sfred

Sorry, we didn't save any programs from our recent QE voyage.  In general, there are...

• Insight lectures from featured speakers on a wide range of topics.
• On Sundays at sea, a religious service.
• Exercise and wellness classes in the gym or spa.
• Cooking demonstrations from the galley staff, showcasing a particular cuisine or technique. 
• Music concerts.
• Trivia in the pub.
• Afternoon tea.
• Movies
• Evening entertainment show, usually in two sittings at 8p and 10p. 
• Watercolor painting.
• Bridge and other cardgames.
• On some voyages, passenger chorus.

I've probably forgotten some things. The challenge is fitting everything in and still finding time for a relaxing book, snooze, and seagazing.  Bon voyage for your first time on Cunard.

57 minutes ago, bazzaw said:

Thanks everybody - yes, My Cunard is down !

Looks like it's working again, as at 3p AEST anyway.

1 hour ago, LittleFish1976 said:

Been off-line all day in Aust, sfred. Bit frustrating for those of us managing up-coming as well as new cruises. Hope you get to check in soon - was just thinking when I saw your most recent photos that you seem to be living on QE now! You'll have to include your new address in your signature!

It's @bazzaw who was hoping to check in, for QE in Tokyo.  But yes, how nice would that be to take up QE residence!  Or QM2.  Or QV.   I wonder if Cunard would cut me a deal?  Perhaps one day...

Offline for me too, as at 1pm AEST Queensland time.

11 hours ago, exlondoner said:

And the food?

Quite tasty, we thought.  Neither of us is very particular, and Cunard easily beats what we eat at home (with no washing up afterwards!).  We saw many menu items repeated that we enjoyed from our 36night SF-Barcelona voyage last year, but nothing was repeated within this 14night voyage, and the variety and quality were good.  We did Coriander for our Diamond alternative dining benefit, which is always a favourite.  The captain and several senior officers were also in Coriander that night, at one of the large round tables at the aft end.

6 hours ago, NE John said:

I’m glad this Pro was front and center but this makes really afraid that after our next PG experience coming up in Alaska we’d never go back to Britannia!

You ‘da man!

It is tough to go back!  😀  Best wishes for Alaska.  If you see any of the PG people I mentioned above, please say hello for us.  They were great!

Also, if not too much trouble, please have a look in the corridor outside the Deck 10 Commodore Club for the port plaques from our six maiden call ports.  They hadn't been hung yet when we got off in Sydney.  I think they will be with the other Oceania/Australia/NZ plaques on the starboard side.  Thanks!

4 hours ago, NE John said:

So @sfred…are you going to give a review of your voyage (onboard experiences especially)? What cabin grade did you sail? Your opinion is valued including your thoughts about the hits and any misses. 

Thanks @NE John - appreciate your kind words  We were in PG on this voyage (our sweet spot for medium/longer trips).

Pros (there are lots of them - I'll try to keep it to the big ones)

• PG service from our steward Glenn, maitre d' Stanley, assistant Lesandro, waiter Nell, assistant Alma, and sommelier Rajesh.  It was an outstanding team of Cunard professionals who did a wonderful job from start to finish.  We also went by to say hello to some familiar faces from past QE voyages who had moved to other areas -- maitre d' Sanjay and Joon who had moved to Britannia, and waiter Sanjoy who had moved to QG. 
• Entertainment show Circa, who were aboard for three performances.  They are Queensland based (circa.org.au) and are outstanding.  One of the best evening shows that Mrs. sfred and I have seen on Cunard.
• Insight lectures from forensic dentist Dr. Judith Hinchliffe and New Zealand astronomer Dr. Chris Benton.  They gave very interesting talks, and both were good public speakers.
• Port calls in Noumea and Suva.  We had nice walking adventures, and found good restaurants and cafes for lunch and coffee.
• Our weather was great.  No typhoons, which are always a threat this time of year in this area of the Pacific, and only one big afternoon thunderstorm in Suva, which happened after we had gotten back to the ship and was fun to watch from our balcony.  Seas were calm except for our last afternoon and evening before arriving back in Sydney, when we got into the same waves which impacted QV on her Tasman crossing from NZ to Australia.  For me it was fun - I like the ride - but Mrs. sfred prefers a more stable deck under her feet.
• Many nice sunrises with coffee.  My favourite time of day when aboard.
• FInding the additional Mauretania photos scattered around QE, and imagining what a TA crossing would have like back in the early 1900s.
• Internet was fast and reliable throughout.  I still wish Cunard would offer a 2 hour option to make the Diamond credit last longer, but that's a topic not specific to this voyage.  We supplemented the ship internet with mobile phone roaming on port days.

Could have been a little better 

• Port calls in Lifou and Luganville, new ports for Cunard and QE.  Getting to things worth seeing were very long walks and there wasn't much in the areas around the ship.  This isn't Cunard's fault - they had many excursions on offer.  It's just that our usual port day routine is to do our own thing and explore on foot.  This wasn't a practical strategy in these ports.  Note to self - organise a Cunard excursion when in more remote places.
• We didn't go to any of the Cunard singer/dancer evening shows.  We've seen them all before several times.  I guess we've been aboard too often!  🙂   Cunard might consider a more frequent refresh of these shows.     

