Notes from Queen Victoria to the Mediterranean (& back)

[Host Hattie]

Good morning from Santa Margherita Ligure where Mr HH has the sunny side of the ship and I have the view.

He's feeling OK, just as if he has a cold and I haven't developed any symptoms so I'll be getting off the ship for a couple of hours.

 

[Host Hattie]

I'm back onboard after a lovely day strolling around the town. The tender queue was a bit long at times but I found a bench and waited until there was only a few minutes to queue. It's been a beautiful day here.

[Pear Carr]

Beautiful photographs and a lovely day in port! So sorry to hear about your current restrictions and hope Mr HH manages to make a speedy recovery and enjoy some of your remaining days. We are also on board - our first venture since 2019 and are delighted to report that we are finding her as we left her! Some previous negative reviews raised some concerns but we have found them to be totally unfounded in our experience! Service in all areas has been excellent, as has food in the main dining room so far. Enjoying nightly cocktails in the Commodore with hot, cold canapés and nibbles - and particularly enjoying the cocktail pianist! We have dipped in and out of shows - some very good and others not for us. We have particularly enjoyed the very accomplished Imprezza string trio! There are some talented singers/performers, however, we have found the ship to be very quiet on most nights after dinner and as such a bit soulless for those performing! Understandable on strenuous port days but surprised by the lack of interest or stamina on sea days. Delighted to be back on board and looking forward to future cruises! For the most part dress code being adhered to on formal nights and mask wearing generally non existent for passengers. 

[Host Hattie]

Nice to hear from you and I'm glad you're having a great time. 

If you do see a passenger wearing a mask it might be me ! 

[Host Hattie]

I got all 3 courses this evening, it's best to order something that still tastes OK luke warm or eat the courses in the wrong order 😂.

 

[Victoria2]

2 hours ago, Pear Carr said:

Beautiful photographs and a lovely day in port! So sorry to hear about your current restrictions and hope Mr HH manages to make a speedy recovery and enjoy some of your remaining days. We are also on board - our first venture since 2019 and are delighted to report that we are finding her as we left her! Some previous negative reviews raised some concerns but we have found them to be totally unfounded in our experience! Service in all areas has been excellent, as has food in the main dining room so far. Enjoying nightly cocktails in the Commodore with hot, cold canapés and nibbles - and particularly enjoying the cocktail pianist! We have dipped in and out of shows - some very good and others not for us. We have particularly enjoyed the very accomplished Imprezza string trio! There are some talented singers/performers, however, we have found the ship to be very quiet on most nights after dinner and as such a bit soulless for those performing! Understandable on strenuous port days but surprised by the lack of interest or stamina on sea days. Delighted to be back on board and looking forward to future cruises! For the most part dress code being adhered to on formal nights and mask wearing generally non existent for passengers. 

Lovely post and echoes our experience.

 

We too found passenger mask wearing 'sparse'  late August, but we soldiered on and came away Cold/Noro/Covid free.

Luck? Possibly but we took no chances.

 

We have cancelled our next trip, Northern Lights,  purely for personal reasons but looking forward to '23.

[Lanky Lad]

Glad you are still OK HH and that Mr HH isn't too unwell with "it"

[Camgirl]

Hi Host Hattie,

I'm just catching up with your thread. So sorry to hear Mr HH has gone down with covid. We managed to get through the whole 19 nights of the cruise before yours on QV without illness. Unfortunately,  I then tested positive for covid on Tuesday (we had got off the ship on the friday)! My second time with it, having been in hospital with it during my first time. Luckily, it has been much easier this time, and I am over it already. I hope mr HH is the same as it is his second time too. The good news is that my husband avoided it, so I hope you will too.

All the best for the rest of your cruise.

[Host Hattie]

Sorry to hear that @Camgirl but it's good to hear you're better already. Mr HH feels that he's coughing less today and I'm still OK. I've got the sun on my side of the ship so I'm reading on the balcony this morning.

 

[Host Hattie]

It was a bit windy on my balcony but I had sun until mid-afternoon and the coast of Mallorca to watch.

Once the sun had moved round I dropped some supplies to Mr HH, he didn't have any flannels. Then I spent most of the afternoon on the open decks as far away from other people as possible. It was a lovely day at sea and I was a bit sad to be experiencing it on my own and being unable to order a Strawberry Daiquiri from the Lido Bar. Definite First world problems!

Room service dinner arrived quickly and I had a call from the room service manager to check that everything was OK.

I had considered watching the folk musicians play in the Queens Room but gave it a miss.

 

[Host Hattie]

There wasn't much of a sunrise this morning but I saw a Saga ship sailing in and I have the Navy side of the ship while Mr HH has the city.

I've had my swab taken and I'm waiting for the results. No symptoms and I took a lateral flow test about an hour before which was negative so I am not particularly worried.

