Queen Victoria World Cruise 2024 Notes from the Navigator

[Lynda Bradford]

I am still way back in the Caribbean and reading forward from time to time when I get the chance. I want to savour these notes.

Really interesting to read about the Caribbean sea. We think so often about the islands and the sea ports, but I had never thought about the sea in between them. These notes are fascinating.

Isabelle you have lots of catching up to do but glad that you are finding the notes interesting.  There are so many interesting facts and having the opportunity to post on this topic has brought back many good memories.  Hope everyone is enjoying seeing the photos from the ports of call. 

Great notes, commentary, and photos ! Many thanks, Lynda !

Thanks June, it is good to know you are enjoying reading the notes. 

[Lynda Bradford]

Queen Victoria 2024 World Cruise (sector 3 contd.)

26 February 2024
After disembarking the Auckland pilot yesterday evening we set a north easterly heading, passing around Fletcher Bay and Tryphena before altering to the south east. We round the North east tip of the North Island at a range of 15 nautical miles before steaming down the east coast of New Zealand. En route was pass Portland Island 20m on our starboard side. As we make our approaches in towards Wellington, we sail past Cape Palliser Light-house on our starboard side. This Lighthouse is operated by Maritime New Zealand, was built in 1897, originally fuelled by oil. In 1954 the oil lamp was replaced with an electric light that was powered by a diesel generator. This was sub-sequently connected to the mains grid in 1967, although a diesel generator is retained for emergency power. The light was fully automated in 1986 and is now managed from a control room in Wellington. The base of the lighthouse is reached via a staircase with 258 steps, up a 58-metre-high cliff. Cape Palliser lighthouse is one of three New Zealand lighthouses with a distinct striped paint scheme; the other two are Dog Island Lighthouse and Cape Campbell Lighthouse both have black and white stripes.

27 February 2024
Weather: 17 degrees
Located on the southern tip of New Zealand's North Island, Wellington may be small by some capitals' standards but it's every bit as vibrant, picturesque, and culture filled as cities double its size. Within the Central Business District and along the waterfront you'll find galleries and museums of every persuasion, including New Zealand's acclaimed national museum, Te Papa Tongarewa.
If outdoor pursuits are more your speed, you'll also be among good company in Wellington.

Along with the chance to try out sea kayaking, the city's waterfront and surrounding hillsides offer beautiful walking trails, perfect for stretching your legs in the fresh New Zealand air.

A port call to Wellington also opens up the opportunity to ride the city's iconic red Cable Car, join the locals for a spot of sunbathing at Oriental Bay, or embark on a quest for the perfect pint among the city’s craft beers.

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[June Ingram]

258 steps to the lighthouse - oh my !

[Lynda Bradford]

258 steps to the lighthouse - oh my !

Tough for the lighthouse keepers.  The Maritime NZ web site has more information on the lighthouse, which can now be visited by tourists. The lighthouse keepers houses were at shore level making it easier for delivery of stores but they still had to haul the oil for the light up the path to the lighthouse. 

Maybe some of our NZ members can tell us more about the lighthouse and if they have visited post some picture. 

[Lynda Bradford]

Queen Victoria World Cruise 2024 Notes from the Navigator (Sector 3)

28 February 2024
Weather: 17 degrees
Nestling on the lower slopes of a steep sided extinct volcano, the historic port town of Lyttelton is overflowing with trendy cafés and quirky shops. It's also the gateway to nearby Christchurch. Lyttelton has a long, colourful history and was the point where the first European settlers, bound for Christchurch, came ashore in 1850. Today the centre of Christchurch is just over seven miles away, thanks to the 1.2-mile-long Lyttelton road tunnel, which burrows through the Port Hills.

One of the city's proudest features is its neo-Gothic Timeball Station. Built in 1876 to keep Greenwich Mean Time and to signal the time to ships in the harbour In use until 1934, this outstanding example of Victorian technology is one of only five still operating around the world. It was badly damaged in the earthquake, but was painstakingly restored.

29 February 2024

Queen Victoria let go her lines, thrusted off the berth and made reciprocal courses outbound from Lyttelton. After disembarking the pilot we altered to north and proceed towards the Cook Strait. The Cook Strait separates the North and South Islands of New Zealand, and connects the Tasman Sea on the northwest with the South Pacific Ocean on the southeast, It is 14 miles wide at its narrowest point and is considered one of the most dangerous and unpredictable waters in the world. The strait is named after James Cook, the first European commander to sail through it, in 1770. This morning we pass 5 miles to port off Stephens Island, and then clear cape Farewell at around 10.00am as we bid farewell to New Zealand, and commence sailing west across the Tasman Sea bound for Sydney.

