May
10, 2016 marked the end of our 121-day world voyage on the Queen Elizabeth.
Before, during, and after our voyage, people asked us questions about various
aspects of our trip, either out of curiosity or because they like the idea of a
long voyage but have a number of concerns about taking one.
Based
on our experiences of taking two world voyages, eight years apart, I’ve put
together some responses that I hope will be informative and helpful. It’s not
the definitive guide to taking long voyages; lots of excellent travel guides
and online resources (e.g., Cruise Critic.com) are already available. Instead, I’ve
covered things that we wish we had known or done and what worked, or didn’t
work, for us. I’ve also included what we learned from fellow travelers who’ve
taken multiple long voyages.
I
say long voyages instead of world voyages because you don’t have to
take a world voyage to take a long voyage. Everyone’s definition of a long
voyage can be different. To some, voyages over seven days can be quite long. Regardless
of how long a voyage lasts, many of these topics still pertain.
To
make it easy to skip and scan areas that might be of more interest than others,
I’ve used a question and answer format. The questions and answers are in no
particular order of importance and pertain primarily to our recent world voyage
on the Queen Elizabeth.
How did you deal with
your mail and finances at home while you were away for so long?
Depending
on how long a voyage we are on, we will either have our mail held by the Post
Office until we return or have a neighbor pick it up. For this long voyage, which
lasted four months, we had our mail forwarded to our daughter, who could go
through it and determine if anything needed to be addressed right away. One
advantage of forwarding mail is that the U.S. Post Office doesn’t forward junk
mail, which greatly cut back on the amount of mail our daughter received.
Dealing
with our finances was a bit more complex. One way we dealt with them was
arranging to have as many bills as we could paid automatically, either through
our checking account or charged to our credit card. The one bill that we could
not pay automatically, we left for our daughter to pay. Since we didn’t want to
go online to make a payment, we set up an automatic monthly payment to our
credit card for more than we anticipated our bill might amount to. At the end
of our voyage, our payments were much greater than our charges, and we ended up
with a nice credit. Note: We notified our credit card companies that we would
be traveling and to give an alternate phone number if case they questioned a
charge.
Living
in the U.S. we didn’t have all the necessary tax documents needed to complete
our tax return, which was due in April before we returned. Before leaving, we
sent the IRS forms requesting an extension to file. We had to include a check
for the amount of tax we estimated would be due, if any. We also wrote checks
for our quarterly estimated tax payments and gave them to our daughter with a
request to mail them on specific dates. We sent her a follow-up e-mail close to
the dates as a reminder. Just being cautious since she is a busy woman too.
Using
public Internet access, we were reluctant to go online to check our bank and
credit card accounts. Instead, we requested that we receive e-mail notification
if checks, withdrawals, or credit card charges over a certain amount were made.
Note:
Related to finances, one thing that lots of people don’t take into
consideration when looking at the cost of a voyage is the money they won’t be
spending while they are away (groceries, gas/petrol, entertaining, reduced
utilities, everyday expenses, etc.). All of this goes to offsetting the cost of
the trip, especially for such a long one like a world voyage. We also did
things like discontinuing our newspaper and cable TV, lowering our thermostat
and hot water heater somewhat, all of which saved us hundreds of dollars.
We
took some cash with us but planned to use ATMs in various ports to withdraw local
money where dollars wouldn’t be accepted. We also obtained foreign currency for
some countries from the Purser’s Office. The exchange rate onboard might have
been a bit higher than on shore, but it was worth it for the convenience.
Besides, we didn’t exchange that much to worry about the difference. We also
learned that we could obtain dollars and foreign currency from the Purser and
the amounts charged to our onboard account without a fee.
Was it difficult
communicating with family and friends being so far from home?
Staying
in contact is so much easier now with the Internet. For a fee, passengers can
gain access to the ship’s Internet system. Access is available from anywhere on
the ship if you have your own device (laptop, iPad, or smartphone). If you
don’t have a device, computer terminals are available in the ship’s library for
use. Depending on frequency of travel with Cunard, passengers may receive a
number of free minutes. For passengers on a world voyage, those free minutes
are awarded for each segment and carry over from segment to segment. For
example, the Queen Elizabeth 2016 world voyage consisted of five segments.
