Live from the 2013 world cruise - on QM2

Since no one else is doing a blog of QM2's world cruise (that I'm aware of) I thought I would provide a few updates and observations. I'm a little behind as we're already four days into the voyage but better late than never. My excuse is that I've been drinking too much and having a lot of fun :)

Day one - 9th Feb 2013:

Embarkation day for my sojourn around the South China Sea travelling from Singapore to Brisbane, via Bangkok, Saigon, Hong Kong, Shanghai & Cairns. For the Singapore to Hong Kong sector I am travelling, for the first time, in a Britannia stateroom - an inside cabin in fact - and I'm very much looking forward to enjoying the Britannia experience. My e-ticket says to arrive at the dock at 15:00, as that's my embarkation time. It goes on to explain that Cunard operates a staggered boarding process and they'd very appreciate it if we could all turn up at our allocated time. Well, we don't always get what we want, do we, so Cunard had to make do with me turning up at 12:15. Being Singaporeans, everything was very efficient and with next to no crowds I was already on board by 12:30. No that's not a misprint, time taken to go through immigration and the Cunard embarkation process - 15 minutes. Moral of the story, turn up when you feel like it - if you're in Singapore.

Finding my stateroom was no big deal, I just followed the yellow brick road (that's what I'm calling the carpet on the starboard side of deck five) until I got to my cabin. And what a pleasant surprise, how awesome are these insides staterooms! I've been in one before, but that was just a quick visit (no, not that kind of visit). Unpacking (my suitcase arrives five minutes after me) gives me the opportunity to scope out the cabin, there's plenty of storage and I don't feel cramped; these inside rooms are perfect for one person. Having unpacked I roam the ship taking photos. It's weird to be back on board in such a relatively short space of time, nothing feels new as I've seen it all before. I don't feel hungry so I make my way down to the Sir Samuel's for a coffee and watch the passengers who did tours in Singapore come back on board. One of the bartenders from the Commodore Club is now stationed down in Sir Samuel's, which is new as he's been in the Commodore Club since 2010 at least.

Feeling perky I decide it's time to go for a run and after changing into gym gear I head up to the gym on deck seven. As I run, I'm entertained by the new passengers discovering the gym and generally having a sticky beak. Having completed the run, and obligatory stretch, I change back into normal clothes and head out to deck 8 to have a quick smoke, whilst I'm standing at the bar one of the officers strikes up a conversation and we talk about QM2 etc and how it's not as good as the QE2. Just kidding, we didn't talk about the QE2. ;)

Soon it's time to get ready for the lifeboat drill. I'm the first to arrive so I grab a seat and occupy my time sending text messages to friends back in Brisbane. I don't really have a lot to say, not much more than "I'm on QM2 and you're not"… :) The same staff member that is coordinating my allocated muster station was in charge the last time I did a lifeboat drill, I remember him because he's clearly a FOD - and girlfriend is working that muster station. Eventually the area of Kings Court that I'm sitting in fills up and the commodore comes over the tanoy to give his usual speech about safety etc. My fellow passengers are paying attention, which is good to see. What's also reassuring is that one couple did turn up and straight away put their lifejackets on - despite being told they didn't need to. Would it be a lifeboat drill if this didn't happen? :D

Having completed the drill I head up to the Commodore Club for the FOD meeting. There are a number of guys there and the usual introductions are done. Surprisingly a lady joins us, which has never happened before (as in a GLBT lady and not a friend of a friend), and she is looking for people to go to Pattaya when we get to Bangkok and see one of the ladyboy shows. It sounds fun and interesting so I volunteer. One of the other FODs informed me that during this world cruise they skipped Athens and went to Crete. Apparently this meant that they missed a fresh food shipment and they were running out of various things before being able to restock in Dubai. When I asked if they could tell the difference, I was informed that they could, that the portions were smaller and various things started to disappear.

After the FOD I return to my cabin as I have plans to meet up for drinks with friends (the countess & husband) that are travelling on the same sector - until Hong Kong - and we're meeting up in the Chart Room. Being the first night of the cruise the dress code is elegant casual. Judging from my appearance in the mirror I think I fulfilled the brief. Elegantly, and casually, I make my way up to the Chart Room. There are plenty of people already in-situ and I gather it must be like this every night as the late dining crowd pass the time before their sitting. Spying my friends I make a beeline for their table, pausing to nod and say "hello" to a couple of doratheans along the way. The countess already has the drinks in so we pass the time comparing notes on our Singapore hotels and talking about other passengers we've seen etc…

At 8:25 we make our way down to deck 2 and mill about outside the Britannia Dining room. I am surprised at what a lot of people are wearing for dinner - t-shirts, jeans and plenty of men without jackets - it's a free for all! Not a great first impression of the Britannia dining experience. It's evident however that the culprits are mainland Chinese and it appears that, en-masse, they didn't get the memo about the dress code. Seriously, there are so many dress-code offences going on that even if I was to start handing out infringements I wouldn't be able to complete the job as 8129 only has capacity for around 300 'guests'. Oh well, I'm not going to let it spoil my holiday so I switch on my alternate vision which means I don't see what I do not want to see.

