QM2 Southampton-New York, 15th Dec, 2014 - Live Blog

[japyke]

Skipper Tim,

This is great. We can all cruise vicariously for seven whole days! Don't lose hope tripping over the sidewalk sale tables full of trinkets, It's such a great voyage and the ship itself will win you over. I highly recommend the 'behind the scenes tour' though you must line up very early (I think the first morning at sea, like tomorrow).

 

And, if I may, respond here to:

I don't know why some people continue to consider Cunard to be a British ship .... What is true is that Cunard has been founded by a Canadian and was used to ensure mail delivery between the UK and the US. After that and until today it has been sold and resold again on an international level. It has offices in the UK, in California and Florida and in other parts of the world as well, and the ships are registered in Carribbean tax havens. The ships' interior architecture is what people generally believe is British, but it is art déco.

 

What really matters today is that the majority of shares are in the US, where the company's policies are made. Cunard UK is a trademark within a large international company, that's all :rolleyes: .... but all this does not prevent me to consider Cunard to be my favourite line :p.

 

Other than the fact that the line is based in Southampton (correct me if I'm wrong) I think that currently the 'British Theme' push is coming from Carnival/Cunard itself. Check out the Worlds Leading Cruise Line Website and try the 'cruise-a-nality' new cruiser selection 'app' they're experimenting with. Not.

 

S.T.- Enjoy the trip and thank for the effort you're making to actively review it. Any comparisons with other lines are greatly appreciated.

This is just what we need, a little action on the Cunard forum. Hope you have fun. p.s. the Atlantic room is a great place to play cards.

[Lanky Lad]

Bon Voyage glad you are finally on your way, I can go to bed now :)

[Underwatr]

Now tell Captain Oprey to step on it and arrive in New York on schedule!

[fg_hb]

I think that will not the problem as oil is cheap now and some years ago the crossing was one day shorter.

Have a nice journey:-)

[Ray66]

QM2 is still docked, I hope they get her underway soon.

 

She's left now and the marine traffic website show her sailing down Southampton Water at 8.5 knots.

[Salacia]

In the past few months, QM2 departure from both NY and Southampton ports was delayed several times due to 'operational difficulties', or words to that effect. Rather curious about the cause, and why it hasn't been remedied? -S

[Cats2010]

 

 

And, if I may, respond here to:

 

 

Other than the fact that the line is based in Southampton (correct me if I'm wrong) I think that currently the 'British Theme' push is coming from Carnival/Cunard itself. Check out the Worlds Leading Cruise Line Website and try the 'cruise-a-nality' new cruiser selection 'app' they're experimenting with. Not.

 

Yes, Cunard has offices which are located in the Carnival House, Southampton, and, as I said before, it also has offices in other parts of the world, amongst them is New York, NY, which was one of the first establishments, if not THE first establishments of Cunard. I am glad that Carnival, the world's leading cruise ship company, continues to promote the brand Cunard, although a strong tendency towards more commercialisation can be noted when one compares it with the history.

[Skipper Tim]

Good afternoon from the Chart Room, midships, deck 4 after lunch on our first full day. Ship's time is just approaching 1pm although it was the weirdest experience putting our watches back an hour before retiring while still in Southampton last night.

 

The Captain's midday address revealed the source of our delay. Apparently a drain in propulsion pod no. 4 had become blocked. It was unblocked by 8pm but took a further time to drain its innards and then there was a traffic restriction leaving due to the arrival of a large tanker. "We effectively cleared the quay a few minutes after midnight", he said. Nobody I have spoken to had any idea that we had left until they saw the sea this morning such was the gentleness of departure, initial flatness of the sea and the rock-steady sea-going properties of the QM2. In fact, we met someone in the lift on the way to ('first') breakfast who had no idea we had departed.

 

We left Bishop's Rock 9 miles on our starboard beam around 12:30pm and are proceeding at 22 knots against a force 5 from the West.

