OzKiwiJJ Goes Posh!

[OzKiwiJJ]

Well not really POSH because, of course we were in the same cabin for the whole cruise so it's actually Port Out Port Home (POPH). But it is Cunard and we were in Princess Grills, Cunard's mini-suite class, so posh in other ways. 😊

 

We were on a 7 night cruise to Tasmania on Queen Elizabeth with one day in Burnie and two days in Hobart. We had been trying to do a Cunard cruise for a few years but the pandemic saw two bookings cancelled and we had to cancel another one for personal reasons. Those were much longer cruises but we weren't booked in Princess Grills for any of them. Since it looked like we wouldn't be able to do a similar cruise to those we decided to upgrade our experience on a shorter cruise. We departed from Sydney Monday 15^th January.

 

Note: I haven’t got many photos this time, especially of the meals, as I kept forgetting to take them! But here's one of the QE Grand Lobby, taken from Deck 2.

 

 

[Cbtours]

1 minute ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Well not really POSH because, of course we were in the same cabin for the whole cruise so it's actually Port Out Port Home (POPH). But it is Cunard and we were in Princess Grills, Cunard's mini-suite class, so posh in other ways. 😊

 

We were on a 7 night cruise to Tasmania on Queen Elizabeth with one day in Burnie and two days in Hobart. We had been trying to do a Cunard cruise for a few years but the pandemic saw two bookings cancelled and we had to cancel another one for personal reasons. Those were much longer cruises but we weren't booked in Princess Grills for any of them. Since it looked like we wouldn't be able to do a similar cruise to those we decided to upgrade our experience on a shorter cruise. We departed from Sydney Monday 15^th January.

 

Note: I haven’t got many photos this time, especially of the meals, as I kept forgetting to take them! But here's one of the QE Grand Lobby, taken from Deck 2.

 

 

Wow. That’s awesome. Are you going to write a review. We’ve been wanting to do a Cunard too. Unfortunately circumstances didn’t permit us to be over in South Africa now to take the Cunard capetown to Sydney. 
 

that’s a good idea taking a shorter cruise and doing upgrade. I’ll certainly be watching to fit something in.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Day 1 - Embarkation

 

We'd had heavy rain in the morning, and our documentation said "Do not arrive before 1pm" (yeah, sure!) so, just in case, we delayed leaving home until midday hoping we wouldn't end up standing in rain for too long. We live close to the OPT so were there by 12:20pm and check-in had already started. We had priority boarding so whizzed through check-in and were onboard by 12:35pm. Actually this is one cruise line that you don’t need to rush to embark – Lunch in the MDRs didn’t start until 1pm.

 

Cunard is one of those cruise lines which puts your Voyage Cards in an envelope by your cabin door rather than giving them to you during check-in. When we arrived onboard we were told our cabin would be ready by 1pm so decided to go up to the Grills Lounge to wait. But we couldn't figure out how to get up there! The lift wouldn't let us select that deck. Finally we found someone who told us we needed our Voyage Card to access the Grills levels. Duh! Anyway it was close to 1pm so we went up to our cabin and picked up our Voyage Cards. Our cabin was ready and some of our luggage had already arrived so we decided to do some unpacking before lunch.

 

I opened the cabin door, took a couple of steps inside and started laughing. Our Cunard mini-suite is virtually identical to the mini-suite we had on Diamond Princess. The decor is slightly lighter, the TVs are in different places and there are a few enhancements not found on Princess but the basic design is identical. We felt quite at home and unpacking was a breeze as we already knew where to put everything in that style of cabin. After unpacking our two main suitcases we decided to take a break for lunch.

 

Back in the lift we finally found the discreet slot to insert our Voyage Card to get access to the Grills floors. Phew! The main Grills area consists of the Princess Grills MDR, The Queens Grills MDR, The Grills Courtyard, the Grills Lounge, and the lower level of the Grills Terrace - the upper level was on the next deck.

 

The Princess Grills dining room is lovely, very elegant with large panoramic windows facing starboard. We were allocated a table for two near the middle of the dining room, with two two-top tables between us and the window, and a four-top on the other side. The setup is very flexible with most of the tables being two tops that can easily be moved together to make four tops. There were a few larger round tables as well. Even though we weren't right by the window we still had great views. The Grills MDRs are open dining with your allocated table always ready for you whenever you choose to arrive. We really enjoyed this aspect, especially having the same waiters for every meal. They were wonderful.

 

The lunch menu changed daily, as did one part of the dinner menu. There was another section of always available dishes for dinner which didn't change, plus a few special dishes that had to be pre-ordered at lunch time - rack of lamb, roast duck, beef wellington - and these were carved at your table. The one secret item that was never on any of the menus was crepes suzette - these had to be ordered the previous day. Luckily we found that out before the cruise ended. I mentioned my fresh coriander intolerance and was given the dinner menus ahead of time to choose from.

