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Live from the RCOA - on QM2

Whitemarsh

By Whitemarsh,
in Cunard Line

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Pushka

Pushka

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Abba just had the magic touch of getting everyone off their feet and dancing. Unlike any other group I know of.

 

Thanks again Peter. Could you tell me, now that you have experienced lots of port stops, what facilities are open during port? Outside the Grills for me. :p. I am thinking of the likes of Sir Samuels. I would like to avoid WJ when we board as we will be having the evening meal there too due to early seating and wanting to see sail away from Adelaide which should be very nice.

 

Weather in Adelaide for next Saturday is 26 degrees. Which will be perfect for touring for everyone. We are expecting some storms today and tomorrow so things will be a little greener for everyone than it currently is.

 

How are the souvenir supplies going? I don't think jenno is posting at the moment :o so am sure he might like to know. And of course, those bears for me?

 

Do I need to bring on supplies of Cloudy Bay?:p

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Whitemarsh

Whitemarsh

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Thanks Peter. Enjoyed your Kakadu trip, have been to Darwin several times but never made it there, after reading your account I feel we shouldn't miss it next time.

 

Looking forward to how your day in Bali went.

 

Getting closer to Tuesday!!

 

See you real soon. We have one sea day to go before Perth.

 

Abba just had the magic touch of getting everyone off their feet and dancing. Unlike any other group I know of.

 

Thanks again Peter. Could you tell me, now that you have experienced lots of port stops, what facilities are open during port? Outside the Grills for me. :p. I am thinking of the likes of Sir Samuels. I would like to avoid WJ when we board as we will be having the evening meal there too due to early seating and wanting to see sail away from Adelaide which should be very nice.

 

Weather in Adelaide for next Saturday is 26 degrees. Which will be perfect for touring for everyone. We are expecting some storms today and tomorrow so things will be a little greener for everyone than it currently is.

 

How are the souvenir supplies going? I don't think jenno is posting at the moment :o so am sure he might like to know. And of course, those bears for me?

 

Do I need to bring on supplies of Cloudy Bay?:p

 

The only port I have stayed onboard during was Brisbane and we were out by the pool. I think everything is open but the shops.They still do afternoon tea and all that so I'm positive Sir Samuel's would be open. I'll double-check the daily programme when we get to Perth.

 

Some souvenir's they are out of (like particular sizes) but the bear count is holding up very well.

 

They don't sell CB by the glass (in the Commodore Club anyway) so it's a bottle or nothing.

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Whitemarsh

Whitemarsh

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The passage through the Lombok Straight is very deep and has many conflicting currents. So much so that we're told by the Commodore that a 25 kt speed was reduced to just 18 kts. There must have also been some quite pronounced swells as during the morning my laptop slides off the table onto to the ground and Jane reports that one of her bedside table draws rolls open. We arrive in one piece to a beautiful vista of rolling mountains and sparkling seas. The ship has anchored but seems to be swinging back and forth as our view changes frequently. After breakfast we make our way to Illuminations and are assigned yellow 21 as our ticket. I see that Lear-jet lady is taking the same tour as us. That's probably a good thing, as I'm curious as to what other big ticket luxury items she owns. I'm sure she'll tell me.

 

We are tendering today and so are escorted down to deck one. They're not allowing anyone to sit on the top of the tender boats today so we take our positions near the middle. It's a relatively short tender ride and in no time we're disembarking at the pier. We're met at the gates by dancing girls and there is a large group of Balinese people making music over the way. Once we're outside the port terminal we're immediately accosted by people thrusting things at us in the hope that we'll purchase something. I don't want a sarong or wooden puppet and so we quickly make our way to the bus. The bus itself is very nice, it's air-conditioned etc but the legroom doesn't really make the cut. I suppose that's to be expected as the locals populace are generally not as tall and large as overseas visitors. We have two drivers, one to drive the bus and the other man sits on the other side and acts as an indicator for nearby traffic. When we set off, the indicator man opens the window and waves his arms to alert nearby traffic of any upcoming turn or takeover.