 

Insomniacs are cheered by the 4.a.m. start of continental breakfast buffet and even full cooked breakfast buffet from 6:30. So I had a little fruit and yoghurt at 6:00 and queued for the Britannia MDR for its 8 O'Clock opening.

 

My cooked breakfast was fine but took surprisingly long to arrive.

 

 

When we left the restaurant, the queue to get in was shockingly long. I am a little surprised by this queuing. My memory of the QE2 for breakfast and lunch is that one would enter from any of the doors and simply sit wherever we liked. The waiters would then come running with greetings and menus. There is a table allocation system for pen-sitting meals on MSC but rarely any queues to enter the MDRs. To be monitored.

 

All four of us did the guided tour of the ship this morning. This really only covered the main public spaces of decks 2 and 3 with those on higher decks mentioned in passing.

 

Here outside the multi-use 'Illuminations' venue (planetarium, cinema and lecture theatre).

 

 

Still the tour provided nuggets of information that we would probably not have gleaned otherwise and provided a good basic orientation. For example, we would have missed Homer Simpson in one of the four giant friezes depicting the four main continents that QM2 visits (deck 3 central passage).

 

 

 

My mother and I found the combined bookshop and library on our own where I left her to find the recommended Atlantic Room 3 decks above it. The latter was the venue of the Bridge Beginners class so it was not the heaven of peace I had hoped for at the time to write today's blog instalment. The QM2 library has no equal at sea. Libraries have always been a Cunard strength/eccentricity and could not contrast more starkly to the few dozen English books typically found on MSC ships.

 

 

All too soon it was time for a Bloody Mary before lunch and then lunch. We both opted for the light and healthy 'Canyon Ranch' set meal.

 

I have written may TripAdvisor reviews of Turkish hotels over the years and I am known for picking them up on poor cutlery and the unforgivable lack of soup spoons. I was therefore delighted to see both soup spoon and fish knife present and correct. Look a little closer however, and you will see three different cutlery patterns at my place setting. On the QE2, it was always the elegant Bead Pattern. Here we have a mix of Rattail, Old English and Dubary. The breakfast shot above also shows a mix of Old English and Rattail. Standards are slipping!

 

 

Tonight is our first formal and the Black & White Ball.

 

Before then we have tickets for the Planetarium.

 

Until tomorrow!

[wallis7219]

Great blog, keep up the good work!

 

Hope they have manage to get the Planetarium working, as it had broken down on Sunday!

[Queen of the Queen]

Great blog, keep up the good work!

 

Hope they have manage to get the Planetarium working, as it had broken down on Sunday!

 

Hi

Really enjoying your blog. Keep the ship in good shape because we are boarding it on Monday

 

On one of our trips the Planetarium it was down for the entire voyage, and a disappointment. I love the program and my husband loves having a chance to rest his eyes. The lights go down and so do his eyelids! I hope it is working for next week.

 

Smooth sailing!

Lorraine:)

Edited December 17, 2014 by Queen of the Queen

[Skipper Tim]

Good morning from the King's Court buffet, midships on deck 7. I say 'morning' but most sensible people would consider a little after 4 a.m. still nighttime. I am sitting with Chung and daughter Marie who have already been playing ping-pong for an hour before coming to the buffet. I did hint at being a bunch of insomniacs yesterday. We are actually better described as 'early-morning people'. In our defence, I would just say my iPad is still on GMT and reports a more respectable 6:15 a.m. as I type this.

 

So I left you yesterday before the Planetarium in 'Illuminations'. It was entitled "Passport to the Universe" and mostly consisted of showing the scale difference between the Earth, our solar system, our galaxy and the Universe. My feeling is that it is a great novelty of a facility to have on a ship but I was a little underwhelmed by the show. Also perhaps instead of a narration by Tom Hanks they could have had someone who knew what they were talking about, e.g. Steven Hawkin or at the very least William Shatner :) (I ended with longing for the USS Enterprise to appear). Perhaps it could be used as an IMAX screen? The best effect was that of the movement of bows of the ship in the increasing seas. On MSC they call this '4D cinema' (3D plus movement). We all came out a little wobbly holding on to any fixed objects that fell to hand. It was an experience that I am not sure I would wish to repeat.