 

We had a delicious lunch then went back to our cabin to finish our unpacking. I hadn't slept well the night before so decided to have a short nap, then we showered and changed for dinner. Queen Elizabeth has the Commodore's Club, a lovely bar on deck 10 forward with large viewing windows over the bow. The ship was just starting to leave Circular Quay as we worked our way up to this bar. We were very lucky as a table for two right by the windows came free just as we got there. We enjoyed the Sydney sailaway from this vantage point, usually we've been on one side or other on various ships, or in Skywalkers aft on Princess.

 

I was in soup heaven on Cunard. I love consommes and there was one every night except one - and that night it was French onion soup. I had an appetiser off the specials list - a wonderful shredded pork croquette. I'd love to know how they kept the meat so soft and juicy inside the croquette as it was just meat without any sauce or bechamel. We'd pre-ordered the rack of lamb. It was beautifully cooked but it was a huge serving. I did manage to fit in dessert but it was a struggle.

 

After dinner we waddled into the Grills Lounge for a digestive to settle our tummies, then retired to our cabin.

[OzKiwiJJ]

3 minutes ago, Cbtours said:

Wow. That’s awesome. Are you going to write a review. We’ve been wanting to do a Cunard too. Unfortunately circumstances didn’t permit us to be over in South Africa now to take the Cunard capetown to Sydney. 
 

that’s a good idea taking a shorter cruise and doing upgrade. I’ll certainly be watching to fit something in.

I'm doing a trip report here rather than a review.

[Cbtours]

2 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Day 1 - Embarkation

 

We'd had heavy rain in the morning, and our documentation said "Do not arrive before 1pm" (yeah, sure!) so, just in case, we delayed leaving home until midday hoping we wouldn't end up standing in rain for too long. We live close to the OPT so were there by 12:20pm and check-in had already started. We had priority boarding so whizzed through check-in and were onboard by 12:35pm. Actually this is one cruise line that you don’t need to rush to embark – Lunch in the MDRs didn’t start until 1pm.

 

Cunard is one of those cruise lines which puts your Voyage Cards in an envelope by your cabin door rather than giving them to you during check-in. When we arrived onboard we were told our cabin would be ready by 1pm so decided to go up to the Grills Lounge to wait. But we couldn't figure out how to get up there! The lift wouldn't let us select that deck. Finally we found someone who told us we needed our Voyage Card to access the Grills levels. Duh! Anyway it was close to 1pm so we went up to our cabin and picked up our Voyage Cards. Our cabin was ready and some of our luggage had already arrived so we decided to do some unpacking before lunch.

 

I opened the cabin door, took a couple of steps inside and started laughing. Our Cunard mini-suite is virtually identical to the mini-suite we had on Diamond Princess. The decor is slightly lighter, the TVs are in different places and there are a few enhancements not found on Princess but the basic design is identical. We felt quite at home and unpacking was a breeze as we already knew where to put everything in that style of cabin. After unpacking our two main suitcases we decided to take a break for lunch.

 

Back in the lift we finally found the discreet slot to insert our Voyage Card to get access to the Grills floors. Phew! The main Grills area consists of the Princess Grills MDR, The Queens Grills MDR, The Grills Courtyard, the Grills Lounge, and the lower level of the Grills Terrace - the upper level was on the next deck.

 

The Princess Grills dining room is lovely, very elegant with large panoramic windows facing starboard. We were allocated a table for two near the middle of the dining room, with two two-top tables between us and the window, and a four-top on the other side. The setup is very flexible with most of the tables being two tops that can easily be moved together to make four tops. There were a few larger round tables as well. Even though we weren't right by the window we still had great views. The Grills MDRs are open dining with your allocated table always ready for you whenever you choose to arrive. We really enjoyed this aspect, especially having the same waiters for every meal. They were wonderful.

 

The lunch menu changed daily, as did one part of the dinner menu. There was another section of always available dishes for dinner which didn't change, plus a few special dishes that had to be pre-ordered at lunch time - rack of lamb, roast duck, beef wellington - and these were carved at your table. The one secret item that was never on any of the menus was crepes suzette - these had to be ordered the previous day. Luckily we found that out before the cruise ended. I mentioned my fresh coriander intolerance and was given the dinner menus ahead of time to choose from.

 

We had a delicious lunch then went back to our cabin to finish our unpacking. I hadn't slept well the night before so decided to have a short nap, then we showered and changed for dinner. Queen Elizabeth has the Commodore's Club, a lovely bar on deck 10 forward with large viewing windows over the bow. The ship was just starting to leave Circular Quay as we worked our way up to this bar. We were very lucky as a table for two right by the windows came free just as we got there. We enjoyed the Sydney sailaway from this vantage point, usually we've been on one side or other on various ships, or in Skywalkers aft on Princess.

 

I was in soup heaven on Cunard. I love consommes and there was one every night except one - and that night it was French onion soup. I had an appetiser off the specials list - a wonderful shredded pork croquette. I'd love to know how they kept the meat so soft and juicy inside the croquette as it was just meat without any sauce or bechamel. We'd pre-ordered the rack of lamb. It was beautifully cooked but it was a huge serving. I did manage to fit in dessert but it was a struggle.

 

After dinner we waddled into the Grills Lounge for a digestive to settle our tummies, then retired to our cabin.

