Sailing back to Southampton

 

Trip back on the Queen Victoria Ship

2024 April 16^th to 28^th April 2024

The Victoria

We left D`s (my son) place for the cruise terminal in Cape Town. It was very crowded once there and we had to check in even though I`d checked in on the internet. We had our passports checked and our boarding cards stamped. Then we had to have our luggage scanned. Afterwards, we went through immigration and had our passports checked again.

Afterwards, we got aboard the ship and found our upgraded cabin. Later our cases were delivered and left outside our cabin door.

The upgraded cabin

On the first day we had afternoon tea and went into the Brittania restaurant for dinner then watched a ventriloquist at the theatre.

Dinner in the Brittania Restaurant

In the Brittania Resturant with Dot 

As I had written about the voyage on Queen Mary 2 to Cape town, I shall just put photographs for the trip back to Southampton over 16 days. Some of the passengers had been around the world. Whereas others had just sailed one leg. That`s what we were doing on this trip from Cape town to Southampton was just one leg. We were hoping to call in at Walvis Bay in Namibia, but the captain decided to keep going north as there had been problems in Cape town and the ship had had to stay two days instead of one. The captain said the wind was too strong th leave. We could not get off the ship until we get to Tenerife and had to spend several days at sea. As Walvis Bay was a stop he decided to miss it out. There were many disappointed passengers

The Gym

East day the captain gave us a talk at 12 mid day. We were heading north for Tenerife and off the coast of Africa opposite north Namibia and Angola called the skeleton coast where there were many dead marine animals, shipwrecks and plane crashes. We could not see the coast as we were 500 miles away. We didn`t see any sea creatures or birds.

The Sauna

Today is Thursday 16^th August and we have been sailing 6 days. it was very hot, and we passed over the equator. That imaginary line that goes around the earth. As we have to ask Neptune if we can pass over, he demands a ceremony, which was carried out. Apparently, it`s easier to launch a space craft from the equator and Nasa does it and also the European Space Agency launches from the Ghana area sometimes.

The imaginary line which is the equator 

After the equator celebrations for crossing the equator
the pool had to be cleaned

Today we were off the coast of Guinea, but couldn`t see the coast of Africa. Gold was taken to the UK from Guinea when we had the gold standard. When every pound was worth it`s value in gold. Years ago people would talk in Guineas rather than pounds; Instead of 20 pounds people would say 20 guineas which I believe was worth just over 1 pound.

In the whirlpool on deck

We do the same thing most days. Eat, Sit on deck. I go to the gym, walk around the ship on deck 3. Then back to the stateroom and usually fall asleep as it`s very hot until dinner time, then watch the show in the theatre.

Tomorrow we will off the coast of Mauritania on the starboard side. Over 90% of the country is in the Saraha desert and is a hostile environment and is one of the emptiest of countries. A Cunard ship built in 1906 was named the Mauritania and was the fastest ship for over 20 years. She took many rolls and was scrapped in 1935. Then a second Mauritania was built that plied the oceans until 1966.

The next day we had an interesting third talk by Margant Gilmore on o. I personally learn a few facts I didn`t know. About terrorism incidents that had taken place in the last 40 years. Then we watched a fun competition with the crew taking part before having afternoon tea. At 5pm I took part in a Pickle Ball competition, but I was knocked out in the first round. Later we could see on the horizon Queen Mary 2 (QM2) which was heading in the same direction as our ship (Queen Victoria) after a world voyage that finished at Southampton. After Southampton the Queen Victoria goes to Hamburg as many of the passengers are Germans.

The sea is getting rougher and the temperature not so high as we sail further north. We had a head wind which slowed progress somewhat and we as we due to stop at Tenerife. This will be the first stop since Cape Town.

When we woke up in the morning we were docked in Tenerife Harbour. The scenery looked good and bright. We had breakfast, then walked into Santa Cruise and found a cafe where we could use Wi-Fi. We met some people on the cruise and chatted until we decided to visit a Spar to get some wine. We walked back to the ship and went aboard. The ship later left for Madeira where we shall spend tomorrow. It is due in the harbour at 9 am in the morning.

Left for Madeira later that day and sailed overnight and when we looked out of the window in the morning we had moored in Madeira Harbour. Although Tenerife belongs to Spain, Madeira belongs to Portugal. We went ashore after breakfast and wandered around the waterfront, From the ship the waterfront looked very colourful with the buildings extending up the mountains. After a while, we caught the shuttle bus and returned to the boat which remained moored until the evening.

After we left Madeira, most thoughts were on the next stop which was Southampton. We certainly saw more ships heading towards Europe, but no land. All the activities on the ship continued each day. On the last day we met all the crew. There were so many, many of whom you never had seen because they work away from the public eye.

At the end of the voyage, we saw the whole crew in the theatre

We were told about the debarkation program and went back to our cabin and packed all our belongings for the suitcases to be collected and taken to the gang plank. So, our 16-day cruise came to an end.

                                                                        The end