Live from the RCOA - on QM2

[Whitemarsh]

Thank you Peter, another fabulous read. A question, what is the difference between US and British bacon. This is really important to me.:p

 

US bacon is really crispy whilst British bacon is not. Personally I like a nice halfway point between the two.

 

BTW - during the drill they had all the staff (I think it was the housekeeping staff only) lined up in rows on deck 6 and 7. It was quite a sight to see.

[Whitemarsh]

They have set up for a media conference on deck 8 and Ann Sherry the boss of Carnival Australia is here. We're going to stay and hear what she has to say.

 

Update: I went up and had my photo taken with Ann Sherry. She was very nice and asked what port we got on at. I told her we're doing the Sydney to Sydney sector.

[jcruizer]

Ann Sherry was doing the same in Melbourne when I was aboard QE last year for its maiden voyage. I did get to speak with her but no photo.

 

Enjoy, :)

[jcruizer]

Hi guys

 

Was that you two in the courier mail Peter and Robin? How nice you 2 look with your cocktails and so relaxed...

 

I gotta book another cruise (for after the next)...:D

[jenno10388]

Hi guys

 

Was that you two in the courier mail Peter and Robin? How nice you 2 look with your cocktails and so relaxed...

 

I gotta book another cruise (for after the next)...:D

 

Whitemarsh I had a feeling it was you and your partner in the you tube clips I always watch and this has now confirmed to me it is! I love your you tube videos they are so good! Cheers for them I have watched them

Many times leading up to this upcoming trip!

Hope you two are having a ball!

 

Steve

[jcruizer]

I must be missing something "What you tube clips" are you talking about....

[jenno10388]

white marsh has filmed some areas of QM2 in action eg PG dining room, QG lounge... they are very good to see how it is just day to day with people using the various places etc.. love it!

[T5LHR]

I thought it was these two cheekie chappies... But I think I may have the wrong people on Youtube! :eek:

 

[jenno10388]

thats the one! they have a really good positioned table in PG! can see everything!

[jcruizer]

It would be so nice to do another video with all the new furnishings etc. You have answered some of my questions with regards to the Grills resturant. Thanks and more would be nice....:D:D:D

[Whitemarsh]

I wasn't awake when QM2 began her entry into the Brisbane river but I was once she started sounding the horn. There were a couple of choppers, boats and a couple of hundred onlookers to welcome the ship to Brisbane. After doing a 360 degree turn the QM2 docked at the Brisbane grain terminal in Pinkenba. Brisbane does have a cruise ship berth but it's further up the river at Hamilton; unfortunately it can't handle ships the size of Queen Mary 2.

 

The Princess Grill restaurant was open for breakfast at 7:30am this morning due to people needing to leave for shore excursions etc. For some reason more people chose to have breakfast in the PG restaurant then there normally is. Today's breakfast was a fruit compote followed by eggs benedict with smoked salmon and hollandaise sauce, as well as some bacon. Once again the eggs were cooked perfectly and arrived hot. The hollandaise sauce was very nice.

 

After breakfast we went for a walk around deck 7. The grain terminal is also near the container wharf and the docks were full of imported cars. We're not going ashore today for obvious reasons.

 

As the sun was out and the temperature warm we decided to go down and have a swim in the pool on deck 8. The pool was empty and refreshing cold. After doing a couple of laps we tried to get the spas working but we think something was wrong with them as the button on the side of the tub had no effect whatsoever. Swim and spa over, we went and laid on the deck chairs and read magazines. I went and ordered a couple of cocktails from the bar and the day was looking pretty good so far. A friend rang so I spent a bit of time waving my hat from atop the pool structure on deck 8 in the vain attempt to get them to see me from across the river - I don't think they did.

 

At this point the Commodore came over the loudspeaker and announced they were doing a drill, the scenario was going to be the ship hitting rocks (or some other kind of submerged hazard) and then running aground. There were alarms and the Commodore kept updating everyone on how the disaster was evolving over the loudspeaker. Then the housekeeping staff came through the doors on deck 8 and in single file walking towards the steps leading down to the deck 7. They did this on both sides of the pool. There was certainly a lot of staff and when we looked over the railing they were all lined up in about 8 single files. I was later told at lunch that they launched some of the lifeboats and sailed them around the river a bit. Additionally, I am informed that there were a lot of people with the official looking jackets with 'Australian Maritime Safety something' written on them. This drill was pretty extensive.