We are escorted to our table which is one of the larger tables just out from the large space under the tapestry on deck 2. Being the first to arrive we get the best seats (the ones with the view towards the staircase) and scope everyone out. Soon we are joined by the remainder of our table, a retired couple from Brisbane and three ladies from north Queensland who are travelling together. I know that the computer is supposed to allocate the seats but it is strange that everyone at this table lives within a thousand kilometres of each other. Our sommelier is quick to introduce himself and I request a bottle of sweet white wine (but not a dessert wine) and I'm impressed with his selection - it goes down a treat. Being the first night the conversation is the usual introductions and cruise history comparisons. Everyone at our table has at least three cruises under their belts, however it's the first time on QM2 for the retired couple and the north QLD ladies.

Dinner goes exceedingly well. I was very curious as to what the Britannia dining experience would be like and I'm happy to report that the service was good (efficient & fast) and the food was delicious. Not that I was looking to, but I can honestly tell you that I could not fault a single thing. Everything I asked for I got and the meal was timed just right - not too slow and not too fast. The main difference between Britannia and the Grills, at this early stage in the voyage, is that the menu is not as extensive (it wouldn't be on embarkation night up in the grills anyway) and the service (whilst good) isn't as polished or as exceptional as it is up in the Grills. I'm looking forward to experiencing more meals in the Britannia dining room.

After dinner, the countess and I take our leave and head to G32. It's the usual sad state of affairs (as it is on any embarkation night) so the countess calls it a night whilst I order a drink. Despite the paucity of the crowd, and the decades old music, I decide I will have a dance after all and do my best to get into it. The DJ on duty is at pains to inform us that he is not the actual DJ and is in fact a member of Vibes. As you can imagine I greet this news with muted enthusiasm. ;) Whilst he doesn't take requests (I don't think he knew how to search for songs) he does grant the repeated "just one more song" requests from the small group of stayers that is determined to dance - so that's good. One of these 'stayers' was wearing sneakers, board-shorts and a t-shirt. Upon seeing this man's attire I recall a recent post by someone claiming that our Cruise Critic dress-code threads scare people off from cruising on Cunard. Well, judging by what I've seen tonight, I'm here to tell you that that is most definitely not the case.

And then it was time for bed. The sheets are the same as the Grill's suites, which is great as I think the sheets that Cunard uses are wonderfully soft.

Next up is a sea day whilst we are en route for Bangkok. I'll catch up over the next sea day (we have just departed from Bangkok) on what's been happening on board since Singapore.

Sounds great, thanks for posting. Looking forward to the next posts. :)

Sounds great, thanks for posting. Looking forward to the next posts.

Thank you. :)

Below is the view of Singapore from QM2's stern, taken on the 9th Feb.

And the inside stateroom.

Plus a shot of the Britannia dining room.

More pics to come...

Glad you're having fun.

Take heart. Subsequent EC evenings will likely see better adherence to dress code. We saw several men without jackets on the first night on our TA, including the two other men at our table. Thereafter, our table was "up to code" on all nights, as were all other people I saw around the ship after dinner.

One dress code change I would like to see is one bar assigned to be formal starting at 5:00 instead of 6:00 on formal night. We usually have early seating for dinner, and go to the Chart Room for drinks. It would improve the ambiance if the nappers in their daywear were turfed out at 5:00.

Thanks so much for posting - oh to be on QM2 now, but one can live vicariously. Your table position in the dining room sounds excellent - any chance of it being a hosted table? It sounds like it may be in the right vicinity:)

Living vicariously here Whitemarsh. Have a wonderful trip.

Glad you're having fun.

 

Take heart. Subsequent EC evenings will likely see better adherence to dress code. We saw several men without jackets on the first night on our TA, including the two other men at our table. Thereafter, our table was "up to code" on all nights, as were all other people I saw around the ship after dinner.

 

One dress code change I would like to see is one bar assigned to be formal starting at 5:00 instead of 6:00 on formal night. We usually have early seating for dinner, and go to the Chart Room for drinks. It would improve the ambiance if the nappers in their daywear were turfed out at 5:00.

You're quite right, there was an improvement with the dress code on the second night. I'm told that a few people received a quiet word about the matter.

Thanks so much for posting - oh to be on QM2 now, but one can live vicariously. Your table position in the dining room sounds excellent - any chance of it being a hosted table? It sounds like it may be in the right vicinity:)

Yes, it did turn out to be a hosted table. I think you probably know exactly where I am. :)

Living vicariously here Whitemarsh. Have a wonderful trip.

Thank you Pushka. :)

Day two - 10th Feb 2013: Sea day - en route to Bangkok.

