Aug 23 - Arrival in New York

We pass under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge about 5:30. There is a lot of traffic in the harbor. Container ships, ferry boats, pleasure craft and tug boats. It is too early for Helicopters. Probably prohibited from flying this early in the morning.

Soon we pass by the Statue of Liberty and slip into our dock in Brooklyn.

Our last meal is in the Kings Court. Busy. But still easy to find a table.

Back at our cabin we find the cabin steward has already started on our cabin despite the "do not disturb" tag in the key slot.  He has a very busy day and wants to get a head start.

Our carry ons are packed and we make a final check of the cabin before heading to the gangway at 8:15. It is confirmed that "red 1" luggage is ready and we proceed to the luggage hall.  No long snaking lines like on many ships, just the usual long walk.

Luggage is quickly found, and within 20 or 30 minutes we are off to our bus transfer to the airport. Directed the wrong way twice by Intercruise employees we finally board our bus, one of the twenty or thirty busses picking up passengsrs for transport throughout the city.

The trip to the airport is uneventful. Nice view of the Brooklyn bridge. Traffic is no worse than Orlando.

Once at the airport it takes about an hour to check our bags and get thru the TSA precheck line. With hours until departure we look for a place for some food and decide on the Lion Sports Grill, a burger place. 

Our waiter was delightful, and the kid's chicken strips the tastiest food I have had in a month.  We stretched it as much as we could. It just occured to me that this was airport food. It was so sad that it is better than Cunard.

Still 2 hours until lift off.

This terminal at LaGuardia is very nice. Recently rebuilt, it is spacious with comfortable seating, all with AC and USB power outlets.

Delta and Cunard has really screwed up our flight plans for this trip. It took many attempts and phone calls from the travel agent too get it booked properly, and then yesterday when I checked our flight, I found our reservations for economy plus had been cancelled. Fortunately there were still a few seats available and I could upgrade. Hillary can fight with Delta over the refund. Today we were charged for bags that should have been free.

We pulled away from the gate, and the captain announces we are being held for at least 30 minutes because of Florida weather.

It turns out to be only 20. The New York skyline is shrouded with smog and haze. Soon we reach cruising altitude in scattered light clouds.

We have a window and a center seat instead the 2 seat configuration we originally booked. Seated next to me are two dogs and their owner. So far well behaved. Definitely a first for me. Not service dogs but some breed of spaniel I think. They look like they are drugged.

Our flight is smooth as the pilot manuvers around the storms. We eventually approach Orlando from the south.

An easy exit from the plane and we head to baggage claim for our luggage. We wait and wait. Luggage for many passengers but not us. Delta sent it to a different carousel and no one knew it.

Finally back home I turn the water and water heater back on. Laundry can wait until tomorrow.

Two weeks  we are headed to Greenland. Not on Cunard.

Aug 22 - Last Sea Day

The Queen crusies so smoothly, the state of the seas matters little. Today they are under 10 feet.

It is a beautiful sunny day and many passengers enjoy the sun. 

Today are the final presentations from all the speakers, and the last classical piano concert.

Our luggage tags and disembarkation instructions are delivered to the cabin. Very specific. Go directly to the gangway from your cabin at 8:20. No earlier. No announcements will be made. Our luggage tags are Red 1. Most signage says luggage must be out by 5:00, in the fine print it says between 5:00 and 11:00.

We pack, but won't put the luggage out until after dinner. Never know when I will need a clean shirt.

Baked chicken for dinner was edible, more than can be said for many offerings on Cunard.

Just after we are seated for dinner whale spouts and breaching whales are spotted several hundred yards off the starboard side of the ship. We immeadiately slow to 10 knots to lessen the chance of a "whale of a collision".

In all, probably 100 different whales are spotted. Everyone in the dining troom is excited at the spottings including the staff. Pretty easy to watch, but a little too far for pictures.

Final show, and final jazz sets in the chart room. We set our clocks back an hour at 2:00 AM.  Personally I feel the 2 AM change is easier to deal with than the noon time change, but acknowledge how it was done is probably easiest for the crew.

With the added hour, there is no need to set an alarm. We will arrive in New York just before sunrise.

Wed Aug 21 - At Sea

The seas have dropped to 5 or 6 feet at most. The skies are mostly clear, and the air temperatures are in the mid 70's.

Today is another quiet day, and I am going to reflect on the past month on the Queen Mary 2. Usally a task that is relegated until several days after returning home.

First the ship.

