QM-2 24thJune For 3Weeks

[RJChatsworth]

Lovely skies today but a chilly breeze and only 13C/55F.

 

When we embarked in Southampton on Friday we were in a queue at the point of embarkation.  A guy came down hurriedly saying, please make way for some VVIPs and repeating it.  Everyone moved to the side to allow them to go through.  They were youngish couple.  We didn’t recognise them.   Strapped to her back was a dog carrier and inside there was a white dog of designer proportions.  I wonder if they were heading for the kennels?  I bet not!  Although to be fair I haven’t seen it about.

 

a few years ago I saw a designer dog in the Queens Grill Restaurant and mentioned it on CruiseCritic and there was quite a response.  I say no more.

 

At noon the Captain said we had completed 1300 miles from Southampton with 1700 to run.  The nearest land was the Azores.  We are averaging just in excess of 20 knots.  We reach midpoint at 2200 tonight, ship’s time.

 

He said the weather would abate in time with calm, smooth seas prior to arriving in New York.  Who’d believe a sailor!

[RJChatsworth]

This afternoon I succumbed to the queue and joined round the corner.  After lunch we received a 7 page document showing how to complete the arriveCan form.  I thought smugly that I had done that at home until I read that the QR code received from the Canadian Gov had to be shown at reception.  I rang down and said I had shown ours at check-in but as that was shoreside the ship reception needed to see it.  I raced down to be one of the first but too late.  I think this will create a few queues!

 

Went to a lecture by Derek Tedder, a well known TV presenter/reporter in UK.  He said he’d seen ‘Advanced embalment course’ in Daily Prog.  Glad I missed it!

[D&N]

20 hours ago, RJChatsworth said:

We are in portside which is for deck 12, deck 13 are starboard.

Thanks to @bluemarble for the detailed explanation on Britannia Club Balcony.

We had Luis as head waiter and Juanito & Rodolfo as waiter & assistant with Harry the sommelier.

I don't recall having any noticeable delays in service.

Harry was much busier in the 2nd week, when the majority of non UK/US guests were German. Our 1st week had a large number of French. When asked if he had more passengers that week, Harry responded that "they drink more"!

That is not of course intended as a slur against any nationality!

 

[RJChatsworth]

The  sun is trying to peep through dense fog, the ship’s foghorn is sounding - of course, we must be sailing by the Newfoundland Banks.

 

A tip for future passengers on QM-2, the toiletry area is now minuscule in the clothes shop.  No paracetamol, no Elastoplast/band aid, no hair mousse, no Colgate toothpaste although this has been replaced by a make I have never heard of. I don’t think I missed them and this list is perhaps not exhaustive!

 

Hoping for a quiet day today once we have filled another form - the Canadian Customs Declaration.

[Jack E Dawson]

3 minutes ago, RJChatsworth said:

 

A tip for future passengers on QM-2, the toiletry area is now minuscule in the clothes shop.  No paracetamol, no Elastoplast/band aid, no hair mousse, no Colgate toothpaste although this has been replaced by a make I have never heard of. I don’t think I missed them and this list is perhaps not exhaustive!

 

RJC,

When we were onboard the QM2 on the May 8th Crossing, I developed a blister and needed a bandaid. Oddly, I found that they were for sale in the Library gift shop. They were located to the right and down low as you enter the Library gift shop from the hallway.

Jack

[Mr Blue Sky]

Thank you RJChatsworth for the updates, is everyone being asked to wear masks around ship, we haven’t had a update from Cunard on this, plenty of emails re CanArrive App from them which we done today, plus are the laundrettes open.

 

Thanks Sue 

 

 

[Host Hattie]

13 minutes ago, Mr Blue Sky said:

Thank you RJChatsworth for the updates, is everyone being asked to wear masks around ship, we haven’t had a update from Cunard on this, plenty of emails re CanArrive App from them which we done today, plus are the laundrettes open.

 

Thanks Sue 

 

 

Masks were covered in post #5

[fabnfortysomething]

On 6/26/2022 at 11:38 PM, RJChatsworth said:

Apologies for a previous error, the ship was Endurance and not Endeavour.  The speaker was Mensun Bound, explorer and archeologist.  He led the group to find Shackleton's Endurance.

 

This evening's meal in Club Britannia this evening was good and after my altercation with the waiter the meal takes less than an hour rather two hours as previous.  A bit too quick but I'm not complaining!

