Notes from Queen Victoria to the Mediterranean (& back)

[Host Hattie]

Please don't turn this thread into a general debate about Covid.

Thank you 

[NavyPanda]

1 hour ago, Host Hattie said:

Letter and masks have been delivered

 

 

I note that they 'ask' for people to wear masks as opposed to saying you 'must' wear a mask. I suspect many people will read this as meaning they are not mandatory. 

 

I will not wear a mask unless I am absolutely compelled to do so. Given the lack of mask wearing on aeroplanes where masks on many airlines are still 'highly recommended' I would suggest that I'm not alone in thinking this way.

 

It will be interesting to find out what proportion of people will now wear a mask on the last couple of days of your cruise now this letter has gone out and given the wording contained within it. 

[Host Hattie]

It's pretty clear to me and I will be very disappointed if I find that I am still the only passenger wearing a mask next time I leave my cabin.

[Craigrlewis]

17 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

It was pleasant on the balcony for sailaway but it sounds quite windy out there now and the cabin seems to have developed a squeak ! I'm going to have to figure out what it is before bedtime.

Rack of lamb was on the menu tonight, it was very good but would have been even better in the dining room warm as opposed to in my cabin cool.

The contact from the Pursers Office rang us both for the first 2 days, failed to do either of the things we asked for and has now disappeared off the face of the earth. It's probably just as well as I'm in the mood to tell him what I think about their ridiculous restrictions. I've now taken 4 tests since Friday, all negative which I'm sure is more than most people on this ship but they are free to go about the place.  I've got to wear a mask even on the open desks and eat luke warm food  in my cabin. For this I pay exactly the same price as if I'd been able to enjoy all the facilities of the ship. There's no FCC any more and my insurance will only pay out for Mr HH's cabin confinement not my half a cruise.

The explanation is that they are following CDC guidelines - except these have been withdrawn & we're not sailing anywhere near the US !

Apologies for the rant but I'm not feeling very sunshine and rainbows this evening.

Hi HostHattie

Keep yer chin up - you’ve done the right thing morally by testing and dealing with the consequences of the negative result.

doesn’t seem fair but that’s life I suppose.

when I was positive and cabin bound in Alaska i mentally thought of the coughers and choking people round the ship and how they carried on regardless etc  

 

[RJChatsworth]

HH - Sorry to read about your Covid issues.  I think Cunard has a real problem.  When my wife and I got Covid on QM-2 in July the medics told me they didn’t know how much Covid was onboard as those having it wouldn’t own up because they didn’t want isolation.  Furthermore, all the paracetamol in the shop was bought up as passengers tried to hide their Covid.

[Camgirl]

What seems confusing to me is that in March on QE, we were identified as close contacts twice. First to Rakkor, then to BouncingWheel. Both times we were tested, then allowed to carry on as normal when our tests were negative. 

 

OK, we were not as close contacts as a husband and wife, but we had spent a fair amount of time with both couples.

 

It seems ridiculous to me that you are being restricted to such an extent, despite so many negative tests, when we were allowed to continue eating in the restaurant, etc. Especially as there is no compensation for you having to follow these rules. I think you have been very patient and considerate. But I do think cunard is going way over the top in the way it has treated you and that these restrictions are too much for a close contact who has tested negative. 

 

I hope you are able to enjoy the rest of your cruise.

[Victoria2]

2 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

It's pretty clear to me and I will be very disappointed if I find that I am still the only passenger wearing a mask next time I leave my cabin.

Hattie, we could count on two hands the number of passengers we initially encountered who were wearing masks.

Our take was  well good for them who don't but we'll do our own thing*.

As the cruise wore on, more started to do so. I hope you won't be disappointed and more to the point, I hope you're 'released' asap and Mr HH with you as soon as he's able.

Edited October 4, 2022 by Victoria2
*our own thing being we wore our masks in public areas except when eating and drinking

[exlondoner]

7 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

Hattie, we could count on two hands the number of passengers we initially encountered who were wearing masks.

Our take was  well good for them who don't but we'll do our own thing*.