As you may know, the ship was supposed to stop in Ko Samui but at the last moment Cunard discovered they couldn't dock the ship there and so we are skipping that stop and spending two days in Bangkok. Having set the alarm for 8:00, I am awakened by the dulcet tones of the ringing phone. Getting ready is a breeze when you're travelling by yourself as there is no waiting for anyone else and the entire cabin is at your disposal. I know Cunard doesn't offer single rooms, but they should consider doing regular deals for singles with these insides - they're perfect for that sort of thing.

Washed and scrubbed I make my way down to the Britannia restaurant for breakfast - I need to be there at 8:25 having pre-organised with the countess that that is the time we will meet. There's already a bunch of eager beavers milling around and I spy the countess deep in conversation with two passengers over by the lifts. The countess introduces me to the retired couple of the north of England, they seem very nice and the countess invites them to join us for breakfast. This morning we are seated at the table for six under the tapestry (on the right hand side if you are facing the tapestry) and the view is fantastic - I love this part of the restaurant, can it really be better up on the 3rd or 4th levels? This morning I have porridge followed by an egg-white omelette; once again the service is fast and efficient, there's no waiting for drinks or anything like that. The retired couple from England want to know how much we paid for our trip, I don't really like this question as someone usually gets upsets but happily the retired couple are seasoned travellers and the fantastic deal that we got simply raises an eyebrow for them - they do request, and make note of, the travel agency however.

Having had quite enough food (next time I will not have the two courses for breakfast) I leave the countess to chat with the retired couple and head to deck 8 for another cigarette. Cunard really needs a dedicated smoking room on deck 2 or 3 somewhere, it's annoying having to go outside all the time (of course if I had a balcony this wouldn't be an issue, but I don't, so it is). After a couple of cigarettes I head down to the shops to see what's on offer. I purposefully didn't bring many aftershaves etc as I want to take advantage of the duty free prices. Since they don't sell Shisheido I load up on Estee Lauder and Chanel's Anateas (which is an oldie, but a classic). I'm just in time for the 10am lecture, which is about Doris Day. The lecturer is George McGee who used to work for the BBC. Surprisingly (for a sea-day lecture) the Royal Court Theatre isn't packed and there are plenty of seats available. I am not sure if it's the topic - Doris Day - that's the cause or everyone is otherwise occupied. Spying the countess (who has already secured a prime seat) I make my way to her location and sit down to listen to the lecture. It's okay, there's way too many movie clips and by the end of the lecture I feel as though I have learnt nothing and simply watched a few excerpts from her films. It was, however, interesting to see a clip of her singing from the 40's (with her 40's hair do) as I always associate her with the late fifties and the early sixties.

Lecture over I bid farewell to the countess and head back to my room to change into my swimmers. The pool on deck 8 is busy but not overly so. There are many people laying around in the sun and I wonder that they do not burn, such is their devotion to the sun. Having 'slip, slop, slapped' I am fully prepared for the onslaught and settle into a book with my Ipad. Eventually Vibes makes an appearance and begins to set up for their 12:30 set. That's my que to jump in the pool and I do. Like most of you, I do wish that this pool was bigger. Why they didn't extend it all the way to the barrier (just before Todd English) is a mystery. As it is, you can only do about three strokes and then you have to turn around. Due to the number of people I don't bother with freestyle and just stick with the breaststroke. It's very relaxing & enjoyable swimming whilst the band plays it repertoire. Although they could add a few additional tunes, I am sick and tired of 'red red wine'. It's hot and sunny and the sea is like glass, there are no white tips on the waves and I cannot feel any movement. After I few more cigarettes I have a quick bite to eat in Kings Court (they are still on their noro alert and there is no self service) I get changed and go to the gym for a workout. On the way I run into a couple that I remember from the hotel in Singapore, there is the flash of recognition and a quick chat reveals that they are from Germany and doing the Singapore to Hong Kong sector; they are a lovely couple, very pleasant, and it just goes to show that you do meet lovely people on this ship.

Tonight's dress code is formal (well for me anyway - we'll see what the rest of the ship turns up in) and I get changed into the tux before heading up to the FOD. There's no gossip to be had (clearly this group is not as inquisitive as last years bunch) but we do have a conversation about whether the afternoon tea offered in the Queens Room is the same as the afternoon tea served in the Queens Grill lounge. One man is insistent that it is the same and will not hear opinions to the contrary. I suggest that they are different (slightly more offerings in the QGL) as I once asked a waiter about this very topic and was informed that guests in the QGL are offered more 'treats' for afternoon tea. I've no reason to believe that the crew member lied to me so I believed him. The man at the FOD is having none of this and I am informed, in no uncertain terms, that I am wrong. Oh well, soon I will have afternoon tea in the Queens Room and I will be able to see for myself. There is also discussion about the non-adherence to the dress code last night, it seems that a few people have complained to their waiters etc and supposedly the offenders were informed that they will need to get with the program, well we will see about that.

