Sandielle

Hi Sarah. Thanks for taking the time to 'call in'. Nice to hear about the Arcadia.:)

Tuesday 25 February

We’re getting a bit lazy already, didn’t go to breakfast until 1030. We decided to go for a Smoothie, I had the banana and something….can’t remember what it was now….anyway it was lovely. There is such a huge selection of food and places to eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner; you would never get bored eating on this ship.

After breakfast it was time for our walk around deck 7 which is very wide. Three laps of the deck and you’ve done one mile. Roy’s knees couldn’t manage three so he just did what he could. The view was magnificent as we cruised up through the Torres Strait. The water is a jade green colour, very pretty. A little boat came up along the side of the ship showing off their catch of the day. One fish was at least a metre long, couldn’t tell from a distance what exactly it was. Anyway they looked very happy and there was a lot of whistling and waving back and forth from the ship.

We are being very good today and not having lunch. Instead we popped in to the Golden Lion pub to people watch, got chatting to others so ended up enjoying a half pint Guinness for me $3.15 and half a pint of beer for Roy $2.95. Guess I had better go and do an extra lap of the deck! This afternoon we’ll go to the Queens Ballroom for the traditional afternoon tea which is on every day at 3.30pm. In the meantime whilst I am typing this Roy has gone to do some Laundry. Funny thing he would never do it at home, nor would other men but they seem to be the ones in the Laundry on the ship. I think they go there for the gossip…lol. The Laundry on QM2 is free. If you don’t want to do your own you can send it off to be done but there is a charge for that.

The Casino finally opened at 5.00pm tonight as we are now more than 12 miles off the Australian mainland. After dinner tonight it was a hive of activity there, so much so we wandered in but there was no room to move so we left.

I’ve just been standing out on the balcony in the dark, the number of stars to be seen are amazing emphasized by the fact there are there are no lights from cities around us. It’s really hot out there considering it’s 10:45pm.

I am thrilled to say we did not get lost once today, only took us 4 days.

Jill

I'm loving all of your comments. :D Barry, I'm also one of those who "cut one's coat according to one's cloth". QM2 sounds wonderful.........sighhhhh.

Janet, I don't know if Jill will be checking in here to answer your query about the cabin, as the internet can be a problem. I'm sure she will be happy to answer any questions when she comes back. She did say she would post some photos when they get to Darwin.

Wow, great shots. Didn't realise the Symphony was small enough to dock in Cairns. ;)

Thanks for posting the webcam pics David. :) The ship sounds wonderful.

Monday 24 February

At Sea en-route to Darwin

Well they still haven’t managed to fix the problem with the internet on board. I do hope they get it sorted soon. In the meantime I’ll happily keep typing my little blog.

This ship has so many interesting memorabilia on her walls and it’s worth taking time to wander the many corridors and stairways to read them. There are many photographs of the rich and famous that cruised on the first Queen Mary which is now a hotel at Long Beach California. Sir Samuel, Cunard the founder of Cunard in the early 1800’s, ensured on one of his first ships to cross the ocean that they carried a cow on board so as the children travelling on board were able to maintain their daily requirement of fresh milk!

For those who are ‘Apple people’, there are many lessons on how to get the best out of your iPad etc. They also sell Apple products on board.

We are yet to visit the Planetarium but have peeped inside to see that the seats recline back so you can look at the dome in the centre of the ceiling to learn about the planets and stars.

The movie theatre is huge and everyday there is a different film showing.

After breakfast this morning off we went on yet another wander around the decks. This time finding ourselves forward on Deck 7 to see the 8 spare propeller blades for the ship. They are huge, bolted to the deck and look more like pieces of art. Not sure what the metal is but it looks like brushed stainless steel. I wonder if they ever get used.

As we sail toward the eastern tip of Australia we are less than 2kms from the mainland. It really is quite a wonderful sight and very mountainous. There are white caps on the ocean but the seas are reported as ‘slight’ and there is still no movement of the ship. Captain Oprey has just sounded the horn at midday…..such a deep sounding horn.

