Well that was an interesting flight home of 13 ½ hours.  Firstly the Rental car drop off bus dropped us off at the wrong terminal.  We new it was Terminal 4 however the bus driver thought otherwise and insisted on dropping us at the Tom Bradley terminal. Once we had confirmed we were in the wrong terminal it was a bit of a struggle pushing the trolley with 4 large suitcases and towing two wheelie bags along the footpath to Terminal 4. Roy was delighted to have to have a body x-ray…not.  He said if he had known he would have done some training so as to look a bit better in case he pops up on some documentary about airport security in the future….lol.

The tug had to tow our aircraft on to the gate; however the tug broke down and due to the volume of aircraft coming and going in LAX there was quite a wait to find another tug to pull the aircraft.  Eventually we boarded the flight about 30 minutes later than scheduled.  The Captain notified us he was taking on more fuel which would delay us a little longer, no problems there we thought better to have too much than too little. We were quite happy sitting at the gate doing some more people watching.

Fortunately the flight wasn’t full so Roy and I had three seats between the two of us…..that was lucky. J Feel like you’ve won the major prize when that happens. J

Two rows ahead of us a large couple sat down at the window and middle seat thinking they had won the major prize as well…. But no, a few minutes later a young lady walks down to their seats and she’s the one with the allocated window seat and doesn’t want to swap….fair enough we think.  The large couple then had a problem the large wife was stuck in the window seat and couldn’t get out.  We watched as there was some strenuous pulling of arms and breathing in when finally she was extracted from the window seat. Miss pretty young thing could then sit in her allocated seat.  I’m typing this from on board and it is now 9 hours since we left L.A. and poor Miss Pretty hasn’t left her seat, she’s probably thinking ‘Mrs large’ is now stuck in the middle seat with ‘Mr large’ on the aisle. I went for a walk in their direction to stretch my legs only to see Miss pretty huddled up by the window with ‘Mrs Large’ and her excess encroaching on Miss Pretty’s territory.  Poor girl, she must have a strong bladder…lol.

In the meantime we’re having a very rough ride, fortunately shortly after take-off dinner was served when our ride was still smooth.  I can just imagine all the folks who have just been to Disneyland wondering why they bothered we’ve got a ride that’s lasted for 10 hours so far that feels just like a roller coaster even the crew have also had to be seated for long periods. and the Captain has told everyone not to get out of their seats… they’d be mad if they did. That probably makes Miss Pretty feel better knowing that she’s not the only one stuck in her seat.

Then you guessed it,  ‘Mr I don’t listen to anyone’ gets out of his seat and before you know it he’s lost his balance and on the floor. He jumped up and went back to his seat as if it had never happened.  Giggling could be heard in the vicinity.  I might add only his pride was hurt.

I’m listening to the music channel but for some reason am only getting Bollywood music, and after 10 hours jiggling around with the rough ride I quite like the Bollywood sound it sort of goes in time with the movement.  I’m learning Hindi as well…. What a bonus.  J

Around the cabin I see people click the ‘destination’ channel on now and then just to see how far we have to go and I’m sure they’re like me and try and not look too often so you get a surprise that an hour or more has gone by. It’s like a little game on long haul flights. The Captain has been changing the altitude frequently to try and get out this turbulent weather.  Hope it settles so we can all enjoy breakfast. Only 3 hours and 27 minutes to go.  Dawn is beginning to break now and I do feel as if I’ve had some sort of sleep overnight.

Newsflash…. Mrs Large has just been extracted from her middle seat and toddled off to the bathroom followed swiftly by Miss Pretty.  I see Mr Large has now taken over the middle seat, hope he’s not hanging over too much into Miss Pretty’s territory!