 

The first thing that strikes you about Balinese traffic rules is that there are none. It's a complete free-for-all with all manner of heart-stopping going- on that, judging by the relaxed faces of our Balinese tour guides, are all part of a normal day's driving in Bali. The scenery is beautiful as we're taken down country roads which bypass rice fields and various Balinese buildings. The Balinese building themselves are very unique, we never did work out which were houses and which performed some other function.

 

Our first stop is a house where we're greated by smiling people who usher us in to a morning tea. There is tea (obviously) and various Balinese treats, most of which are very nice. Over in the corner, underneath the shade, a band makes music whilst a lady comes out and starts dancing for us. It's all very nice, and hot. I'm caught off guard when she suddenly approaches me and holds out her hand. At first I don't realise what her intentions are and I simply proffer my hand for a handshake. It turns out that she's not into handshakes and instead wants me to dance with her. I'm not a big fan of having to perform traditional Balinese dancing in front of complete strangers (strange I know) and so the experience isn't really one I'd rush to do again. I'm sure one of the other guys on the tour will be more appreciative of the dancing lady's many charms and so give way to other passengers to enjoy a bit of dancing.

 

After our refreshments we all walk through the little house/village (I'm not sure which) and arrive back near the busses. Initially I think we're about to reboard but instead we're directed down into the trees and along this path which eventually takes us into open rice fields where we watch a demonstration of traditional farming including the use of an ox, further along a lady demonstrates rice cooking. One of guides amuses everyone by letting slip the secret that Balinese women have smelly armpits due to the field work and open-air cooking they must do. It's probably a good thing the Balinese lady demonstrating the cooking doesn't speak any English, as I'm sure she would not have been too happy with such a candid revelation.

 

As we're walking back to the bus a woman from the tour approaches looking very miffed. It turns out that she mistakenly boarded one of the busses and has been sitting there wondering where everyone was until one of the guides took pity on her and brought her through to the rest of the group. Happily our guide gives her a brief rundown of what she's missed (including the armpit revelation I suppose). After we reboard the bus we're off to our next stop which was a temple on a hill. As I exited the bus a little girl gave me a flower. "How nice" I thought. Then she demanded cash. "Have your flower back" I said as I returned the flower to her. We had to wrap sarongs around us for this visit and the temple was up two flights of stairs. It as nice and there were some great photo opps. Returning to the coach the sellers were outside the coach again advertising their wares. A french lady in the bus was doing some hard bargaining with one of the sellers who wanted $5 for a sarong but the french lady only wanted to pay $2. They bartered back and forth using sign language (point at sarong - 1 finger indicates 1 sarong - 2 fingers = $2) and one of them must have caved as the french lady got out of the bus and went to purchase her sarong. I think these sellers are all from an organised group. They follow us on motorcycles and 4WDs and at the last stop I saw what appeared to a stand-over man collecting the cash.

 

After the temple it was time for lunch and we duly arrived (after an hour or so) at this restaurant/resort at the edge of a cliff with stunning views over the rainforest and a valley of rice fields. The food was pretty average but the view was stunning. Leaving the resort we headed off to the remains of one of the palaces of the Balinese king. It was quiet beautiful, had the entire palace complex survived it would have been a great tourist attraction. At this point we're a little bit over it. It's hot, the sellers are starting to get annoying and the lack of legroom is starting to take it's toll. Happily we're off to our last stop which is some sort of shopping village. It's pretty much more of the same except for the coloured fighting chickens which are dyed bright pink and yellow.

 

Arriving back at the pier we're happy to be back in view of QM2 and await our turn for a tender boat. I'm really glad we stopped at Bali. It was a very long day, probably too long, and the final shopping village could have been dropped from the itinerary to make the tour a shorter and more enjoyable. The tender ride is very smooth and we're back on the ship in no time. At dinner that night we discuss the other dining options onboard. Todd English seems to be thing to do for lunch but we are constantly reminded to have a small breakfast and be aware that the food there is very rich and quite oily. With all the warnings we're being given the idea of dining at Todd English is starting to sound like a chore. None of us have eaten in Britannia, or been invited to one of the hosted tables, and we wonder what that would be like. After dinner Louise, Robin & I head up to the Commodore Club for some hot chocolate. The staff there are very nice and one of them remembers my room number and drink order from the night before - he's very good. What a nice way to end the day, enjoying hot chocolate in the Commodore Club.

