Coronation celebrations

[exlondoner]

1 hour ago, Pear Carr said:

Yes - wine will be kept for you and free water is in plentiful supply in all restaurants.

And you get free bottled water in your cabin, I think.

[yorkiescot]

Hi

 

i have just contacted Travel Agent regarding departure from Liverpool. She contacted Cunard and was advised time had not yet been finalised. I do hope it is late so we can see the illuminated Floating Earth sculpture  illuminated .

 

YS

[Pushpit]

2 hours ago, Selbourne said:

Secondly, I assume that tap water is plentifully supplied in the grills and they don’t try to fleece you for bottled water? 😂 

Usually the serving staff will pour our a large glass of iced (tap/filtered) water, USA style, just as you get the menus, and will top it up along the way. You normally don't need to ask. That is the same in the Grills and Britannias. The sommelier will arrange a bottle of Harrogate or Hildon spring water, still or sparkling, instead of or with alcohol, but you'd need to ask for that. Charged at US$4.49 for 1 litre, including service charge so not too unreasonable.

[Megabear2]

3 hours ago, Selbourne said:

We have been told to arrive for check in at 1230pm. As there is no disembarkation from an incoming cruise the day we embark, do you think it’s worth us arriving earlier? I’m guessing that they are likely to commence boarding earlier than usual so as to avoid a build up of queues?

Just checked in and had a minor query as they'd removed my Diamond status from half my documents so called Cunard.  Advised it will not be a problem if 15 minutes or so early but will have to sit in the priority area as 12.30 will be the absolute earliest check in will open.

 

I was informed that on booking day the system crashed so badly they removed WC status criteria from this voyage in an effort to get it back up, apparently untold errors and problems.  Several members of staff were assigned to putting it all back in yesterday and it should now all be correct, however mine was only partially reinstated.  Hopefully I'm a one off.

 

[Cruising Nomads]

Docking in Liverpool is totally dependent on the river tides.

[bluemarble]

On 4/27/2023 at 12:16 PM, RaspberryCremeBrulee said:

Gala Evening theme?

 

Cruise personaliser shows Roaring Twenties

Thought pre-registration info mentioned Black & White

 

Does anyone have clarification which it is?

 

I have read elsewhere they will indeed be having the Black and White theme as advertised instead of the Roaring Twenties theme and the calendar in the cruise personaliser (My Cunard) has now been corrected accordingly.

[RaspberryCremeBrulee]

15 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

No, just the one formal from my itinerary.  We get the street party on Coronation Day, that will be interesting.  I assume the events will take place in the Queens Room.  It's supposed to be a Black & White Ball for the formal night.  Someone said the Roaring Twenties is left over from the cancelled T/A which makes sense as its normally very popular on those.

 

My booking confirmation says subject to change on a couple of days.  

Calendar in Cruise Personaliser has now been updated to Black & White Gala Night for 5th.  

[Millieloulou]

We enjoy the food/menus so much we never have any wine left over.Also what’s better than finishing the last drop with some good conversation with your table companions.The water package isn’t very expensive.Better than queuing.Much more to do with your time .

[Selbourne]

43 minutes ago, Cruising Nomads said:

Docking in Liverpool is totally dependent on the river tides.

That must explain the strange arrival time then. Thanks for explaining. 

[Selbourne]

10 minutes ago, Millieloulou said:

We enjoy the food/menus so much we never have any wine left over.Also what’s better than finishing the last drop with some good conversation with your table companions.The water package isn’t very expensive.Better than queuing.Much more to do with your time .

My wife drInks very little alcohol due to her medical condition and I like to have both a bottle of white and a bottle of red on the go, so it’s impossible for me to empty both bottles every night (there’s just the two of us)! I drink gallons of water and have never had any issue whatsoever with the tap water which the waiters replenish readily at the table (not sure what you meant by queueing).

[tring]

5 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

That must explain the strange arrival time then. Thanks for explaining. 

 

I would say the issue is that it takes 2 days to sail between Southampton and Liverpool, so with a 5 night cruise, QM2 must be travelling quicker than ships normally do to get into post late the second day and then stay until late the next day. 

 

Tides are very high here, but there is a floating landing stage that has been in use for a very long time now and the sea bed is dredged.  Also,  it is a big port (albeit not as busy as it was) so ships can and do arrive at all times.

 

 

[Britboys]

17 minutes ago, tring said:

 

I would say the issue is that it takes 2 days to sail between Southampton and Liverpool, so with a 5 night cruise, QM2 must be travelling quicker than ships normally do to get into post late the second day and then stay until late the next day. 

 

Tides are very high here, but there is a floating landing stage that has been in use for a very long time now and the sea bed is dredged.  Also,  it is a big port (albeit not as busy as it was) so ships can and do arrive at all times.

 

 

Would QM2's deep draught have anything to do with it? It's over 10m.

[D&N]

Based on speeds of ferries between Northern French and Irish ports, QM2 would take about 29 hours between Southampton and Liverpool. Depending when they depart, a late night arrival on day 2 seems about right. And the ferries usually have lower design speeds.

