Malcolm's diary of QE2's final world cruise.

[Chris]

We were sitting in the Chart Room at midday. Perky failed to make his announcement (again!). At 12-07 pm we did get the navigational information announcement made by a “Cadet”. Perky leaves the ship when the refit starts and Captain McNaught takes over when the refit is complete. He will then stay here until he takes her to Dubai. As Perky’s been with the ship for so long I suppose he’s feeling sad that he won’t be seeing her again after Southampton. At least I still have October to look forward to.

David Perkins was aboard QE2 when I was there in September 2008. We were aboard for his last voyage and farewell announcement.

[Malcolm]

David Perkins was aboard QE2 when I was there in September 2008.

When in September? We had McNaught for both the Autumn Colours and the Round Britain. I'm fairly sure that McNaught took her for everything else until Dubai. Did McNaught board immediately before Autumn Colours and Perky have her until then?

[Chris]

Ian McNaught boarded after Mediterranean Sojourn which was the voyage before Autumn Colours.

I do think he was aboard from the April refit 'til sometime mid-year when David Perkins came back for a few months.

[Malcolm]

We had decided to have breakfast in the cabin to save time before going through immigration. Breakfast was delivered at 7-45 am, the earliest in-cabin breakfast is available. Before this there had already been three calls for passengers disembarking the ship to wait in the lobby by 2 Deck, G stairway. They will not be able to go through immigration until all the luggage has been landed – something that has not happened yet. Apparently in-transit passengers will not be able to leave the ship until all disembarking passengers have gone. There was a fourth call at 8-00 am for two families who hadn’t turned up and yet another call at 8-25 am for the remaining husband and wife to leave the ship immediately. In-transit passengers were finally called at about 8-35 am.

The cabins on Deck Two were scheduled to go through immigration between 8-30 am and 9-00 am; we left the cabin at 8-50 am. The gangway was from the Midships Lobby so we didn’t have far to walk to get into the terminal. When we got there everything stopped. There were three queues and four immigration officials. One queue was for US citizens – this never had more than three or four people waiting. The other two queues, for non US citizens, must each have been about 100 people long. We spent over half an hour standing in this queue to get a stamp out in our passport. Whilst we were standing in this queue we were asked five times if we had our blue immigration cards although these were not checked at any point until we left the terminal (They weren’t checked at all on our return).

I cannot put the blame entirely on US Immigration (although why they have to perform so many and such useless checks ashore are beyond my comprehension) as many people were not obeying the written times they’d been given for their deck. (Had I been on Five Deck I’d have objected to being told I couldn’t get off the ship until after 10-00 am.) Once ashore we had to walk the length of the terminal three times in order to get to the taxis.

There were taxis waiting and we got into one straight away. We wanted to go to downtown Fort Lauderdale and were almost there when the engine stalled. We were in the third lane of a four lane highway (Eight lanes in total, four in each direction). The driver tried to start it with no success. By this time there was smoke and steam rising from under the bonnet – Paul and I got out quickly.

We stood by the side of the road whilst the driver tried, without success, to fix the car. After about five minutes we asked him if he’d call a new car in order for us to continue our journey. After ¼ of an hour there was quite a puddle of water on the road under the taxi. At this point a Cuban lady who worked in the First National Bank (I think) was about to go into the Real Estate Agents that was by where we were standing. We ended up having quite a long conversation at the end of which there was still no replacement taxi to let us finish our journey.

By this time the original driver had managed to restart his taxi and had moved it onto an area of hard standing; he left it there while he came to tell us that he had ordered another taxi and it would be with us shortly – although he thought his car was drivable he didn’t want to continue with our journey and was going to take the taxi straight to a mechanic (There was still water pouring out of it and we wouldn’t have ridden in the car even if he had offered to pay us).

The driver drove off; five minutes later (over half an hour in total) we were still standing there waiting for a taxi. We decided that one was unlikely to turn up after this time so I went into the Real Estate Agents to ask for help in summoning another. The lady in there was incredibly friendly and helpful. After talking about where we were from, where we’d been and what had just happened she said that of course she’d call a taxi for us but that Las Olas Boulevard was only two blocks (a five minute walk) away and she’d recommend walking. It might have only been a five minute walk for someone in reasonable shape, for someone with a broken leg it took far longer. About half way to Las Olas Boulevard we sat down so that Paul could rest his leg and arm. Had we seen a taxi then we’d have caught it straight back to the ship. As the day started to improve after that we’re glad we didn’t give up.

We walked on to a lift bridge over the one of the canals. The road went straight ahead and climbed steeply to get to the bridge; whilst the footpath went down the side of the bridge approach and then up a series of ramps to get to the bridge. Walking to the ramps we passed a bar that was just opening and stopped for an orange juice before starting the climb (The juice wasn’t great but the sit down was welcome and the service was very friendly).

