Life onboard ship

You will probably guess that I wrote a substantial chunk of this piece, whilst on the cruise, which is why it alternates between the present and past tenses, but rather than a complete re-write, here, in all their glory, are some of my thoughts about life onboard ship. I’ve given up trying to post articles off of my phone, and I’ve given up on the ship’s Wi-Fi as well. Cunard use Elon Musk’s "Starlink" system, which at $24 per 24-hour period, works out rather expensive. 

The clock starts ticking from the moment you sign up, irrespective of time actually spent online, so it’s not like you are getting 24 hours usage either, especially as you are unlikely to be online in the small hours of the morning. The charging period doesn't take account of what else you might have to do during that time slot – sleeping, eating, washing, or generally enjoying other onboard activities.  

If we’re desperate to catch up on emails or social media, which we’re not, we can wait until a “port day” and connect using data roaming. In the meantime, any screen time I fancy will be taken up with typing out posts as Word documents, ready to be uploaded when we arrive back in the UK. That’s still 12 days away, although I expect the time will fly past, and before we know it, we’ll be sailing back up the Solent and docking at Southampton.

By the way, don’t expect much in the way of posts for a few days after my return, as I’m straight back to work on Monday 24^th June, and I fully expect to find both my in-tray and inbox full to overflowing. With me working just three days a week, the amount of annual leave due to me has been reduced accordingly, on a pro-rata basis. Leave then, is a precious commodity, and something not to be wasted.

In the meantime, here’s a quick catch up on what Mrs PBT’s and I have been up to. It’s only right to say at this stage that Eileen is quite a gregarious person, much more so than me, so she’s quite adept at engaging with strangers and striking up a conversation with them. 

This means, as on previous cruises, she has become pals with quite a number of disparate people, drawn various parts of the UK, and united by their addiction to nicotine. Eileen also won’t mind me telling the world that whilst she is a reformed smoker, she still has a minor craving for nicotine - something that is assuaged by vaping. Now smoking and vaping are strictly prohibited in all inside areas onboard ship, and the same applies to the majority of outdoor spaces as well. However, as on all cruise ships there are dedicated spaces for those who enjoy their regular nicotine fix, and after we have boarded, we usually go looking for the smoking area.

The location of these dedicated sections is invariably outside, which is fine during good weather, but not so good when things are less clement, although the cruise lines aren’t that cruel to smokers and do provide some degree of cover. So, as with smoking shelters in pubs, there is at least some form of roof over peoples’ heads. The shelter on Queen Anne is by far the best-appointed smoking area we have come across on cruise ships, although being sited on the topmost deck it couldn’t be any further away from the main parts of the vessel. Anyway, as on other cruises, my good lady wife has got to know some really nice people, along with some rather interesting characters.

So, what about onboard activities – guest speakers, quizzes – in the Golden Lion pub, cocktails with the captain (don’t bother), plus various shows, live music, films and guest speakers? Star speaker on this cruise has, without a doubt, been Scottish singer and musician, Midge Ure, who gave a flawless account of growing up poor in one of the rough parts of Glasgow, how he developed an interest in music, and his eventual success with Ultravox, and as a solo performer. He then went on to describe the involvement of both himself and Bob Geldorf, with the Band Aid and Live Aid projects.

Veteran broadcaster, and former newsreader, Angela Rippon, also gave a series of three talks, covering her career in television. She was a bit too excitable for my taste, although her presentations were generally well-received by an audience that must have grown up with her. Of more interest was a series of talks by a respected marine-biologist, whose name unfortunately, escapes me. Cruisers can, if they wish watch and listed to these talks in the comfort of their cabin, rather than in the theatre.  Eileen and I listened to a couple of these talks, which centered mainly around the theme of “marine creatures you would not wish to meet,”  so basically, they’re either going to eat you, poison you or both!

Then there are the shore excursions, and on this voyage, I have booked a full-on, whole day discovery trip to Rome, alongside a slightly shorter excursion to the historic Andalusian city of Córdoba. The first excursion departs from the port of Civitavecchia, whilst the second leaves from Malaga. I shall be abandoning Mrs PBT’s on both occasions, leaving her behind with time to chill out on the ship. 

