Live from the 2013 world cruise - on QM2

[MadScientist_01]

Love the cable car pictures - coming back from the village and crowning the hill to see HK in front of you is a truly breathtaking experience - but the crystal cars aren't for those who don't like heights!

[glojo]

Love the cable car pictures - coming back from the village and crowning the hill to see HK in front of you is a truly breathtaking experience - but the crystal cars aren't for those who don't like heights!

I see some of those 'cars' have a glass floor!! I am definitely NOT going to wear my kilt if we get taken for a ride :o;)

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the updates!

[Sea Tiger]

Loving your blog, Whitemarsh, photo's capture the atmosphere, I am sure.

If you do broach the subject of Ladyboys with that gentleman you mentioned you might also want to tell him that they are somewhat socially accepted and four were hired by a Thai airline in February 2011, P.C. Air.

This was reported at the time and is still available on Youtube. They are very beautiful and glamorous.

[Whitemarsh]

I'm glad you guys are enjoying the pictures.

 

19th & 20th Feb: The two sea days from Hong Kong to Shanghai.

 

Leaving Hong Kong we had two sea days to Shanghai. It's cold and I'm not venturing out on deck much because you have to rug up to go outside. During the two days we had a number of events on the schedule. The first one was the Cruise Critic M&G at 2pm on the first sea day. This was originally scheduled for the Commodore Club but I got asked to move it to the Winter Garden. About twenty people turned up, which was great, and there are a few first timers on onboard which is really nice as I get to hear about (and enjoy) their brand new impressions of the ship. The commodore turned up and said hello to everyone, which I appreciate as I think that's a very nice thing for all the newbies. Incidentally, I have heard that 2pm is not a good time for him to turn up, 3pm is better. So if you're arranging a M&G then 3pm might be a more appropriate time.

 

I did afternoon tea in the Queens Grill lounge (which was almost empty as is always the case early in a voyage as first time grill passengers aren't aware they can have afternoon tea here) and I was surprised to see that the cream served with the scones is the same as downstairs in the Queens Room. I'm giving up on this whole clotted cream argument, sometimes it's different and sometimes it the same as downstairs. And, to be honest, I wouldn't know what clotted cream was if my life depended on it, so it's a moot point for me. There were the additional extra offerings that aren't served in the Queens Room, which is as I remembered.

 

I visited the Grills concierge to talk about upcoming tours as I'd received emails from Cunard confirming the cancellation of the tours that I'd booked. I hadn't requested the tours to be cancelled so I took the tickets that arrived in the suite on the first day in Hong Kong down to the tour lady in the concierge lounge to make sure everything was okay. She couldn't figure it out but took the tickets from me and promised to get back to me with an explanation. The tickets turned up later in the room with a note to say that everything was okay, so that was good. Sadly, the 'Behind the Scenes' tour was already booked out. If you're interested in doing this tour (they usually only do one per sector) make sure you book it on embarkation day, or as soon as the tour office opens.

 

Tonight was the first formal night of this sector. The Sydney couple did not dine with us as they had received an invitation to dine with the commodore down in Britannia. We didn't order caviar tonight as we're planning to order it every second night. As usual, I had crepes suzette and lobster (but not in that order).

 

After dinner I went to G32 for a cigarette and a dance. The new DJ Alex is much better than any other DJ I have come across on this ship. He is cueing the music and playing songs from from the last 30 years. Vibes are still in residence in G32, so it's not all good news.

 

The following sea day I had breakfast in the restaurant. Being down the end near the windows there is a great view over the stern looking out to sea. Some people don't like the view from the Grills restaurants, but I do think it depends on where you're seated. If you're down the end near the windows then you will have a great view. One couple has a table for two right next to the windows. They have their chairs facing into the restaurant, which is a different take on things. It's probably a good idea as they can talk to each other and still watch all the happenings in the restaurant.

 

This sea day is like any other, breakfast followed by coffee in Sir Samuel's (the coffee machine is broken in the Queens Grill lounge), followed by bingo, afternoon tea and then gym. The good looking guy who was singing to himself in the Commodore Club was at the gym. He had his headphones on and was jiving away to his music. At one point I thought he was going to break into an air guitar riff, but he didn't. Using the spa afterwards was very relaxing, although they might investigate putting more jets in the pool or something. QM2 is ten years old now, I think the spa needs additional bells & whistles.

