Live from the 2015 QE World Voyage

[Janix]

Thurs 16th April – Salalah, Oman

 

We arrived in early sunshine after sailing 1016 miles from Dubai, through the Straits of Hormuz and down the coast of Oman. By just after 8am we were moored up in the commercial container port, no cruise terminal here, and after breakfast again headed to the Royal Court Theatre, the meeting point for our tour entitled Salalah Contrasts.

 

Salalah is situated in the Dhofar region of Oman and is some 1000 kilometres from the Capital Muscat. There was a large cement factory clearly visible from the ship and the landscape looked very dry. They do have two seasons though, wet and dry. Gavin in his port presentation suggested there was not a great deal to see here and the country is seriously muslim, which would necessitate taking the customary clothing precautions of long sleeves and no shorts. Although only a short stop, the drive through the countryside was interesting, and in fact it was noticeably cleaner here than a lot of other countries. There have been several countries where plastic bottles are strewn all over the countryside, but not here. Although it is obviously very sandy, it didn’t appear to be dirty at all.

 

We were driven past several royal palaces, the King was born near here in Taqah, although he mainly resides in the Capital Muscat now. We did not seem to come across the centre of the city, but we were taken to the Frankincense souk where the fragrant sap form the tree was available at little cost. Some people bought the typical headdress worn here whilst others sampled perfumes, and curios. I guess there will be some dressing up again tonight and maybe some sweet smelling passengers ?

 

Our next stop was at the ruins of Khor Rouri, the palace of the legendary Queen of Sheba, believed to have been the hub and harbour for the shipping of Frankincense for export to the rest of the Arabian peninsula. A photogenic stop and the ruins looked recently constructed although our guide insisted they were not ?

 

We then retraced our steps and headed towards Taqah to visit Taqah castle, and old style fortified home which used to be occupied by the Wali. I did however miss the explanation of this and also missed viewing the frankincense tree which was there also, so I can’t enlighten you about the Wali’s. maybe some research for when we return ? There was also a castle on the hill, but with the high temps no one seemed interested to climb the many steps up to it. Adjacent to the castle was a graveyard where we were told that you could tell if the person interred there was male or female by counting the number of headstones – 2 for a male and three for a female (with a central stone).

 

We were told that when an Omani male reached the age of 25 years he could apply to the Government for a land grant, and they would be granted 600 square metres of land on which they could build, and also obtain access to interest free funds in order to develop the site. However a lot of the Omani homes were quite large and they tended to house whole families with their different generations. There were quite a few uncompleted houses and others in various stages of construction so I take the money may come in phases ?

 

Our last call was to the Ain Razat Springs , a natural underground spring amidst the tranquil lush mountains. There was a simple botanical garden and a cave to also visit here, and the spring water was apparently piped to the royal palaces.

 

We returned to the ship by 1330 and all aboard time was 1530, and we sailed just prior to 4pm. It is a glorious evening and after the sand affected skies recently, is remarkably clear again. We are still in pirate waters so precautions still being taken seriously. We now have three sea days before arriving in Aqaba, Jordan. All trips to the ‘must see’ UNESCO site of Petra are still planned to go ahead.

 

John

[Janix]

Barbara good to hear you are still with us o our onward trek :-)

 

With regard to the clothing issue at the Grand Mosque,, every coach on arrival was vetted by a male security official, who selected people by asking them to wait and once all the passengers on the coach had been processed, the one's he has selected were told to get back on the coach.

 

I did not see any male passengers selected, but heads, shoulders, elbows, knees and ankles had to be covered, and if there was any suggestion of flesh or flesh colour, or even underwear straps etc then that person was rejected. However the vetting appeared to vary according to the 'official' you were confronted by. No open toed shoes either.

 

So if they thought there was any hint of flesh through the clothes there was an immediate rejection. However some did get in without the very strict code.

 

We were interviewed by a female at the port asking our opinions on the port and asking about where we had visited. When we relayed the info about the Mosque she intimated that should not have happened and the people who were excluded should have been offered coveralls. No such offer was made.