Rome is obviously one of the world’s best known and most famous cities, and whilst surprisingly, it’s never ranked that high on my bucket list, I shall obviously take advantage of the opportunity to visit the place. Córdoba, on the other hand is a city that has been home to several religions, including Judaism, Islam (Moorish), and Christianity, with each faith leaving its own unique mark on the city.

As I said, there are still quite a few more days to go, and several different locations to visit, including the city of Barcelona, tomorrow’s port of call, Spain’s second largest city and the capital of Catalonia. Mrs PBT’s and I have been to Barcelona before, both jointly and on our own, so we shall give the organised tours and excursions a miss, and instead will be doing our own thing. My last visit to the city was in 2015, when I attended Barcelona’s beer festival. I also pre-booked a tour around Barcelona’s unique and most famous church, the Sagrada Familia. Catalan architect, Antoni Gaudi’s unique, masterpiece is slowly nearing completion, after over 100 years of stop-start building work. Construction started slowly, and then came to a halt during the Spanish Civil War, when many of the architect’s drawings and models were either lost or destroyed, but following the end of the conflict, work gradually resumed.

Following the restoration of democracy to Spain, along with the return of the monarchy, building work gathered pace, with Gaudi’s the cathedral scheduled for final completion in 2026. This date will mark the centenary of the architect’s death. Following my visit In 2015, I made a promise to return to see the finished Sagrada Familia in all its glory, so allowing for slack, I’m probably looking at 2027, at the earliest.

Returning to the ship, I’m trying to be a good boy on this cruise, by maintaining a relatively healthy lifestyle and not eating too much. Cooking Lager, please take note! This is despite the ever-present temptation, every way one turns. There are various opportunities for staying fit, ranging from tennis, deck quoits, improving one’s golf swing along with jogging around the promenade deck. There is also a fully fitted out gymnasium for the real keep-fit, masochistic, muscle building enthusiasts, whilst at the more gentle end of the spectrum, passengers can participate in yoga or dancing.

Apart from knocking off a few laps of the promenade deck each morning, none of the above appeals to me, but it’s been relatively easy to clock up the required 10k steps a day, especially given the size of the ship, so I’ve been doing plenty of walking, not just purposely around the promenade deck, but using the stairs, rather than the lifts, wherever possible. Deck walking is pretty boring, even if it helps one keep fit, so I’ve resorted to wearing earphones, something I disapprove of when I’m out rambling and see people totally oblivious of what’s going on around them. These individuals are definitely not in the zone, but even walking around a level and evenly-surfaced deck, you need to be aware of people coming up behind you – especially if you don’t want to get mowed down by a huffing and puffing, would-be marathon runner.

Finally, as well as trying to keep up with articles for the blog, I’ve been doing quite a bit of reading, and am halfway through the novel, Tender is the Night, by American author, F. Scott Fitzgerald – he of The Great Gatsby fame. The book was recommended to me by Retired Martin and has turned out to be a good choice, with a plot that is more substantial, and far more plausible than the story of Jay Gatsby. Had I managed to finish my book, there is a well-stocked library on board the ship, tucked away in a quiet corner of Deck 12, with views out across the ocean as Queen Anne glides majestically through the waves below.

 

Welcome aboard Queen Anne, the latest ship in the Cunard fleet

The Queen Anne is the latest addition to Cunard’s flotilla of cruise ships and, as we are finding out, is considerably different to the other Cunard’s vessels. Having caught the cruising bug, so to speak, Mrs PBT’s and I have previously  sailed on the company’s three other ships, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Victoria plus Queen Mary 2.  The latter is a quite a radically different vessel, having been commissioned as an ocean liner, specifically designed for trans-Atlantic crossings, where strong winds and rough seas are a common occurrence.With these factors in mind, how does Cunard’s latest ship stack up, against its younger sisters?