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Whitemarsh

Whitemarsh

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1st sea day after Bali.

 

Breakfast seems to have settled into a pattern of eating around 9am. We're on holidays after all so there is little point in getting up early. It's a melon plate followed by all-bran for me today, along with some orange juice and Earl Gray tea. It's a luxury to relax over breakfast and I enjoy taking my time chatting and watching the walkers and joggers pass by. Today's daily programme has a number of interesting events on. The first is a lecture by Chris Frame at 10am. The lecture is about the QE2 and details the the ship's unique dual purpose design (cruising and transatlantic), her launch and her career including her call to service in the Falklands War. It's a very interesting lecture and I'm looking forward to his next one.

 

Immediately following this is an interview with Commodore Rynd in the Royal Court Theatre at 11am. The interview starts with the Commodore giving us a brief rundown on his career and background and then the floor is opened up to questions. The registry change to Hamilton is raised and the Commodore provides a diplomatic response which is to be expected. He's asked which is the most difficult port to manoeuvre in during the the RCOA and the answer is Adelaide surprisingly; apparently it has something to do with the length of the turning circle the 'Gully' winds. We're informed that his quarters are right behind the bridge (on QM2) and interestingly the crew accommodation on QM2 is better than that found on QE & QV due to the flagships itinerary which sees the QM2 spending more time at sea. The Commodore is asked about life at sea and we are told that he has "date nights" with his wife and will dine in the Queens Grill (this explains why we saw him in the Princess Grill - it was a date night). A question is posed as to why the ship isn't visiting Tasmania on this circumnavigation and it's refreshing to hear the Commodore agree that it should have, instead of trying to spin an answer. All in all it was a really good interview.

 

After lunch it was time for a run in the gym followed by the FOD meeting. There was an interesting discussion going on about the different types of passengers on Cunard as opposed to Crystal or Silverseas. One of the 'Dorothian's had a story to relate about a dinner conversation on Silverseas that involved two guys comparing how many law firms they owned and then everyone impressing each other with how important they are and the impressive jobs they have. When he eventually volunteered that he was a flight attendant they were shocked and looked away - apparently nobody said anything and they changed the subject. It didn't sound too pleasant and it reconfirms for me what I like about Cunard, it attracts normal everyday people who are attracted to the history, the QM2 itself and the formal evenings.

 

Tonight is a formal night and the Cunard World Club cocktail party, hosted by Barrie & Dragrana (your voyage sales specialists). As we're only Silver we didn't get an invite but Jane and Louise have. Having never been to one of these CWC parties we hatch a plan at lunchtime to gatecrash the CWC party. It's not terribly inventive, Robin and I will attend as the guests of Louise & Jane. Our cunning plan is made all the easier by the fact the invitations are not addressed to anyone in particular (just delivered to the stateroom). We agree to raundevou in the Queens Grill lounge at 7:25 and go from there. Arriving at 7:25 pm we all catch the lift at stairwell D down to deck 3. When the lift doors open we are surprised to see a crowd already gathered. The queue on the port side seems to be moving faster than the one on the starboard and so we go with that (we find out later the Commodore is on the starboard side). Whilst we're waiting in the line our plan changes and Jane gives me her invitation for Robin and I to use whilst Louise & Jane share one each. Our subterfuge works and we're in. Kathy from the roll-call is there and we chat and say hello. We all sit near the windows and watch the crowds. There's quite a large crowd present and the Queens Room is full. William stops by to say hi and we talk about the previous CWC parties he's been to. William reckons the WCW will start with a particular sentence and repeats the phrase to us. We are somewhat astounded and amused when Dragana comes on and opens the party with the exact opening sentence that William said she would. Dragana says that nearly half the ship has booked the upcoming Circumnavigation of New Zealand and encourages the rest of us to follow suit. Afterwards Barrie and then the Commodore do their spiels and a Wisconsin couple win the prize for most sea days (a couple of thousand days). We are told that there are around 500 Gold CWC members and about 150 each for the Diamond and Platinum. For some reason they didn't mention the two Silver CWC members in the room - us!

