Photo Andy

Reply to Andy, yes it was a bit of a hike 55mins but 4-5 photo stops, lot quicker coming back down. I have been walking and mountain biking throughout the winter and spring as I am doing two major charity bike rides in the summer. 
Reply to Ardennais, it was drizzle at Briksdal and we just walked through it. Sorry to hear about the Loen Sky lift weather, we booked the cruise late and Loen was fully booked. It is on our bucket list, hopefully next time we come to Norway. Hope your daughter is enjoying the cruise?

Derek. 

Further update. 
Last night went for dinner at the Keel and Cow - clean plates well except the occasional steak bones. I had the trout starter, followed by fillet steak with peppercorn sauce. My wife had no starter but had the ploughman’s. Desert was the sharing platter of ice cream, cheese cake and pecan pie. Superb meal, must book again. 
Just a problem I noted in the cabin no 2 pin round charging point. Searched everywhere and no. My Braun toothbrush was running out of power yesterday am.I had packed chargers or charging cables for all my gear or so I thought. I did not pack a square 3 pin to 2 pin round plug. In Stavanger found a Clas Ohlson selling Philips Sonic toothbrush which charges via a USB to 3 pin square plug. 
Note to all make sure you have all the correct plugs and charging cables. The new toothbrush is really good. 
Arrived and now docked in Olden, walking to Briksdal glacier so if you see a guy with a Nikon camera, zoom lens and a Gitzo tripod say hello. 
Derek - my real name. 
Weather 12c, no wind and snow on tops, cloudy. Looks like rain?

On Iona at present - no squat rack, nor chin up bar, nor lat pull-down machine. Rowing weight machine and person in gym yesterday doing goblet squats with 25 kg- impressive. Probably the best gym at sea. You need a dumbbell routine.

BW.

Reporting from Iona today Bank Holiday Monday in Stavanger. 
Ship looking great, food good, plenty of choice, always hot and passengers seem to be having a great time. Sailing north on the North Sea yesterday (Sunday) lovely and sunny, passengers sitting in the sun, exercising and generally having a great time. Last night was formal night and most people smartened up, what ever the age young and old, people know how to smarten up. 
Now for the downside I observed 4 people not washing hands entering restaurants, or exiting toilets. One man in the restaurant helped himself with his hand in the cheese crackers! No outbreaks yet, just hope our immune systems are working well.

Olden tomorrow. 
We have enjoyed our first few days on board, we have booked another cruise onboard, just where we want to go. 

Further to my post earlier. 

ClaireRuss is correct the ceiling is low so be careful doing overhead press / shoulder press,  sit on the bench,  I did hit the ceiling when standing  doing overhead press - no damage thankfully to anything just embarrassing. You also have the promenade deck for walking / aerobics, and if rough and not allowed outside just walk the stairs - aerobic and lower leg strengthening. 

Probably the best gym on board is P and O Iona, it has everything you originally mentioned. I just alter my routine whether on Victoria or Iona.

BW. 

alphawhiskey, 

I have used the gym on Iona in May 2022 (Norway) and the gym is superb, but busy and the machines are close together so be careful.  Free weights, dumbbells, benches, and an area for stretching, yoga, etc. Cannot remember if they have kettlebells!  I do not use the showers but prefer to return to our suite. (Cannot be bothered to carry a bag with clean clothes and I cool down on the way back to the suite).

I am onboard in early May (Norway) and will attend the gym, will explore and return with an answer unless someone beats me to it.  

No barbells, 

dumbbells from 1 kg to 30kg (?) definitely 20kg (my limit),

Techno gym machines,

NO squat rack,

No chin up bar. 

2 flat benches that can be inclined,   

If you change  your routine to being dumbbell based you should be able to keep fit and keep your muscle mass.

It is a keep fit gym not a bodybuilding gym.   

"The Times on Line" (London, UK) have published a image of Captain Thorhauge being measured for her new Captains uniform.

"Inger Thorhauge, a Cunard captain, receives a final fitting for her uniform from the Savile Row master tailor Kathryn Sargent at her shop in Mayfair, central London. Thorhauge will welcome the first guests on board the new Queen Anne ship in Southampton on May 3".

Hopefully Cunard will obtain a copy of the image and place in an archive. 

Happy  sailing.

Derek. 

Jeep3131, 

last June (2023) we visited Alesund am walked up Mt Aksla (OK if fit), and observed ships / boats sailing the Fjord. Returned to our cruise ship (Cunard Queen Victoria) and booked the afternoon excursion on Hjorundfjord at the ships excursion office. Did not book with a private operator as seemed more like local transport links rather than an excursion and return times were past our embarkation and sail away time. 

NB we were on the stern deck of the excursion boat, very sunny and windy,  wore a balaclava as my beanie hat would have blow off my head. 

Enjoyed it so much we are doing it again in May.   

Hattie,

many thanks, I did use the search button but no luck, probably asked the wrong question. 

BW

Derek. 

Are you allowed to book 2 cruises together?  i.e. Embark Soton, cruise, return to Soton, then disembark then reembark on the same ship and cruise again?  

I appreciate practical issues - luggage off and on again, different cabins etc. Any smart ideas to do this please? 