The first ting to notice, is that Queen Anne has a much more contemporary and modern feel, and this is immediately apparent from the moment you step aboard. Despite this, the ship retains some of the classic, 1930’s art-deco feel which is familiar to those who have sailed on the other three Cunard vessels. There are two swimming pools, a large indoor one midships, with a retractable roof, plus a smaller outdoor pool at the stern. Neither Eileen nor I are particularly keen swimmers these days, and neither are we massive fans of getting a suntan - see below.

There is only one promenade deck (No. 3) on the ship, and no recliner chairs (steamers), where passengers can sit sunning themselves, as the waves glide by. This is because the ships’ compliment of lifeboats is stored along this deck, a feature that allows the majority of cabins to have uninterrupted views from their balconies, instead of one that is obscured, (partially or wholly) by escape craft. Deck 3 is still available for those who like to get their daily amount of steps in, although for those intent on frying as much exposed flesh as possible, there are plenty of sun loungers on the upper decks.

The other difference, and one that is a massive improvement, is there are proper showers fitted in each cabin, or “State Room,” as Cunard like to call them. So, instead of a moulded, plastic/fibreglass shower tray, and a plastic curtain that clings to one’s body, with an annoying habit of not staying where it is supposed to, so that water runs all over the floor, showers on Queen Anne are proper, step-in affairs, with a glass screen that prevents any of the aforementioned problems.

Similar to the other vessels in Cunard’s fleet, the main restaurant (Britannia), occupies an area spread between decks two and three, at the stern of the boat, but the main, help-yourself, buffet area has become rather more upmarket, with a revamp reflected in the name “Artisan’s Foodhall.”  Here there are16 different food stations, offering a wide variety of different dishes and food options, along with a bar in the middle, where you can buy BrewDog Punk IPA or Moretti, by the pint.

Self-service in the buffet, is now a thing of the past, an important point in this post COVID era. Instead, food for guests is served up by the catering staff directly onto customers plates, from beneath Perspex covers, before being handed to diners. This not only protects against the spread of germs, but also ensures proper portion control and far less food waste. (There is nothing to stop you from asking for a larger helping though, should you really fancy something).

As on the other Cunard vessels, there is the Golden Lion pub – a quite reasonable interpretation of a great, British boozer, serving a good range of draft (keg) and bottled beers. The latter includes, St Austell Tribute, Adnams Broadside, Badger Tanglefoot, Theakston’s Old Peculier, plus several others.  Most of the draught and bottled beers are available in Queen Anne’s other bars and restaurants, alongside the three exclusive Cunard beers, brewed specially for the company by Wiltshire-based, Dark Revelation.

Having written about these beers on several previous occasions, I won’t repeat myself here, apart from saying that I’ve been drinking quite a lot of the excellent Cunard Black, Biscotti Breakfast Stout! Typical, traditional, pub grub is available in the Golden Lion (lunchtime only, at present), and is included in the cost of the voyage, although drinks (apart from tea & coffee), are not.

There are, of course, other features that don’t interest me at all, and I’m talking here about the high-end, over-priced, jewellery, fashion, perfume and whisky shops, designed to rake in the money for the shipping line. The same applies to the casino, although this seemed busy every time we passed by. But if these pricey “designer” outlets and gambling facilities help keep the price of the fares down, then so much the better.

Nicotine addicts, like Mrs PBT’s are catered for with a partially covered section at the front of the very top deck (14). Waiter service, at no extra costs, operates up there, with drinks being brought out to guests, from the neighbouring Sky Bar, which overlooks the main pool and sunbathing area, three decks below.

We still haven’t fully explored the ship, but despite all the improvements and obvious changes, we have heard a lot of negative comments and, to our minds, quite unnecessary criticism about Queen Anne. People are criticising both the design and feel of the ship, saying it is too modern, and too contemporary, in appearance. The only one I would agree with, and then only slightly, is that the cabins – sorry, "Staterooms", are slightly small than on the other ships. To me, this criticism is offset by the vastly superior bathrooms, that from an integral part of each cabin.

I am sure that everything has been ergonomically designed to maximise available space, and if the changes allow an increased number of passengers to enjoy this type of cruising, then surely it is to everyone’s benefit. They seem to forget that we are already almost a quarter of the way through the new century.  I’m sure that once they get used to the look of this amazing new ship, people will get to love it, in exactly the same way as they have with the other Queens in service with Cunard.