 

Around 11:00 or so we noticed the bar tenders setting up a refreshments tab on deck 8. We ask what's going on and are advised there is going to be a press conference. Sure enough, in walks Ann Sherry head of Carnival Australia. I tell Robin who she is and we decide to go and say hi and get a photo. Ann is very nice and agrees to take a photo. She asks where we got on and we tell her we're doing the Sydney to Sydney sector. Eventually the Commodore arrives and the press conference begins. They are a bit too far away to hear exactly what is being said but Ann goes first followed by the Commodore. They both seem to be seasoned professionals in dealing with the press, they'd have to be in their jobs. We see lots of what we presume to be travel agents wandering around. They all seem pretty impressed with the ship.

 

Press conference over we go back to the stateroom to change for lunch. It's just the four of us as our mystery (well not anymore) table companions don't turn up. Jane, who was also down on deck 8, enjoyed the press conference as well and Louise informs us of the boat drill on the port side which we missed due to being sticky-beaks. Lunch was okay, I made a poor decision to order herring. I don't know why, it's not as though I like it. In any case the meal and the conversation was enjoyable and afterwards we went for a walk around deck 7.

 

Having discussed during lunch the offerings of the Canyon Ranch, we go down to book a package. The one we've chosen is the Spaclub Adventure. It's $382 and is supposedly valued at $658. For this you receive a Canyon Ranch Massage, Deep Cleansing Facial, Organic Body Exfoliation, Essential Manicure and Essential Pedicure. Plus a five day Aquatherapy Centre passport. As they are have daily specials we also book a Sole Rejuvenation which turns out to be very relaxing. The masseur takes the time to also instruct me on the correct process for using the spas - as in which steam rooms come first and what the ice is for - I appreciated this as I wasn't told last time.

 

Afternoon tea is a delight as always, the Queens Grill lounge does seem to be getting full for afternoon tea so maybe some of the first time Grill guests are catching on.

 

Tonight's dress code is elegant casual and after watching the sail away festivities from the Grill deck we make our way to the Princess Grill for our seven pm agreed dining time. Tonight the only thing on the normal menu that interests me is the Bananas Foster in filo. I decide to order that for dessert and am having the tartare for a starter and the venison from the a la carte menu as a main. The venison is delicious. Jane ordered the lamb and she won tonight's prize of ordering the dish with the most table-side preparation and silver-service of the vegetables. The lamb looks really good and I'm going to have that tomorrow night.

 

Jane left early to go and see tonight's comedian David DiMuzio who has apparently performed in over 73 countries and is advertised as cirque du soleil meets Bon Jovi. We make Jane promise to come back and tell us if he's no good. Dinner was again very enjoyable tonight. I really enjoy the company of Louise and Jane; they are great fun.

 

Louise agrees to meet us outside the Royal Court Theatre to see the 10:45pm show of David DiMuzio. In the interim we check out the Queens Room - a pretty good crowd but not a lot of atmosphere and then G32 in which we find Vibz playing to an empty dance floor with four people in the room. Seems like port days are going to be slow nights. Not happy Jan. :(

 

Returning to the Royal Court Theatre we watch the show which is good in parts but we were expecting a comedian. We should have paid more attention to the daily programme which lists David as a comedy and variety act, which explains the juggling etc. We leave early and call it a night. But not before checking out the carpet on deck 2 where there once were holes (apparently) but are none now.

 

As I write this (at midnight) the alarms have just started to ring. There was no warning of a drill and they keep going. I go to the stateroom door and the look up and down the corridor as others also peer their heads around the corner. A lady a couple of suites down asks "what's that?"…. "I don't know" I reply. A crew member appears from the crew quarters and looks visibly worried as he looks up and down the corridor. I think shivers, something is actually happening. Then the Commodore comes over the loudspeaker and apologises for what is a false alarm caused by a computer error. He turns off the loudspeaker and the alarms start up again. They keep going for about a minute and then the loudspeaker comes on again. This time we can hear the officers and crew talking in the bridge, people are phoning them and it sounds like they are unsure of what it is.