At
each port, most cruise terminals had hot spots where passengers and crew could
gain free Internet access. All we had to do was look for crewmembers gathered
in an area holding a smartphone or similar device. They knew where all the hot
spots were. Representatives at information desks in the terminals could also point
to hot spots or give out needed passwords. Outside the terminals, local
restaurants and coffee shops frequently had Internet access.
Since
we and our daughters have Apple devices, we were able to use Facetime to call
and see them. The challenge was calling them at reasonable hours since
sometimes we were twelve hours ahead of their time. They were unable to call us
since we had to be online to accept their calls, and it was too costly to stay
online awaiting a call that might not come. We would call about once a week and
would use e-mail at other times.
We
had planned to use Skype to talk to family members who did not have an Apple
device. Unfortunately we had not downloaded the Skype software before we left
and discovered that we could not do it on the ship. Skype looks for a land
address for downloads. Free hot spots on land didn’t have enough broadband for
us to download the software. So if you plan to use Skype or another method,
make sure you have the software on your device before you leave home.
As
a final resort, family and friends can communicate with you through the ship.
Travel documents provided by the cruise company give telephone numbers, etc.
for emergency contact. Leave a copy with family members before you leave.
The
computer specialist on the Queen Elizabeth was an excellent resource for solving
access or computer-related problems. Hours help was available were listed in
the daily program. Twice I was unable to turn on my laptop and panicked,
thinking that I would be unable to write my blog as planned. Both times, the
specialist was able, with a bit of effort, to resurrect my laptop—much to my
relief and eternal gratitude. The specialists also conducted computer-related
classes.
The
two librarians in the ship’s library were also able to provide assistance to
passengers experiencing difficulty getting connectivity or having other
problems. They were a terrific resource.
Did you have to obtain
visas for all the countries you visited? What about immunizations?
The
visa requirements and costs varied, depending on the country we visited and the
country you live in. As U.S. citizens, we had to obtain three visas before we
sailed: China, India, and Australia. The visa to China and India cost over $100
each. The visa to Australia was a simple online request and cost less than $30.
Cunard offered a service that would process the visas for us, or we could
submit the forms ourselves. We submitted the online visa for Australia, went to
the Chinese visa office, and mailed in the forms for India, which were a lot
more complex.
During
our voyage, the ship processed visas for a few other countries we visited and
charged the small fees to our onboard accounts. Some people think they don’t
have to obtain a visa if they plan to stay on the ship in a particular country.
That’s not the case. You must have a visa for every country requiring a visa.
Period. One couple had not bothered to get a visa for India. We heard that they
had to get off at a port before landing in India and pick up the ship at a port
outside of Indian. Some people obtained the wrong visa for India, doing an
online request that was reserved solely for people flying into specific
airports. The Indian immigration officials were not sympathetic. We didn’t hear
the outcome for those passengers.
As
far as immunizations, the U.S. Center for Communicable Diseases (CDC) provides
an online list of immunizations recommended for certain countries. It is up to
each individual as to whether or not they will get the immunizations. We’ve
never had to present a certificate showing what immunizations we had received. We
had already received most of the recommended immunizations for previous trips,
so we didn’t get any for this trip.
How did you pack for
such a long voyage?
We
have yet to hear anyone say that they didn’t pack enough. Most people lamented
that they packed far too much—including us. Patti from Hawaii, a veteran of a
number of world voyages, never packs more than two large cases. She said that
she usually finds that is sufficient. At the end of her recent world voyage on
the Queen Victoria, she said that one man really regretted the nine extra cases
he was going to have to pay excess baggage fees for when flying home.
Cunard
places no limit on the amount of luggage you can take onboard, only that each
case must not weigh more than 50 pounds or so to protect their crew. The
problem arises when you have to fly to a port and are limited on the number of
cases you can take on a plane without being charged a fortune for additional
cases and storing what you take in your cabin.