As for occupancy, Queen Anne can accommodate 3,000 passengers, compared to 2,000 apiece on Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth, but the clever layout of the ship allows for most of them to dissipate so as to appear far less visible than they might otherwise have done. With this in mind reports indicate that Queen Anne is being reserved for “no-fly” cruises operating out of UK ports, such as Southampton and Liverpool, releasing Elizabeth and Victoria for cruises much further afield. I trust this little piece has helped give you a feel of this latest Cunard vessel, and I’m sure there will be other features and points of interest for me to describe as the cruise progresses.

Author’s note: After 16 days on board we discovered that the variety and the quality of the food on offer compares much less favourably to what we recall from previous cruise ships – Elizabeth, Victoria and Queen Mary 2. There have been some rather strange combinations on offer- salmon & cheese toasty, anyone? I haven’t had a single curry, and there hasn’t been any of the theme evenings we’ve enjoyed in the past, such as Chinese night, American night (burgers, hot dogs), Asian night or even the German night we experienced on our Norwegian cruise. We are not the only passengers to have noticed these omissions, but apart from cost saving (penny-pinching), there seems no rhyme or reason for them.

So, lots to enjoy, and plenty of further posts to follow, especially as I am slowly catching up on things. It wasn’t perhaps the wisest thing to do, going back to work straight after our return to the UK, but it does means maximising on my annual leave. Until next time, then?

Car parking charges spark anger in quiet West Kent town

The Sunday before our cruise, the lad and I treated ourselves to a cooked breakfast, at the Ivy House pub in Tonbridge, before attending a protest meeting in the town centre. No before going any further I'd like to add that whilst I've been on a number of marches and demonstrations, back in my student days and, more recently against the madness and  futility of Brexit, these events have always been peaceful and good natured. The same applied to the other Sunday's protest, which took the form of a gathering at the entrance to River Walk, just below the outer walls of Tonbridge's imposing 13th century castle.

The purpose of the meeting was to draw attention to the local authority's plans to scrap free parking on Sundays and Bank Holidays.  The charging period will also be extended from 18:00 BST to 20:00. Parking on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day and overnight will remain free. Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council claim the changes are needed to help meet the rising costs of running its car parks, with Conservative Councillor Martin Coffin claiming it could cost the council  £107,000 in lost income, if they do not introduce Sunday and late evening parking. So, despite strong opposition, cabinet members voted earlier earlier in June to implement the changes, which will come into force this summer.

Graham Simmonds, who organised Sunday's public meeting, said he thought Tonbridge would "without a doubt" suffer financially due to people not visiting the town as frequently, and claimed there was "huge anger" in the town over the proposed changes. He said that in two weeks a petition gained more than 3,000 signatures. "People come into Tonbridge to enjoy the park, to enjoy the castle, to do a bit of shopping, and bring money into our local economy," he added.

Teresa Seamer, who runs the Gorgeous George gift shop on the High Street, said that business was already harder than ever, with footfall dropping off significantly. Sunday however, is different, and is the best day of the week. "The whole town changes, it's just such a wonderful place to be. People can relax, they've got no time restraints, but if the charges come in that's all going to stop. It would be devastating to small businesses, and is utter madness. Retail outlets will question the viability of having a business in the town, and as evidence of this, 27 outlets hosted the petition against the extended hours."

Echoing the sentiments expressed above, Tonbridge resident Kay Sinclair, who has lived in the town for 40 years, said the new parking charges will decimate the high street. She said: “There is a real unique community vibe in Tonbridge on a Sunday. Unlimited time enjoying the eateries and shops, spending any disposable income in our town." She claimed that if these proposals go ahead, councilors would be guilty of going against the wishes of those members of the public who voted them into office in the belief they would serve the best interests of local residents. Expressing the views of other speakers, she added: “Sunday is a pivotal day for many Tonbridge businesses and the parking charges would decimate the high street, and be the death of Tonbridge as a community.”