 

It is another formal night tonight (no complaints from me) - the Black & White Ball to be exact - and the grill guests are having their cocktail party in the Winter Garden. All these people in tuxedos and gowns making their way through the bain-maries and self-service drink stations is slightly amusing. The Kings Court diners seem to think so too and the parade provides them with a bit of entertainment. After a few twists and turns we end up on the port side of the Winter Garden and find that we're meeting the staff captain. He's the same guy as last year (Darius something) and we stop for the obligatory photo. I do like having the cocktail party here, it's a nice venue with all the trees and the piano in the middle. David Reed is playing and Dragana is doing her thing chatting to the VIPs (she's looking fierce again in another black slinky number). I spot Petra from the Voyage Sales Office and go up to say hello. She's really lovely and is very helpful in telling me who everyone is "your six o'clock Petra, who's that guy? & "11 o'clock - don't look now….now look - who's that?" and so on. I decide to introduce Petra to some of the ladies from my table but as we approach them the commodore beats us to it. After he's finished chatting to the ladies from our table the commodore is introduced to the room and does his usual welcome speech. We learn that the vast majority of the ship's passengers are from Australia (1600), with the Brits in second place followed by the Americans. After his speech the ladies from out table start talking to Andrew (the engineer from the hosted table in Britannia) and I overhear him spill the beans on the drinking adventures of the countess and I. Andrew takes his leave, but not before suggesting that the ladies get me to tell them about the story about the box factory and the ping-pong show - thanks Andrew.

 

Dinner is very good and afterwards some of us head down to deck three to have photos taken and pick up the photocopy of our passports (which the Chinese require for some reason, even though we all have visas). The Black & White ball is still going and we are just in time for the Officer's Gavotte (I think that's the name) which is the dance where there is each man has a lady on either side and, after a bit of back & forward dancing, each lady gives the man a kiss, they smack him on the backside and pass him forward to the next couple of ladies. The dance couple on board come on to do a dance which is appreciatively received. They're very good, and make it look too easy (which of course it's not).

 

I head into G32 for a smoke and and a chat with some of the guys from the FOD meetings. And then it was bedtime, Shanghai tomorrow with a shore tour on each day.

[Whitemarsh]

21st & 22nd Feb: Shanghai.

 

The shore tours don't start today until 9:30. We're told that this is because the Chinese take particular delight in delaying granting approval for passengers to come ashore. And sure enough, we sit there until 10:00 until they finally get over themselves and give approval for passengers to disembark. It's packed in the Royal Court Theatre and it takes a while for all the groups to be called, when mine is called I join the massive queue that is forming from the only exit from the ship.

 

Whilst standing in line I see the north QLD ladies from my old table. I ask one of them if she's feeling better now (she was quite sick with a cold a couple of days ago) and she reports that she is. She also tells me that she visited the ship's medical centre and was charged a large sum of money to have a medical professional diagnose her with a cold and prescribe headache tablets. I ask about the replacement table mates they got in lieu of the countess, her husband & I. Leaning in close (I smile, knowing that this will be good) she tells me that one of the replacements is a lady who has already been on 8 tables in the Britannia Restaurant during this world voyage. During the last formal night the woman sat next to the officer (it's a hosted table remember) and was apparently very friendly, to the point of having her arm around his chair and leaning in very close to him. Furthermore, the woman spent the whole night going through her list of complaints about the ship & Cunard until the officer exclaimed "enough" and ended the diatribe. Wow, that's pretty full on isn't it.

 

The new cruise ship terminal in Shanghai is pretty spectacular, once you exit the ship you walk through a glass and steel skybridge into the main terminal, which is huge and very impressive.

 

 

The Chinese have all the money in the world and they're certainly not reticent about spending it. We were all on the bus and about 10 minutes into our journey when our tour guide got a phone call, there were some people back on the dock and the bus turned around to go back and get them. Amazingly (or not, depending on your outlook) they were the very same people that kept us waiting in Bangkok, out in the sun. "They left without us" said the lady. Well that's what happens if you don't line up with the rest of us. Anyway, on with the tour, which today is called 'Shanghai Explorer'. Our first stop is a very tall building where we're to take in the view of Shanghai from the observation deck. The was spectacular, it would have been more spectacular without all the smog. From our vantage point I could make out the Volendam docked in the river. It would be nice to be able to dock right in the middle of Shanghai, however I would rather be on this ship than the Volendam - irrespective of where ever she docks. During this tour we each received a voucher for a 'free pearl'. Obviously these are farmed pearls, and obviously there's a catch. I overheard one lady having this realisation as she tried to redeem her 'free pearl'. The pearl needed to be set and then it needs a chain the sales assistant was explaining to her; unsurprisingly there was a cost involved with this. I threw my voucher in the bin.

 

Shanghai.

 

The Bund from the sky.

 

I think the ship is the Volendam.