Once we’d recovered slightly we crossed the bridge and walked into the Las Olas Riverfront Center. Whilst this is probably a lively and bustling centre on a Saturday evening 11-30 am on a Thursday morning is not the best time to see it. Although it was clean and tidy the whole place had a rather grubby, used and tatty feeling.

As we were leaving there I saw a bus called the Sun Trolley. Here is where the day started to improve. The Sun Trolley is a free service that runs from 11-30 am until 2-30 pm Monday – Friday. It only covers a very short route: from the Center, up Las Olas Boulevard and back again. It is so short that just two busses can ensure a service every ten minutes. We caught it up to where the boutique shops start and then continued on foot from there. We stopped a couple of times along the downtown end of Las Olas Boulevard for more fruit juice as we walked along looking at the shops. We then caught the bus again and did a full loop to see a bit more of the area. We saw a sign to the Stranahan House, one of the few historic sites in Fort Lauderdale, and decided to go and visit it.

The Stranahan house was built in 1901 and was one of the first buildings of Fort Lauderdale – the shack it replaced was the first. The house was lived in until 1971 by one of the original occupants. When she died it was left to the Seventh Day Adventist Church who then sold it to a not for profit trust. This trust restored the house and opened it in 1984 as a museum.

The house is incredibly interesting. I would recommend that anyone coming to Fort Lauderdale should include it on the list of places that should be seen. There are also three other properties, including the Historical Society, that are listed along with this museum. We didn’t get time to visit them but would have done had we known about them earlier.

After we’d visited the Stranahan House we stopped at “The Cheesecake Factory” for a bite to eat. Is The Cheesecake Factory a chain? If so I think it is a good one (and not particularly expensive). We both had a main course (I managed a slice of cheesecake as well) and a 22 oz glass of a speciality beer. The cost was US$ 44.95 plus service.

When we’d paid our bill we asked where we could get a taxi and were directed to the hotel at the rear of the buildings. There weren’t any taxis outside so I went in to ask if they would call one for us. Instead they offered their hotel shuttle to bring us back to the ship for a fee of US$ 22.00. The hotel shuttle turned out to be a minibus that would have seated 12. The shuttle was already at the hotel so there was no waiting and took us directly to the port, much faster than the taxi on the way in had managed. Both the hotel porter and the driver of the bus expressed surprise that we wanted to go to the QE2 but had no luggage – we did explain that we had not been staying at their hotel and had only been visiting Fort Lauderdale for the day. The driver did not seem to be expecting any payment when we got out of the bus – if that was the case then the fare plus the tip must have seemed like a very nice tip indeed!

Before we sailed both Paul and I tried to check our emails with no joy. Once we’d sailed we heard that Cunard had sent some engineers onboard to fix some minor problems with the internet signal. They have left the ship with no internet signal at all and it is now up to the ship’s engineers to fix the problems caused by the specialists.

This was QE2’s last call at Port Everglades and there was a flotilla of small boats to see her off. There were two fireboats sending up plumes of water and a small crowd had formed along the coast. It was not as grand a farewell as some we have seen. I’m thinking about those in Australia (particularly Sydney and Albany) and Osaka, Japan.

Once we’d sailed we went back in at A stairway on boat deck to return to the cabin. Most of the lights were off; when we got into the lift about ¾ of the lights were out, there was no lighting in the corridor outside our room at all and the lights weren’t working in the cabin at all! We were met in the corridor by a stewardess with a torch who got us into the cabin, shortly after which the lights came back on again. After that the air-conditioning went off, there was no cold water in either the wash basin or toilet and the ship stopped moving.

We heard the air-conditioning come back on at 6-20 pm, I’ve just got a glass of water from the tap (6-40 pm) and the ship appears to have picked up speed – there’s no way of telling though the details that are relayed from the Bridge are not working!

Tonight’s dress code is “semi-formal”. I thought I’d got out the suit I’d bought for the second half of this trip; unfortunately I’d got out the suit that had fitted me when we came aboard in December. I didn’t realise until I put the trousers on – the waist failed to meet by six inches!

It’s now 7-45 pm. All the fluorescent lights in the cabin have failed and we appear to have stopped again! The light bulb in the wardrobe has blown. I’ve rung the pursers but I suspect that getting the ship going is more important than fixing a light bulb.

Now it’s 9-30 pm. All the lights are working – even the one in the wardrobe! We’re also speeding up. In the space of about five minutes we’ve gone from 16.8 knots to 23.1 knots. We’ll have to hurry to make New York on time. I suspect that we’re hurrying now.