A new arrival at the FOD is one of the guest entertainers and I am interested to hear about the deal that they get. Cunard pays for their airfare to and from the voyage and they get a free cruise. They only need to pay for their drinks and miscellaneous charges. What a great wicket, fancy being able to travel for free and lecture people on a subject that you are (presumably) passionate about - half your luck. Today at the FOD a couple do the same thing that they did the previous day, that is to do a 'drive by' and see who's in attendance but not actually stop. Obviously they are not finding what they are looking for.

After the FOD I head down to the Chart room to meet up with the countess and her husband. Again, the drinks are in and we sit and chat about our various days. I do like this room,the ambiance is perfect in the evening for pre-dinner drinks. The welcome cocktail party for late sitting Britannia guests is on tonight and after a quick chat we decide we will attend. Standing inline waiting to meet the commodore we are offered the obligatory Purell by a helpful staff member. The countess and husband go first and then it's my turn. I offer my hand for a handshake but the commodore informs me that he's not shaking hands. Fine. We turn and face the camera and a staff member takes a picture as a memento of the occasion. Picture taken I make my way down to the dance floor to join the countess. It's the Black & White ball tonight and Draganna (the voyage sales specialist) is wearing a long black dress with what appears to be a black and white stole. She looks fierce and is certainly getting a few admiring glances. I'm somewhat reminded of Cruella De'Ville from 101 Dalmatians and am suitably impressed; 10 out of 10 for Draganna. Eventually the commodore is introduced and he does his usual welcome spiel. He talks about Cunard recreating the glamour of ocean liner travel from years ago and suggests that our personal style (the passengers) is adding to the effect. Clearly he wasn't in the Britannia restaurant last night. We are given the break down of the passengers by nationality. The Brits are the biggest component followed by Australians. Not far behind are the Hong Kong pax (I was wrong about them being mainland - they are all from Hong Kong) and then we have the Yanks, Germans, and a myriad of other nationalities in single or double digits. Interestingly only 8 Singaporeans (from memory). Strangely we have guests travelling in Britannia Club with us for this event, last year they attended the Grills welcome party. Perhaps they behaved badly and that's why they now attend the Britannia event?

Eventually it's time for dinner and we make our way down to deck 2. Pleasingly most people seem to have finally received the memo about the dress code. There are a number of men without jackets but at least they've put on a collared long sleeve shirt and a tie, and for that I suppose I should be grateful (as I remember one of them as a t-shirt aficionado from the previous night). We are the first to arrive at our table and are surprised to see that there is an extra chair, we're duly informed that our table will be hosted tonight. What a score, first time in Britannia and it's on a hosted table. The retired couple arrive and sit next to me so that the countess and I can chat with them (they were on the other side of the table last night). The three ladies from north QLD do not turn up, as we suspected they wouldn't - they did not seem like the formal type. Oh well, too bad for them as they will miss out on the free wine. Whilst we are waiting for our host we watch the people who have been invited to dine with the commodore introduce themselves to each other. They all look very pleased with themselves. Especially the 'drive by' couple from the FOD.

Eventually our host turns up and is seated between the countess and her husband. He's David the Chief Engineer and he seems a very pleasant chap. We ask him what happened with Koh Samui but he pleads ignorance on the particulars and says he doesn't know what happened. David is soon engrossed in conversation with the countess's husband (they are talking about submarines) so the countess and I interrogate the retired couple. She's a retired headmistress who specialised in disadvantaged socio-economic areas and he's a retired public servant from the ABS. She's a fascinating conversationalist and we explore all the taboo subjects (religion and politics). It's great fun discussing all that, but you do need the right kind of people (they can't take it personally etc). Again the food and service is very good in the Britannia dining room. David is busy signing for the wine, the red, in particular, is very smooth. I make a mental note to order the same wine from the sommelier in the future. We ask David if he knows when QM2 will venture through the widened Panama Canal but he's not sure. David has been onboard since Southampton, and has been with Cunard since July last year (from memory). He's a very proficient host, and our table is one of the last to leave the restaurant.

G32 is quite busy (for G32) and I'm occupied by moving between levels as I dance and smoke. As we've all had quite a bit to drink, the countess and I are tearing up the dance floor and having a very good time. Whilst I'm up on level 2 having a smoke a lady comes up the stairs to join me for a cigarette. She's wearing a black and white polka-dot ball gown with a white sweetheart strapless top. She looks absolutely stunning and she wins tonight's prize for best dressed (sorry Dragana).

Our ability to dance is impaired by the amount of alcohol we've had and so we retire to the commodore club for a final drink and then it's off to bed. What a nice way to end a very enjoyable day.

Day three - 11th Feb 2013: docked at Laem Chabang (Bangkok).

With the late change in schedule I have not booked any shore tours for today so I will, in effect, be having another sea day. This morning I have breakfast alone (well obviously there were other people in the dining room, but I was at a table for one) and enjoy the eggs benedict and some toast. I'm on a table for two facing towards the centre of the restaurant and I have a pretty good view of the comings and goings of people, which entertains me whilst I finish my breakfast. Again, the service is excellent and the food is great. So far, the Britannia restaurant is proving to be very, very good.