 

It was straight to afternoon tea at 3:30 in the Queens Room at the opposite end of the ship. We arrived a little early so continued to the neighbouring 'G32' which I understand is the 'late night and youth venue'. I am neither so it was a good opportunity and time to experience it. Being in the extreme stern, this was also moving somewhat.

 

We were relieved to return to the magnificent Queens room, past the line of white-gloved waiters bearing giant teapots on silver trays. When the string quartet struck the first note the white-jacketed army entered and began the tea service with military precision. Cups were swiftly filled followed by the serving of dainty, crustless quarter-sandwiches in a choice of six fillings. Then scones and clotted cream and finally cakes. The waiters remained in constant circulation repeating every service as the quartet moved on to Christmas Carols.

 

 

 

Afternoon tea is, of course, one of those other Cunard eccentricities. I understand P&O offer afternoon tea a couple of times per week at extra charge but otherwise it is a tradition at sea unique to Cunard. I cannot decide whether it is part of Cunard's 'British theme' or if it is simply mad. Certainly, dinner at 6pm after afternoon tea finishing at 4:30 was a daunting prospect. Had the maitre d' allowed us to change to second sitting for dinner, afternoon tea would have made more sense. However, we all thoroughly enjoyed it - with the exception of having to repeatedly shoe away the champagne salesman (more on this later).

 

So with heavy stomachs and light heads it was time to retire for half an hour or so before preparing for our first formal night.

 

Having gone to the trouble to change from a 4-table to an 8-table, it was disappointing that our four new fellow diners failed to show. Still, we agreed the location, on the highest level near the windows starboard-side, essentially directly above the 'Clarendon Art Gallery' corridor cleverly squeezed in between the lower and upper levels of the Britannia Restaurant, was vastly superior. Mother and I splashed out on a bottle of Tempranillo (at $30 + 15%, this is one of the very cheapest bottles on the current Cunard wine list). In the jollity and under the influence of Tempranillo, I neglected to take any photos other than of my cheese plate.

 

 

I will try harder tonight at our second formal and the Captain's cocktail party.

 

Now, to make a couple of cross-line comparisons. Over on the MSC forum there are frequent discussions about MSC service compared to other lines, especially US lines. The received wisdom is that MSC offer an old European style service which is primarily 'discreet'. One would say all but 'invisible' until needed when one catches the eye of a waiter standing a discrete distance away under the old rule that staff should never speak first. Judging by the discussions, many of our American cousins regard this as unfriendly at best and rude at worst.

 

At the opposite end of the spectrum, I would say the service from Royal Caribbean bar staff is downright harassing and the high-pressure, endless salesmanship really grates.

 

I am going to put Cunard between the two. Every time I have sat in a bar area, I have been approached and asked if I want anything. Some would regard this as 'good service'. Being an old fashioned European, I think this is over-stepping the mark. My instinct is "If I wanted something, I would look at you". This behaviour is obviously part of current Cunard training and may be more tailored to North American sensibilities and expectations than British. The repeated pushing of champagne at afternoon tea and at the 'sailaway' are other cases in point. It is not overly obtrusive as it is with Royal Caribbean but is highly noticeable and, to me, unwelcome salesmanship that I do not recall from the QE2.

 

The second comparison is bar prices. First, and I still have a bar menu to prove it the bar prices of the QE2 of nine years ago were surprisingly reasonable. They were typically on the low side compared to an ordinary Northern English pub. i.e. not one in London or a trendy fashion bar. In real terms, I would say QM2 bar prices are around 50%-70% higher now - more in line with mainstream U.S. cruise lines including Royal Caribbean whose prices were initially shocking to me. MSC bar prices are rising but are significantly lower and MSC also offer an all-inclusive drinks package for a reasonable €23/night. Fred Olsen, perhaps the most genuinely British of lines these days, is also known to have ordinary pub prices.

