First, I must acknowledge that probably I was a little tired when I wrote the last post. I titled it August 29 instead of July 29, and in spite of looking at it several times did not catch the error until it was too late. It is not easy to correct my blog once it has been posted, so the error is there for eternity for everyone to see.
Life on this voyage has quickly fallen into a routine. Cunard is much more structured than the schedules on the party cruise lines line Royal or Celebrity. Breakfast is 8:00 to 9:30, Lunch 1:00 to 2:30, afternoon tea 3:00 to 5:00 and early dining 6:00 to 8:30.
The early main show (so far) is always at 8:15, the late show at 10:15. A schedule that is easy and does not require rushing dinner to make a show. Other than the daily captain's announcement, there are no calls for bingo or belly flop contests, or spa specials. A much more refined approach, just as I expected.
The seas have been slight for the past 3 days, and the skies, until this morning, quite foggy. The air temperature hasn't varied much from the upper 60's. and the sea temperature is just a few degrees cooler.
We intended to follow a great circle route across the North Atlantic, but Monday we deviated for 4 hours towards Lewisburg Newfoundland to evacuate a passenger that needed medical attention. Nearly no one had any idea this was happening as the navigation channel was turned off until the captain finally informed us during his noon time message that he had changed course. All passengers were instructed to stay off all decks and balconies as a safety precaution for the rescue helicopters. The weather was very foggy and visibility was a few hundred feet. The ship came to a stop and for nearly an hour I could hear helicopters flying nearby, but couldn't see them because of the foggy conditions. How they could see the helipad is beyond me.
We stayed motionless in the ocean just off shore for about an hour. Onced the transfer was complete we turned and began to move. With a total delay of about 6 hours, we resumed our course to Southampton. Initially cruising at about 20 knots, and with a top speed of 30 knots, the 6 hours will quickly be made up. No further information was ever shared.
The service has become much better. My waiter has learned I don't order appetizers or starters. Room service was right on time and interesting as there were probably 2 dishes for every item. A bowl for the cereal, a plate for the bowl, a pitcher for the milk, and a plate for the pitcher, etc. etc.
Another big difference with other cruise lines, so far all the food has been served hot. They even turn on the warming surfaces in the buffet where appropriate. So far seating in places like the buffet has been available anytime I venture there.
A little surprise when you order a gin and tonic. You are charged for the gin, and there is a separate charge for the tonic. Beverage servers scan your card and enter the beverage orders electronically, but bring a paper bill after serving you.
Just like the other lines, the onboard app leaves a lot to be desired. The only place menues are posted is outside the dinnig rooms a few hours before dining time. Not on the app or several days ahead so menu choice can be a factor in selecting alternative dining.
On the floors that are primarily cabins, the hallways run straight from one end of the ship to the other. Main dining is on decks 2 and 3 aft which is a common configuration. Many of the lounges etc are on deck 7 which is midship vertically. The main theater is forward of center but not at the bow of the ship like most cruise ships. On the lowest and upper decks there are many steps and sloped hallways. Finding some venues is a challenge to say the least. Of course the posted maps by the elevators don't always give you the information needed to find a venue. Even to enter the main dinig room you first go up about 6 steps then down 6 to enter.
Most of the staff is efficient now that the cruise is underway, but most are not very friendly. I can't think of any of the dining room staff have introduced themselves. You would like to think that this was because they are English, but servers are from many countries as on most cruise lines. The difference is in how they are taught to do thier jobs. Yes cunard sells a different product.
My online internet for ship information worked for the first day. It hasn't since, so today I seek help in resolving the issue. The front desk has 6 clerks and no guests. My lucky day. The short answer: "It is a known problem in the software and there is no known way to fix it or work around it. Come to the front desk and we will print a statement of your charges whenever you wish."
Fortunately this is just an Android issue and Lynn has an IPhone. The Apple app works better and when it does fail it can be reset. I'm sure an Android guru could fix it, but no one at the front desk knows how.
We had a few hours with temperatures about 70. The sundeck is empty, a few passengers outside on the promenade deck and by the enclosed pool.
Tonight is NOT a formal night and my observation is that 80% of the men are wearing jackets to dinner. I am one of the other 20%. And no tee shirts or shorts are to be seen. I would conclude Cunard is much more successful in enforcing a dress code.
The time in England is 5 hours later than New York, so each day we make another hour adjustment to our watches. Not during the night as oftern done, but at noon time everone moves the time ahead one hour. Well most of the time changes are done that way, except for the first one which was done at 2:00 am. It is so confusing the time displayed on the ships channel is often wrong. It will be interesting to see what they do on the return crossing.
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