After breakfast it's time for a cigarette on deck 7 followed by a couple of turns around the deck. In previous posts I forgot to mention that I have found my room to be slightly noisy. When I put my head on my pillow I can distinctly hear the noise of the engines from the decks below. If I am not hearing the engines than I am hearing machinery of some sort. I did speak with the purser's desk about it and they sent some people to have a listen. They didn't hear anything, so they advised me to contact them again if I continue to be disturbed by the noise. I've solved the problem myself by purchasing ear-plugs which I use to get myself to sleep. I also forgot to mention that yesterday they fit me in at short notice for a haircut in the Canyon Ranch Spa. I just have a buzz cut and was expecting to pay $50 for the privilege but I was pleasantly surprised that it only cost $17, so that was good.

Today is a breezy do-nothing kind of day. I had a coffee at Sir Samuel's and generally did not much at all until lunchtime. Joining the countess and her husband for lunch we had a nice table by the window so we can view the goings on in the port and watch the loading and unloading of the container ships. Lunch is very good, and again the food and service is excellent. S o far, I've two dinners, two breakfasts and a lunch in the Britannia and I've been impressed with everything. After lunch I head up to the gym for a work out and after that it's time for afternoon tea - my very first afternoon tea in the Queens Room. It's not very busy (with most passengers out and about doing shore tours) and I am impressed with the service from the waiters. In terms of differences between the Queens Room and the QGL afternoon tea, I'm not offered a selection for the tea, they just pore what's in the pot. Today they are out of the little fruit tarts that I love but they do have the scones. The cream is different to the cream served in the QGL and it appears to be of the whipped variety. They offerings are minus a couple of rounds of items that are routinely offered in the QGL. So there, I was right - the offerings are different as there are additional cakes and savouries to choose from in the QGL.

With afternoon tea finished I head down to deck 8 for a swim. Attempting to do laps in the pool I spy the countess walking along deck twelve. I shout out her name and she duly pops down to deck 8 for a poolside chat. She and her husband are interested in coming along to Pattaya to see a ladyboy show. We agree to meet at 17:15 in the lobby where the lady from the FOD has arranged to meet me. At five pm I head down to the lobby and seeing that the tour desk is still open I ask if they are doing any tours to Pattaya to see the ladyboy shows. The staff laugh and say "we wish" but regret that they are not. Oh well, Cunard's loss I suppose. The lady from the FOD turns up and informs us that her tour guide for today has said that all the tickets for the shows in Pattaya (Tiffany's Show) are sold out. As she's just returned from a tour she's not going to go after all. I am all dressed up with no other plans so I decide I will still go regardless and the countess and her husband agree to chance it as well.

At the pier we rent a driver for $60 US dollars to take us to Pattaya and back again. Our driver is very nice and navigates the Thai traffic with ease. If you have not been to Thailand before then you will be amazed at the a-la carte attitude towards the road rules. People rarely indicate and red lights are observed, seemingly, on the flip of a coin. Motorcyclists risk life & limb weaving their way through the traffic but after a while I begin to notice that the traffic does have a fluidity to it and seems to work fine - despite the apparent lack of road rules and laissez faire attitude to stop signs. When we reach Pattaya we are intrigued by the crowds, the lights and the general busyness of everything. Russians - for some reason - are everywhere. I don't know what the connection is between Thailand and Russia but every Russian apart from Vladimir Putin seems to be parading up and down the streets of Pattaya. We arrive at Tiffany's Show and it's an impressive building with a flashy & gaudy decoration scheme. At the window box there are tickets available but the price seems to change on the computer screen and we are not sure if we got a discount or got fleeced after the driver showed his identification for the inevitable kick-back. In any case, we're only talking 1300 baht, so not huge sums of money. There's a bit of time before the 7:30 show so we head next door to Burger King for a meal. No one can speak English so we point to the meal that we want. Again, Russians everywhere. Our glamorous meal done with we head back to Tiffany's. As it's nearly show time the 'girls' come out for the photo ops and you can have your picture taken with them for 100 baht. I have my picture taken with a few and it's an amazing scene; these 'girls' look like asian Disney princesses with their huge sparkly ball gowns and intricate hair dos. There is a huge crowd of people swirling around the show girls taking photos and the atmosphere is slightly crazy and surreal. I keep my hands close to my body just in case of pickpockets.

The show itself is an hour long and is a veritable Las Vegas production with amazing sets and a cast of about a 50 performers. Sitting in an aisle set I am singled out for a kiss by one of the 'girls' to the amusement of the rest of the audience and the countess in particular. The cast rotate through various numbers focusing on all the nearby asian countries and Russia (as half the audience is Russian, or so it seems). When a new song starts and one of the girls comes out to sing about a particular country the audience members from that country roar their appreciation. The show is, in a word, spectacular and would not be out of place in Las Vegas. After the show I have more photos taken with the 'girls' and then we head back to our driver and car for the return journey. I ask if Pattaya is dangerous at night and our drivers is emphatic that it is. He says that people should not wear jewellery or they will get robbed. Luckily, I left mine back in the stateroom.

