Traveller's-Eye

View Of A

Cruise Ship

Because of a certain amount of controversy over the cruise ship "Oriental Queen", which its Sydney agents say is being boycotted by booking agents doing business for Conference line ships (PIM January, p. 121), we have tried to find out what travel on the vessel is really like.

"Oriental Queen" was, before it was sold to its present Japanese owners, the Australian coastal vessel "Kanimbla". She was built in 1936 and is of 11,004 gross tons. She was a troopship during World War 11. She was operated in Australian waters by Mcllwraith, McEacharn Ltd.

She is at present—as "Oriental Queen" —providing a service across the Tasman and operating cruises to eastern Pacific Islands. Passages to New Zealand and on cruise can cost considerably less on "Oriental Queen" than on Conference ships.

The following was sent to us from Suva by a New Guinea woman who was then in the course of a cruise on the "Oriental Queen" with her husband and two small children.

From a Special Correspondent We have chatted to many of our fellow travellers and asked their opinion of the ship, the meals and the service etc. and generally—now that we are six days out —it can be summed up like this: For the seasoned traveller it is below average, but for those who are travelling for the first time ever it’s “wonder ful”.

IN a sea the ship rolls as only an unstabilised ship of this size can and, to make matters worse, she seems very light and without ballast.

In the rolling department I put her alongside the Burns Philp ship Bulolo, which I have always regarded as very bad.

There are some quite good cabins on C deck but the one we first had on D deck was appalling— it looked sad and depressed and showed all of its 29 years, with three narrow bunks, for the four of us, and a wardrobe smaller than an ordinary domestic broom-cupboard.

We complained and we were shifted into another, slightly better cabin.

Cost of the cruise is governed by the kind of cabin you have and there is “economy” class in two dormi tories—one for males and one for females. Each has bunks in two tiers, a locker for each passenger and a community dressing table.

A group of young girls is in one of these dormitories and they say they are “having a ball”. They are paying only £9B for the two weeks’

cruise and apart from sleeping ac commodation, have the same facilities as anyone else.

This ship would, in fact, be ideal for teenagers out for a good time.

The three-piece band is excellent, although there have been complaints from some of the youngsters that everything in the entertainment line folds up for the night far too early —11.30 p.m—which is probably late enough for those who want peace and quiet.

Entertainment consists of the usual organised deck sports, housie-housie, swimming pool, table tennis and films. There are also a few poker machines, and one afternoon two of the Japanese hostesses performed the tea ceremony.

The library is open for only two half-hour periods a day and the choice of books is very limited.

There is a hairdressing salon (prices about the same as in Sydney) and a shop stocking the usual duty-free Japanese goods.

Touches Of Japan The public rooms are very much as they were when she was Kanimbla, except for some touches of Japan, such as the small tea-ceremony room off the library, festoons of “autumn leaves” around the pillars, a Japanese garden in one corner of the lounge, and some Japanese lanterns else where.

The stewards and stewardesses are Japanese and willing and cheerful.

They try to be of assistance at all times—if they know what you are trying to tell them, which isn’t often, as they speak little English. Apart from this language difficulty, they are far superior to those you’ll find on Australian or English ships.

The food is “average” but, as yet, there have been few of those exotic oriental dishes we were promised— except some Chinese entrees. How ever, the dining room staff is very good.

My greatest grouse is that there are no facilities for small children

whatsoever. I have finally per suaded one of the stewardesses to watch my toddler while I eat, but otherwise I can’t take my eyes off her unless she’s asleep. There is no children’s playroom, no one to mind children, no nursery or children’s room, or separate meals for children —they must eat with the adults.

There is not even a play-pen available to keep toddlers safe while their mothers snatch a quiet moment.

There is no laundry for passen gers’ use either although I under stand that the stewards will do passenger laundry. To date I have been unable to find out from any of them how much they charge.

On this cruise we are calling at Lord Howe, Norfolk Island, Suva and Noumea, which is quite a good selection although the first two are more frustrating than otherwise.

We anchored off Lord Howe for five hours—just looking, as it is impossible to go ashore. We arrived at Norfolk at 6 a.m. and were hustled through an early breakfast in anticipation of getting ashore early while it was still calm. But the Norfolk Island Customs didn’t put in an appearance until 8.45 and it was 9.30 before the ship was cleared.

Passengers were landed 30 or 40 at a time by surf boat towed by a launch and as each return trip took just under the hour it was midday before our party got ashore. We did the shops and went by bus around the island, which was delightful, but by then it was 4 p.m. and time to get to the jetty for the last boat back to the ship.

This ship carries only a few hun dred people but Norfolk Island land ing facilities cannot cope even with this number. The place would be impossible for larger cruise ships.

The delay and bungling during our day at Norfolk Is. is being blamed on the ship’s agent there, who allegedly didn’t arrange to get the Customs officer on the job earlier.

But it seems to me that most of the delay is in getting people between ship and shore.