Pugwash's First voyage on Queen Elizabeth

[Ray66]

There is no Chart Room bar on board' date=' it has been replaced by a larger and repositioned Britannia Club restaurant which I think is a real shame. It was a lovely bar on the QM and an acceptable venue on the QV. [/font'][/size]

 

I had been wondering how this would affect things. I think it's a real shame too. I suppose it means that the Commodore Club will now be busier.

 

A very enjoyable read and I look forward to more.

 

Enjoy the rest of your trip.

[capnpugwash]

We are still heading into the City and have just passed what appears to be a coalmine, the slagheaps have a light dusting of snow settling on them although it is not currently snowing but it is certainly cold enough to do so. Having had such a large breakfast we have decided to skip lunch and maybe go to afternoon tea up in the Grills Lounge. I have tried it the Queens Room on both the QM2 and QV but this will be a new experience, and that is what enriches one’s life isn’t it.

We have almost made it into the centre, we are just passing the main Railway Station and outside of it is a bicycle park and there must be 1,000 bikes parked there. Holland is so flat it is easy to cycle as it is mostly all level with no hills at all. Great for cycling but no good for skiing!

We have arrived 30 minutes early and have moored up until tomorrow evening. It has stopped raining but it is very cold.

We went to afternoon tea in the Grills Lounge and Mrs P. had regular tea but I ordered Taiwanese High Mountain Oolong which is one of the Oriental teas available, it is apparently sourced from the Dung Ding Mountains which gives it a subtle delicate flavour. They arrived with my pot of tea which contained a metal ball infuser and they gave me a metal frame labelled Twinings which contained three timers, each filled with different coloured sand and they flowed at different rates. I was told that I was to observe the black timer which was the slowest flowing; when all of the sand was in the bottom bulb the tea would be brewed. It was a very light tea, almost uncoloured in the cup but it tasted quite pleasant. I am not sure that I would repeat the experience but then again I don’t think we will be taking afternoon tea again. The sandwiches and cakes were excellent and the scones were as light as a feather – and we got real clotted cream and plenty of it. We went down after tea to Deck 2 and walked through the Queens Room where they were also serving tea but I saw no egg timers or clotted cream there. The room was comfortably full with no queue of hungry passengers waiting to be seated, but it is a port day and quite a few have probably gone ashore to sample the delights of this city.

We went to the Royal Spa after tea to enquire about day passes and men’s shaving, the pass costs $35 per day and the shave is $45 or $95 depending upon what you have done. I thought that it was acceptable as the day pass is usually included if you have a treatment on board. Not on the QE apparently, they still require payment of the full $35. This seems a little opportunistic to me but it is a different ship and the franchisee of the Spa is a different company to the other ships so the rules are obviously different. I fancy a spa day with Mrs P and I will shave myself as I have done it a few times in the past. One day I will indulge myself, perhaps when I am next in New York.

More later.

[mollymoo12]

Another excellent account Captain which I look forward, as always, to reading.

 

It is even more poignant this time as I should have just left the QE on the 25th but unfortunately had to cancel the trip about 6 weeks ago due to my husband becoming ill so I am vicariously reliving the trip through your account.

 

Maybe Cunard will take pity on us next year when we hope to go on a trip and give us a nice upgrade too!

 

Enjoy the rest of your trip.

[Host Sharon]

Re the Casino machines - you choose how much to load onto the card to play with, so you cannot spend more without knowing it.

 

I see you are on Artemis 21st Dec Jim - so hopefully will see you on board,:D albeit it briefly:( !!

[north east girl]

Hi capn, really enjoying your posts. We may do the same trip at the end of April 2011.

 

Want to visit Anne Franks house, missed it last time. it is some thing I've always wanted to do.

 

Catherine

[Sauer-kraut]

At last! A sighting of the very elusive clotted cream.....:D

[Bispham Boo]

A thoroughly entertaining read, as ever. Have a martini for me Jim :). We've booked a P&O for next year with the boys, but still hope to do another TA reasonably soon as well. Enjoy the rest of your trip.