 

After the speeches and award ceremony we leave the party and head back up to the Princess Grill. Poor Jane, nothing on the menus take her fancy, neither the daily nor a la cart. Jane asked for minestrone soup but is regretfully advised that none can be prepared at such short notice. The rest of us find something to our taste and enjoy dinner very much. Our head waiter advises that tonight is a slow night so if we want something different now is the time to ask. We take him up on his suggestion and request Cherries Jubilee. They are delicious, we're going to have them again. In fact the table has decided that from now on all our desserts must be flambéed at the table. I have been tasked with researching exotic flambé desserts for us to order. Jane tells us that we may be docking at Circular Quay when we arrive in Sydney. That's nice for those people embarking then.

 

The dinner conversation was very enjoyable and after saying goodnight to Jane we wander down to G32 to see what was happening there. Vibz is in residence and the three ladies who line-dance are doing their thing. Rosemary was also in attendance and I sometimes think there's a bit of a turf war over the dance floor between Rosemary and the line-dancers. As Vibz was playing we sat and chatted whilst waiting for them to finish. At one point the dance floor was empty (the line-dancers having lost the turf war and the victorious Rosemary having joined our table for a chat) and I was surprised to hear Vibz ask the patrons in G32 what they would like to hear. Someone asked for rock but Vibz replied that they didn't do rock. Eventually they agreed to do some hits from the 50s & 60s and a few couples got up to dance.

 

At 12:30 it was time for DJ Lee and I put in a couple of requests (which he played). He must have thought one of my requests would be unpopular because he warned me "you'll be the only one on the dance floor". Which was fine with me, but it turns out that the song in question was a popular choice anyway as others got up to dance. We haven't been in G32 this late and we were surprised when Rosemary wishes us a good night and retires for the evening. She's such a party girl that I'd assumed she'd been switching off the lights in G32 each night. The crowd has thinned out somewhat now and the remaining patrons are quite merry. One lady in particular seems to take a great interest in Louise and peers at her from around columns. It's all very amusing until the lady in question comes over and insists that Louise join her on the dance floor. Apparently it's the lady's birthday and 'everyone must dance'. Louise politely declines but the lady is insistent and I am somewhat amused to see Louise being pulled onto the dance floor by the lady. It's all a bit weird and somewhat reminiscent of 'Fatal Attraction'. As you can imagine, Louise was not impressed. The dancers start dancing in a circle and every now and then someone danced in the middle of the circle to the hollering of the the others. It's obvious that the night is starting to fall apart and so we retire for the evening.

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Whitemarsh

Whitemarsh

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2nd sea day after Bali.

 

After breakfast we decide that today will be a day by the pool. But not before we visit the Canyon Ranch to reschedule our upcoming appointments. On the way we pass through Kings Court. I was just in the middle of thinking that it's quite nice, and not so unappealing, when right before my eyes I witness a lady pick fruit out of the bain-marie with her fingers. No wonder people get sick on ships.

 

After rescheduling our appointments, and changing, we head out onto the Grills deck and relax on the lounges whilst reading our magazines. There is orange juice, water and fruit available and have some fruit and orange juice. It's quite windy today so it doesn't feel as hot as yesterday, even with the sun out in full force. It's very easy to spend an hour just laying out in the sun reading and that's what we do. Eventually I tire of this and we go down to deck 8 for a swim. It's midday so the Commodore's announcement comes on. He tells us we have left the tropics and that the seas are moderate. We are also told that we will pass the wreck of the H.M.A.S Sydney at about 6pm that night. I can't imagine how awful it must have been for those unlucky sailors, out here in the middle of nowhere. Vibz comes on to do their midday set and it's very enjoyable swimming up and down to the music whilst the sun makes the water in the pool sparkle and glisten. Truly, this is what makes a warm climate cruise so enjoyable.