 

Down in the food court where our group was to meet at the appointed time, I was delighted to see that smoking was allowed, with multiple ashtrays on the tables; the Chinese can be so enlightened when they want to. Obviously we weren't allowed to sit there and smoke all day, so it was back on the bus for the next stop which was the 'Gardens and Old Town market place'. This place was alive with activity and a lot of fun. The tour of the gardens was interesting and very pretty. Below are some pictures.

 

The gardens.

 

 

After that we were allowed free time to explore the markets. Reinvigorated with a Starbucks coffee I weaved my way through the crowds and marvelled at the huge queue for a dumpling shop that I was later advised by the guide sold the best dumplings in Shanghai. Feeling adventurous I bought food from a vendor store and lived to tell the tale. I don't often buy food from vendors but the crab apples on a skewer, covered in toffee, were irresistible. Making our way back to the bus I did give some change to a beggar without any arms who had propped himself up against the bus with his begging bag tied around his neck; there but the grace of God and so on.

 

Because they are always feeding us the next stop was for lunch, which was at a huge entertainment centre. Groups of us went up in the lifts to the banqueting hall and one of the men in my lift starting telling jokes about Chinese names: What do you call a Chinese girl that jumps of a building? Lei Ping. What do you call a Chinese pervert? Pee King. Embarrassingly there were some Asian people in the lift and despite the complete inappropriateness of the situation I couldn't stop myself from laughing. I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from laughing out loud. You know how those situations are, when you know you shouldn't laugh, that is the time you want to laugh the most.

 

Anyway, lunch was very good and it was interesting watching a mother instruct her kids in table manners. She had two boys and a girl, I think she had her hands full with the two boys. They were good kids, so she's doing something right. Once lunch was over we followed our guide to the front of some museum. On the way I took the opportunity to take some photos of some soldiers that marched past. As I was taking photos one of the soldiers began to wave at me. That's nice I thought. Later I was told he was telling me not to take pictures - oops. There's no way I was going to do another museum so I asked the guide how long it would take to walk to the Bund. "Half an hour" she replied, "depending on how fast you walk". That didn't sound encouraging so I decided to take a taxi. You may take any colour taxi, the guide advised, as long as it's not red. These red taxis are privately owned and will charge foreigners more. A couple asked if they could share the cost so they came too. It took about 10 minutes (in a car) to get to the Bund. So much for walking it in half an hour, that guide is delusional. The couple promised to fix me up later.

 

I walked along the Bund and thought of the movies I'd seen like 'Empire of the Sun'. The buildings at the Bund (and parts of the French Quarter) are pretty much the only old buildings left in Shanghai which is just like a modern concrete city. The only other old buildings are replicas, like the Old Town Markets.

 

Dinner that night was very enjoyable, although our waiter (Andrew) has to content with some very 'Fawlty Towers' assistance. For example, I had the crepes suzette for dessert and (as is my want) I decided I'd have another one. When the second dish was placed on my plate the colour of the liquid was very brown. I pointed it out to the assistant waiter and he advised that it was "burnt". I had to laugh, "oh okay then" I said. It wasn't a big deal as I'd already had one, but jeez that's pretty funny don't you think.

[Whitemarsh]

The 'Old Town' markets.

 

 

 

 

The queue for the dumplings stretched forever.

 

[Whitemarsh]

The guard that I thought was waving.

 

The Bund.

 

 

 

[fue-fue]

great photos again, many thanks for sharing them

[Pushka]

Fantastic reports and photos Whitemarsh. Good to see you are being a bit evil too. :p

 

We travelled on the HK lifts the week they opened. The next week, during a trial, one of the carriages unhitched and banged into the next carriage. So they closed it for several months until they fixed it.

 

You were very lucky your camera wasn't confiscated by the way!

[Monsoonalblue]

Thanks again - great photos:)

[Scrapnana]

Whitemarsh,

 

Enjoy your live reports as usual - great pictures and interesting insights. You seem to take the Cunard shore excursions - any particular reason? You also mentioned buying a picture pack. Was the cost for your entire voyage or just one segment?

 

Thanks for keeping us up-to-date. Look forward to the next installment.

[Michelle25490]

Enjoyed reading once again! Loved the photo's!

[Whitemarsh]

Whitemarsh,

 

Enjoy your live reports as usual - great pictures and interesting insights. You seem to take the Cunard shore excursions - any particular reason? You also mentioned buying a picture pack. Was the cost for your entire voyage or just one segment?

 

Thanks for keeping us up-to-date. Look forward to the next installment.

 

The photo package was $499 for one segment only. That includes unlimited digital and original photos. If you do buy the package they will sell you the same package for the next sector at half price. I have no idea what would happen if you stayed on for a following sector and bought the package again, I'll ask.

