Another pleasant relaxing sea day today, where we didn’t actually do much at all. 🙂
We arose at 7.30am and went out on the balcony to see what the weather was like. The sea was fairly calm and only a light wind was blowing, probably created by the movement of the ship.
We decided to go down to the promenade deck and do our laps, looking for flying fish as we went round. We nearly always see flying fish when we are in tropical latitudes, and usually the first sign that they are around is when you see lots of birds.
As we strolled around the deck, passing other walkers, joggers and runners, we did indeed spot some birds, some of them going into a steep dive into the water. We stopped and watched closely. Sure enough, we saw the silver streaks on the surface of the sea – flying fish! There were not as many as we expected, but maybe the presence of the birds was keeping the fish below the surface today. 🙂
After we’d done a couple of laps, we decided to go to the Britannia Restaurant for breakfast for a change. At the entrance, we told them we didn’t mind sharing a table, so we were shown to a table for six at which one couple and a solo lady were already seated. The lady was from the US and the couple were from New Zealand. Shortly afterwards, a gentleman joined us; he said he was from Cyprus but he spoke excellent English, and there was certainly no shortage of conversation, each person having their tales of past cruises and places visited.
After breakfast we returned to 8025 and sat out on our balcony for a while, then Trevor decided to go to the theatre to listen to a talk about the Caribbean, called “Sugar, Slaves and Spirits” while I stayed in our cabin where I did some of this blog. We then pottered around the ship for a while until it was time to go along to the Royal Court Theatre where Cunard Insights speaker Robert Neal Marshall was sharing his story of surviving a near-death experience. It was a fascinating, thought-provoking talk which was quite moving in some parts.
When we returned to our stateroom, our cabin steward Raymondo had been in, and we were pleased to see that there was another complimentary bottle of prosecco on the table; our gift for being Platinum World Club members. 🙂
It was now lunchtime, which we ate in the Lido buffet. We didn’t want to eat too much because we had decided to have Afternoon Tea in the Queen’s Room later on. We would be giving dinner a miss tonight, because the Cunard World Club cocktail party was talking place at 7.15pm. 🙂
I therefore returned to our cabin and got showered and shampooed, and blow-dried my hair to save me having to do it later on. The afternoon passed in its pleasant way and then it was time to make our way to the Queen’s Room once again at 3.30pm. A guy was sitting playing gentle tunes on a Spanish guitar, as waiters wearing white jackets and white gloves moved around the room, proffering trays of sandwiches, cakes and warm scones. A waiter brought some cups and saucers to our table, then returned with a teapot full of hot, freshly-brewed tea. Another waiter came over with some finger sandwiches for us: tuna and cucumber, egg and cress. How civilised was this? Afternoon Tea in the Queen’s Room is something of a ritual on Cunard Ships, a nod to an elegant bygone era of the grand ocean liners.
We finished our tea with a warm scone with jam and – I’m sorry to say – squirty cream. This is sacrilege! You absolutely have to have proper Cornish clotted cream with afternoon tea, not this poor canned imitation. Some Rodda’s please! 🙂
We returned to 8025 and sat out on the balcony for a while, enjoying a glass of the fizz we’d received. Then it was time to start getting ready for the World Club cocktail party, as tonight it was formal attire once again. I dressed in a long blue dress that had a metallic star patterned mesh overlay on the bodice, and matching long ‘swags’ of chiffon that swirled and swished around me as I walked along.
The doors to the Queen’s Room didn’t open until 7.15pm, but at seven o’clock we left our cabin and went along to join the queue. However, when we arrived, we were the first ones there – no long queue! As I stood there at the roped-off area, a Chinese woman arrived and just went straight to the closed doors to the room and opened them to go in! A lady asked her what she was doing, and she waved her invitation and said “I am here for the cocktail party, look – I have an invitation!”. Yes dear, don’t we all.
I was pleased to see her turned away, but she still went and stood at the front of the queue. Why does queueing seem absolutely non-existent in some cultures? I remember when we were in Vietnam last September and our coach had pulled up at a rest stop to allow us to use the facilities. In the Ladies, all the cubicles were occupied, so a few of us stood patiently awaiting our turn. However, a couple of girls came into the toilets and just went straight to the first cubicle that became vacant, oblivious (or uncaring) of the fact we were already standing there waiting!
Soon the doors opened and we all filed in, our hands being squirted with sanitiser as we walked past. The ship’s band struck up with a selection of tasteful tunes, and waiters flitted around, trays containing glasses of prosecco, sherry, red or white wine or martini held aloft. Trevor and I sat at a table near the centre front, so we were in the best position to grab the attention of any waiters as they walked past, and keep our glasses replenished. Altogether, we managed four glasses each. 🙂
Then Captain Stephen Howarth took to the stage and thanked everyone for their loyalty to Cunard over the years. Trevor and I will go up a level in the World Club after this cruise, to Diamond, which is the top level. To be honest though, I don’t think the ‘perks’ of the loyalty club are as good as those of Fred Olsen or Azamara, where you really do benefit from the higher grades.
The party lasted for 45 minutes, after which time we had to start making our way to the Royal Court Theatre for a special performance tonight; the acclaimed West End musical Come From Away. It tells the story of the people stranded in Canada in the wake of the September 11th atrocities. Because all US flights had come to a halt following the tragedy, many people could not get home, so the people of Newfoundland had taken them into their hearts and their homes.
The show started at 8.30pm, and because we were in the theatre in good time, we managed to get our ‘usual’ front row seats. The show is well-known for not having an interval so as to maintain the continuity of the story, and it lasted until 10.00pm. Trevor and I did not really know what to think about the show. I would say it was ‘good’ but not spectacular, and it was certainly overhyped in my opinion. We did see a couple of people a few seats along from us walk out, but others seemed to love the show and several people stood up at the end. Chac’un a son goût, however.
As the show didn’t finish until ten o’clock, there was no quiz in the Golden Lion tonight, instead, it was karaoke time again. But I couldn’t really be bothered to go along, so Trevor and I returned to 8025 and sat out on our balcony again, finishing the bottle of fizz between us as we gazed up at the star-studded sky and enjoyed the sounds of the sea and the balmy, tropical air. This is one of the great pleasures of cruising.
Afterwards, we settled down in our large, comfortable bed and thought, with pleasure, of our visit to Sint Maarten tomorrow. We had been several times before but we already knew what we were going to be doing, and we couldn’t wait! We slept very well.