BW

Derek. 

Sailing on P and O Iona to Canaries and Lisbon. Not sure where we dock in Lisbon does any body know? The real question is it an easy walk from the cruise port to Belem and the Monument of the Discoveries? We are hikers / mountain bikers so fitness is not an issue.   

9 minutes ago, PORT ROYAL said:

As one Grandmother would say “Oh Dear”.

Port Royal, nobody noticed and once saw on Queen Elizabeth (Canaries cruise) a long gowned lady with Tiara wearing training shoes, I only noticed because I was very observant and was used to observing peoples gait for a living. Your gran would have probably loved them as very comfortable and grippy, less chance of a fall. 

Happy cruising.   

Lalof,

My wife wears Nike Black running shoes, I (male husband) wear Merrell Moab 3 shoes (black), Gore-Tex, grippy sole, lace ups, cushioning inlays and very comfortable. As they are black use them for dress shoes with my 3 piece suit, main dining room Cunard Queen Victoria. The Merrell's have been used at the North Cape, Canaries (Lanzarote walking through a lava field and extinct volcano), walking around Lisbon in heat, Disney World Florida in 46.4c and walking the last 5km of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela. This was probably the toughest as it was dusty and I was brown from the knees down. Washed the shoes in the shower and left on our balcony and they dried in 2 days. Actually have 6 pairs - yes I like them. 

According to the Merrell web site they do a female version. 

Happy walking.  

Should add this was Queen Victoria. 

We boarded on Tues 6 June at 2-45pm, our official boarding time was 3-15pm. Dropped car with CPS and into terminal, check in ladies were waiting. About 20 people checking in - straight through security, to room and visited muster, watched safety film. Lido eating by 3-30pm. Note we received a letter at check in Norovirus was onboard blaming a passenger from bringing onboard. 
Strict cross infection measures implemented, crew serving you, no salt or pepper on tables, even served the Worcestershire sauce for breakfast. This morning Thurs 8 June restrictions have been lifted.

Written in Starbucks in Stavanger, nice to walk around. 
Derek. 

16 hours ago, Pear Carr said:

We have also been given 3.30 arrival time for 6 June. Very disappointing - no arrival/departure time for QV available at the moment. Cunard need to up their game with regard to embarkation organisation.  Would be interesting to see how many passengers have been given 3.30 - this does not bode well for a relaxing start to our holiday.

We have a 3-15pm arrival 6 June QV North Cape cruise. Latest ever, used to enjoy early embarkation and lunch in the Lido etc. We have changed our travel arrangements (coming from NE UK) overnight in Hemel then slow drive to Soton visiting a National Trust property. We are Platinum on deck 6. Very disappointed!

Hello,

we have not been onboard since late 2019 due to Covid shut down etc. Queen Victoria in the Lido had different dining on an evening - American / Mexican, Italian, Indian and Asian (if I remember correctly). Are they still in operation, (looked on Cunard website and no info) any menus and prices, easy to book? or should we just stick to main dining room?

Any advice gratefully received.

Sailing in June to North Cape.

BW

Derek.  

Lalof,

interesting question esp as wife and I going to Rome (central Med) 2023 and Athens (Eastern Med)  2024. I always carry a DSLR, 24-70 zoom and 70-200 zoom both 2.8.  

The places you have mentioned you could probably just use a 24-70 zoom and travel light. 

We went pre pandemic to Southern Spain,  Gibraltar and photographed some dolphins from a RIB with my 70-200 F2.8 zoom see attached image. I will take my 70-200 zoom to the Med on both sailings whether I use it is debatable? When we walk around Rome I  will just have the DSLR and 24-70 zoom as walking quite a bit, leaving the photo rucksack on board the cruise liner. 

I certainly would not be take a +300mm superzoom etc. 

BW

Derek. 

Do you need to book? and cost per items?  cannot see cost on the menus. Many thanks

Derek.   

Please could someone clarify if the Lido Buffet is open for dinner self-service or has it changed to table service, bookable with a charge? 

Chris - image of waterfall. 

Chris, 

I was on a boat (not a RIB) in a rainstorm sailing Akrafjorden to view Lang Fossen waterfall (610m), May 2022. Camera was a Nikon D5 and 24-70 F2.8 Nikon pro zoom. I was totally wet (Gortex jacket and boots) camera was fine, has to keep drying the front B+W neutral filter with a microfibre cloth. I do have a camera nylon shower cover but did not place on camera lens combo. I did not think photography would have been possible of the waterfall as the light was awful and looking at the RAW images (later on the cruise ship) looked like they were shot in Black and white, postproduction looked much better with dehazing and increasing saturation. 

I did have sea spray photographing dolphins in Gibraltar harbour on a fast boat and used my nylon shower cover and it worked ok. 

My camera is a pro camera with good weather sealing, and I have insurance. I tend to photograph in awful conditions - hot sunshine (motorsport) to snowing (rallying).   

Nice ones , well done. 

Agree with comments re Pulpit Rock please see 2 images attached the 1st is a crop of the 2nd as when looking up from the boat and fjord it does not look much. Ticked my bucket list.