[Host Hattie]

We sailed from Southampton to Liverpool in July 2019. According to my notes we were around 2 hours late sailing from Southampton and we started our sail into the Mersey at around 10pm the next day. 

 

 

[sogne]

2 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

We sailed from Southampton to Liverpool in July 2019. According to my notes we were around 2 hours late sailing from Southampton and we started our sail into the Mersey at around 10pm the next day. 

 

 

I remember  it well depth issue is at the Bar LV & dredged  channel.

[twotravellersLondon]

17 hours ago, tring said:

I would say the issue is that it takes 2 days to sail between Southampton and Liverpoo

 

15 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

We sailed from Southampton to Liverpool in July 2019. According to my notes we were around 2 hours late sailing from Southampton and we started our sail into the Mersey at around 10pm the next day. 

 

 

 

We use ports.com to work out cruise times. It suggests ...

 

Sea distance Southampton to Liverpool... 350 nm

Time taken to cover 350nm at 35 knots... c . 16.8 hours 

 

Max speed of Queen Mary 2... 35 knots

Time allowed in schedule 2 May-3 May... 18.5 hours

 

So it would certainly seem that Southampton to Liverpool can be accomplished in less than 24 hours.

 

So sad that the cruise was fully booked when we tried to buy tickets.... but best wishes for all on board... this looks as if it is a truly once in a lifetime experience.

 

 

 

 

[Selbourne]

4 minutes ago, twotravellersLondon said:

 

 

 

 

We use ports.com to work out cruise times. It suggests ...

 

Sea distance Southampton to Liverpool... 350 nm

Time taken to cover 350nm at 35 knots... c . 16.8 hours 

 

Max speed of Queen Mary 2... 35 knots

Time allowed in schedule 2 May-3 May... 18.5 hours

 

So it would certainly seem that Southampton to Liverpool can be accomplished in less than 24 hours.

 

So sad that the cruise was fully booked when we tried to buy tickets.... but best wishes for all on board... this looks as if it is a truly once in a lifetime experience.

 

 

 

 

Interesting stats - thanks. The time allowed is actually over 30 hours (it’s 11.30pm arrival in Liverpool) so I suspect that we shall be cruising at well below max speed and may still arrive early. I hope so. 11.30pm is past my bed time 😂 

[Host Hattie]

I'm not sure when QM2 last sailed at 35 knots, probably sea trials!

[Selbourne]

1 minute ago, Host Hattie said:

I'm not sure when QM2 last sailed at 35 knots, probably sea trials!

I was quite excited when I read that as I’ve never been that fast on a cruise ship (or liner, to give QM2 her correct description). The fastest I can recall was something like 28 knots on P&O’s Oriana on her first cruise after a new propellor was fitted to eliminate vibration at speed. We were in the MDR at the time when the captain announced that we were going to do a maximum speed test and all of a sudden everything started rattling. Unfortunately the new propellor hadn’t solved the problem! Of course, nowadays we are more used to plodding along at 15-20 knots in order to conserve fuel! 

[twotravellersLondon]

4 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

I'm not sure when QM2 last sailed at 35 knots, probably sea trials!

 

Neither are we. If we were onboard and such a speed were to be achieved... we'd hope for very calm seas!

[D&N]

4 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

I'm not sure when QM2 last sailed at 35 knots, probably sea trials!

Does anyone know if QM2 has ever achieved 35 knots?

Anything I've read about sea trials suggests between 29.6 knots and just over 30. At that she supposedly exceeded the contractual design speed.

I wonder if some of the confusion is that 30 knots is often approximated to 35 mph.

Although she is fast by modern standards I don't think she was designed to achieve the speeds of liners racing each other across the Atlantic.

[exlondoner]

38 minutes ago, D&N said:

Does anyone know if QM2 has ever achieved 35 knots?

Anything I've read about sea trials suggests between 29.6 knots and just over 30. At that she supposedly exceeded the contractual design speed.

I wonder if some of the confusion is that 30 knots is often approximated to 35 mph.

Although she is fast by modern standards I don't think she was designed to achieve the speeds of liners racing each other across the Atlantic.

I think you are right. She did do an early world cruise in less than 80 days, which would have entailed long stretches at higher speeds than she usually does now, I believe.

[Starstruckharper]

On 4/30/2023 at 8:51 AM, D&N said:

Does anyone know if QM2 has ever achieved 35 knots?

Anything I've read about sea trials suggests between 29.6 knots and just over 30. At that she supposedly exceeded the contractual design speed.

I wonder if some of the confusion is that 30 knots is often approximated to 35 mph.

Although she is fast by modern standards I don't think she was designed to achieve the speeds of liners racing each other across the Atlantic.

35 knots is SS United States fast... she's probably got a current behind her if she's going at that speed.

[Host Hattie]

Bon Voyage to those of you sailing on QM2 today, have a great time. 

[shippmates]

Have a great time on this sailing.  Hope the QM2 passes all the tests with flying colors and is ready for me to board on Sunday.