Realistically the protest meeting, the various petitions and letters to councilors are unlikely to have much impact on a council that has already made up its mind, even though to many residents the move seems like just another move in TMBC's war on the private motorist. The sentiments and concerns, expressed above, are genuine, and despite the council's attempts to brush them off, they are likely to impact heavily on local businesses. It should be noted that none of the members of this inner cabinet - Star Chamber, would be a more appropriate  name, actually live in Tonbridge, and this too is cause for concern.

The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. It covered the whole area of two former districts and part of a third, all of which were abolished at the same time:

• Malling Rural District
• Tonbridge Rural District (parishes of Hadlow and Hildenborough only, the other parishes went to Tunbridge Wells)
• Tonbridge Urban District

The new district was named Tonbridge & Malling, combining the names of the former districts. Borough status was attained in December 1983, with the authority changing its name to Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council, and allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor. The area controlled by the council is rather a hot-potch, particularly it extends as far north as Cuxton, whilst including villages such as Ditton and Larkfield that were historically part of Maidstone. 

The biggest anomaly concerns the area to the immediate south of Tonbridge, where despite our address having a central Tonbridge postcode, and us living just 20 minutes walk away from the town centre, 10 minutes on foot, in the other direction, brings us to the area controlled by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. With boundaries drawn up by politicians and civil servants, with no knowledge or appreciation of local history, or traditions, it's little wonder that we can be screwed over by issues such as car parking charges.

 

Alghero, Sardinia - with photos

I spent much of the second Saturday of our voyage, ashore in Northern Sardinia, exploring the picturesque, narrow streets of Alghero. With a population of just over 40,000 inhabitants, the town is the second largest settlement on the island, and overlooks a large and attractive bay, framed by a range of rocky hills. A transfer by tender, basically one of the ship's lifeboats, was necessary to reach dry land, as there are no berthing facilities in Alghero, for large vessels, such as the Queen Anne. Mrs PBT's didn't fancy stepping off the ship and then into a tender, that was gently bobbing about, so I left her on the ship and experienced 

The holiday I took in the Maldives, 21 years ago, stood me in good stead for this exercise, and with members of the ship's company to assist, the process was relatively straightforward. Each lifeboat can accommodate 150 passengers, although the tenders aren't normally filled to capacity for these "jolly boat" types of transfer. After stepping ashore in Alghero, I headed up the hill, into the old town, ignoring the larger, and more modern settlement to the right. I had been sent shopping by my good lady wife, who decided that as I hadn't bought enough T- shirts with me, I needed to buy some more. But where?

Fortunately I overheard a conversation between a couple from the cruise ship, and one of the locals, confirming that the clothes shop I'd seen earlier, was the place for keenly priced, and good quality clothing, for both sexes. OVS delivered on both fronts, so having made my purchases,  I looked around for somewhere that I could eat at, and also grab a beer.

I spotted an Australian couple we'd got to know on the ship, enjoying those very same things, under a series of shaded parasols occupying most of a square towards the top of a hill. They were just leaving, but gave me the thumbs up about this particular place. The typical Italian menu looked appealing, as well as moderately priced, so I grabbed a table and ordered myself a beer. Nothing local, or exciting, but a half litre mug of draft Peroni hit the spot. The spaghetti Bolognese, sprinkled with oodles of grated Parmesan cheese, and served up with local bread, satisfied my hunger on top of my thirst.

Afterwards, I treated myself to an ice cream, or should that be a Gelato? I've never quite grasped the difference between the two, but apparently it's got something to do with the fat content and the degree of churning that the finished product undergoes. I made a point of sampling a Gelato at most of the ports we stopped at, and they were all good. The one in the photo though, was taken on board Queen Anne, purely because it was easier to photograph.

I took a different route back to the quayside, walking along the raised walls that enclose the old city. The walls afford pleasant views across the harbour and out to sea. There was a lengthy queue for the tenders, although I managed to get a seat on the second boat back to the cruise ship.The return crossing was on the choppy side, and it was also rather warm onboard, but it was still an experience, and a most enjoyable day out, in a part of the world that few travelers, especially those from the UK, get to see.