 

So you need solid coloured non see-through tops and trousers or skirts, and do not wear anything that exemplifies your womanhood. White apparel is not the way to go !

 

BTW Gavin and the ship are aware of the problems.

 

HTH

 

John

[Host Hattie]

Did the ship give any advice about dress for the visit ? I'm sure Maggiemou reported problems with white clothing last year (although I may have imagined that).

[maggiemou]

Hi John Thanks again for your reports. Pleased Salalalala lala la ( no not Amarillo) went well. I love the Oman it is a fascinating country. Your visit sounded better than one we did three years ago whilst on QM2 world cruise. Our tour was a bit of a poor do as the guide was dreadful and forgot to take to us anywhere other then dessert.;) We were meant to be on the Frankincense trail tour but it never happened. Not a tree in sight. :) Cunard refunded the cost of the tour. Muscat we have faired better but I was pleased to have seen lots of camels and dessert in Salalah. Glad your tour was good.

 

Some people had problem last year at the grand Mosque In Abu Dhabi. Similar to what you describe and Host Hattie is correct, we did have ladies wearing white cropped trousers refused entry. Having said that some people just do not listen to instruction on dress codes or even read the daily programme. Usually most people are well informed and dress accordingly.

Have a wonderful time in Petra. Take plenty of water with you and wear a scarf for your face as it can be very dusty. Have fun and ride a camel. :) I want a photo of you both on a camel. :D

[alibabacruisers]

I can't believe the last segment of the World Voyage has begun. To all of those still onboard, I wish you a fantastic remainder of your journey. To those of you I was lucky enough to meet on the first segment or talked with on the roll call, I hope our paths will cross again.

 

Kathi

 

Hi Kathi, I know, I can't believe it is the last few weeks for those still onboard either! There are quite a few on the full world cruise still but lots have come and gone over the past few months and I was so lucky to have been able to meet or talk to all of them as well. I was also glad that you and I were able to finally meet and talk after all those months of chatting on the roll call. It is good to read on your blog that you are having a good time on your current cruise.

[alibabacruisers]

John, thanks for the detailed explanation of the process. It is good to know.

 

Hi Maggie, hope you are doing well.

[Janix]

Did the ship give any advice about dress for the visit ? I'm sure Maggiemou reported problems with white clothing last year (although I may have imagined that).

 

Hi Hattie,

 

We did attend the port presentation about Dubai and Gavin, the port presenter did mention about covering the various parts.

 

This is the 'Important Information' for Dubai from the shore excursions booklet :-

 

Guests are reminded that the UAE have very stringent laws and expectations regarding public expressions of affection, drinking and revealing clothing. Short skirts and brief shorts should be avoided and ladies should cover their shoulders and knees.

 

 

Then there is the following from the City Tour details :-

 

Guests are advised that they must wear loose fitting clothing with long sleeves that cover the wrists, legs are covered to the ankles and ladies must bring a scarf to cover their head. Tight or transparent clothing is not permitted and shoes are to be removed before entering the Mosque. Entry will be refused if the above dress code is not adhered to.

 

All the women thought they were suitably attired, but as mentioned there is no right of appeal if you are selected, you are refused entry.

 

John

Edited April 17, 2015 by Janix

[Janix]

Have fun and ride a camel. :) I want a photo of you both on a camel. :D

 

Hi Maggie,

 

That may be difficult as the last time Andrea was on a camel, in the Sahara, it jettisoned her into the sand - not a pretty sight :eek:

 

However looking forward to the trip.

 

We are around 200 miles from Aden now, in the Internationally Recognised Transit Corridor and have already been visited by a warship thrashing past at great speed. It was a little too far away to get a name or number as we were in lunch at the time.

 

John

[Host Hattie]

Thanks for taking the time to reply John, it seems as if they tried their best.

[babs135]

John

 

The Jewish festival of Passover was the beginning of April. Did you notice what, if anything, happened. Jewish dietary laws are even more in evidence during this 8 days festival as no bread, along with other restrictions, is allowed.

 

We always use this as an excuse not to do the World Cruise (actually not in our price range :(), but I'm curious how people cope.

