We booked our recent Cunard Queen Anne transatlantic crossing on a whim. We had another Cunard crossing booked in the opposite direction later in the year. The one-way LHR to JFK airfare was $1,000+. A little research showed me if we flew JFK to LHR in January and flew LHR to JFK later in the year, the RT airfare was $407! We enjoy sailing with Cunard, so we booked the trip.
Here is our journal, day by day:
Wednesday, January 8th: We fly JFK to LHR on a daytime 10:00 AM flight. We arrive at LHR at 10:00 PM. We stay at an airport hotel.
Thursday, January 9th: We booked the Cunard airport to ship transfer. We show up at Heathrow Terminal 3 Arrivals. A guy with a Cunard Queen Anne sign is waiting. (There was another guy with a Cunard Queen Victoria sign.) We wait about 30 minutes, are led to a bus and our luggage is loaded. In less than two hours, we arrived in Southampton. There is fanfare for the start of the world cruise. This includes a military marching band in the Queens Room and fireworks on departure.
High point: The airport to ship transfer was excellent and boarding was the fastest ever.
Friday, January 10th: The seas were rough. Our cabin is 4003, far forward near the bow. We attended a lecture highlighting jewelry by Theo Faberge, grandson of the famous Karl Faberge. I visit the shops and buy a Barbour wax jacket. The price is about 20% lower than back home in the US. We attend afternoon tea in the Queens Room. I missed our first formal dinner because I am seasick.
High point: That great deal on a Barbour jacket!
Saturday, January 11th: We still have rough seas. I visit the Purser’s office and get seasick tablets. They work! We visit the Pavillion pool area on Deck 9. It is near the Artesian Food Hall, where we have lunch. The pool area is covered by a glass roof. Less movement of the ship since we are now in the midship section. We have dinner in the Britannia dining room.
High point: Those seasickness tablets really work. I am feeling much better.
Sunday, January 12th: I attend the interdenominational church service in the Royal Court Theater at 10:00 AM. It draws a crowd. The captain conducts the service. Lots of singing. The world cruise program of activities includes an eight-session creative writing class. It focuses on how to write your memoirs. At 4:45 I attend the afternoon trivia quiz in the Golden Lion Pub. At 5:15 we attend the senior officer reception held in the Pavillion pool area. This is an ideal event space. We have dinner in the Britannia Dining Room.
High points: Both the interdenominational service and the senior officer reception.
Monday, January 13th: The seas have not improved, but those tablets work wonders. The captain has sailed Queen Anne in a southernly direction to avoid rough weather when possible. The outside temps are in the mid 0’s! In January! If only it weren’t raining. We attend a lecture on the history of the Louis Vuitton fashion house. In the afternoon we head to the Royal Court Theater to see an improv group. They created a murder mystery by asking the audience to call out possible settings and how the crime might be committed. They create a play on the slot! We try the Freedom Dining option. We show up at a different entrance to the Britannia Dining Room at a time of our choosing. We are seated for dinner, proceeding at our own speed.
High point: The improv group was fabulous!
Tuesday, January 14th: Sea still unsettled. The improv group holds a workshop in the Queens Room. I chose to sit and watch but later wished I had joined the crowd of participants. It was great! Today was the wine and food pairing lunch. It takes place in Sir Samuel’s steakhouse and costs $80. I try to do this every voyage. It is a fantastic meal over a couple of hours and a great value. We are back to second seating for dinner in the Britannia Dining Room. We ask to be reassigned to a table for two. No problem.
High points: The improv workshop and the wine and food pairing lunch.
Wednesday, January 15th: Smoother seas at last! We had lunch in Sir Samuel’s Steakhouse. It was a three-course meal and more food than we expected. My steak was excellent. Sir Samuels has a supplemental charge and requires reservations. In our case, lunch is a perk for Diamond World Club members. The improv group has another show in the theater. Because it was standing room only for their first show, we head over thirty minutes early to get good seats. Plenty of other people had the same idea. At 4:45 I attended the afternoon quiz. This time I joined a team of two sisters and their husbands who were sailing around the world. During the quiz, the captain makes a ship wide announcement. Those rough seas included ten-meter swells. (I think that is a Force 9 or Force 10 on the 12 point Beaufort scale. We will be arriving in New York on Saturday, not Friday. (The itinerary included an overnight in NY, so Queen Anne is still on schedule.) This was our second formal night, the Roaring 20s gala.
High points: Lunch in Sir Samuels and the improv group.
Thursday, January 16th: We have breakfast at the Artesian Food Hall on deck 9. I chose avocado toast, which was excellent. The improv group has another workshop in the Queens Room. The exercises are innovative and fun. I discovered the Carpathia Café on Deck 3. They have fabulous open-faced sandwiches, available at no additional charge. They are also a wine bar, and the selection of wines offered is impressive. I brought a glass and two sandwiches as a surprise for Jane. We missed the 1:00 PM Cunard Choir performance. On every voyage, passengers who sing in a choir back home are invited to form a group, practice and perform together. Many British people do this at home. I have always found it impressive. The Pavillion pool area also serves as a “drive in theater.” It is done in silent cinema format with headphones. We attended a Queens Room lecture about controversies in the art world. I also managed to miss James Bond Trivia in the Golden Lion Pub. So many choices!
High points: The Carpathia Café and the art lecture.
Friday, January 17th: The sea was calm. We had a relaxing day sitting on a sofa and comfy chairs alongside a window in the Pavillion pool area. This may have been the day we attended Noir, the show presented in the Bright Lights Society. This is a nightclub venue. The entertainment is excellent. It is the closest I can get to the “nightclub feel” you see in “Cabaret” or “Victor Victoria.” We get our packing done and set our luggage outside the cabin door before turning in.
High points: The “Noir” show performed in the Bright Lights Society.
Saturday, January 18th: We booked the ship to JFK airport transfer. We had our last breakfast in the Britannia Dining Room, headed to the Royal Court Theater and promptly disembarked at 7:40 AM. Our luggage was easy to find. Porters were available. We cleared US immigration and boarded the bus to JFK. Departure was delayed, but the trip to the airport was quick. We picked up our car and drove the 70 miles back home, stopping at a supermarket along the way. We had 90 minutes to ourselves before we headed out to pick up our weekend houseguests at the train station!
High points: Porters in the baggage hall, the ship to airport transfer available.
The weather played a part; however, each day had many positive, memorable moments.
Ed. Notes:
For more information about Cunard Line and Cunard ships Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria, and Queen Anne, click here https://www.cruisecompete.com/lines/cunard_cruises.html
CruiseCompete travel advisors can assist with deals, details and sailings.
CruiseCompete also offers shore excursions and cruisetours!
All Things Cruise, the ultimate source for cruise lovers
Also see Overall Review: Cunard Queen Anne Naming Ceremony Voyage ~So very much to like! – All Things Cruise
Cover photo: Queen Anne, credit Cunard
Queen Anne becomes the 14th ship in Cunard’s illustrious history to undertake a full world voyage. Notably, Queen Anne will also be the largest Cunarder to achieve a full circumnavigation of the globe.
Over 107 nights, Queen Anne will call at 30 different ports across 18 countries. Highlights of the voyage include iconic calls to Miami, San Francisco, the Panama Canal, Honolulu, Auckland, Sydney, Hong Kong and more. Guests will also cross the International Date Line on 12 February, experiencing the rare phenomenon of ‘jumping through time’.
The full world voyage also includes overnight stops in New York, Honolulu, Sydney, and Singapore, with Queen Anne returning to the south coast on 27 April.