Returning to the ship we see the crew are heading out for the nightclubs in Pattaya or Bangkok. They look like they will be having a good time. It's a good time to party when the ship is docked overnight, as you don't have to worry about missing the ship.

Pattaya was great fun and I'm looking forward to the day in Bangkok tomorrow.

Some pictures of what it's like docked at Laem Chabang.

The view from the Queens Room.

The view from the stern.

Thanks again for the updates.

Thank you so much for taking the time & trouble to post. I almost feel as I'm coming along for the ride. Continue to have a great time whilst ensuring all standards, particularly sartorial are maintained! The Countess sounds wonderful - would love to be a fly on the wall during your conversations - you've cheered up a very grey day here in The Smoke; I can't wait for your next installment, keep up the good work (please!)

Loving your report Whitemarsh. :)

How are you finding the inside stateroom? I'm thinking of going solo next year on the next circumnavigation unless I can convince some girlfriends to come. And an inside would fit the budget.

I loved the Britannia and sat at the table under the tapestry on several lunch and breakfast occasions.

Yes, it did turn out to be a hosted table. I think you probably know exactly where I am. :)

It is a wonderful table! We had a different host each formal night, and they were all great fun, and knew how to order great wine. Thanks so much for your reports:)

Sounds great, thanks for posting. Looking forward to the next posts. :)

Ditto.

Thanks for the post. I can't believe it's a year since the Australia circumnavigation!

How lovely to snag a hosted table. That's always interesting. And thanks for asking the question I would ask about QM2 going through the new canal. That's a cruise I'd like to take.

As for the pool, be careful what you wish for. Long pools on ships tend to have issues with seiching (the waves that go back and forth, back and forth, and then end with a big splash). I've given up trying to swim laps on a ship. As you said, a few strokes, then you have to turn. I think of it as the aquatic version of the expression "a bear in a cage." Some Princess ships have some kind of flow pool, so you could swim against the current and not have to turn constantly. I'd like to try that.

Great posts and pics. Appreciate the perspective of someone who has been in the Grills, trying the Britannia experience. Glad you are enjoying it.

Rob

Loving your report Whitemarsh. :)

 

How are you finding the inside stateroom? I'm thinking of going solo next year on the next circumnavigation unless I can convince some girlfriends to come. And an inside would fit the budget.

 

I loved the Britannia and sat at the table under the tapestry on several lunch and breakfast occasions.

I think the inside stateroom is fantastic. Apart from the noise through my pillow (which I believe is specific to this particular cabin's location) I have no complaints at all - it's great. I'd certainly considering doing a long voyage in one of these, no concerns at all.

I'm very much loving Britannia as well. The service is great and the food is excellent. It's taking longer to develop a 'relationship' with our waiter and sommelier (as we only see them at night) but both of them are doing an excellent job. The sommelier in particular is very on the ball, no delays at all with the wine and excellent suggestions.

Thanks for the post. I can't believe it's a year since the Australia circumnavigation!

 

How lovely to snag a hosted table. That's always interesting. And thanks for asking the question I would ask about QM2 going through the new canal. That's a cruise I'd like to take.

I know right, how time flies. Yeah, we think it's pretty awesome as we were told that there are only four hosted tables in the Britannia restaurant.

With the canal, even though they are widening it (or whatever they are doing) I was told today that there is some bridge that ships have to navigate under after they exit the canal and apparently there is a question as to whether this ship can fit under it. So transiting the Panama Canal is not a given, even after it's enlargement.

BTW - thanks everyone for your kind feedback on this blog :)

Day four - 12th Feb 2013: shore tour to Bangkok.

Bangkok in a Day is the name of the tour and it promises that I'll see everything there is to see in Bangkok - all in a day. The meeting time is 8am in the Royal Court Theatre for an 8:30 start. Breakfast in Kings Court sounds like a good idea so off I trot up to deck 7 for a quick breakfast. When I arrive I am surprised to see people leaning all over the food and then it dawns on me, the 72 hour no self service embargo has been lifted. Which I'm not a fan, as all too often peoples idea of hygiene and what to do, and what not to do, at a buffet are sometimes remarkably different to my own ideas. Standing in line waiting for a tray, it occurs to me that one passenger is holding up the line whilst whatever food they're inspecting in the bain-marie passes their exhaustive quality control. I'm not prepared to wait forever whilst they select the perfect item of food so I ask the crew member for a tray. He passes me one and says "well if you want to stand there holding it". I don't, which is why I bypass the quality controller and take ownership of the next available bain-marie. I'm not fussy about breakfast this morning and in no time I've selected a few items and I'm onto the next mission which is to find a table. Luckily someone is leaving a table and I pounce on it - I'm better at this Kings Court game than I thought I would be. The lady from the FOD is at a nearby table and I pass on the bad news (for her) that there were tickets available at Tiffany's. She's disappointed but interested to hear about the show.