 

I've used the Cunard shore excursions because we've been in countries that I haven't been in before and I know the ship will wait if there are any delays.

[deck chair]

Hello

 

I am so glad I was able to visit Shanghai in 1985 when it was more charming, there were few cars and the city smog free. Enjoying your account. Thanks.

 

Deck Chair

[Rotterdam]

Thank you for the wonderful pictures......

 

I too was in China 30 years ago in May..Shanghai was my favorite city...there had been a problem w/ our visa so I had some tome to kill & took a walk on the Bund...I was stopped by a group of young people ...not speaking each other's language - yet they wanted me to play badminton w/ them and did so - a crowd soon gathered, it was sureal...so I look forward to returning one day and walk the Bund that you experienced...of course none of the otherside of the bank existed last time I was there in 1983. It truly was beautiful and felt like I was in the 1940's. I also went to the PEACE Hotel - did you experience that? It was as if the doors had been locked in the 1940's & they just opened - which is actually what happened.

 

When I was there the Chinese would come up to myself & a women w/ blonde hair - both of us were in our early 20's....and they wanted to feel our skin & touch our hair - her blond -mine wavy.....

 

 

Will you have teh opportunity to see the Terra Cotta Army???? Fantastic...another must see.

 

Thanks again...Full moon, smoothe seas to you!!!!

[Scrapnana]

The photo package was $499 for one segment only. That includes unlimited digital and original photos. If you do buy the package they will sell you the same package for the next sector at half price. I have no idea what would happen if you stayed on for a following sector and bought the package again, I'll ask.

 

I've used the Cunard shore excursions because we've been in countries that I haven't been in before and I know the ship will wait if there are any delays.

 

Thanks, Whitemarsh! So many people complain about the ship excursions but there is something to be said about the security of them.

[Whitemarsh]

22nd Feb: Shanghai.

 

The following day in Shanghai involved a 6:30 start for the 'Heaven on Earth by Bullet Train' tour. This tour involves taking a bullet train to Hangzhou to have a look at their famous gardens and the West Lake. Followed by a cruise on the lake, lunch and then a visit to a medicine museum and a shopping opportunity in a market. Our tour guide this morning called himself John (or something) - obviously not his real name - and he lacked people skills and a desire to inform. Personality traits one would assume are crucial in the job of being a tour guide.

 

Anyway, our first port of call was the Shanghai station, which is a monolithic building right next door the monolithic Shanghai airport. The train station was huge and very impressive. For some strange reason John thought it appropriate that we line up in pairs and hold hands as we made our way down to the platform.

 

On the platform, waiting to board the train.

 

Out of tiredness and bewilderment we all did this. I stopped holding hands very quickly once I realised what I was actually doing. Looking like school children, and slightly embarrassed, we boarded the train and took our seats. John warned us to use the facilities on the train as there would be no rest breaks once we boarded the bus in Hangzhou. Taking up this advice I attempted to use the facilities only to find that they involved a hole in the floor and a handle to hang on to - presumably to prevent one from falling into the hole in the floor whilst the train was moving. Yeah, not going to happen John.

 

The train trip was very interesting, we saw a great deal of the countryside and reached a top speed of 303 or 308 kilometres (depending on who you talked to).

 

Some Chinese countryside.

 

When we reached Hangzhou it became apparent that being further inland we were obviously a source of slight amusement for the locals. A quick bus ride (accompanied by the much more likeable local guide) later we were at the gardens and walking through them. As it not's spring, nothing was in bloom. There really wasn't that much to see, even on the boat ride, due to the mist/fog that seemed to cover the area.

 

The more traditional part of Hangzhou.

 

The West Lake.

 

 

 

Lunch followed, where I was slightly put off by certain persons at my table deciding that it was okay to help themselves to the communal bowls of food using their own forks. Yuck, isn't that something you learn not to do as a child? Where was that mother from the previous day, she would have set them straight. After lunch we got in the bus and headed for the temple. At this point I couldn't care less about seeing any further temples but this one was very interesting and picturesque. I was particularly intrigued by a mother who, holding her baby, bowed four times in front of each Buddha, in all of the temples.

 

I didn't use the full allocated time and so was able to keep warm by pretending to shop in the heated gift shop. It's so cold in China. Back on the bus we head for the medicine museum and the markets. The museum itself is a traditional Chinese house that has been restored and hasn't been rebuilt (like so many of the other traditional buildings). The building was interesting, the contents less so. The market however was great fun. I bought more vendor food and purchased a russian looking fur hat that did a great job keeping my head warm. I wish I had had it yesterday. Perhaps it was the hat, or perhaps they thought I looked funny, but a young Chinese couple requested to have their picture taken with me, a request that I happy to do.