 

The Commodore again apologises and the loudspeaker is kept on - presumably to stop the alarm from ringing again. They start to talk softly as they must be aware that the whole ship is listening. It's quite surreal listening to what is happening in the bridge, we cannot see what they are doing but we can hear phones ring and muffled conversations. They turn the loudspeaker off but the alarm starts again so the loudspeaker is turned back on. At this point we've reached about 8 minutes of this. At 12:20am they bring do a broadcast in French and then German. Afterwards the loudspeaker is still on and stays on until 12:46am.

 

So what was going to be an uneventful day in Brisbane turned out to be quite interesting. And our sole's were rejuvenated as well. :)

[Leucothea]

I wasn't awake when QM2 began her entry into the Brisbane river but I was once she started sounding the horn. There were a couple of choppers, boats and a couple of hundred onlookers to welcome the ship to Brisbane. After doing a 360 degree turn the QM2 docked at the Brisbane grain terminal in Pinkenba. Brisbane does have a cruise ship berth but it's further up the river at Hamilton; unfortunately it can't handle ships the size of Queen Mary 2.

 

The Princess Grill restaurant was open for breakfast at 7:30am this morning due to people needing to leave for shore excursions etc. For some reason more people chose to have breakfast in the PG restaurant then there normally is. Today's breakfast was a fruit compote followed by eggs benedict with smoked salmon and hollandaise sauce, as well as some bacon. Once again the eggs were cooked perfectly and arrived hot. The hollandaise sauce was very nice.

 

After breakfast we went for a walk around deck 7. The grain terminal is also near the container wharf and the docks were full of imported cars. We're not going ashore today for obvious reasons.

 

As the sun was out and the temperature warm we decided to go down and have a swim in the pool on deck 8. The pool was empty and refreshing cold. After doing a couple of laps we tried to get the spas working but we think something was wrong with them as the button on the side of the tub had no effect whatsoever. Swim and spa over, we went and laid on the deck chairs and read magazines. I went and ordered a couple of cocktails from the bar and the day was looking pretty good so far. A friend rang so I spent a bit of time waving my hat from atop the pool structure on deck 8 in the vain attempt to get them to see me from across the river - I don't think they did.

 

At this point the Commodore came over the loudspeaker and announced they were doing a drill, the scenario was going to be the ship hitting rocks (or some other kind of submerged hazard) and then running aground. There were alarms and the Commodore kept updating everyone on how the disaster was evolving over the loudspeaker. Then the housekeeping staff came through the doors on deck 8 and in single file walking towards the steps leading down to the deck 7. They did this on both sides of the pool. There was certainly a lot of staff and when we looked over the railing they were all lined up in about 8 single files. I was later told at lunch that they launched some of the lifeboats and sailed them around the river a bit. Additionally, I am informed that there were a lot of people with the official looking jackets with 'Australian Maritime Safety something' written on them. This drill was pretty extensive.

 

Around 11:00 or so we noticed the bar tenders setting up a refreshments tab on deck 8. We ask what's going on and are advised there is going to be a press conference. Sure enough, in walks Ann Sherry head of Carnival Australia. I tell Robin who she is and we decide to go and say hi and get a photo. Ann is very nice and agrees to take a photo. She asks where we got on and we tell her we're doing the Sydney to Sydney sector. Eventually the Commodore arrives and the press conference begins. They are a bit too far away to hear exactly what is being said but Ann goes first followed by the Commodore. They both seem to be seasoned professionals in dealing with the press, they'd have to be in their jobs. We see lots of what we presume to be travel agents wandering around. They all seem pretty impressed with the ship.

 

Press conference over we go back to the stateroom to change for lunch. It's just the four of us as our mystery (well not anymore) table companions don't turn up. Jane, who was also down on deck 8, enjoyed the press conference as well and Louise informs us of the boat drill on the port side which we missed due to being sticky-beaks. Lunch was okay, I made a poor decision to order herring. I don't know why, it's not as though I like it. In any case the meal and the conversation was enjoyable and afterwards we went for a walk around deck 7.