 

I have also observed very few tables at dinner with wine bottles on them. Nine years ago on the QE2, the opposite was the case - there was the odd table without wine and we assumed it was probably for health reasons. Cunard's wine used to be much more reasonably-priced and consequently they sold much more of it. I remember the young Scottish sommelier in our section was constantly rushed off his feet. Cunard may have priced themselves out of the wine market, given that this is part of a longer and very expensive cruise of the Caribbean over Christmas and New Year with wealthier guests to match.

 

Those are just a couple of observations so far. Discuss....

 

Here are a couple of photos illustrating the 'Christmasication' of the QM2 to end today's post on a seasonal note. The 'gingerbread village' and the tree in the atrium.

 

 

 

I will try to catch up with any questions and comments next time I connect.

 

Until tomorrow.

Edited December 17, 2014 by Skipper Tim

[Skipper Tim]

Skipper's Log Supplemental

 

Last night when we returned from dinner we had yet another Cunard envelope waiting in the letter holder outside the cabin door. This one contained our luggage tags and instructions for disembarkation - a little premature we thought as we had only physically left port in the wee hours of that day - but also a pleasant surprise. The transfer we knew was included as part of the Cunard package with return flight to the UK includes a tour of highlights of Manhattan and free time for lunch and shopping before being taken on to Newark airport. Why Cunard's marketing failed to mention this valuable addition before booking I cannot imagine. We had been prepared to abandon the included airport transfer just to spend a few hours in Manhattan.

 

Then there is the sorry incident of the trivia quiz in the Golden Lion 'pub'. After dinner last night, stuffed and exhausted, we thought we would just sample the atmosphere there. The was a singer/piano player and all was agreeable. He finished and suddenly, an elderly lady, who we subsequently learned was 80, with red hair and a very sparkly dress asked if you could join our table. She promptly picked up a quiz answer sheet named us the "Whizz Kids" and that was it, we were in the quiz.

 

We did our best between us but when it was obvious things were not going at all well she sighed, "it was already a bad day before I sat here". Before handing over the sheet to be marked to two people not taking part but whom she thought looked sympathetic, she crossed out "Whizz Kids" and renamed us 'The Tossers". We scored 4 out of 20, lower than the starting gambit of the quizmaster, "who scored 5 or more?". Shamed, stuffed and exhausted, we had an early night.

 

It was a wild and windy night with the rain managing to penetrate our in-hull balcony opening the six feet horizontally and reach high up on the glass windows. Our cabin, low down on deck 4 and fairly midships was rolling and creaking all night. I imagine it would have been less comfortable in most other parts of the ship.

 

The outer decks were closed until mid-morning (to me) which I took as a sign that conditions were calming.

 

At this point, having being very disappointed earlier with the low power and tepidness of the two jacuzzis in 'The Pavilion' under the retractable glass cover, I ventured outside to 'The Terrace' aft on deck 8. I stripped to my swim shorts in a shelter port-side corner then I tried to appear as brave as possible, conscious that Princess Grill guests were probably observing the only person mad enough to be outside, and certainly the only one near-naked, from their restaurant there as they had breakfast, I crossed the deck to the nearest accessible jacuzzi which is on the starboard side and was totally exposed to the gale still blowing. I got straight in and pressed the button. This jacuzzi jets had more power but absolutely no air and the water was even cooler.

 

A lone couple appeared from touring the lower deck, snug and thoroughly insulated in their winter coats, came over. "Is it warm?". "No", I replied,"but I can't get out now". "Shall I call the Captain?", she joked. I eventually managed without the crew's assistance. This is about as close as I get to extreme sports.

 

We have just had the midday announcement while I was fetching a couple of Virgin Marys. The force 8 conditions overnight are abating to force 6 but we are diverting South at 21 knots to avoid a further weather system and fog. Roughly west of Cap Finistere, we will resume a great circle route.

 

That's it. Lunchtime!