One
passenger told us the story of some people they met who would reach the port
they were sailing from, buy a lot of what they needed, and then donate the
extras at the end of the voyage before flying home. They said it was cheaper
than paying for extra cases. We’ve also heard the story of the people who
rented the cabin next to them to store all the items they brought with them—an
expensive way to store their belongings. But if they brought a lot of things
overseas, it might have ended up being cheaper than shipping them home. Many
people donated items to the Country Fayre jumble sale held near the end of our
voyage, rather than carry them home.
So
how did we pack for a four-month voyage, keeping in mind that we would also
have limited storage in our cabin? I’m definitely no expert when it comes to
packing, but this is what worked for us.
It
got a little complicated because we needed formal, informal, and casual
clothing for both warm and cold climates. We didn’t want to over-pack, but we
also didn’t want to be seen wearing the same items over and over. However, we
found that the passengers changed so frequently that that wouldn’t have been an
issue. With both a laundry/dry cleaning service on board and passenger
launderettes, we could have taken far less than we packed.
We
tried to pack carefully by color coordinating items that could be worn in
different combinations or made more formal by adding a jacket, scarves, shawls,
or jewelry. I started with daytime and evening clothing with base colors of
black, tan, white, and red. From there I added tops of turquoise, red, white,
black, etc. Also, it helps to limit the number of items with patterns and go
with solid colors. They are more versatile.
On
formal nights, we saw lots of black, which can be dressed up with glitzy
jewelry, brighter scarves, shawls, etc. Gone are the days when passengers bring
cases filled with formal evening gowns. A long black skirt or dress pants are
very versatile. They can be worn over and over with different tops of various
colors. This trip I packed fewer formal outfits than I usually do and did quite
well with what I brought. A good rule of thumb: take half the clothing you
think you need and twice the amount of underwear.
As
I’ve mentioned before, some of the places we visited were colder than expected,
so we were glad we brought windbreakers and sweaters to layer. Some places we
resorted to wearing the winter coats we had left home with. Patti of Hawaii recommended
warmer eveningwear since the dining rooms and theater were always cold. During
the day, parts of the ship were also quite cool, so I needed a sweater or shawl.
Some days it was very windy and cold on the deck, so we needed a sweater or
jacket.
In
packing, what usually loads us down are all the just-in-case items we tend to
pack (medicines for a wide variety of maladies, insect repellent, sewing kits,
extra toiletries, batteries, rain gear, etc.). One of the ship’s shops had a
limited number of toiletries and medicines. We were also able to find many
things we wanted in most of the ports we visited. So we need not have packed so
much.
People
post recommended packing lists online. We studied them and decided not to take the recommended duct tape,
super glue, power strips, alcohol, etc. We did follow the recommendation to
take an over-the-door hanger with pockets for shoes and miscellaneous items. We
also packed metal hangers to replace some of the wooden hangers provided by the
cruise line, which take up a lot of closet space. We found, however, that our
cabin attendant could provide us with all the metal hangers we could want, so
we could have left them at home. We packed magnets with clips, which enabled us
to mount things on the wall (family photos, calendar, daily schedule, trip
itinerary, etc.). We used a multi-plug adapter to plug in more than one item at
a time.
Pop-up
net clothes hampers were one of the best things we took with us. They fit in
the bottom of the closet, and we used them to store dirty clothes and to carry
clothes to the launderette. You can get them at Bed, Bath, and Beyond or other
bed and bath stores. They fold up to almost nothing and fit flat in a suitcase.
We highly recommend them.
As
for bringing bottles of alcohol onboard, there is really no need. Why risk
having one break in your luggage? If you want to enjoy a drink in your cabin, you
can buy bottles on board at duty free prices. In fact, Cunard occasionally sent
fliers about specials on various brands. Bring a corkscrew if you plan to buy
wine on shore.
Make
sure you take rechargers for all electronic items you pack. We once did a long
voyage without the recharger for the camera battery and spent lots of time in
various ports trying to buy one.
I
asked John what he would have packed differently. He admitted that he packed
far too many pairs of shorts and trousers. He took a tuxedo and two sport coats
to wear at dinner. On reflection, he wishes that in addition to his tuxedo he
had taken a suit and a navy blazer instead of the two sport coats.
