Q403 World Voyage Review

I submitted this in the reviews section and here for those who do not read that section.

World Voyage on QE

Sorry this is really long but it was a 118 day voyage!

Embarkation - January 10, 2014 - The traffic in Southampton was horrible (no fault of Cunard) but once I made it to the terminal things moved quickly. My check-in time was 1 pm and I arrived around noon. There was no queue and I checked in and was on the ship in a matter of about 10 minutes. My three big bags and carryon were in my stateroom by 2:00.

Food - I was in the Britannia Restaurant at table 330 which is about in the middle of the restaurant on deck two. We started out as a table of 10 solo travelers but this changed from segment to segment. The food was usually very good. There is a pasta, a fish, two meats and two vegetarian selections each night. You can usually also get certain off-menu items like a Caesar Salad, shrimp cocktail, fresh fruit, a chicken or meat entree, jell-o, etc. if you ask (These are not printed on the menu or advertised - I found out from a frequent Cunarder). The servers were excellent and I am sure would have tried to get other things if I had asked.

I seldom eat breakfast and the few times I did was in the Lido. There was a good selection of items but, not surprisingly, some things did run out on longer segments.

Lunch in the Lido was good with a selection of main courses, fresh salads, fresh fruit, cheese, breads, a soup, a hot dessert as well as a number of cold ones. There was also an Asian section. Most lunches also had chewy cookies in 2-3 different flavors. There is also a soft-serve ice cream machine with chocolate and vanilla ice cream.

The Verandah - only ate here once but it was very good. The service was excellent.

Lunch in the Golden Lion Pub - I ate lunch here a few times. The fish and chips were very much to my liking. The choice of meals are all typical pub fare.

Alternative Dining in the Lido - I only ate here once when the theme was Asian (called Jasmine). The main course choices (there were three) were not my favorites but the soup, appetizers and desserts were excellent.

Room Service - The Room service menu was more than adequate and service was fairly fast (arriving in under 20 minutes). The food was good and the choices varied from the dining room/Lido menus.

Stateroom - I had a BC balcony stateroom on deck 7. The bed was very comfortable and had nice soft sheets. There was a 2-seat couch which opened into a bed (which would have been very tight with three people). Bathroom was very compact with a small shower. Plenty of space for my things on the shelf under the sink or on the small shelves beside the counter. Penhaligon's Quercus toiletries were provided - shampoo, conditioner, bath and shower gel, body lotion, and bar soap. Also a shower cap, cotton balls and Q-tips were provided. I had no problem with the quality of the towels although I heard complaints from others. Bathrobes and slippers were also provided.

The balcony had three chairs which made it somewhat cramped but I probably could have had one or two removed if I had asked. I enjoyed the privacy of my balcony because I was not in one of the cut-in parts or corner balconies so I was not visible to other balconies.

Entertainment - The Royal Cunard Singers and Dancers were very good and I saw each of their shows at least once (they repeated on most segments). The entertainers who were brought on for one or two shows varied greatly. Some were absolutely horrible (I walked out on one comedian whose show was raunchy and would have gone over better on a college campus than on Cunard) and some were amazingly good (a number of singers and a man who played the dulcimer come readily to mind). Most of the folkloric groups brought on in various ports were quite good. "Nexus" (billed as the "International Party Band") were ok but seemed to always play the same few songs at the sail-aways. (Sail-aways were a disappointment to some because there was not much participation.)

Lectures - Most sea days had two lectures. The topics were widespread (Hitchcock's movies, the Golden Age of Ocean Liners, Pompeii and Herculaneum, famous women associated with Greenwich Village, history of U-boats, the Dreamflight program, "My Favorite Planet", the Cold War, etc.). One of my favourite writers, Bill Bryson, was on for a segment and spoke three times. All the lectures I saw were great. Most were broadcast on the TV in your stateroom if you missed them in person.