[TonyLon]

Loving reading your account of the crossing Tim.

We were on the identical voyage 2 years ago (our first transatlantic and first time on QM2) and loved it.

The weather got a bit lively (force 11) a couple of nights in but the ship coped admirably.

Am thinking of doing it again next December so very interested to hearing your views.

Keep up the good work!

 

Tony

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BlueRiband]

At this point, having being very disappointed earlier with the low power and tepidness of the two jacuzzis in 'The Pavilion' under the retractable glass cover, I ventured outside to 'The Terrace' aft on deck 8. .., I crossed the deck to the nearest accessible jacuzzi which is on the starboard side and was totally exposed to the gale still blowing. I got straight in and pressed the button. This jacuzzi jets had more power but absolutely no air and the water was even cooler. .

 

Thank the US Public Health Service which has jurisdiction over ships calling at US ports.

 

To paraphrase an industry insider: One of their instructions was to lower jacuzzi and hot tub temperatures. The rationale was that over- medicated passengers would over-indulge with alcohol, food, and exercise thereby creating dangerous blood pressure and other heart risks that are aggravated by bathing in very hot water. USPH has also instructed cruise lines to reduce / eliminate bubbles in jacuzzis. They claim that the bubbles encourage growth of Legionella.

 

Now if the USPS says to this, and a cruise line doesn't do that, some American passenger will file a lawsuit with the claim that whatever happened to him or her was the result of a cruise ship jacuzzi.

[DelR]

Enjoying the Blog very much, having got off QM2 on Saturday.

 

Agree re the drink prices.

[Salacia]

Yikes! You are a brave soul venturing out to the open deck and taking a dip in the Jacuzzi.

 

Just to mention that not only the Center for Disease Control (CDC), but also the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) set recommended standards for whirlpool baths and hot tub (Jacuzzi's if that is the brand name being used). While these standard may have been set to avoid lawsuits as was previously suggested, the hope is that these standard will reduce the spread of disease which is far more important to both passengers and cruise lines. -S.

 

Reference:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/legionnaires-disease/basics/causes/con-20028867

http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/swimming/rwi/illnesses/hot-tub-rash.html

http://www.intechwater.com/ac.html

Edited December 18, 2014 by Salacia

[Mysticalmother]

Thank you for taking the time to write your "live" review. I am thoroughly enjoying it, whilst also trying to contain my jealousy!

We spent a wonderful 14 days on the QM2 including a westbound TA in 2011. It was Captain Oprey's first Voyage as captain of the QM2 and we had some pretty rough weather which he (and "she" ) handled brilliantly.

Enjoy the rest of your time onboard.:)

[japyke]

ST-

I had the same experience last January. It was just barely warm enough so that it was touch and go as whether or not to stay. Definitely not a hot tub.

 

Yikes! You are a brave soul venturing out to the open deck and taking a dip in the Jacuzzi.

Just to mention that not only the Center for Disease Control (CDC), but also the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) set recommended standards for whirlpool baths and hot tub (Jacuzzi's if that is the brand name being used). While these standard may have been set to avoid lawsuits as was previously suggested, the hope is that these standard will reduce the spread of disease which is far more important to both passengers and cruise lines. -S.

What I read in the references (thanks S) is that proper maintenance is the fundamental issue. The water must be properly chlorinated, filtered, and tested on a regular schedule.

 

In ST's defense if the whirlpool is in use it should be warm enough to use. I would think that with 1200 crew someone could turn it up a few degrees when it's cold. Otherwise it's just a prop for people to look at so that they think they're on a 'luxury' cruise; if it's just for looks then shut it down and save the energy. The real risk here is someone slipping and falling because they're freezing and numb and can't negotiate the wet decking and steps.

[JK300]

Skipper Tim, thank you for this blog. Enjoy your cruise! We visited the QM2 last sunday when she was in Zeebrugge (Belgium), beautiful ship.

John

[cymraes42]

Thank you Tim for this blog.