Barcelona, our second port of call, and the second drafting of this article

We docked at Barcelona this morning, and the ship won't be leaving until 10.30pm tonight. Despite warnings of rain, the weather today has so far been warm and sunny. Mrs PBT's and I caught the shuttle bus into town earlier this morning, which dropped us next to the city's World Trade Centre. 

This area, is where Barcelona's famous Las Ramblas starts from, but despite this there were no bars, cafes, or shops in the immediate vicinity. We have both been to Barcelona before, and in my case on several previous occasions, but with Eileen not fancying the long hike along this pedestrianised thoroughfare, we decided to return to the ship.

There was a "Duty Free" shop, back at the cruise centre, as there seemed to be at virtually every other location we stopped at, so after stocking up on various goodies, we re-boarded the ship and treated ourselves to a spot of lunch in the posh restaurant. I say "treated" even though the restaurant is part of the "all inclusive" package that applies to all passengers. Despite this it's still nice to be waited on from time to time, especially if it means avoiding the melee that ensues in the buffet at busy times.

We've got a day at sea tomorrow, which culminates with a passage through the Strait of Bonifacio, the narrow stretch of water separating French Corsica from Italian Sardinia. The following morning  would see us docking at Civitavecchia - the nearest port to Rome. I've booked a full on tour around the Eternal City, which proved to be interesting, especially as it would be my first visit to the Italian capital.

At the time of writing this article, I hadn't managed to connect my laptop to the internet, and as things turned out I never did hook up. Consequently, this quick post was typed up on my phone, and it is only now, some four days after returning to the UK that I am editing the piece and adding in the odd photo, or three. I subsequently restricted my use of the laptop to typing rather a lot of articles, in the form of Word documents, and these will be added to the blog, when we return to the UK.

I closed the original post by saying I was being hassled by Mrs PBT's, to nip along to the onboard launderette and check if our washing had finished its cycle proof, if it was needed, that this cruising lark isn't all glamour. You do get to meet some interesting people whilst doing the laundry, and if you manage to keep on top of it - which we did, it does make things that little bit easier with the homecoming.

A quick one - literally very quick.

 Mrs PBT's and I are on the Queen Anne, which is currently moored in Vigo, so just a quick post to test the waters, and, to take advantage of the data connection. I haven't taken the laptop out of its bag yet, mainly because Eileen thinks I'm being antisocial rather than chatting to her!

Perhaps she's right, although I keep telling her I've got my loyal readers to think about.  So, here are a few photos of Cunard's latest Queen ship,  along with the odd one or two of the port area, where we're currently moored berthed.

There's a slight technical hitch at the moment, so will wait until the laptop is up and running. ☹️

Voyage, voyage

With just three days to go before we set sail on our latest voyage, it's been a case of all hands to the pump to get everything packed and ready to go. As with previous cruises, Mrs PBT seems determined to take as much as she can along, including the proverbial kitchen sink. Whatever happened to travelling light seems to have gone out of the window, because as well as cramming her own suitcase(s) full to overflowing, she's already eyeing up mine. It’s like a repeat of last year’s cruise, when after packing just the right amount, there was still quite a bit of room left in my case relatively, so guess who ended up nabbing the spare space.  

It’s a while since I last undertook an overseas break on my own – although that’s not strictly true, as I went to Cologne last year. That was a business trip though, which meant suit, smart shoes, several shirts, plus a couple of casual outfits to wear in the evenings. The same thing applied to a business visit to China, five years ago, although I swear on that trip I spent more time siting on a plane, than I did carrying out the audit, on a potential new supplier. That was the reason my company sent me to the far-east in the first place, but despite the long haul, it was definitely well worthwhile seeing the set up with my own eyes.

If I didn’t know that my efforts would fall on deaf ears, I would direct my good lady wife to the travel blog, One Small Bag, written and expertly put together, by Christine Taylor. Some of you will probably know Christine as Mrs RM, - wife of ace pub ticker, and prolific blog Blogger, Martin Taylor. Now I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Christine on a couple of occasions, and I know she is a very practical and matter of fact individual, so it will come as no surprise to learn that One Small Bag means: exactly that. I’ll let Christine explain the philosophy and the purpose behind this title.

