We (predictably) woke up at 4.30am. I had slept soundly up until that point, but Trevor said he had been awakened several times by the air-conditioning unit switching on and off. As I wear ear-plugs in bed, which effectively block out any sounds, it hadn’t bothered me. We walked for a short while before falling into a light sleep again. It was around 7.00am when we finally got up.
We had intended taking a pre-breakfast swim in the sultry, sub-tropical air, but looking out of the window, we could see that the ground and the flat roof below us were wet, in addition to big, ponderous dark clouds in the sky. The forecast said we could expect intermittent thundery showers today.
Instead, we got washed and dressed. It was only when I started putting my makeup on that I realised I had left my set of eye shadow and liner brushes behind. I would need to find a nearby shop to purchase some new ones. A quick look at Google Maps told us there was a Target nearby, so we decided to go and find it after breakfast.
We had each been given breakfast vouchers last night on arrival, so we made our way to the dining room and showed our tickets to the waitress, who took us to a table for two. Another lady brought two cups, a pot of coffee and a large glass of orange juice, and we went over to the breakfast buffet, which had a large selection of food. As we sat at the table, I wished aloud that I had brought my jacket, because the air-conditioning made the room quite uncomfortably cold.
I started with a big plate of fresh fruit, ham, cheese and smoked salmon, which I followed with bacon, sausage and breakfast potatoes. We were not due to board the Queen Elizabeth until later this afternoon, so we didn’t know if we’d be able to get any lunch, hence the large breakfast.
Afterwards, we set off to find the Target supermarket. After the chill of the air-con, the sultry Miami air was quite a shock. We walked along the busy road, watching aircraft roaring overhead at regular intervals from the nearby airport.
As we turned into a street, we realised we were in a residential area. Some of the single-storey properties looked a little run-down. We didn’t meet anyone else as we walked along, but we kept ourselves aware of potential pickpockets, and I kept my hand on my phone in my pocket.
Soon we spotted the Target building, with a couple of vans parked outside. We realised we were around the back so we walked down another side-street until we were in the right place. The Target store was massive; it probably sold absolutely everything. It reminded us a little of B&M Bargains or (the now defunct) Wilco at home. The staff were very helpful; a guy saw us looking around and asked what we were after. When I said I needed some cosmetic brushes, he took us right to where there was a large selection, and I was able to purchase exactly what I needed.
As we were making our way to the checkout, we spotted a chiller cabinet that contained bottles of champagne and prosecco. We decided to get some; it would be nice to drink on our stateroom balcony on a hot sunny day. We picked up a bottle of Mumm champagne and proceeded to the checkout.
The lady on the till rang my brushes through, then looked at the champagne and looked at Trevor. “Do you have ID?” she asked, in broken English. Both Trevor and I laughed; Trevor is 73 and I am 65. “I need ID” she said again. We have long since stopped carrying ID with us for obvious reasons. Trevor rummaged in his wallet and brought out his pensioner’s bus pass, which contained his photo. The lady examined it closely, but as it didn’t contain his date of birth she just stared at him implacably. “I think it’s reasonable to say I’m over 21” said Trevor.
Just then, I noticed that the screen on the till had a space where a date of birth had to be entered – maybe the assistant couldn’t proceed with the purchase unless this was filled in. Trevor therefore told her his date of birth, remembering to reverse the day and the month as we were in America! 🙂
Satisfied, the assistant then rang the bottle of champers through, and placed it into a Target carrier bag. I was giggling all the time at the thought of a couple of oldies being asked for ID! 😀
Leaving the shop, we set off back to the hotel. We pondered whether or not to go in the pool for half an hour or so, but the sky still held the threat of rain, so we decided to pack up whatever we’d used last night, take the cases down to the collection room (Salon A) and sit by the pool with a cold beer! 🙂
As we passed the pool, there were quite a few children in, and one or two grown-ups reclining on sun loungers. We went into the bar and it was quite a challenge to make the non-English barmaid understand that we wanted two pints of Samuel Adams. When we eventually got them, we took them outside and sat at a table in the shade. It was just as well we did, because there was a massive rumble of thunder and the skies opened. We watched in amusement as those sitting by the pool made a mad dash for cover.
As soon as it had started, the rain shower stopped. Every few minutes we heard another rumble, but this time it was jet engines, not thunder, as they soared overhead from Miami airport. As we sat and enjoyed our beers, there were another couple of thundery rain showers, and when we watched the aircraft taking off they disappeared into the low clouds shortly afterwards. We were pleased we had our rucksacks with us, which contained our cagoules.
Eventually the showers stopped, and we heard the gorgeous sounds of an unseen bird as he trilled his way through his melodious song. Don’t you just love birdsong?
Once we’d finished our beers, it was time to make our way to the hotel foyer and await our 12.30pm departure. When we got there, despite it only being 12.15pm, the coach was boarding already, so we joined the queue and took our seats aboard.
It only took about 20 minutes or so to reach the cruise terminal, and straight away we spotted the distinctive red funnel of the Queen Elizabeth. We didn’t see any other cruise ships, which came as a surprise.
Once the coach parked up, we alighted and watched as the cases were taken out of the hold, spotting our own. We didn’t have to carry them; they would be delivered directly to our cabin.
Check-in was very quick and efficient. We showed our passports and ESTAs, signed the form that declared we didn’t have any contagious diseases or intestinal issues, and proceeded on our way. Our cruise cards would be waiting for us outside our stateroom doors.