Activities - There were a number of activities during the day. Some of these were held every day, some only on sea days. Movies were shown just about every day, usually at 2 p.m. There were computer classes (some free, some with a fee), bridge lessons, art lessons, sports competitions, trivia (sometimes 4 times a day), bingo,and classes in dancing, scarf tying and napkin folding. Sea days had needlework/knitting group hosted by the social hostess. Afternoon tea was served each day in the Queens Room and the room looked quite elegant. It was a nice break in the afternoon. There were other activities as well but you get the idea. At night there was live music in at least three venues (there are close to 25 musicians on board - not including the singers and dancers), dancing, trivia and other competitions, sing-alongs in the pub, and "Chocolate and Ice" buffets. There were a number of cocktail parties on each segment - full World Voyage guests, different levels of the World Club program, and those guests that just joined on each segment. One thing I would like to see on World Voyages is craft classes by a craft expert (not the social hostess). Cunard could charge a nominal fee for supplies.

Balls - We had about 25 over the 118 days. The Black and White Ball was the only one that had most people participating. For the others there was usually no more than about 5% taking part. For the ball, special themed banners are hung in the Queens Room. Those who dress for the theme parade around the room and sometimes there were prizes. Dancing goes on for a couple of hours. Since most balls were on formal nights, as long as you have on formal wear there is no problem.

Solo Travel - I was lucky to be on a very active Cruise Critic Roll Call. I spent two nights in Southampton prior to the voyage and ate with CC friends both nights. By the time I boarded the ship I already knew a number of people. We had a meet and greet each segment and I got to know many of the people on the roll call.

Cunard put ten solos together at the dinner table for the first month of the World Voyage. We got to know each other very well and became a "family" looking out for each other. Five of us were together the entire voyage.

A solo travellers get together was held each sea day at 11:00 with the Social Hostess facilitating. There were also about four "Gentleman Hosts" on each segment to dance with the ladies. I must have given off "I can't dance" vibes because I was never asked if I wanted to dance.

Commentary - We had expert's commentary as we sailed out of New York, through the Panama Canal, and through the Suez Canal which made these really special.

Port Presentations - for me, this is one area where Cunard could do much, much better. I realize that they, like all cruise lines, want to sell their excursions but the information about the port itself could be improved. For most ports the "must sees" and "what to do if you have been before" were discussed but not in much detail, if at all. The availability of a shuttle bus and its drop off point was not always given until the night before (to be fair, I believe that some of these are run independently of Cunard). The (written) guide to the port (given a day or so in advance) has poor maps (no scale, many important sites are not listed, etc.). The good thing about these presentations was that they were not just "where to shop" talks which you find on many lines.

Ship Excursions - I took a number of these and the quality really depended on the tour guide. I had a number of really good guides and one terrible one in New York City. On another tour we did not go to one of the places indicated in the itinerary. I mentioned this to the Shore Excursion staff (I really was not complaining, I just wanted to let them know). The next day I was given a note of apology and a 25% refund which I really did not expect. Usually, disembarkation for tours went smoothly with meeting times and locations listed in the Daily Programme. One of the major complaints I heard was that Cunard charges for bottled water as you leave for excursions (evidently some cruise lines give bottled water). I had a collapsible water bottle which I filled the night before and put in the fridge so this did not bother me. On hot days there was water on the pier as you got back on the ship and chilled towels as well as the ever-present hand sanitizer.

Crew - I found the vast majority of the crew to be very friendly and helpful. My stewardess (Shirley) was wonderful as was our waiter (Arnil). We had three different assistant waiters over the four months and all were good. The servers in the bar areas quickly learned my preferences and were quick to serve. Some of the officers could have made more of an effort to be friendly (or at least say "hello") when you met them in passing.

Public Rooms - I really liked the Art Deco design of the ship and the "old time" elegance. There was quite a bit of Cunard memorabilia on display in different areas which I enjoyed seeing. There were some problems with water drips (evidently from the a/c which was hopefully fixed during the dry dock) and there was at least one plumbing issue that affected some staterooms.

The Internet - Like on most ships, the internet had its good days and bad. There were a number of ports where there was no connectivity. One day I logged in and had lost around 600 minutes (wasn't sure of the exact amount). I talked to the tech guy and he gave me back the minutes. From then on I took a screen shot of the "Satellite Internet Usage Summary" to show that I logged off and exactly how many minutes I had left. I used my iPads on board and had no problems getting a signal in my stateroom or in other areas of the ship (provided there was a signal).