[Janix]

Hi babs135,

 

I must admit I am not aware of any changes specifically, but I do know that dietary requirements can be adjusted on request, that does not appear to be a problem. I am not aware of any other Jewish guests who require such a change, but I am sure they would be accommodated. The maître D's are usually aware of dietary requirements and are most willing to help.

 

I guess the only people who could answer your question properly are other Jewish passengers or the company itself.

 

John

[Janix]

Thanks for taking the time to reply John, it seems as if they tried their best.

 

This would appear to be a cultural difference, and what 'our' women found acceptable obviously was not acceptable to the 'very strict' code actually used at the site.

 

It was pot luck and some made it into the Mosque and others didn't. On our coach it appeared to be white trousers, or very slightly transparent blouses, but there were people dressed in such clothes allowed in. As you cannot question the actual reason, and as the person vetting was not the same person for every coach, we will really never get to the bottom of it.

 

The only surefire way to be allowed entry was to wear a black coverall. Cunard did offer advice, but it looked like our coach was the one to have someone who had a 'very' strict attitude to the dress code, for which there was no appeal.

 

 

John

Edited April 18, 2015 by Janix

[babs135]

Hi babs135,

 

I must admit I am not aware of any changes specifically, but I do know that dietary requirements can be adjusted on request, that does not appear to be a problem. I am not aware of any other Jewish guests who require such a change, but I am sure they would be accommodated. The maître D's are usually aware of dietary requirements and are most willing to help.

 

I guess the only people who could answer your question properly are other Jewish passengers or the company itself.

 

John

 

Thanks for that. The start of the festival is with a meal and a reading of the story of the Children of Israel leaving Egypt, 10 plagues, etc so I did wonder if there had been a Rabbi on board and a room set aside.

[maggiemou]

John, thanks for the detailed explanation of the process. It is good to know.

 

Hi Maggie, hope you are doing well.

Hi Barbara, I am well thank you busy at work but still following the world cruisers and planning my next world cruise segment only for next year. We are not doing another full world as four in row wore me out :D We are going Cape Town to Sydney on QE and staying in both places for a week before and after. We will break our journey home and stay in Dubai four days before we fly back to sunny Cyprus which is only 4 hours from Dubai.

Will you be on QE next year? if I hope to catch up with you again.

I hope you have settled down now after your adventure. It takes time and I always find it takes me forever to sort out all our photos, and Videos.

I enjoyed our short time on QE in January but I have to say it was nice to be home for spring as I have not been in Cyprus in spring for over ten years, so saw my garden in bloom for once. Take care Barbara and all the best to you.

 

Maggiemou. x

[maggiemou]

Thanks for that. The start of the festival is with a meal and a reading of the story of the Children of Israel leaving Egypt, 10 plagues, etc so I did wonder if there had been a Rabbi on board and a room set aside.

 

Babs I have been on world cruises on Cunard where there has been a Rabbi on board. He is usually travelling as passenger and does the Friday service in an evening in a room set aside in Connections.

For Passover when I was on QM2 world cruise friends of mine ate a different diet and did have the unleavened Matzah bread. Hope this helps.

Edited April 18, 2015 by maggiemou

[Salacia]

John

 

The Jewish festival of Passover was the beginning of April. Did you notice what, if anything, happened. Jewish dietary laws are even more in evidence during this 8 days festival as no bread, along with other restrictions, is allowed.

 

We always use this as an excuse not to do the World Cruise (actually not in our price range :(), but I'm curious how people cope.

 

babs, Cunard offers pre-ordered Kosher meals. Details here: https://ask.cunard.com/help/mini/cunard/before-you-sail/kosher_meal

 

When I've been on board QM2 during major Jewish Holydays, there has been a sign-up sheet at the Purser's Desk for religious services. -S.

[alibabacruisers]

Hi Barbara, I am well thank you busy at work but still following the world cruisers and planning my next world cruise segment only for next year. We are not doing another full world as four in row wore me out :D We are going Cape Town to Sydney on QE and staying in both places for a week before and after. We will break our journey home and stay in Dubai four days before we fly back to sunny Cyprus which is only 4 hours from Dubai.