 

We've decided to skip lunch today and instead just have afternoon tea. Louise joins us for afternoon tea as does William and the cakes and scones are especially good this afternoon. Afterwards we move on to the FOD which is notable only for the lack of serious onboard gossip. We do see three wedding cakes go by on a trolley and the general consensus is that they must be for renewal of vows ceremonies as apparently they aren't doing the weddings yet.

 

After the FOD meeting it's back to the stateroom to dress semi-formally as the dress code for tonight is semi-formal. Dinner is again wonderful and our flambéed dessert tonight is Bananas Foster. After dinner we all head down to the Queens Room to watch the dancing. It's not as busy as a ball night (or formal night for that matter) but there is still a decent crowd. There are a number of excellent dancers (one young couple in particular is just wonderful) and Jane informs me which couples are the best dancers and the ones to watch. The Lilly Tomlin lookalike lady is there and she's very striking in a black number with her hair pulled back in a some kind of chignon. Jane and I think she must have been a entertainer on the stage, or a dancer, as she has amazing presence, excellent posture and her dancing is superb. We remain and watch the dancing for a while before retiring for the night. Before we do we comment on the movement of the ship which has become more pronounced.

 

3rd sea day after Bali.

 

I awoke this morning to distinct ship movement. Opening the curtains and venturing out on the balcony it's clear that the seas are much more pronounced and the white tips of the waves are everywhere. Every now and then the ship shudders as it punches through a large wave. Finally, some movement on this ship. I don't want to tempt fate, but from Sydney to yesterday afternoon it's been hard to remember that you're on a ship sometimes as the seas have been so smooth. Breakfast is very enjoyable and I have blueberry pancakes with maple syrup and american bacon. Yum. There's another Chris Frame lecture today, it's all about ocean liners and the differences between them and cruise ships. As usual he's packed out the auditorium and the lecture itself is very interesting. Did you know that on one of the very earliest ships they tinted the mirrors in the cabins pink so that passengers would at least see themselves looking healthy, even if they felt unwell? I'm sorry that this will be his last lecture for this segment, they're very interesting.

 

After the lecture there is a tour of the Britannia restaurant galley for a 'behind the scenes look'. As you can imagine this turned out to be a very popular item on the daily program and the queue went from the Britannia restaurant all the way back to the Royal Court Theatre. Whilst waiting in the queue I'm informed by one of the 'Dorothians' that four people have died since we left Sydney. I suppose they will be disembarked in Fremantle. The galley tour was very interesting, the kitchen was all stainless steel and very large. There are two sets of escalators for the restaurant levels on deck 3 and 2 TV screens where the chef keeps check of all the orders. In one of the refrigerators I saw trays of hors d'oeuvres, the same ones that are served to Queens Grill passengers of an evening in their suites, and everybody else in the Commodore Club at 5pm. The ships galley tour was very interesting and I would recommended you do it when you're next onboard (if you haven't already).

 

After the tour I walked around the ship taking photographs. I attempted to go out on the observation deck on deck 11 but it was closed due to high winds. Taking the scenic lift down to deck 7 I was pleased to see how pronounced the movement of the ship is. From the starboard side of deck 7 (near the bow) the movement of the stern (up and down) is very evident. Happily nobody seems to be seasick so I guess that's down to the ship herself and the fact that most of us have been on board for at least a fortnight. The Commodore's midday announcement comes on and he confirms that the sea conditions are rough with a wind force of 7 (he says it's nearly a gale). We are reminded that we're on a passenger ship better equipped to handle these seas than any other. We are just southwest of Geraldton and will arrive in Fremantle tomorrow morning at 8am after travelling the 278.9 nautical miles remaining.

 

Tonight is another semi-formal night and it's also the night of the Crew Talent Show. One our waiters is performing and he informed us at breakfast that they are doing a Burlesque number. We've all promised that we will be front and centre in the second row to see the performance. I'm really looking forward to it. As the show is not until 10:30 our table is going to meet for drinks in the Queens Grill lounge and then have dinner at around 19:45. Tonight's flambéed dessert will be Bombe Alaska. Jane won't be attending the crew talent show but she is going to see the variety show tonight in the Royal Court Theatre with 'piano showman' David Howarth & soprano Emily Garth.

