Early yesterday afternoon, the Bailey family returned from a
short but relaxing four-day cruise across the North Sea to the port of Hamburg
and back. This trip marked not only a welcome return to Germany’s second
largest city but also acted as son Matthew’s first visit to Hamburg. It was also
his first cruise experience, and whilst he has not expressed much verbally, Mrs
PBTS and I are confident that he enjoyed the trip as much as we did. Our home
for this brief cruise was the lovely Queen Victoria, our favourite ship amongst
Cunard’s fleet of four Queens. This was our first voyage on the ship since early
December 2022, when Victoria transported us across the same stretch of ocean to
Amsterdam, for a short pre-Christmas break.
The weather was cold but generally bright, except for the
day in Hamburg when it rained intermittently, and sometimes quite heavily.
Matthew and I ventured into the city to explore, seeking beer, German fayre, as
well as a spot of sightseeing. As mentioned in a previous post, our visit
occurred on a Sunday, when nearly all the shops were closed. A more pressing
issue was that several bars were also closed, including the one that had caught
my interest, whist looking online for houses of refreshment, the previous
night. All was not lost though, as in the end, and quite by chance, we stumbled
upon one of the best, and one of the most traditional of venues where we
enjoyed some of the best hospitality that Hamburg had to offer.
For now, I’ll set aside my afternoon in Hamburg to share
more about our voyage. My wife provided me with this information, but I could
have discovered it myself if I weren’t so lazy. Hamburg was Queen Victoria’s
final port of call on what had been a lengthy journey halfway around the world.
The ship travelled across the Atlantic, around several Caribbean islands, before heading
southwards towards the tip of South America, taking in Brazil, Argentina and
Chile on the way. Victoria then sailed back up the western side of the
continent before returning to the Atlantic, via the Panama Canal.
We joined the ship at Southampton, for the final leg of this
marathon cruise, which was the four-night cruise to Hamburg. That marathon voyage
would require a lot of stamina, as well as a considerable amount of dosh, but set
against the chance of seeing some amazing sights and some equally fascinating
countries, I’m sure it would have been worth it. On our voyage back from
Hamburg the majority of passengers were Brits, but there was still a reasonable
compliment of German nationals.
In all this, please spare a thought for the ship’s crew, the
people who sail and navigate the vessel through busy and often crowded
waterways. The same applies to the whole of the ship’s company, who contribute
to the successful running a vessel of that size. Let’s not forget either the
cooks, the other kitchen staff, the waiters and the entertainment staff.
Finally, special thanks must go to the stewards who look after the cabins, working
tirelessly through long shifts, cleaning up after untidy passengers, making
sure everything is in its place, and that the guest rooms are spick and span. These unsung
heroes, work lengthy contracts, with little time off, and with virtually no chance
either to experience the sights and general ambience of the places the ship visits over
the course of the cruise.
Apologies, that there’s nothing in the way of beer, and also for withholding,
for the time being, details of that beer house we experienced in Hamburg. Truth
is, it’s been a rather hectic first day back at work, and I’m feeling the effects
of coming back down to earth with a bump. Consequently, I just wanted to get something
down on the blog, after a break of nearly a week. More to come, of course, over
the next few days, but in the meantime, thank you for your patience.
