Got up this morning around 6.10am and went out on the balcony, hoping to catch the sunrise at 6.14. However, there was a lot of low cloud and fog, making it impossible to discern where the ocean ended and the sky started.
Going back to bed and back to sleep, we rose at eight o’clock and got washed and dressed before making our way up to the ostentatiously-named Artisans’ Foodhall for our breakfast.
We selected a table by the window and looked out at the turbulent Atlantic ocean. There was still a thick bank of fog on the horizon and, as we gazed out at the scene, the Queen Anne suddenly gave a loud blast of her foghorn. In fact, we heard the foghorn every two minutes; we have sailed in fog before and the ship sounding her horn every two minutes is the norm. After all, it’s not called a foghorn for nothing! 🙂
We didn’t linger long over breakfast, because the first of today’s presentations was at 9.00am. Once again, it was an extremely interesting talk by Keith Muras, the guy who had worked for three years at the British Embassy in Moscow. Speaking from his own personal experiences, Keith related tales of KGB actions and plots against western citizens in the Soviet State. Once again, the talk was very interesting at the same time as being fairly alarming!
Afterwards, we decided to venture out of deck to see if the fog had cleared. While the temperature itself wasn’t too bad outside, it was still very hazy at the horizon, and every couple of minutes the blast of the foghorn continued, sounding much louder now we were outside.
We wandered around the outside decks, and decided to go to the topmost part of the ship and work our way down, as we hadn’t yet fully explored Queen Anne. We found a really pleasant place to sit at the top deck; it was a bit like an open-air version of the Commodore Club; that is, it overlooked the bow. We stood and watched for a while as the Queen Anne glided through the waters, determinedly making her way towards Madeira.
Around 11.30am the fog had cleared a bit, and we could even see some blue patches in the sky, and a brighter area where the sun was determined to get through. We walked to the stern of the ship and stood watching the mesmerising sight of the wake churning and foaming beneath us. Who doesn’t love a good wake view? 🙂
At 12.00 noon the foghorn sounded once again; this time it was Captain Inga Thorhauge who came over the PA system with the day’s navigational information. Afterwards, it was time to go to lunch, and we decided just to go to the Artisans’ Foodhall once again. I just enjoyed some cold meats and salad washed down with cold water; it’s far too easy to eat and drink too much on a cruise, as my ample waistline will testify. 🙂
We then had an appointment at the Future Cruises desk, as we had seen a cruise on Queen Mary 2 that we fancied doing. It was the last leg of her World Cruise in 2026, from Dubai to Southampton, a 20 night cruise in a balcony cabin that would hopefully take us through the Suez Canal. We have had two previous cruises through the Suez Canal cancelled; one of them was because the company (Voyages of Discovery) went bust, and the other was because of Covid. So we were hoping this one, on the illustrious QM2 would actually go ahead. 🙂
Trevor then went off to the theatre to listen to a talk about Theo Fabergé, while I returned to 11046 and wrote up some of this blog.
At 2.30pm we went, once again, to the Panorama Pool Club to do the music quiz. There were no tables or seats available, so we sat on a sunlounger and I used the back of my phone as a rest for the quiz paper. While the sun was finally peeping out now, and several people were bravely wearing swimsuits, I still found that nippy little breeze to be a little cold, so I collected a large thick towel with CUNARD emblazoned on it from the nearby pile and wrapped it around my legs; I was glad I was wearing my denim jacket. We were even worse in the quiz today; we only scored an appalling 22/40.
We spent the rest of the afternoon pottering around the ship, enjoying a pint of beer each in the Golden Lion pub. We noticed they were offering a ‘flight’ of three of Cunard’s own label beers, and we ordered one each, but the barman said they only had one of three beers in stock! We then asked for a pint of Shipyard beer each, only to be told there was no Shipyard in that bar. It was third time lucky – we each settled for a pint of Cunard Gold, which went down a treat; it’s a very pleasant, refreshing beer.
Back in 11046 I had a shower and shampooed and blow dried my messy hair, which is almost impossible to keep tidy, no matter what the weather. It was then time to start getting ready for dinner again. I do wish Cunard had kept the first-sitting dining time of 6.30pm – half-past five is far too early.