[Malcolm]

We might have been speeding up last night but we’re down to 27.1 again this morning. Both Paul and I were awake at 5-00 am. The ship was very quiet. There was no air-conditioning (although the extraction from the bathroom still seemed to be working) and it didn’t feel as if we were moving. It’s difficult to tell if there’s no land to see. At night it becomes impossible. All I can say is that the speed display had vanished from the TV, there was no noise or vibration from the engines and that feeling of “forward motion” wasn’t there. I think that we lost power again last night and are heading to New York using as many engines as we can whilst the engineers work to repair those not on line.

There is still no satellite signal for the internet. We didn’t get a newspaper this morning, instead a letter apologising for there not being one due to “technical difficulties with the satellite connection”.

It’s now 8-25 am. At 8-20 there was a feeling of slightly increased vibration and our speed has increased to 27.8 knots. There’s just been another slight juddering sensation. I wonder if this feeling is caused by another engine starting up. I wonder if we’ll make a speed of over 30 knots. I wonder if we’ll have to miss out New York.

8-32 am and the speed’s disappeared from the TV screen to be replaced by snow; the air-conditioning has stopped and, although we still look to be moving quite quickly, the ship is rolling quite a lot so I suspect the stabilisers have packed up!

8-46 am and the air-conditioning and the TV readout are back. Our speed’s back at 27.7 knots. I suspect that this pattern is going to keep up for the rest of the day.

At noon Perky made his midday announcement. Not noon exactly, it was actually eight minutes past, but it was still an announcement. He was very apologetic about the engine problems and spoke very highly of the engineering department that had solved them. Everyone was proudly told that, with the aid of the Gulf Stream (I didn’t realise the Gulf Stream reached as far as the east coast of the US), we would be making 30 knots.

He was also apologetic that or arrival into New York is also to be delayed by an hour. I am pleased about this (as is everyone else I’ve spoken to). It means that we can all have an extra hour in bed and will pass the Statue of Liberty in daylight. I am rather puzzled though. He has twice shown on this cruise that the ship is capable of running at over 30 knots for considerable distances. If we are doing 30 knots and he were to increase our speed by three knots (an increase he has done on previous legs) we would have only needed to keep that speed up until 10-00 pm this evening; an increase of only two knots would have meant we’d have caught up by 3-00 am – still leaving us plenty of time to board our pilot at 4-00 am.

One advantage of arriving an hour late is that we’ll also be leaving an hour late. One disadvantage is that there are a lot of people who have made arrangements to meet/visit people in New York. We need to tell them that we will be arriving late. Both the internet and the telephones are down and will remain so until New York at the soonest – unless you believe what the pursers are saying (my advice would be not to), that both services might be fixed tonight.

We met Matthew and Michael and Susan before lunch for a drink in the Chart Room. Michael and Susan are getting off in New York so it was nice to have a chat and to say goodbye. Drinks lasted until well into lunchtime.

After lunch was the first of a series of lasts. I had run out of black socks. Unless I washed some then I would have to go barefoot into dinner. I went to the launderette for the last time this trip (and hopefully for all trips). It was almost as quiet as it was that day in Southampton when the entire ship was changing. It only took me just over an hour to wash and dry two loads. I’ve said the first of a series of lasts but I think the first of those was actually this morning in the gym. Assuming the clocks go forward an hour every night except the last (nobody is able to confirm this) I won’t be back in the gym again either.

I think that Perky is reading this report as I write! I’ve just been for a swim and, when I get back, the speed is up to 31.6 knots. Could we still make New York on our original timings? Or is this faster speed needed just in order to make the one hour delay. As it’s now 6-00 pm and we’re down to 28.3 knots I guess we won’t be there by the original time.

Tonight was the farewell to all those Cruise Critic Full Worlders who are leaving in New York. There are only six of us left now that have been on for the entire trip. It is so sad to think that we won’t be seeing all those people we’ve become friendly with over the past months.

[Malcolm]

The alarm was set for 5-00 am. I was awake long before that and eventually got up about five minutes before it went off. I was on deck by 5-20 am while it was still dark.
There was a small but hardy band of people drinking tea on deck and chatting. The area under the bridge was opened at about 5-45 am and most of the group went to stand up there. As it got light we could see that the sky was clear and, when it got high enough the sun would be shining. It was going to be a beautiful day.

As we approached New York there was a thick black line on the horizon. “Was that land?” people were asking. After a while it disappeared to port (we were turning to starboard but didn’t know it at this point). At 6-30 am Perky made an announcement. We had been approaching the Verrazano Narrows Bridge and had been forced to turn round. We did a complete loop and tried it again.

I missed the bridge entirely. I missed seeing the place where it is and (I’m told) the fog rendered it invisible. Paul and I went for breakfast while we were sailing in. I then went onto the deck to see if there was anything interesting. Suddenly the Statue of Liberty loomed up on our left hand side followed by the towers of Ellis Island. Soon the lower half of the skyline of Manhattan appeared (the upper half was hidden in low cloud).