 

I thought about having McDonalds but the girl serving through the perspex round window (yes, you read that correct) looked like she was having a really bad day. Me trying to order a quarter pounder meal in English would have pushed her over the edge so I decided not to. I did however line up for ice-cream at the Dairy Queen. Whilst standing in line I smiled at this African girl who smiled back. In broken English she asked "why are there so many foreigners here today?'. "We're all from a cruise ship." I replied. "A crusade?" she said, with a horrified look on her face. A nearby lady from our tour group managed to convince her that we were all from a cruise ship, not on a crusade. That was pretty funny, as was watching all the tour group trying to order their ice-creams by pointing to pictures and the guy behind the counter trying to confirm our orders by jumping up and pointing to the ones he thought we were pointing at.

 

I ate the ice-cream outside and then had a cigarette. John (the tour guide I don't like) came up to me and said "You smoke a lot". "That's because I like it" I replied. John continued "All I have seen you do today is smoke and eat." Rather put out by this I pointed out to him that I had done other things, like go on a bullet train etc. John looked unconvinced. Earlier that day John had 'suggested' that we all tip him and the local guide. I tipped the local guide but John's tip evaporated the moment his last comment left his lips.

 

We boarded the bus and went back to the station. John tried to get us to line up in pairs and hold hands again. Most of us just stood there and looked at him. One lady asked "why do you want us to hold hands like children?". "Because you are like kids" was John's explanation. See what I mean by lack of people skills and annoying comments.

 

Two hours later we were back on the ship. It was a long day, we left at 6:30 and got back on the ship at 20:00. Fifteen minutes later I was washed,changed and down in the Queens Grill having dinner. I had a bit of a chat with Andrew (our waiter) tonight, he's a very nice man from Great Britain and he's doing a great job, even more so when you consider who he's working with (the Basil Fawlty assistant waiter).

 

Too exhausted to make it to G32 and scowl at Vibez (just kidding) I retire for the evening.

[Whitemarsh]

More of the gardens.

 

One of the West Lake boats.

 

The temple.

 

 

 

The Buddha.

[Whitemarsh]

The market in Hangzhou.

 

 

The medicine museum.

 

[Whitemarsh]

23rd Feb. At sea - the day after Shanghai.

 

One of the great things about having a balcony is that you can go outside and have a cigarette as soon as you wake, but for some reason Cunard has failed to point out this advantage in its advertising material. The steward (or butler) is still pointing the shower hose towards the outside of the bathtub so I am constantly aware of having to manoeuvre it back to face the tub; I did forget to do this one morning and water went everywhere.

 

From the front of the ship it's a big hike to the Queens Grill located at the stern. The corridor on deck 9 does seem to go on forever and the only entertainment is having a quick look inside the concierge lounge to see what's going on. That's usually where the entertainment ends as there is generally nothing at all going on in that lounge. Strangely, some people do seem to like using it and I routinely see a few sitting in there during the day. I can think of better places to sit and read a magazine, but whatever. When I finally arrive at the table for breakfast I find that the Sydney couple are just finishing up. I order an omelette for breakfast along with orange juice and coffee. We have a bit of a chat and I am impressed to hear that the man went for an early morning swim - in this weather - and survived to tell the tale. It would be a stretch to call this weather freezing, but it's certainly extremely cold (I wear my russian hat and bathrobe whilst having a cigarette on the balcony). The man described the swim as "bracing", yeah I bet it was. The doctor arrives for breakfast and we chat about the caviar situation at our table and the whole 'off menu" thing. Our maitre d comes to our table each night to see how everything is. I've finally worked out that this is when we're supposed to put in our requests. Which makes sense, and I can work with that. I didn't quite get the maitre d for the first couple of days but now that I've figured out how he likes to do things it's all good. The doctor advises that she will be dining in the Princess Grill tonight with friends, but will come back to the Queens Grill for dessert as we are all planning to go and see a show. I tease her about eating in two restaurants on the same night and warn her that she will begin to get a reputation. : )

 

After breakfast we wander down to the photo gallery and I collect all the photos that Peter David (the photographer) took of us on the last formal night. He's done a very good job, although some of them are on an artistic angle, which is kind of annoying as they cannot be straightened without cropping some of the picture. Oh well, what do you do. The doctor and I both decide that the blue background is not sympathetic and we will not be photographed in front of it anymore, however the photos taken in the Veuve Clicquot champagne bar have turned out much better.