[brigittetom]

Wonderful account of your first few days. Congratulations on the upgrade. I hope you will post some pictures since it is the only way most of us will ever see the inside of Q1 cabin. :D

[capnpugwash]

We both went up to the Commodore Club for pre dinner drinks and got to the restaurant at about 7.30 where we met up with the rest of our tablemates. We had a very enjoyable meal and afterwards Mrs P. went to the show which was a Beatles tribute, it was reported to be excellent and in fact that was what transpired, there were 4 people who were effectively imitating the Fab 4 and they were great, the audience loved it..

I didn’t go to the show but returned to my old stamping ground and sampled a couple of the newer martinis which were very pleasant.

On the way to dinner we had gone down to deck 8 by stairway A and then walked back to stairway B to go up to deck 11. There were 3 people in the lift and Mrs P and I joined them but the lift would not run as it was showing that it was overloaded. We were 5 people and the capacity of the lift is 15 persons so something needs adjusting..

I left the Commodore Club at just before midnight and walked back to stairway C at the stern along the open deck of Deck 10. It was freezing cold and the moisture on the deck and handrails had frozen and everything had a look of white about it. Very festive and quite slippery but it was fresh air and was very pleasant. The lights of the City are quite pretty and it amazes me how many craft criss cross the waterways at all hours, Amsterdam is a very nautical city I think.

We are not ordering breakfast in our cabin tomorrow but rather we will venture to the Grills Restaurant and sample the wares there, hopefully we won’t be over faced with masses of unwanted food.

More later.

[capnpugwash]

I woke this morning and had no idea what the time was, every light in the suite was off and all the little lights on our various electrical appliances were off, we were in the midst of a power cut. I checked my battery operated alarm clock and it appeared to say 7.15 so I thought that it was approaching the time to get up and start our day. I have experienced these outages at home before and cope well with them, lighting candles and finding torches and the like but on this ship it is as black as a coal mine. I came out into the lounge and there was an immensely bright light shining from near the doors to the corridor which turned out to be the emergency lighting. In a normal cabin it would bathe nearly the entire cabin in light but in our maze it didn’t penetrate further that the entrance area. I phoned the Pursers office and reported the problem; they informed me that it had been reported about 10 minutes previously and that repairs were in hand. It came back on about 15 minutes later and then went off again after about one minute. This cycle was repeated about 4 times until finally it stayed on. I then realised that with my failing eyesight it was in fast 6.15am but by that time I was wide awake anyway.

Talking about power, all of the lighting circuits in all of the cabins are operated by inserting your cruise card in a slot in a black box to the right of the door. It is quite clever really and prevents wasting electricity when the cabin is empty. Well it does assuming that you take your cabin key with you when you go. There is no instruction on this and I only found it because the lights wouldn’t switch on when we arrived. There is a weak green glow from this slot and that is where you put your card. I felt a sense of achievement when I found that I could work the lights. Please bear this in mind when you come aboard and you can impress the hell out of your travelling companion by performing this little magic trick.

They are pushing the “new” theatre box deal as tonight is the only formal dress evening, this gives you both a box in the Royal Court Theatre for the evening show, you get met by a White Star Bell Boy and given finger desserts (whatever they may be) and champagne cocktail in a private room before the show. They then escort you to your private box where you are offered chocolates and Veuve Clicquot champagne. All this pampering only costs $50 plus the mandatory 15% service charge. This seems like an ideal opportunity for all you budding diabetics.

We are in port all day today and everyone has to be back on board by 5pm, which I imagine means that we will sail at around 6pm for our short journey to Bruges, or more accurately Zeebrugge which is the port that serves the town. It is a very pretty town with an extensive canal system. They specialise in Lace making and chocolate. Mrs P is rather partial to the marzipan that they also make and sell.

I rather fancy a few hours in the Spa today, a swim, a steam and a sauna should set me up nicely for the rest of the day. Sadly we are now halfway through our trip with only 3 nights left before we return to Southampton and reality.