Sounds amazing! It is definitely on my next cruise list!!!!

[Cbtours]

3 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

I'm doing a trip report here rather than a review.

Thanks I’m hanging for day 2!

[OzKiwiJJ]

Day 2 - At Sea enroute to Burnie

 

I'd slept very well but it was lucky I'd set my alarm as otherwise we would have missed breakfast. The Princess Grills breakfast menu didn't have any daily specials but it was extensive. Freshly squeezed OJ and other juices, several fruit options - the fresh fruit salad was huge, cereals, eggs every which way including Benedict, Florentine, Royale (salmon) and possibly one other fancy form of poached eggs. There were grilled kippers and a smoked fish option (haddock?), plus all the extras. I stuck with my usual breakfast of fried eggs, crispy bacon, and hash brown. Sadly the bacon wasn't the greatest. It was cut a bit too thick for proper crispness but, surprisingly, had very little flavour.

 

We had been invited to a "Welcome to Cunard" event at 10am in the beautiful Queens Room. At first I thought it was just going to be a sales pitch, especially as a lot of the onboard shops etc had tables showcasing some of the products. But, in fact, it really was a welcome to Cunard explaining where things were around the ship, the various bars/lounges, dining areas, shops, etc. I wish all cruise lines would do this.

 

After this finished we had a look in the Port Shop, where the Cunard branded products are sold plus snack food, and basic essentials that people may have forgotten to pack. Then we tried the espresso at Cafe Carinthia. Excellent coffee, each served on a tray with a glass of chilled water and a biscotti. Then we poked our noses into the Golden Lion pub, which even has a dart board, and into the theatre. We went up a deck and had a good look at the shops on that deck. I spotted a lovely earrings and bracelet set on sale so treated myself. 

 

During the night the detachable shower head fitting, which was only held onto the wall by suction, had fallen off. When we went back to the cabin to drop off my jewellery it had not been fixed although our cabin had been serviced. Rolf spotted our cabin steward and asked him to arrange for it to be fixed. 

 

We had another delicious lunch - salt and pepper squid which, sadly, wasn't quite crispy enough, a huge tuna poke bowl (I only managed about half of it), and a wicked chocolate expresso roulade.

 

By now we'd sailed clear of the clouds and mist so it was warm and sunny on deck. We went out onto the Grills Terrace and enjoyed a short rest on the very comfortable sun-loungers there. We were too lazy to go down and get our sunscreen so only stayed outside for about 15 minutes. It was 2:45pm, almost time for the famous afternoon tea in the Queens Room. Hmmm, so much for that idea! By the time we got down there all the tables were taken and the queue stretched all the way back past the pub and almost to the theatre. So we went back up and had afternoon tea in Princess Grills. 

 

We went back to the cabin. The shower hadn't been fixed so Rolf rang the Purser's desk and asked for it to be fixed quickly as it was our first Gala night so showers would have been nice. We waited 90 minutes with no action, then tried to fix it ourselves. I cleaned and dried the tile and managed to get it to stick for a few minutes after three attempts. Rolf tried and it stayed up longer but just as I was about to risk having a shower it fell off again. So we ended up just having to have a quick freshen-up before getting dressed.

 

We had a quick pre-dinner drink in the Grills Lounge. In both the Grills Lounge and the Commodore's Club nuts and canapes are served with your drinks. We were very impressed when we went in for dinner. The formal theme was Black and White and everyone was beautifully dressed. All the men wore dinner suits and almost all the women had outfits in some combination of black and/or white. One lady seated near us hadn't known about the Gala night themes but managed something suitable. Luckily I'd been checking something online just before Christmas and spotted the themes. I didn't have a suitable dress (I wear silk kaftans for formal nights) but there was an online warehouse sale on my favourite brand so I was able to pick up a gorgeous one at a bargain price (I love a good bargain!). I was chuffed to receive a couple of compliments on my outfit. 

 

We started dinner with the twice-baked goat cheese souffle, familiar to us from Princess cruises, It was equally delicious on Cunard but seemed to be a much bigger portion - we could only eat half of it. The menu offered "New England Half Split Lobster and Mornay Sauce". We decided to risk it. As soon as it was served I knew it wasn't New England lobster. I didn't even have to taste it. It was the same tiny warm water lobsters that Princess used to serve. We did get two halves though but it was a bit of a disappointment. I finished with a light dessert of rum roasted pineapple and passionfruit sorbet which nicely refreshed my palate.

 

Every night the dinner finished with petit fours, usually a few chocolates and a couple of pieces of crystallised ginger. One night there was a lovely orange jelly - we agreed to share that as we both wanted it. I wish they'd had that every night, it was very refreshing.

 

We had a cognac in the Grills Lounge before retiring for the night. We had really enjoyed our first Gala night on Cunard.

[OzKiwiJJ]

I managed to get a shot of the Queens Room when it wasn't crowded - they were setting up for a presentation at the time.

 

 

[OzKiwiJJ]

14 minutes ago, Cbtours said:

Sounds amazing! It is definitely on my next cruise list!!!!