As we sailed up the Hudson the cloud lifted. By the time we reached pier 92 the sun was shining although there was still a lot of cloud about. It took over an hour to tie the ship up and to call passengers to disembark. They called all self-help passengers and then, only a couple of minutes later, they called all in-transit passengers. When we got to the Midships lobby we were grateful our cabin is located forward. The queue of people waiting to get off was as big as it was in Perth. It stretched right round the lobby and off towards the stern at both sides. There was almost no queue to join from the front of the ship.

We weren’t clear of the terminal until 10-20 am (we’d been due to meet Kathy and Gene at 10-00 am but I had rung them to warn them). We got a taxi immediately and were with Kathy and Gene by 10-30 am. Kathy had already bought tickets for the sightseeing bus so we were off to join the queue for the downtown bus. This was a long queue and it wasn’t until the third bus came that we got places on the top, in the open air. The other thing she had bought, for which we were both (but especially Paul), were extremely grateful was a packet of pipe cleaners. She uses them to “clean the spider eggs out of the furnace jets”; we were astonished that American non-smokers would even know what they were.

The tour started by heading from Times Square through the theatre district, past Macy’s and Madison Square Gardens. We passed the Empire State Building, the Flatiron building and the site of the World Trade Center en route to Greenwich Village.

We then walked through the Village. It is so different from the rest of New York. The roads aren’t numbered and don’t go in a grid pattern. Most of the buildings are low, only a few floors high. It has a very definite, uncitylike, character. Whilst there we took the opportunity to see the Stonewall Inn (the place where gay men first stood up to police en masse and where the struggle for equal rights first started). As a pub it’s slightly disappointing. It looks no different from countless gay bars in the UK; however as a sight I am very pleased to have seen it.

We then continued, on foot, through Soho, Chinatown and Little Italy. It was funny to pass shops here selling “real” fake Rolexes and other junk that had been offered in many of the places we’ve been for much less.

Then it was back on the bus; up the east side of Manhattan, past the UN, The Waldorf Astoria and onto Central Park. We got off the bus again at Central Park to walk a little way and look at the park. We got lunch here, at a restaurant named after and originally owned by a famous baseball (I think) player. We all had burgers. Kathy and Gene had turkey and vegetarian burgers whilst Paul and I had steak burgers. Both Kathy and Gene were surprised when we were asked how we wanted our burgers cooked, that we both said “well done”. In the UK it is not normal to have a beef burger cooked in any way other than well done.

My parents went to Afternoon Tea in the QGL. They said that they had never seen it so busy; that there was a queue of people waiting for seats with the Maitre d’ marking tables as reserved as soon as they became free and then showing the waiting people to tables. I suppose this is yet another sign that our holiday is coming to an end.

After that late lunch it was into a taxi and back to the ship. There was no delay in getting back to our cabin; we were back by about 4-45 pm. We had a cup of tea and a rest. Then it was almost 6-00 pm and it was time to go back on deck to watch us sail. At 6-20 pm the ship was still firmly tied up and the bunkering barge was still secured to our starboard side. At 6-30 pm Perky made an announcement to the effect that bunkering had now finished ant that we should therefore sail at 7-00 pm. We finally sailed just after 7-30 pm.

This late sailing was not an entirely bad thing in that it meant that whilst the sun had started to go below the horizon and the lights had come on there was still enough light to be able to photograph the buildings as well as the lights. By the time we reached the Statue of Liberty however there wasn’t enough light to get a good picture with the camera without a tripod and a long exposure and the ship was moving too much to be able to use a tripod. The main problem was that, with not passing the Statue of Liberty until 8-30 pm, there was only half an hour to get to the cabin, change and get to dinner!

Although there were a few tables that didn’t come to dinner last night most of the people there were unfamiliar. We have become used to seeing the same people each night, we say “Good Evening” to them and they to us; pleasantries are exchanged with diners as they pass through the restaurant. We managed to eat dinner quite quickly and headed back to our cabin.

Paul was energetic and went to see if the internet connection was back up. It was so he went to download his emails. As we were both up early and had walked a long way and therefore ate a quick dinner and headed off to bed. We both slept like logs.

[Malcolm]

We were both awake by about 7-30 am although we didn’t get out of bed (except to get the tea) until almost 9-00 am! Then I went to get emails before we put away the clothes that had been accumulating, tidied the cabin and sorted out the Daily Programmes that were for the last sector. I left the cabin at about 10-30 and headed up to the Chart Room to continue with yesterday’s diary entry. Paul said he would check emails and would join me shortly.