More later.

[PeaSea8ch]

Aye Capn, you run an excellent blog here!! Your updates are a fun and easy read and transform me to the ship a it make me feel that I am aboard with you. Enjoy every remaining minute of your voyage. And if you are so inclined, please update us landlubbers who are working away to save up for the next seagoing adventure as to the activities on QE.

[Ray66]

Talking about power, all of the lighting circuits in all of the cabins are operated by inserting your cruise card in a slot in a black box to the right of the door. It is quite clever really and prevents wasting electricity when the cabin is empty. Well it does assuming that you take your cabin key with you when you go. There is no instruction on this and I only found it because the lights wouldn’t switch on when we arrived. There is a weak green glow from this slot and that is where you put your card. I felt a sense of achievement when I found that I could work the lights. Please bear this in mind when you come aboard and you can impress the hell out of your travelling companion by performing this little magic trick.

 

I’ve stayed in a few hotels that use this idea so nothing new for me there. It’s a good idea in stopping the waste of electricity but it’s the stewards that are always leaving lights switched on after they close the curtains and turn back the beds during the evenings.

[Host Sharon]

Sounding good Cap'n. Just beware - when you take your card out of the slot and the lights go off, so does the power to any sockets that you may be charging a camera/phone in !! I found out this the hard way on the Maiden!!

[capnpugwash]

We went to our restaurant for breakfast which was very nice and probably preferable for us rather than having it served in our cabin. Having eaten Mrs P returned to our cabin and I went to the spa, I signed for the $35 fee and noticed that I had been charged an additional $4.38 as a 12½% tip, now what on earth is that tip for, what service had they performed for me, nothing. I had a steam, a swim and a sauna and then repeated the whole thing three times. It was fantastic and as I lay relaxing I thought that I was a bit stubbly on my face so I might take advantage of being there and have a $45 shave as a treat. The barber, who is the only person authorised to shave anyone is fully booked all day until this evening when she could fit me in. I declined the offer and pondered that there must be a few people on board with more money than sense if she was busy all day.

Anyway I am perfectly capable of doing the job myself, it just would have been different to have someone else doing it.

As we were leaving the restaurant this morning the Maitre D’ stopped me as I had requested that they prepare Foie Gras for me one evening, I had also asked for a portion of Steak Tartar. He said that the Foie Gras would be no problem but the Steak was going to be difficult because Cunard have a Health and Safety policy that precludes them from serving uncooked meat or seafood. So no oysters unless they are cooked. He did agree to prepare the steak dish for me on the last night; I imagine that he would do it then so that if I was poisoned by it I would be off the ship before the consequences took effect. Ludicrous I think but in these litigious times perhaps one can understand, perhaps not! The outside decks are all covered in thick ice, so they are effectively closed to passengers as they are very, very slippery. It is very cold still and I suppose that Holland doesn’t get the benefit of the warming waters of the Gulf Stream as we do in the UK.

To get from stair A on deck 9 to our cabin, rather than walk through a cabin corridor I went down to deck 2 and walked along there where there are sights to see rather than the row of blank cabin doors. The gangway is set up on that deck and as I passed the open doorway I was hit by an icy blast of Dutch air. Absolutely freezing, yet there was a stream of hardy or foolish passengers disembarking to wander around the town wrapped up in heavy topcoats and scarves on this cold sunny Sunday morning.

I think that I will skip lunch again today having eaten a good breakfast and then I should be hungry by the time dinner comes around. As I said earlier, tonight is the first and only formal night and there is a total absence of Cunard sponsored cocktail parties, not that I am a great fan of them but it is nice sometimes to indulge. I am going to have a quiet afternoon in the suite, perhaps I will crack open the bottle of Vodka although I hate drinking “at home”. I would far rather go to a bar even though there you have to pay for your drinks, it is just one of my little foibles.

I have tried to upload some pictures but the satellite connection keeps timing out so I will do it on Wednesday from home.