Will you be on QE next year? if I hope to catch up with you again.

I hope you have settled down now after your adventure. It takes time and I always find it takes me forever to sort out all our photos, and Videos.

I enjoyed our short time on QE in January but I have to say it was nice to be home for spring as I have not been in Cyprus in spring for over ten years, so saw my garden in bloom for once. Take care Barbara and all the best to you.

 

Maggiemou. x

 

Yes, I finally got back into the work routine but still going thru all the pictures! We won't be doing a WC segment for awhile unless we win a lottery. This past QE segment was a blessing but only happened because of a great deal! Spring in Cyprus sounds very pretty! Hope to see you again in the future!

[Janix]

Friday 17th March – At Sea

 

After departure from Salalah yesterday afternoon, Queen Elizabeth set a SSW course throughout the evening before altering onto a more SW course entering into the Gulf of Aden in the early hours of this morning. The Gulf of Aden is the body of water located in the Arabian Sea between Yemen on the south coast of the Arabian Peninsula and Somalia in the Horn of Africa.

 

The Gulf of Aden is a vital waterway for shipping, especially for Persian Gulf Oil. It has many varieties of fish, coral and other creatures since there is little pollution. We tracked down the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor until this ended due south of Aden and then headed NW into the Bab el Mandeb Straits and the Red Sea.

 

Todays port presentation was a guide to Istanbul, followed by Cunard Insight lectures by Ian Smith entitled Aden and South Arabia, and by Gary Sheffield about the collapse of the roman Empire in the Middle east.

 

Tonight was a formal evening with the Royal Cunard Dancers repeating their version of La Danza in the Royal Court Theatre and the Starlight ball in the Queens Room.

 

John

[Janix]

Saturday 18th April – At Sea

 

This morning we passed 2 miles west of the island of Hanish al Kubra as we continued on our NW passage into the Red Sea, passing a number of small islands and coral reefs. During the afternoon we passed the Port of Gizan on our starboard side, located on the west coast of Yemen before passing the city of Massawa on our port side in Ethiopia.

 

During the day we had a Port Presentation on Valletta, A Cunard Insights presentation by John McCarthy entitled ‘Inside out’ Part 2 relating his experiences of his captivity and release, which was excellent as he is an excellent storyteller, and Dreamflight Pat’s reprise of her life in BA and the history of Dreamflight. This was followed by a lecture by Tony Sloman on popular Movie Genres: The Western.

 

There was Dixieland Jazz in the Golden Lion Pub at lunchtime and this was very well attended and the portions of fish & chips served must have been a record ! The afternoon film at 3pm in the theatre was ‘Paddington’.

 

An informal evening with a deck party on the Lido Pool deck at 9.30pm and tonight’s entertainment in the RCT at the usual times was Manuel Zuniga – a comedy juggler ?

 

John

[Janix]

Sunday 19th March – DAY 100 – At Sea

 

On hundred days already, where does the time go ? This is now the longest cruise we have ever been on beating the 99 days on Arcadia in 2013, in more ways than one !

 

Throughout the day Queen Elizabeth will remain on a NW course through the middle of the Red Sea. The Red Sea is one of the most saline bodies of water in the world, due to the effects of the water circulation pattern. It is roughly 1215 nautical miles (2250 Kilometres) long and, at its widest point is 199 (355Km) wide. It has a maximum depth of 2211 metres (7254 ft) and this morning we passed 50 nautical miles off Jeddah and 75 nm off Mecca, with the coastlines of Sudan and later Egypt on our port side. We are approximately 2/3 if the way up the red Sea at 1400 hrs today, some 275 miles SE off Safaga and approx. 400 miles south of Aqaba.

 

Today’s traditional maritime church service was conducted by the Captain and 10am, and this was followed by another of Tony Sloman’s Popular movie genres lectures and at 1215 Ian Smith talking about ‘The Challenges of building a Supersonic Passenger Aircraft’.