The ship is very busy today. Every table in the Chart Room was occupied by 11-30 am. Everywhere one goes on the ship today there are crowds of people with unfamiliar faces. To say I resent all these people taking over my ship would make me sound unfriendly and I certainly don’t mean to convey that impression. However the combination of being so close to home and having become so familiar with the ship makes it very hard to tolerate those who’ve jus come aboard for the first time and still haven’t found their way about.

I hadn’t been sitting there for more than five minutes when this man walked along. He paused and then asked if I was Malcolm. It was David (dak). I am delighted that I can put yet another face to a name. He joined me for a drink (he was drinking ginger beer and me lemonade) and a chat. We hadn’t been talking long when Babette (Ocngypz) came past. As David and I had just been talking about good travel agents I was delighted to introduce her to David and continue our conversation.

Meanwhile Karie (Travel-to-go) had gone to our cabin to deliver the pipe cleaners we’d also asked her to bring (she uses them to make tree trunks!). I’d obviously not been there but Paul had been in to take delivery. They had spent quite a while chatting before Paul had gone to the Computer Learning Centre to download emails. There he met Marc (Karie’s husband). Karie then came up to the Chart Room to join the group there.

Perky did make a midday announcement. He said a little about the anniversary of the Titanic’s sinking (tomorrow) and then went on to say that tomorrow the weather will be a little rougher than today but should calm down for the second half of the crossing. First thing this morning there were blue skies and sunshine, later on there had been slightly rough seas with fog. The horn has been sounding for most of the day.

David left (he’d only meant to stop and say hello) and Paul joined the group. All of a sudden it was 1-00 pm and lunch time. We actually got to lunch at 1-20 pm.

We were through lunch within half an hour and Paul and I headed back to the cabin. On the way back I was telling Paul that there was a CC meeting planned for 2-00 pm in the Yacht Club. When we got back to the cabin I said I was going to try to download the issue of the Design Magazine that related to the original designs of the QE2 (www.xxxxxxx   – a link that Karie had given me  ); Paul gave me an odd look and asked if I realised that it was 2-05 pm already – the meeting had been due to start at 2-00 pm!

(The following was added as a footnote at this point:   I will post this link once I’ve checked that the link I’ve got goes where it should! [I’m sorry but I have no idea what this link was anymore I hope that someone from the QE2 Story knows it and can post it here ] )

I felt that the meeting was very much divided into two parts. There was the group who had been on the ship for a while and were generally more active on CC (subdivided into those who had done the full world cruise and those who hadn’t) and those who were just doing the transatlantic crossing and were often less active. Maybe this dividing came about from the feeling of strangers in our midst.

We passed the housekeeper in the corridor. I asked her if she could get someone to look at our air-conditioning as it was now blowing too cold and explained that earlier in the cruise the opposite had been the problem and her predecessor had arranged for the reheater to be disconnected. She promised to get someone to look at it. When the a/c man came to look at it I did tell him that the reheater had been disconnected; he said that wasn’t possible and would make some adjustments outside. The cabin is still no warmer.

I went to afternoon tea with my parents (Paul stayed in the cabin). The QGL was packed. Whereas in the past on this cruise there’s always been plenty of space there were people waiting for tables again. I suspect that it’s the new influx of people – all hungry and looking forward to good food. They haven’t had time yet for their appetites to be damped by all the food available.

At 5-45 pm I decided to go swimming. I didn’t even stay at the pool long enough to get my trunks wet! The newbies have found the gym as well – there were six people in the pool (my pool? It was only last week that I had it all to myself).

I feel that the staff are giving less of their time to serving those who have been on the ship a while and are devoting much more to the newly joined passengers. I think that I can understand this – those of us that have been here a while have developed routines, the staff know who to expect and where, whereas someone who is new to the ship has to experience as much as they can in six days.

We went up to the World Cruise Lounge for a coffee. This was somewhere we could be sure of not meeting newcomers – the lounge is only available to those on the full world cruise. It has been busy; we’ve stopped going in because it’d become impossible to get a seat. Today there were only three other couples in there and lots of empty tables.

I do not mean this to be a rant against new people joining the ship and I feel that is exactly what this is becoming. This is the final leg of the world cruise; today Paul and I were discussing the final gratuities that we’ll be giving; the six full worlders from CC have been discussing or final lunch together; we’ve planned our final Heritage Tour with Thomas; there have been plans made for the final Cabin Cavalcade (it’s tomorrow. I don’t think any of the full worlders are going – we’ve all done three and don’t really want to do a fourth. I don’t think that many people who joined before New York will be going either.). There’ve been a lot for finals today and that has left me feeling glum and ready to pick fault with anyone who doesn’t act like people did a week ago.

