Please note:

Davidscruise.blog takes you to the latest blog, but only the beginning.  To access the whole blog, click on the date, usually at the bottom right hand of the section printed.  This should reveal the whole blog under that Blog number.

All those from Blog 166 will be written at sea or various exotic ports of call.  There may be some associated unreliability.   Typos, bad English and dodgy spelling will be my fault!

For some strange reason, I hadn’t anticipated this five week voyage with quite the joy of previous occasions.

This is my 54th voyage with Cunard, my fourth on Queen Victoria, and I am converted once again.  One of the joys I am reminded of is the random brief acquaintance of fascinating people as early as at the hotel. I had the pleasure of meeting a former headmaster and published writer, Bill Moffat and his daughter, Vicki (if I remember her name rightly)

September 2024 to the end of 2025 was, for me, “cruiseless.”   The sixteen months passed so quickly that I didn’t have time for withdrawal symptoms.  However, now on board, I feel already rejuvenated and content.

My single cabin on Deck two, with bedside window is what I would call “sensible and most adequate,” not quite as spectacular as its counterpart on Queen Mary 2 with its mega high ceilings and enormous self cleaning picture window. 

I do, have one slight disappointment, which probably can’t be helped.  The windows are filthy (at least on the Port side), even high up on Deck 9.  There is probably not enough time between arrival from the previous cruise to the departure of this one for windows to be cleaned.  I think that was what the vociferous complaint might have been about.

It looks very much like we shall set sail around 5 pm.  Darkness is descending rapidly.

Dinner is at 8 pm tonight. Hopefully, that will be the case throughout the voyage.  It’s hard to believe that we shall be heading to sunshine and possibly 30°C! 

Despite crowds at the departure lounge,embarkation was speedy and efficient, even if I (we) had to remove trouser belts – always an inconvenience. There were plenty of staff at the terminal who speeded up the embarkation process

Being early January, sunset was obscenely early – before or around 4 pm.  I’ll check on the daily programme, still published on genuine paper.

00.19 hrs early the next morning.   Looking back just a few hours.

I completed my unpacking, except for a few things, and decided to “show up” for the first night in the Britannia Restaurant.  My table companions for dinner are all solo travellers, most of whom seem to go from one voyage to another shortly after their previous cruise.  Part of me might like to do the same.  However, for me, each sea journey is special and it would be a pity for such events to blur into a predictable albeit comfortable routine. 

I took a shower before dinner, and made a slight effort to look presentable.  Most people I saw seemed like-minded and there was a convivial ambiance throughout dinner.

I was just in time for the show in the Royal Court Theatre, which on Queen Victoria, is based on a classic Frank Matcham style, almost reminiscent of Buxton Opera House.   Three (I think) Irish girls, who called themselves “Iris”  performed a set of family pop songs superbly.  Their dialogue between numbers was “deja vue,” and a bit tedious at times.  Nevertheless, their song intros were fluent and very professional, and were a brilliant three piece ensemble, one musician among the three singers.  But for some reason, I detest being encouraged to clap along!  I had forgotten this irritation from previous cruises.   Yep – these days, I am grumpy and not getting any younger!

After the show, I joined one of my table companions in the Queens Room to watch from the sidelines as an evening of ballroom dancing drew to a close.

Many thanks for reading, David, 00.46 hrs in his,Deck 2 single stateroom.