 

Ferry Bedy has a classical concert at 2pm in the Queen’s Room entitled ‘The Traveller’ Pianist of the New Age. The film also at 2pm is entitled ‘Mr Turner’ about JMW Turner’s life.

 

Tonight is another informal evening with Variety Showtime in the RCT featuring vocalists Jacqui Scott and Paul Emmanuel. Ballroom and Latin dancing in the Queens Room and the Bahrain F1 Grand prix screened in the Golden Lion – satellite reception permitting.

 

Everyone is preparing themselves for one of the highlights of the trip - a visit to the Red Rose City of Petra tomorrow. We are due to dock at 0900 tomorrow morning and depart at 2200 tomorrow evening. It will be a long day, so I expect many will be having an early night tonight, and we do gain an extra hour tonight as the clocks go back another hour ! Because of the numbers travelling tomorrow, the Britannia Dining Room will operate on an open seating basis between the hours of 6pm and 9pm.

 

So the Mediterranean is approaching along with the cooler airs. I remember it was a shock to the system last year, lets hope the Med is a bit warmer than last year !

 

John

Edited April 19, 2015 by Janix

[Host Hattie]

Thanks for the updates and Happy Day 100 !

[fourstacker]

Thanks for the updates and Happy Day 100 !

 

WOW...watched the QE on the webcam yesterday while she was in El Aqaba. I was so envious of them going to Petra and experiencing the middle east culture in Jordan.

I had previously read quite a confident poster on here that they wouldn't call there so was pleased for them all that that didn't come to fruition.

Its a pity they have to sail past Egypt where they were originally meant to stop.

I wonder how long it will be before the Middle East is "back on the menu"? or if the "round the horn" route will become the norm now.

Edited April 20, 2015 by fourstacker

[Janix]

Monday 20th April – Aqaba

 

Overnight Queen Elizabeth remained on her NW heading paralleling the Egyptian Coastline. In the early hours we passed between Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula on our port side and the island of Tiran on our starboard side. This gap of only 2 miles marks the entrance to the Gulf of Aqaba, which is a stretch of water of some 100 nautical miles, bounded by Egypt and Israel to the east and Jordan and Saudi Arabia to the west. We docked around 9am in the morning in the port of Al ‘Aqabah.

 

Aqaba provides the gateway to the Rose red city of Petra, one of the original ‘seven wonders of the world’. This is the main highlight of any trip to Jordan and expectation was high as many people assembled in the Royal Court theatre for the 2 hour road trip. As far as I could ascertain there were around 20 coaches booked for the 2 hour drive to Petra and we left the port at 0930 in convoy with 5 other buses. Just prior to our arrival in the modern town of Petra we had a quick comfort stop of around 20 minutes and the chance to buy a drink or souvenirs, or just marvel at the mountains in the distance.

 

We arrived in Petra town and several landmarks were pointed out to us including where our lunch was available at the Petra Palace Hotel. Others were lunching at the Movenpick hotel nearby, and it was a short walk to the entrance to the Petra Archaelogical site where we were soon given tickets, and allowed to proceed down the sloping stony path which led to the Siq. The main entry into the site is via the Siq, and the passage is around one mile long, on various substances underfoot from gravel to larger stones, smooth macadam to roman type cobbled roads. Our guide suggested that the entry ticket which bore a price of 50 dinar (1 dinar = 1uk pound) includes a horseback ride from the site entrance to the Siq entrance, but this did not include the $10 tip required. Also on offer were horse drawn buggies which would take you directly to the Treasury Building via the Siq for a reported price of $30 – subject to negotiation, but we were warned that neither type of transport was regarded as safe, and that if one suffered injury it was likely that Travel Insurance would not cover any costs. Needless to say everyone in our group walked into the site.

 

The journey down the Siq was fascinating, with multiple twists and turns in the narrow passages amongst the multistriated rocks, and just as you were expecting to come to the end, there was another corner. This was high suspense travel ! Along the way the guide pointed out various tombs and carvings and Nabatean writing carved into the rocks. Unfortunately some of the carvings had suffered owing to fact that for the many years the site was used by the Bedouin for their housing. However a new town was built on the outskirts and it is now illegal for anyone to live within the site.