Yum, I can smell breakfast.  Better get myself unravelled from the headphones and cord and untangled from the blanket and put my tray up ready.  Still bumpy but a little less at the moment as we fly over Fiji at an altitude of 36000ft. Just as breakfast was being served there was more turbulence but only for a short while so we were served half cups of cold tea instead of the usual full cup of cold tea.  Why can’t airlines serve a nice cup of tea?  I know it can’t be too hot in case of spillage and scolding but it could definitely be at least warm to hot!  In the good old days tea and coffee was served in silver pots which kept the heat, these Bodim pots they serve with these days are made of glass which may look good but they don’t hold the heat.  I also didn’t appreciate my warm muffin being served by hand by our Cabin Attendant when he had tongs with which to serve the muffins hygienicallyL. I noticed the Attendant on the other end of the cart was using his.

Oh wow, just had a song from James Blunt pop in amongst the Bollywood songs.  I’ve past level one in Hindi now J. Bollywood seems to be the default channel on my entertainment system at my seat.

Only 1 hour and 15 minutes until we arrive in Brisbane.

And so are the joys of long haul air travel.  By next week everyone will be happy to do it all over again….and we will. J

This is me and aircraft VH-OJA signing out until next time.  :)

Docked in Papeete

 

A little island off Bora Bora

Papeete

Good size Balcony

Good music in Bora Bora

Glass fronted balcony

F & M shop on board

A little champagne bar

Inside on Deck 2

Deck 2 outside the Queens Room

Another shot of our balcony

 

 

 

Locals having a bit of a free ride at Bora Bora

Afternoon Tea

Happy Birthday Joe

Croquet anyone?

Anna our Table Waiter singing in the Crew show

Why bother being out there in the first place...lol.

Looking over the bow from the Commodore Club

Aija our Waiter serving Afternoon Tea in the Queens Room

 

The Foyer

 

 

 The Internet room for those who don't use wireless. They also sell Apple gear,

 

  

The Corinthian Room

 

 

Day 21 Monday 11 March last day on Queen Elizabeth

Well hasn’t those 3 weeks gone quickly.  We’ve had a lovely time on board, met some wonderful people, seen some first class entertainment, danced a lot, and of course, ate far too much delicious food. Last night our Waiters presented us with copies of all our menus from our voyage. Nice touch Cunard.

This morning we awoke to the knock on the door with our room service breakfast being delivered.  Just as well otherwise we would still be asleep! Another bit of a late night after a wonderful Palladium Theatre variety show in the Royal Court Theatre plus the clocks going forward yet another hour before going to bed. We keep getting short changed in sleep….lol.

Today being our last day we’ve had a pretty relaxing day.  I did a bit of shopping this morning at the usual last minute sales.  Generally the shops on board are quite expensive because they have quality stock like Hermes, Polo Ralph Lauren, and many other designer names.  However, they have also had sales on other brands at quite good prices. The perfume prices are quite good remembering that the currency used on this ship is US dollars.

Captain David Henderson gave his last lecture on aircraft and flying this afternoon.  He has presented his lectures extremely well, and has a great sense of humour and has had some wonderful stories to tell about the airline industry. There has been a full house in the Royal Court Theatre for each of his presentations.

Then it was off to the Britannia Restaurant for a lovely leisurely silver service lunch. We had to cancel afternoon tea as we were still too full from lunch…J

We are very proud of ourselves; we have packed everything and pleased to say there’s still kilos and room to spare in the suitcases for more shopping in Las Vegas and L.A. J

There are quite a few people getting off in L.A. including the Captain who has been one of the best we’ve ever had. There are three legs left of this voyage, L.A. to Ft Lauderdale, then to New York and finally back to her home port of Southampton.

I would like to say thank you to all those who followed my blog and I hope you didn’t need an alarm clock to stop you from nodding off whilst reading it all.

Thank you for all the comments, I loved receiving them but unfortunately it wasn’t easy to reply to you.  Next time we cruise with Cunard I note we will have some loyalty so will receive some free internet….yay.  I will upload more photos on here once we’re in our hotel in Las Vegas with some free internet.

Toodlepip for now. J J

Day 20 Sunday 10 March at Sea

There’s definitely a nip in the air outside now as we sail closer to the US mainland. The sun is shining but it doesn’t have a lot of warmth.