Photos: Lytteltown from ship, Chistchurch tram and landscape around Lytteltown to Christchurch.

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[cunardqueen]

Loving the addition of the Map. At a glance we see its a proper World Cruise and not some voyage that bypasses a continent  and that you are going around the whole world .

Enjoying the updates. Now what did you get upto on sea days , did you get into a routine or was every day a holiday. or did you ever just think. Lets have a day in the cabin and relax and do room service .   

[Lynda Bradford]

Thanks Myles:

Enjoying the updates. Now what did you get upto on sea days , did you get into a routine or was every day a holiday. or did you ever just think. Lets have a day in the cabin and relax and do room service .   

During the day we were surprised how much we liked Chairobics, which was so popular that you had to be in the Queens Room at 9 am to get a seat ready for the session to start at 9.30 am.  10:15 was Line Dancing which was also very popular, but I didn’t participate as my hip has been giving me a bit of a problem. I usually went to a lecture or had a coffee after Chairobics.  Zumba was another popular activity, but I only participated in the Zumba Gold (for older people).  We didn’t go to the gym onboard ship until after half way through the cruise and wish we had done so earlier in the cruise as it was a really good facility. 

The dance team did occasional ballet and tap classes for beginners. 

There were days we just chilled out by sitting on deck 9 Lido Deck and enjoyed listening to music or reading.  I always enjoy a walk around deck  - deck 3 is my choice for walking mainly because it is nearer the sea plus there are always people with binoculars who are keen to chat to share with you information on birds or marine life they have spotted.  But I also liked spending time on deck 10 walking or sitting. 

There was some excellent lecturers.  Simon Calder, Travel Journalist, Claire Balding, Presenter, Rebecca Adlington, Olympic Swimmer, our very own Chris Frame, Maritime lectures.

The lecturers tended to compliment the area we were visiting or sailing.  There was a  Professor of Aerospace for Cape Canaveral. An Oceanographer speaking about the secrets of Ocean Waves (way above me) .   Also Across the Pacific we had an excellent Astronomer giving lectures on the Southern Sky.  He invited passengers to join him in the evening to look at the sky at night.  I learned a lot from lecturers about Pearl Harbour and the Pacific WWII conflict that I hadn’t known about.  There were lectures that linked into the areas we were visiting.  Some were very good, but others were more appreciated by the passengers from that area.  e.g. Americans, Australians etc. 

Talks on forensic science.  Music history, authors and much much more. 

I always enjoy the ask the Captain and Engineer sessions and especially enjoyed a talk "From Deck Cadet to Captain" by the Chief Engineer and Deck Cadet.

There was the usual ice sculpture and cooking demonstrations and I always went along to the Passenger Choir performance to support those who took part.  I am not a fan of playing cards but Whist and Bridge was popular.  Jigsaw outside the library but I didn't get around to participating. 

I love the library onboard Queen Victoria, so pleasant to sit and enjoy the ambiance. 

The lectures and films were screened so if you missed a lecture you could watch it the next day in your cabin. 

All this we had to fit in between meals and the occasional afternoon tea. Then we would have a sleep to recover. 

[Lynda Bradford]

Queen Victoria World Cruise 2024 Navigator Notes (sector 3 contd.)

1 March 2024

Throughout the day Queen Victoria will continue on a West North Westerly heading across the Tasman Sea. The Tasman Sea is a marginal sea of the South Pacific Ocean, separating Australia and New Zealand. It measures approximately 1,200 miles across and 1,700 miles from north to south. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, who in 1642 was the first known person to cross it. British explorer Lieutenant James Cook later extensively navigated the Tasman Sea in the 1770s during his three voyages of exploration.

The Tasman Sea is informally referred to by both Australian and New Zealanders as 'The Ditch, for example "crossing the Ditch" means travelling to Australia from New Zealand or Vice Versa .

2 March 2024

Queen Victoria continued on a Westerly course across the Tasman Sea overnight and shall remain steady on this course throughout the day. As we make our approaches in towards Sydney we will pass the Hornby Lighthouse.