Cons

• None.  We had a wonderful time.

Let me know any questions - happy to expand on any further items.

Thanks @Wonky.  I think I can see us on our balcony in the first photo.   🙂

A bit more sunrise now.  Sorry should've waited a few minutes before posting. 

I thought I saw another cruise ship this morning!  Might have been QV.  It was a little too far to tell and I couldn't check on Marinetraffic as I'd run out of QE WiFi and wasn't yet close enough to shore for mobile data. 

QE is back in Sydney today Tuesday 5 March.   Coffee on disembarkation day isn't nearly as good as beer on embarkation day.  Safe travels to all those returning home today. 

Back in Sydney this morning.   Just a little slice of sunrise behind the opera house. 

5 hours ago, NE John said:

When I was in northern Quebec, I used my seven years of French to end up telling the hotel clerk in French “Yesterday I am a telephone”…

I'm sure that would enable you to blend easily in New Caledonia!  😀

I have several sunrise photos that I haven't posted yet, as I didn't want to provide too many spoilers for the port photos in the Where in the World game.  Here they are…

2 March approaching Noumea 

1 March st sea

29 Feb approaching Suva Fiji

28 Feb approaching Lautoka Fiji

6 hours ago, D&N said:

Google Lens provides a match for Suva, FIJI.

There's a photo of a HAL ship that is almost identical to that of QE, not such a nice day though. And one of QV in March 2015. Building and cranes are same.

Correct!  QE's maiden call to Suva on leap day 29 February.

These two Fiji ports Lautoka and Suva are 648 and 649 in our game.  Here are the daily program guides for Fiji and Noumea. 

Unfortunately that brings to an end my new port photos from this voyage.   We disembark back in Sydney tomorrow.   

A reminder to all the Where in the World participants that Port D is not yet identified.   Photos are at the bottom of the previous page 211.

1 hour ago, bluemarble said:

I'll go ahead and complete the identification of Port F after having identified the bonus photo for port F yesterday. I suppose many of you have already figured out Port F is Noumea, New Caledonia where QE was yesterday. This is the port we've seen once before on this thread, but not from a Cunard ship. That was in @ExArkie's post #3576.

Noumea is correct.  @ExArkie's post 3576 on 13 July 2021 was quite a milestone for this game --  port number 500.  Excellent that we're still going in 2024.

Mrs sfred and I had a very nice day in Noumea.   As usual we walked all around the city, and went to lunch at a French restaurant on the waterfront.   Here's a photo from our outdoor table on the terrace.  We also brought back a bottle of bubbly for evening sailaway on our QE balcony.

I even managed to use some of my school days French with the locals.  Amazingly we seemed to understand each other!  🇫🇷  🙂

39 minutes ago, NE John said:

What an exciting voyage to be onboard and visit all these beautiful spots and making QE maiden calls. Great call in booking this one!!
Is there any recent history of Cunard visiting these South Pacific islands? Maybe past world voyages? 

It has been an excellent voyage.  We've been lucky with weather.   This time of year there's the rainy season and usual cyclone risk.

Cunard is planning more of these voyages before QE leaves for the Caribbean.   There is a 2025 itinerary the same as ours plus a call into Brisbane.   And some of the cancelled New Zealand trips have been rescheduled to these islands. 

I don't know Cunard’s history in these waters.   Although all ports are maiden calls for QE, several of the unseen ports were on our list indicating that one or more of other Cunard ships have been before.   @bluemarble or @Colin_Cameron will perhaps know and comment once ports D and F are identified?

6 hours ago, NE John said:

My guess for Port E based on seeing containers is Lautoka, Fiji. 

That's right!  QE's maiden call to Lautoka on 28 February.   Nicknamed "sugar city" for the surrounding cane fields and the largest sugar mill in the southern hemisphere.  

1 hour ago, bluemarble said:

I'll give this bonus photo a try. I think it's recent enough that I can calculate your sunrise position on your past track. Is this Canal Woodin, New Caledonia?

Absolutely correct!  A wonderful sunrise from QE this morning.   The "Canal" in the name is French, meaning waterway or channel, rather than the English meaning of man-made.  Canal Woodin separates the main island of New Caledonia on the left in the photo from Ile Ouen on the right. 

I don't think the bonus photo qualifies as a cruise-by as it wasn't a named destination in our itinerary or a place that was particularly noted in our route.  But it was extraordinarily beautiful this morning in the dawn light.  We had an ideal temperature of about 26c and a light tropical breeze over the deck.  Plus a cup of coffee! ☕️  

Here is a bonus photo for Port F, taken at dawn from the stern of the ship about an hour before arrival.  Can you name the body of water in the photo?  It was a stunning sunrise!

Port F

Port E

Port D

Here are three more ports, D E and F.  All are maiden calls for this Cunard ship.  Two are on our unseen list.  One has been seen, although not from a Cunard ship.  Good luck!

Last night I found two more Mauretania photos on QE.  They are on the wall on Deck 1 adjacent to the purser's desk.  My photos of the photos attached below.   I'm always amazed that after so many days on QE I can still discover new things.