Breakfast finished I head on down to the Royal Court Theatre where the countess is waiting outside with her husband. Our yellow stickers stuck to our chests we wander in and find the appropriate sitting area. We're not the first to be called so I go and buy some Cunard water, just in case it's in short supply on this trip. The countess has struck up a conversation with the people sitting around us and in no time she's holding court to a select group of new admirers. Finally our number is called and, with the countess's new fan base in tow, we get move on out down to deck 1 and the gangway. It's warm outside but not unbearable by any means. A quick wander through the cruise terminal and we board the bus that's going to take us on this tour of Bangkok. There's about 23 people on this tour and there are plenty of seats with loads of extras. There's no facility on the bus but at least it's air-conditioned. Soon we're on our way and our tour guide introduces himself, his name is Ex we are informed.

Ex, whilst a little hard to understand, is very funny and makes up for language difficulties by being humorous and engaging. On the way to Bangkok (two hours) we get a brief history of Thailand (never colonised - but I knew that already) and an outline of what all the various coloured flags are for (yellow for the king, blue for the queen and purple for the princess - apparently the colour is dependent on the day you're born, which I didn't know) and a wealth of other knowledge. Some passengers are asleep, others marvel at the traffic and the smog. About halfway to Bangkok we make a pit stop and as I'm getting off the bus Ex hands me some toilet paper. "Thanks", what else do you say? It soon becomes evident why he's done that as once inside a cubicle there is no toilet paper, just a hose with nozzle on the end.

Back on the bus we're soon speeding towards Bangkok - literally, as we're pulled over by the police and the driver has to pay a small bribe to allow us to continue. Ex explains that if the bribe wasn't paid the police would have stopped the bus for up to an hour whilst they did their various checks etc. Bribe paid we're once again on our way and soon enough entering Bangkok. I wouldn't describe Bangkok as the Paris of the east, it's not particularly attractive in any way shape or form. Our first stop is a golden temple which is kind of interesting as we have to take our shoes and hats off. The countess is worried that someone will steal her shoes. I'm worried that someone won't, and toss up whether to hide her shoes or not. That would be terrible I tell myself and put that bad thought out of my mind. The golden buddha is pretty enough and the interior of the temple is very ornate. I take a few pictures and listen to Ex elaborate on all the details about this temple. Eventually we make our way outside for more photo opportunities. The Cunard rep on the tour offers to take some photos (using their professional equipment) of the countess and her husband. That's a nice thing to do, it will be interesting to see how they turn out.

We make our way down the steps of the temple and through the lane way back to the bus. Next stop is the Royal Palace. It takes forever to get there as the traffic is bad, Bangkok bad, but we do eventually make it. The palace is surrounded by a large whitewashed wall and the roads surrounding it are absolute mayhem; every tourist in town seems to be gathered here along with every hawker and every single Russian that God put on this earth. We follow Ex as we make our way through the crowds towards the palace, the smell is less than regal and the crowds are jostling each other on the footpath as we wait for the signal to cross the road. Eventually the Thai police officer lets us through and we cross the road and enter the palace through the single entry/exit that is available. It's very crowded and very hot, it's much hotter now than it was back at the dock and I'm glad that I was sensible enough to wear a hat. The palace is a very large complex and it takes a while to make our way through to the next entrance where they take the tickets that Ex had given us. There are two entries into the paid area, one for Thai people and one for foreigners. As we wait in the foreigner line I see various women being denied entry as they are not covered up according to the rules. See, it doesn't just happen on Cunard ships, there are people that will not follow a dress code no matter whether it's for a cruise, a temple or a church. Even the men have to cover up, which is why I am wearing long pants, on this very hot day. Once inside we marvel at the glittering temples covered in gold, coloured glass and painted ceramics; it's very impressive and I take lots of pictures.

It's all very wonderful but eventually the heat wears me down and I find myself starting to lose interest in what is turning out to be one temple after another. It's so darn hot and these long pants are killing me. One temple in particular is very pretty (there's an emerald buddha in it - in actual fact made of jade - don't ask as it's a long story) but the crush of hot, sweaty people sans shoes makes it an unpleasant place to be so I take a quick look around and then make a quick exit. Thankfully, that's it for the palace tour and we start the long walk back through the remainder of the complex and out to the bus. Unfortunately, when we arrive at the designated meeting place, it becomes apparent that at least 8 people have decided to 'choose their own adventure' and they're nowhere to be found. It's hot, I'm over it and we're standing in the sun waiting for these jokers to hurry the hell up. In the heat of the moment people can do outrageous things, so it's probably a good thing that those of us that kept up with the group, and made it to the designated waiting place on time, were not packing heat as one of us may have opened fire when the stragglers eventually turned up. Once everyone was accounted for we could start making our way back to the air-conditioned bus. Never, have I been so pleased to board a bus. The bus driver gave us all a cold towelette and a bottle of water, two very welcome items.

