Live from the 2015 QE World Voyage

[Janix]

Thursday 12th March – Rabaul

 

Overnight we continued our passage across the Solomon Sea, crossing the New Britain Trench and transiting between New Britain and New Ireland to arrive at Rabaul at 8am. The weather was grey and there were signs that rain was a definite possibility. Although it was warm and humid this morning, temperatures were cooler this evening as we departed at 1650 local time. We were in the Doldrums within 5 degrees of the equator which we should cross again tomorrow on our northward transit.

 

We took a ship excursion (there were only two on offer here) entitled Pacific memories, which included a trip around the countryside to visit three areas, one a museum containing artefacts from the second world war and the Japanese occupation, a visit to the Commonwealth War cemetery, and finally a visit to the caves and passageways dug by the Japanese during their occupation of the islands.

 

According to our guide they had heavy rain in New Britain from last Sunday, which eventually called down last night. The torrential rain had destroyed some of the local roads, and many landslides had caused mayhem on the roads locally. However the road we used today, were being cleared and a grader was removing mud from one road which had been severely affected. However it was still a bouncy trip, and our driver did well negotiating the many potholes. This did impact on our visit, our 3 hour tour took nearly 4 hours, and visits were restricted to 15 minutes, which really was too short a time. Also it seemed that at every stop it would commence raining, but at least it was warm rain.

 

The people were very friendly, and everyone was waving at the minibuses which transported those on tour, shouting either hello or goodbye. Everyone in this are seemed to speak English and were pleased to see the visitors. I am led to believe that the Queen is also Queen of New Britain.

 

When QE visited Rabaul last year, the local volcano situated on the little peninsula close to Rabaul called Raulawat Point, and which seems to be called Tavurvur had a minor eruption. I can still recall the photo’s Kathi (scrapnana) posted on last year’s blog. However this time the gods were quiet and only a little wispy steam issued from vents inside the cone. It was possible to see the extent of previous eruptions as the black volcanic soil scars the surrounding vividly green countryside, and ash was visible around the port area.

 

Gavin, our port presenter said not to expect much on our visit here, but I found our trip through the countryside something special. OK it is a third world country, but that should not stop us coming here. The people are very friendly and not pushy as they can be in many places, there was no hassling at all. Many are living on subsistence levels but are still happy and they wanted us to visit and see their living conditions and countryside.

 

We are currently 250 miles south of the equator and travelling at 20 knots toward our next port Yokohama where we are due to arrive next Wednesday. The captain has announced that we are due to meet some more inclement weather, and the sleeping policemen are due to reappear this evening. The show La Danza was cancelled a few nights back owing to the bumpy conditions, and was re-scheduled for this evening. Let’s hope it is not postponed again, which would signify another quite bouncy passage?

 

A new innovation for us is the introduction of a ‘Traditional British Food Night’ in the Golden Lion Pub where one can indulge in comfort food such as Cornish pasties, breaded plaice, ham egg and chunky chips and other ‘delicacies’ which is available only on selected Port nights from 1830 to 2030 pm.

 

We have also been informed that we are likely to have intermittent internet connectivity or no connectivity again today due to the ships current location. Tonight’s Lido Alternative is Aztec, with the Lido hosting a traditional English Carvery Dinner buffet.

 

Until next time ……

 

John

[MicCanberra]

Thank you for the insights into Rabaul and surrounds, I would like to go there one day. Wishing you smooth seas.:D

[maggiemou]

Thank you John & Barbara for your posts they are just great and are bringing back fond memories for me. We took the same tour in Yorkies Knob three years ago. Our WW2 Duck broke down in the rainforest. It was very funny as we had to be pushed out by a large tractor with a big shovel on the front. Our guide was a real comedienne and looked like Ronnie Barker and was as funny.

 

Pleased you enjoyed Rabaul I have been there four times and I find it different to say the least. :) Did any one you know take the trip to the Barrier Reef and I saw no posts regarding this? Did you just stay in Airlie Beach? have I missed a post. :confused:

We flew over the barrier reef last year and I was fantastic.