The Queen is just over 20 years old. In design she is quite elegant, much in the design of even older cruise ships. Dark wood, chandeliers, plush carpet, plush furnishings.

The public spaces are abundant, with many nooks and crannies with seating spaces to read, play cards, build a jigsaw puzzle or just watch the ocean go by.

The main theater is just forward of midship. Foward of the main theater is the Planetarium, a smaller theater often used for movies and presentations. The seating is spacious and it is easy to pass in front of seated passengers to reach interior seating. Neither theater has seating with obstructed views.

The grand lobby, stretches 2 decks. Often a place with relaxing music, either live harpist, violinist or the player grand piano. 

Two promenades stretch from the theater to the main dining rooms. Never crowded, large sculptured panels cover the walls.

There are several lounge areas, often with live music in the evening, on decks 2, 3, and 7 and 9.

Her design has led to many areas being accessible only by following a twisted passageway and navigating stairs. Many of the decks don't quite align and there is a short transition ramp where least expected. She is a mobility challenge. I think I have only seen 1 or 2 mobility scooters on this trip. Rather unique at sea, one gentlemen had an electric powered 2 wheeled scooter. Requires less space, but operator balancing skills and agility are essential.

A feature unique to the queen is a large library with thousands of books carefully organized as well as any library you have ever visited. The main difference, glass doors to prevent books from ever crashing to the floor.

Throughout the ship there are many large photographic murals. Unfortunately the photographic paper was not properly pcocessed and most are badly faded as a result.

There are several small outdoor pools and the main inside pool on the upper decks. Not heavily used on this voyage.

There are a few areas restricted to higher "classes" of passengers. A couple of sun decks and a small pool, and of course a restaurant and concierge lounge.

The buffet and a large lounge along with specialty dining are on deck 7. A unique location that makes a lot of sense. Half the passengers must go up, the other half down. The muster stations are also here, higher than on many ships.

The queens room, essentially a large ballroom is located on deck 3 aft. 

For her age, she is in good condition, but I can not say Cunard is on top of maintenance. There are 3 elevators in stairwell 4 near the aft of the ship just steps from our cabin. 1 has been out of service since we boarded. Often 1 or both of the remaining lifts aren't working either. I think I have called the front desk on 4 different occasions when none of the elevators were functioning.

Unique to QM2, she has a kennel for those that must take their small pet with them.

Being designed as an ocean liner, she definitely is much smoother than cruise ships, especially in 20 foot seas.

The passengers.

As is always the case, the demographics change each time new passengers embark. Even though I purchased this as 1 cruise, we changed many passengers each time we were in Southampton and Hamburg.

Though not true it felt like everyone that boarded in Southampton and especially Hamburg came on board sick.

Many passengers, like myself, were first timers for Cunard. Others had cruised her many times over the year. On average an older crowd, but there have been some children on each segment. All are well behaved. 

Certainly not a party ship. Many passengers wear jackets in the evening. I only menton this as we all have told someone "no one will notice if your wear xxx again". Well not true, especially if your shirt is red, white, blue, orange and black strips and you sit at the same bar every night. 5 nights in a row and counting.

Slacks and collared shirts are required for men in most venues after 6. Appears to not be enforced in the dining room, but definitely is in the Chart Room  bar.

Communications.

Like many ships, a daily program is published. Left in the cabin each night. Published in both English and German versions,  and possibly other languages.

The app is very clunky and outdated. Reservations don't work proprly. Android version doesn't work at all.

Daily announcements are limited to a navigation update at noon. That is all you get. No reminders of bingo or other sales opportunities.

Starlink internet seems to be rock solid.

Passengers complain that the front desk can't seem to address any issues. I agree to the extent that the only issue I took to them was my app not working and was told if it quits on Android, it can't be fixed.

The staff.

The staff is very good, but not outwardly friendly as on most ships. The only staff person to identify himself was our cabin steward.

Much of the staff has worked for Cunard for many years. For example, Joey, our cabin steward has been with Cunard for 25 years. Our waiter almost as long.

As with all the cruise lines they work very hard long hours.

Food.

I can't rate the food quality any higher than a C-. Royal, Celebrity, Holland all serve better. Where Cunard does well is availability. In addition to the dining rooms and Kings Court Buffet, lunch is also available in some of the lounges. We never have been unable to find a seat in the buffet. Room service is available all day.

They also serve afternoon tea throughout the ship. 3 hours more work for the entire food staff.

I have always found the bar service good, but the quality of drinks leaves something to be desired. Many drinks are under poured. On the plus side, bar snacks are usually available for the asking. Different at each location. The best are the thick "crisps" served in the pub.