The Hornby lighthouse, also known as South Head Lower Light or South Head Signal Station, is a heritage-listed active lighthouse located on the tip of South Head, New South Wales. It marks the southern entrance to Port Jackson, as well as lighting the South Reef, a ledge of submerged rocks. It is the third oldest lighthouse in New South Wales. The need for a lighthouse at the entrance of Jackson Bay was made evident by the loss of two ships. First was the Dunbar, wrecked in August 1857, with the loss of 121 lives. The second was Catherine Adamson, two months later in October 1857, with a loss of twenty-one lives.

[Joann Scott]

Hi Lynda

Look forward to reading about your World Cruise. You also have some great picutes.

[Lynda Bradford]

Queen Victoria World Cruise 2024 (Sector 3/4)

3 March 2024
Weathe:r 27 degrees
Sydney is famed for the quality of its outdoor living, yet a visit here offers more than a chance to soak up the sun. The Sydney Harbour Bridge, World-famous Opera House and the constant bustle of the harbour itself makes Sydney one of the World’s most dynamic destinations.  Venturing outside the capital of New South Wales unlocks mysterious protected coves, miles of sandy beaches and the dramatic landscape of the breathtaking Blue Mountains.

Those unfamiliar with Sydney may be surprised by the sophistication of the city's culinary scene. Sydney offers, myriad dining  experiences drawing on both eastern and western influences, along with restaurants producing some of the most innovative nouveau cuisine in the Word. Sydney offers an exciting shopping experience encompassing department stores, boutiques and designer emporiums within the city centre.

4 March 2024
Weather: 21 degrees
The stunning harbour city, Sydney is Australia’s oldest and largest urban centre, Gold mining and sheep breeding propelled Sydney’s development and today it is the largest port in the South Pacific. Mark Twain called it "the wonder of the world"
Blessed with a natural  harbour countless golden beaches and first class  restaurants.

Sydney is a dazzling metropolis and international gateway to Australia east coast. The city is famed for the quality of its outdoor living, but it offers more than a chance to soak up the sun. The Sydney Harbour Bridge, word Famous Opera House and the constant bustle of the harbour itself make Sydney one of the most dynamic destinations. Venturing outside the capital of New South Wales unlocks  mysterious protected coves, and the dramatic landscape of the breath-taking Blue Mountains.

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[cunardqueen]

Ok we are on the big daddy of cruises and food plays a big part in that, how did you fare with the meals ? dare we ask what a typical day might hold, Breakfast in the cabin or in the restaurant or elsewhere ?  a pub lunch ? of course im sure Afternoon tea each day even if only for a cuppa a finger sandwich and bit of cake , and then Dinner ! were you keen to try out the alternate venues or were you in the restaurant each night . Were you able to see a preview of the menus and perhaps plan your meals ? and of course the Midnight buffet.
What about local speciality food taken onboard at the various ports ?  Did you ever just yearn for a plate of your favour meal on land .

I confess l struggled with the food on QE2, ok you dont have to eat everything , but with all that was on offer it was hard to refuse . My longest trip was 21 days and l was already into larger trousers , over the years l met a few people who came secretly with a set of larger clothes and we made no shame of having the extra scone or the extra bit of something nice at the buffet , and yes when times sometimes permitted 2 puddings at dinner.

My very first cruise back in 1986 l was very much at sea, and being booked on a newcomers to cruising deal we were all seated at the same location. l still remember my very first Dinner, l wasnt even 17 years at the time and seeing the table set with heaps of cutlery and being faced with a vast menu had no idea what to eat. as it happened my order was last so l followed the rest soup and starter sometimes salad then onto the mains one guy had 2 mains , assuming that was what was expected , then the vast choice of desserts and ice cream  We all did kinda laugh at the end and came to realise we didnt need to have so much. The following day at breakfast the waiter did suggest that whatever was on the menu we could have, but we didnt need to have something from every section. Lunchtime we were  all more settled . l recall meeting a group of 4 from Newcastle at the afternoon and we all just pigged out . Dinner that night the menu had the Gazpacho and being a venturous bunch we all went for the fancy soup . Only to realise it was chilled and really not very good. but we got a second choice. Caviar night l soo wanted to try it, lm glad i did, l can now say l don't like caviar. The menus tended to have  steak or a chicken dish , fish indeed any shellfish is always a nono for me, lm not good with bones so l really don't tempt fate. It was a lovely table and we all gelled pretty quickly . I always thought l was a fussy eater, and to a large extent l am (hence no fish or shellfish, but l can safely say i never opened a menu and thought ..Jees l could starve tonight on any of my QE2 trips.

If l was ever in the lucky position to be able to do a 3 month cruise around the world, l would have to be disembarked by crane .