You are all heading to what for me is the best ports of call on this world cruise. I love the Asian ports and in Yokohama we did the Tokyo tour and ate the best steak I have ever had in my life. :) In Kobe we went on our own to Hiroshima . I can't wait to hear all your adventures in the forthcoming ports. Have a fabulous time.

Dreamflight Pat if you are reading JT sends best wishes and we are thinking of you on board laughing and having fun. :)

The Great Barrier Reef from the air.

[alibabacruisers]

John, I wish we had done the tour of Rabaul. As you say the people were so

friendly and happy and definitely not pushy. When we said no thank you to

a taxi tour they just smiled and wished us a good day.

 

Maggie, there were a couple of people we talked to that said they were going

to do the Barrier Reef tour and they both said it was great! One of the guys

said it was rough going over but he likes that kind of sea.

 

Kathi, I definitely will be watching your sailaway and watching for banners

and flags!

 

Thursday, 12 Mar

 

We were up early to the Lido by 6:10 and they were already open. So we had

a quick breakfast so we could watch the sail in to Rabaul. It was interesting

to note that on last night's DP it said we would be docking at Bay Road Wharf

in Rabaul but according to all of our documentation up until last night we

had been told it was a tender port. You just never can figure it out, but I,

for one, am glad to not have to tender. This was supposed to be our last

tender port so glad that is all done for our cruise, since we disembark in HK.

 

We have continued to see lots of islands dotted around us as we make our way

to the wharf. The forecast for today is partly cloudy with a temp of 29C and

it feels like it is that now. The air is heavy with humidity and you can

smell smoke in the air, but at least there is a slight breeze. During Gavin's

port talk on Yokohoma he said that they had been checking the weather for Rabaul.

He said that there was going to be wind that would make it not as bad for

breathing as he earlier predicted. He also advised that if you cancelled your

tour because of that, that you may want to reconsider and possibly rebook.

Yesterday I went to the Tour Desk to check if there were still openings and there

were for both tours. I have gone back an forth since we booked the cruise,

trying to decide whether to do a tour or just walk around the immediate area.

Just last night we decided to just walk around. Most people we have talked to

said they were doing the same thing.

 

We did get off the ship briefly and we walked up and down the main street in

front of the wharf. There were quite a few people with blankets laid out selling

purses, jewellery, wooden items, and such. We passed another cruise passenger

who was telling us that there was a local bus to Kokopo not too far from

where we were and thought that maybe we might do that later. Then it started

raining so we flew back to the ship. By the time we were on board the rain

stopped. It rained off and on all day.

 

You could see the volcano, Mt. Tavurvur, which was blackened by recent eruptions.

What a magnificent sight! There were other mountains nearby as well as what I

think was Mt. Vulcan volcano. There were lots of fishing boats in Simpson Harbor

but I did not see any activity so they must have just been anchored there until

it was time to fish later.

 

We had a quick lunch in the Lido and then went to sit out on the aft Lido deck

to just look at the volcanoes. The second round of tours were due to leave the

ship around 12:30 or so and we saw a few grabbing a bite before they had to

leave.

 

At 4:30 everyone was back on board and the Captain has just announced we would

be dropping lines and leaving shortly. She also has said there will be rough

waters tonight and early tomorrow so we can prepare ourselves.

 

At dinner we already could feel the waves getting bigger and the winds could

be heard too. We walked around a little before calling it a night. Good night

everyone.

Edited March 12, 2015 by alibabacruisers

[Janix]

We are still bouncing along I the Pacific, nothing to serious up to now, but there are some sections of very confused seas which affects our stance somewhat. Have heard about Vanuatu on the news.

 

Captain is expecting seas to increase again tonight as we approach the cyclone so keeping an eye on the weather on the TV.

 

Internet has been intermittent at times.

 

John

[Salacia]

John, batten down the hatches and hang tight! Best wishes to all at sea and on land in the path of the storms. Thanks for your updates. Regards, -S.