Entertainment

Unlike the other lines, entertainment follows a pretty fixed schedule. Main show at 8:15 and 10:15 every night. No having to ask servers to rush your dinner so you can make a show. The ships singers and dancers have many shows, so they are not repeated each week.

For the most part the headliners are top quality, experts in their fields.

A tidbit that just occured to me. In no case does the music in one venue spill over into another. Primarily a result of the ships design. Before losing them, the only venue that I used my ear plugs was in the main theater.

Would I sail the queen again? Probably only if the itinerary were the reason. I don't think I would sail her just for a cruise.

The weather and seas continue to improve. Tomorrow is our last sea day, and also packing day.

Tue Aug 20 - At Sea

The seas remain at about 10 feet or less throughout the night. The air temperature this morning rises to the high 70's. The skies are broken clouds with lots of sun.

At 9:30 there is a training drill for the crew. Our cabin steward is not happy. Not only will the drill add several hours to his long work day, the simulated fire in a cabin two doors down the hall from us will also mean more work for him in restoring the cabin to normal after the drill.

Ship evacuation exercises for today are cancelled due to the weather conditions.

The seas increase to 6 to 8 meters, and the wind is beaufort 9, (50 mph) almost directly on our bow.  Yes there is a difference in how this ocean liner cuts through the water and a cruise ship plows thru the seas. This ship is very stable and rides very smoothly despite the rough seas.

The captain choses to take us on a rhumb line course  to New York instead of a great circle route. While a little longer in distance, this took us further to the south of huricane Ernesto.

During the afternoon the seas begin to subside.

Today's best program is a preentation by sculptor Douwe Blumberg on his building the 40 foot golden spike monument for Utah. Completed earlier this year, the park is not open yet commemorating the completion on the transcontinental railroad. The gold leafed "spike" will be visible for miles once the park is opened.

Since we boarded in New York he has been working on a sculpture everyday on the ship for passengers to observe his technique and progress.

The sirloin steaks served for dinner should have been labeled "tough grilled beef". It was difficult to cut, and impossible to chew. No not just our opinion but also of the couple seated next to us. All of us ordered it and had the same experience. Lots of fish food from our table.

Overall, with a few exceptions, Cunard gets a C- for food quality. Definitely below Royal, Celebrity and Holland.

They finally have Bamboo Saphire gin back in the Chart Room. It has taken 3 or 4 days to make it from storage to the bars.

The seas have calmed substantially. This evening we pass just north of where the Titantic rests.

Mon Aug 19 - Sea Day

Our clocks were set back another hour last night. Sleeping past 6 AM is getting difficult. It is sunny and warm today with temperatures in the low 70's. One of the few sunny days we have seen on this trip.

There are several of the Cunard Insights speakers that I want to hear today.

Mike Dawson talks about his life long adventures rowing across the Atlantic ocean multiple times, and his attempt to row across the Pacific single handed and failing, and having to be rescued after his boat capsized and sunk.  

He attempted the journey again with Chris Martin, and this time succeded in the 6 month challenge. Until this day, no one else has matched his feat.

Baroness Floetta Benjamin has been an advocate for childen her entire life. Immigrating from the Carribean at the age of 10, she was a children's TV program host for many years, author, and now politician in the UK she is a well known and respected and has received some of the highest civilian recognitons.

Professor Bridget Buxton series is about underwater archeology. She has led the research that resulted in her discovering dozens of ship wrecks around the world, the byproduct of developing the mythology to accurately predict where old ship wrecks are likely to be found.

Too much brain food for one day, I skip Lt. Col. Graham Jones presentation. Now retired, he was the director for all the military bands that played for ceremonies for the UK.

It is sunny most of the day. The captain is predicting gale force winds for Tuesday with 18 to 25 foot seas. Today the seas are slight, about 6 feet.

Scilian chicken for dinner was one of better meals. Tender. Juicy, and flavorful.

Tonights show is singer Peter Howarth, lead singer for "The Hollies", and West End star of The Roy Orbinson Story. An excellent performance.

An hour of Jazz after the show. We again turn our clocks back an hour. Sadly only a few days remaining on this journey.

Aug 18 - Sea Day

The seas have calmed a little overnight. The ship is still creaking and groaning, but the roll is less.

The skies are partly cloudy at daybreak, but by noon time we are in solid but not heavy fog. Visibility is about 100 yards.

The fog comes and goes throughout the remainder of the day.

