The QE2 is an enormous ship and it took ages to find my way about.  I
had to carry my little map wherever I went at first, and even that was not
fool-proof; depending on which lift I had gone up or down in, and which way I
was facing as I left the lift... not to mention which deck I was on... I kept
getting dreadfully muddled. One thing that was very frustrating was to
find something interesting and then be unable to find it again for DAYS, in
spite of thorough searching. One such thing was the enormous jigsaw that is
set out for people to do when they feel like it - I lost that for about a
week!
We walk miles and miles every day to get about on the ship - must be very
good for the figure!
I had opted to share a cabin, in order to save money, and my
companion was a game old lady who was determined to join in everything. We
were seated at a table for six in the dining room - our fellow diners were
very pleasant indeed and we got to know them well. One of them was one of
the "hosts" that Cunard employs to escort, dance with, and generally look after
ladies travelling on their own.  They are extremely nice men and they have
their job cut out - of the 1500 passengers, I would guess that well over half of
them were ladies travelling alone! It is actually the ideal holiday for a
woman on her own - there is dressing for dinner, eating out, films to see,
dancing, shows, tours ashore, good company and lots to do, and you do not need
to worry about transport of traffic or dark alleys or lonely hotel rooms, and
you can unpack and hang your clothes up for over two weeks! |  |
 | There is a great deal to do aboard and every day seems filled to the
brim. I played bridge every afternoon - there was also chess, scrabble.
backgammon, canasta .... every day there were lectures and lessons on various
things. On board we had an eminent archaeologist, a psychologist and the
BBC's Court Reporter, Jenny Bond, and BBC broadcaster, Peter Sissons. all
of whom gave very interesting talks. There were films, there was music of
every time. |
The jazz band played nightly in one area, classical pianist
elsewhere....then of course all sorts of games, and the swimming pool. And
wonderful shows in the evenings; really very professional and well done.
We had newspapers delivered to our cabins every morning. There is an excellent library (not that there is much time for reading but
it is nice to have a book in one's hand as one falls asleep!) In the
library they ran quizzes and had daily crosswords. Then of course the
casino - I never patronised it but some people spent a lot of time (and money?)
there! One place I did sneak into fairly often was the computer
room! This was in the days before I became an internet addict and I simply
played games there - there were daily lectures on the internet which I should
have attended - but I did not know I would be interested! |
|
The range of shops quite bowls you over - lots of little boutiques
filled with EXPENSIVE goods..... jewellery, perfumes, clothes. Then there
is a little general shop where one can buy aspirins or peppermints or
postcards. And then there is Cunard's souvenir shop - almost anything in
the world can have the QE2 logo on it (In fact as I type this I am in my
QE2 track suit!) and things range from pencils and bookmarks through baseball
caps and towelling robes to Wedgwood and Stewart crystal - a huge
selection. |  |
Come with me... |