[Salacia]

Barbara, I don't want to take your time while you are on board, but when you get back home, I have several questions to ask you about your voyage - but let me say now that I admire your adventurous nature and your equanimity. Best wishes to you and your husband & thanks for your posts. Cheers! -Salacia

[MicCanberra]

Wishing you all smooth seas for a good nights sleep.:D

[alibabacruisers]

Barbara, I don't want to take your time while you are on board, but when you get back home, I have several questions to ask you about your voyage - but let me say now that I admire your adventurous nature and your equanimity. Best wishes to you and your husband & thanks for your posts. Cheers! -Salacia

 

Salacia, I would be happy to answer your questions and thank you for your most kind compliments!

 

I am a day behind posting updates, but will post another in a short while....

 

Friday, 13 Mar

 

At breakfast this morning we had a little chat with some of the crew we see

everyday. They work so hard to get breakfast ready for us and are smiling

when we see them. After we ate and were on the way back to our room we met

a man from Darwin who talked to us for awhile about travelling throughout his

life and he was very interesting.

 

I went to read in the Midships Bar while DH went for a swim in the sloshing

pool because the waves outside are 3 meters and moving us around quite a bit.

I felt like a hot dog for lunch so met up with DH and headed for the Lido Grill.

He was craving a pizza so ordered one from our friend at the pizza section.

While we were in the are the area we thought we would head to the Crossing The

Line Ceremony. I finally caught a glimpse of the new Captain for the first

time. I had seen a picture of her earlier near the ship's shop on deck 3, where

there is the big frame with pictures of the officers, so I had an idea of what

she looked like.

 

After a quick trip to the Tours Office to check for Cunard transfers in HK

(still not ready...a week before we were told), we walked around the ship. I

checked the laundrette several times this morning and the laundrettes on Decks

6, 7, and 8 were full so I will try earlier tomorrow or the next day.

 

We had a little nap so we could try to see what goes on in different venues

after dinner. When we woke up it was time to get ready for dinner. We ate in

the DR and usually when we are here there are a lot of empty tables, but that

it not the case tonight because as we looked around most tables were occupied.

I had the ravioli while DH tried the partridge, and both were good as was the

dessert of apple strudel with vanilla ice cream.

 

We walked around the ship checking out the different venues and most seemed to

be quite full of people enjoying a drink before or after dinner. The photographers

were out at their stations taking some pictures, which we gave up on a long time

ago.

 

Then it was back to the room and a movie before bedtime. Until tomorrow...

[alibabacruisers]

Here is the next update .....

 

Saturday, 14 Mar

 

We slept in a little this morning and finally got up for breakfast around 7:00.

I had been having a craving for pancakes so went straight to the Lido section

that would take care of it. The syrup that they had wasn't very good and I

will have to remember for next time to ask if they have another option.

 

After breakfast I was sitting on the balcony thinking about the fact that we

only have 12 days left and trying to decide if I was ready to leave. The

answer was not yet. This is the longest cruise we've been on with the closest

being QM2 last year at 40 days. We have eased in to the longer cruises over

the past 5 years and I have decided that I like the longer ones. :o

 

With breakfast behind us we went to the aft Lido Deck. DH wanted to swim while

I thought I would try to read under the sails. It was quite humid for me at

this time of morning but I persevered for about an hour, then wandered around

the ship for a bit before settling in a chair near the window at the Midships

Bar area.

 

The sea has really got some deep swells, around 4.5 meters, happening. This

is making my stomach remember what the TA part of the cruise was like. I have

been taking my Avomine since leaving Rabaul in anticipation of exactly this.

For me, thanks to CC for alerting me to the news of TS, cyclones, and the like,

as it helped me get a jump on the movement of the seas. As the day progressed

the meds kept most of the nausea at bay, thank goodness.

 

Of interest is that on the TV channel which gives you information through the

Navigator's Log, Captain's Log and the Weather Log, that it is stating that

we arrive to Yokohama on Tuesday, 17 Mar at 7pm and depart Wednesday, 18 March

at 9pm. We have noticed that, on occasion, the info that shows can be incorrect.