While I’m in a grumbling mood I’m going to grumble a bit more! It was the first of the Captain’s Cocktail Parties for the people who joined in New York. Tomorrow will be another Captain’s party; the day after the World Club Party (for the new passengers) and the day after that the Senior Officers’ Party (again for the new passengers). We had our last cocktail party 11 days ago. It annoys me that those who’ve been on the ship for three months don’t get any parties whilst those who’ve only just joined get three in succession.

[Malcolm]

Another sign that we’re almost home – it was British immigration this morning, when Paul and I went the queue was quite long (there weren’t two queues, one for EU and one for non EU citizens, just the one for everybody). It took us just under ten minutes. When my mother went there was no queue at all.

After immigration we wanted to hear Ron Warwick speaking on his trip to view the wreck of the Titanic. I had guessed that there would be a lot of people wanting to hear him speak and we were there about 15 minutes early. We weren’t the first but were amongst the first 20 to take seats in the balcony. By the time the lecture started the balcony was full. It was a pity that the lead had come out of the back on the laptop that Ron Warwick was to use. He spent a very frustrating ten minutes trying to adlib whilst the technical staff tried everything on the keyboard to make the laptop work!

Ron Warwick admitted that the lecture had been put together as a last minute thing once he was aboard the QE2. He did not have plans for a talk before he boarded. Unfortunately this showed – the talk looked as if it had been hastily assembled from what he had already had rather than having been thought through carefully. It did not show Ron Warwick in the best light.

At the end he was asked questions by the audience. Most of these questions were from people who are far too fond of their own voice however there was one that was of interest. The questioner asked what Titanic commemorations were planned for later today and when would they be. Commodore Warwick’s response was that he was not sure exactly what was planned but he was sure that the Captain (Perky) would mention it in his midday announcement. Paul and I looked at each other and said, in unison, “If he makes one”!

He did make one. He’s told us that we’ll be passing the wreck site at approximately 5-00 pm. That there will be a wreath dropped into the sea, there will be an announcement over the tannoy and there will be a minute’s silence in memory of those who died. He also said that it’s the Mauretania Cocktail Party this evening. It is not. It is only the party for those who joined at New York and are eating in the Mauretania.

We met Babette (Ocngypz) while we were heading to our cabin before lunch. She told us that there was to be a screening, just for CC, of the home movies some people had taken of the tandem crossing. The screening was to be in the Theatre at 2-00 pm this afternoon and that any CC member was invited. When Paul and I got back to the cabin I tried to contact the four remaining full worlders without success.

As Paul and I headed to the restaurant we saw Veronica (Adrenalinejunkie) and Norman (Nadis). We told them about the showing and they said they would be pleased to attend. After lunch (about 1-45 pm) I tried calling Leone (Runaway) and Judi (OldChick) again. I was delighted when they both answered and both said they would be at the showing.

I got to the Theatre at about 1-55 pm to find that Leone was the only other person there. However Veronica, Judi and Norman soon followed. Babette turned up shortly after two and that was it! People were starting to arrive for the talk at 2-30 pm so we all decided to adjourn and move to the Crystal Bar. We had a very pleasant hour chatting and asking all those travel related question of Babette that you always want to ask your agent and never quite get round to! Babette has probably secured a couple of bookings from the meeting as several of us went off to place deposits on future bookings without having to commit to one particular voyage.

Paul slept while I went to Afternoon Tea with my mother; I slept while Paul dealt with a TV repair man who insisted that our TV wasn’t working (it is). At one point Perky announced something. As the announcement was only through the corridors we didn’t hear it. I suspect it was something to do with being over the Titanic and their being about to throw the wreath into the sea. As it was raining we didn’t go to see it.

I have to take back my words of yesterday. We have got a cocktail party invitation. It is to the party of “the Captain and Senior Officer’s”. I do wonder what the Senior Officer has that he wants to introduce us to (and, for that matter, which is the senior officer as both John Duffy and Paul Yeoman are in the list of inviters). A second error on the invite is the capitalisation of the word starboard. The invitation reads “... enter via the Starboard side by the Chart Room”. [I think I might have been a bit pedantic on the second point but the misuse of an apostrophe on an invitation is unforgivable!]

I’m writing this on the evening of the 15th having been to the event. I’m looking back at the invitation and have found yet another inconsistency. The invite refers to “Portside” (their capitalisation) and “Starboard side”. Why is the former one word and the latter two words?

[Malcolm]

We were in the Chart Room by 9-30 am this morning. Life is getting more and more unfair; when we got to the bar there was someone else at our table again. Who do these people who joined in New York think they are? We have sat at that table every sea day since Southampton and these new cruisers think they own the ship!