 

After a walk of around 40 minutes we eventually reached the last corner, you could tell you were getting close by the number of WOW’s emitted by the people in front. Then it was there, the angle of the entry showing a small ‘crack’ through which a column of the Treasury could be seen. A few more steps and the whole of the Treasury was in view. This is the highlight, and many people having achieved this rested for a while and then returned uphill through the Siq and back to the hotel for lunch. Camel and donkey rides were available in this area, but I am unaware of the costs. There was also a souvenir stall and drinks were available in this area.

For those with a little more stamina, there was a continuation of the Siq further down the hill, maybe 15 mins walk on soft crushed stone and sand paths, making walking a bit of a problem, but then the area opened up and more tombs came into view. There were several vendors selling souvenirs, jewellery, soft drinks, fruit juice etc also in this area and you could rest in a Bedouin tent from which any sales profits went directly to the Bedouin people. There were also many unofficial vendors selling postcards and memorabilia.

 

Near the bottom of this section was the amphitheatre carved out of the solid red sandstone, quite a feat overlooked by the Royal Tombs. By this time it was approaching 2pm, and certain appendages were feeling the effects of walking on loose sand and stone, so we headed into the Bedouin tent for a bit of shade (35C) and a drink. Whilst there we discovered that there was a cave at the ‘back of the shop’ in which the last resident had lived before being moved out by the government. Someone said she was originally from New Zealand, and married a local Bedouin, but I can’t confirm this. After taking refreshment we started the climb out, and by climb I can assure you that in the heat with slippery rock underfoot, it was a climb. The Siq wasn’t so bad as there is solid footing over the majority, but it was all uphill, and it sure seemed a lot steeper than the trip down. After several rest stops we arrived at the site entrance at 1530 and then headed to the hotel for lunch.

 

I found the lunch very good, although after all the exertion it was very nice to be sat down in an air-conditioned room. We were treated to local middle eastern food which was very reminiscent of Greek food. Water and coffee were provided, but sometimes only a beer will do – a can of Petra’s own beer was $10, but it was cold and wet. I gather a 450 ml serving of draught beer at the Movenpick was $15, so not cheap.

 

After lunch we were requested to assemble on the coach and that it would be leaving around 1720 for the 2 hour trip back to the port. As it was everyone was on the coach by 1710, so we were the first coach to depart Petra and we arrived back at the port at 1910. Later we were told that the later coaches were welcomed back and given a glass or two Champagne on their return to the ship, and that we had arrived back too early ??? I gather the first two coaches missed out on this little treat which would have rounded the day off perfectly. Must be Cunard White Star service again !

 

I seem to recall that we left Aqaba late last year, owing to one of the coaches suffering a breakdown, but this year all coaches were back early and we actually sailed 15 minutes early at 2145 local. Clocks were set back another hour again last night, but it was quiet on board at 10pm.

 

In her midday announcement today, the Captain has said that a ship has run aground in the Suez Canal and the canal at that time was closed. In order to get to the front of the queue we have increased speed form 10 knots to 21 knots, and it may be we transit the canal in darkness tonight if the obstruction is removed. I know this will disappoint many people who were really looking forward to the transit in daylight. Only time will tell ?

 

John

Edited April 21, 2015 by Janix

[Janix]

Captain has been on the 'partial' blower again (the pa system on this ship is extremely frustrating at times) so only caught the end of her message. It wasn't piped into cabins, it wasn't available on the usual channel 40, just heard in the corridor with your door open if you happened to hear it all???

 

The canal obviously isn't closed as we are apparently entering the Suez Canal tonight around 1730 (in about an hour and a quarter) and sailing through it overnight.

 

I know this will disappoint many passengers who will miss the experience of a full transit, I'm glad I did it last year, but was still looking to a exciting daylight transit once again.

 

John

[janetcbl]

Thank you John for your amazing description of Petra. It is the one place on my "Bucket List" that I never managed to visit, and your description of the visit was so vivid, I felt as though I was there in person. Well done and many thanks!