QA Canaries 10 May Comments

[exlondoner]

1 minute ago, buchanan101 said:

When you are visiting several ports in the same country do you have to go through immigration each time (I assume so, as they don't know you've been off at the first port)? How long does that take in post Brexit days?

We did not have to go through immigration at all. No passports, all we needed was our ship’s card. No different from pre-Brexit. Don’t know how they would know if you had already done your Schengen 90 days.

[exlondoner]

Just now, exlondoner said:

We did not have to go through immigration at all. No passports, all we needed was our ship’s card. No different from pre-Brexit. Don’t know how they would know if you had already done your Schengen 90 days.

I’ve just thought: the Canary Islands may not be in Schengen.

[Megabear2]

The queue at stairway A has been far smaller both days.  The midships B is being used by the more mobility impaired.  It is also near some nice seating and on deck 2 is the excursions office and today in particular lots had weather related questions.

 

On the latter so far so good as we are at our first stop and no rain.

[david63]

16 minutes ago, buchanan101 said:

When you are visiting several ports in the same country do you have to go through immigration each time (I assume so, as they don't know you've been off at the first port)? How long does that take in post Brexit days?

There are two different scenarios here.

 

If the country requires a visa or some other form of entry document (eg USA) then in my experience you only go through immigration once but you need to show your passport at each port - one exception to that was Russia but we can forget that for now.

 

The other scenario is for ex Brexit countries where nothing currently has changed and you just walk off the ship and back on again. However this is due to change at some point in the future (currently scheduled for early 2025 but it has been put back so often that it may well change again) when the EU bring in their ETAIS, but the last time I read anything about ETIAS the EU had not figured out how to operate it for cruises.

 

Also remember that the cruise line/ship provide the country's immigration with full passenger and crew lists.

Edited May 29 by david63

[buchanan101]

32 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

I’ve just thought: the Canary Islands may not be in Schengen.

Not sure it’s Schengen 90 days or all of EU (not that there’s much difference) 

 

Norway is in the former not the latter though essentially operates the same as in EEA.

 

Canaries are in Schengen. 

[buchanan101]

37 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

We did not have to go through immigration at all. No passports, all we needed was our ship’s card. No different from pre-Brexit. Don’t know how they would know if you had already done your Schengen 90 days.

So no stamping in/out. That’s a relief! 

[Selbourne]

58 minutes ago, buchanan101 said:

Are queues only at tender ports?

No. Massive queues to get off yesterday and today - both when docked. However, all tours have now gone and I’ve just walked off with no difficulty. 

[buchanan101]

25 minutes ago, david63 said:

There are two different scenarios here.

 

If the country requires a visa or some other form of entry document (eg USA) then in my experience you only go through immigration once but you need to show your passport at each port - one exception to that was Russia but we can forget that for now.

 

The other scenario is for ex Brexit countries where nothing currently has changed and you just walk off the ship and back on again. However this is due to change at some point in the future (currently scheduled for early 2025 but it has been put back so often that it may well change again) when the EU bring in their ETAIS, but the last time I read anything about ETIAS the EU had not figured out how to operate it for cruises.

 

Also remember that the cruise line/ship provide the country's immigration with full passenger and crew lists.

The first part of the system (EES) starts this October. Delayed until after Paris Olympics on this occasion. ETIAS is 2025

 

The UK is introducing a similar system (ETA). Without Brexit of course we’d be on the inside of the one system. We were very much in favour of EES. 

 

[buchanan101]

1 minute ago, Selbourne said:

No. Massive queues to get off yesterday and today - both when docked. However, all tours have now gone and I’ve just walked off with no difficulty. 

I assume priority embarkation and disembarkation for Grills etc is only at start and end of cruise; can imagine Britannia would get a bit upset if they were always having to wait. 

[exlondoner]

4 minutes ago, buchanan101 said:

I assume priority embarkation and disembarkation for Grills etc is only at start and end of cruise; can imagine Britannia would get a bit upset if they were always having to wait. 

Priority tendering from, not to, ship for Q1-4, but of limited use if there are weather interruptions.

[david63]

6 minutes ago, buchanan101 said:

can imagine Britannia would get a bit upset if they were always having to wait.

If they don't like having to wait then they know what the other option is

[NE John]

4 hours ago, exlondoner said:

Well, I was actually on that voyage, and I have still never heard or heard of whoever he or she is. So, clearly a small part of life. I was much more irritated by the celebrity guest speaker who was the only male I saw without any sort of tie in the restaurant on formal night. Not that I care as such, but because I think, if you accept these gigs, you should conform.

Was the tie-less one Midge Ure?…😁
 

 

Edited May 29 by NE John

[exlondoner]

1 minute ago, NE John said:

Was the tie-less one Midge Ure?…😁

No. Not that I would recognise Mr. Ure, but I did work out who this person was.

Edited May 29 by exlondoner

[david63]

5 hours ago, exlondoner said:

celebrity guest speaker who was the only male I saw without any sort of tie in the restaurant on formal night.

I was always under the impression that for all such people conforming to the dress code was part of their contract - or have times changed?

[tacticalbanjo]

2 hours ago, david63 said:

If they don't like having to wait then they know what the other option is

Mutiny?

[TowandaUK]

I thought Elijah and his female counterpart were sometimes scruffy singing in the Queens room. Jeans after 6pm?  

[exlondoner]

36 minutes ago, david63 said:

I was always under the impression that for all such people conforming to the dress code was part of their contract - or have times changed?

I imagine it may depend how important you think you are. It was weird because the rest of him (that I could see) was perfectly conformist.