The waiters l always found to be simply superb, they did get to know your likes and dislikes , even to the extent of the bread rolls or the tea or coffee thing  and were always happy to oblige with the extra chips .

Friends have just returned from a visit to Queen Mary and l have always shouted about their sunday brunch. It was voted the best in So Cal a couple of years ago. They went and found the whole thing just insane in what was offered and more shocking in just how much they ate . l rather fear like me they try to get their moneys worth, and thats not really the best was to do it.                 

[Lynda Bradford]

Good question Myles:

Food Glorious food!

When we were on a cruise last year, I was speaking to the Maitre d' about how I would manage to not eat to much.  He said that on World Cruises passengers tended to eat like they would on a short voyage for the first week or two.  After that they settled down to restrict eating and that is exactly what happened. Although I still ate too much and exercised to little so put on four pounds, which is not bad in 107 days, but I am still trying to lose the weight gained. 

We ate in the main dining room or the buffet for breakfast and lunch.  I liked getting up to the buffet early, when it was quiet and enjoyed fresh fruit followed by cereal or an egg.  The omelette chef made delicious omelettes, which I preferred to scrambled or fried egg.  Unfortunately I like croissants, so that was my downfall.  Lunch in the Lido was a light lunch of soup and salad or sandwich.  At lunch I also liked the pasta bar in the Lido.  Cake with coffee was my lunch downfall!  In the main dining room I felt the lunch choices were a bit limited, so choose the days when the menu suited.  There were days when there was a pasta bar in the main dining room, which was popular.  I didn't eat in the Golden Lion Pub but it was a popular venue. 

In the evening we dined first sitting at the same table each night. We were very well looked after by waiters Nestor and Nicholas.  Because I am Pescatarian, eating fish, vegetarian and vegan, the head waiter gave me the next day's lunch and dinner menus to check if the options were suitable. If not I could order from the Vegetarian or Vegan menu.  Passengers also have the choice to order salmon, steak or chicken on the night.  Basically the waiter and head waiter tried hard to please.  The menu changed each night for around 21 nights then reverted to the beginning again, so by the end of World Cruise we would have liked a change, but for people only doing one sector it would have been fine. We dined in the Lido for dinner a couple of times, and I was surprised that it was quite good, especially the German buffet, which was popular with the German passengers.  We didn't try the other speciality dining options, basically because we enjoyed our dining experience in the main dining room and as you mentioned the waiters did know our likes and dislikes. 

Afternoon tea, as much as I like scones and cakes, we limited this option to around four or fives times in the Queens Room but did have the occasional scone or cake with tea in the Lido. 

By the end of the cruise it was good to get home to some plain food, but we enjoyed the meals onboard ship at the time. 

[Chris Thompson]

When I joined my first ship in 86 I was a bit on the tubby side
As a staff member we could eat in the passenger restaurants, at first I was trying everything on the menu
(Which tended to repeat every week).
But after a few weeks I got into the habit of eating a big lunch but having soup and salad in the evenings.
Did not take long for me to drop a lot of weight, of course I did like to do a lot of walking ashore which helped.

[Lynda Bradford]

Queen Victoria World Cruise 2024 Navigator Notes (Sector 4)

5 March 2024
Weather: 22 degrees
Queen Victoria let go her lines thrusted off the berth and sailed out of Sydney, passing the opera house on the starboard side before disembarking the local pilot. passing around to a north easterly heading out to sea. Throughout the day queen Victoria will continue a northerly heading, passing 30 nautical miles off Brisbane on the port side. Brisbane is the capital city of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia and of Oceana with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of Southeast Queensland, which includes several other regional centres and cities.

6 March 2024
Today Queen Victoria maintains a northly heading with an alteration of course around wolf rock which we pass 26 nautical miles off on the port side bringing us to a north westly heading. Wolf Rock is a set of four volcanic pinnacles two kilometres north-northeast of Double Island Point in Cooloola, Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. The location is a popular scuba diving spot. It is said that the rock was named for one of Captain Cook's crew who first saw the rocks on rounding Double Island Point. There was certainly an Archibald Wolfe on Cook's voyage, but Cook doesn't record the rocks, nor anyone in particular seeing them first. Wolf Rock is considered by the Queensland Government to be Queensland's most important habitat area for the critically endangered grey shark.

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[June Ingram]

Wonderful notes, commentary, and photos, Lynda ! Many thanks ! I do like the look of the library very much. Was there one particular entree at dinner that could qualify as your all time favorite ?