I
wished that I had left space in my cases so I could have taken home some of the
lovely clothing we saw in various ports at good prices. Especially since most
of the clothing we buy here is made in the countries we visited anyway. If I
hadn’t packed so much, I might have had more room.
One
of the cases we took was a large duffle-type case on wheels, which we highly
recommend. It had lots of give and outside pockets that we used for things like
shoes.
Can we travel with less
formality?
Dressing
in formal or semi-formal attire for dinner each night isn’t for everyone. We
usually enjoy dressing more formally for dinner, but on this voyage, some
nights after a busy day on shore, we needed a relaxing, casual evening and would
have dinner in the Lido. In fact, some passengers only dined in the Lido,
foregoing the dining rooms altogether. We thought they were missing some very
enjoyable evening meals, but everyone has their own comfort level. Fortunately,
the ship provided dining areas for various preferences.
The
Lido buffet in the evening provided a place to dine in more casual attire. The
food was excellent and frequently featured cuisine of the country we were visiting.
We could also go to the Lido anytime. Dimmer lighting gave it a more elegant
ambience than found there during the day. Some evenings we saw the captain
dining there.
Related
to dining in the Britannia Dining Room: When we made our reservation for the
trip, we had a choice of either early seating 6:30 p.m. or late seating at 8:30
p.m. Since most people request early seating, it’s not always easy to get it.
As
a practice, we always request late seating since we don’t like to rush to get
ready after a busy day on shore. We also enjoy the quietness of the ship when
most passengers are either at dinner or getting ready for late seating. During
that time we took walks or used the sports deck. It was almost like having the
ship to ourselves. And since John really enjoyed going to afternoon tea, he usually
wasn’t hungry for an early dinner.
One
disadvantage of late seating is that dinner ends late and the after-dinner
entertainment doesn’t start until 10:30 p.m. So if the entertainment is
important to you and you aren’t a night person, book your voyage early so you
can get the seating time you want. Early seating fills up fast.
Gaining weight on a voyage
worries me. How can you avoid weight gain? I worry about staying in shape.
I
recently heard of a man who gained seven pounds on a seven-day voyage. If we
had gained weight at that pace, after 121 days they would have had to take us
off the ship by crane. I think the secret is to enjoy all the wonderful food
without worry the first week, and then become much more moderate after that. We
found that all the walking we did everyday helped us stay in line. When we
returned home, I had gained only one pound; John’s weight stayed the same. Now
that we are home and not walking as much, we’ve both gained a couple of pounds.
We are probably the only people in the world who gained weight after taking a
world voyage.
Onboard,
there are so many things available to help anyone stay or get into better
shape: the fitness center equipment and classes, daily sports competitions, the
sports deck with paddle ball, lawn balls, croquet, ping pong, shuffleboard, several
pools, dancing, and walking on the promenade and upper decks. We also took the
stairs as much as we could instead of using the elevators/lifts. Also, alcohol
has a ton of calories, so we only had an occasional drink and avoided froufrou
drinks with lots of sugar. I have to say though that the fruity mocktail I had
on the back deck one evening was really good.
One
couple’s method was to eat all of their meals in the dining room and avoid the
buffet in the Lido. They said that it imposed portion control on them.
I take medication. How
can I get sufficient for a long voyage? What about medical care while onboard?
I need periodic shots for allergies.
Ships
do not have large pharmacies to refill prescriptions, especially for controlled
substances. Also, we read that because medications and dosages can vary in
different countries, it might not be wise to plan to have prescriptions
refilled in other countries. So we had to ensure that we had sufficient
medications before we left home.
Frequently,
prescriptions can be obtained for at least 90 days. Since we were going to be
gone for more than 121 days, we needed to have more than a 90-day supply before
we left. We contacted our health insurance provider and discovered that we
could get a vacation override. Each
company is different, but in our case, our company enabled us to obtain
sufficient medication for the duration of our travels and some overlap time.
Check
with your insurance provider or physician well before traveling. In our case,
we called two months before we were scheduled to travel and were told that was
too soon. Later after we called to check on our request, we learned that it had
not been processed because the prescription had to be renewed by our physician,
and no one notified us. So don’t wait until the last minute to arrange for
receipt of needed medications. We received our medication two days before we
left—so close it left us gnashing our teeth.