Get in quick, she's pulling out of homeporting in Australia soon. I'm not sure if it's from next season or from the 25/26 season.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Day 3 - Burnie.

 

We didn't have to get up too early this morning as we weren't due to dock until 9am and our excursion wasn't until 9:45am. We enjoyed a relaxed breakfast. This time we tried the mixed berries which were very nice and the serve wasn’t too big. This became our fruit course of choice for the rest of the cruise. I decided to have a ham and cheese omelette which was reasonably good as far as cruise ship omelettes go. I indulged in a Pain au Chocolate afterward, luckily they are quite small. 😊

 

I went to see the Grills Concierge about our shower problem. He checked the appropriate database and neither our cabin steward nor the Purser's desk had logged a service call for it. I wasn't very impressed!

 

We nearly didn't get into Burnie as there was a strong wind blowing. Two cruise ships hadn't made it in the previous day (Pacific Explorer and Silver Muse I think). We ended up being about half an hour late docking. We went back to the cabin and grabbed our rain jackets before leaving the ship. I was trying out a new, small cross-body anti-theft bag that I've bought for our world cruise later in the year. I deliberately bought a small one so I can't overload it with heavy items as then I end up with a sore back after sightseeing all day. I spent the time on the bus waiting for the excursion to leave rearranging things in it until I had everything in the perfect places. My small wallet I use when travelling fits perfectly in the RFID protected pocket at the front. Rolf also got an anti-theft bag, a bigger one, but he didn't bring it on this cruise as it’s similar to the regular one he uses.

 

We were doing the Tassie Tasting Trail excursion. Our first stop was at Ashgrove Cheeses where we had a tasting of three different cheeses. Two were a bit ordinary but there was a very interesting wasabi cheese that we both liked. It wasn't strongly flavoured but was tasty. They recommended adding it to mashed potatoes. There were viewing windows into the factory with storyboards outlining the cheese-making process, a cafe, and a shop. 

 

Our next stop was at the 41° South Tasmania Salmon Farm. Neither our driver nor our guide had done this tour before and they missed the turn-off. After a few more kms they realised they were lost so had to turn around and head back. I wasn't complaining as it allowed me to discover the location of the truffle farm I'd seen on a couple of cooking shows. It started raining lightly as we arrived at the salmon farm but they had a nice undercover area set up for the salmon tasting and lunch. We tasted hot smoked salmon, a salmon spread, and a very tasty spice mix that Rolf loved. Lunch was a choice of a salmon burger, a salmon wrap or a salmon sandwich and we’d had to pre-order these at the start of the trip. I chose the wrap which turned out to be quite spicy. Sadly the salmon in it was a salmon burger patty which was a bit boring. Rolf had the sandwich and that had the lovely hot smoked salmon in it.

 

We had just finished lunch when the rain decided to get serious. Thank goodness we had good rain jackets as it was time for the farm tour of the small lake, fish tanks and the beautiful waterfall. The owner is very proud of his waterfall, rightly so as it is lovely. We spent about half an hour out in the rain and were drenched despite our jackets. Luckily I had quick-dry hiking pants on, and Skechers which also dried quickly, so I wasn't too uncomfortable. Unfortunately my new water-repellent bag couldn't handle a Tasmanian downpour although it tried hard, but the volume of water was just too much for it. I should have put it under my jacket but I had my phone in it to take photos with so needed easy access. My wallet got soaked but it dried out nicely once we were back on the ship. 

 

Our next stop was at the Spreyton cider factory. We were given generous tastings of several different ciders - a sweet cider, a raspberry cider, a sour cherry cider, and a very dry cider. Some of these were also available as a non-alcohol cider. We loved the sour cherry one best and we both chose that as our free take home cans.

 

Our final stop was at the Anvers Chocolate Factory where we were treated to huge slices of chocolate cakes of various different types - I had a yummy one with a raspberry cream layer - and the most delicious hot chocolate I've ever tasted. There were viewing windows into parts of the factory here too. We bought some chocolates at the shop, and some chocolate pieces for cooking. The owner had written a very interesting book - part biography and part cookbook - so I bought that too as it has the hot chocolate recipe in it.

 

We got back to our cabin and our shower was finally fixed, but they'd put it in a different place - on the left side and one tile too low. The shower head had a natural tendency to twist slightly to the left which meant the water flow now ran right along the shower curtain. I managed to change the direction of flow by using the hose hooked around in a complicated manner to reposition the showerhead slightly. It worked but it wasn't as good as it should have been. Unfortunately our cabin steward kept tidying up the hose so we had to reset it most nights.

 

After changing for dinner we went up to the Commodore's Club for our pre-dinner cocktail and enjoyed the Burnie sailaway from there. They have an excellent pianist in that bar most nights.

 

I can't remember exactly what I had as an appetiser. I must have chosen it from the always available list - I even took a photo of it but that hasn't given me any clue as to what it is!  I thought I'd taken photos of the all the special menus but obviously I didn't. Rats! Naturally I had the duck consomme which was delicious, followed by kangaroo with beetroot and a blackberry dressing. I finished with what was supposed to be a frozen souffle but was more of a thick cream. Very tasty but not as good as the Princess frozen souffle. I wonder if they forgot to freeze the Cunard one?

