Live from Queen Victoria - 12 November - Norway and Northern Lights

[tacticalbanjo]

Last nights tour was a success and there were no flash users which was good. We crossed into Sweden to chase the lights and first stopped at a lay-by to test the waters. The lights were just beginning to show so our guide decided to usher us onto the bus and head to a better spot.

 

Only when we got there it was a complete bust. We couldn’t see any stars and the only lights we saw were from passing cars. There was a lot of muttering at it having been clear at the previous spot and cloudy here so 20 mins into our hour long stop we packed back on the bus and headed to another stop. 
 

 

This was more successful but clouds covered the sky pretty quickly so we jumped back on the bus. It was agreed that we would visit a beach and even if the lights weren’t visible we would still get some nice photos. 
 

 

But the lights did come out briefly and because the coach driver forgot to put the lights on to let people out safely my eyes were finally adjusted in time to see some of the green colours. Hurrah!

 

Meanwhile they also had lights back at the ship. My husband was on the ship with toddler duty and sent me this photo. 
 

 

This morning we woke up to a lovely sunrise.

 

 

We took things pretty easy since the price of sending the toddler to bed an hour early so that Mummy could go on a trip was being awake at about 6.30. I would say at the crack of dawn but sun rise was at 9.30ish. 
 

After lunch and a nap we went to visit the snowmen. Then it was kids club for the husband and the toddler and hobby meet up for me. The door was locked when we turned up to everyone’s concern. The waitstaff said it had been unlocked a few minutes ago. Then someone spotted that there was someone inside. The door was knocked and out popped the captain. Everyone was quite embarrassed especially as we were a few minutes early but you just can’t get in the way of eager knitters, can you?

[gfs1ram]

Super pictures, so pleased you have seen the lights - they are truly amazing as I found out from our trip on QV in 2019.

Good news also that I understand from friends on board that you are now visiting Stavanger instead of Haugesand albeit due to the bad weather forecasts.

Stavanger is much more 'Norwegian' and better still you are docking right in the Town making access very easy.

Hope you enjoy and that the weather forecasts are wrong !!

[tacticalbanjo]

1 hour ago, gfs1ram said:

Super pictures, so pleased you have seen the lights - they are truly amazing as I found out from our trip on QV in 2019.

Good news also that I understand from friends on board that you are now visiting Stavanger instead of Haugesand albeit due to the bad weather forecasts.

Stavanger is much more 'Norwegian' and better still you are docking right in the Town making access very easy.

Hope you enjoy and that the weather forecasts are wrong !!

I visited both Stavanger and Haugesund in July on Britannia with the toddler and my mum so I’m not bothered at all about the change in itinerary. And as you say, there’s a lot more to do straight off the ship. 
 

Right now our plan is to go to the oil and gas museum but we visited that on a previous trip in 2016 so if the weather is bad then we will just stay on board.

[tacticalbanjo]

We finished yesterday with a few drinks in the Golden Lion and the Irish band. They seem to have been on three times a night somewhere on the ship every night so we’ve got a bit bored with them as there are starting to be quite a few repeats but they are very good. 

 

 

Today we have been enjoying the Christmas decorations that have been springing up all over the ship over the past few days. The toddler is very good and knows not to touch but she is very tempted!

 

 

She has also wanted to touch the metal butterfly sculpture that has appeared in the art gallery. She gets very animated when she sees it flapping her hands and saying ‘butterfly’ over and over again. 
 

We kicked off this morning by watching the Zumba class since the toddler seems very keen on watching the exercise classes. I think she prefers chairobics but you can’t have everything. 
 

The rest of the day developed in our usual sea day routine of kids club, lunch, nap, kids club and hobby meet up. A slow day but we needed the sleep after having been kept up a lot last night by the tiny dictator’s sore teeth. 
 

Tonight was a gala night and we had some photos taken but I don’t have much hope for them because the toddler seems to be allergic to smiling in photos so unless you are very lucky you just get photos of mummy and daddy smiling and the toddler looking bootfaced. 
 

Our dinner was good but again I’m feeling like the menus need to be refreshed. Unless we just end up on the same menu rotation each time?

 

 

Still the toddler has been catered for excellently. Today she had spaghetti and meatballs from the kids menu because I knew she would really enjoy it. I think she is going to find it hard to go back to real life where no one comes to offer you a bread roll before dinner, there is ice cream every night and you get a chocolate after dinner. 
 

During dinner the captain came on and announced that we were heading to Stavanger slightly early to a medical emergency. He said we were moving at 21 knots and would pick up the pilot at about 11pm. We will probably dock about 12.30am and if we want to head into town for some Stavanger night life at 1am then we are more than welcome. Best wishes for whoever is involved in the medical emergency. 
 

We’re spending tonight in the Chart Room where the music is more sedate than in the Golden Lion but we won’t have to listen to karaoke. 
 

[fabnfortysomething]

had to laugh at your description of the toddler looking bootfaced

I have 2 grandaughters aged 3 and 1

eldest would break into a grin from an early age as soon as you pointed a camera at her

junior looks bootfaced in most-we reckon its the weight of her chubby cheeks that make smiling difficult!

we are treating them and their parents to a 5 day cruise next year[MSC who status match] so going to be rnteresting!]

[violet3]

Is the lovely James Cusick  still the hotel manager onboard  Queen  Victoria ?

[tacticalbanjo]

10 hours ago, violet3 said:

Is the lovely James Cusick  still the hotel manager onboard  Queen  Victoria ?