We found yet another little eating place at lunch time called The Chefs Galley where they offer freshly made burgers, fries, hotdogs and subway type rolls. People at our table were telling us they found a place this morning where you can have freshly made Smoothies of your choice. Apparently they’re delicious so we’re going to check that out tomorrow…if we can find it. I must say we are finding our way around the ship a lot easier now, just take the odd wrong turn now and then when returning to the cabin.

Tonight is our second formal night and it’s the Captains Cocktail party. He has his wife on board with him which is nice. There are some lovely sights to be seen as everyone looks very ‘swish’.

That brings you up to date until tomorrow. :)

Jill

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Sunday 23 February

At the Whitsunday Islands

What started off to look like a beautiful day ahead of us has now turned into torrential rain. It’s still very hot though. Many people were off on tours for the day so I hope the rain moves on rapidly. We’ve been here several times by ship so because of the rain we have decided to stay on board. A day on board when everyone else is ashore feels quite different as it is so quiet everywhere. We are sitting up in the Commodore Club looking across the bow of the ship and the cloud is so heavy it is wafting around us.

Must say the crew on board are excellent, always cheerful and helpful. They say their favourite word is “certainly”. Also the passengers on board are very friendly toward each other. The hum of chatter can be heard everywhere around the ship.

So far we have eaten in the Britannia Dining room for Breakfast and Dinner and only once in the Kings Court Buffet which was lunch on the day we boarded the ship. I think we are going to be busy trying to experience every bar and eatery on here, there are so many. Today we might just wander down to the Golden Lion Pub for a nice pub lunch.

Drink prices aren’t too bad, in fact a little cheaper than some ships we’ve sailed on. A Stella Artois beer is US$5.75 for a pint glass. We have enjoyed a bottle of French Sauvignon Blanc for dinner which was US$35.00 which isn’t the cheapest on the menu but it’s one we wanted to try. From memory I think the cheapest available bottle of wine is about US$21.00.

At 151,400 tons and 345 metres long you do notice the feeling of being on a huge ship. I’m going to put my pedometer on tomorrow and step out the distance of our corridor. I think I mentioned it is so long you actually can’t see to one end to the other.

You probably think I’ve been losing at the Casino because I haven’t mentioned it….lol. No, actually I have only been there once and that was on the first night and my ship card wouldn’t work so I had to get a new one issued. I did that yesterday only to find that the Casino was closed because we’ve been cruising within the offshore limits. Maybe that’s a good thing that I have not had a chance to lose any money….but me being always positive would prefer to say I’m waiting to pounce and win.

Roy was chatting to our Room Steward this morning. He was saying that en-route from Southampton the ship docked in New York and whilst there it snowed heavily and there was 6 inches (150mm) of snow on our balcony….brrrr. The crew are very happy to now be cruising in these hot temperatures.

Just watching one of the Tenders make its way from the ship to shore and it looks more like a bull at a Rodeo bucking forward and backward with sea spray splashing across the bow. Quite glad I’m sitting up here in comfort.

Jill

Yay the internet is finally working again! I have 3 days to post on here so I will post them as separately. You’ll probably doze if I post them all at once….lol.

Saturday 22 February

At Sea

It is extremely hot outside. I noted that the outside air temperature at 7.30am this morning was 26C as was the sea temperature. Not going for a dip in the sea today though.

After a leisurely breakfast with all the trimmings in the Britannia Restaurant we went for a wander around the shops. Being such a big ship there are a good selection of shops on board and I didn’t think the prices were excessive either. Everything on board is in US Dollars. I was chatting with a lady whilst we were having our morning coffee and she had just returned from London and was saying that the Harrods and Fortnum and Mason products available on board are much cheaper than they are from the actual shops in London. There must be genuine Duty Free prices on board we think.