 

Despite being tired after our big day out we had to go back to the Commodore's Club after dinner as the Queens Room Musicians were playing jazz there. We lingered a bit longer than we should have but, hey, it's a sea day tomorrow!

[OzKiwiJJ]

How cool would it be to own a waterfall, especially one as pretty as this one!

 

Edited January 27 by OzKiwiJJ

[MicCanberra]

great work 

[Cbtours]

54 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Day 3 - Burnie.

 

We didn't have to get up too early this morning as we weren't due to dock until 9am and our excursion wasn't until 9:45am. We enjoyed a relaxed breakfast. This time we tried the mixed berries which were very nice and the serve wasn’t too big. This became our fruit course of choice for the rest of the cruise. I decided to have a ham and cheese omelette which was reasonably good as far as cruise ship omelettes go. I indulged in a Pain au Chocolate afterward, luckily they are quite small. 😊

 

I went to see the Grills Concierge about our shower problem. He checked the appropriate database and neither our cabin steward nor the Purser's desk had logged a service call for it. I wasn't very impressed!

 

We nearly didn't get into Burnie as there was a strong wind blowing. Two cruise ships hadn't made it in the previous day (Pacific Explorer and Silver Muse I think). We ended up being about half an hour late docking. We went back to the cabin and grabbed our rain jackets before leaving the ship. I was trying out a new, small cross-body anti-theft bag that I've bought for our world cruise later in the year. I deliberately bought a small one so I can't overload it with heavy items as then I end up with a sore back after sightseeing all day. I spent the time on the bus waiting for the excursion to leave rearranging things in it until I had everything in the perfect places. My small wallet I use when travelling fits perfectly in the RFID protected pocket at the front. Rolf also got an anti-theft bag, a bigger one, but he didn't bring it on this cruise as it’s similar to the regular one he uses.

 

We were doing the Tassie Tasting Trail excursion. Our first stop was at Ashgrove Cheeses where we had a tasting of three different cheeses. Two were a bit ordinary but there was a very interesting wasabi cheese that we both liked. It wasn't strongly flavoured but was tasty. They recommended adding it to mashed potatoes. There were viewing windows into the factory with storyboards outlining the cheese-making process, a cafe, and a shop. 

 

Our next stop was at the 41° South Tasmania Salmon Farm. Neither our driver nor our guide had done this tour before and they missed the turn-off. After a few more kms they realised they were lost so had to turn around and head back. I wasn't complaining as it allowed me to discover the location of the truffle farm I'd seen on a couple of cooking shows. It started raining lightly as we arrived at the salmon farm but they had a nice undercover area set up for the salmon tasting and lunch. We tasted hot smoked salmon, a salmon spread, and a very tasty spice mix that Rolf loved. Lunch was a choice of a salmon burger, a salmon wrap or a salmon sandwich and we’d had to pre-order these at the start of the trip. I chose the wrap which turned out to be quite spicy. Sadly the salmon in it was a salmon burger patty which was a bit boring. Rolf had the sandwich and that had the lovely hot smoked salmon in it.

 

We had just finished lunch when the rain decided to get serious. Thank goodness we had good rain jackets as it was time for the farm tour of the small lake, fish tanks and the beautiful waterfall. The owner is very proud of his waterfall, rightly so as it is lovely. We spent about half an hour out in the rain and were drenched despite our jackets. Luckily I had quick-dry hiking pants on, and Skechers which also dried quickly, so I wasn't too uncomfortable. Unfortunately my new water-repellent bag couldn't handle a Tasmanian downpour although it tried hard, but the volume of water was just too much for it. I should have put it under my jacket but I had my phone in it to take photos with so needed easy access. My wallet got soaked but it dried out nicely once we were back on the ship. 

 

Our next stop was at the Spreyton cider factory. We were given generous tastings of several different ciders - a sweet cider, a raspberry cider, a sour cherry cider, and a very dry cider. Some of these were also available as a non-alcohol cider. We loved the sour cherry one best and we both chose that as our free take home cans.

 

Our final stop was at the Anvers Chocolate Factory where we were treated to huge slices of chocolate cakes of various different types - I had a yummy one with a raspberry cream layer - and the most delicious hot chocolate I've ever tasted. There were viewing windows into parts of the factory here too. We bought some chocolates at the shop, and some chocolate pieces for cooking. The owner had written a very interesting book - part biography and part cookbook - so I bought that too as it has the hot chocolate recipe in it.

 

We got back to our cabin and our shower was finally fixed, but they'd put it in a different place - on the left side and one tile too low. The shower head had a natural tendency to twist slightly to the left which meant the water flow now ran right along the shower curtain. I managed to change the direction of flow by using the hose hooked around in a complicated manner to reposition the showerhead slightly. It worked but it wasn't as good as it should have been. Unfortunately our cabin steward kept tidying up the hose so we had to reset it most nights.