We have been quite lazy today doing nothing of great interest just the laundry.  No gossip to report from Roy and the boys in the Laundry apart from one guy telling Roy that there’s a couple at their dinner table who have worn no more than 3 changes of clothes for the past 3 weeks, one formal, one semi-formal and one elegant casual outfit that they have rotated them over the weeks. Hope they at least visited the laundry a few times.

Had a great afternoon in the Royal Court Theatre this afternoon listening to the Queen Elizabeth Passengers choir.  There were over 60 men and women altogether and I must say they sang extremely well.  Tommi the conductor was excellent having given them 9 quite difficult songs to learn, Jerusalem, Rhythm of Life, and a piece from Les Miserable which I can’t remember the name of just to name a few. They had put this altogether in 10 rehearsals each of only one hour.

Right on 3.30pm we happened to be walking passed the Queens Room so had to stop and enjoy afternoon tea yet again. We only finished lunch at 2.00pm, I think we’re getting greedy…lol.

Tonight is our last Formal night and the feature on the menu is Lobster.  I must say that Cunard do offer different seafood selections on their evening menu.

 

Day 19 Saturday 09 March at sea en-route to Los Angeles

The seas continue to be smooth although the outside temperature has dropped somewhat today. A jacket is needed if we intend to spend any time outside today which was the case when we played Croquet and bowls again….. Who would have thought I would ever have a go at these games…J

Discovered the Pasta and Pizza bar today.  We knew it was there but had not got around to trying it.  I love the idea of ordering your own pasta dish to be made freshly and also a pizza. Celebrity cruises have a pasta bar so for those who know them will know what I mean about how delicious it is.

There was a ‘meet the Captain’ afternoon in the Royal Court Theatre this afternoon.  Very interesting to hear him speak about various facts and figures on Cunard and the fleet and particularly details about this ship.  We learned yesterday that apparently whilst we were docked in Wellington a tug hit the ship, no damage caused except for the loss of some black paint off the hull and a lot of paperwork to be filled in by the Captain. We did notice that the Port of Wellington were offering people a ride on their Tugs for a gold coin charge to have a look at Queen Elizabeth close up and we had been waving to the large groups on board the tugs as they cruised back and forth.  This news made UK TV.

A new habit of ours is attending afternoon tea daily in the Queens Room with cucumber club sandwiches, tomato club sandwiches, tuna, shrimp and a couple of others I can’t remember. Followed by various little cakes, followed by scones with jam and cream. All washed down with a choice of English teas served by the waiters complete with white gloves and silver trays. In the background live music by either the orchestra, harpist or pianist.

The show tonight show was excellent a Welsh singer/comedian.  He was so good there was a standing ovation at the end and he came back to entertain us a bit more.  

Update on the dancers.  Well they’re still trying hard practicing all day every day but I’m afraid they have barely improved although they now think they should enter ‘Dancing with the Stars’ and there’s a competition tomorrow night and we’re sure they’ll be on the dance floor…. They would both be excellent in a Marching Team.

We decided to try one of the speciality restaurants tonight and chose ‘Jasmine’.  It was fine dining with an Asian touch. The only problem for me was most of it included seafood which I can’t eat so I was a tad hungry for my breakfast this morning. Roy, Joe and Lynda thoroughly enjoyed it and commented how beautifully prepared the seafood was.

After dinner we also like, or should I say ‘I’ always like to swing by the Casino to see what’s happening there. I managed to up my winnings by another US$61.00 bringing my total winnings to a nice US$406.00. I think I’ll call that a day and have it taken out of my casino card and put it in my wallet for spending in Las Vegas….not on the slots but at the outlet stores. J

Our clocks had to go forward another hour so it’s now suddenly 2.20am, time for bed.

