In our town there have been 19 cases of the virus.   Everyone has to be off the streets after 8 PM.

 

We are retired so staying home is not new to us.   We are waiting to see what Cunard is going to do after April 11th.   My wife teaches watercolor painting on Cunard ships.   She has an assignment on the QM2 leaving NY on May 13th.  Each passing day I become more pessimistic that the cruise will go.

[Lakesregion]

Though well past retirement age I do not have the luxury of retiring and the governor of my state has put me out of business for the time being as we all dither in place panicked by this virus. All while assistance is still weeks if not months away. But I have survived worse and will survive this. Never see yourself as a victim. 

[vettprincess]

5 hours ago, Lanky Lad said:

Still working, but as I spending time inside, just started a jigsaw called "the ocean's Greats".   Ships of course.

That sounds really great. Some of my friend here in Minnesota are working on puzzles daily. Just sent me a phot of their latest one of 1,000 of a library.