Dining and Evening Activities with Youth on the Queen Mary 2

Enjoying the Night with Youth on the Queen Mary 2

By Mark Fitzgerald

Dining on the Queen Mary 2 with a family is a lot of fun but often raises a few questions  about food, dress code and evening activities.

Dinner in the Britannia Restaurant

First comes the food.  For the younger folks in the crowd they have a separate menu.  The menu only has a few choices and they tend to be standard kid favorite - spaghetti, chicken nuggets, hot dogs and the like.  You are also welcome to order off of the normal menu.  While they will not server smaller portions, there is lots more choice and have a good chance of finding something your kids will like.  The Maître D' also told us that if we had specific requests they would work with us. 

The waiter will be quick to point out that the items on the kids menu are made on demand so take a little longer to come out than a dish off of the normal menu.  It was obvious with things like the chicken nuggets, it was made from scratch and when we sampled them they tasted delicious.  

Parade of Chefs in the Britannia Restaurant

Our older children loved having the variety of choices from the menu. They also ordered an appetizer and sometimes a salad too.  The challenge was understanding all of the ingredients and terms. To help we put together a glossary to help understand the menu.  They all tried new things, some of which they like and others not so much.  No one went away disappointed.

We chose to eat dinner every night in the Britannia and use other venues for lunch and breakfast. Each night the boys went up to the buffet for more and also availed themselves of room service.  

On a standard crossing there are three formal nights. Cunard is very formal and many of their clientele sail with them because of the formality. As a result dress is frequently discussed on forums and boards.  Cunard posts that "Children under 18 do not have a dress code but should adhere to the daily dress code where possible."  Our kids really enjoyed dressing up but we didn't go overboard. 

On normal nights our boys wore slacks, not jeans, and a knit shirt.  They didn't have a jacket and that was just fine. Our daughter wore a dress or skirt, but nothing fancy. On the formal nights they wore a tie. We did have a tux for the oldest one that he had for school music performance. They all received a lot of positive comments from other passengers.  Most of the teenage girls had on skirts but very few had formals or prom type dresses. 

Performance of Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA)

There are a variety of options for children in the evening.  The zone is available and can even be used to put younger kids to sleep for the night.  Most nights the movies shown in the Illuminations Theater were family oriented.  The family also enjoyed the music themed performances in the Royal Court Theater.  Though the children were welcomed at the balls, it was late and they didn't seem interested.  Swimming is also an option nail 10 pm.  

One thing we found challenging was to find bathrooms near to these large venues, especially the Britannia restaurant. On the upper level you go out of the restaurant and head left and there is a small hallway heading towards Sir Samuel's that has a bathroom. On the lower level you have to leave the restaurant and turn left for women's, right for men, head to the end of the hall and turn again. 

Going on a family vacation builds memories, provides life changing experiences and helps teach about the world we live in. Take time to explore, enjoy and have fun. If the evening activities sounded interesting, you may also like the article about the Youth Zone. You can also look at our entire list of Queen Mary 2 articles. 

#Britannia
#FamilyFood

#QM2

The Queen Mary 2's Kid and Teen Zone

The Queen Mary 2's Kid and Teen Zone

By Mark Fitzgerald

The aft part of the ship on deck 6 is large area called the Zone.  Aimed at providing activities and amenities for children, it is broken down into 3 age groups.  It had programs for 2-7 year olds, 8 - 12 and 13 - 17 year olds.  Our youngest was in heaven as she saw this has a chance to go to preschool each day.  Each day had a theme, like pirates or space, for the crafts, activities and games.

The kids zone for 8-12 year olds and the Teen Zone did activities both in the zone and supervised out and about the ship.  Lots of the games in the Zone were interactive group games, though they also had board and card games available for checkout.  Out and about they had time exploring the ship, in the sports courts and scavenger hunts.  They even had a time in the golf simulator, which is normally a paid activity.  They also had a wide variety of Play Stations and Nintendo Wii games.

The Zone opens at 9 am and goes until late, with closures for the families to have lunch and dinner together.  There is a strict protocol of checking kids under 13 in an out of the Zone.  It involves stickers on the kids and parents ID cards.  Those children also have to have a wrist band that identifies their emergency evacuation area.  This was challenging for our 11 year old that is used to having more freedom to roam on his own.  The teenagers on the other hand were free to come and go as they please.

The Pavilion Pool, Deck 12

Behinds the Zone, on the deck of the ship were additional amenities for kids.  There was a splash pool connected to a full size pool.  There was also a playground pirate ship in the corner aimed at little kids.  The Zone is where they keep the chess pieces for the large chess set on deck.  With that said between the weather and the depth of the pool my kids preferred the covered pool on the top of the ship.

When you check in to the Zone the first time there is a fair amount of paperwork that needs to be filled out.  They want to make sure of allergies, waivers and other standard legal stuff.  At that time they give you and activity program that lists all of the themes and activities for the cruise.  At the end of the crossing they have an awards ceremony and give the kids a certificate stating they crossed the Atlantic.  Also based on their level of participation they also earn points.  Those with the most points earned a prize.

On our particular cruise there wasn't more than 10 kids in each age group.  They were primarily American though there was Welsh and English as well.  Though the cruise ship had lots of Germans, they weren't hanging out in the Zone, which was English speaking.  I loved that my kids had interaction with people from other cultures and area of the world.  At first my kids were suspect about using the Zone facilities.  It ended up being a important and liked part of their vacation.

