roscoe39

I thought last nights Gala evening looked really good, the ship positively sparkled and shone, at least last night there seemed to be a good uptake of the dress requirements.

Shux and thanks richard, it was a great visit and i would have happily spent a few days taking in the portugese history there… the casinos dont hold any interest but there is plenty of other entertainments to be had there

hi Tgetz, Im currently on the World Voyage, Singapore today, and I have as it happened been blogging about it, warts and all, if you want to take a look http://exitviathegiftshop.blogspot.com . If you scroll right back you will find the complete 2016 world voyage http://exitviathegiftshop.blogspot.com/2014/12/is-earth-really-round.html I personally am a fan of Cunard's World Voyages, although this year there have been lots of changes noticelably the dumbing down of the formality which isn't sitting well with most doing the full world but it is still a great experience.

goodness! that was quite a read! and here I was thinking that no one was reading my blog this year.... the defence measures were lifted when we left Manilla, and I suppose may come back around the Indian Ocean. Ask the moment the most danger we are at seems to be the excess of souffles and scones with clotted cream. I really need to go on a diet.

the QV is definitely the best ship in the fleet in my opinion, thats basically comes down to the crew. Although the facilities are basically the same she has a feel to her that is not on the QE, and she is the ship that the crew seem to want to come back to.

Thanks Richard, there have been some positive reports from the QM2 which called in there a couple of days ago. Apparently the welcome was exuberant and most people who stayed in town to look enjoyed it immensely. Who Knew? One day out and we are surrounded by Islands, there are over 18500 islands that make up the country and well over 100 million people. Last night we had a NZ pianist on stage, Carl Day, he was excellent. So far most of the entertainment has been a little disappointing, the comedians especially. We will not forget the Texan who was meant to do two shows and only did one, personally I was surprised he was allowed to finish that one. Some of the lectures have been excellent, Professor Denis Folley particularly who lectured on Australia, race relations and the history of slavery in Australia. Yesterday the Q & A with the chief engineer and our captain - the Irish 007 was a sell out and well deserved. Both of them particularly good with the Dad jokes. The food in the restaurants beautiful presented and a great and varied menu. Anyone getting on soon has something to look forward to.

Hi I've done the South American trip twice already and booked on again for next year. In the past they have offered Iguassu Falls, the Galapagos, Muchu Picchu but I think you will find Antarctica is a little ambitious. The Galapagos was the closest that we got to covid on that trip and I believe some passengers returned to the ship with the symptoms and it was rumoured they were turned away but I can't confirm that. The Machu Picchu trip experienced problems as well returning to the ship as there was a hold up with the transit and they had to catch the ship up. Its one of the most exciting Itins that Cunard offer and am looking forward to doing it again in 2025. As with the WC I am currently on, some excursions were offered online only a short time before we departed and I suspect they will add to what is currently showing closer to the time. By the time the ship had put on its South Africa overnight Safaris this year I had already booked a private one....which was particularly advantageous considering the price.

last night as mentioned we turned into the Torres strait, I was out on the balcony at 2am and we were traveling at 5 knots, it must have been the point that the captain had mentioned we would have 1 meter below the keel. There were lots of markers and the red beacons lighting up the sides of the ship as we drifted by, movement was barely perceptible and there was no sound from the bow wave. Weather calm warm and stable, apparently Indonesia where we are heading is about to experience a tempest. Last nights entertainment was a comedian, apparently English and well known although I had never heard of him. I lasted quite long for me....about 45 seconds. The big world cruise party last night on the poop deck was a hit, it was. bbq theme, plenty of room which made a difference as the previous ones in the Queens room have apparently been quite crowded. There won't be a report on it as I wasn't meant to be there and I don't want to alert the authorities......... Im not one to judge.......but.......there has been a gentleman coming into the chart room each morning at 8am just as I am arriving in the office and he orders a double Gin, Ice, no short. It sent the boys into a fluster to begin with when he got on in Sydney but now they have it ready for him each morning and he shuffles off, job done. No judgement.

ay we continue our trek up the coast of Queensland - tonight at 7pm we will turn the corner around cape York and proceed through the Torres Strait on the way to Indonesia our next port of call. we are surrounded by atolls reefs and islands the area being quite treacherous for marine traffic as many of the shipwrecks below us can attest. The ships decks are alive again with the screams and yell of the English around the panda tennis table, foreign accents yelling to each other across the pool about god knows what and the laughter of the Australians in the deck chairs around me over the guy in the jacket and pocket chief.....hey! Wait a minute! Blog update for anyone interested...

Hi if anyone is interested I am blogging on the Qv trip this year on exitviathegiftshop.blogspot.com Roscoe

For the last two days we have been sailing up close to the Queensland coastline on our way to Airlie Beach tomorrow. it will be a short sharp stop as we leave at 3.45. I relented and purchased the internet package, its eyewaterring but trying to do the internet only by using up the credit each sector and then while the ship is in port would not work, most people are online on the ship (annoyingly so in the Chart room when they hold video calls at the top of their voices) but its also a good way to message those you know are on the ship but haven't seen them and there is the chance of a suite party coming up. The food has been spectacular upstairs and also in the MDR, tonight is gala night and it will be interesting to see what on the mdr menu, baked Alaska and snails have been sadly absent. I may have to start ordering them off menu. The ship is purring along, Blog updated.

we seem to be in the middle of a bit of a tempest today, during the night the ship was apparently surrounded by a storm....I slept through it....it could have been the cocktails. The swimming pool today was the main headquarters of the Queen Victoria Surf Club. I hope all are having a great day surrounded by unicorns and rainbows. blog updated.