After coffee it was off to explore the rest of the ship. There is so much to see on this vast expanse of metal on the ocean. We began by making our way up to Deck 13 and worked our way back down as far as Deck 2. All up it took us 2 hours! Then we got back to our cabin and realised we had missed a couple of places so we’ll do them tomorrow. There are nooks and crannies everywhere with many places to relax, have a coffee or a drink or just enjoy the view. There is also a viewing window which looks into the Bridge so we checked that out just to ensure that those we could see in white uniforms new how to drive this girl…lol. The Observation deck allows you to look right down the side of the ship, once again putting into perspective how long this ship is. We even checked out the dog kennels on Deck 12. The dogs were inside as it was too hot for them outside. They are extremely spoilt in air conditioned comfort and exercised daily. Their owners can pop in to see them whenever they want. Designated crew babysit them daily. Everything on board is in large proportions, plenty of deck space, pools, and deck chairs for everyone and many eating areas throughout the ship.

Word from the Captain in his midday report is that the winds are not looking favourable for tomorrow meaning there is a possibility we may not be able to tender ashore at the Whitsundays. Many are looking forward to snorkelling the reefs so here’s hoping the winds cease by tomorrow morning.

We really enjoyed our Royal afternoon tea in the Queens Ballroom, always delicious with club sandwiches, little cakes and of course warm scones. I did notice there was only strawberry jam and whipped butter for the scones this time. I’m sure we had cream with our scones on the Queen Elizabeth last year….not complaining. Someone who cruisers on Cunard more than us can correct me if I’m wrong?

We made up a team of six for our first Trivia quiz this afternoon and we won….yay. Here’s hope this luck continues…

It’s Formal night tonight. I must say they are very strict regarding the dress code on board QM2. Their word in the Daily Programme is that they wish to maintain the ambience and tradition of cruising which I think is fair enough. After 6.00pm no shorts permitted anywhere except the Kings Court Buffet.

The entertainment tonight in the Royal Court Theatre by the QM2 dancers and singers was absolutely superb, one of the best we’ve ever seen.

Tomorrow the Whitsunday Islands.

Jill

GC has asked me to post her blog from the Queen Mary due slow internet problems........Enjoy! :)

Friday 21 February

Hello from on board Queen Mary 2.

Well I have to admit I did get goose bumps as we drove up to the terminal and we first saw this huge ship docked in front of us. We were surprised to see a nice little terminal building at the “Grainery”. Last time we visited there were only tents. Boarding was very smooth indeed. A nice touch was that the luggage porters came to the vehicle and took our luggage directly off us, nice to not to have to drag them around any distance. Customs Officers did our clearance ashore and our ship check-in was carried out on board in the Queens Ballroom and once again went very smoothly.

This is one HUGE ship. Any entrepreneurs out there might like to create a GPS App just for huge ships. It was quite amusing last night we kept meeting lost people everywhere. Even those who boarded two days ago in Sydney are still have trouble finding their way around.

When we step out of our cabin which is portside aft and look up the corridor we can’t even see the other end. This is one very very long ship.

We were a little delayed in our departure; apparently people were missing, however about 30 minutes after our expected departure time we were on the move. Don’t know what happened to those who were missing. This ship is so smooth, several times we have looked out of the balcony to see if we are actually moving. There is no feeling of movement at all. These cabins are extremely quiet. Looking at the ship, we are two cabins below the “C” of the Cunard sign aft.

Our Dining table of 8 is in an excellent location right by a large window. A nice group of people. Six of us boarded in Brisbane, one had boarded in Melbourne and the other is from the UK but boarded the ship in Cape Town. He, (Ken) was the pied piper as he knows his way around so we all followed him for the most direct route from the dining room to the Royal Court Theatre to the evenings show. An excellent show with a young guy playing the Cello. Not just classical but Beatles, Jazz, and other various pieces you wouldn’t think would be played on a Cello. He also plays for the Royal Family from time to time. He was quite a comedian as well. A great first day on board the magnificent Queen Mary 2.

Jill

We were due to go there just before the quake struck. Best wishes to all those who were affected by this terrible event.

Love your attitude. You will have a great time and become addicted like the rest of us.

