Sunday 29th January 2023. Day 19 of 102.

We are now on Day 19 of this voyage of a lifetime.  Today is the first of two sea days between Salalah and our next port, Abu Dhabi.  We are currently four hours ahead of G.M.T., and it’s going to be a long time before we return to gaining an extra hour as we head back from Sydney sometime in March. 

The Story So Far: 

We started in Southampton, departing roughly on time, rounding the southern tip of the Isle of Wight, taking a south-westerly route to and through the Bay of Biscay, eventually docking at Lisbon after two days at sea.  After a day in Portugal’s capital, we would continue for a further four sea days, entering the Mediterranean through the Straits of Gibraltar and enjoying the first of the winter warmth as we headed for Crete, a Greek island whose capital, Heraklion, would be our next port of call.  The following day would see us now en route for the Port Said Anchorage where traffic has to await booked clearance to proceed south through the Suez Canal.  Our allotted slot was 04.00 hrs; I think we were underway 30 minutes early.  Our passage was around 12 hours, coming out at Port Suez just after 15.00 hrs.  We would then steam past the coastlines of Egypt and Saudi Arabia, arriving at Safaga on the Red Sea the following day, our third port of call. We would continue through the Red Sea along the coasts of Egypt and Sudan, into the Gulf of Aden,   by now “dangerous waters”  with piracy a definite but unlikely risk, and then, along the coasts of Yemen, on the port-side and Somalia on our starboard-side.  Note: The film “Captain Philips” starring, I think, Tom Hanks, is well worth watching and documents the genuine risk in these waters.  Eventually, we would exit the Gulf of Aden before passing the southern coast of Oman, and docking at our fourth port of call Salalah, capital of Dhofar.  Today, the first of two sea days takes us into the Arabian Sea, venturing north east, passing Ra’s al Madrakah, and rounding Ra’s al Hadd and crossing the Tropic of Cancer.

For the benefit of those who have just come across my blog, Welcome.  You may even be considering taking a cruise.  My blog is not intended as advice.  Varying opinions are plenteous elsewhere; try Gary Bembridge or Emma on YouTube.  My writings and illustrations are more of a travel (and sometimes) life diary.  Very occasionally, I can put my foot in it, but anything controversial is very much unintended. 

For whatever reason, Cunard’s Queen Mary 2, where I am right now until almost the end of April, is where I feel much at home and comfortable. Unlike monsieur Bembridge, I don’t spend all year on different cruise ships; sometimes, I wish that I did!  Since 1988, I have enjoyed, apart from Cunard, P & O in pre Carnival days, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Line.  Thus, I am no authority on cruising in the wider sense.  But, I do have a fleeting knowledge of Cunard, but perhaps not enough to address an audience on QM2!  

People frequently ask me what my favourite ship is.  If I am trying to be clever, I will reply, “The one I am on right now.”  Given the choice, Queen Mary 2 will always be my  preferred option.  I was a fan immediately it was announced in the late 1990s that a new Queen Mary was proposed under the title Project Queen Mary.  I was determined that I would be on its maiden voyage.  And, I was!   I came back with as much commemorative memorabilia as I could carry, and had a fun time during those first two weeks Queen Mary 2 was in service. 

Since January 2004, opinion has always been divided.  At that time, Queen Mary 2 was the largest and most expensive passenger ship ever constructed, very state of the art.  But it wouldn’t be long before the likes of Royal Caribbean and other cruise ship companies would build bigger ships, more modern, spectacular, flamboyant, etc etc.  My bias towards Cunard is really down to its now 183-year history.  As a child, the Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary were household names associated with scheduled sailings to New York and glamour. Such a crossing would be for many, the journey of a lifetime. In my teenage years, I did get to see both ships while perhaps trainspotting at or around Southampton/Isle of Wight.  And I have a vague memory of seeing both at Southampton at the same time.  I’m not sure how that came about. (1965)    Some 58 years later, Cunard still maintains a scheduled transatlantic service, very much a shadow of what was available in the 1950s, but nevertheless, a valuable facility either to those who prefer and have 7 nights to spare crossing the Atlantic (I’m in that number) or who cannot fly due to medical reasons.  I may be wrong, but I believe sailing across in the cheapest cabin with a wide choice of catering and entertainment is roughly the same price as Business Class on a ‘plane.

Seven days is nowhere near enough to fully explore QM2 or any large cruise ship, for that matter.  Some people may find what’s on offer, perhaps tedious, and certainly, sailing Cunard is not an endless party, although it does rise to the occasion fairly frequently.  Passengers represent quite a wide range of society.  Rarely do I feel out of place, ‘though, like in any situation, it can happen.   Cunard’s strict dress code has been relaxed considerably since my first days on QE2 when each day at sea was “formal” with tuxedos and the like required from 6pm.   Such nights these days are themed Gala nights and are every four or five days, roughly.  On none-Gala nights, an open-neck collared shirt is acceptable in the main dining room for dinner.  Jacket and tie are optional!  Wow!  Standards have dropped!

Although not now the largest passenger ship, Queen Mary 2 still has its head-turning presence, maybe less so with the advent of ever larger cruise-ships.  It’s not a competition, and perhaps circumstances permitting, I should enjoy what else the cruise industry has to offer.  I would just love to introduce a competing YouTube channel, but right now, my views are too biased to be of any use! 

Throughout this and other blogs are images taken on board QM2 in January 2023 during the opening weeks of her annual World Voyage.  There are 14 decks accessible to passengers (guests).  Four stairways/elevators, A, B, C, and D, divide the ship into five sections, top to bottom, making most of the ship easily accessible on all fourteen decks.  Passenger accommodation can be found on all decks except 1, 7, and 14.  Huge sumptuous duplex suites, small inside cabins, and everything in between are available.  In 2016, genuine single staterooms were added to decks 2 and 3L, almost next to each other.

I shall write more as we go along. Do feel free to comment or ask anything that I almost certainly will have left out.

Many thanks for reading, David 15.05 hrs in the peace and tranquillity of his boutique stateroom port-side on Deck 2 (see above!)