Victoria - On-board an ocean liner - tales from 2 passengers, a spa worker & the chef

[Ally]

$200,000 FOR THE TRIP

Jim Williamson and Phillip Whitaker picked the Queen Victoria for a 106-day world cruise because of the style it was touted as having.

Booking 18 months before the ship was built, the English couple opted for the exclusive Princess Grill suite on board the ship, with a price tag of about $100,000 each for the voyage.

"We wanted to do it in style. If you are going for 106 days it's the only way," Mr Williamson said.

Their spacious cabin, with private balcony, walk-in closet and separate living area was closer to the front of the ship of any of the staterooms.

Looking forward to Mr Williamson's 60th birthday at sea enroute to India in March, the pair said they were looking for a bit more action than the stereotypical Queen Victoria passenger.

Having booked adventures in most ports on the tour, have been dolphin swimming, ziplining in rainforest canopies, touring on Harley Davidsons and are looking forward to the Sydney bridge climb next weekend.

"We wanted to do it while we were young and fit enough," Mr Whitaker said.

Life on board was lively enough with activities to keep them busy when not in port, and they enjoyed the social atmosphere even with the mostly elderly passengers.

"We do bring the average age down, and we are not that young," Mr Whitaker laughed.

THE CRUISE VETERAN

Sheila Brook worked in travel for 50 years, and took her first cruise in 1958. Her cruise memories are prolific, with myriad trips for works and a similar number for fun behind her.

At Southampton in 1967, Mrs Brook witnessed the official royal naming of the Queen Elizabeth II, and remembers when Cunard president Carol Marlow, started out selling cruises as a young woman.

Now retired, but still working "one day a week" at the Accrington Travel Agency, the 75-year-old Englishwoman has at least 60 cruises under her belt. The latest Cunard liner was a mixed bag, she said.

"It's a beautiful ship and the food is excellent, but the cabins are a joke."

She said Ms Marlow was not listening to the passengers as much as she used to and Cunard had fallen into the trap of trying to squeeze too many cabins into too little space. Familiar with larger cabins on other cruise liners, Mrs Brook said the Queen Victoria staterooms were tight..

"We haven't got any drawers. They're tiny. The captain jokes about it, he knows what is going on," she said.

THE UBER CHEF

"Good morning guys!" Uwe Stiefel hollers at his white aproned cooks, to which comes the uniform response, "Good morning Chef!"

The executive chef aboard the Queen Victoria hears the greeting from 230 staff every day - the battalions of cooks, chefs, bakers, butchers and potwashers who man the ship's eight galleys.

With 3000 people to feed every day, the kitchens turn out up to 15,000 meals for the three sittings, with all but one operating around the clock. The main restaurant serves 600 meals during any one meal, and the kitchen is set up to spin those out in less than 20 minutes - one every two seconds.

One special chef is charged with organising about 60 meals per sitting with special requests, such as low fat, gluten-free, salt-free. Eight bakers do 10-12 hour shifts constantly baking every single bread roll, loaf, biscuit, croissant and muffin consumed on board. On Saturday morning three butchers were preparing 300 kilograms of fresh red cod and trevally bought in Auckland. It would last two meals, Mr Stiefel said.

The 140 tonnes of fresh produce from Auckland would last about three days.

After 16 years working on ships, the German chief chef pushes more paper than hot pans, but still would not trade it for a regular terrestrial kitchen.

"It is all about the ships, and being at sea. Also seeing the different places, working with the local produce, matching the food to the itinerary. It's something you don't get to do on land."

THE RETURNING KIWI

Handre Zaaiman was standing on deck playing the Black Seeds' song "Coming Home" as the Queen Victoria came through the harbour entrance to Wellington yesterday. ‘It's big day for me, coming home," he said.

Originally from Tauranga, the 21-year-old trained as a masseuse in Wellington before heading to Europe and after tending bars in Dublin for a while ending up getting his first professional massage job on board the brand new Cunard liner.

"I was blown away; it was a dream to work on a cruise ship."

One of four Kiwi crew on the cruise liner, Mr Zaaiman is contracted until April working from 8am till 8pm five days a week, part of the professional spa team on the ship. His massage clients are from all over the world but the age range is not as diverse as the nationalities, he said.

"It is generally the older generation who turn up with a few aches and pains, and there are a few who just come to relax."

Life on board is hard work, but living below decks with the rest of the 1000 crew members is easy going, with no bills and no rent to worry about, he said. Hanging out in the crew bar is the norm, but if crew plan to frequent the public areas they have to be dressed to the nines.

"I'm not much of a dress-up sort of guy, so I tend not to do that too much."

Planning to shift to another ship after the Queen Victoria, the voyage from Southampton has given Mr Zaaiman a taste for travel.

"Every place is new for me. I've seen Costa Rica and all the poverty there, and had tequila shots and gone bungy jumping in Acapulco. Everywhere you go is a taster, you have to make a note of where to go back to."

On-board an ocean liner - tales from the passengers - Wellington - The Dominion Post

[Ally]

There does seem to be a problem with the cabins on QV. Most complaints are about the size and lack of drawer space.