Queen Elizabeth Review
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If you like the older style of passenger ship, then this Queen Elizabeth may appeal. Although beset with lines of balconies which would fit well into a Benidorm apartment block, the overall shape, albeit without any sheer at all, is pleasant. The funnel makes it. The red and black Cunard funnel has class. The ship is not too big, given the size of many modern cruise ships, and the public interior spaces have a theme - it is loosely art deco. It is unostentatious and comfortable.
Embarkation was efficient and fast. There were no check-in delays and no waiting to board. Our cabin, grade BF, was pleasant although rather bland. The bed was comfortable. There was a bottle of sparkling wine. The showerroom had all that was necessary. The blandness of the cabin matched the theme of blandness in the corridors. Cunard corridors are the least attractive element of their ships, at least at this level of cabin. Perhaps things get better the higher you go and the more you pay. I did mention how unutterably boring the corridors were to a director of Cunard whom I mistook as a junior member of the hotel department staff. He took it in good part but the corridors remain, in my view, the worst feature of this ship. You can spend a lot of time walking along these corridors if your cabin is not conveniently placed close to a stairwell. It should not take too much to liven them up a bit. Make them more attractive.
We used the Lido self-service buffet exclusively this time. Chosen carefully, and with timing being important particularly for the chef's carvery, all in all quite good both as to choice and quality. Quantity is up to you. Service was on the whole good, although clearing away was sometimes, but not always, rather slow. I liked the availability of fruit juices throughout the day. Not all cruise lines offer this.And the ice machine which scatters all over the place. Little choice as to cheeses, but the chefs know how to bake cookies.
Cabin Review
Port Reviews
Vigo
Vigo has seen better days. The old part is interesting and easily accessible from the ship, but it does not take long to see the best of it. What we were looking forward to was a visit to the national park islands offshore. But the tour was cancelled due to lack of support. A pity. If we came again we would hoope for better luck.
Lisbon
There is a lot to do and see in Lisbon. And it need not be expensive. We took the shuttle into the centre, got helpful instructions from the delightful Portuguese bus chaperon, failed to identify any of her landmarks, got cheerfully lost but with a map, which is essential, and reading the street signs, got to the castle. You can spend a lot of time in the castle, its surroundings and its museum and that is what we did. Straightforward. Educational. Inspirational. And cheap. And if you don't like the sound of that, there is plenty of other things to do.
Porto (Leixoes)
This is a lovely city. For us, the trouble was that it was very very busy. The shuttle is a necessity because the cruise terminal is well away from the City. We were dropped off at the top of it, amidst the loudest emergency vehicle sirens we had ever heard. And trams rumble about with apparent scant regard for inexperienced pedestrians. However, with a map it is not difficult to walk to the river. Find the stairs beside the bridge and it is an enjoyable walk down to the river. Take a river trip. It is lovely. Not expensive and, with the walk up the hill again, it may be enough for you. It was for us.