 

Having discussed during lunch the offerings of the Canyon Ranch, we go down to book a package. The one we've chosen is the Spaclub Adventure. It's $382 and is supposedly valued at $658. For this you receive a Canyon Ranch Massage, Deep Cleansing Facial, Organic Body Exfoliation, Essential Manicure and Essential Pedicure. Plus a five day Aquatherapy Centre passport. As they are have daily specials we also book a Sole Rejuvenation which turns out to be very relaxing. The masseur takes the time to also instruct me on the correct process for using the spas - as in which steam rooms come first and what the ice is for - I appreciated this as I wasn't told last time.

 

Afternoon tea is a delight as always, the Queens Grill lounge does seem to be getting full for afternoon tea so maybe some of the first time Grill guests are catching on.

 

Tonight's dress code is elegant casual and after watching the sail away festivities from the Grill deck we make our way to the Princess Grill for our seven pm agreed dining time. Tonight the only thing on the normal menu that interests me is the Bananas Foster in filo. I decide to order that for dessert and am having the tartare for a starter and the venison from the a la carte menu as a main. The venison is delicious. Jane ordered the lamb and she won tonight's prize of ordering the dish with the most table-side preparation and silver-service of the vegetables. The lamb looks really good and I'm going to have that tomorrow night.

 

Jane left early to go and see tonight's comedian David DiMuzio who has apparently performed in over 73 countries and is advertised as cirque du soleil meets Bon Jovi. We make Jane promise to come back and tell us if he's no good. Dinner was again very enjoyable tonight. I really enjoy the company of Louise and Jane; they are great fun.

 

Louise agrees to meet us outside the Royal Court Theatre to see the 10:45pm show of David DiMuzio. In the interim we check out the Queens Room - a pretty good crowd but not a lot of atmosphere and then G32 in which we find Vibz playing to an empty dance floor with four people in the room. Seems like port days are going to be slow nights. Not happy Jan. :(

 

Returning to the Royal Court Theatre we watch the show which is good in parts but we were expecting a comedian. We should have paid more attention to the daily programme which lists David as a comedy and variety act, which explains the juggling etc. We leave early and call it a night. But not before checking out the carpet on deck 2 where there once were holes (apparently) but are none now.

 

As I write this (at midnight) the alarms have just started to ring. There was no warning of a drill and they keep going. I go to the stateroom door and the look up and down the corridor as others also peer their heads around the corner. A lady a couple of suites down asks "what's that?"…. "I don't know" I reply. A crew member appears from the crew quarters and looks visibly worried as he looks up and down the corridor. I think shivers, something is actually happening. Then the Commodore comes over the loudspeaker and apologises for what is a false alarm caused by a computer error. He turns off the loudspeaker and the alarms start up again. They keep going for about a minute and then the loudspeaker comes on again. This time we can hear the officers and crew talking in the bridge, people are phoning them and it sounds like they are unsure of what it is.

 

The Commodore again apologises and the loudspeaker is kept on - presumably to stop the alarm from ringing again. They start to talk softly as they must be aware that the whole ship is listening. It's quite surreal listening to what is happening in the bridge, we cannot see what they are doing but we can hear phones ring and muffled conversations. They turn the loudspeaker off but the alarm starts again so the loudspeaker is turned back on. At this point we've reached about 8 minutes of this. At 12:20am they bring do a broadcast in French and then German. Afterwards the loudspeaker is still on and stays on until 12:46am.

 

So what was going to be an uneventful day in Brisbane turned out to be quite interesting. And our sole's were rejuvenated as well. :)

 

 

Those computers again, another "error". That must be unnerving. Keep us posted.

[Westaussie]

Those alarms going off during the night must have worried quite a few people with visions of Concordia. Pre that disaster I'm sure many would have written it off as just the glitch it turned out to be.

 

Sounds like you had a good day on board which we plan to do in either Adelaide or Melbourne.