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Leucothea

Leucothea

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Whilst waiting in the queue I'm informed by one of the 'Dorothians' that four people have died since we left Sydney. I suppose they will be disembarked in Fremantle.

 

I'm enjoying reading your blogs; but I just came across this part and it startled me: Four people died on QM2 on your cruise? Were they very elderly?

 

I have heard that on World Cruises you do have the occasional death from old age, but four?! That's bizarre.

 

Anyway, reading about your travels is a pleasant escape from NYC winter.

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patience32

patience32

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Hi Whitemarsh

 

I have only just started reading this thread and you bring back lots of happy memories.I am really enjoying it :)

 

Did you meet my friends Leonard and Joseph in FOD ? They were sailing as far as S Africa and then Leonard was staying there for a couple of weeks.

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Whitemarsh

Whitemarsh

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Thanks again Peter, for the very interesting posts.

 

Have you been to have a look at the bridge. There was a window for viewing the bridge when I was on QM2 in 2010....

 

Yes, I did that on my previous voyage but will probably have a look again.

 

I'm enjoying reading your blogs; but I just came across this part and it startled me: Four people died on QM2 on your cruise? Were they very elderly?

 

I have heard that on World Cruises you do have the occasional death from old age, but four?! That's bizarre.

 

Anyway, reading about your travels is a pleasant escape from NYC winter.

 

Thank you. Yes four deaths since Sydney is what I was told. I'm not sure whether that's normal or not.

 

Hi Whitemarsh

 

I have only just started reading this thread and you bring back lots of happy memories.I am really enjoying it :)

 

Did you meet my friends Leonard and Joseph in FOD ? They were sailing as far as S Africa and then Leonard was staying there for a couple of weeks.

 

Thanks. No, haven't met a Leonard as far as I can recall. Sounds like they would have disembarked at Fremantle - the first time.

 

 

Hi Carol, today's daily program has Sir Samuel's open but only till midday.

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Pushka

Pushka

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I misread the program. Sir Samuel's closes at 12:00am. So you'll be fine. We are sitting in Sir Samuel's having iced coffee.

 

Aw, that must seem like your own private area by now.:p. I will be gate crashing your party soon:D

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Pushka

Pushka

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Yes you will. :)

 

Not long for you now. From where we are siting we can see all the new people getting on.

 

I keep forgetting Perth is so far behind us in time. Hope those newbies don't cramp your style too much. :p

 

Adelaide looking quite cool for Saturday and I think maybe a bit breezy across the bight. And taking an extra day this time. Megawat said last time that it seemed like the QM was going slow so this time she might even go backwards!:eek:

 

Enjoy your meet up tomorrow, should be interesting. :p

 

Any special requests for me to bring onboard? :)

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Whitemarsh

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I have just been down to Fremantle to look at this magnificent ship. I will be embarking in Sydney next week, so all those on board now please look after her for me!

 

Will do. :)

 

 

I keep forgetting Perth is so far behind us in time. Hope those newbies don't cramp your style too much. :p

 

Adelaide looking quite cool for Saturday and I think maybe a bit breezy across the bight. And taking an extra day this time. Megawat said last time that it seemed like the QM was going slow so this time she might even go backwards!:eek:

 

Enjoy your meet up tomorrow, should be interesting. :p

 

Any special requests for me to bring onboard? :)

 

Yeah she went slow from Sydney too.

 

No special requests. They have everything onboard (except McDonalds).

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Megawat

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Wow what a read, great writing Peter, it really took me back nicely, even though we were in the lower grades! Makes me think of looking into Grills next time especially now we are gold!

Hope the rest of your trip is just as good and you meet with Pushca and leave some bears for her.

 

We did hear about the last death as it was not far don from our stateroom, apparently he was sick in the morning and I was told he was well in his 80's. Sort of sad but maybe a good way to go on his last voyage.

 

Carol, I have finally downloaded all my photos and will start to cull, not sure whether I will get any to you before you get on! I almost feel as though we got ripped off with 2 days to Adelaide and this round gets 3!!!!

 

Nice to meet you Peter and the others. Until next time!