 

Saying goodbye to the doctor I visit Sir Samuel's for a coffee. I'm impressed when the waitress remembers my coffee order (after only serving me twice this sector) which is a nice touch. Sir Samuel's is always busy this time of day. Mrs Rynd is there and she pops over for a chat. She did the overland tour from Hong Kong to Shanghai so only got back to the ship in Shanghai. The tour sounds amazing with visits to the Great Wall of China, The Forbidden City and the Terracotta warriors; definitely something to do if you're booking the 2014 world voyage. Later in the day I forgo lunch and instead play bingo at 2pm. Despite being one number off, I do not win and the final prize goes to some woman up the back. The guy that calls the numbers is quite funny and makes the game enjoyable.

 

Afternoon tea follows this and I partake with the doctor whilst we sit and watch the ocean from the windows. I had Earl Grey today but decide I will try Russian Caravan tomorrow. Andrew the waiter is there and I tell him that I was "this close" to winning bingo. He asks who won and I respond with a line that I cannot print here. Andrew has a guilty chuckle. Feeling rather full I decide to go the gym and attempt to weigh myself. As the ship keeps moving my weight swings from 79kg to 84kg. Obviously these scales are giving me options and I choose to believe that my weight is a rather svelte 79kg.

 

After a sojourn in the spa, where I recovered my swimmers that I had previously lost ( I asked the man at the desk if they had found any swimmers but he said that they hadn't and nothing had been handed in. I was surprised to later find them hanging on a hook near the showers, where I had left them days ago), I then got ready for dinner. Before I went down to the restaurant I enjoyed a drink in the Commodore Club. The crowd is enjoying listening to David Read play the and I watch Beatrix (a waitress from the Commodore Club) shake drinks along with the music. It's a great atmosphere up here, although I am starting to get sick and tired of hearing 'I still call Australia home' which (due to the large number of Australians on board) is getting a heavy workout in every bar, on every piano.

 

Our table dines at approximately 8pm, although the American lady has usually finished her appetiser by the time the rest of us arrive. Tonight the Sydney couple are dinning at the Indian restaurant in Kings Court so it's just me and the rest of the ladies. Again we have the caviar and I follow that with the duck a l'orange and crepes suzette. Strangely, I have only ever seen one other table routinely order the caviar at night. I wonder why that is? Oh well, more for us. The American lady (who is in a Q3) says that she will invite us all to a drinks party in her suite. That's pretty good as I have never been inside one before. The table discuses the habit that some of our butlers have of coming into the suite without seeming to ring the doorbell or knocking. It doesn't worry me (as I always get changed in the bathroom) but I can see why they'd prefer that it didn't happen. The ladies don't seem too concerned about it though, I think it's just amusing for them.

 

As readers of last years blog will recall, I have a thing for diamonds and luckily for me the doctor is bringing the bling to the table this voyage. Tonight she's wearing two diamond brooches which are particularly dazzling. As I've had a few glasses of red wine I decide to try them on, which she graciously allows me to do so. As it's a semi-formal night tonight they do not look too incongruous on my lapels and I ask Andrew if it's they're too much. Andrew says they're not, but I reluctantly hand them back to the doctor accompanied with an offer to relieve her of the burden of her heavy jewellery.

 

As usual, our table is the last to leave the restaurant (10:25). Everyone else in the Queens Grill on this sector is dining really early. One of the waiters told us that Australian's generally like to do so. Our table is certainly bucking that trend.

 

After dinner we head on down to the Royal Court Theatre to watch the Royal Cunard Dancers do their "Tribute to Motown" followed by a magician/comedian. The Motown number seems strangely lacking and I find myself looking forward to 'Appassionata'. Which can not come soon enough as the magician/comedian isn't that great either. One of his tricks involved taking off his shoe and then 'magically' finding a bottle of beer in it. Spoiling the illusion somewhat was being able to clearly see the bottle shoot of the arm of his jacket and into the shoe. There probably were some other tricks but as I dozed off I am unable to report them to you. Feeling a bit let down we decide to call it a night and go to bed.

[OceanPatter]

Whitemarsh, first to preface my comment ... I've been on numerous Chinese-led tours, many of which had their quizzical/culturally-odd moments, but all paled in comparison to your trip to Hangzhou. Hold hands in pairs?!! Not once, but twice?! Cruise ship/crusade lost in translation?!

 

You just gave me my daily minimum reqt. of laughs (thank you).

[Whitemarsh]

24th Feb. At sea.

 

I wake (at 10:30) to find that the ship is moving about quite a bit due to the rough waves. At this point in the voyage we are continuing through the East China Sea on a south easterly heading. At some point today we will be passing some 50 miles to the east of a group of islands called Zhoushan Archipelago New Area. I haven't heard of these islands before, so all I take from this is that we are in the middle of nowhere. There's a force 7 gale blowing outside and it's very, very windy. These are the seas that the commodore avoided previously (on our trip from Saigon to Shanghai) by going between China and Taiwan. Despite this, we have moved into warmer weather and it's no longer necessary to wrap up before going outside. I don't feel hungry, and I don't feel like doing anything, so I head down to the spa for some well earned relaxation. Where, despite the best intentions of doing something productive, I end up wrapping my self in towels and falling asleep next to the pool.

