Further tales from the Med - Saturday 7th October

If I’ve done my sums right, this is the fifth cruise that Mrs PBT’s and I have been on, and on the first of two full days at sea, we’ve been getting our bearings. So, after a good night’s rest, that was certainly much needed, followed by breakfast in our cabin, we set off to explore the ship, which is to be our home for the next two and a half weeks.

This is our second time aboard the Queen Victoria, the first being a short, pre-Christmas excursion last November, to Amsterdam. For the lovers of trivia, or superfluous information – I’m thinking of our anonymous troll here, we are just one room away this time, from the cabin we stayed in last year. We followed the wise advice given by Eileen’s late brother-in-law, who along with her sister, was an avid cruiser. Brian sadly passed away just at the start of the COVID pandemic, but along with his wife Lynne, he looked after us on our first “taster” cruise, which was a short, two-night sailing to Zeebrugge and back.

Brian’s advice centred around the position of cabin, which deck was the best, plus the importance of the cabin position, fore or aft.  Several factors come into play here, but mid-ships is generally considered to be the most stable position, an important consideration for those prone to motion sickness. The deck number is also important, as if you’re someone who values peace and quiet. you don’t want to be in a room that is directly below the promenade deck, the dance floor or one of the swimming pools. Cabin position is also reflected in the price charged, and this is another factor to consider when choosing one’s cabin and booking your next cruise.

We have now cruised on all three of Cunard’s Queen ships, and with the recent launch of the line’s latest vessel, and her maiden voyage next spring, the Queen Anne will become the fourth cruise liner in the company’s illustrious line-up. I think we both prefer the Queen Vic, out of the ships we have sailed in so far, but there’s probably not much to choose between her and the Elizabeth. The odd one out, is the Queen Mary 2, and this anomaly is because the latter is deigned as an oceangoing liner, as opposed to a cruise ship. Because of this, the Queen Mary operates primarily on the North Atlantic crossing between Southampton and New York.

To accommodate the sea conditions on what can often be a rough crossing, many of the balcony cabins on the Mary are enclosed, that is to say they are cut out of the upper hull of the ship, so whilst still “open” as far as the views are concerned, they are far less exposed and offer much more protection from the elements, compared to a traditional balcony. The Queen Mary 2 can thus be regarded as the last of the true Atlantic liners.

Mrs PBT’s and I sailed on the QM2 on our cruise to the Norwegian Fjords, last June, and it’s worth focussing for a minute on the different demographics of the people who cruise on the various Cunard liners. The first part of last June’s voyage was characterised by mainly British and American passengers – the ship had, after all, just crossed the Atlantic from New York. Before heading up to Norway, the Queen Mary sailed up the Elbe River, and berthed at the port of Hamburg. Quite a few Americans left the ship there, as did many German passengers returning from a trip to New York. Many of the passengers leaving the ship were replaced by other Germans who, like us, were keen to experience the fjords. Without wishing to stereotype, the Teutonic contingent were quite boisterous, although once you got talking to them, they proved interesting company. Again, without risking upsetting another nationality, the Americans were also loud, but in a different way from the Germans, if that makes sense.

This current cruise, across the Mediterranean, almost exclusively consists of citizens from the UK and Ireland, and the age demographic is older as well. I would say that the majority of the passengers are a similar age to Eileen and I. Most are retired, living the dream possibly, or perhaps not, but from my point of view it would be nice to see a few younger faces. As far as children are concerned, we have only seen two so far, and we have been virtually all over the ship – or at least in all those areas that are not out of bounds to passengers.

Mrs PBT’s has managed to find a tucked away spot right at the fore of Deck 10, where she can vape away to her heart’s content, in the company of other nicotine addicts who prefer to take their poison in more traditional forms. They seem a welcoming bunch though and have proved their weight in gold with useful tips and advice.  As with any of these open areas of deck, drinks are available, courtesy of the waiters who patrol these areas, and I confess to having been tempted on several occasions, by a glass or two of beer from the Cunard range – either the Black Stout, or the Gold Pilsner. Further back along Deck 10, are the two pool areas, although technically the pools are situated on the deck below. Here can be found the varied ranks of sun worshipers – people who grew up in an age where the acquisition of a suntan, as a result of exposure to the sun, was considered desirable, rather than something to be wary of.

I’m currently sitting in one of these shaded “smoking areas” keeping company with Mrs PBT’s, whilst typing out this post at the same time. We’ve spent a lazy morning, although I have still managed to clock up 6.5k steps, following a few laps of the promenade deck, after breakfast. We had lunch in the “posh” restaurant, which saved us from the scrum of the buffet. An announcement from the captain at midday, informed us of a change of itinerary, which means our next stop will now be Crete, rather than the island of Mykonos. This is due to potential issues with tender operation at the latter destination, due to strong winds. Eileen and I don’t mind, as Heraklion in Crete, will prove an easier port to disembark the ship from. We may experience similar issues at Santorini as well, but this is part of the whole cruise experience, so we’ll just sit back, relax and enjoy ourselves, and go wherever the ship takes us.