Thomas was doing his Heritage tour just for Cruise Critic this morning. Paul and I were sitting in the Chart Room when we met Karie. Paul didn’t want the extensive walking so Karie and I made our way to the Midships Lobby for the tour. There were about 30 Cruise Criticers there, ranging from new posters to old friends like Matthew and Karie. Although I have done the Heritage Tour with Thomas quite a few times (three on this current trip alone) the talk he gave both in the Midships Lobby and around the ship was new (although the tour didn’t go anywhere I’ve not been before). I thoroughly enjoyed it; it lasted for longer than the normal hour and a half and I regretted having to leave five minutes before the end.

Noon came whilst we were still on the tour. Perky failed to make an announcement. The navigational information was given by a “Cadet”. Thomas paused the tour whilst his brief announcement was made.

I had to leave early because the six original full worlders were meeting for lunch (arranged by Leone) and Paul and I had invited them for a glass of Champagne in our cabin beforehand. Jerome, or steward, had really done everything he could to ensure that our drinks party was a success. Paul and I had been out of the cabin all morning to give him time to sort things out and when we returned not only had he provided the Champagne and glasses but there was also a tray of canapés. He had made sure that the cabin was properly cleaned (not that it has ever not been), the broken light had been replaced and all the odds and ends that we’ve collected over the cruise were tidied away. I am pleased to inform that we did serve Champagne and not Pol Acker – that Cunard favourite.

After drinks it was straight up to the Mauretania (the only restaurant in which we had contacts and could provide a table for nine) for lunch. As well as organizing the meal Leone had also provided the wine with lunch. Although I have previously eaten in the Mauretania whilst it’s been located on Upper Deck this was before the refit of 1994. I have never eaten in the refitted restaurant either as the Caronia (as it was immediately after refit) or the new Mauretania so I am pleased to add it to the list of restaurants I’ve eaten in.

After lunch it was off to the “Friends of the WCC” as it appeared in the Daily Programme. This was the screening of the videos from the Tandem Transatlantic that some members had taken in January. I admit that I left after half an hour. There were far too many shots of the Vicky struggling in bad weather (Veronica later told me that there was some footage of the QE2 in the same weather – I’d have liked to have seen that).

As the portholes on Deck Five have been closed; Judi tells us that those at the bow of Deck 3 are shut and Tim that the bow of Deck Two are fastened I suspect that this should be taken as a warning of bad weather to come. As I left the screening early I took the opportunity to start packing. This is another thing that really makes it feel that the trip is now at an end. On previous cruises I have said I would give up the last day at sea to avoid the final morning; on this trip I would quite happily have given up the return crossing to have been at home straight from New York.

It was our “Senior Officer’s” party this evening. As neither Paul nor I were bothered about shaking hands with Perky, John Duffy or Paul Yeoman we followed the instructions to “enter via the starboard side”. The queue was almost as long as it was to join the receiving line.

Once we were through the queue we got seats and started to look for a steward. There wasn’t one in sight. Finally I managed to get one (the steward that had refused to get us a soft drinks package at Los Angeles) to say that he would come and take our order when he’d served the drinks he was carrying. On his return he said that he’s already taken two new orders and would come to take our order once he’d served his new customers. We were not happy.

It was noticeable that there was a group of about eight officers standing at the back of the room; they all had drinks. When two more officers joined them they were served immediately. We approached two other officers who were heading towards their colleagues and said that we were having problems ordering a drink and that the steward we had asked had just taken orders elsewhere. These officers shrugged, said we’d just have to wait for a steward and headed off to their friends.

We caught one of the stewards serving Pol Acker and asked him. He said that we would need a wine steward and then said he would ask one to come over.  About five minutes later he did come back to us to check that a steward had taken our order.

Twenty minutes into the party we were finally able to place an order with the steward that had taken another order. We ordered a Bombay Sapphire with diet tonic and a Laphroaig with water on the side and no ice. The steward repeated this. Ten minutes later, half an hour after we’d first got to the party, the steward came back. He’d forgotten the Bombay Sapphire and had a whisky with the water already added, far more water than we would have added ourselves. When we said that we had wanted water on the side we were told that they don’t do that. They have often provided water on the side at parties in the Queens Room; why didn’t the steward tell us that he couldn’t provide water on the side when we finally ordered on this occasion? As this was the steward who had lied to us about the availability of soft drink packages from the Funnel Bar we doubted the veracity of his statement.

At this point we left of the party and decided to go for dinner. It is not fare to put all the blame for poor service onto the stewards. The Queens Room was as full as I’ve ever seen it for a cocktail party and there were only four wine stewards serving drinks. It seems that Cunard have decided that, whilst they still want to say that other drinks are available and for their officers to get what drinks they want, passengers must drink only warm, flat, Pol Acker.