 

Waking up hours later I get changed and head up to the Queens Grill lounge for afternoon tea. The doctor has already arrived and secured the best seat near one of the windows so there is a lovely view of the sea along with the warmth of the sun. There are no fruit tarts in the Queens Grill lounge today, so I decide to let loose and partake of more treats than I normally would. The doctor tells me about a mission that the Sydney couple have given her. She apparently knows someone in the Queens Grill that has a nautical background and the Sydney couple want her to find out what suite they're in so that the Sydney couple can liaise with the commodore and arrange for this mystery couple to dine at the commodore's table. The Sydney couple have tasked the doctor with this mission because it turned out that the people the doctor dined with in the Princess Grill last night are known to the Sydney couple. The Sydney couple are apparently also going to try and set up the Princess Grill people with a night at the commodore's table too. I'm not sure the commodore's table is big enough for the small army that the Sydney couple are trying to arrange to dine on it, but it is amusing to hear about the six degrees of separation from the doctor to everyone else in the Grills on this voyage and I wish her well with her mission.

 

Having eaten way to much (well me anyway) the doctor and I decide to walk around the promenade deck to work off afternoon tea. The starboard side is very windy and wet and the deck is very slippery. It's soon evident that this is an ill-advised activity and we give up and head indoors. But not before I have to really strain to open the doors to get back inside, I wonder what would happen if someone older and less mobile was trying to get back inside on a day like today. Crossing over to the port side we're pleased to see that the deck is completely dry, although it's still windy. We walk towards the bow, pausing to look over the rail at the churning sea below. There are plenty of waves and white caps. Looking towards the stern I can see that the ship is doing it's see-saw impersonation which is always impressive. Reaching the bow we decide to go out front where they keep the spare propellors blades and we are nearly blown away by the wind. It's quite fun out here and we when eventually do decide to go back in we realise we're heading into the wind which allows for further amusement as we lean into the wind and take it one step at a time; it's like walking underwater.

 

Too lazy to do anything else I decide to attend the FOD at five pm in the Commodore Club. I haven't attended many of these on this voyage so it's nice to catch up with everyone. There's not much in the way of shipboard gossip today, which is surprising, so I double check the sign to make sure I'm in the right place.

 

Tonight is a formal night, and what's more it's the 'Madame Butterfly Ball' which is being held in the Queens Room from 9:45pm and hosted by the social hostess Janet Labelle. I wonder if Janet will turn up? According to some regular Cunarders, the social hostesses are M.I.A for a number of scheduled events on the daily programme....tsk tsk tsk. I wonder how many passengers will do something special for the evening? I know what Cunard will do, the banners in the Queens Room will have butterflies on them. Much more exciting is the invitation I received earlier from the 'Cunard Royalty' couple for pre-dinner drinks in the Commodore Club. They're an exceptionally nice this couple and I very much enjoy the drinks and the conversation.

 

At 8pm the drinks are cut short as it's time to head down to the Cunard World Club party. I've already attended one of these between Singapore & Hong Kong but it was nice to get another invitation. My goal tonight is to say Draganna's welcome speech along with her as I'm sure it doesn't change. The commodore isn't shaking hands tonight and when I arrive he's busy talking with someone else so I bypass him and head down onto the dance floor. Not inclined to drink champagne I order a scotch and dry and look around to see where the others are. I don't see them but I do see Petra so I go over to say hi. She's always a lot of fun and makes me laugh. I find out that a Scottish couple is going to win tonights prize for most nights on a Cunard ship. That's surprising I tell Petra, given the stereotypical reputation of Scots as careful with money. I enquire if she's going to mention this contradiction when she announces them as tonight's 'winners'. Unsurprisingly, this hadn't occurred to Petra and she doesn't have any plans to do so. Undeterred, I suggest that Cunard start awarding prizes for the guest who has lodged the most complaints so far, during the voyage. In fact, why not hold a Cunard Whingers Club party and invite all the haters along so that they compare notes and commiserate with each other. Immediately I realise the inappropriateness of this suggestion, the Queens Room can only comfortably hold a couple of hundred people at a time, they'd have to hold nightly Cunard Whingers Club parties and this would monopolise the Queens Room to the disadvantage of other guests. Again, unsurprisingly, Petra doesn't think that this would be a good idea and I can tell she thinks I'm being very cheeky.