second sea day to Australia, yesterday was stunning - a clear blue sky for as far as the eye could see and yet today is back to cloudy although the sun is trying to break through. The entertainment so far has been patchy, the quality of a couple of the shows has been questionable but I didn't come for the shows. There was a texan on the other night who was pretty hard to understand - a mixture of bad dad jokes but some amazing piano. Last night there was a Chinese girl with a harpsichord.......enough said. The food has been great, no complaints there they should be rolling me off this year. blog being updated

Hi Im board at the moment and the refurbishment is for May. She is in good nick however I have noticed this year that there is a bit of rust on her hull that I have not noticed before but hey....she is built of steel and she spends her whole life at sea...salt water....steel....its bound to happen. I love this ship but like all of us....we are showing a few signs of wear and tear but we are still essentially magnificent beasts.

sorry slight correction, talking to the Captain last night and he is getting off in Capetown not Singapore..... Lyttleton ..... just got in.....dreary and over cast....could change at any moment.....as this is nz. There are a number of regulars missing off the ship this year, cheers to absent friends, some permanently some who chose the QM2, I wonder how they feel about it and their now changed itinerary. Quite a lot of the crew are getting ready to depart to the new QA, that often happens as they need the experienced crew for continuity but it does cause a gap on the ship. Ok time to catch the shuttle, last stop in NZ today then 3 sea days till Sydney

great pic...can I steal it?

Well a great day in Wellington of which I have to report a lot of Dinosaurs!!! We are quickly departing early so about to lose the internet, currently to mean to pay the $36 a day..... so will up date more after Chch tomorrow. Blog quickly updated with some pictures but Wellington put on a terrific day..... On we sail!

I had been hoping that some one may have been posting from the QV WC this year but alas...looks like its up to me... Auckland had been in the middle of a bit of a rain drought...that is until yesterday when my favourite queen arrives and the skies opened. 335 people were embarking and 60 crew were on changeover, and so it could have been a bit of a wet fest if the rain didn't become intermittent. We got a fabulous send off right on time from Queens Wharf and today we are cruising off down towards Wellington for tomorrow. Just passing Gisborne as we speak. The sea is reasonably calm and she is purring along like a kitten on a cushion. Some people had mentioned that the ship was beginning to show her age, I dispute that, shes looking magnificent, and the old girl is standing up pretty well to a life constantly at sea. I had dinner with friends last night in the MDR at the back of the dining room at one of the large tables by the window and the reports of horrendous vibration confused me, there has always been a bit of vibration in the dining room and in my mind it is no worse than it has ever been in the past. In fact it is familiar and comforting....but then...maybe I am just used to it. Captain Tomas is on until Singapore when Hoyt will be returning - so the ship has been blessed by two great captains this trip - tonight is one of the WC parties. Everyone seems happy on board, although I was standing behind a lady at the excursion desk this morning who was complaining that the seats on her last excursion bus were hard and could she make sure that the next excursions bus she had have softer and wider seats. Judging by what I could see I understood her request for the latter. There was also a lady complaining that apparently a cocktail dress had been stolen from the laundry room and could the ship please ensure there was a security guard in the laundrette to keep her washing safe. The excursion officer pointed her and her enquiry across the room to the pursers office. There was only one lecturer on today - disappointing knowing that in the past there were usually at least two a day, not sure if that is the new norm. Trivial pursuit quiz at 7.30pm? feels a bit incongruous considering its the dinner hour. Menus so far have had some delightful choices and alas I don't think I will be on a diet this year. My blog. exitviathegiftshop is up and running... although the cost of the internet is staggering. $usd24 and $usd36 per day is staggering. so posts may be a little sporadic as it is a bit more than I budgeted for.... http://exitviathegiftshop.blogspot.com/ Enjoy your day wherever you are....I know I am..........

am I missing something? I am about to hop on the QV tomorrow as the last half of the WC and this is what my booking summary shows the internet as

the concierge has the same feature as the Grills Concierge in that they can facilitate bookings of taxis at ports and generally as a go between between you and the ship if you have any questions or queries you would normally line up at the pursers office to settle. In my experience of the world cruises the menus rotates about every two weeks...and there are variations to take into account the different countries you visit. Nothing drastic....

its not you my friend but the organisms cruise and cargo ships bring here..... poor old Tasmania is a perfect example of the damage unfettered cargo ships from china bringing harmful "bugs" into a once pristine harbour and destroying th local ecology...I assume you are European so plenty of examples in your own back yard.

sorry but if the reason is that the Cruise ships (and there are several involved in being turned away over the years) are not coming to NZ because of them having to come with clean hulls, without the damaging organisms from other parts of the world, them I'm with the environment and our government for protecting them.. They can stay away and help keep our pristine fjords and Bays clear.

its more than possible to arrange one, my travel agent put a package together that enabled us to spend a couple of nights at a reserve and flights and pickups for a very good value much less than the offered excursions from Cunard. It may be worth talking to a good agent and seeing if they can organise something for you....

interesting, I thought that the Open Dining was on level two? and that fixed dining was on three... personally on a World Cruise I would prefer fixed dining and it be on the much grander part of the dining room on two than the level three which to me always feels cramped. Have the two types of dining been swopped for this years WC?

I had one from on a short 8 day hop once, didn't impress me, you needed to keep the blinds across as the cabin across the atrium was looking right in. The ocean view cabins are a much better deal for me, I wouldn't take an atrium again.