The original itinerary said we arrive on Wednesday at 0730 and depart the same

day at 5pm so it will be interesting to see how it goes. We still have over 1800

miles to go and it seems not enough days to get there on schedule...hmm...wonder

which port will possibly need to be sacrificed, if any, or how the schedule will

need to change?

 

It was time for dinner and we were not too hungry but decided we would have only

the entree, which was the spa selection chicken. I had had it before, but DH

had not and he had wanted to try it. We both enjoyed it. We had an invitation

to join our CC friends for a drink before they went to dinner and that was

so very nice to catch up again with them. I had to excuse myself a little early

due to my stomach finally saying it had had enough of the seas.

 

When I got back to the room, I thought I would try fresh air but the air was

so hot and humid, it did not help. So I lowered the thermostat a little, changed

clothes, and laid down for the night. Slowly, the sick feeling subsided and I

was able to watch a bit of TV before going to sleep. I think it is weird had

the winds died down to 23 mph but the waves were still 4.5 meters. Maybe it

will subside tomorrow....until next time....

[maggiemou]

Thank you Barbara for your updates Keep well and here's to calmer seas for you all.

[alibabacruisers]

Hot off the presses...

 

The Captain has just announced that Yokohama is cancelled and we will be going to Kobe instead. This is because of the weather in the area. I could not hear the announcement clearly (every day we have the same problem), but she did address the arrangements for disembarking passengers, which I could not hear. The Yokohama excursions will be cancelled and refunded to our OBC (not sure for those of us who booked with cc prior to the cruise). New excursions will be sent to us later regarding Kobe.

 

I am sure we will get more information throughout the day, but wanted to let you guys know what s happening.;)

[MicCanberra]

Thanks for the updates and a shame you will miss Yokohama now, wishing you all smoother seas.:D

[Salacia]

Yikes! I'm glad I'm not driving the ship in such weather!

 

Good luck & best wishes, -S

[Janix]

Sun 15th March – At Sea

 

After leaving Rabaul the ship headed towards the island of New Hanover and then the Saint Matthias Group before altering course to 22degree True in order to pas behind a tropical cyclone that was in our path. We continued on this course until around 2230 last evening when a course change to 220 degrees was made, which points us directly towards Yokohama. Our original routing was to takes us close past Guam, but we are currently nearly 500 miles east of the island, plodding along at 22 knots. Earlier we passed Bikini atoll and the Kwajalein Group some 1000 miles to our East.

 

Fortunately the seas have not been too bad, confused and bouncy with the odd sleeping policeman, but this morning we are back into sunshine and although not flat calm, a lot better. There is still some movement and we moved out of the Doldrums overnight with 1737 miles to run. The latest weather information shows an outside temp of 28C, with 77% humidity, Pressure of 29.8 rising and a wind speed of 22.3 knots (25 mph) so around Force 6, and waves of 2.5 metres.

 

However during the Captains noon update we were informed that a major change to our itinerary was to be implemented.

 

Here is a partial transcript of the captain’s noon announcement :-

 

‘Good Morning, ladies and gentlemen, this the Captain Inge Thorhauge speaking from the bridge. I am sorry to interrupt your morning and also to intrude into your staterooms wit this announcement but what I have to say is of the utmost importance concerning our call at Yokohama on Wednesday.

 

For those that have been following the weather, you will be aware that we are currently affected by tropical Storm Bavi. I have altered the course of Queen Elizabeth based on best advice from our Weather Routeing Information Service, taking us further to the east to avoid the worst excesses of the storm and to make your journey more comfortable. However this is not the problem that has the greatest impact on our itinerary. We are programmed to berth at the Yokohama Passenger Terminal which would involve us going under the bridge at the Port of Yokohama. For a ship of the proportions of Queen Elizabeth the Port Authorities in Yokohama have placed certain restrictions concerning weather conditions which must be met before undertaking such a manoeuvre, primarily wind speed and tidal variations.

 

Currently the predicted weather forecast puts the conditions for our arrival outside the safe operating envelope, forcing us to look for an alternative Berth in the port which is sadly not available. Obviously we have a responsibility to the 550 guests disembarking and the 750 Embarking guests, so I have taken the decision in consultation with our office in Southampton and Carnival’s Office in Tokyo to divert to Kobe.