 

After saying goodnight to Petra I make my way over to a table near the windows where some of the ladies from my table are seated. The commodore gives his speech and is followed by Draganna who does her usual spiel. Draganna likes to tell us that Cunard ships are like a voyage back in time, reminiscent of the golden age of transatlantic travel and the golden age of hollywood with the movies "that we all grew up with". She's lying. Draganna is nowhere near that old and neither are most of the passengers on board. To have grown up watching movies from the 30's & 40's a guest would need to be around 80 or 90, which (despite the fact that this age group is apparently the target demographic in G32, based on some of the music they play in there), is clearly not the average age of guests on board. Most of them appear to be in their late fifties or early sixties.

 

After the speeches we make our way up the Queens Grill for dinner. The american lady is already at the table and we're joined soon after by the Sydney couple. There's no caviar tonight but we're are having foie gras followed by the Beef Wellington. The foie gras is okay ( I do not know what all the fuss is about) and the Beef Wellington is massive. The Beef Wellington is one of the dishes on the a la carte menu that needs to be ordered by lunchtime and shared by two people; there are four of us tonight having the Beef Wellington. I'd forgotten how huge the Beef Wellington is, one portion could easily feed four people and none of us are able to finish it.

 

The couple that have a table for two behind us are having lobster americana prepared by the maitre d, apparently it's one of his specialities. Our table decides that we too will have the lobster americana and when the maitre d comes around for his usual 'check in' we order it along with caviar for tomorrow night. It turns out that he can only do four of the lobster at a time and so three of us decide we will have steamed lobster with lemon and butter instead, and the americana the following night. I have crepes suzette for dessert but, as delicious as it is, I'm going to stop ordering this for a little while as you can have too much of a good thing - as it turns out.

 

I ask Andrew tonight if anyone has died yet on the world voyage and happily it turns out that no one has, which is unusual. The conversation at the table turns slightly macabre as we discuss people who go missing at sea and wonder if most of those who go overboard are murdered or it's a suicide. No one thinks that all these people just happen to slip. Once again, our table is the last to leave and put off by the lacklustre offerings in the Royal Court Theatre last night we decide against seeing Stuart Gillies (International television and recording artist - according to the daily programme) and make directly for the Queens Room to see how the 'Madam Butterfly Ball' is going. We probably should have checked Stuart's performance out, it can't have been any worse than last night's magician.

 

The Queens Room still has a good crowd and one lady has painted her face geisha style and looks very exotic. Janet is in attendance and doing a very good job working the dance floor. After watching the dancing for a bit we make our way through to G32 where Vibez is doing their 23:00 to 24:00 set. There is a good crowd on the dance floor and Vibez are doing a great job of interacting with the audience and getting them to participate in various activities and dances. It's very funny to watch and I have to hand it to Vibez, they have improved. At midnight (after playing 'Red Red Wine' for the 1 billionth time this voyage) Vibez calls it a night and DJ Alex comes on for his set. I go up to the DJ booth to see if he's managed to download my requested song. Alex apologises and says that he was unable to, but he does play two other song requests for me. DJ Alex is far better than any other DJ that I've come across on this ship and he makes G32 a more entertaining place to be. At 01:30 we call it a night and head to bed.

 

P.S. Hi 3rdGenCunarder, do you remember 'lear jet lady' from last year's circumnavigation of Australia? Well, she is back on board and according to reliable sources she does in fact own a lear jet.

 

P.P.S. Hi Glojo, with the gale we're experiencing the movement of the ship is quite pronounced. Moving along the corridor involves walking like a drunken sailor as you swerve from port to starboard and back again.

[Whitemarsh]

Whitemarsh, first to preface my comment ... I've been on numerous Chinese-led tours, many of which had their quizzical/culturally-odd moments, but all paled in comparison to your trip to Hangzhou. Hold hands in pairs?!! Not once, but twice?! Cruise ship/crusade lost in translation?!

 

You just gave me my daily minimum reqt. of laughs (thank you).

 

Thanks. :)

 

Yeah, the holding hands things was weird. He was really into it though, at the temple he stood on a chair and said to us all "you know what I want you to do." Needless to say, most of us just ignored him.

 

If I had a photo of that woman's face when she thought we were on a crusade, it would have been priceless. :eek:

[Mattsmum]

"Yeah, maybe, but that ship is long gone. What I want to know is what happens to naughty Queens Grill guests who try to order caviar and foie gras from just any old person? Will I be sent to 8129? "

 

Your postings are brilliant. My first 'port of call" when I get to work each morning (don't tell the boss). But, having stayed in room 8127 on QM2 what's the "in joke" about 8129 please?

 

Thanks