I will try to have a look later. 

 

The weather in Stavanger today was awful so we chose to stay on board and get some laundry done. Unfortunately everyone else had the same idea so the laundrette was packed and this caused some selfish impatience. I returned to the dryer about five minutes before it was due to end to find my laundry had been shoved in a basket. In a hurry to get back to lunch I took it back to our room then discovered that some of the thicker things like the toddler’s sleep sack were still damp. Incensed I left a snotty note in the dryer door to let the offender know how selfish they had been. 
 

That was about all we did today but now we are at Gin and Fizz enjoying a drink before we head to Verandah. Here’s hoping the toddler stays asleep!

 

[Host Hattie]

Sorry about the laundry but the drinks look good!

[alc13]

29 minutes ago, tacticalbanjo said:

I left a snotty note in the dryer door to let the offender know how selfish they had been. 

Good for you!

[violet3]

Enjoy the verandah ! Never fails to please ! 

Bon appetite 

[tacticalbanjo]

12 hours ago, violet3 said:

Is the lovely James Cusick  still the hotel manager onboard  Queen  Victoria ?

The Hotel General Manager is Naomi McFerran. 

[violet3]

Thank you!

[majortom10]

15 minutes ago, tacticalbanjo said:

The Hotel General Manager is Naomi McFerran. 

I think there is some confusion here Naomi McFerran is the Hotel General Manager for the group P&O and Cunard and is land based. Think violet3 is asking who the hotel manager is onboard QV currently and not the senior Hotel General Manager for Carnival UK. Every ship has a Hotel Manager who travels onboard.

[Victoria2]

30 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

I think there is some confusion here Naomi McFerran is the Hotel General Manager for the group P&O and Cunard and is land based. Think violet3 is asking who the hotel manager is onboard QV currently and not the senior Hotel General Manager for Carnival UK. Every ship has a Hotel Manager who travels onboard.

Naomi McFerran

 

Hotel General Manager

mv Queen Victoria | Cunard

 

edit

This was in reply to an email I sent to her last year. I thought/presumed she was ship based. Is she land based?

Edited November 22, 2023 by Victoria2

[sogne]

1 hour ago, majortom10 said:

I think there is some confusion here Naomi McFerran is the Hotel General Manager for the group P&O and Cunard and is land based. Think violet3 is asking who the hotel manager is onboard QV currently and not the senior Hotel General Manager for Carnival UK. Every ship has a Hotel Manager who travels onboard.

She was on board QV for both our recent sailings 1st Oct & Amsterdam

 

[tacticalbanjo]

5 hours ago, majortom10 said:

I think there is some confusion here Naomi McFerran is the Hotel General Manager for the group P&O and Cunard and is land based. Think violet3 is asking who the hotel manager is onboard QV currently and not the senior Hotel General Manager for Carnival UK. Every ship has a Hotel Manager who travels onboard.

Her photo is on the who’s who board on deck 2 so I assume she’s on board. 

[tacticalbanjo]

Our meal at Verandah last night was fantastic. Last time we went I was pregnant and I couldn’t bear to order a steak well done so I was looking forward to my steak dinner. 
 

 

The glazed bread and maple butter is very moreish and even though we said we weren’t going to finish it because we both suffered from overeating last time we did Verandah, it did disappear. 
 

 

Then we both went for the lobster cocktail which was delicious but fiddly to eat. Am I alone in preferring a plate?

 

 

Then came the wagyu for me and the ribeye for my husband with an assortment of sides. The onion rings were excellent. The wagyu steak I had been thinking about for over two years was as delicious as I’d hoped. 
 

 

Then we rounded out the evening with the sundae which hit the spot exactly. 
 

The service was as good as last time and when we explained that we had a child in the night nursery, they made sure service was brisk to get us through as much of the meal as possible before we got buzzed.  But the toddler gods were with us and we managed an after dinner drink before she woke just as we were on the way to collect her. 
 

Today we spent in that easy sea day rhythm. It was a bit sad leaving the kids club for the last time (save for night nursery) and seeing the toddler waving goodbye to the youth staff and all the toys. She doesn’t have that many words so the fact that she can now say ‘kids club’ is a testament to how much she has enjoyed it. 
 

Today was Thanksgiving so turkey dinner and pumpkin pie was on the menu. The toddler was a big fan of the turkey and polished off quite a bit of her portion. I couldn’t say much in the way of plant life went in though!

 

As we left dinner and headed for our room to get the toddler ready for bed we had a few people comment how well behaved she was during the trip which was lovely to hear. 
 

Now we are sat in the Golden Lion with most of our stuff packed up. We’ve had a great time but I am looking forward to a few home comforts like not having a toddler sleeping in the same room. 

[Host Hattie]

I'm sorry your trip is coming to an end but thanks again for taking us with you.

 

[Victoria2]

Wonderful reports so thank you for taking us with you.

[Mickb]

As a grandparent with 2 toddler grandchildren, your toddler sounds amazing!

All credit to you both and thank you for putting an entirely different complexion on a trip report!

👏👏👏👏👏

[Judyrem]

On 11/20/2023 at 11:43 AM, tacticalbanjo said:

The pools have been drained since the rough seas earlier in the voyage and the doors from the Winter Garden to the Pavillion Pool have been closed since it got very cold but the hot tubs are open and there were several people braving them this afternoon. 

OMG, I can't wait to go next November!  

 

Your trip report is wonderful and I loved you including your little girl!😀