The thing with the crossings are having done a fair number when they were 5 days and round trip as well is that unlike a cruise you only have the limited number of nights onboard in which to get into it, ie meeting new friends, taking part in the onboard events and NY is always an very early start, followed on from usually a late night. The menu did tend to be repeated (sometimes) However you did gain from the gentle clock changing and the sensation of 28 knots all the way across, that was always interesing, the dress code was easy,first and last informal and the rest formal none of this super casual or elegant informal or whatever it is they call it
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Now a cruise is a diferent matter as you all know, in the early days l always enjoyed the crossings but a cruise was so different, not so much the ports, l couldnt care less where she visited, but seeing places for a day gave an insight, a tender port gave great views of QE2, the interesting mix of passengers you met all over during the day or ashore or just waiting somewhere, granted of course the cruise was longer and you didnt have the feeling of going somewhere, the incabin tv did give an idea as to how fast or slow you are going it even showed us doing a loop the loop twice off the English coast as we headed for home.
My regret and really it was a dream
would have been to do the World cruise, But l guess apart from the hard reality of the fare!! could l really have coped with the 100 or so days, how on earth do you prepare for such a thing, how do you budget for such a voyage, 3 weeks on board and the onboard account runs to 4 or 5 pages, the food l did once lose a stone before a 3 week trip and lm throughly ashamed to say it was back on in 10 days, 2 weeks is a fine length for the waistline, 3 weeks and lm really pushing it and even then the outsize fitting clothes are very welcome,yes l know l could eat less,ok so l could reduce the american bacon at breakfast or skip the morning cookies, have salad with my Pavillion burger or steak (granted l dont have pudding on that days
) and afternoon tea is simply a must cucumber and egg sandwiches, a lovely scone or little cake and if its those blancmange things (you all know what l mean) l just kick my heels in the air throw caution to the wind and have two with a refill of the delicious afternoon tea either in the Queens Room or Lido, (and theres nothing wrong with having it there)only once was it ordered on room service and we both felt so guilty we had to clear the plates
Dinner is well 3 hours away a nice relaxing gin (full fat tonic) a nibble at the canapes, Leo the waiter would seek me out and ensure something hot was offered (canapes l do mean) and then of course Dinner and that speaks for its self, by the time it finishes another quick drink & the midnight buffet is underway, that requires a visit to check all is well and maybe a few strawberries, little cake or the chicken stirfry, and then by the time the yacht club adventures stop maybe a little BLT and glass of milk. Rest assured at home my eating habbits are nothing like the above, it is after all a cruise.
The the vast range of ports of call and more than likely one off ports it would be best to do the Cunard tours, yes they are expensive, but the standard is also very high.
And of course the luggage, its so nice to be able to pack what you want, not what you need and not worry about excess charges, perhaps l go overboard( no pun indended) and carry the odd suitcase too much, certainly on the very last trip as the suitcases were gathered in the customs hall it dawned on me the hired car was no use, the ford transit was perfect however pulling away in a van, white at that didnt seem quite right, At Kings Cross station the lounge assistant wouldnt lift some of them, something to do with health and safety.
So perhaps a World cruise might not have been a good idea, BUT it would have been so nice to do, mindyou how would you have asked for 4 month of to do QE2 world cruise.....
