Cunard Transatlantic Quote - Bike and Rider on QE II
 

I got a quote from Cunard this week, on the cost of shipping the bike and myself across the atlantic on their ship the Queen Elizabeth II. This ship has a garage.

Although it is still not cheap, the price they are quoting this year (in USD) is about half what they were quoting last year. So I guess they are sharpening up their pencils as a result of the slowdown in the travel market.

Here's the letter:

Per your request please find the one-way transatlantic fare and the round
trip fares for 2002:

QE2 May 12 one-way transatlantic-
The cost for one guest traveling in an M5 (inside/share) cabin will be
$2,430.61, including cabin fare, motorcycle transport and all fees & taxes.
The cost for one guest traveling in an MI (inside) single cabin will be
$2,870.61, including cabin fare, motorcycle transport and all fees & taxes.

QE2 round trip May 12 (eastbound) & August 20 (westbound)-
The cost for one guest traveling in an M5 (inside/share) cabin will be
$4,511.60, including cabin fare, motorcycle transport round trip and all
fees and taxes.
The cost for one guest traveling in the MI (inside) single cabin will be
$5,449.40, including all of the above.

Got a better offer from Cunard - CAD 1870 (about USD 1100) for myself New York to Southampton, single cabin, including a free return air ticket Europe to Canada, and CAD 1625 (about USD 1000) for the motorcycle one way to Europe. Will have to ship the motorcycle back by air, which will cost another USD 1000. But, it sounded pretty good, so I booked it. Leave May 12th.

[This message has been edited by PanEuropean (edited 19 March 2002).]

It sounds very expensive to me.

I sent the bike from Oslo to New York for about 600USD with SAS (daily flights to/from Newark, and I think Boston and a couple of other places. You need to crate the bike). Ticket for us cost around 5-600USD per person, roundtrip.

Worth the side trips on both sides of the Atlantic maybe?


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Dag
http://RocinantesTravels.com

Thanks for the heads-up on the SAS quote, that is a very good price. How exactly did they want it crated? Would just putting it in a container or on a pallet be sufficient?

Well, as I mentioned earlier I did book passage on the QE II when they came out with their super el-cheapo $999 transatlantic fare that included a return air ticket.

Cunard has since informed me, in an information brochure sent by mail, that the dress code for dinner is "formal" for 4 nights during the cruise. I had not considered the logistical implications of this. I was not planning on packing a tux, because as you know there is only so much space in a set of panniers, especially when packing for a 12 week trip that includes Africa.

I need some help here: For these 4 formal nights, should I wear my blue jeans, which will hold a nice crease if I iron them but do have some grease stains on them, or should I wear full leathers, which have a much more distinguished and co-ordinated look to them?

Can a headband be used as a cummerbund if bungee cords are used to retain it?

For the after dinner dancing in the ballroom, would steel-toed motocross boots also do double duty for tap dancing?

Lastly, when complimentary drinks are offered, would it be considered gauche to bring my Camelbak along and fill 'er up?

Michael

I think a must-have item for your wardrobe is a simple but elegant black silk dress. Suitable for every occasion, if you get the right wrinkle-free silk you can just roll it up and stuff it into the saddlebag and it will still look drop-dead gorgeous. http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

And what could they say, after all? I'm sure there must be some laws that you could quote prohibiting discrimination against cross-dressers. http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif

I do think for the prices they're charging you should be able to fill up your Camelbak with the free booze. After this experience, you might be able to write a book - 'The Biker's Guide to Cruise Ship Etiquette' - I'm sure it would be a hit! http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/eek.gif

Cheers
Susan

[This message has been edited by Susan (edited 09 April 2002).]

I'd go for the full leathers, those boys, despite the stached whites are still, sailors, better safe than sorry...

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They won´t let you starve if you don´t wear the appropriate suit.
After the X-mas - New Years mc-travellers meeting in Ushuaia 1999/2000 12 of us went on a cruise ship to Antarctica. None of us was prepared as it was a last minute deal for 25% of the price normal passengers had paid. We attended captains dinner in jeans and sweatshirt, while the normal passengers dressed formally. They put us into a corner of the dining rooms, and except for some strange glances from the normal passengers, we were left alone and had the same delicious 9 course meal.
b.t.w.: I had washed my old jeans just before i went on the Cruise ship.
Have fun
Werner

Hey Michael,

I would sugest to leave the dress at home and bring some black shoe-polish. With it you can just boddy-paint a nice tux.. or if you wish, a sexy dress.
I am sure the captain will be impressed. And.. you can use the shoe-polish for you MX-boots later on.

Bon apetit.
Maarten

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- www.maartensworld.tmfweb.nl -

Hey, that gave me an idea. I've seen white T-shirts with a tux, bow tie, etc. all silk-screened on them - maybe I'll get one of those.

Just to follow up and close out this thread, I did ship the bike by the QE II, cost was about USD 1,000.- , no other fees of any kind at either end, no customs problems of any kind, no hassles of any kind, it only took 45 minutes from the time the ship docked in England till I was out riding on the road.

The handling of the bike by Cunard was very professional in every way, I rode it onto the ship, and I rode it off (no-one else required to ride it), Cunard supplied all the required tie down equipment. They even washed it for me enroute, then put a bedsheet over top of it so no dust would settle on it. First class in every respect.

Yeahhh, but you got the extra service becourse they liked your body-painted tux. http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/wink.gif

Welcome to Europe.

Maarten

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- www.maartensworld.tmfweb.nl -

It was the leathers that did it. Black leather is soooooo formal.