Volcanic Canaries

At the end of September 2017, my wife and I went on a 13 night cruise to the Canaries, via Madeira, and stopping of at Lisbon and Vigo on the way home. As I am disabled I always find the checking in process very quick and easy. 20 Minutes from being dropped of to getting into the stateroom. Thankfully Cunard provide a pocket size map of the ship, very handy till you find your way around.
The Stateroom was on deck 4 at the back of the ship. They are compact, but certainly have enough room for all your gear for a fortnight. It was well appointed with all world types of electric plugs so no problems with our square 13amp ones.

We tend to have breakfast in the cabin. This is included in the price. Some ships now charge for this enjoyment.

the ship it’s self is large with around 2000 passengers. We never struggled to find somewhere to sit, however getting to the shows and popular lectures early is a must. The ship has a very homely atmosphere and the crew were always friendly and nothing seemed too much trouble for them.

The food is good wherever you eat. The buffet always has plenty on offer and the range of food would cover most tastes. The only down side to the buffer is that there were no trays to put our plates on. Frequent trips are necessary to gather your meal. This in turn leads to lots of passengers milling around, it does resemble a bit of a scrum at times.

There is always plenty to do on the sea days, although there are no press gangs forcing anyone to do anything. In the evening a daily activity guide is placed in your stateroom so you can plan the next days activities. Two swimming pools, one midships and one at the stern, no difficulty in getting somewhere to sit, in the shade or for the sun seekers. There is a very well equipped Library over two decks. Cunard do present their guests with beautifully appointed reading, cards and games rooms to their ships. The Library on QE is no exception. For the shop a holicks there are plenty of shops for you to spend your hard earned cash, on some days there are the “flash sales” at which it is possible to get a bargain!

In each port of call the company (QE) offer to arrange a selection of trips of interest for passengers to book places of for a price. there are generally 1/2 or full day excursions the cost of which is added to your on board account.

Speaking of on board accounts – each guest has an electronic key card that doubles as you “on board credit account”. On to this is added on your first day the gratuities for the cruise. Personally I would prefer that the gratuities are included in the cost of the cruise. It is true to say that you can ask for these to be removed and you “reward” staff as you see fit, but they do have a daily recommendation.

Both my wife and I enjoy Cunard, and have sailed on all their current ships and enjoyed, without problems, each one.