The queue to board was not too long, and soon we were stepping into the plush interior of the Queen Elizabeth. The lobby was predictably busy, and crowded with people, cases and wheelchairs. We decided to avoid the queue for the lifts and walk up to Deck 8 instead (at least it would be some exercise). Trevor carried my rucksack as well as his own; I don’t think I could have climbed all those stairs with it on my back! 🙂
Stateroom 8025 was handily situated near the lift and stairs. It was a pleasant, sunny balcony cabin on the starboard side for’ard. The balcony was a decent side and contained two deckchairs and a small table.
There was a kingsize bed, a mirrored dressing table and chair and a two-seater settee with a coffee table, on which was a bottle of prosecco and two flutes. We put the fizz into the fridge; we would enjoy it on our balcony later on. 🙂
As it was about 1.15pm now, we decided to have a light lunch and a drink. We didn’t want too much to eat as we had had a large breakfast. We made our way to the Lido self-service buffet I just had a plate of salad vegetables, which we washed down with a glass of chilled rosé wine. The wine was expensive at $10.00 (plus 15% service charge) for a standard glass. However, we had $270.00 each of complimentary on-board credit, so that wasn’t too bad.
On the way back to our cabin, we popped along to our lifeboat muster station to be ticked off the list and advised to watch the safety video.
Afterwards, we returned to 8025 and settled down for a power-nap, as we were still slightly jet-lagged. We then popped open the bottle of fizz, and I took mine out onto the balcony to enjoy while reading my book. I am re-reading The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists by Robert Tressell, after we saw the one-man play performed in Durham last week.
Just then, a gentle knock on the door heralded the arrival of one of the cases, and we spent some time emptying it and hanging everything up neatly or folding it into drawers. There was not really a lot of drawer or shelf space in the cabin; we have found this to be a feature of the more modern cruise ships, whereas the older ships such as those belonging to Fred Olsen have loads of space.
Shortly afterwards, the other case arrived, we finished our unpacking, and our time was now our own. 🙂
Around five o’clock, the increased vibrations coming up through the decking told us that the Queen Elizabeth’s engines had started up and we were getting ready to sail. Trevor went out on the balcony to watch, and held the door open so I could hear the long, loud blast of the ship’s foghorn as she moved away from the port. The horn sounded a bit rough, as though the ship had a sore throat. 🙂
Dinner was at the ridiculously-early time of 5.30pm for first-sitting passengers. It always used to be 6.30pm but over the years we have noticed it being gradually brought forward. We believed this to be due to the cut-back in the number of dining room staff, so they now need longer to get the tables ready for second-sitting at 8.30pm.
We had been allocated table #503 in the Britannia Dining Room, a table for six as we always enjoy the interaction with our fellow passengers. After getting washed, changed and refreshing my hair and makeup, we made our way to the restaurant where we were shown to a sunny, bright table right next to the window – great. We took the seats with the best view, then waited for our table-mates to arrive. Each time a couple walked into the dining room, we wondered whether they would be our companions, but by 5.45pm no-one else had arrived.
The waiter asked if we wanted to wait a little longer or to order now, and we decided on the latter as we didn’t know if anyone else would even turn up. As it happened, it was dîner à deux for Trevor and me. The food was delicious. I enjoyed a prawn cocktail to start, followed by a Caesar salad and a roasted cauliflower, chickpea and corn fritter tagine for my main course. I am not a vegetarian (although I could be if I thought long enough about it) but the main course was really tasty.
I finished off with coffee and a slice of key lime pie. Well, we are in Florida after all. 🙂
As the ship glided along, we passed the cruise terminals that belonged to some of the massive cruise lines that were usually patronised by Americans – Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Lines, MSC etc. The Atlantic ocean beyond the window looked calm and the ship’s motion was barely discernible. We were so excited to be back on this lovely ship, and we looked forward to visiting the Caribbean again; it is nine years since we were last there.
The main entertainment in the Royal Court Theatre was a violinist called Gary Lovini. He had apparently won the TV talent show New Faces in 1986. He was accompanied by the ship’s orchestra and was absolutely excellent; lively, talented and with lots of personality. At several times he encouraged the audience to sing along; he could obviously hear me belting out the lyrics from the front row, because several times he looked down and acknowledged me. He was great. 🙂
After the show we went along to the Golden Lion, where we found a table before collecting a quiz paper and pencil for the Big Pub Quiz. This consisted of six categories each containing five questions, the subjects being Movies, Sports, Geography, History, Musical Theatre and Flags. I wasn’t confident at all; I am not a movie buff, and I don’t like sports or musicals. We were appalling, only scoring 16/30. We scored 0 in the Sports category, and only 1 in the Movies category.
Afterwards, the resident band Changez came on. They were brilliant musicians and singers but they were just a little loud; we had to shout across the table to hear each other. We therefore decided to go up to the Commodore Club and enjoy a nightcap.
It was much quieter in the dimly-lit room. We took a comfortable chair each and I ordered a classic margerita, while we listened to the female pianist singing and tinkling the ivories.
It was about 11.00pm when we left the Commodore Club to return to 8025. We finished the bottle of Cunard fizz before opening the curtains a little and settling down for the night in our big, comfortable bed with its rustly Egyptian cotton sheets.
At first, we had left the balcony door open slightly to enjoy the fresh sea air and to counteract the drying effects of the aircon. However, the wind had increased by now, causing the chairs on the balcony to rattle, and the draught of air to make a distracting whistling sound. Trevor therefore got up and reluctantly closed the door.
We drifted off to sleep in pleasant anticipation of a full day at sea tomorrow. 🙂