Next stop lunch, at the Ramada Hotel on the river. Again, due to the traffic, it took us a while to get there but the wait was worth it as the buffet was impressive. A relaxing meal and a few drinks later we were all ready for our next stop - a jewellery shop. When we reached the jewellery shop it became apparent that most of the Cunard tours (and Russian tours) had this jewellery shop on their itinerary. The car park was super busy with heaps of cars and busy and jewellery shop 'officials' blowing whistles as they directed the buses and tourists. The jewellery shop was sort of interesting, there was a lot of spectacular jewellery on display and, had one been inclined, one could have dropped tens of thousands of US dollars on some bling. I wasn't inclined but the countess was keen to have a browse and she was soon being assisted by a very attentive salesman who followed her around the showroom eager to assist. Unfortunately for the salesman, nothing caught the eye of the countess and she made a beeline for the exit, pausing every now and then to inspect a particular piece. I found myself being slightly amused as I watched the salesman track the countess through the jewellery store, ever present, ever vigilant and ever willing to assist.

Sadly, for the salesman, the countess departed without making a purchase and I followed her out into the car park as we waited for the bus. It was bedlam out there with what seemed like hundreds of people and cars and buses trying to make their way through the crowds. Our bus eventually turned up but was having great difficulty trying to park. The jewellery shop assistances were blowing their whistles like there was no tomorrow as the bus went back and forth trying to fit into a particular space. There was a bit of a commotion and it turned out that our bus had side-swiped one of the cars in the car park. Oh here we go, there's going to be an altercation I thought, but happily they seemed to sort it all out in a relatively short space of time. What they couldn't figure out was how to park that bus and it went back and forth like Senator John Kerry on any given position (joke - don't write in). Our group decided we'd had enough and started to make our way out into the car park. Turns out that this wasn't the best idea as whilst we stood in the middle of the car park our bus and another bus were moving ever closer to our group, with the distance between the buses get smaller and smaller. Flashbacks to the scene from Star Wars where Luke Skywalker and friends are trapped in the trash compactor on the Death Star (and the walls start to close in) were vividly on display in my mind so I stepped forward and turned around to move away from the bus behind me. It turns out that this was also a bad idea as everyone looking at me suddenly had concerned looks on their faces. Whilst I was wondering what was going on (is there something on my face?) the countess reached out and pulled me towards her. Good thing she did as the bus behind me swung perilously close, that was a close shave.

Finally we were let on the bus and on our way back to Laem Chabang. To round off the day we were pulled over again by the police and our intrepid bus driver was forced to dispense more cash so that we could continue on our journey. Two hours later we arrived back at the dock and I tipped Ex for being a thoroughly entertaining and knowledgable guide. It had been a hot day, overall a good one, but all I wanted now was a cold shower.

All refreshed I headed on up to Todd English, having made prior arrangements with the countess to dine there. Having experienced a less than amazing lunch in Todd English on my last voyage I wasn't expecting much. Boy was I was mistaken, talk about amazing. The restaurant was quite busy (the first time I've seen it thus) and the service was excellent - as was the food! Following the waiter's recommendation I had 'Todd's Truffled Potato Love Letters' with Burro Fuso, Parmesan and Maderia Glaze for a starter, followed by the Grilled Beef Tenderloin with ****ake sauce, Vidalia Onions, Country Ham Peas & Roquefort Cream. This was finished with the Panache of Seasonal Sorbet on a Minted Mango Citrus Salad (aka as three scoops of sorbet). Everyone was thoroughly impressed and I was left wondering how a restaurant that can pull off such great service and excellent food for dinner could have fallen down so dramatically for lunch a year ago? Weird huh. In any case, Todd English gets a very well deserved thumbs up for dinner.

Too tired for anything else I went straight to bed after we left Todd English. With my earplugs in I enjoyed a good night's sleep.

Walking through the lane way to the golden buddha temple.

The outside of the temple.

The golden buddha.

The streets of Bangkok.

The royal temples inside the Royal Palace.

The royal temples inside the Royal Palace - continued.

Thai solders march through the palace grounds.

The last evening in Laem Chabang.

Deck 8.

Later that evening I took this photo of the green lights that were on either side of QM2 as she sailed from Bangkok. They lit the sea up like a runway, that's what I thought they were - channel navigation lights to guide ships - but I was informed today they are fishing boats that use the lights to attract whatever kind of sea creature it is they are fishing.

I am thoroughly enjoying this trip report - thanks so much for including the photos as well!

Oh well, I'm not going to let it spoil my holiday so I switch on my alternate vision which means I don't see what I do not want to see.

you and I share that vision!

Well written, looking forward to read more! Totally envy you for being on the QM2 now!

Great report and photos. Looking forward to more vicarious living!

i am really enjoying your reports & seeing your photos. many thanks for taking time to post, am looking forward to reading more.