 

Richard

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Whitemarsh

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Thanks Richard :)

 

The night before Fremantle.

 

After dinner we wandered down to the Royal Court Theatre at around 22:00, the show wasn't until 22:30 but we wanted to get good seats. Outside the theatre we ran into Rosemary who was looking for some chums, but she decided to come and sit with us. All the seats in the middle of the second and third rows were already taken by some very eager-beavers who must have turned up at 21:45. How rude. :)) Happily there were still some good seats left located stage right and we sat, chatted and people watched until the show began. One of the things I like about Cunard is that the staff working the theatre aren't pushy when it comes to drinks; it's good to see and adds to the relaxed ambiance of the theatre.

 

Sitting in the theatre waiting for the show to start I can't help but notice one couple who have made absolutely no effort to meet the dress code whatsoever. In the recesses of my memory I vaguely recall there was a post on the Cunard boards from someone who said they've booked passage on the QM2 but own no formal, semi-formal, or elegant casual clothes whatsoever. I wonder if this is the same couple? Perhaps they visited Cruise Critic before their voyage where they received advice such as "you're on holiday - wear whatever you like" or "suits are so large and bulky, it's impossible to fit them into a suitcase". As I write this I have a premonition of various people reprimanding me for being so base as to notice what others are wearing. :rolleyes: How fortunate for them that they have reached a stage of enlightenment where they never take any notice of what anyone is wearing. I wonder how this is possible, as they look around a theatre (whilst waiting for the show to start) do they see empty seats with just heads floating above?

 

Keith Maynard comes on and gets the crowd warmed up before introducing the first act. Keith is a good showman and I like his sense of humour. The acts are all very good and the last two in particular are excellent. A member of the housekeeping staff by the name of Jeffrey is an excellent singer and has that special kind of talent where the audience snaps to attention and focuses on the performance. The last act is a 'Gilbert & Sullivan' inspired comedy song which is hilarious. I understand from the staff that there will be another crew show between Dubai and Southampton. After the show finishes we say goodnight to Louise & Rosemary and head back to the stateroom.

 

Perth.

 

By this stage of the voyage it's become apparent that we are hopeless at getting up in time for port arrivals. We are normally awaken by the sound of the ships horn and, upon opening the curtains, we find that the ship is usually halfway into her berth. There's a small crowd at the Fremantle dock and as the view is mostly of a port we quickly lose interest and start getting ready for the day. After breakfast (which is a little haphazard, as is sometimes the case on port days as our normal waiters are not there - for instance we're asked what beverages we'd like, our usual waiters already know our preferences) we head down to lobby and disembark via the gangway. Fremantle has an excellent port, it's large enough to accommodate the ship and the train station is but a 10 minute walk away. Fremantle itself is right next to the port and is a walkable distance from the ship. We were going to do a tour "Essence of Western Australia" but we've had enough of all-day tours and so we cancelled our booked tour (very easy process - we cancelled it at the tour desk in the Grills concierge lounge and our account was refunded the tour cost) and made plans to catch the train into Perth. The trains run every 15 minutes, we're told, and sure enough a train arrives just after we arrive at the station. After about twenty minutes we're in Perth and enjoying the marvellous weather. Perth appears to be a well-ordered, clean and functional city, which I believe would be very liveable. We catch a train back to Fremantle and wander around admiring the Victorian architecture.

 

Back on the ship we visit Sir Samuel's for some coffee and watch the new people embark. You can always tell who the newbies are as they wander their way around the ship taking it all it. I've heard various accounts of exactly how many people embarked in Fremantle however I'm going with the number I was advised by a crew member - 865. Speaking of newbies, there does seem to be a small minority of people walking around with their swipe cards hanging around their necks via a lanyard. I didn't see this sort of thing on the transatlantic so I guess it's a hangover from P&O Australia (perhaps some of the first time Cunarders on this voyage have mainly cruised with P&O before) which seems rather out of place on QM2. None of the world cruisers that I know are walking around with lanyards hanging from their neck.

