SailorManBilly

I live in a high rise right above the pier... just wanted to report that she's just finishing docking.

Please do not encourage RADA to butcher any more plays. Their Shakespearean productions are patronising and condescending in the extreme. A sort of Shakespeare for Dummies. I feel sorry for the actors because they know as do we all that you cannot DO HAMLET IN 45 MINUTES, or Richard lll another travesty perpetrated on QM2 some time ago. The plays you mention would not lend themselves to the kind of surgery inflicted on poor old Bill. And besides they are so dark and depressing that half the audience would probably throw themselves over the side afterwards. They are hardly holiday material. Canterbury Tales, yes OK. This is a picaresque story, in fact simply several short stories and is well suited to shortening. It was a good romp.

 

As for playwriting and poetry competions PLEASE PLEASE NO. If you were on board for the songwriting cruise you would understand my plea. Such self-indulgent, self-regarding tuneless droning would be hard to imagine if one had not heard it. Those people took themselves far too seriously, stalking about all day with their guitars permanently attached to their backs. And one more thing about RADA, these are professional actors trained at supposedly the finest acting school in the world. Why then do they have to read the poems at their gatherings. They do what, about two or three poems each, that shouldn't be so hard to learn for professionals. Even I could do that and I'm in my dotage.

Ratty

As a personal friend of several RADA graduates that have traveled on the QM2, I can tell you for certain that they would MUCH rather DO the Shakespeare plays in their entirety, but are restricted by the time allotted them by Cunard. It's a combination of having to share the stage with the various rehearsals that go on during the day, and the belief by Cunard that the majority of passengers don't want to devote multiple hours to seeing a play. Add to that, that RADA is only allotted 6 members, they must also make the plays work with just 6 characters. Your comment about RADA butchering plays is mean spirited and frankly ignorant. They are doing the best that they can in the confines that they have been given. And unless your last name is Streep or Richardson or Redgrave, I suggest you not cast dispersions on actors that have worked hard to achieve the prestigious right to call themselves RADA graduates. Armchair theatre critics, just as armchair sports "experts" are so tedious to those in the industry who know the realities of what performers (or athletes) have to deal with in their work. As a classically trained actor myself (with Broadway credits, I might add!!), I can tell you from personal experience that the RADA troupes have done quite well with their adaptations, and are all quite talented. And no, I'm NOT a RADA graduate, and therefore not one of the performers on board. But I get so tired of ignorant laypeople thinking they know enough to judge professionally trained actors who in most cases, I might add, all have West End or BBC or film credits to their names prior to boarding the QM2.

And, by the way, if you hated the songs being written by passengers on that wonderful addition the crossing options, then simply DON'T GO! It's a big ship... There's plenty other things for you to do. At least those people were attempting to do something in a world they would otherwise only be an observer. I say good for them. And if the songs are bad, then so what? At least they're trying. I've also seen some passengers dancing in the Queen's Room that don't have the steps right or good rhythm and I've seen shuffleboard players on the top deck that are quite bad at the game. Should they be blocked from those activities as well?

You've chosen your name well, I'll say that much for you. I can only hope that none of the RADA actors have had the misfortune of reading your cruel comments. They deserve better for their efforts!!

Oh that's good to know! The downpayment is $448 but the balance is due in December. But I have to figure out the one way airfare business. . .coming back from LHR. I need to be sure I can find a decent fare before I put the money down!

Take a look at IcelandAir. You fly through Iceland but I got an AMAZING deal on their premium economy (which is their version of business class) and they allow 2 bags up to 70 pounds each (don't know what the metric equivalent is of that but when I priced coach on United and Virgin, etc, they allowed only one bag up to 50 pounds. I know many people that have flown with them amd have raved like crazy abut them... and I also know a number of U.S. airlines employees that have vouched for their high safety standards.

Deck - 8

Cabin # - 8592

Class – D1

Front Starboard, Front Port, Back Starboard, Back Port, Central Park, or Boardwalk - Midship Port

Bed near?(balcony or bath) – Bath

You loose a bit of space in this cabin - there is a section that juts out about two feet from mid cabin to the balcony doors. This is why the beds are by the closet as they won't fit by the balcony door area in length. It is really a tight fit with only a foot or so by the closet. Someone on our sailing said that every other room is like that - but I don't know that for a fact.

I do know that in Cabin 8594 the bed was by the balcony because our friends had that cabin.

 

 

Quiet Cabin (With comments on problems. Note if connecting. ) – This was a nice, quiet cabin.

 

Balcony View - Give comments on view, noting if location of any obstructions or privacy was an issue– There were no obstructions - we had wonderful views. This cabin was on the "hump" midship.

 

Balcony Size? Normal or oversized for class? - A bit oversized with a small round table and two chairs.

Was wind a problem? No. Wind on the balcony was not a problem.

Any specific problems with this cabin? Limited closet access due to the beds being by the bath room and fewer shelves than we are used to on the Radiance class. We missed the pull out arm from the desk - the writing arm - found on all the other ships.

Any other comments? We loved the ship. But beware, you need to make reservations for all your entertainment, which we did prior to sailing. I cannot imagine how time consuming it would be to have to decide what and when you were going to see a show when you first boarded the ship. Another note - we found out the hard way that you need to "lock" your balcony door. One day we were literally sweating in our cabin while getting ready for dinner. We thought it was because the sun was overpowering in our cabin (which it was) - so we called the maintenance department to come up and check the thermostat. They called us back and said the engineers informed them that our balcony door was not locked. We argued and said it was, because the balcony door was closed. I guess there is some computer sensor that can tell when the handle is actually "locked" after the door is shut. If it remains in the unlocked position for any length of time, the air turns off in the cabin. It is important to actually lock the balcony door when you return to your cabin and not just close the door. About two minutes after we "locked" the door, the air kicked on. Amazing.

We took this same room location because we thought with the angled balcony, ev though you might lose a little space on the balcony, that it would be a great view to be able to see a bit forward instead of simply straight out. Did the space of the room being different and the bed placement make you wish you opted for the flat front D1 instead?