Day 1

We checked in at a little after noon and the process was amazingly fast (less than 15 minutes from taxi to boarding). My wife was carrying a large painting so that slowed the process because it had to be checked in a larger x-ray machine. But soon we were boarding and unpacking our things. Shortly thereafter, we headed to the buffet for lunch. My first impression of the King’s Court was similar to reviews I had read. The way it is arranged makes it difficult to evaluate what was available to eat for the meal. Nevertheless, I am sure we will get used to it. My wife then came back to watch some Olympics while I toured the ship a bit. It was not long before we set sail and were leaving Southampton, England, and Europe. We couldn’t follow our departure from the harbor completely because we had to get ready for dinner. Dinner was good, along the lines of the usual cruise fare. Then it was quickly back to do laundry because we had virtually nothing clean anymore. The Laundromat was at the other end of the ship so I grabbed our clothes and took a hike. When I got there I was pleasantly surprised to find that the machines, and even the soap, were free of charge. However, the soap bin was empty. I asked a room stewardess if she knew where more could be had and she told me I should call the pursers desk. So I picked up the phone in the laundry room and called. They said they would send someone right up. 15 minutes later, no one came. I called again. The desk said they would call again. Another 10 minutes passed. The stewardess had been noticing me waiting and decided to take action herself. She picked up the phone, dialed a bunch of numbers, then hang up. The phone rang back to her and she insisted that they bring the bloody soap NOW but she seemed frustrated with their response. She hung up and said “those people…” but also told me that it was on its way. Finally, 10 minutes more, the soap arrived, only to find out that the laundry room was closing at 9 p.m.! Nevertheless, I started my wash with the intention of putting it in the dryer in the morning. Then it was back to the room to finish the day and sleep.

Day 2

Sea condition’s were very rough but the ship was handling them nicely. We started with a hearty breakfast then my wife was off again to the room for more Olympics on the TV. I went to play a little video blackjack and pick up tickets for the planetarium show. Afterwards I did some more ship exploring then soon it was time for lunch at the restaurant. The lunch menu was disappointing in its offering. My wife did not finish hers and although she could have requested something else, nothing was appetizing so we decided to leave without taking desert. We went to the buffet instead to finish our lunch, where there was a much larger selection. Having previewed some of the ships areas, I took my wife on a little tour. One of the things we did was to stop at the purser’s desk to give them feedback about the slow response to the soap shortage the previous night. Then it was off to the planetarium show, which was short but good. My seat was broken (which had not been indicated) so I could not fully recline (the show is on the ceiling). I had to bend my neck back to see but it did not cause me too much discomfort. I then informed the presenter of the seat problem after the show. We immediately continued on to high tea in the Queen’s Room, very elegant. Since there was a captain’s champagne reception that evening, it was time to start getting ready. We soon were off, shook the captain’s hand, and had 3 glasses of complimentary champagne! After that it was dinner, a show, and the ball. The show was good, especially the choreography. The ball was traditional, held in the Queen’s Room. After the late night, we were ready to hit the sack.

Day 3

Very early in the morning I awoke to find the ship’s outside lights on. Since we have a balcony I peered over the edge to see that we were not moving. Apparently at 1:30 a.m. the ship had a power failure. Backup systems came on, which meant reduced power for about an hour. Safety precautions dictated that the ship be stopped and checked before proceeding. Although interior power was restored at about 2:45 a.m., the ships speed was kept to a crawl (3-4 knots) until 9 a.m. this morning. The captain said that the cause of the power failure remained a mystery and that the ship would slowly be brought up to full speed. However, by 4 p.m. the ship was only running at about ¾ speed (17 knots), which meant that a speed of 25 knots would be needed to stay on schedule. But by 5 p.m. the speed had increased to almost 25 knots so we were back on pace to arrive on time. This afternoon we watched another film in the planetarium and a play performed by RADA. RADA is the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and has some of its company perform on each Queen Mary 2 voyage. After the performance, it was time for high tea. After reading and relaxing for a while we were off to another formal dinner. This night’s after dinner entertainment was first a poetry reading by RADA members, accompanied by harp. Then, immediately after, was a performance by Emma Sinclair. Both events were enjoyable. There was another ball but we passed that up for conversation with some acquaintances. Then it was off for another time change and goodnight.

Day 4

We lost the satellite feed for BBC and therefore the ability to view Olympics. My wife was not happy about that. Nevertheless, we had a good breakfast and relaxed afterwards to digest. The ship has picked up speed to around 25 knots, which we have to maintain to be on time after the power loss event. There have been no indications of any other power problems and no further explanation as to the cause either. At 9:30 a.m. the captain warned us about deteriorating weather conditions due to a low pressure forming ahead of us, directly in our path. We were expecting rougher seas and high winds so we could be banged about a bit. We attended a RADA workshop this morning on character acting. The Academy holds three workshops offering their valuable knowledge in training for actors. At noon the captain announced we were in force 11 winds (storm force), and we were having a rare opportunity to be viewing the middle of a north Atlantic storm. The waves were awesome (18-27 feet) and the winds were over 50 knots but the ship handled them well. However, not all aboard handled them well. We went to the Illuminations theater to see another film but our showing was canceled because someone got sick in the theater. Afterwards, we felt too queasy to continue with any other activities, so we went to lie down for the afternoon. It was still too rough at dinnertime so we skipped our seating and waited until later, when it was calmer, to eat at the buffet. Then back to the cabin. It was a day for many TV movies.

Day 5

Calmer waters, but foggy, apparently typical for the coast off Newfoundland. It was a lazy morning for us, reading and hanging out. The fog got real thick and visibility was reduced to about 100 meters. The lunch selection was very good and our meals were tasty. We went to another planetarium show and high tea afterwards (we must be ½ British by now). By then the fog had lifted and it turned into a fairly nice day, though windy. The last formal dinner night included the best dinner menu so far with lobster, beef Wellington, and others. Another dance show followed, and again was enjoyable. The last ascot ball featured a parade of hats with a few outstanding ones. Another time change preceded our bedtime.

Day 6

This morning brought smaller waves, warmer temperatures, and generally better weather. After our typical buffet breakfast it was already time to start preparing for disembarkation. We watched a movie while we prepared. Buffet lunch, then high tea, guest talent show and finally to last dinner. We relaxed with a drink afterwards with a couple acquaintances, then went back to the room early for final packing and bedtime so we could rise early to see the New York arrival.

Day 7

We woke up early to see an illuminated Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline. But the view soon was subordinated to the preparations to leave the ship. Disembarkation and customs flowed well, though the porter was not happy with our tip. We usually do baggage handling ourselves so we are not familiar with the intricacies of tipping. It was really offending because she gave me a strange look and I tried to get to the bottom of what was wrong but she would not explain what she was really expecting. On top of that, there was a big sign at the port that said “Tipping Optional”. Further the taxi driver did not unload our luggage at the destination, so I under-tipped him (I think). It was my wife’s first time in New York and she had a bad impression and felt that New Yorkers are rude.

Summary

The highlight of this cruise was the ship itself. It truly is different, both in its structure and decor. The organization of the buffet area was a downside; it was confusing to navigate and hard to get used to. The “White Star” service really meant nothing; the service was not superior to other cruises. The food was disappointing. We were expecting a superior culinary experience but felt our Princess cruise was far superior. However, these comments are all relative and we haven’t yet met a cruise we didn’t like. We would cruise Cunard again and really enjoyed being on the sea again, being pampered and served like royalty at a very reasonable price.