 

[Host Hattie]

I've just had the call from the medical centre, their test was negative as well so I can go ashore. 

Monday seems to be the day that most things are closed here but I didn't look round the city last time we were here so I should make the effort.

[LadyL1]

Cartegena is a lively city to walk around. I hope you enjoy it.

[swjumbo]

Still enjoying reading your posts.

Is Mr HH getting tested regularly and is he showing positive? 
If he tests negative does he get out?

I only hope your insurance company is on side.

[Host Hattie]

He hasn't been tested again since Friday, I've got an LFT to drop off for him when I get back on board.

[Host Hattie]

I had a lovely walk round the city and a very nice lunch. The grey early morning had turned into a hazy warm day so I was a bit hot and bothered getting back on the ship. A swim would have been lovely but not very practical in a face mask so I made do with a cool shower instead.

 

[Host Hattie]

It was pleasant on the balcony for sailaway but it sounds quite windy out there now and the cabin seems to have developed a squeak ! I'm going to have to figure out what it is before bedtime.

Rack of lamb was on the menu tonight, it was very good but would have been even better in the dining room warm as opposed to in my cabin cool.

The contact from the Pursers Office rang us both for the first 2 days, failed to do either of the things we asked for and has now disappeared off the face of the earth. It's probably just as well as I'm in the mood to tell him what I think about their ridiculous restrictions. I've now taken 4 tests since Friday, all negative which I'm sure is more than most people on this ship but they are free to go about the place.  I've got to wear a mask even on the open desks and eat luke warm food  in my cabin. For this I pay exactly the same price as if I'd been able to enjoy all the facilities of the ship. There's no FCC any more and my insurance will only pay out for Mr HH's cabin confinement not my half a cruise.

The explanation is that they are following CDC guidelines - except these have been withdrawn & we're not sailing anywhere near the US !

Apologies for the rant but I'm not feeling very sunshine and rainbows this evening.

[Lanky Lad]

So you would have almost been better off testing positive so long as you're not ill.

[groryjm]

@Host Hattie I'm loving your live from review 😎

We are boarding QV next week and are new to Cunard, though not cruising. I've seen mention on these boards of the "My Voyage" app.

Am I right in asumming that the lists you have been posting of the daily activities are screen prints from this app?

Other lines apps can be used for messaging . Can Cunards?

The reason I ask is my Gastrognome and I are in the habit of using Whats app to comunicate with each other when out and about around the ship which necesitates each having the wifi packages. Usually with messages like "Darling can you bring me a GnT on your way back to the room". Can the "My Voyage" app. do something similar to this with out having to purchace wifi

 

[Jack E Dawson]

Host Hattie, your pictures are excellent and your daily narrative very informative. I think a little "rant" is quite appropriate at this point, all things considered. It probably doesn't provide much consolation but your objective and experienced opinion is valued by so many on this board. It's obvious you and Mr.HH are trying to make the best of an unfortunate situation.  

Jack

[Windsurfboy]

HH your rant is 110% justified.  4 negative tests you must be much safer than the many  people wandering round ship ignoring slight sniffle or sore throat.

 

Glad you can go ashore and have some sort of normal time.  Sad it's on your own.

 

Must praise Mr HH's honesty in going forward for a test given only mild symptoms.  However to be honest given what I've read of what happens , I'm not sure I'd get tested and ruin my holiday.  Just take sensible precautions as for a cold to avoid others .

 

 

[Host Hattie]

8 hours ago, groryjm said:

@Host Hattie I'm loving your live from review 😎

We are boarding QV next week and are new to Cunard, though not cruising. I've seen mention on these boards of the "My Voyage" app.

Am I right in asumming that the lists you have been posting of the daily activities are screen prints from this app?

Other lines apps can be used for messaging . Can Cunards?

The reason I ask is my Gastrognome and I are in the habit of using Whats app to comunicate with each other when out and about around the ship which necesitates each having the wifi packages. Usually with messages like "Darling can you bring me a GnT on your way back to the room". Can the "My Voyage" app. do something similar to this with out having to purchace wifi

 

Yes they are, no messaging facility I'm afraid. 

[Host Hattie]

5 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

Must praise Mr HH's honesty in going forward for a test given only mild symptoms.  However to be honest given what I've read of what happens , I'm not sure I'd get tested and ruin my holiday.  Just take sensible precautions as for a cold to avoid others

He did it to protect me, if we'd shared a cabin much longer it was much more likely that he would have passed it on to me. As long as your other half doesn't mind the risk or you're travelling alone that's fine.

We'd discussed the potential for this situation before we travelled and agreed that if only one of us was positive they would isolate separately. He had Covid last November and after my initial PCR test was negative I was allowed back to work and he isolated at home.

[Host Hattie]

Last night's Rack of lamb, we've just arrived in Gibraltar.

 

[Host Hattie]

Not much to see at the moment!