MZANZI ISSUE 16

Sea Travel
The MSC Orchestra departed Genoa, Italy on 18 October
2019 to arrive in Durban on16 November. Along the way
she would have been stopping at Civitavecchia, Chania
(Greece), Suez Canal Transit (Egypt), Eilat (Israel), Aqaba
(Jordon), Salalah (Oman), Male (Maldives), Port Victoria
(Seychelles), Port Louis (Mauritius), and Pointe des Galets
(Reunion). On 17 November she leaves Durban for the first
of her local coastal and island cruises this summer.
Another option is the glamorous MS Queen Elizabeth, one
of the Cunard Line’s three ocean liners. The ship with her 16
decks can carry well over 2,000 passengers and undertook
her maiden voyage in 2010. She was refurbished in 2014.
With Cunard and their ships steeped in history and tradition,
a voyage on board the Elizabeth is sure to let you step back
somewhat into the glamorous hey-day of cruising. (Also
read here about David Hughes’ experience on board the
Queen Victoria for the Mauritius-to-Cape-Town part of her
world cruises.)
Some of the quaint British traditions you will enjoy as a
passenger include afternoon tea (with cakes), playing a
game of croquet and attending a formal royal ball. But
the ship also has plenty of modern features, including a
state-of-the-art Computer Centre, relaxing whirlpools and
karaoke, for some fun at night. Enjoy your Afternoon Tea
in the Queens Room which is also where the Royal Nights
Themed Balls take place. The Royal Court Theatre is home
to the on-board Queen Elizabeth Theater Company, known
for their exquisite musicals and gripping productions of
Shakespeare classics. There are a number of excellent
restaurants to choose from too, among so much more on
board this truly royal floating resort.
Another option is the Azamara Quest, a 686-passenger
liner belonging to Azamara Cruises. She will be departing
Cape Town on 20 February 2020, docking along the way at
Port Elizabeth, Durban and Rihcards Bay, before heading to
Tulear (Tolagnaro) in Madagascar, then on to Seychelles,
Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Mumbai (India) and Dubai in the United
Emirates where she arrives on 17 March.
The cost
A cruise holiday also need not bust the bank. Prices range
anywhere from around R3,300 for 2 nights ex-Cape Town,
to around R5,500 for a cruise from Durban to Portuguese
Island, to about R5,900 for 4 nights inside cabin Cape Town
to Durban, and all the way up to over R50,000 for 24 nights
on board Cunard’s Queen Mary from Cape Town to New York.
For more information on cruises, itineraries, ships, cruise
companies and prices, use the contact details provided
below.
Queen of the
Southern
Seas
• Freelance travel writer David Hughes takes us along
for his recent cruise experience on board Cunard’s
Queen Victoria
Cunard Line’s illustrious flagship, Queen Mary II, holds the
present undisputed title of “Queen of The North Atlantic”,
thus upholding the traditional ocean liner link started by
Samuel Cunard with his ground-breaking Britannia way back
in 1840. That is the material of legend, that linked those two
continents, Great Britain and North America, with a regular
passenger service and in many ways changed the style
of sea travel forever. That tradition happily continues, and
Cunard is adamant to retain their wonderful sense of past
maritime history aboard their modern cruise ships today.
All three Cunard’s iconic queens – Mary, Victoria and
Elizabeth – are seen in South African waters from time
to time, normally forming a part of Cunard’s World Cruise
programme. No stranger to Cunard, I have served as a Guest
Lecturer aboard their ships, and organized a book launch
aboard Queen Mary, adding a copy of my own cruising
Guide to the Library aboard - which boasts being the largest
aboard a passenger vessel at sea. So, I and my travel review
partner Buddy Ross recently eagerly accepted an invitation
to join the Queen Victoria in Mauritius for a wonderful week
aboard, with calls at Reunion and Port Elizabeth before
ending in Cape Town. This was just a small section of the
ship’s 2019 World Cruise.
I can unashamedly admit that this voyage experience was
the best I have sampled to date. All that Cunard style of
service, elegance and maritime tradition lives on proudly
on board the Queen Victoria.
Crew members take pride in serving aboard and understand
they are all a part of something special. I was delighted to
come across some folk from Southern Africa, for example,
the bookshop manager hails from Cape Town and the Lido
Deck barman from Zimbabwe.
A typical day at sea could start with a refreshing jacuzzi
and a walk around the Sun Deck in the early morning - easily
done with good weather in our sunny Indian Ocean. Then
return to the cabin where a super breakfast tray has been
delivered by your Cabin Steward. After this pay a visit to the
two-deck library, which is quite a marvel or a mid-morning
visit to the theatre for a guest lecture. During our voyage we
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