[Pushka]

I think lots of us will miss the Melbourne stop. Although I did read there was an excellent seafood restaurant near by. I have to get off in Melbourne just so I can board again.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Whitemarsh]

We awoke this morning around 9:30 am. Still feeling slightly full from the previous evening we didn't bother to have breakfast and so ordered so tea & coffee from room service to have out on the balcony. According to the tv the sea conditions are slight (0.5 - 1.25 metres) and being out on the balcony we don't need the tv to tell us that it's hot. Hot, hot, hot. The sea is a wonderful blue and the sun is shining. It's too hot to stay out on the balcony so we retreat indoors to have our coffee & tea there.

 

Robin & I both have treatments booked this morning so we head off to the Canyon Ranch Spa. As my treatment isn't for another hour I decide to give the spa pool area a go. I follow the instructions from yesterday and spend about 10 minutes in the herbal sauna followed by a rubdown with handfuls of ice. The ice part is a bit hardcore. As you stand there rubbing yourself with cold ice the thought does cross your mind "why I doing this?" :). Then it's off to the swedish sauna where a helpful lady advises I don't need to spend two minutes on each step, I can simply use the hourglass timer on the wall. After the timer is up we move on to the steam sauna which has a lovely eucalyptus smell. It's not as hot as you'd imagine so I stay longer than planned. There are two ladies in there as well and the conversation is about the alarms last night. It's funny now but for the first couple of minutes is seems everyone was jumping out of bed and putting on clothes or grabbing their lifejackets. It's good the Commodore did his announcement to reassure everyone. Listening to the bridge via the emergency loudspeaker was very amusing and everyone seems to have enjoyed that.

 

I leave the steam room and enter the pool to lie on the metal rails whilst the jets do their thing . It's very relaxing, I understand why regulars visit the spa everyday. I get out and dry myself off and head to the waiting room which is on the starboard side of the ship. The advantage of this room is the recliner chairs which overlook the promenade deck on the starboard side. You can have a good time just lying there relaxing and people watching. Soon enough it's time for my Organic Body Exfoliation. Firstly you are rubbed down with an exfoliant which feels a little like soft sandpaper - sort of. Then hot towels are applied. They do this to your whole body and you feel very 'scrubbed'. After this you get in a modern looking bathtub which is filled with scented water and the bubbles are turned on whilst you simply lay back and enjoy the dim lighting and the scented aroma. It really is very relaxing. Afterwards there is a relaxing massage. I'm told by the masseur that I have very good skin and that I must take very good care of it. I don't really (apart from not generally going out in the sun) and when I say that, the reply is that it must be genetics. :D How's that for a nice compliment.

 

Feeling very good I head back to the suite to meet with Robin and head down to lunch. The Commodore's midday announcement comes on. He again apologises for last night's false alarm. We are advised that we are just passing Gladstone and are about an hour away from entering the tropics (Brisbane and it's surroundings been sub-tropical). It certainly does feel tropical outside so I have no reason to disbelieve him. We are also told that we are doing 15 knots. I can also well believe that, as the ship is feeling very 'sedate'. It's so different to a transatlantic. It's nice though, feels appropriate for a cruise.

 

We arrive a little early and the Princess Grill isn't open yet so we head out for a walk on deck seven. We're called over by Sue & Andrew from the RCOA roll-call. They're out sunbathing and are having a very good time with some midday drinks. That's the way to enjoy the cruise. We were doing the same thing yesterday. We talk about the alarms last night and it's very funny to hear how everyone reacted to the alarms.

 

Leaving them to enjoy the sunshine we head indoors for lunch. The ex-mystery guests don't turn up and we are the first to arrive followed closely by Jane and then Louise. It's so relaxing have lunch, such a lovely feeling. The service is, as always, excellent. Today I had 'Game Pate en Croute with stone fruit chutney' followed by 'roasted fresh giant Queensland Groper fillet'. Robin orders the 'Avocado and baby shrimps in a filo basket with chipotle sauce'. Our waiter must have seen the look of envy on my face when he saw me look at Robin's starter and so he enquired if I would like one too. He knows me too well; I say yes and my pate is followed by the avocado and baby shrimps, which is delicious.

