Queen Elizabeth
The Art & Soul
of a Cunard Liner
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Queen Elizabeth's Garden Lounge |
by
Linda Coffman
Part Three
Relaxation & Recreation
Named after a room on the first Queen Elizabeth and
inspired by the glass houses at Kew Gardens,
the Garden Lounge is a palm and tropical
flower filled
conservatory with a vaulted glass ceiling that makes it a
truly light, bright, and airy space to relax with tea by day and
enjoy the occasional evening ‘Supper Clubs’ that feature musical
entertainment and dancing. In just a few days onboard, it became my
favorite spot for morning coffee.
Nearby, the Royal Spa & Fitness
Center will set health enthusiasts' hearts aflutter.
Facilities include the exclusive Royal Bath House
with Thermal
Suite and Hydrotherapy Pool (daily and
multiple day passes are available for purchase) and a state-of-the-art gym. If you
prefer a simple sauna, you'll find them in the men's and ladies'
changing rooms at no charge. The exercise
studio offers Pilates, Yoga, Tai Chi, Tour de Cycle, Aqua Tone, and
induction classes for the Walkvest and Walking Poles to get your
heart pumping. A full menu of spa
treatments includes exotic-sounding rituals that incorporate oils,
soothing music, room atomizers, and, of course, the art of massage
in the nine treatment rooms and couples Harmony and Serenity
treatment suites. The chakra rasul and herbal steam chambers are
especially designed for couples to indulge in the ancient Eastern
cleansing ritual.
Men aren't overlooked when it comes to some pampering. While the ladies may swoon over beauty
regimes that cover hair, nails, and skin, the guys can choose to be
barbered, shaved, and revitalized with a massage or manly-man skin
treatment.
The
expansive Lido Pool area aft on Deck 9
offers Queen Elizabeth passengers plenty of sunning space
and a new concept of
entertainment with garden parties reminiscent of those held at
British country houses, while the forward Games Deck,
named after a similar deck on the original Queen Elizabeth,
features a paddle tennis court and introduces croquet and bowls.
Beneath a sun shading canopy, the bowls green is appropriate given
that Queen Elizabeth’s home port of Southampton houses the
oldest surviving bowls green in the world, first used in 1299. From
the game's description, it might take Americans a while to catch on.
Ee understand the balls are weighted oddly.
Kid Stuff
Even the smallest passengers aboard Queen Elizabeth
have something to look forward to at sea. British nannies supervise
the Play Zone Nursery & Children's Center where children
age one through six have a full schedule of activities from story
time to arts and crafts, games and movies. In The Zone,
children from seven to sixteen can test their skills at video games, watch movies, and challenge one another
to air hockey and foosball. A large outdoor deck area is reserved for
family fun and parents may join their children for traditional
Children's Tea.
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| Balcony Stateroom, Category A5 |
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| Master Suite Living Room |
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Your Home Away From Home
While
aboard
Queen Elizabeth
for the naming ceremony I was comfortably ensconced in a Category A5
stateroom with a balcony on Deck 5. Soft ivory and gold decor
accented with burgundy and a balcony deep enough to use
without feeling cramped were quite appealing.
However, the one quirk about my new
quarters that struck me as I unpacked was a scarcity of obvious drawer
space. The desk/vanity contained a shallow drawer under the desktop
and a deeper one below the television held a built-in
hairdryer, leaving limited space for incidentals. Other than three
smallish
drawers in each nightstand, there are drawers beneath the bed,
although I didn't discover them until I was ready to disembark. While there was plenty of
hanging space in the closets, a single floor-to-ceiling bank of shelves housed the
safe on one shelf and life vests on another, leaving only two
shelves for folded clothing. A couple more shelves could have
been added, but it seems that room was left at the bottom for
hanging short garments or
storing luggage and bulky items. It's a simple fix
that would increase the convenient amount of storage—just
add more shelves.
Other accommodations I viewed also made
ample use of rich fabrics with assorted accent colors. If you
decide to book a suite in either of the Grill classes, you won't
have any problem with storage. The Queens Grill accommodations are
particularly sumptuous. Former passengers of Princess Cruises will
recognize Queen Elizabeth's Princess Suites as being
very similar to Grand-class mini-suites. Everyone should sleep well
on the super-comfy beds with ultra plush pillows.
As on all Cunard liners, where you dine is
determined by the category of accommodations you occupy. All square
footage figures include balconies.
Queens Grill
- Grand Suites: 1,375 to 1,493 square feet
- Master Suites: 1,100 square feet
- Penthouses: 551-615 square feet
- Queens Suites: 484-671 square feet
Princess Grill
- Princess Suites: 335-513 square feet
Britannia Club Restaurant