Queen Mary 2 Activity Programme from June 21, 2015

Play Zone Activity Programme:

    

Kids and Teen Zone Activity Programme:

 

#KidsZone
#ActivityProgrammes
#QM2

The Daily Programme from the Cunard Queen Mary 2

Here are copies the Daily Programme from the Cunard Queen Mary 2 transatlantic eastbound crossing on June 21, 2015.  Click to Enlarge:

QM2 Daily Programme from Sunday, June 21, 2015:

QM2 Daily Programme from Monday, June 22, 2015:

QM2 Daily Programme from Tuesday, June 23, 2015:

QM2 Daily Programme from Wednesday, June 24, 2015:

QM2 Daily Programme from Thursday, June 25, 2015:

QM2 Daily Programme from Friday, June 26, 2015

QM2 Daily Programme from Saturday, June 27, 2015

MASP - São Paulo Museum of Art

São Paulo Museum of Art or Museu de Arte de São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand - MASP

By Mark Fitzgerald

Sao Paulo Museum of Art

The Museu de Arte de São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand or MASP for short is conveniently located on Avenida Paulista in São Paulo, the financial and cultural center of the city.  The museum is a main bus stop as well as a stop for the subway.  The museum is two stories above ground and two stories below with the ground level being an open air plaza.  It gives the effect of the building looking like it is suspended above ground.

The first level up is dedicated to Brazilian modern art.  While

Works in the museum including Monet's Japanese Garden Bridge 

there is a great deal of interesting pieces there I found the stories about the artists and how they were tied to Brazil equally interesting.  It shows the melting pot heritage of Brazil and the cultural growth of Sao Paulo.

Chinese Terracotta warrior

The top level was a collection masters throughout the world.  At the time of our visit it was designed to show portraits through the ages and how they have changed.  Starting with the realism of Rembrandt to progressed through the ages to the abstract of Van Gogh.  Mixed throughout are statues such a Rodin and 2 terracotta warriors.   Clearly enough variety to attract and educate all types of families.

The underground floors contain additional Brazilian art, a library, gift shop, classroom, snack bar and a restaurant.  The restaurant is a buffet which is worth fighting the crowds.  A wide variety of salad, Brazilian main courses and about 10 different desserts to choose from.  The bathrooms are located next to the elevators adjacent to the information desk.

Entrance to the museum is free on Tuesdays and Friday nights after 5.  Children are half price.

Take a look at the following video to get a good idea of what the museum has to offer.  It is in Portuguese but it will give you a sense of the museum even if you don't speak the language.  

The Floor Plan of the MASP:

A map of the Sao Paulo Museum of Art:

MASP's webite is:

http://masp.art.br/

Going on a family vacation builds memories, provides life changing experiences and helps teach about the world we live in. Take time to explore, enjoy and have fun. If the Museum of Art sounded interesting, you may also like the Iguazu Falls. You can also look at our entire list of Brazilian Attractions.

#SaoPaulo
#MASP

Iguazu Falls

Hiking the Brazilian side of Iguazu Falls with Kids

By Mark Fitzgerald

In the remote state of Paraná, Foz do Iguaçu is the city right next to Iguazu National Park in Brazil.  Iguazu Falls is not necessarily on the beaten path but it is certainly a destination on its own. The falls divide Brazil and Argentina along the Iguazu river.  It is an impressive site.

Iguazu Falls from the Path to the Falls in  Brazil

The Foz do Iguaçu airport was easy to navigate and the starting place for most journeys.  You can take the city bus from the airport to the visitor center for R$3.  Route 120 departs about every 20 minutes, depending on the time of the day and you can take it towards the "Parque Nacional" or towards the hotels "Downtown".  When you get on the bus pay the person called the cobrador, who will be sitting at table and then pass through the turnstile.  The visitor center is only 2 miles from the airport.  It is walkable but uphill and no sidewalks.  

Bus from the visitors center

When you arrive at the visitor's center you purchase an entrance ticket and work your way to a double decker bus that will bring you into the park.  The bus has recordings in Portuguese and English telling you about each stop.  The first two stops are for kayak, rafting and motor boats that will bring you up-close to the falls and through the jungle.  These adventures cost extra beyond the park entrance fees.

Get off the bus at the "Path to the Falls".  This is the start of a 1.5 kilometer hike that goes up and down giving dramatic views of all of the falls.  You see the Argentine falls as a distance and then end up on a path that brings you over the river into the "Devil's Throat" falls in Brazil.  The path isn't steep and your kids should be able to navigate it just fine.  There are stairs, which would make a stroller very challenging.

Devil's Throat in Iguazu Falls, Brazil

About half way there is a concession shop that has bathrooms and then again when you get towards the end.  When you are done watching the falls from the walkway you can enter the observation tower.  It has 3 decks with concessions, gift shops and wonderful views.  From there you take a glass elevator to the top of the precipice and you are in the area known as Porto Canoas.  

In Porto Canoas you can enjoy a traditional Brazilian buffet, costing R$45 while continuing to watch the river above the falls.  Rather than hit the bus immediately, consider walking the path of the falls again the opposite direction.  It may give you a different feel and time to contemplate.  You can pick the bus up at either stop.

To give you an idea of what it is like see this video:

A map of the Iguazu National Park, Brazil:

The official national park website is:
http://www.cataratasdoiguacu.com.br/

#IguasuFalls
#IguazuFalls