One
passenger required regular allergy shots and was able to obtain them from the
Medical Unit onboard. He said he had to pay the fee, charged to his onboard
account, and submit the receipts to his insurance company once he got home for
reimbursement. He said he had to be careful that he kept track of the receipts.
U.
S. travelers should be aware that rarely does Medicare cover medical expenses
incurred outside of the U.S. Take a look at the Medicare site below for
guidelines.
https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/travel-need-health-care-outside-us.html
The
Queen Elizabeth had a fully staffed Medical Unit that could handle most of the
medical needs of passengers onboard. In those cases where passengers required
more intensive care, they were transferred to hospitals at the next port. One
passenger on the QM2 was taken off the ship by helicopter.
For
this reason alone, we would never travel without travel insurance. It is a
false economy to skimp on the insurance. Imagine having to pay not only for the
medical treatment but also for a spouse or travel companion’s hotel
accommodation and meals during the time of the hospitalization, and then the
cost of traveling on from there, especially if medical transportation is
required. And don’t think it won’t happen to you. During our voyage, we knew of
passengers who developed pneumonia, had heart attacks, broke a leg, cracked
ribs in a fall, etc. These things happen, even on vacation.
Being around alcohol can
a problem. I worry about taking a long voyage where alcohol is available all
over the ship.
The
daily program lists a meeting of the Friends of Bill. Most people see this and
think that Bill really has a lot of friends since it appears in the program
every day. What it actually refers to is a meeting room set aside for members
of Alcoholics Anonymous or anyone who would like to meet with others. It is an
informal gathering and not a led meeting, but this may differ depending on what
ship you are on.
What if mobility is an
issue?
We
saw numerous people with mobility limitations—using everything from canes and
walkers to electric wheelchairs operated using a few fingers. Getting around
the ship was not a problem. Sometimes mobility became an issue depending on the
tours offered. Each tour identified the level of mobility required based on the
terrain, uneven pavement, stairs, etc. Some of the tour buses could store
certain equipment such as wheelchairs and electric scooters; others could not. The
tour office always identified restrictions and could give further guidance.
We are rather reserved
people. What if you feel uncomfortable dining with strangers?
If
sharing a table at dinner makes you uncomfortable, you can request a table for
two. At dinner, tables for two are at a premium, so make sure you clarify your
request when you book you trip, and then confirm it. I would note that we sat
near a number of tables for two, and the people at those tables look rather
lonely and bored, so try giving a larger table a chance. Our table for six was
just right for us. A table for eight or larger made it harder to communicate
with everyone seated with you, but there weren’t many of them. The tables were
mostly for six.
In
the Lido for breakfast and lunch, because it’s so crowded, people will
frequently ask if they can share your table. This is a terrific way to meet
people on the ship, and we met people who became good friends that way. But if
you are still uncomfortable with that, you can go to the dining room. Seating
is open at breakfast and lunch and you can request a table for two. The dining
room staff is usually able to accommodate your request. Two of our tablemates
at dinner said they were not morning people and always requested a table for
two at breakfast.
We
knew passengers who were unhappy with their tablemates and requested a change
of table. So, it can be done. We had the same four tablemates for our entire
voyage. They were delightful and interesting people, and we enjoyed them
thoroughly. However, if they had not been, we might have been inclined to ask
for a change of table for each segment.
What are the benefits of
being considered a full world voyage passenger?
Below
is a list of some of the benefits of being a full world voyage passenger, or
one who is going the whole way around.
Actually, we heard that anyone who is on the ship for at least 80 days of the
world voyage is considered a world voyage passenger (this could be different
for each world voyage).
-
A
cocktail party in the Queen’s Room during each segment (five segments in all).
-
Use
of a lounge midships for world voyage passengers only, with comfortable chairs
and refreshments available during the day. I don’t know why a separate lounge
since there are so many nice lounges throughout the ship—it’s probably a
holdover from by-gone days of sailing.
