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If I’ve done my sums right, this is the fifth cruise thatMrs PBT’s and I have been on, and on the first of two full days at sea, we’vebeen getting our bearings. So, after a good night’s rest, that was certainlymuch needed, followed by breakfast in our cabin, we set off to explore theship, which is to be our home for the next two and a half weeks.This is our second time aboard the Queen Victoria, the firstbeing a short, pre-Christmas excursion last November, to Amsterdam. For thelovers of trivia, or superfluous information – I’m thinking of our anonymoustroll here, we are just one room away this time, from the cabin we stayed inlast year. We followed the wise advice given by Eileen’s latebrother-in-law, who along with her sister, was an avid cruiser. Brian sadlypassed away just at the start of the COVID pandemic, but along with his wife Lynne,he looked after us on our first “taster” cruise, which was a short, two-nightsailing to Zeebrugge and back.
Brian’s advice centred around the position of cabin, whichdeck was the best, plus the importance of the cabin position, fore or aft. Several factors come into play here, butmid-ships is generally considered to be the most stable position, an importantconsideration for those prone to motion sickness. The deck number is alsoimportant, as if you’re someone who values peace and quiet. you don’t want tobe in a room that is directly below the promenade deck, the dance floor or oneof the swimming pools. Cabin position is also reflected in the price charged,and this is another factor to consider when choosing one’s cabin and bookingyour next cruise.
We have now cruised on all three of Cunard’s Queen ships,and with the recent launch of the line’s latest vessel, and her maiden voyagenext spring, the Queen Anne will become the fourth cruise liner in thecompany’s illustrious line-up. I think we both prefer the Queen Vic, out of theships we have sailed in so far, but there’s probably not much to choose betweenher and the Elizabeth. The odd one out, is the Queen Mary 2, and this anomalyis because the latter is deigned as an oceangoing liner, as opposed to a cruiseship. Because of this, the Queen Mary operates primarily on the North Atlanticcrossing between Southampton and New York.
To accommodate the sea conditions on what can often be arough crossing, many of the balcony cabins on the Mary are enclosed, that is tosay they are cut out of the upper hull of the ship, so whilst still “open” asfar as the views are concerned, they are far less exposed and offer much moreprotection from the elements, compared to a traditional balcony. The Queen Mary2 can thus be regarded as the last of the true Atlantic liners.
Mrs PBT’s and I sailed on the QM2 on our cruise to theNorwegian Fjords, last June, and it’s worth focussing for a minute on thedifferent demographics of the people who cruise on the various Cunard liners.The first part of last June’s voyage was characterised by mainly British andAmerican passengers – the ship had, after all, just crossed the Atlantic fromNew York. Before heading up to Norway, the Queen Mary sailed up the Elbe River,and berthed at the port of Hamburg. Quite a few Americans left the ship there,as did many German passengers returning from a trip to New York. Many of the passengers leaving the ship were replaced byother Germans who, like us, were keen to experience the fjords. Without wishing tostereotype, the Teutonic contingent were quite boisterous, although once yougot talking to them, they proved interesting company. Again, without riskingupsetting another nationality, the Americans were also loud, but in a differentway from the Germans, if that makes sense.
This current cruise, across the Mediterranean, almostexclusively consists of citizens from the UK and Ireland, and the agedemographic is older as well. I would say that the majority of the passengersare a similar age to Eileen and I. Most are retired, living the dream possibly,or perhaps not, but from my point of view it would be nice to see a few youngerfaces. As far as children are concerned, we have only seen two so far, and wehave been virtually all over the ship – or at least in all those areas that arenot out of bounds to passengers.
Mrs PBT’s has managed to find a tucked away spot right atthe fore of Deck 10, where she can vape away to her heart’s content, in thecompany of other nicotine addicts who prefer to take their poison in moretraditional forms. They seem a welcoming bunch though and have proved theirweight in gold with useful tips and advice. As with any of these open areas of deck, drinks are available, courtesyof the waiters who patrol these areas, and I confess to having been tempted onseveral occasions, by a glass or two of beer from the Cunard range – either theBlack Stout, or the Gold Pilsner. Further back along Deck 10, are the two pool areas, althoughtechnically the pools are situated on the deck below. Here can be found thevaried ranks of sun worshipers – people who grew up in an age where theacquisition of a suntan, as a result of exposure to the sun, was considereddesirable, rather than something to be wary of.
I’m currently sitting in one of these shaded “smoking areas”keeping company with Mrs PBT’s, whilst typing out this post at the same time.We’ve spent a lazy morning, although I have still managed to clock up 6.5ksteps, following a few laps of the promenade deck, after breakfast. We hadlunch in the “posh” restaurant, which saved us from the scrum of the buffet. Anannouncement from the captain at midday, informed us of a change of itinerary,which means our next stop will now be Crete, rather than the island of Mykonos. This is due to potential issues with tender operation at thelatter destination, due to strong winds. Eileen and I don’t mind, as Heraklionin Crete, will prove an easier port to disembark the ship from. We mayexperience similar issues at Santorini as well, but this is part of the wholecruise experience, so we’ll just sit back, relax and enjoy ourselves, and gowherever the ship takes us.
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