Friday 7th June

I congratulate myself!   Last night, I got both wheeled suitcases packed and deposited outside my stateroom on time!  This morning, I crammed the remainder of my possessions into two holdalls and was able to eventually hang them from the two wheeled bags waiting for me at the baggage area, off the ship, which sadly, I had to leave as my 35 day vacation was at an end. 

My hunch that there was a suitable train to either Macclesfield or Stockport at 11.15 was spot-on.  Despite the crowds, I was able to find an excellent seat on the train after being told by personnel at the ticket office that the train was fully booked.  It is a beautiful day, and I anticipate a nice long, hot summer.  August in the United States should be sweltering! 

Cunard must love me!  After 35 nights on board, I am a huge fan of their 249th ship, Queen Anne. The Great Britain Festival Cruise was splendid, with mainly acceptable weather.  So also were the maiden voyage and the cruise to Madeira and the  Canary Islands. 

My cabin, 8192, was located aft on the port-side, fourth from the posh suites eight right at the back, directly under the Panoramic Pool Club with open and covered seating, obviously a swimming pool, and also a stage from where live music is performed.  I was expecting regular disturbance, especially when the sunloungers are put in place in the morning and put away before dark, along with the thud of live music.  In the 35 days, I was disturbed just once at around 9 am!  There was no other inconvenience.  The occasional distant sound of a saxophone from the Panoramic Pool Club, almost directly above, on my balcony was rather nice.  I was thrilled with my stateroom despite its feeling slightly smaller than its counterparts on other ships in the fleet.  The extra inch here and there was missed, but not to the point of annoyance.  The glass fronted balcony offered magnificent uninterrupted views, and even in cooler climes, was worth the extra cost.

Windowless inside cabins do have the advantage of perfect darkness throughout the day, and the beds are just as comfortable.  All accommodation on Queen Anne is double occupancy, and I suspect that in the smallest cabins, it might be a bit of a squeeze with two sharing.  The wardrobe arrangements did come in for some justified adverse comment.  The space could have done with not being reduced.  And those un-stealable hangers that detach from unremoveable hooks installed in wardrobes across the fleet are a “pain.”   The souvenir hunters are to blame for that minor inconvenience. All my Cunard hangers were bought legally on eBay! 

Even with five weeks on board, I’m not sure I managed to explore every nook and cranny of this second ever largest Cunard ship, whose partially cluttered Promenade Deck is even longer than that of Queen Mary 2. 

The purists may lament that the ship’s design is based on the Pinnacle class seen on Holland America ships. Nevertheless, in the Cunard livery of black hull, white superstructure, and traditional Cunard red funnel with black stripes, Queen Anne looks every bit the traditional ocean liner “head-turner”. 

While inside, there are many “nods to the past,” the whole thing is aimed very much at the present day, and perhaps an up-and-coming demographic.  Everything is frighteningly electronic and digital, but in fact, incredibly efficient (when it works!). I don’t think that I had an unsatisfactory meal; the food varied from very good to exceptional, especially in the speciality restaurants where food and service were unsurpassable.   In the Britannia Restaurant, while the food was usually very good, service seemed haphazard quite frequently.  Often, one would miss the beginning of the late show in the Royal Court Theatre, and that could be irritating.

The Royal Court Theatre is on a raked level with the front seats accessed on Deck 2, gently rising in one sweep to the rear seats, accessed on Deck. Three.  Unlike QM2, there is no separate upper level; unlike Queen Elizabeth/Victoria, there are no boxes.  The seating capacity is 835.  The theatre is very art-deco and reminds me of cinemas or concert halls I would go to as a small boy, ones usually built in the 1930s and, at that time, not much more than 20 – 30 years old. 

So as not to overload this blog with pictures, this concludes part 1 of my experiences on Queen Anne.

Many thanks for reading, David, at home in Buxton, not having got up yet, 12.17 hrs!