This is not a decision I come to easily but I am sure you will understand we need to have time to make logistical arrangements for an operation of this complexity and having to cancel the call on arrival morning is simply not an option.

 

Having investigated several alernatives the most meaningful would be to Berth in Kobe at 1130am on the 18th and stay overnight departing in the evening of the 19th. Unfortunately these timings will impact on Nagasaki which will also have to be cancelled. However, arrival in Pusan on the 21st march will remain as programmed.’

 

The remainder of the announcement concerned the refunds of tour costs and rebooking arrangements along with more detail for those disembarking, and their ongoing travel plans. It is unfortunate that the many passengers who regarded the ports of Japan as one of the main reasons for taking this cruise, have been affected, but we cannot pre-book the weather, and we have been aware of the worsening weather over the Pacific in the last few days.

 

 

Last evening we were given our next World Cruise present, which is a pretty Wedgewood teacup with World Voyage 2015 emblazoned on it. This afternoon is the World Club wine tasting, which may take our minds off the disappointment of not visiting Tokyo and Nagasaki ?

 

John

Edited March 15, 2015 by Janix

[Janix]

Just had another announcement to say we will be experiencing bad conditions again until 4am tomorrow morning.

 

Batten down the hatches again !

 

John

[cruiseluvva]

I am so sorry to read about the cancellation of your two ports, ports that were very special for no doublt so many. I can imagine that this was certainly not an easy decision, particularly given the numbers involved in starting and ending their trips there, but sadly these things do happen.

 

Hopefully, weather conditions have/ will improve and the remainder of the voyage will stay on schedule.

[MicCanberra]

Yes, a real shame about the ports being missed and the excursions with it, but at least you have plenty of warning and some time to make the necessary arrangements.:D

[babs135]

Sorry you will miss Nagasaki. We stopped there a few years ago and thought it was lovely. We didn't know what to expect but were more than pleasantly surprised at what we saw.

[tangoll]

What arrangements is Cunard making for the 500 pax that have to be disembarked in Kobe (instead of originally Yokohama), and the 700+ pax embarking now in Kobe instead of Yokohama? Bus them, 5+ hours by expressway)? Pity the pax who have flight reservations out of Tokyo on the 18th March.

 

What a nightmare.

[maggiemou]

Hello John Andrea & Barbara, I am sorry you are missing the ports on Japan. Such shame but the weather is not always kind is it?

Yokohama was a maiden call last year for QE and it was spectacular the amount of people how waited day and night watching the ship. The bridge as you enter the port has only 3 feet to spare so if there is high tide, you can't get in. Nagaski is similar with a bridge that was buit to allow enough space for QM2 to go under. We were on the maiden call into Nagasaki on QM2 and again there is very little head room about one metre. If the tides are high you can't get in such a shame .

We went on the three hour drive into Tokyo. from Yokohama last year. I love the ports in Japan. Nagasaki is lovely and we have been lucky to get there the last three times we have been in Japan. Kobe is good as you can get to Osaka and Kyoto as they are all closed enough to do a tour in as not too far away.

Last year we went on our own ot Hiroshima as we wanted to ride the bullet train. It is very easy to do on your own from Kobe. If you are interested in the Atomic bomb and you are not going to see Nagasaki try to go to Hiroshima. There is a peace garden there and a museum all dedicated to the atomic bomb and the devastation. It is not for the faint hearted and I have to say we did not go into the museum as we have been to the one in Nagasaki and it is very disturbing and upsetting. We went to the paece gardens and paid our respects and looked around Hiroshima. It was a good day out and the bullet train was fantastic.

John, if you are still reading my book following the tours you will find out how we did it on our own as I write about the train and how we got there.

Whatever you do have a great time. Hope you get better weather soon.