Once we’d left the party we passed through the Golden Lion en route to the restaurant. John Duffy was sitting there drinking with a fellow officer. The event had been so crowded and the service so poor that he had obviously decided not to stay at his own party but to go drink in a quieter environment (the Karaoke hadn’t started by this time).

[Louis De Sousa]

We were in the Chart Room by 9-30 am this morning. Life is getting more and more unfair; when we got to the bar there was someone else at our table again. Who do these people who joined in New York think they are? We have sat at that table every sea day since Southampton and these new cruisers think they own the ship!

  LOL I wonder did you own the ship?

[Malcolm]

LOL I wonder did you own the ship?

Of course not! Those full worlders who were left couldn't be bothered with the intricacies of running a ship!

I've said how at the CC get-together the six remaining full worlders sat together and didn't speak outside our six. We know we were isolating ourselves; we knew we were being churlish; but our comfort zones had been invaded in many different places and at every occasion we ventured outside our cabin.

When I look back I am really astonished that we allowed a couple of people who were not on for the duration to join us for the final lunch. For us the cruise had ended once we left New York. We were just on a very tedious journey home.

As I've read through these reports again I've been astounded just how critical I became about anything and everything. I am not the latter day Cunard's biggest fan but I am really pulling them to pieces over the slightest error on this journey home. I think I was aware that I was doing it but just couldn't help myself.

[southfielddane]

Malcolm
My wife and I have enjoyed reading your postings and comparing them with my wife`s copious notes of the same World Cruise. I have 20 or so dvds of my own of the cruise from the Southampton departure on 6 January to the return on 18 April so we have very fresh memories of the cruise which are reawakened by these.
I agree with a lot of what you have said especially about "Perky" but I disagree over some of the details and your attitude to the staff at times. We could just afford a Caronia cabin on 3 deck and are now penniless having spent almost all our lump sums after 40 years or so of teaching.I do not regret it and would do the same again if I had the chance and financial ability. Your comments about the few remaining World Cruisers do not ring true as I know that there were at least a dozen or so more. We were  not members of the Cruise Critic circle and obviously this meant you were unaware of our presence.   

[Louis De Sousa]

I agree with a lot of what you have said especially about "Perky" but I disagree over some of the details and your attitude to the staff at times.

Sadly there was a lot of passengers with this attitude. 

Louis

[southfielddane]

Yes sadly there were times when we were saddened by the attitude of the more "well-heeled " passengers on board. One particular incident in the Boardroom that happened caused my wife and I to support the staff. Enrique & Rowena did their best without complaint to serve and welcome all the World Cruisers who made use of the Boardroom facility. One particularly busy day they were out of sight preparing the drinks, biscuits etc when a brash American woman flew into the room and marched up to them when they appeared and demanded coffee immediately. She was told politely to take a seat and would be attended to when they had finished serving those who were waiting for their orders. The woman had a fit at being asked to take a seat and then proceeded to delve into a jar of biscuits despite a prominent notice asking passengers not to serve themselves. On having the notice pointed out to her she went ballistic and threatened to report Rowena and Enrique to the hotel manager before storming out. Having spread e-coli or whatever throughout the contents of the jar Rowena had to take the jar and throw away the contents.........We never found out if the bitch did complain but we offered our support to E & R should there be an enquiry.
Another thing that amazed us was the petty theft that went on. One of the World Cruisers had a mobility scooter and this had to be left outside the theatre when attending a lecture.She had a bought a souvenir bag in Hong Kong and put some library books in it, leaving it in the carrier at the base of the scooter. On returning to the scooter she found the books had been taken out and placed on the carrier while the bag itself had been stolen.
We also heard tales about keys to the scooters being deliberately removed.
   

[Malcolm]

I have 20 or so dvds of my own

I've only got six - although 17 hours of footage was edited to go on them! Paul manages to take about 10 000 photographs   (I say about because a lot were deleted whilst we were still on the ship. We've about 1000 left so I'm guessing at 10 000 to start with).

I disagree over some of the details and your attitude to the staff at times.

Can you give an example of what you disagree with please. Maybe I can give some reasoning to my feelings. We always found the staff either exceptionally good or bad. At times the service was out of this world whilst, at others, you felt the staff were treating you like dirt.

We could just afford a Caronia cabin on 3 deck

Remember we had booked Caronia Guarantees - A C2 for my parents and a C4 for us. The Britannia Grill came as a quite unexpected upgrade

Your comments about the few remaining World Cruisers do not ring true as I know that there were at least a dozen or so more. We were  not members of the Cruise Critic circle and obviously this meant you were unaware of our presence.

Remember - I was talking about my acquaintances from Cruise Critics. This diary was kept partly for CCers at home to read and therefore related to what was happening CC (an Cunard Critic) wise. On that final leg there were only six of us left; I know there were some non CC people who had done the entire trip but we full worlders were still few and far between.