 

A couple of snippets from Sunday's Daily programme.  A request for passengers not to punch a hole in their voyage/key card as it renders them useless.  Who would punch a hole in the microchip?  Where do these people come from?  I forgot to bring my punch!!  Secondly, US and Canadian citizens booking certain cruises onboard for 2022 and 2023 will have their tips/service charge paid.  The Rest of the World:  'Please go away'.

 

Off to hear the singer Jenny Williams in the Theatre.

 

just to shed a bit of light on the hole punch in the card

previous cruises on a different cruise line guest services used to punch hole in card on request so could be attached to lanyard-I know I'm one of those persons wearing a glittery one at night or colourful during day to avoid carrying a handbag

 

now the coded info is spread throughout card so punching hole could wipe out info 

[RJChatsworth]

Hi HH.  Still be asked to wear masks outside cabin everywhere except when eating and drinking.  A few slip them in theatre having passed through fashion police at door.

 

A medic tells me no paracetamol as people buying them up fast from shop trying to avoid Covid detection.

[tv24]

On 6/27/2022 at 6:24 AM, exlondoner said:

 

Perhaps better to choose a different starter. 😀

Yes indeed.

[tv24]

Just now, tv24 said:

Yes indeed.

Or bring your own clams.

[Host Hattie]

1 hour ago, RJChatsworth said:

Hi HH.  Still be asked to wear masks outside cabin everywhere except when eating and drinking.  A few slip them in theatre having passed through fashion police at door.

 

A medic tells me no paracetamol as people buying them up fast from shop trying to avoid Covid detection.

Thanks for the update, how was your Verandah dinner ?

[david,Mississauga]

On 6/27/2022 at 2:54 PM, RJChatsworth said:

This afternoon I succumbed to the queue and joined round the corner.  After lunch we received a 7 page document showing how to complete the arriveCan form.  I thought smugly that I had done that at home until I read that the QR code received from the Canadian Gov had to be shown at reception.  I rang down and said I had shown ours at check-in but as that was shoreside the ship reception needed to see it.  I raced down to be one of the first but too late.  I think this will create a few queues!

...

 

 

We were recently on the QE on a Vancouver-Vancouver Alaska cruise. Everyone had to show the ArriveCan confirmation before embarkation. A notice came during the cruise saying we had to show the form to the purser's office and again when going ashore in the first Canadian port: Victoria.

 

I asked the Grills concierge if this was true. She checked her computer and said no as the system showed us as having produced it at check-in. So we didn't go to reception and had no problem going ashore in Victoria nor Vancouver at the end of the cruise. We never saw a Canadian official even at the end of the cruise and simply walked off the QE as if it were a domestic ferry.  This was as civilised as our pre-pandemic disembarkations in Vancouver and Halifax.

[tv24]

Yes the launderettes are open, but not all the machines are working.

 

Calm day today, overcast.  Lots of people outside walking, which I will do later.

 

More on the breakfast room service.  Yesterday's delivery was missing a few items, so I tried to phone to ask for them but received a recorded message that due to a high call volume I should call back later.  So I left to find replacements in the Concierge's Lounge, but met the Room Service Manager in the hall.  He promised to check our room service tray personally each day to make sure  it was complete.  Well, sadly, this morning we were missing silverware and napkins.  We had to call, but the next delivery had only one napkin for the 2 of us.  We had to laugh.  Are they running out of napkins?  Are they doing this on purpose because they hate us?  One never knows.

[RJChatsworth]

HH - Verandah excellent last evening after taking tv24’s advice.  Too much, feel bloated today.  About 50 there.  The NY cheesecake was to die for!  Came as a big round pie suitable for at least 4 people.  The waitress said she could wrap the remainder to take to our cabin.  We didn’t dare!

 

David M - good to hear from you.  You relate same issue with different solutions!  You probably won’t remember but we were on an adjacent table to you in PG on a transatlantic yonks ago.

 

After two days of dense fog and much rain the fog is lifting and the skies brightening.  The sea is pretty calm.

 

Last evening’s show was dire.  An unfunny comedian, certainly to us, who had appeared on the late show etc.  Very few were laughing,  he tried to make a joke of it saying we were after an early finish, also comments about not being invited back.  After about 20 minutes we gave up and left as did many others.

 

Happy sailing!

[Host Hattie]

Glad to hear that the Verandah was good but the comedian sounds a disaster, hopefully he won't be back !

[Mr Blue Sky]

2 hours ago, tv24 said:

Yes the launderettes are open, but not all the machines are working.

 

Calm day today, overcast.  Lots of people outside walking, which I will do later.