As the cruise wore on, more started to do so. I hope you won't be disappointed and more to the point, I hope you're 'released' asap and Mr HH with you as soon as he's able.

it almost seems it would be better to do,the opposite to their current procedure. That is, have a stringent, certified test before boarding, make everyone wear masks for a couple of days, and then just let people do their own thing, with strong encouragement to stay in cabin if they feel ill. This seems better than enforcing masks only at the end.

[Victoria2]

14 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

it almost seems it would be better to do,the opposite to their current procedure. That is, have a stringent, certified test before boarding, make everyone wear masks for a couple of days, and then just let people do their own thing, with strong encouragement to stay in cabin if they feel ill. This seems better than enforcing masks only at the end.

I'm all for certified testing  pre boarding but in the long run, Cunard can't do right for wrong as mask wearing is such a contentious issue so it won't matter to us what others do as we'll do the best we can, personally, to stay well. Masks 'r us. 🙂

 

As an aside, I took loads of paracetamol with us which I just happened to have at home, remnants of an operation, as I was aware how buying a packet or two onboard might arise suspicion even if it was just for the ear problem I ended up going to the medical centre about.

[Minnie29]

Hattie can you tell me the opening times for the Lido buffet onboard. E.g breakfast, lunch and dinner. 
maybe you could post the times for all the restaurants/eateries onboard?

thank you so much

[Bell Boy]

3 hours ago, NavyPanda said:

 

I note that they 'ask' for people to wear masks as opposed to saying you 'must' wear a mask. I suspect many people will read this as meaning they are not mandatory. 

 

I will not wear a mask unless I am absolutely compelled to do so. Given the lack of mask wearing on aeroplanes where masks on many airlines are still 'highly recommended' I would suggest that I'm not alone in thinking this way.

 

It will be interesting to find out what proportion of people will now wear a mask on the last couple of days of your cruise now this letter has gone out and given the wording contained within it. 

No,  you have misunderstood  this letter.  Perviously on past Cunard cruises ( I've taken four post pandemic) the instructions have been " WE SUGGEST  the wearing of Masks around the ship etc etc   (however, in the Theatre it was always mandatory )  

These new guidelines with effect from today ( Q.Vic 4th Oct 2022) are now asking, in other words they are 'requiring Masks' when 'walking around' indoor venues.   

[Host Hattie]

I've just had a brief walk round Deck 3, I'd say compliance was 100% indoors amongst those walking around or browsing in the shops.

[Host Hattie]

1 hour ago, Minnie29 said:

Hattie can you tell me the opening times for the Lido buffet onboard. E.g breakfast, lunch and dinner. 
maybe you could post the times for all the restaurants/eateries onboard?

thank you so much

I thought I'd posted the Lido hours earlier, these are today's timings

 

 

[Minnie29]

Thanks so much Hattie

[Victoria2]

30 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

I've just had a brief walk round Deck 3, I'd say compliance was 100% indoors amongst those walking around or browsing in the shops.

Nice one QV passengers! 👍

Well done. 🙂

[Host Hattie]

I thought I would try to see some of the evening entertainment today. I was too late to get a box for the early show, everyone masked up as far as I can see.

I've come up to the Winter Garden to listen to the Folk Duo and in a lot of cases masks are coming off as soon as people sit down so that's not great. At least the outside windows are propped open a bit and the big doors are opening regularly.

I had a lovely dinner, Porchetta but I really should stop ordering desserts described as warm !

Fish goujons at lunchtime retained their heat well, they were the warmest thing I have had onboard for days.

Mr HH had a delivery of his favourite low alcohol beer and I had flowers so we're both a bit less moany !

 

 

 

[Lanky Lad]

Lovely flowers HH. Sorry to hear that there has been an outbreak onboard. I hope they get it under control before I am onboard on the 30th 🙂 

[Minnie29]

Hattie can I ask about the open dining? 
I have had an email from Cunard regarding my December cruise on QV.

I changed my late seating for dinner in Britannia to open dining. 
just wondering how you think this will work with the two traditional seating times? 

[Host Hattie]

Just now, Minnie29 said:

Hattie can I ask about the open dining? 
I have had an email from Cunard regarding my December cruise on QV.

I changed my late seating for dinner in Britannia to open dining. 
just wondering how you think this will work with the two traditional seating times? 