 

After changing for dinner we went up to the Commodore's Club for our pre-dinner cocktail and enjoyed the Burnie sailaway from there. They have an excellent pianist in that bar most nights.

 

I can't remember exactly what I had as an appetiser. I must have chosen it from the always available list - I even took a photo of it but that hasn't given me any clue as to what it is!  I thought I'd taken photos of the all the special menus but obviously I didn't. Rats! Naturally I had the duck consomme which was delicious, followed by kangaroo with beetroot and a blackberry dressing. I finished with what was supposed to be a frozen souffle but was more of a thick cream. Very tasty but not as good as the Princess frozen souffle. I wonder if they forgot to freeze the Cunard one?

 

Despite being tired after our big day out we had to go back to the Commodore's Club after dinner as the Queens Room Musicians were playing jazz there. We lingered a bit longer than we should have but, hey, it's a sea day tomorrow!

Great report. And those places on excursion will be well worth visiting even if it’s a road trip! I’ll save the details for sure!

[Mareblu]

Oh Julie, thank you!  I'm having a nostalgia attack.  We were on QE exactly a year ago, for her 3-weeks voyage from Sydney to NZ return, then Sydney to Hobart return.  We were very fortunate to be in a Queens Grills penthouse, courtesy of the cruise credits granted when we were denied boarding QE in Barcelona in October 22 for her repositioning voyage to Sydney. 

 

We loved every minute of this Cunard experience, and for a gift that just keeps on giving, we were again granted substantial cruise credits for this voyage, because QE was denied entry to sensitive NZ areas (fjiords, Bay of Islands, Dunedin, etc.) because her hull didn't pass muster.  We loved our first Cunard experience so much that we've used the credits for Cunard's new Queen Anne in May this year (2 weeks around the British Isles).  We'll be in Queens Grills again, because the credits granted amounted to half the cost of the Aus/NZ cruise, and we only have a small amount to pay on top. 

 

The service, attention to detail, lectures and entertainment were marvellous, and the cuisine in QG was sublime.  Two dinner menus are presented each evening, mostly traditional and classic. Nothing was too much trouble, and special dinner treats could be ordered at breakfast or lunch for that evening:  caviar, lobster, duck a l'orange, chateaubriand, beef wellington and many other exotic dishes were offered as special orders, many cooked and presented tableside.  It was like stepping into a golden age for our time aboard. 

 

Our QA voyage in May will be only her 3rd sailing, so we're fervently hoping her delivery and official launch in Southampton is not delayed.

[NSWP]

JULIE..as always an excellent report of your voyage.  QE was up to scratch in most things it appears.

 

The only Cunard Voyage I have done is on QM2 in 2017, Sydney to HK, that was an experience.

 

Thank you.

Edited January 27 by NSWP

[OzKiwiJJ]

Day 4 - At sea enroute to Hobart

 

We had a leisurely breakfast. I started with the berries then tried the Eggs Benedict. Definitely the best I have ever had!

 

Then it was time for trivia, which was held in the Golden Lion. We were lucky to get a table, we'll have to get there a bit earlier in future. We really liked the questions and did reasonably well for just the two of us. We were only three points off the winning score so we were very happy. 

 

We then wandered up to the Grills Lounge. This is a lovely quiet place to sit and read when the weather isn't good enough to sit outside. 

 

And then it was lunch time again! I started with spinach and chickpea fritters which were even nicer than I expected. Rolf didn't order those but I let him have a little taste. Then I had grilled rainbow trout and, since I was on Cunard, I just had to have the sherry trifle to finish.

 

We wandered around the ship a bit more after lunch and discovered the library which was on two decks with a gorgeous spiral staircase in the library itself. It's an excellent library although the general fiction section tended more towards thrillers and suspense, however I did spot a few familiar contemporary women's fiction books. There was a separate section for crime novels as well. All the books are hardbacks and I think they have to be checked out by the librarian and returned before the end of the cruise. Outside the upper level of the library there were some jigsaw puzzle tables. and a good selection of jigsaws.

 

We had a quick coffee in the cafe before heading off to the Golden Lion for afternoon trivia. It was even more crowded than morning trivia, partly due to those having an afternoon libation rather than just being there for trivia. But, again, we were lucky as a nice gentleman had just finished his ale, saw us looking for a table, and offered us his one. Rolf indulged in an ale but I just had sparkling water. Again there was a great selection of questions and we improved on our morning score. We were only a point or two behind the winners this time. 

 

Back to the cabin to shower and change, then off to the Commodore's Club again for music and a cocktail. We were enjoying the music so much we had a second cocktail and were very late getting to dinner. 

 

I forgot to mention earlier that every night the meal started with an amuse bouche. Unfortunately quite a few of these were Thai-based with coriander in them and on those days I just got some fruit. But I did get a couple of delicious ones during the course of the cruise. 