“I like to jump off that plane, train, or bus without delay and without carting a heavy bag about or finding somewhere to dump it. I just don’t want stuff getting in the way of my fun!” She then goes on to describe her ideal travel bag - a 20L day pack, preferably weighing in below 6kg, when packed. Christine ends with the lines, “Not only does travelling with less make my life easier, but it also saves me money.” The money saving part is not having to pay for expensive hold baggage, especially as the price for checked-in bags can often be on a par with the price of the flight itself.

I have managed this on a couple of occasions, the first being a short solo trip to Barcelona, nine years ago, and the second, a flight to Edinburgh airport. This was as a prelude to a presentation to a group of dental sales people, in Dundee. Travelling light meant my colleague and I travelling up to Scotland in our business suits, which not only wasn’t ideal, but was also unnecessary seeing as the company was footing the bill. Still, it was his idea, rather than mine.

My good lady wife’s outlook on packing for a cruise, is the complete opposite, her thinking being that once we are on board ship, we will only have to unpack once. Basically, we will be on a floating hotel that delivers us to a different destination, not quite every day but more often than not every other day. In her eyes this means she can take as much baggage as she likes, and to this end, she has bought yet more new outfits. I swear there's more than a few items of clothing hanging, up in the spare bedroom, which are yet to be worn, having been bought for previous holidays. I shall leave it at that, as I’m sure I’ve given you more than enough detail over our packing arrangements.

Now, over now to the main event, a 16-night cruise to warmer climes (fingers crossed), a voyage which despite any good intentions I might have about traveling light, has required quite a bit of organising. I've got to call in at work tomorrow morning to deal with an insurance matter, but once that’s sorted, I'm good to go. If all goes to plan, we should see be driving down to the outskirts of Southampton, to a place called Hedge End, close to the village of Botley, for an overnight stay at the McDonald Botley hotel. (We've stayed before at the Ronald McDonald Hotel as I like to call it).  On Friday morning, a mini bus shuttle will transport us from the hotel to the cruise terminal at Southampton. The package we have opted for allows us to leave the car at the hotel, ready to pick up on arrival back in the UK.

 So where are we cruising to this time? And which ship will we be travelling on? Well, this particular cruise is confined to the western Mediterranean which means we will be visiting several destinations around the coast of Spain, including Vigo, Barcelona, Majorca, Malaga, and A Coruña, followed by Civitavecchia in Italy and Alghero in Sardinia. So, 16 nights away, with plenty to see and do, both onboard ship and at the various ports of call. As for the ship itself, it is none other than the Queen Anne, the latest addition to Cunard’s fleet of ships named after famous British queens. (I’m not sure where they  go after this, as they’ve already got Elizabeth, Mary and Victoria. Lady Jane Grey? Perhaps not, considering the barbaric fate of this poor, unfortunate, young girl, who lost her head after being caught up in a real life Game of Thrones, at the tender age of 17 years.

The cruise we’re booked on, will be the Queen Anne’s third commercial sailing, following her maiden voyage on 3^rd May from Southampton to Spain and Portugal. This was followed by a 14-day cruise around the British Isles, which included a visit to Liverpool, where the naming ceremony for the ship took place.  When Queen Anne arrives back in Southampton on 7^th June, it will be our turn.

Like I did last October, I shall be taking my laptop, as well as several good books to read, despite Mrs PBT’s claiming that I’m boring with my head stuck in a book. I shall endeavour to put out the odd post, depending on data connections and time in port. Apart from Barcelona, all the destinations are new to us, and several offer opportunities to visit other places Cordoba or Granada – in the case of Malaga, plus Rome from Civitavecchia. Neither of us have pre-booked excursions, as it’s often easier to book them on the ship, when there is the opportunity of discussing the best options with the cruise line’s own travel team.

I’ve waffled enough now, and with final packing, and last-minute chores to attend to, it’s best that I call it a day. Don’t forget to check out Christine Taylor’s blog though, not just if you’re interested in travelling light, but also if you want to learn about countries and destinations off the beaten track, in regions such as the Balkans and Norway.