-
Concierge
available in the lounge several hours a day to provide assistance to
passengers. The concierge will answer questions, arrange for tour tickets, and
do research, etc., whatever a passenger needs (e.g., she booked golf times at
various ports for passengers, gave a man directions to a computer repair shop
at an upcoming port for his laptop problems, made dinner reservations, arranged
tours, etc.).
-
World
Cruise Dinner, which is held at a hotel in one of the larger cities. This
year’s dinner was held in Singapore, and it was magnificent.
-
Gifts
throughout the voyage. Some of the gifts we received included a bottle of champagne,
exotic plant, plates of chocolates each segment, a QE carry bag, ball cap,
scarfs for the women, cufflinks for the men, two Wedgewood coffee mugs, etc.
-
Onboard
spending allowance and other financial benefits based on where and when you
booked your voyage
-
Being
able to unpack once and see a large portion of the world.
Attending church/synagogue service is important to me. What’s available onboard?
When
the ship is at sea, the captain or another senior officer conducts a
traditional maritime Christian church service on Sundays. People of any
Christian denomination would find things in the service familiar to their own
worship service.
Occasionally
a Catholic or Episcopal priest would be onboard and would say mass or conduct a
communion service. A Jewish Sabbath Eve worship service was scheduled for
Friday evenings. However, the schedule asked for a guest to lead the service.
So other than the service conducted by the captain, any other religious group
was dependent on a priest or clergymen being among the passengers and willing
to conduct a service.
Some
Sundays when we were ashore, we found churches close to the dock, and it was a
good experience joining with the people of other countries in the service. They
were always very welcoming. We did a Google search and found addresses and
times before we arrived.
Did you have to take a
tour to see the places the ship visited?
Days
before we reached each port, the Tour Office gave a live presentation about the
history, people, and places of interest there. They also described the Cunard-sponsored
tours available. These presentations were recorded and could be viewed on TV in
the cabin.
It
wasn’t necessary to take a tour to enjoy the sights. Some places we were able
to enjoy simply by walking through the town or taking a city or hop-on or hop
off bus, especially if a place felt safe and had a good public transportation
system (e.g., Japan). Cunard provided shuttle buses to take passengers to a
central place in most areas.
However,
when we wanted to visit more remote sites, didn’t feel comfortable going out on
our own, or wanted to learn about the area from a guide, we took a Cunard tour.
Some passengers arranged their own tours or took taxis to specific places they
wanted to see. We viewed taking the Cunard tours as insurance that if the tour
bus returned late, the ship would wait for us.
The
one thing we regretted was not reading more about the places on our itinerary
well before we got there. We might have made better selections of what we
wanted to see. Frequently we heard passengers tell of places they had visited
that we wished we had known about.
The
daily program included printed information about each port and a map, along
with the Cunard contact information in that port in case of emergency, which we
always carried with us.
Also,
we wished that we had booked more of the tours we were interested in before we
sailed. Cunard sent us a book listing tours that could we could book online. We
did this for Petra and Malta but no others. We learned later that the costs of
the tours were slightly higher on the ship. Note: To use an onboard credit for tours,
they have to be booked on the ship.
One
frequent cruiser said that she reads travel blogs written by visitors to the
area she plans to visit. The ship’s library also had a good selection of travel
books for various countries.
I dread the idea of
getting seasick. Did you get seasick? What about outbreaks of Norovirus?
Seasickness
can happen, especially if someone is prone to dizziness or motion sickness.
However, ships these days have stabilizers, which reduce but don’t eliminate
motion. Consuming either capsules or candied ginger, eating, getting fresh air,
looking at a fixed point like the horizon, or using pressure wristbands, all
can help. Medications such as Bonine or Dramamine are very effective, and I
believe can be obtained from the Purser’s Office. It’s worth taking some along with you. Some people consulted their physicians before sailing to obtain a
patch to counter seasickness, but be forewarned that they can make you feel
drowsy.
At
the beginning of our voyage, we traveled through the Bay of Biscay and hit some
really rough water—before we had a few days at sea to become accustomed to the
feel of the ship (get our sea legs). In that instance, I jumped right to taking
some Bonine, immediately felt better, and had no side effects. Usually I don’t
need it, but I hadn’t had a chance to get our sea legs.