 

Before dinner we decide to have a drink in the Queens Grill lounge. With the ceiling lights adjusted for 'mood-lighting' the QG lounge takes on the ambiance you'd expect it to have and there's a wonderful club-like atmosphere as people chat whilst a man plays the piano. There are a couple from the FOD at the bar and we have a very good time experimenting with cocktails. I order a Mint Julep which tastes nothing like it sounds so I move quickly onto a margarita. Dinner is again excellent and tonight's flambéed dessert is Bombe Alaska. The table next to us has been eyeing our flambéed desserts each evening and, having apparently decided to follow our lead, are also having Bombe Alaska.

 

We've been very interested in what newcomers would be dining in our part of the restaurant and despite the apparent 30 newcomers to the Princess Grill there are only three new couples near us. Two have opted for a table for two and the other has joined a table for six behind us.

 

Tonight Vibz is playing in the Queens Room so after dinner we head down to G32. Passing through the Queens Room there are only about 30 people in there and I'm reminded that on embarkation days the ship can be a bit of a ghost town at night. Compared to G32 however the Queens Room is pumping. There is no one on the dance floor and I can only see two people upstairs enjoying a smoke. Taking full advantage of the situation we submit our song requests. Lee gets our his notepad and writes them all down. I don't really mind that the dance floor is empty, we're getting our requested songs played one after the other and there is plenty of room to move on the dance floor. Our energy and stamina eventually pays off and eventually there is a reasonable group of people dancing. It's been a good day.

 

 

The sea day after Fremantle.

 

After breakfast we decide to visit Sir Samuel's and have a coffee. This is followed by the tsunami lecture by Dr Denny Whitford. Louise and I both think it strange he didn't mention that the QM2 would have passed over the 2011 tsunami wave that hit Japan in 2011. I would have thought this sort of thing would have been of great interest to QM2 passengers. William comes over for a chat and I leave them to go and get ready for the gym. Having decided to not have lunch today I find that the gym is nearly empty at midday, so obviously this is the best time to use all the machines. After my run I head down to the PG Grill and have a quick chat with Jane and Robin who are finishing their lunch.

 

As it's nearly 14:00 it's time to head up to the Commodore Club for the second Cruise Critic M&G. I'm pleased to see that they've rearranged all the chairs and put out a 'Cruise Critic meeting's sign, how nice. About 20 people turn up for this meeting and it's very enjoyable. It's good having more than one CC M&G on a voyage as most have already meet the first time and so it's a relaxed and chatty affair.

 

Afternoon tea follows in the Queens Grill lounge and it's quite busy with new people (who boarded in Fremantle) checking it out. Tonight is a formal night and again we find ourselves back in the QG lounge for pre-dinner drinks. It's also the Masquerade Ball and there are quite a few people already carrying their masks around. Diner is, as always, a pleasure and tonight's flambéed dessert is peaches. Out of all of the flambéed desserts, the peaches, strawberries and crepes are the best. I request a pavlova for tomorrow night and Robin requests a chocolate mousse. Everyone's made an effort tonight and there are some lovely dresses on display in the PG restaurant.

 

We leave the restaurant and make our way down to the Queen's Room which is very busy as the Masquerade Ball is in full swing. A lot of people are wearing masks and at this point I regret not bringing one as it looks like fun. We spy Rosemary seated with two 'Dorothians' a couple of rows back from the dance floor and we join their table. Watching the dancers in their masks is very interesting and we stay for quite a while. The Lily Tomlin look-a-like lady enters the Queens Room and looks very striking in an all black number and matching hat. Her wonderful look is at odds with a man who's wearing casual tan slacks and a short-sleeve light blue shirt with no jacket. He looks very out of place.

 

After watching the dancing we make our way to the Commodore Club via the Grand Lobby and stop to take another set of photos. As usual we stage our own photos and tonight we pay homage to James Bond 007. We run into William and he joins us for a late night drink up in the Commodore Club. Another hot chocolate and another pleasant way to end an evening.

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Pushka

Pushka

Posted
Posted

Thanks again Peter. Two more sleeps.

 

Did you see the thread on the Cunard forum which says the QM will be berthing at the Overseas Passenger Terminal next week? That might even get you up early ! :)

 

 

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