 

Conversation at lunch is about the alarms and the difficulty with the internet wi-fi. Jane was very pleased to finally have confirmed she had logged out correctly and didn't waste 16 hours of internet time whilst sleeping. Louise made a comment about the food in the Princess & Queens Grill being exactly the same. So there you go campers - that's a tip for you. Book the Princess Grill as opposed to Queens Grill - use the difference to have a fabulous time onboard with extra drinks or spa treatments, or put it towards your next cruise. You heard it here first. :)

 

As I write, it's 2:36 pm on the 17th Feb. The distance sailed from Sydney has been 889 nautical miles with around 213 to go until we get to the Whitsundays. The ship is currently just north of Gladstone.

 

Tonight is a formal night and also the Grills cocktail party. We received our invitation to meet the Commodore and his officers in the Queens Room at 6:30pm. If we would like to meet the Commodore we enter via the photo gallery and if we would like to meet his officers then we enter via the Clarendon art gallery. Jane was saying at lunch that the captain and officers on Silverseas won't shake hands at these events - something about germs etc - which seems to be overkill. Chalk one up for Cunard in this department.

 

We have also received an invitation to an evening with the 'Adagio String Quartet', exclusively for Grill room guests in the Queens Grill lounge at 9:30. Cunard has a way of making even invitations sound elegant.

[Pushka]

Hi Peter, you and Robin look so chilled in that photo. Did it make the papers? I just saw it online.

 

With the alarms going off, remember all the catastrophes predicted for the year 2000? We were staying in Brisbane that night, in a high rise hotel overlooking the storey bridge. We watched the fireworks and then just after midnight, all hell broke loose with the hotel fire alarms. We though that those predictions had actually come true.

 

I was thinking, although the food sounds amazing in the Grills restaurants, do you ever think it would be nice to dine in the Britannia?

 

Adelaide has heated up since you left so think there might just be some heat down this way when you return. I fancy grabbing a deck chair and a nice cocktail while you lot are touring Adelaide. :p

[Whitemarsh]

With the alarms going off, remember all the catastrophes predicted for the year 2000? We were staying in Brisbane that night, in a high rise hotel overlooking the storey bridge. We watched the fireworks and then just after midnight, all hell broke loose with the hotel fire alarms. We though that those predictions had actually come true.

 

It was unnerving the first couple of minutes before the Commodore came over the loudspeaker to reassure everyone. There is also a bit of disbelief that anything could happen to this ship.

 

I was thinking, although the food sounds amazing in the Grills restaurants, do you ever think it would be nice to dine in the Britannia?

 

The Britannia restaurant is spectacular. I have often wondered what it would be like to dine there.

 

Adelaide has heated up since you left so think there might just be some heat down this way when you return. I fancy grabbing a deck chair and a nice cocktail while you lot are touring Adelaide. :p

 

We'll see you when we get back. :)

 

On a separate topic. Robin had a coffee in Sir Samuel's this morning and said it was a 'proper' coffee. He really enjoyed it.

[Pushka]

 

On a separate topic. Robin had a coffee in Sir Samuel's this morning and said it was a 'proper' coffee. He really enjoyed it.

 

Something else to add to the list of things to do.

 

I said to my mother that I was getting up early to see arrival into Melbourne and that she could have a Nana nap later in the day to catch up on sleep. She looked at me aghast and said why on earth would she spend time sleeping when there are so many things she wants to do onboard. Sigh. I am thinking I will find her in the nightclub at 2am at this rate. Or ballroom dancing, she might find herself a wealthy widow and go cruising for the rest of her life.:p

 

Enjoy your next two stops in FNQ. And then Darwin although not a lot to see there. I have all the ports blocked in my iPhone so I know exactly where you are each day.

 

Where are the best places for sail away? Does anything special happen other than her horn? We will need to have dinner at Kings Court the first night as I want to see the 360 turn and we have friends who live on the Esplanade who with binoculars will be able to see us. And the early sitting of 6.30 will be missed.

[jcruizer]

When I was on QM2 and QE I ate in the Britannia restaurant and it was really nice. I love the 2 floor height which gives it real grandeur. The food was lovely. The Veranda was wonderful. I will try the Grills one day... when I can justify the extra expense...:)

[Salacia]

Those computers again, another "error"...