Dress Code - For the most part the dress code was followed especially on formal nights. "Informal" is a little vague and although most dressed nicely (as described by Cunard) some stretched the definition of the term. I did see men being loaned jackets if they did not bring one to the MDR. Again, some stretched the idea of a jacket for dinner to include windbreakers and motorcycle jackets. BTW, jackets for men are not required during the day or if eating in the Lido. During the day, dress is no different (i.e. not dressier) than on other cruise lines I have been on.

Disembarkation - My assigned group was called only five minutes late. It took about ten minutes to get from the deck three part of the Britannia Restaurant (assigned area) to the inside of the terminal. My four suitcases were not all where they should have been but it did not take long to find them. Had to wait some time for a porter but the one I got was able to get me out quickly.

All in all, it was an amazing adventure and I thoroughly enjoyed the Cunard experience.

Would I do another World Voyage? Most definitely!

Would it be on Cunard? Most definitely!

Scrapnana, thanks for your review - it was fun to read, and I'm very glad that you enjoyed your World Cruise. I also appreciated reading your posts during your voyage although you did have me worried here and there - like when you ate food from a street vendor (I got really sick after eating a hot dog from a cart in NY right about the same time).

Very kind of you to share your experience.

Regards,

Salacia

Fabulous and comprehensive, Kathi. I loved following the posts on the roll call before you left and I loved reading your enthusiasm for the whole voyage; you had the same feelings that we have had on our two QE world cruises. Bliss. Hoping you can do it again in a year or two.

We are off on a month-long voyage on the QM2 in ten days but I can't do a wonderful blog like you did. Thanks!! ~ Patti ( I see that you are still a night owl).

What a thorough and pleasant review. Am pleased that you had a good time.

Hi Kathi - we enjoyed reading this. The trip was excellent wasn't it. We are planning to complete another segment ASAP, possibly SF to Sydney.

The ship was lovely - we enjoyed sitting on the outer decks in the sunshine and have fond memories of meeting CCers in Southampton. The room we weren't too happy with was the champagne bar which to us looked a little dingy but I gather it has been spruced up in the refit.

I agree a good craft teacher would be an asset. I gather the art teacher was very good and also the young gentleman covering the IT classes was excellent.

Hoping we will meet up again before too long. Happy cruising!

Kathi

It was lovely to meet you on the last sector (Dubai to Southampton) and the other CC members.

I do envy that you are able to do a full world voyage. We struggle to do longer trips due to getting the time off work - this one worked nicely as there were 2 UK bank holidays within the sector.

I think you and Maggiemou worked well together in the Commodore Club dishing out badges etc and to think you did that on every sector, it must have eaten into your free time.

We have already filled an album of photos and of course we have lots stored electronically - you must have so many photos.

It was wonderful reading your blog before we boarded and upon our return, we read the bits we'd missed due to being on board and this enabled us to relive the journey again.

Thanks for posting the above report.

My boss should be disembarking the QE today in Rome (on his first ever cruise) and I look forward to seeing his photos.

I'm not back on board until June 2015 so will have to wait a while to see the changes that have been made to the QE.

Lynne and Mark

Kathi, thank you for your thoughtful review. I, like others, followed the Roll Call thread as well as your daily personal and found them all easy to read, full of good information and interesting. I know that it must have taken a lot of your time and I really appreciated it all! I remember that you were a bit worried about taking on a new challenge of writing a blog and I am here to tell you that you did a wonderful job! I look forward to using much of the information you described, on our cruise on QE next year.

Thanks for the report!

Thank you for your thorough and well balanced review. I am so excited about our World Cruise next year we are not going all the way round; Southampton to Brisbane. I sure they will have to drag us down the gangway😀

Sent from my iPad using Forums

A good concise overview, plus I enjoyed (and still do) dipping in and out of your blog.

Hi Kathi,

Great to read your very balanced review. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting you and doing FLL to Sydney with you. You and Maggie worked so hard with the Meet & Greets, which I thoroughly appreciated.