We will be joining her on 3rd January 2015 and are very excited ! our cabins have been allocated today on deck5.

Enjoy the rest of your cruise.

Karen

[ShipsInBergen]

Thank you Tim for this blog.

We will be joining her on 3rd January 2015 and are very excited ! our cabins have been allocated today on deck5.

Enjoy the rest of your cruise.

Karen

 

Looks like we're on the same crossing! I'm also following these posts eagerly and the excitement is building for the trip next month :) Thanks for posting, Skipper Tim

[AmoMondo]

Hi Tim, just gotten around to locating and reading through your blog.

 

Very interesting to read your comparisons and enjoying your usual droll humour. Nice to see your mother and Chung too. Regards to all of you and enjoy the rest of your cruise.

[Skipper Tim]

(Edit: post delayed due to poor satellite link)

 

Good afternoon from a rather bouncy Commodore's Club, all the way forward on deck 9. It is our third sea day and the midday announcement informed us that we are crossing the mid-Atlantic Ridge, a range of mountains stretching some 10,000 miles, appropriately enough, down the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, some peaks of which form the islands of the Azores. We are making 22.8 knots and have 1988 miles to go to the pilot station at New York. The winds were force 9 again during the night but should settle back to a more modest force 6 later but with reducing visibility. All outside deck areas except aft of deck 8 are closed.

 

Yesterday, we had lunch in the Kings Court buffet partly just to try it and partly because Chung spotted the sushi there the day before and is partial to it.

 

I tried the Cunard pizza that I have read complaints about on CC. I have no complaints whatsoever but do understand their origin. I would say that the pizza on QM2 is the authentic Italian style with a thin crispy base and very simple toppings. This is a different universe from the travesties that pass as pizza in the UK & US which have thick, soft bases and all monstrosities of unimaginable toppings. I fell in love with Italian pizza while living in Turin and Milan 25 years. Re-discovering Italian pizza aboard the MSC Musica a couple of year ago was an unexpected delight. Now, if only I could afford the delights of Barolo aboard the QM2 - it was around £1 ($1.50) a bottle in the supermarkets of Turin around the same time.

 

The buffet was exceptionally busy at our agreed meeting time of 12:30pm. We were forced into a less than ideal position opposite a galley door which, when open, as it was every few seconds, emitted the deafening noises of mass crockery, cutlery and glassware clattering, clanging and crashing. I was glad not to be working on the other side of that door.

 

The food was good but not special. The real benefits of the buffet of course are the huge choice - too much to list but there is literally something for everyone - and the ability to control precise quantities and timings. The buffet must be ideally suited to fussy-eating control freaks who don't like to dress to eat. I eat practically anything. I will usually go for the most unrecognisable thing on the menu. I care more for ambience and service than anything else. Ambience was somewhat lacking but no worse than the buffet on any other ship I have experienced at peak time.

 

 

After a little walk discovering the scenic, outside elevators that connect decks 7 through to 11, the very pleasant commodore club on deck 9 with wrap-around seating overlooking the bows, and the observation window onto the bridge (deck 12 -photography forbidden but I didn't see the sign until afterwards), it was siesta time.

 

The captain's cocktail party for first sitting was a ridiculously early 5:15pm. There was simply no time (or stomach room) for afternoon tea at 3:30. We took the art gallery route, starboard side, to the Queen's Room to avoid the inevitable photo-with-the-captain on port side.

 

Captain Kevin Oprey finally appeared in the Queen's room just as first sitting should have commenced. Photo business must have been good. He explained our late departure from Southampton again, commented on the previous night's rough weather joking that some guests actually liked rough weather and it was "White Star policy to deliver", made a perfunctory introduction of the senior team all but two of whom were present ("seasick" and "also seasick") and that was it, off to dinner.