Once again, the meal in the restaurant – as well as the convivial company on table #349 – was excellent. I enjoyed a perfectly cooked trout with almonds, served with green beans, asparagus, carrots and croquette potatoes. It was followed by an amazing cheeseboard containing Cheddar with pieces of crystallised ginger; scrumptious.
We left the restaurant and hot-footed it along to the Royal Court Theatre for tonight’s entertainment, which featured singer/comedian Berni Flint. British people of a certain age might remember him for winning the TV talent competition Opportunity Knocks! in the late 1970s. He had a couple of chart hit singles, I Don’t Want To Put A Hold On You and Southern Comfort.
Now it appears he’s doing the cruising circuits, as well as adding stand-up comedy to his act. In fact, he was absolutely hilarious and we really enjoyed his show a great deal. We hoped we would see him again later in the cruise.
After Berni Flint’s show we were off to another performance – this time, one with a difference. We had booked it yesterday as it was being held in the Bright Lights Society, which only holds an audience of 140. In the daily programme it is described thus:
We were booked into the 9.45pm performance and the door opened at 9.30, so we made sure we were in as soon as possible to get good seats. In fact, we managed to procure an excellent table at the side, adjacent to the stage and dance floor upon which the performance was to take place.
Before the play started, members of the cast were coming around, engaging with people in the audience. One of them, a flamboyantly-dressed dandy whose character’s name was Raymond, came over to me and showed me a carnelian ring he was wearing. He took the ring off his finger and asked me to wear it for the duration of the show; he would get it back afterwards.
But before I continue, I have to mention my shoes! The start of the performance was momentarily disrupted by cast members coming over to look at my Irregular Choice shoes, called “Forest Forager” and featuring a heel in the shape of a cute little red squirrel. Even a lady sitting at a nearby table came over and looked at my shoes, taking a photograph of them.
One the male cast members, who was dressed at the sterotypical detective in a trench coat and Trilby hat, came over to look at my shoes and spotted the carnelian ring I was wearing on my left hand. “Has someone given you that ring?” he asked. “Now, that would be telling” I responded. He then said that it meant that they wanted me to be in their show! All I would have to do was become one of the “murder suspects” and read my lines from cue cards. I agreed I would do this. 🙂
The play was a murder-mystery which also featured song and dance, and a strong element of farcical black comedy. Other audience members were called up to become characters, each reading their lines. The audience then had to decide if each person was guilty or not guilty before the play continued. Obviously, they didn’t want to say someone was guilty too early on, otherwise it would be the end of the show. 🙂
Soon the “detective” beckoned me onto the dance floor to join him and the others. While we were dancing, he briefed me on my part, telling me that I was the murderer! My character’s name was Delilah Dufréré, and the detective spotted the carnelian ring I was wearing and accused me of stealing the ring from Raymond’s body. I then had to read my lines from the cue cards that other cast members held up for me, so it was my chance to ham it up a bit and even throw in the odd ad lib. 🙂
The audience decided I was guilty!! Next, a jail cell was rolled onto the stage and I had to go in! I stayed in character and rattled the bars of my cell, shouting “Noooooo” while the cast members shouted “Yes!”
It was really great fun, and once I was let out of my “cell” the cast members and others from the audience who had played parts came back on stage to take a bow. Certainly a different way to spend an evening on board a ship!
After I went back to our table, one of the cast members came over to retrieve the ring, and certain cast and audience members told me I’d done very well. 🙂
By now, it was 11.00pm, so we went along to the Queen’s Room to watch the end of a performance by those fantastic soprano singers “Ida Girls”, who we had seen on the first night. As I was standing there (there was standing room only), another couple arrived and stood behind us, and I heard one of them say, jokingly, “there’s a murderer in our midst!”. 🙂
We finished off the evening by going to the Golden Lion pub, where I enjoyed a large glass of rosé wine while listening to the music of “The Full Irish”.
It was around midnight when we returned to 11046 after a most enjoyable day. We had another long, leisurely sea day tomorrow, and we looked forward to what the day would bring. 🙂