[TowandaUK]

22 hours ago, Victoria2 said:

Nor me.

 

Our agent is our 'go to' normally but I had a 'communications issue' last week which needed sorting there and then and and luckily, after a few 'chats' with various people, found my saviour.

 

It only takes one person to know what they're doing but sadly, finding that person can be a bit of a winding path with Cunard on occasions.

Hopefully, TowandaUK  has found their saviour in this instance.

 

Victoria has hit the nail on the head. Emails didn’t work and the first person I spoke to in customer services didn’t help, however the last time I rang I spoke to somebody who actually knew what they are talking about and the refund has gone through. The refunded drinks package will pay for the 2 nighter taster on QM2.
We cancelled the package due to medication being prescribed to my husband just before boarding. This unexpected turn of events did us a favour. I would not book a package again. We were shocked once onboard to discover that there were very few red wines available that were covered by the package. On the one or two occasions that I had wine in the Britannia restaurant there were only 4 red wines by the glass within the package, one of which was unavailable. When dining in Sir Samuel’s only one wine would have been available to us. We shall definitely be pay as you go in future. 

[S1971]

13 minutes ago, TowandaUK said:

Victoria has hit the nail on the head. Emails didn’t work and the first person I spoke to in customer services didn’t help, however the last time I rang I spoke to somebody who actually knew what they are talking about and the refund has gone through. The refunded drinks package will pay for the 2 nighter taster on QM2.
We cancelled the package due to medication being prescribed to my husband just before boarding. This unexpected turn of events did us a favour. I would not book a package again. We were shocked once onboard to discover that there were very few red wines available that were covered by the package. On the one or two occasions that I had wine in the Britannia restaurant there were only 4 red wines by the glass within the package, one of which was unavailable. When dining in Sir Samuel’s only one wine would have been available to us. We shall definitely be pay as you go in future. 

 

Glad you've got things resolved.

 

Regarding the drink package, I guess they don't work for everyone especially if some standard wines and spirits are unavailable or above the package price limit.

[Bell Boy]

1 hour ago, TowandaUK said:

Victoria has hit the nail on the head. Emails didn’t work and the first person I spoke to in customer services didn’t help, however the last time I rang I spoke to somebody who actually knew what they are talking about and the refund has gone through. The refunded drinks package will pay for the 2 nighter taster on QM2.
We cancelled the package due to medication being prescribed to my husband just before boarding. This unexpected turn of events did us a favour. I would not book a package again. We were shocked once onboard to discover that there were very few red wines available that were covered by the package. On the one or two occasions that I had wine in the Britannia restaurant there were only 4 red wines by the glass within the package, one of which was unavailable. When dining in Sir Samuel’s only one wine would have been available to us. We shall definitely be pay as you go in future. 

Not only that , this drinks package malarkey is a hassle if one ( like me) enjoys a couple (or more) glasses of wine with dinner and trying to flag down a sommelier. You could probably have finished your main course before that second glass of wine is delivered, due to the sommelier who has to keep disappearing into the galley bar dispensary to pick up orders. 

In the mean time those of us who have purchased wine by the bottle - which is probably only an arms length away in the ice bucket (or on the table) end up serving our self whilst this cycle of the sommelier/s are back and forth to the galley and out of view.     

[Megabear2]

2 hours ago, S1971 said:

 

Glad you've got things resolved.

 

Regarding the drink package, I guess they don't work for everyone especially if some standard wines and spirits are unavailable or above the package price limit.

The wine choice is very poor, but I knew that when purchasing.  I'm no wine connoisseur so no problem to me.  I find the "cheap" Pinot Grigio quite acceptable with a meal and pre dinner now enjoy a large g&t with Fevertree or a cocktail.

 

I'm getting my money's worth very easily with tea, coffee  water, wellness mixes and four or five alcoholic drinks on a normal day.

[S1971]

1 minute ago, Megabear2 said:

The wine choice is very poor, but I knew that when purchasing.  I'm no wine connoisseur so no problem to me.  I find the "cheap" Pinot Grigio quite acceptable with a meal and pre dinner now enjoy a large g&t with Fevertree or a cocktail.

 

I'm getting my money's worth very easily with tea, coffee  water, wellness mixes and four or five alcoholic drinks on a normal day.

 

Glad to hear that MB2, I guess everyone has different tastes, tolerances and overall drink preferences.

 

I'm just of the opinion that if people are buying a package all the drinks within that package should be readily available across all bars, if not available then a satisfactory alternative should be offered even if it crosses the cost threshold.

[Selbourne]

Whilst we would never buy a drinks package, as it just wouldn’t be even remotely cost effective for us, I would also find all the restrictions to be infuriating, especially as many of the drinks we’d like are invariably excluded. However, for those who do buy them, I’ve never understood why you can’t order what you like and just pay the additional cost over and above any price cap. To make people pay the full price (as I believe happens) seems outrageous to me, and results in either restricted choice or effectively paying twice. 

[david63]

4 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

To make people pay the full price

I believe that there is a discount (20%?)

 

One other things that annoy me is that if you have a drinks package then each passenger has to order their own drink - unlike Princess where the Medallion sorts it out.

[Selbourne]

2 minutes ago, david63 said:

I believe that there is a discount (20%?)

 

One other things that annoy me is that if you have a drinks package then each passenger has to order their own drink - unlike Princess where the Medallion sorts it out.

Thanks for clarifying. I still think they should only charge the additional cost above the price cap though.

Yet another irritant is both occupants having to buy the package, which is an issue when one barely drinks any alcohol!