TRAVEL .... with David Bray
One of the hazards of cruising is the serial cruiser, the person who has done more than a few of them, the platinum card holder. They have done, in Cunard’s case, at least seven voyages or sailed for more than 48 days. Boring, but then they have seen a few things. Not necessarily really rich, likely to be newly so.
But the gravest danger of cruising must surely be to your weight. There are 10 restaurants aboard Queen Mary 2, ranging in size from the huge, three-level Britannia which does breakfast, lunch and two settings for dinner down to a couple of cosy bars. We find the food in the Britannia good if often bland, and usually find quicker service elsewhere for breakfast and lunch.
There are several classes aboard this very large liner, as explained by the line itself as follows: “The QM2 continues the Cunard tradition of special dining rooms for those in the higher class suites. Passengers in one of the O categories eat in Queens Grill, and the Princess Grill is reserved for P category guests.”
Your reporter can offer no comment on either establishment. But we do one night go right to the top and pay an extra $30 each to dine in the Todd English restaurant. Mr English, it transpires, is one of America’s leading restaurateurs and does indeed provide us with an outstanding dining experience – brilliant food and exemplary service. Our sole quibble is that portions are extraordinarily generous, but not so much that when staff insist on bringing a complimentary serve of what is listed as their signature dish, Love – basically ravioli with utterly delicious sauce – we leave the plate clean.
Wish we had listened to earlier advice to order it. Weird name, but. Then there is Kings Court, neither more nor less than a big food court for breakfast and/or lunch which at night becomes four more intimate dining venues: an Asian restaurant, an Italian trattoria, the Carvery, and the Chef’s Galley.
We soon gravitate to the Galley for breakfast, excellent omelettes. We enjoy a lunch of bangers and mash with good jazz at the Golden Lion pub but most days see us in Sir Samuel’s with smoked salmon. The same bar provides the only coffee we pay for aboard, takeaway café latte double shot at 7am.
The Winter Garden does what is billed a proper British afternoon tea (no tea bags here), complete with scones, clotted cream, fresh pastries, finger sandwiches and white glove service. We never quite get around to this one. Shows how much there is to do at sea. Food may be found in the court around the clock and room service is free.
The ship’s wine list covers most of the world’s areas at reasonable prices, with some luxuries. For the first week or so we wander across the southern hemisphere but eventually settle on the house list of very drinkable wines at around $25 the bottle. About what you expect in a decent place at home.
To counter the hazards, we take to the promenade deck (twice around is just over one kilometre) for a while but for the last two weeks exercise mildly in the gym and arrive home pretty much unharmed.
BRUISING FOR A CRUISING?
How much?
So what's the cost? The round trip – cruise, all shore excursions, hotel and transfers in Hong Kong and airfare back to Sydney with Qantas, sold to us by the excellent agent Travelrite – cost $11,080 each. Add insurance and visa fees for USA and China. Daily expenses need be modest. We spent a bit on decent wine, email (communication patchy and expensive and in the end frustrating), a decent coffee every morning, takeaway from Sir Samuel’s, open at 7 and the only coffee we had to pay for ) one visit by Mrs B to the hairdresser and minor incidentals. Came in under $100 a day.
Where you can go
Cunard has very recently put out a new brochure about its World Cruise collection of fly, cruise and stay holidays. Queen Elizabeth sails Sydney to Bangkok, calling at Brisbane, Port Douglas, Kota Kinabalu, Hong Kong, Chan Mai and Ho Chi Minh city, February 29 to March 23. from $6,795 to $17,580. Queen Mary 2 does Hong Kong to Dubai, by way of Ho Chi Minh city, Bangkok, Singapore, Phuket and Cochin, March 24 to April 14, $6995 to $16,990. She goes on from Dubai to London, stopping at Muscat, Sokhna, through the Suez canal, Piraeus, Lisbon and on to Southampton, April 8 to May 1, $8195 to $15,790. (If some dates seem to overlap it is because they include flights and nights ashore.)