 

More on the breakfast room service.  Yesterday's delivery was missing a few items, so I tried to phone to ask for them but received a recorded message that due to a high call volume I should call back later.  So I left to find replacements in the Concierge's Lounge, but met the Room Service Manager in the hall.  He promised to check our room service tray personally each day to make sure  it was complete.  Well, sadly, this morning we were missing silverware and napkins.  We had to call, but the next delivery had only one napkin for the 2 of us.  We had to laugh.  Are they running out of napkins?  Are they doing this on purpose because they hate us?  One never knows.

Thank you tv24 on laundrettes helps with my packing this afternoon as we meet QM2 on Friday 

Sue

[thumbun]

Beware -- WiFi is a joke.  Even the crew was frustrated.  Service was poor in port, near port, in the middle of the Atlantic, in the English Channel, in the North Sea.  Sitting near a router did not help. I was not trying to stream content, I just wanted to check email and a couple of websites.  Premium package not worth the money.

 

On another topic, elevator maintenance is non-existent.

[moses0]

58 minutes ago, thumbun said:

Beware -- WiFi is a joke.  Even the crew was frustrated.  Service was poor in port, near port, in the middle of the Atlantic, in the English Channel, in the North Sea.  Sitting near a router did not help. I was not trying to stream content, I just wanted to check email and a couple of websites.  Premium package not worth the money.

 

On another topic, elevator maintenance is non-existent.

 

58 minutes ago, thumbun said:

Beware -- WiFi is a joke.  Even the crew was frustrated.  Service was poor in port, near port, in the middle of the Atlantic, in the English Channel, in the North Sea.  Sitting near a router did not help. I was not trying to stream content, I just wanted to check email and a couple of websites.  Premium package not worth the money.

 

On another topic, elevator maintenance is non-existent.

Boarding on the 8th July. Any idea of the Covid situation? Thanks

[RJChatsworth]

I haven’t heard about any Covid onboard but that doesn’t mean there isn’t any.

 

Beautiful skies and almost calm today, New York tomorrow.

[tv24]

We believe there are at least a few Covid cases on board as a few days ago some PAX were requested to call the Purser's Office while we were in the middle of the North Atlantic.  And the mask requirement got re-instated as we left Southampton.  No announcements from the Captain about Covid, but I did not expect any.

 

Beautiful sunny day today, breezy and a little warmer, so a good day for a long walk on Deck 7, something I love to do.

 

Good news!  We had a complete room service for breakfast this AM.  Nothing missing!

[tv24]

21 hours ago, thumbun said:

Beware -- WiFi is a joke.  Even the crew was frustrated.  Service was poor in port, near port, in the middle of the Atlantic, in the English Channel, in the North Sea.  Sitting near a router did not help. I was not trying to stream content, I just wanted to check email and a couple of websites.  Premium package not worth the money.

 

On another topic, elevator maintenance is non-existent.

Sorry to have to pile on, but the wifi is really terrible.  Yesterday we had a little family emergency and needed to transmit a legal document.  It took up a good part of the afternoon to make it work, something we could have done at an airport, a hotel, or at home in a few minutes.  We were finally successful.  Anyone who thinks internet access is a needless bother for travelers is nuts.  We travel a lot and need internet access to make our travel as smooth as possible, as so many things can get cancelled or changed these days, plus to address issues at home.  Having inadequate access on the QM2 is more than frustrating.  I guess that's all I want to say about this.

[RJChatsworth]

Tv24.  Assume your Covid comment was outgoing from NY 3-weeks ago?

 

Must support you about internet.  For about 3 days from SO it was good in our cabin with router just outside the cabin except for occasional sending of emails.  Then it went downhill fast and useless in cabin.  Why?  Now I resort to going to the Library and it is not quick there.

 

Now I’m paying to be on the internet all the time but it constantly drops out as you move around the ship.  Come on Cunard this is supposed to be the digital age?!

[moses0]

I wonder if anyone could answer a mask question for me. Are you allowed to remove the mask when seated or only when eating? On our last trip in March we were able to remove them when seated. Is this still the case?

 

[RJChatsworth]

2 hours ago, moses0 said:

I wonder if anyone could answer a mask question for me. Are you allowed to remove the mask when seated or only when eating? On our last trip in March we were able to remove them when seated. Is this still the case?

 

You can only remove it when eating and drinking. And no eating and drinking in the Royal Court Theatre or Illuminations.

 

93F in NY today.  Went across on the ferry.  Lunch in the Tick Tock Diner near Macy’s.

 

Saw many free Covid testing Centres at cross junctions in NY.  They all told me that they are only available for testing US citizens.  I have read reports of people on CC suggesting them for Brits but that appears to be incorrect!