 

 

Hopefully it's not a HAL 9000 :D

[jenno10388]

Not sure if you have taken notice whitemarsh but with the nice weather, have they been serving tea on deck?

 

Cheers!

[Bell Boy]

Not sure if you have taken notice whitemarsh but with the nice weather, have they been serving tea on deck?

 

Cheers!

 

Hi Jenno, I'm sure whitemarsh won't mind me answering your question (we'll give him a break ;))

 

On QM2 for 'Grill guests' they are unable to serve afternoon tea out on the open deck as it's not at all practical unlike the Q.Vic/Q.E. (the vista class ships) where the Grill lounge opens out onto the Grill deck area.

 

However, on Transatlantics (QM2) and only when weather permits, afternoon tea is occasionally served (for any guest) on the promenade deck (deck 7).. This is by trolley service and the tea is served in mugs ;)

 

On Transatlantic winter crossings (QM2) hot Bouillon is offered on the promenade deck at around 11am each day. ( well it was on the crossing of Jan 2012 )

 

Bell Boy

[Whitemarsh]

It's 00:10 and the ship is south-west off Slade Point and she has 51.8 nautical miles to go until reaching the Whitsundays at approximately 08:00. We are currently doing 16.8 kts with an outside temperate of 29 degrees celsius and slight seas.

 

After lunch I spent some time on Cruise Critic whilst Robin had a facial in the Canyon Ranch Spa. He reports that it was very good and Carla (the therapist) was excellent. We went down to the Queens Grill lounge to have afternoon tea. Being a little early allows us to nab one of the good seats by the window. In this position you have a view of the ocean, the people walking past on the promenade deck and everyone having afternoon tea in the Queens Grill lounge. We joined by Ian & Jordy from the RCOA roll-call and we all indulge a little in the scones. I have two scones with jam and clotted cream as well as two fruit flans. I'm making progress on reducing the over-eating - no sandwiches today.

 

It's always a shame when one of the staff members lets the rest of the team down. Normally all the staff in the Queens Grill lounge are wonderful but today we had a chappie who must have got out of the wrong side of the bed. He didn't seem too pleased to be asked what the cakes on offer were and we all agreed he had 'attitude'. I don't recall seeing him the Queens Grill lounge before, so maybe he was just there for the day. If we see him again hopefully his mood will have improved. If not, perhaps we'll have a word to someone as his demeanour is really not necessary and he detracts from the wonderful service the rest of them provide.

 

After lunch we head to the gym and then it's up to the Commodore Club for the FOD meeting. The FOD isn't particularly well attended today but it's still an enjoyable meeting. There is a Scottish gentleman present who on the rare occasion is very hard/near impossible to understand. Twice one of his friends had to translate for him. He's very nice though, when I can understand him. He's also going on the same tour we're doing tomorrow and tells us that he has made his very own outfit for the occasion, which will keep him cool and protect him from the sun. I'm looking forward to seeing it.

 

We leave the FOD early and head down to the shops to buy hats with brims. Apart from baseball caps the only hats with brims they sell are ones with corks hanging off them. We buy two but ask the assistant to cut the corks off for us. There is still a lot of merchandise available but I was told by someone up at the FOD that they are running out/sold out of certain items (or certain sizes in items) so I may go shopping for memorabilia earlier than planned. Speaking of things I hear in the FOD, I was also informed there that the Commodore has a cold. With this in mind we decide that we will instead meet the ships officers as we enter the Grills cocktail party. I am also put right about the cause of the false alarm last night. Apparently I misheard the Commodore when I thought he said it was a computer error. It turns out that it was human error - somebody pushed the wrong button.

 

After dressing for dinner in our tuxes we head down to the Queens Room for the Grills cocktail party. There are already a number of people already there and everyone looks very elegant. I spy our ex-mystery table mates and we go over to join them. They inform us that they have decided to move to a table for two. They state that it is because the table behind us is really noisy and Linda can't hear what others at the table are saying. We wish them the best with their new table. Jane comes in (looking fab - in a floor length navy blue dress that she tells us is inspired by the sea) and joins our table. The cocktail party is a great for people watching and it's pleasing to see everyone dressed so well and looking so elegant. My eyes are drawn again to the jewellery on display. You can't help but notice some of the pieces and then (once you have diamonds on your mind) you tend to look at others and see even more pieces. One bracelet in particular is a stunner - there are so many diamonds!!