I hope you do not miss Busan . That was another highlight of the world cruise last year. We were there only last night. ;)

JT makes DVD's of all our ports of call so we often watch them and we are visiting the ports of call you are doing so following you not just on here but on the DVD/tv as well. I feel we are with you. ;)

Love to Andrea, and Pat. Say hi to Chris & Dave Toni and her OH. Maggie xx

Here is taste of things come Have fun!

Crowds to welcome you at Kobe.

 

Maggiemou with the locals in Hiroshima.

Golden Pavilion Kyoto.

Edited March 15, 2015 by maggiemou

[Scrapnana]

So sorry that you have had to change plans again. What a shame to miss ports in Japan.

 

Maggie's suggestion is a great one. If you have never been on the bullet train it is an experience and the Hiroshima Peace Park is beautiful and easy to get to by public bus from the railway station.

[dawburg]

Sun 15th March – At Sea

 

After leaving Rabaul the ship headed towards the island of New Hanover and then the Saint Matthias Group before altering course to 22degree True in order to pas behind a tropical cyclone that was in our path. We continued on this course until around 2230 last evening when a course change to 220 degrees was made, which points us directly towards Yokohama. Our original routing was to takes us close past Guam, but we are currently nearly 500 miles east of the island, plodding along at 22 knots. Earlier we passed Bikini atoll and the Kwajalein Group some 1000 miles to our East.

 

Fortunately the seas have not been too bad, confused and bouncy with the odd sleeping policeman, but this morning we are back into sunshine and although not flat calm, a lot better. There is still some movement and we moved out of the Doldrums overnight with 1737 miles to run. The latest weather information shows an outside temp of 28C, with 77% humidity, Pressure of 29.8 rising and a wind speed of 22.3 knots (25 mph) so around Force 6, and waves of 2.5 metres.

 

However during the Captains noon update we were informed that a major change to our itinerary was to be implemented.

 

Here is a partial transcript of the captain’s noon announcement :-

 

‘Good Morning, ladies and gentlemen, this the Captain Inge Thorhauge speaking from the bridge. I am sorry to interrupt your morning and also to intrude into your staterooms wit this announcement but what I have to say is of the utmost importance concerning our call at Yokohama on Wednesday.

 

For those that have been following the weather, you will be aware that we are currently affected by tropical Storm Bavi. I have altered the course of Queen Elizabeth based on best advice from our Weather Routeing Information Service, taking us further to the east to avoid the worst excesses of the storm and to make your journey more comfortable. However this is not the problem that has the greatest impact on our itinerary. We are programmed to berth at the Yokohama Passenger Terminal which would involve us going under the bridge at the Port of Yokohama. For a ship of the proportions of Queen Elizabeth the Port Authorities in Yokohama have placed certain restrictions concerning weather conditions which must be met before undertaking such a manoeuvre, primarily wind speed and tidal variations.

 

Currently the predicted weather forecast puts the conditions for our arrival outside the safe operating envelope, forcing us to look for an alternative Berth in the port which is sadly not available. Obviously we have a responsibility to the 550 guests disembarking and the 750 Embarking guests, so I have taken the decision in consultation with our office in Southampton and Carnival’s Office in Tokyo to divert to Kobe.

This is not a decision I come to easily but I am sure you will understand we need to have time to make logistical arrangements for an operation of this complexity and having to cancel the call on arrival morning is simply not an option.

 

Having investigated several alernatives the most meaningful would be to Berth in Kobe at 1130am on the 18th and stay overnight departing in the evening of the 19th. Unfortunately these timings will impact on Nagasaki which will also have to be cancelled. However, arrival in Pusan on the 21st march will remain as programmed.’

 

The remainder of the announcement concerned the refunds of tour costs and rebooking arrangements along with more detail for those disembarking, and their ongoing travel plans. It is unfortunate that the many passengers who regarded the ports of Japan as one of the main reasons for taking this cruise, have been affected, but we cannot pre-book the weather, and we have been aware of the worsening weather over the Pacific in the last few days.

 

 

Last evening we were given our next World Cruise present, which is a pretty Wedgewood teacup with World Voyage 2015 emblazoned on it. This afternoon is the World Club wine tasting, which may take our minds off the disappointment of not visiting Tokyo and Nagasaki ?

