Can't keep a good Dame down. Encore trip on the QM2.

[love_the_life]

I can't keep up with Dame Y. My stateroom looks just like hers but reversed as I am on the opposites side of the ship. Weird to have had muster in the buffet restaurant- thought I might have had a quick snack while waiting but no such luck
Meeting the Y soon in the gorgeous Carinthia lounge.
Happy to report all unpacked and ready to set sail as they say. There seems to be a few Hyacinth Buckets here for those who remember her trip on QE. :shock:

 

[Pushka]

I have your phone Dame O. I cannot remember your number. Just knocked on some random door . I feel like Svetlana looking for drron. I am off to the lounge. See you there.

 

[tgh]

Really wonderful tr ladies, love the humour, and somewhat regretting not camping at Marina Bay.
As Silversea tragics ,we look forward to the forensic discombobulation of the Cunard product…

 

[Pushka]

The Kings Court buffet is now clean and spacious and not so confusing.




And a washing area as well as the usual Purell station. Actually, given the size of the showers......

 

[Pushka]

Wot? We haven't even left port yet?


The new Carinthia lounge is very sophisticated posh. I suspect on this cruise it won't be used much . Just sayin.


My spot.


If I drink it quick Dame O will never know and tell me off.


Two hours until dinner. Mmm. Quite a bit of upselling happening.

 

[RooFlyer]

For someone quite uninterested in big ship cruising, I'm finding this TR really interesting (maybe because there hasn't been any actual cruising yet? ). There. I've subscribed now.

 

[Pushka]

For someone quite uninterested in big ship cruising, I'm finding this TR really interesting (maybe because there hasn't been any actual cruising yet? ). There. I've subscribed now.

Well tomorrow we are in KL and going to bash some Selangor pewter.

 

[Bindibuys]

Well tomorrow we are in KL and going to bash some Selangor pewter.

My first full time job - Angus & Coote Centrepoint & working with the Selangor girls. How I hate pewter.

 

[Pushka]

We ended up not leaving until after 9pm. With the computer glitch drama things didn't go according to plan. People's passports were returned without the white immigration slip from Singapore and Singapore would not let us leave.

Dinner last night was interesting. Not a great table location. Kind of shoved up the back but next to a window. Everyone at the table of 8. Two other Aussie couples, one from Gold Coast and the other from Darwin. The couple from the Gold Coast knew little about the weather issues as they'd been travelling. The other couple was an English couple living in Spain. Just going to leave that there..... They are on for 60 days and 'own it' now.

Dinner was lovely and very much enjoyed the company especially of the GC couple. The lady was I think Malaysian Indian and was served a non menu item of curry. I drooled. As did Dame O. She said she had ordered especially and on the way out she took us to the Maitre D. Good grief. What a pfaffer. Said he couldn't arrange it and only did it for people with allergies. To which I said I was allergic to English food Goodness knows if it will get us anywhere.

Dinner went on a trifle long. Was getting a bit weary of the - mmm, conversation. We will be attending the late session of entertainment every night from now on = departure at just after 10. I kind of get bored after finishing watching others keep on ordering and eating after everyone else has finished.

Who puts ice cubes in wine anyway

Port Kilang. Again.
Sunrise.

 

[Pushka]

Remember my comments about being Starboard so no clunky port noises. Ha.


Photos from last night waiting to sail out.

 

[Pushka]

Scenes from hot and humid Batu Caves. We didn't climb the stairs.

Nice Indian food

And durian


The wait for the squat toilets was huge. Because people were having a shower. There was no shower cubicle just the toilet.

 

[Melburnian1]

On the ship, are you placed at the same table every night with the same other passengers, or are you free to 'choose' a table (of eight?)

How many restaurants does your fare (balcony stateroom) give access to without a surcharge, or with a surcharge? Are there any where you can sit by yourselves if you (momemntarily or permanently) tire of making conversation with others?

When posting your excellent photos of the food, could you separately post each photo so viewers can see in greater detail the contents in each frame?

What are the major nationalities of the butlers/ housekeepers, and of the dining and kitchen staff?

What nationality are each of your personal room attendants/ butlers?

 

[Bindibuys]

Assume you have been inside the caves before?

 

[turtlemichael]

On the ship, are you placed at the same table every night with the same other passengers, or are you free to 'choose' a table (of eight?)

How many restaurants does your fare (balcony stateroom) give access to without a surcharge, or with a surcharge? Are there any where you can sit by yourselves if you (momemntarily or permanently) tire of making conversation with others?

When posting your excellent photos of the food, could you separately post each photo so viewers can see in greater detail the contents in each frame?

What are the major nationalities of the butlers/ housekeepers, and of the dining and kitchen staff?

What nationality are each of your personal room attendants/ butlers?

And here I was thinking the Spanish Inquisition was over.

 

[Pushka]

Oh. That was fun. I've never said that about a cruise ship excursion.

Off to the Selangor Factory. First we went to the School of Hard Knocks.


Wonderfully air conditioned thank goodness as we were put to work making our own pewter bowl. First the aprons and class set up.

Starting off as a flat disc.


Each letter is then block stamped.

Using these

 

[Pushka]

Assume you have been inside the caves before?

No. We are just lazy. Dame O - I needed to look after here.

On the ship, are you placed at the same table every night with the same other passengers, or are you free to 'choose' a table (of eight?)

How many restaurants does your fare (balcony stateroom) give access to without a surcharge, or with a surcharge? Are there any where you can sit by yourselves if you (momemntarily or permanently) tire of making conversation with others?

When posting your excellent photos of the food, could you separately post each photo so viewers can see in greater detail the contents in each frame?

What are the major nationalities of the butlers/ housekeepers, and of the dining and kitchen staff?

What nationality are each of your personal room attendants/ butlers?

Ok. You can request a table for two but usually get a larger table at the time of booking. You can request a change if you don't get on well with the table mates. We like one couple, meh about another and then....But I'm stuck with Dame O

You can eat in the buffet or Britannia plus there is a daytime burger bar and tasters in the Carinthia lounge posted earlier.
Many nationalities of crew. Filipino, Asian, European, Ukrainian, English, Eastern European, I think around 70 maybe? My cabin attendant is Asian and Dame O is Filipino we think.

Noted about the pictures but I thought people might be getting sick of them all one at a time. Any you'd like repeated? I think it was the Carinthia lounge ones I stuck em all together.

 

[Pushka]

Back to the beating.

Once the name is done you turned it over and onto the shallow mould and starting bearing around the edge. The guy opposite us had a great technique so we copied him.

When you'd hammered to the centre you turned the block and hammered into the deep mould. I'm very pleased with the end product.

 

[Pushka]

I'll take a photo later in profile. We were then given the bag and nice box and kept the apron.

Then it was on to the Factory Tour. Normally closed on Sunday they opened it for the Ships excursion. It has a wonderful family history of ownership and everyone seems very proud of it.

The largest stein in the world - Guinness Book of Records.


Cute signs




Filling the mould for a money tree. It solidifies in seconds

 

[Melburnian1]

.... Noted about the pictures but I thought people might be getting sick of them all one at a time. Any you'd like repeated?

The photos are of excellent resolution but a larger size reproduction of the cakes and the (salads, I can't quite make it out?) in post 104 would be terrific.

 

[Pushka]

And released. Interestingly Antimony is part of the mix.


Then the product is sometimes further crafted and polished.



All the shavings are melted and reused. Even the powder.


One tourist tried to touch one of the money trees. The operator slapped at his hand. Delightful to see. Good on her.