There are a few threads about this already, it's not happening yet so I don't have any insight.

[Bell Boy]

20 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

There are a few threads about this already, it's not happening yet so I don't have any insight.

My goodness Hattie, you have the patience of Job..............😉 

[Lanky Lad]

Thanks for the copies of the daily programme HH. Looks like it's Jazz in the Commodore Club 😞

[LibertyBella]

Hello HH!

 

SO SORRY to hear your DH has come down with Covid while you are cruising.

 

After two and a half years of non-stop precautions,  getting vaxxed and wearing masks, using sanitizer, getting tested weekly (due to work requirements), DH and I did some limited traveling, but continued to expand--going on multi-day driving trips to hotels across the country, flying to Colorado for a ski week in March, cruising on QM2 in July, weekends at the beach, etc. and yet remained completely healthy.

 

Then lo and behold I caught Covid at a neighborhood community dinner last month. (Nobody has been wearing masks anymore for months.) It was like a bad cold, not overly severe, but it was nice to be home and stay in bed.  Many people say the newer variants are much easier to catch. My DH did NOT make me quarantine (ha, ha--only one bed with the great mattress) and he remained free from the virus. 

 

Probably my biggest fear was making sure my pets did not catch it, as I am not sure how strong their immune systems are against this disease.  

 

I know that it was very disappointing to have your cruise interrupted! It seems Covid may be with us for a while now, it is almost impossible to contact trace anymore, and for those with mild or no symptoms, it seems a bit unfair to have to isolate so rigorously when others who are ill may say nothing.

 

However, I am sure it is great just to be back on a Cunard cruise ship and on the water.  I can honestly say that illness is sometimes a part of travel--yes, I are bad pork in Spain, drank the water in Egypt, and ate ice cubes in Mexico, and the outcomes that I experienced from those choices were truly regrettable, but I am still traveling.

 

So you are having an adventure--and you will certainly have some unique memories years from now.  In any case, enjoy the rhythm of the sea, the fine dining, the stars in the sky, the interesting ports, and the time together.  This is only one cruise out of hopefully, many, many more.  Best wishes!!

[Craigrlewis]

11 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

I thought I would try to see some of the evening entertainment today. I was too late to get a box for the early show, everyone masked up as far as I can see.

I've come up to the Winter Garden to listen to the Folk Duo and in a lot of cases masks are coming off as soon as people sit down so that's not great. At least the outside windows are propped open a bit and the big doors are opening regularly.

I had a lovely dinner, Porchetta but I really should stop ordering desserts described as warm !

Fish goujons at lunchtime retained their heat well, they were the warmest thing I have had onboard for days.

Mr HH had a delivery of his favourite low alcohol beer and I had flowers so we're both a bit less moany !

 

 

 

Know what you mean about warm food-when i was quarantined I found some nights I ate the meal in reverse if i didn't fancy a cold dessert that was supposed to be warm.
Found it shook my day up eating dessert followed by started followed by mains.

My favorite day of quarantine was baked alaska day when i ordered 2 and ate them first.

[rakkor]

19 hours ago, exlondoner said:

When we were quarantined, the QG M d’H rang up everyday to see that we were OK, and sent down wine as requested. That may be the QG, but may suggest you are better off dealing directly with the restaurant, if you can.

 

It was the same with us in PG in March, plus, that goodness for Cynthia who was the Grills concierge at the time, as the Pursers desk was particularly useless, with requests constantly going unfulfilled. I won't complain about room service as I assume they were run off their feet but the Pursers desk would promise something which would never appear.

[Host Hattie]

1 hour ago, Craigrlewis said:

Know what you mean about warm food-when i was quarantined I found some nights I ate the meal in reverse if i didn't fancy a cold dessert that was supposed to be warm.
Found it shook my day up eating dessert followed by started followed by mains.

My favorite day of quarantine was baked alaska day when i ordered 2 and ate them first.

Baked Alaska day today but I haven't decided what to order as it's also Lobster and Beef Wellington day - which is better cold ?

I'm waiting for my test results. I made an appointment for 9 but the tester was at my door at 8.20 as his list said 8 !