 

 

My mother and I had our own agenda. Success for us was a few glasses of bubbly on the house to oil the dinnertime conversation. We placed ourselves strategically on the starboard aisle leading from G32 which had to be trodden by the waiters bringing trays of drinks and returning empties. Unlike all previous 'captain's cocktails' I can remember, there were no circulating waiters with replacement glasses. They lined up where guests were entering the Queens Room and only moved to replenish their trays.

 

At some pre-determined point, well before the Captain had entered the room and the proceedings had started, all waiters bar one on each route simultaneously returned the remaining full glasses to the backroom, studiously avoiding eye contact with any guests lest a further drink had to be given, like an crew of pre-programmed Cybermen rowers, each starring vacuously into the back of the head of their colleague in front. Then the staff were switched to glass collecting duties. Further drinks were delivered only by 'special order'. It is a very tightly run ship in this regard! Sometimes I long for days of free-flowing sparkling wine in Royal Caribbean's fake art auctions - bids were faked, the art was merely reproduced.

 

 

Thankfully, our new dining companions, absent the night before, joined us and we had a most agreeable dinner. I opted for the light set menu without but substituted cheese instead of the low-sugar dessert to help finish another bottle of no. 140 on the wine menu.

 

We finished the night listening to the sting quartet in the Chart Room, deck 3, although, due to a lack of seating, we were sat in the adjacent champagne bar.

 

 

The buffet during my early morning coffee today was home to a growing collection of regular deck-walkers who had been made refugees from the weather - high winds and rain had closed the decks again. I can see the sea is also decidedly lumpy through the fog and there were a few startling breakers on the windows of the Britannia restaurant on deck 2 during breakfast. As I write this, all the way forward on deck 9, the pitching makes it feel a little being on a roller coaster, though the stabilisers are doing an excellent job of reducing the rolling to an constant lateral judder.

 

We are anti-social at breakfast so asked for "a quiet table for two" for breakfast in the Britannia. I can highly recommend table 121. It is one of the nearest 2-tables to the windows, on the far side of the area used for breakfast set against a wall, rather than another 2-table. Still we noticed a nearby couple sitting right up to the window at a rectangular table set for 8. On MSC this would have been immediately filled with the people arriving next, regardless of how empty the restaurant is. They remained alone as other tables were also sparely filled. I was observing the goings-on when my mother stopped me.

 

"You should eat bread", (in my case toast), "with your left hand".

"Why have you waited 47 years to tell me that?"

"I have only just seen you do it".

 

A buffet lunch (tender but fatty roast lamb and mint sauce with veg) at 11:30 as they opened allowed us to avoid the crowds, attend an excellent lecture on the rise of Islam in the seventh century (with much current resonance) and leave sufficient pause for afternoon tea.

 

 

[Edit] I will catch up as internet allows.

[Skipper Tim]

Re. jacuzzis (generically whirlpools), I have always made at least daily use of them on every ship since the QE2, niine years ago and in any hotel that has them. Those on the QM2 are by far the coolest I have encountered. They are swimming pool temperature which is inadequate if you are not swimming. You are more likely to die of slow hypothermia than of any subsequent disease. I don't know whether it is penny-pinching or incompetance but cool jacuzzis were not expected and are a personal disapointment to me.

 

We all have our own criteria when judging a line or a ship and this is one of mine.

[pepperrn]

Re. jacuzzis (generically whirlpools), I have always made at least daily use of them on every ship since the QE2, niine years ago and in any hotel that has them. Those on the QM2 are by far the coolest I have encountered. They are swimming pool temperature which is inadequate if you are not swimming. You are more likely to die of slow hypothermia than of any subsequent disease. I don't know whether it is penny-pinching or incompetance but cool jacuzzis were not expected and are a personal disapointment to me. We all have our own criteria when judging a line or a ship and this is one of mine.

This must be something new, temperature-wise they were fine in May, and also in June, this year.

Less active/bubbles maybe than I had noticed during my first crossing on QM2 in 2006, but still considerably warmer than the pool temperature. Sorry to read that the "hot" tubs aren't, anymore :mad:

 

Enjoying your reports :)

Edited December 19, 2014 by pepperrn