Questions for QE2 Novel

[QueensFan]

Thanks for all the help so far, especially wotec! I really appreciate the help on the "little things". I really appreciate it!

 

Richard - let me think about the fax offer. It would be an excellent resource, I just want to make sure that my parents are okay. I'll email you soon...look for "Email from QueensFan."

 

 

 

New Questions! I've been busy with some major tests and quizzes the past few days, no time to work on the outline. I'm up to about 2:00 PM on the first full day of the crossing.

 

First off....I'm looking at my deck plans. On Three Deck, at the stern next to the laundrette, there is an area called "The Greenery". What is this? I wonder if I could do something with it.

 

Also....I am choosing staterooms for my characters. I am curious whether a single person can stay in a regular stateroom. If not, is the single Caronia stateroom sufficient size to spread out in? I have a lot of characters travelling alone in the novel, and I want to make sure there are enough single cabins.

 

Third: as you now know, my main character is in the Caronia restaurant. There would be other major players dining here, too. However, some major players (e.g. murderers) I want to give across the idea of their crossing being "whack on a budget." ;) Thus, I would place them in Mauretania singles. Is it possible, however, for a specific group who is influental in the murder to cross-dine, moreso at lunch and dinner? I want there to be some risky crossings of paths, but don't want my character dining at the poolside all the time.

 

 

 

Thanks for the help! I really appreciate everything this group has done so far. :)

[QueensFan]

One more question, I can't figure out how to edit a post....how does visiting the purser's office work? And would my character go there to volunteer his services? (He's a PI, so I thought he'd offer to help, be turned down rudely, and resolve to solve it himself.)

[Richard Schmidt]

Thanks for all the help so far, especially wotec! I really appreciate the help on the "little things". I really appreciate it!

 

Richard - let me think about the fax offer. It would be an excellent resource, I just want to make sure that my parents are okay. I'll email you soon...look for "Email from QueensFan."

 

 

 

New Questions! I've been busy with some major tests and quizzes the past few days, no time to work on the outline. I'm up to about 2:00 PM on the first full day of the crossing.

 

First off....I'm looking at my deck plans. On Three Deck, at the stern next to the laundrette, there is an area called "The Greenery". What is this? I wonder if I could do something with it.

 

Also....I am choosing staterooms for my characters. I am curious whether a single person can stay in a regular stateroom. If not, is the single Caronia stateroom sufficient size to spread out in? I have a lot of characters travelling alone in the novel, and I want to make sure there are enough single cabins.

 

Third: as you now know, my main character is in the Caronia restaurant. There would be other major players dining here, too. However, some major players (e.g. murderers) I want to give across the idea of their crossing being "whack on a budget." ;) Thus, I would place them in Mauretania singles. Is it possible, however, for a specific group who is influental in the murder to cross-dine, moreso at lunch and dinner? I want there to be some risky crossings of paths, but don't want my character dining at the poolside all the time.

 

 

 

Thanks for the help! I really appreciate everything this group has done so far. :)

 

The Greenery next to the laundrette is essentially a florist shop. If you order flowers for your stateroom, or for someone else, or if someone ashore orders the same for you, they are arranged and delivered to you from there.

There are a number of single cabins, and they have enough room to allow for several people to be in one at the same time. I have been in both a single and a double in Caronia. Oddly enough I had two portholes in my single cabin and only one in my double.

 

The Lido is the one dining area (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) that all passengers may and sometimes do use. It is located towards the stern of the ship and would be the only place people from the several classes of staterooms could cross paths while dining, except of course during High Tea in the Queens Room in the afternoon.

 

Richard

[Louise D]

It would be possible for a person assigned to Coronia to make arrangements to dine in Mauretania by discussing this request with the maitre d' of Coronia, but a person assigned to Mauretania would not be able to dine in Coronia. I do not know how many people would be interested to go to the trouble to arrange to dine away from their assigned restaurant.

 

In regard to the Purser's Office, it is an open area on Two Deck without doors and you can roll up there 24 hours per day and make various enquiries of the staff on duty. I think it is quite realistic that your character might be turned rudely away when offering his services.

 

In relation to one of your earlier queries, it is feasible for a person to gain entry into a stateroom unseen when the stewardess is cleaning it. I had this experience recently when I returned to the stateroom, found it was unlocked and obviously in the process of being cleaned, but the stewardess was no-where to be seen. She must have gone off to get some supplies and left the door unlocked. I was in the stateroom for a few minutes and then left, and I never saw the stewardess come back.

[dtwtraveler]

It is unsettling to hear that the stateroom can be empty and the door can be left unlocked! This should give the QE2 writer golden opportunities for his characters to snoop!

[Lisa63]

QueensFan, I was also on a 2003 crossing -- August, westbound. We were in a Caronia triple.

 

Afternoon tea was held every day at 4:00, which could present a setting for some of the "chance meetings" you described. It was held in two locations -- the Queens Room and Lido. (A third location, Queens Grill Lounge, was used as well, yet was not open to those in Caronia.) I went every day (switching locations occasionally) and it was a great way to meet new people. So chance meetings would not be all that uncommon.

 

One other thing that may come into play in your story: As there was a 5-hour difference between Southampton and New York, we reset our clocks by one hour for 5 of the 6 nights. On a westbound crossing, you set your clocks back one hour before going to bed for the night. On an eastbound crossing, you set your clocks ahead.

 

Happy to answer any questions as they come up.