 

Tonight I started with chilled grilled octopus with a black garlic puree. It was quite a big tentacle but very tasty. Then I had the Chilean sea bass which was quite nice but not the best sea bass I've ever had on a cruise ship. I finished with the chocolate souffle with chocolate sauce - well, actually I had a lot of really, really good chocolate sauce and somewhere in there was some souffle. Like most cruise ship souffles these days the ramekin it was served in was too small for the souffle to rise properly - another cutback since pre-Covid days. 😪

 

We had intended to go to the show tonight but in the end we didn't feel like it so we just slunk into the Grills Lounge for our digestif. We ended up chatting to one of the couples sitting next to us in the dining room for quite a while before retiring.

[OzKiwiJJ]

The upper level of the library.

 

 

The spiral staircase in the library.

 

[Cbtours]

2 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Day 4 - At sea enroute to Hobart

 

We had a leisurely breakfast. I started with the berries then tried the Eggs Benedict. Definitely the best I have ever had!

 

Then it was time for trivia, which was held in the Golden Lion. We were lucky to get a table, we'll have to get there a bit earlier in future. We really liked the questions and did reasonably well for just the two of us. We were only three points off the winning score so we were very happy. 

 

We then wandered up to the Grills Lounge. This is a lovely quiet place to sit and read when the weather isn't good enough to sit outside. 

 

And then it was lunch time again! I started with spinach and chickpea fritters which were even nicer than I expected. Rolf didn't order those but I let him have a little taste. Then I had grilled rainbow trout and, since I was on Cunard, I just had to have the sherry trifle to finish.

 

We wandered around the ship a bit more after lunch and discovered the library which was on two decks with a gorgeous spiral staircase in the library itself. It's an excellent library although the general fiction section tended more towards thrillers and suspense, however I did spot a few familiar contemporary women's fiction books. There was a separate section for crime novels as well. All the books are hardbacks and I think they have to be checked out by the librarian and returned before the end of the cruise. Outside the upper level of the library there were some jigsaw puzzle tables. and a good selection of jigsaws.

 

We had a quick coffee in the cafe before heading off to the Golden Lion for afternoon trivia. It was even more crowded than morning trivia, partly due to those having an afternoon libation rather than just being there for trivia. But, again, we were lucky as a nice gentleman had just finished his ale, saw us looking for a table, and offered us his one. Rolf indulged in an ale but I just had sparkling water. Again there was a great selection of questions and we improved on our morning score. We were only a point or two behind the winners this time. 

 

Back to the cabin to shower and change, then off to the Commodore's Club again for music and a cocktail. We were enjoying the music so much we had a second cocktail and were very late getting to dinner. 

 

I forgot to mention earlier that every night the meal started with an amuse bouche. Unfortunately quite a few of these were Thai-based with coriander in them and on those days I just got some fruit. But I did get a couple of delicious ones during the course of the cruise. 

 

Tonight I started with chilled grilled octopus with a black garlic puree. It was quite a big tentacle but very tasty. Then I had the Chilean sea bass which was quite nice but not the best sea bass I've ever had on a cruise ship. I finished with the chocolate souffle with chocolate sauce - well, actually I had a lot of really, really good chocolate sauce and somewhere in there was some souffle. Like most cruise ship souffles these days the ramekin it was served in was too small for the souffle to rise properly - another cutback since pre-Covid days. 😪

 

We had intended to go to the show tonight but in the end we didn't feel like it so we just slunk into the Grills Lounge for our digestif. We ended up chatting to one of the couples sitting next to us in the dining room for quite a while before retiring.

The grilled octopus tentacle totally ruined this delightful report 🤣🤣🤣 I have no idea what it tastes like, my stomach turns ate the thought of it! But love everything else 😁😁😁

[Cbtours]

1 minute ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

The upper level of the library.

 

 

The spiral staircase in the library.

 

Wow now that’s a library 

[OzKiwiJJ]

3 hours ago, Mareblu said:

Oh Julie, thank you!  I'm having a nostalgia attack.  We were on QE exactly a year ago, for her 3-weeks voyage from Sydney to NZ return, then Sydney to Hobart return.  We were very fortunate to be in a Queens Grills penthouse, courtesy of the cruise credits granted when we were denied boarding QE in Barcelona in October 22 for her repositioning voyage to Sydney. 

 

We loved every minute of this Cunard experience, and for a gift that just keeps on giving, we were again granted substantial cruise credits for this voyage, because QE was denied entry to sensitive NZ areas (fjiords, Bay of Islands, Dunedin, etc.) because her hull didn't pass muster.  We loved our first Cunard experience so much that we've used the credits for Cunard's new Queen Anne in May this year (2 weeks around the British Isles).  We'll be in Queens Grills again, because the credits granted amounted to half the cost of the Aus/NZ cruise, and we only have a small amount to pay on top. 

 

The service, attention to detail, lectures and entertainment were marvellous, and the cuisine in QG was sublime.  Two dinner menus are presented each evening, mostly traditional and classic. Nothing was too much trouble, and special dinner treats could be ordered at breakfast or lunch for that evening:  caviar, lobster, duck a l'orange, chateaubriand, beef wellington and many other exotic dishes were offered as special orders, many cooked and presented tableside.  It was like stepping into a golden age for our time aboard. 