I know well-cruised people who love the Jewel so don't let negative people put you off. You will find lots of criticism of P&O Australia here, but we have travelled on Pacific Dawn several times and every time have enjoyed it immensely. The crew is always happy, the ship is always clean, plenty of good food and everything done for you. What more could you ask for? :D

Just read that on FB. Unbelievable that he would do that because of what she said, even though it was not nice! :cool:

David, we found that at Port Denarau, too. The cat was fast, but he couldn't get it tied up at the ship's dock, so we waited........and waited........:rolleyes: Second time we went that day was by the ship's tender.

Oh, the name Matson rang a tiny little bell for me, but I couldn't remember the ships. Mr Google came to the rescue - Mariposa and Monterey. I recall those names but not where they sailed. :D

Mariposa

Monterey

More info here

http://www.lastoceanliners.com/cgi/lolline.pl?MAT

I would say they would definitely be needed for ships berthed at Portside.

The following explains why they may be needed ad Fisherman Islands, and is from Brisbane Port Procedures and Information for Shipping

Tugs are an aid to safe and efficient manoeuvring of ships in confined waterways. While it is possible to berth and sail ships in certain tides and weather conditions without the aid of tugs, requirements for the safe and efficient movement of ships within the Brisbane River may necessitate the employment of tugs during ship handling operations.

The majority of berths at the port of Brisbane are located at Fisherman Islands, at the mouth of the Brisbane River which extends into Moreton Bay. The area is very exposed to the prevailing winds which include fresh to strong SE trades year round, strong N/NE sea breezes in the afternoons during the summer months and strong to gale force SW/W winds in the late winter months.

KC, it was posted on FB that you would be going to Port Denarau on Sunday, instead. Guess you will soon find out whether or not that is true. :D

Passengers were informed about the changed itinerary well beforehand. Yes, it was because of the expected cyclone.

Hi Sparky,

 

Did you ever get any of the Hands First Australian foam sanitiser I wrote about some time back?

 

It is not alcohol based & last up to 4 hours on your hands which is a lot longer than the others & it contains BC.

 

It's available online or I think they had some stockists in Sydney, but I can't recall where.

Some Bloom's chemists have it, but it's easy enough to get it on line and they are very helpful.

Pacific Princess is at an exotic port today.

Heres one to tuck in your hat for that unexpected trivia question:D

Its a new port to me.

Oh, I do miss those "Where is this port" quizzes we used to have on the Pub post. :(

I prefer the snorkelling at Champagne Bay and Wala and it is close to the shore. I was disappointed in Jinek Bay. Mind you I did not go very far but where I was the coral was dead.

Yes, it was just Sunrise on a ship. They did show Eddie screaming her way along the zip line and trying to climb the rock wall on the funnel, but apart from that Kochie just did a 'fast forward' trip through some of the ship.

Not a bit worried. You can get sick anywhere. Soap and water is your best defence. You can now also get an alcohol-free foam sanitiser which does the same as soap and water. The ship's sanitisers are just an extra defence.

Thanks Kiwis. It has been cool...ish in Brisbane today so perfect and relaxing for me! :D

Hope all Aussies old and new (from ceremonies today) have had a great day.

It is not the length of the ships sailing up the river that is the problem, but rather whether or not a ship is too long to turn around.

Just quoting from Portside Wharf web page:

Brisbane Cruise Terminal

Strategically located on Australia's East Coast cruising hub, the Brisbane Cruise Terminal is ideally situated just one sea-day away from Sydney or the Whitsunday Islands, and two sea-days from Tropical Cairns or the Pacific Island of New Caledonia. Portside Wharf is capable of welcoming ships up to 270 metres in length, including the P&O Aurora and the Oriana, two of the largest ships to dock in Brisbane. Other luxury liners that have docked at the terminal include The World, The Volendam, The Sea Princess, The Amsterdam and Nippon Maru World Ship for Youth. The purpose-designed facility is complete with access to first-class marine engineering facilities, including a working dry-dock located just across the river. Portside Wharf has presented Brisbane with a new state-of-the-art terminal facility, a world class dining and retail offer, and a range of luxury residences, encapsulated in a precinct where both visitors and locals alike can enjoy the best aspects of Queensland life in one place, and access their every need in one location.