More later

[William Dean]

We went to the Royal Spa after tea to enquire about day passes and men’s shaving, the pass costs $35 per day and the shave is $45 or $95 depending upon what you have done. I thought that it was acceptable as the day pass is usually included if you have a treatment on board. Not on the QE apparently, they still require payment of the full $35. This seems a little opportunistic to me but it is a different ship and the franchisee of the Spa is a different company to the other ships so the rules are obviously different.

 

Mrs. Dean wonders if the purchase of the Spa pass is necessary if one is having a treatment - or can one simply arrive, have treatment and then leave.

 

I can't see her ever doing this (the "just leaving" that is) but I am asking as requested......

 

WD

[rafinmd]

At 4pm we had our Emergency Muster and our Station is the Britannia Restaurant on Deck 2. What a beautiful room, in fact the whole interior of the Ship seems wonderful, very Art Deco and reminiscent of the 1930’s I imagine. The corridors on the cabin decks seem quite narrow to us for some reason, but overall it is a fairly spacious layout. The muster passed without incident, very few people arrived actually wearing their lifejackets, perhaps 10 or 12 but they soon were advised to remove them.

 

More later

 

When I was on the Queen Victoria, I found the Britannia Restaurant's dark color scheme a bit depressing. Is the decor of the Britannia on QE different from QV?

 

Thanks

Roy

[Whitemarsh]

We went to our restaurant for breakfast which was very nice and probably preferable for us rather than having it served in our cabin.

 

How have you found the Grills? Have you noticed a great or a small difference in the food and the service between Britannia and the Grills?

[pnhmrk]

It is very cold still and I suppose that Holland doesn’t get the benefit of the warming waters of the Gulf Stream as we do in the UK.

 

Believe me - it's not just Amsterdam where it's very cold at the moment :( :D

[guernseyguy]

Is the decor of the Britannia on QE different from QV?

 

Yes - much lighter - lighter woods, plenty of glass and an impressive central grande descente a la QM2.....

[conniedoug]

Delighted to hear that you & Mrs P have settled in to your new quarters with such ease! Spare a thought for those of us stuck indoors in the UK - looking out at inches of snow. To add insult to injury, some idiot sent me an e-mail today that had me fixated on my laptop screen, waiting with the greatest of anticipation for Sylvester to catch Tweetie!!!

 

Enjoy the rest of your trip - every luxurious moment of it.

 

A

[capnpugwash]

Mrs. Dean wonders if the purchase of the Spa pass is necessary if one is having a treatment - or can one simply arrive, have treatment and then leave.

 

I can't see her ever doing this (the "just leaving" that is) but I am asking as requested......

 

WD

 

William, you can just have the treatment and if you want to use the spa it is another $35 plus 12.5% tip.

[capnpugwash]

How have you found the Grills? Have you noticed a great or a small difference in the food and the service between Britannia and the Grills?

 

The food is fine, perhaps a little more choice than Britannia and the service is great, but I find the service all over the ship to be great.

[capnpugwash]

When I was on the Queen Victoria, I found the Britannia Restaurant's dark color scheme a bit depressing. Is the decor of the Britannia on QE different from QV?

 

Thanks

Roy

 

Roy the decor and woods seems much lighter on QE, I hope to upload some pictures next week.

[Q-step]

It is a shame that the weather is so poor as the decks and balconies are running in water due to the mist and drizzle and it really precludes venturing out unless you are wearing a sou’wester or some other waterproof gear.

 

Thanks for your posts - from all your cruises. I find them to be enjoyable and informative.

 

I had to laugh at the Sou'wester reference. Here in Boston we call that a nor' easter. I guess it just depends on which side of the pond you're on.

[jozi]

Thanks for your posts - from all your cruises. I find them to be enjoyable and informative.

 

I had to laugh at the Sou'wester reference. Here in Boston we call that a nor' easter. I guess it just depends on which side of the pond you're on.

 

i thought the storms were nor'easters and the protective attire sou'westers.... [from Boston side of the pond]