 

Our QA voyage in May will be only her 3rd sailing, so we're fervently hoping her delivery and official launch in Southampton is not delayed.

I'm trying to figure out how we can wangle another cruise on one of the Queens. There is a possibility we might go to Europe next year to do a Spain Intensive cruise on Azamara and there is a cruise on Queen Victoria that looks tempting and which might fit in with our plans. I haven't really started planning that trip yet though.

[OzKiwiJJ]

3 minutes ago, Cbtours said:

The grilled octopus tentacle totally ruined this delightful report 🤣🤣🤣 I have no idea what it tastes like, my stomach turns ate the thought of it! But love everything else 😁😁😁

Grilled octopus done properly is delicious. It's a fairly neutral-flavoured seafood so relies on extra flavour from the grilling and saucing. 

[Mareblu]

4 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

I'm trying to figure out how we can wangle another cruise on one of the Queens. There is a possibility we might go to Europe next year to do a Spain Intensive cruise on Azamara and there is a cruise on Queen Victoria that looks tempting and which might fit in with our plans. I haven't really started planning that trip yet though.

Queen Victoria, being identical to Elizabeth, would be wonderful.  It's a great sadness that Cunard will no longer be doing an Australian/New Zealand season, although I suppose there is not the variety of itineraries that the northern hemisphere offers, so Cunard would be aware there would be fewer return guests.

[Mareblu]

5 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Grilled octopus done properly is delicious. It's a fairly neutral-flavoured seafood so relies on extra flavour from the grilling and saucing. 

Grilled octopus, when marinated and cooked to "al dente" tenderness, is exquisite.  No different to calamari.  My father was a keen fisherman, and when first spotting calamari (octopus, after all) on a menu, he declared that it should only be used for bait.  After he tried some of my dish, he never looked back, and ordered it whenever he could.  Old perceptions and biases die hard.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Day 5 - Hobart

 

Again we didn't have to get up too early as our excursion didn't leave until 10am. We had our usual breakfast, berries followed by fried eggs. I've learnt to ask for two hash browns as they are quite small. I like to use them to soak up the egg yolk as I don't usually have toast on cruise ships - I don't like the bread much.

 

Our bus was the only one left when we headed out. Our excursion, Historic Richmond and Coal Valley Wines, was only a four hour excursion although it did run over lunch. We enjoyed the drive out to Richmond. We went through the town and over the lovely Richmond Bridge then the bus stopped so we could take photos of it. Back on the bus we went back into the town and stopped by the historic Richmond Gaol. We explored the gaol then discovered a fascinating puzzle shop that actually had a full-sized Dalek. Unfortunately it had lost its voice - they were waiting for a part to repair it. Since we were going to be too late for lunch getting back to the ship, and our next stop was at a winery, we decided it would be prudent to grab something to eat in Richmond. We found a lovely cafe and had delicious toasted sandwiches and coffee. I wish the excursion had allowed more time in Richmond, I would have loved to have explored the town a bit more. However we did spot some great signs outside some of the places we passed. 

 

Our second stop was at Puddleduck Winery. This is a small family-owned and operated winery. We had a tasting of four wines - a sparkling wine, a fume blanc (it's very rare to see one of these in Australia these days), a chardonnay, and an excellent "summer" pinot noir. We had some time to wander though the shop and picnic area - although they do provide meals they also allow BYO picnics as long as the food is consumed outside and drinks are purchased. There were plenty of ducks and guinea fowl looking for handouts. These birds act as bug exterminators in the vineyard in return for being given a home. Many of the ducks are rescue ducks that have been dumped at the winery and are earning a happy living eating unwanted pests.

 

When we returned to the ship I was expecting to have the wine we'd purchased taken off us until the final day but they didn't even seem to notice we had it. 

 

After dropping off our stuff in our cabin we headed up to the Grills Lounge for a pot of tea and a quiet bit of reading.

 

We had cocktails in the Grills Lounge before dinner, and managed to go into dinner reasonably early (for us). We'd both chosen the King Prawn Tempura Spiced Fish Cake for an appetiser. I was expecting to miss out on the fish cake but they'd made one without the coriander in it and it was delicious. The prawn was nice but the tempura batter wasn't great. Next was Lobster Bisque which I think was the best one I've ever tasted. Then tonight we indulged in the special roast duck main. It's a whole duck roasted then carved and finished at the table in an orange sauce. We indulged in a very good burgundy to accompany it. The Cunard wine list is superb and we've blown our drinks budget to smithereens on wines. We decided to try the cheeses tonight as they had a superb Pont l'Eveque (a stinky washed-rind cheese) on the cheese trolley. It was just at the perfect stage to eat whereas the brie could have done with another week or two of aging before being served as it wasn’t quite runny enough. 

 

We adjourned to the Grills Lounge to see it they had any Amaro - a type of Italian digestiv of which there are many varieties. Diego, who served us, thought he had seen one on as one of their cocktails used it. He went searching and came up with a different one from the one listed in the cocktail list. It was very nice and just what we needed after a rich dinner.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Richmond Bridge

 

 

The Dalek

 

 

 

Amusing signs