Day 18 Friday 08 March 2013 at sea en-route to Los Angeles

Clocks were put forward one hour as we went to bed last night, so that made it after 1.30am for us. Enjoyed breakfast very leisurely then it was down to Trivia for 10.00am.  We were all very pleased to finally get a decent score of 16/20 but we still didn’t win.  Some other team got 18/20….. We are sure they sleep in the pub and study together ready for the next day’s Trivia... J

After our morning cup of coffee out on the aft deck it was off for a game of Croquet. Must say I am liking this game more and more as I get a little better at it, and especially today because I won. J We also had a couple of games of Shuffleboard.  I’m still trying to beat Roy at this game and that’s been ongoing for the last few cruises we’ve done. I’m determined to beat him before then end of this voyage!

Had a light lunch today and then it was out on our balcony for a lazy afternoon enjoying a bit of sun.  You should see the tan some people have they’re out there all day every day.

It was another Formal evening; everyone looked lovely in their finery as always.  Tonight was an Elizabethan Ball and some did actually dress in the Elizabethan style and looked amazing.

We invited our Trivia mates Joe and Lynda to join us for dinner at our table last night.  We had a very nice evening together then went off to the show and then a flutter on the slot machines which were very hungry last night.

The evenings go by so quickly before we know it the time is usually around 12.30 – 1.00am and we’re still out and about. Just as well we can sleep in each morning on sea days. J  We only have to be up and about and ready for the 10.00am Trivia each sea day morning so that’s easy. Tough life this is….lol.

There’s a couple on here that have done 4500 days on Cunard ships. I think they must live on them…..lol. I do remember reading once about a lady who lived on the old QEll. When the ship went into dry dock they just transferred her to a different ship until QEll was back on line again then transferred her back.  She died in her 90’s having done years at sea.

 

Day 17 Thursday 07 March in Kahului, Maui

This ship docked at 7.30am on her maiden port of call into Kahului. Because we had already done the Customs clearance for the USA yesterday we could disembark at our leisure, which for us was 9.00am.  As seems to be the norm with Cunard complimentary shuttles were available to take us to the Queen Kaahumanu Mall which was only about a 10 minute ride away. There were sales everywhere so needless to say it didn’t take long before my wallet was open. J I think half the ship came back with something from Macys from their current sales. After walking every inch of the mall we came back to the ship and had a drink in the Golden Lion Pub mid afternoon where the chat was who had bought what and how much they had paid it for, including the crew who also joined in with what they had purchased.

We were a little late leaving as a crew member was the last to board 30 minutes after the final boarding time.  I wouldn’t like to be in his shoes in the Captain’s office this evening.  We also heard today that a passenger was left behind in Bora Bora. I remember the Captain paging for one passenger for quite some time but once we were on the move we presumed that passenger to be on board. Wonder what he’s doing now? Probably married a local and sitting in a deck chair overlooking the sparkling waters of Bora Bora with a Pina Colada in his hand.. J

Once again we were farewelled by several whales as we sailed out of the bay of Kahului.

Cunard offer a very good ‘Future Cruise deposit’ offer to passengers currently on board. For only US$75.00 per person this payment gives us the option of US$300.00 per person on board credit for a balcony or US$200.00 per person for an ocean view or inside cabin.  If you book a Queens or Princess Grill cabin you receive US$400.00 per person on board credit. This is for voyages booked of 10+ nights. The offer is valid for four years and should we decide not to use it we can receive a full refund of our US$75.00 per person ‘Future cruise deposit’…. A good deal we think so we’ve got ours.  There is also an option of a little less on board credit for voyages of 6 to 9 nights.

Well I had better get ready to go for drinks and dinner. Afterward the show tonight is a magician then the later at 10.30 the crew are doing a show which should be fun.

We’ve just returned from the crew show which was excellent and very funny.  They  certainly do have some great talent on board this ship, probably the best we’ve ever seen.  To our surprise our Waiter Ana sang, she didn’t tell us she could sing, so might have to get her to serenade us at dinner tomorrow tonight. J

I forgot to mention you may have noticed that the two Hawaiian ports were swapped around from the original itinerary.  Captain Wells decided it was a good idea to change them around.  Don’t know why though.