Our 1st 3 days on Cunard

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Geo: 38.7072, -9.13552

We boarded the Queen Victoria at Southampton and walked up the stairs to our cabin on the 7th floor. We always take the stairs and never the lift as part of the only exercise to mitigate against all the calories we know we will be imbibing over the next two weeks. The cabin is spacious with welcoming bottle of champagne, bowl of fruit and canapés but the luggage had not yet arrived so off we went for lunch in the Queens Grill. We had opted to sit at a table for 8 but the others did not materialize today. The food was very nice but the Thai curry I had was very bland. Lawrence the Sommelier was an important person to get to know. Once he knew which wine package we were on he was very helpful.

After lunch we had time to unpack before the mandatory safety drill. It was dark before the ship sailed from Southampton, not the most romantic sail away we have had but champagne on the balcony was still a must. The butler was instructed not to switch off the TV while Ted was watching a film. However the selection of films is pretty dire so I fear he will be bored! At our first dinner we met our fellow table guests and much to my relief they are all nice people- mostly from Yorkshire and midlands. We all got on which is just as well as we have the same dinner guests for the whole cruise. Our sommelier went over the top with the red wine even for me so the Show after in the main theatre I have to confess was a bit of a blur. Despite the wine I did not sleep well due to a constant banging in the background. A carpenter is on the case as we speak because Stefan decided that the banging was due to the loose connecting door between us and the next balcony.

Day 2- Butler brought tea and then we had a very light breakfast in the restaurant- have to pace ourselves. Picked up the quiz from the library but couldn't answer most of the questions so did not submit it. Went to Morning Trivia and came 3rd equal but only the two of us on the team so entertainment questions we got wrong. Then a very entertaining lecture on eating bugs after which we were treated to a feast of roasted black crickets which were actually very tasty especially when he made loads which were a bit crispy! Pre prandial in the Winter Gardens, which lived up to its name! There is a Force 8 gale out there and no one is on the pool deck. We have entered the Bay of Biscay so we expect the gale to continue till we get to Lisbon. Fortunately we are good sailors and the tilting of the ship disguises any tipsiness due to wine. There was another Trivia quiz in the afternoon and again we came 3rd. On days at sea the highlights of the day are definitely lunch and dinner. The food is on the whole excellent. I stuck to the Provencal Rose and Stefan has the Sancerre so mind much clearer when we went to the after dinner show which was a very funny comedian. Tried a bar after but it was so noisy with the music we couldn't chat to people.

Day3 – Another day at sea but the sea is much calmer as we go by Cape Finistere. Missed the trivia because it clashed with 2 lectures we wanted to attend. We did go in the afternoon and came 1st equal but lost the tie breaker question of how many millionaires were on the Titanic. It was the formal night for dinner preceded by the Commodores welcome party. It was lovely to see all the ball gowns in the ballroom with expert dancers whirling around. We won't be seen shuffling around.

Day 4- moored at Lisbon. We walked off the ship and caught the On-Off sightseeing city tour bus. The driver drove like a maniac and it was very cold and windy on top despite the sun. Probably the worst city tour we have ever done and I don't recommend it. The last time we were here the city looked dilapidated. It was good to see that the mosaic pavements were all intact but a city that was once glorious still has a tired look about it. From the middle of the Baixa area we walked up to the Castle of St George which is just ramparts and walls but from which there are very good views of the city. We popped into the Cathedral on the way back, a surprisingly dark and severe place. A swift walk back to the ship ensured we were not late for a long lunch followed by a sit on the balcony in the sun. Hopefully it will get warmer.
So far so good. It is a totally different cruise experience to what we have had before but we are enjoying it. However I do hate having to sign for everything. We have been spoilt with Silversea where everything is inclusive. Apart from our regular table guests it has also been difficult to meet people. The entertainment is better as it is a large ship. Last night we had the 3 tenors who were excellent. I shall try and keep an open mind but I suspect Silversea will win the day.

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