 

John

 

Sooo glad you posted this, we are so grateful! As soon as we read it we contacted Cunard to confirm the change, and they knew nothing about it! We fly out tomorrow 10:30 am from Toronto, no internet access after that, and we would have arrived at the Yokohama pier totally freaked out. We immediately booked a hotel in Kobe, but we held off arranging a flight to Kobe until we had confirmation from Cunard, of course now you can't get through on the line at all....

[alibabacruisers]

OMG John how in the world did you get that from the announcement? I am so

glad to see it because in the Lido, standing under the speakers, you got only

about 1/4 of that. We knew she must have talked about Nagasaki but did not hear it.

 

Sunday, 15 Mar

 

After a nice relaxing breakfast I decided that today I was going to get

 

laundry and other domestic duties done so by 7:10 I was waiting outside the laundry

door for when it opened at 7:30. Laundry was done by 9:00 and I was a happy girl

because I am hoping to just do the small items in our sink and hold the rest until we

get home. Fingers crossed.

 

When I got back to the room the steward had cleaned our room and left the

HK arrival and departure cards for us to fill out. Once that was completed,

they were turned back into the Purser's Desk as requested. That is making

the end of our cruise, that is getting closer and closer, seem even more

real.

 

Today at 10:00 in the Royal Spa Wellness Fair in the Garden Lounge so I will

be checking that out since I have not visited the spa since earlier in the

cruise. I went and had a neck/shoulder massage, eye treatment and then I just

hung around for the raffle but did no win. Congratulations to the 4 that

 

won!

 

Next headed to the Lido for lunch. At lunch the Captain came on the overhead

shortly before noon with an important announcement. Because of the weather

Yokohama was being cancelled but could not clearly hear her discuss the

arrangements. We would be visiting Kobe instead then I did hear something

about disembarking passengers would be transferred via bullet train

 

separately from their luggage, I think. Excursions for Yokohama would be cancelled

and credited to your OBC, but she did not say anything about if you booked prior to

the cruise with cc. Kobe excursions would be available on a memo that would be

sent to our cabins later. I am sure, well hoping at least, more information regarding

the whole process will be forthcoming as well. (See John's post regarding what was

actually said in the announcement).

 

The noon announcements have become a joke lately because they are not loud

enough, and the speaker usually starts loud and trails off frequently so you

don't even know what you heard. I also have heard complaints that the

announcements of other languages are often incomplete and an inaccurate

translation. Today's announcement of the cancellation of Yokohama was a prime

example and will have people screaming I am sure especially because the

announcement was inaudible for most parts creating confusion.

We just spoke to the Purser's Desk....They are cancelling both Yokohama and

Nagasaki. We are to arrive at 11:30 am on Wednesday, 18 Mar and overnighting

in Kobe. The 20th is supposed to be a sea day with Busan on the 21st as

scheduled.

 

Well the seas and winds are certainly picking up as it is hard to walk in the

passageways and stairwells. It seems people are dissipating with numbers

decreased around the ship from what we saw. We head back to the cabin for

the rest of the day and night and even skipped dinner. The Captain has

announced that the wind and seas should calm by 4am in the morning and I hope

so because at the moment the wind is about 60mph with 6.5 meter waves, which

is similar to the TA part of this cruise. Until next time...

Edited March 15, 2015 by alibabacruisers

[MicCanberra]

What arrangements is Cunard making for the 500 pax that have to be disembarked in Kobe (instead of originally Yokohama), and the 700+ pax embarking now in Kobe instead of Yokohama? Bus them, 5+ hours by expressway)? Pity the pax who have flight reservations out of Tokyo on the 18th March.

 

What a nightmare.

 

Yes, it would be, but I am sure something would be worked out and they will be looked after for the transit.

As mentioned by the captain in John's post

'Obviously we have a responsibility to the 550 guests disembarking and the 750 Embarking guests, so I have taken the decision in consultation with our office in Southampton and Carnival’s Office in Tokyo to divert to Kobe.'

 

Hope they get compensated appropriately as well.