As
for Norovirus, outbreaks of gastro-intestinal illness can happen, but the
ship’s crew works quite hard to prevent it or limit it spreading. For the first
time in over 30 years of sailing, we were on a ship that had an outbreak, and I
experienced it. I wrote about the experience under my blog entry, “Shipboard
Life.” During an outbreak onboard, I honestly believe I got it because when my
hands were full, I put my cardkey between my teeth to hold it. John did not get
sick. Another woman said she did the same thing, and she got sick. That cardkey
goes on a card reader used by every single passenger and crewmember at each
port. So never, ever put your cardkey in your mouth.
How did you keep from
becoming bored with so many days at sea?
We
would have had to work pretty hard to become bored on sea days. In fact, there
were so many scheduled activities each day that it was a struggle to narrow
down what we wanted to do. Even if we had stayed in our cabin, a number of
television stations and movie channels were available. But the nice thing about
being on a sea voyage is that we could do as much or as little as we wanted.
Some days it was great to do nothing but sit in a deck chair and look for
dolphins.
One
of the big attractions of a Cunard voyage is the quality of the speakers
featured on sea days. They included speakers like writers such as Bill Bryson, historians,
scientists, entertainers, public officials like Lord Paddy Ashdown, former MP
and diplomat, and Commodore Jerry Kyd, the commanding officer of HMS Queen
Elizabeth, Britain’s latest aircraft carrier. The speakers were informative and
entertaining.
Lord
Paddy Ashdown (right) who served in the Royal Marines at the same time as John
Commodore Jerry Kyd
The
ship was virtually filled with music of every type (bands, classical string
quartets, pianists, harpist, jazz groups, etc.). Name a type of music and you
could find it on the ship, either provided by members of the entertainment crew
or guest artists that changed nearly daily. Among my favorites was the
classical concerts held every afternoon in the Queen’s Room.
There
was no lack of entertainment of all types. But if you liked to be more
involved, ballroom, tap, and line dancing classes were held on sea days, and passenger
could join a choral group, Singers at Sea. We even had some passenger-led
creative writing classes. There seemed to be something for everybody. Some of
the most popular activities were the quizzes, held several times a day in
various places. And, of course, bingo in the pub.
For
those passengers interested in arts and crafts, daily classes were held in both
areas. Susan Filer of Australia, known for her book Napkin Art, developed crafts that kept even the most experienced
crafters busy and entertained.
And
to me, best of all, Cunard ships have the best libraries at sea. In addition to
a wide selection of books, they had a selection of recorded books; but
passengers needed to have their own portable CD players. It was glorious sitting
in a deck chair, reading a good book.
With so many activities,
how did you keep track of everything?
Each
evening, we received a program for the following day’s activities and circled
the activities we wanted to attend. We still ended up missing some of them and
wished that we had carried the program with us throughout the day.
Using
a magnet with a holder, we mounted on the wall a month-at-a-glance calendar and
marked the dates for each port visit and activities that wouldn’t be on the
daily program (e.g., invitation only cocktail parties, wine tastings, complimentary
dinners, etc.) and family events like birthdays.
We
wish that we had checked the calendar more often because we missed some events
like wine tastings, which were scheduled for specific days and times, etc. We
simply had not looked at the calendar that day. We also received vouchers for a
complimentary lunch in the Verandah or dinner in the Lido Alternative Dining
area and missed using some of them because they had expiration dates that we
hadn’t noted.
Looking at the world
voyage fares, we could only afford an inside cabin. Do we risk getting cabin
fever during a long voyage?
Unless
you have claustrophobia, an inside cabin is still quite comfortable. Two of our
friends who had an inside cabin said they spent little time in the cabin and just
imagined that they had a window with the drapes drawn. It was the amenities on
the ship and where the ship was going that were important to them. They also said
they would rather spend less on their accommodation and sail more often. We
sail less frequently, so we opted for a cabin with a balcony. Whether traveling
in a cabin that was inside, outside with a view, balcony, princess grill or queen’s
grill suites, everyone had a wonderful voyage.
