At Sea

June 4^th, 2024

After a very exciting day yesterday the ship felt very subdued. Maybe everyone was exhausted – I certainly needed some extra sleep after my early morning watching our arrival in Liverpool.

I have processed my feelings about Queen Anne’s Godparent. This is certainly not what any of us expected, but it is a lovely honor for Liverpool, and the crowd on Pier Head yesterday really seemed to be excited. I am not happy, but I am OK with it.

Cunard posted this on Facebook: “Following the media reports of ill health and the royals not wanting to distract from the recently announced election, we weren’t expecting any members of the royal family to attend the naming event, and we fully support their need to prioritise these matters.”

 One wonders if any royals were actually invited? Any other dignitaries? Was Liverpool Cunard’s plan all along, or a last minute choice when no one else was available? If they were looking for icons, my vote would have been for Inger Thorhauge. Cunard’s first and only female captain. Or one of our wonderful iconic actresses, like Maggie Smith or Judi Dench. However, it is what it is.

The naming ceremony certainly was an amazing event, and that firework display was fantastic. Yes, it was a very memorable day. I could go on about what I would have done differently. Definitely more Mersey Beat music, and I love “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, I wish they had played it. If very British Liverpool is the Godparent, how about some stirring British music? Although that may not be politically correct. Maybe we are no longer the land of hope and glory. Queen Anne is a ship for a new era, she is beautiful, she is different. However, change is hard for me. Bring back QE2 proudly blasting out Jerusalem as she passes Hythe Pier!

Today was one of those perfect sea days, a great mix of insight speakers, food, and activities. The ship may be different, but she still has a classic Cunard feel when you are at sea. I am certainly in my happy place. Especially as I am kept supplied with crisps when I am in the Commodore Club. Service was a bit slow on the maiden voyage, but it is certainly up to speed now.

Tonight was the final formal night of the voyage, with the masquerade theme. Even the flowers in the lobby had masks.

Deirdre and I got all dressed up in our finery and went to see the Bright Lights Society production, Fizz, before dinner. This was my second time seeing the show, and I feel that it was even better than when Brian and I saw it. It was fun and the actors are so talented. It is a miracle that the female dancer does not hit one of the ceiling lights.

I love that there is the Bright Lights Society venue. The shows are great, and after the shows it is an excellent disco.

The gala dinner was delicious as usual. We all got a complimentary glass of sparkling wine, and got to take the menu home with us. No doubt they will be on eBay in no time.

Pride and Prejudice was planned for the final night of the previous cruise, but it was cancelled due to one of the cast members being injured. I was very excited that we were actually going to get to see it tonight. However, just before the show was due to begin the director came on and told us that one of the actresses had taken ill this morning. Luckily one of the creative team was on board, and she had been roped into playing the part of the ailing cast member. She had never played the part before, and had only had since 6:30 this morning to learn her lines and rehearse with the rest of the cast.

Well she did an amazing job, I was very impressed.

I really enjoyed the play, I am a huge Jane Austen fan, and I loved the new interpretation of the book. However, as Deirdre said, it felt like a school play. Yes, the singing could have been better, and the language used may not be appropriate for all.

This was the opening night after a long stressful day. It is like a maiden voyage, let’s see what happens as the cast settles in to their roles. Hopefully it will be better.

The horse had been seen wandering around the promenade deck on the previous cruise. It finally also got to make its acting debut tonight.

All in all, it was a wonderful evening. I do love formal nights and seeing my fellow passengers all dressed up. Almost everyone followed the dress code, and the ship looked fabulous. It was one of those evenings that you want to go on forever. It is magical. We have been on quite a few different ships in the past year, and there really isn’t anything like a formal night on Cunard. I love it. Yes, there are changes happening all around, but this is one constant that makes everything alright.