 

During the cocktail party we hear that the poor French and German guests went to their evacuation stations. I guess that explains the French and German announcements last night. We're also told that the QM2 is constantly tracked by the Royal Navy and that a submarine escorts the QM2 though pirate infested waters.

 

Commodore Rynd is introduced and gives a good speech that is well received. He informs us that of the 2461 passengers onboard there are 1501 Australians and 500 British (roughly). The yanks and Germans are next (respectively) and then a list of other nations.

 

After the speech and the introduction of the senior officers, Jane, Robin and I head back up to the Princess Grill. In a moment of naughtiness we decide to cut through the Britannia Restaurant instead of going through deck 3L. It's very nice and I'm impressed with the atmosphere. I see Rosemary seated at a table for 8 and stop for a bit to have a chat and confirm we will be on the dance floor later tonight. The Princess Grill is pumping tonight, as always on cocktail evenings as practically everyone arrives at the same time. We join Louise who opted not to go to the cocktail party. The food and service tonight is, again, wonderful. I don't see any starters that take my fancy so I create my own and have two lobsters with melted butter instead. For main course I have the 'coriander-crusted loin of lamb , caponata of vegetables, feta crumbles' and for dessert the 'Chocolate Imperial'. They are all delicious.

 

Jane corrects me regarding which cruise lines' officers won't shake the passengers hands. Apparently it's Crystal, not Silverseas.

 

After dinner we head into the Queens Grill lounge for tonight's concert. The lounge has been rearranged like a little theatre with rows of seats and yellow roses at each table, it's very elegant. I enjoy the concert very much and we stay and chat a bit afterwards with Ian & Jordy. I mention last night's revelation that the food in the Princess & Queens Grill is the same and they say it's not - the Queens Grill is better. So I guess each to their own. I hear about a couple in the Queens Grill that have moved tables four times! That's four times since Adelaide, which is a lot.

 

Ann from the RCOA roll-call comes up to ask if people on Cruise Critic are talking about last night's false alarm. I tell her no, there is no thread about it. When I see her next I will tell her that the hot threads right now are conversations about 'Different style of passengers in different classes' and single occupancy charges.

 

We say goodbye to Ian & Jordy, who are going to see tonight's show by the Cunard dancers, and make our way to G32. The nightclub is busy and the DJ is playing (we time our visits for when the dj is on) some hits from the 50s. We join Rosemary at her table and wait for the 50's hits to finish. I decide to try a song request that fits in better with what the DJ is doing. One song is from the 80's and the other from 1990. I explain that I can't wait around till 00:30 as I've got to go to bed. The DJ agrees to play the song before 11:30. And indeed he does later that evening - both of them. I'm really pleased with this development and when he finishes his set I go up and thank him and tell him it's much appreciated.

 

We have a good time dancing. There are three ladies on the dance floor who are doing line dancing. They are the same ladies I saw line dancing at the sail away party, Clearly they like line dancing a lot. When the dj finishes his set we say goodnight to Rosemary and call it a night. Next stop the Whitsundays and snorkelling at the Great Barrier Reef.

[Leucothea]

I am also put right about the cause of the false alarm last night. Apparently I misheard the Commodore when I thought he said it was a computer error. It turns out that it was human error - somebody pushed the wrong button.

 

So they say...

 

 

We're also told that the QM2 is constantly tracked by the Royal Navy and that a submarine escorts the QM2 though pirate infested waters.

 

That's amazing, and very reassuring.

[Artemis]

Whitemarsh, thank you for sharing your fabulous voyage with us! I am enjoying logging in daily to savor your accounts.

 

Although you've probably snorkeled the Whitsundays before, I do hope you're getting off to do it again! I was ecstatic to encounter my first "fish ball" there in November, and the array of colorful fish and coral life was so phenomenal...it truly seemed unreal, as if I was in an underseas movie!

 

Best wishes on your royal holiday.