As you know next year I am going to do the SYD to Southampton, so I am glad that I read all your posts to I am prepared. Guess what, I am organising a dinner in Southampton again for those that want to get together in Jan next year.

Do keep in touch Kathi and hopefully one day we will cruise together again.

Love Pat xxx

Scrapnana, thanks for your review - it was fun to read, and I'm very glad that you enjoyed your World Cruise. I also appreciated reading your posts during your voyage although you did have me worried here and there - like when you ate food from a street vendor (I got really sick after eating a hot dog from a cart in NY right about the same time).

 

Very kind of you to share your experience.

Regards,

Salacia

Salacia, sorry you had a bad hot dog. The Indian food was actually quite good (although pretty spicy). Since it was vegetarian and we watched it being cooked, I felt fairly safe eating it. Thanks for following along!

Fabulous and comprehensive, Kathi. I loved following the posts on the roll call before you left and I loved reading your enthusiasm for the whole voyage; you had the same feelings that we have had on our two QE world cruises. Bliss. Hoping you can do it again in a year or two.

 

We are off on a month-long voyage on the QM2 in ten days but I can't do a wonderful blog like you did. Thanks!! ~ Patti ( I see that you are still a night owl).

Patti,

Thanks for reading the blog. Yes, indeed, my night owl ways have not changed! Hope you have a wonderful month on QM2. I hope to get to travel on her at some point although I really liked QE.

Kathi

Dave, Marge, Lynne, Mark, and Pat,

It was great getting to know you all on the voyage. Making friends on the roll call really helped this solo traveller not feel alone.

Pat,

I think about you every time I open my iPad mini!

Barbara, Lady49Monet, and Pat,

If you have even half as good a time as I had, you will have a fabulous voyage.

Capn, Kirk, and ColdEye,

Thanks for reading my review and the kind words.

Kathi

Scrapnana, I very much enjoyed your review and your final comments says it all.

I was on a World Cruise on another cruise line while you were so I didn't have time to catch your blog real time but over the past few weeks I have read your blog and enjoyed it as well.

You've created wonderful memories that will last a lifetime.

Keith

Thank you Scrapnana, excellent, well-written, helpful and informative review :) .

Very useful, I've two friends on QE's 2015 world cruise and I've referred them to your report for detailed information on what to expect.

Thank you again :) , So pleased you had such a wonderful time!

Sincere best wishes,

Thanks a lot for posting! We are thinking to do a world cruise and your post helps to have an idea how things would be.

Kathi,

Thanks so much for an excellent review!! It will be so helpful to others who plan similar voyages. It was delightful to meet you and I enjoyed talking with you during our voyage. Your review brings back so many good memories. I'm so glad to hear that you would love to take another world voyage on Cunard. Very best wishes and thanks again for taking the time to write such a detailed review.

Beth

Kathi

Great review. It was fun comparing your world voyage to mine on the QV. I've got to get around to writing my review.

Don

Well I can not comment on the whole World Cruise but really glad you had a great time. We only managed the Southampton to New York sector but that was excellent fun - it was good to be late into NY due to the bad weather as we got to see more than usual for a winter crossing. In our mere 8 days we met wonderful people, our large table in Queens Grill was an eclectic crowd and we enjoyed every minute of their company. I may just repeat it in 2015 on Queen Elizabeth again. A World cruise has always appealed in one sense but I do not think I am yet ready for 118 days on board - oh yes - the Bank Balance will need topping up too!!

Trevor

Hi Kathi , thank you for bringing all the wonderful memories back to the forefront of my mind.

It was a great world cruise and the ship of course was great, and I had been on her before on the 2011 world cruise, but this one was so very good.

I enjoyed dressing up in the theme of things. I donated all my fancy dresses to the crew afterwards so they can dress up themselves in future. :)

I met fantastic people like yourself, and all the roll call members were just great. All turned up apart from one or two and the meet & greets were always full and informative.

Cunard sent a member of staff to join on different segments and they were always happy to help out.

I wish all members well, and maybe we will meet again an some other cruise in the future. Regards Maggiemou.

Kathi,

Reading your review was almost as delightful as meeting you at the beginning of the 2013 World Cruise. Err...I mean 2014 World Cruise!

Frank