queen victoria from london
by pam fairbank
Prior to the cruise, we spent 2 nights in London at the Sheraton Skyline Heathrow Airport Hotel. We took a taxi from Heathrow Airport to Sheraton – 15pounds – only a mile away. The hotel was adequate – rooms ok and nice restaurants.
TFLGO- use this app to guide you to downtown London – using trains/buses. It is excellent – you can use your credit card upon entering each bus or train – or use the Oyster card. Check out the Elizabeth Line – it’s new and very nice!
We did a half day London tour with Delta Vacations. It was great – it was King Charles’ birthday so we didn’t get to go into the Buckingham Palace so viewed it from outside. We saw Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and the St. James River/St. James River Palace.
Cunard Queen Victoria: A traditional cruise – older crowd – very few children
Embarkation was organized and very calm! No app to download – use printed boarding pass.
Use your room card to get into staterooms and on/off ship
After 6PM – wear Smart Attire. Gala evenings – a Black & White formal night and a Roaring 20’s night which was fun to see many dressed up.
Fencing classes – a unique opportunity to learn Fencing. Minimum age of 18, so my 17-year-old son was disappointed that he couldn’t partake.
Free laundry self-service! Including detergent – very nice to have this available.
Entertainment – Variety shows, comedians – very enjoyable.
Announcements are made just once a day by the captain (except when there was a medical emergency and a helicopter had to airlift a passenger off the ship to a hospital in France). Spa and fitness center were never busy. Easy to get appointments and very friendly staff.
Roaring 20’s Night
SHORE EXCURSIONS:
La Coruna, Spain – The Way of St. James - We did a 4-hour walk but if you start from France, it can take 2 weeks! It is a network of pilgrims’ ways or pilgrimages leading to the shrine of the apostle Saint James the Great in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition holds that the remains of the apostle are buried. Highly recommend this tour!
Bilbao, Spain – walking the Basque Coast – beautiful hike along the coastline. Peaceful, easy hike.
Cherbourg, France – Normandy beaches – we visited Utah beach one of the D-day landing beaches. Also visited the D-Day memorial and got to see actual bunkers – very interesting.
A mannequin of Pvt. Steele still adorns the church at Sainte-Mère-Église, memorializing the paratroopers who jumped into Europe on D-Day, June 6, 1944. (National Archives)