The usual daytime offerings. Trivia, dance classes, classical piano concerts, guest choir rehersal, 3 or 4 enrichment speakers if you care to enrich your brain, and other activites.

Cunard has helped with my bar bill. Still no Bamboo Saphire or Beefeater gin in the Lion pub or Chartroom. I will probably stick to club soda for the remainder of the cruise.

Pork tenderloin wrapped in bacon is much better than the beef tenderloin was yesterday.  

The entertainment tonight is a british comedian. I listen for a few minutes and move on. 

It is "Big Band" night in the Queens Room. There are some good dancers, but not as many or as good as two weeks ago. One of the two vocalists is new, she is from Holland, and again not as good as the previous singer.

We remain on the same course and have averaged over 22 knots since leaving Southampton. The skies are cloudy with some fog, and the seas are about 10 feet.

We set our clocks back another hour tonight.

Aug 17 - Sea Day

For the next 7 days after leaving Southampton we will be in the North Atlantic as we head to New York, our final port of call on the Queen Mary 2.

The seas are relatively calm with some 10 to 15 foot swells on our port side. They peak about dinner time. More than a few passengers are feeling uncomfortable as the ship rolls a few degrees. We are also keeping an eye on hurricane Ernesto. Currently it is on a path to pass to the North of our course. I am sure the captain will adust our route if needed. We are currently cruising at about 22 knots, 10 percent faster than our easterly crossing.

The passengers at the adjoining table never return after their first night in Hamburg. Others are seated there each night 30 to 45 minutes after everyone else. Overflow from open dining.

An excellent speaker today shares stories about his adventures rowing across the Atlantic and the Pacific in a rowboat. Unfortunately the procector sytem isn't woring so he is unable to share pictures. I have no qualms about being at sea, but alone in a 21 foot row boat for 186 days? I am sure I will attend his other presentations.

I spend a few hours talking with Buzz and Barbara from Ocala. They have cruised on Cunard many times, the first time on the QM2 20 years ago. In the day if your jacket wasn't the correct shade of black you were banned from the dining room and other pubic spaces after 6 PM.

They are so disappointed with the decline in service and quality they have decided they will never sail Cunard again, preferring Crystal and other upscale lines.

Tonight is another gala night, the red and gold ball. Definitely a different group of passengers from our crossing of 2 weeks ago. I'll just say yes, there were tee shirts and shorts in the dining room for dinner, and no they were not kids but mature adults.

The beef fillet was so tough I was unable to chew it. What a difference 2 weeks can make.

The singers and dancers present an excellent show tonight. So far they have done different shows each night. Something I have not seen since my world cruise years ago on Holland America's M S Amsterdam.

For some unknown reason they have the main entrance to the Chartroom roped off when we head there for jazz. At first I thought maybe a private function, but no. We were allowed in and found our seats at the bar. I thought that maybe it was to control access for only those that were properly dressed, but once I looked around the room it was obvious that was not the reason either. An unsolved mystery. Maybe they were keeping people out until we were seated.

The music is enjoyable as usual. The crowd is definitely louder than what it has been.

No time change tonight. The ship has a gentle roll and creaks and groans with the swells as we call it a night.

Tomorrow is another sea day.

Aug 16 - Southampton

We arrive and are secured to the dock by 7:00 AM. The skies are clear and sunny with a high of 75 expected by noon time.

We take the double decker shuttle bus to the West Quay shopping center.

The Celebrity Apex and a Disney ship are also berthed here today.

The mall is 4 floors of about 150 shops and restaurants. Yes, we find the Lego store. Steve Rebiz had a request for some Lego items. Some of his requested items are not available here, I choose something for him with no guess if it is what he sked for.

We enjoy a lite lunch and begin our trip back to the ship. After a half hour wait the bus arrives, and then takes 35 minutes driving around in circles to return to the pier. Lynn insists she could have walked back in 15. I admit it may have only taken me 30.

Enroute there are many passengers walking towards the pier with luggage in tow. A seldom sight at US docks. Getting back on the ship is fairly quick. Technically being the first day for many passengers there are white gloved uniformed staff members guiding passengers and calling elevators.

Newspapers are being sold in one of the lobby main hallways. A cunard touch.

The kennels are in use again with 19 dogs and 2 cats making the trip to New York. The kennels have not been in use since we arrived in Southampton 2 weeks ago. I have no clue as to the dog fare.

Our usual stop at the Lion Pub before dinner. Major disaster! They have run out of Bombay gin and also Beefeater gin. Hopefully a new supply was part of the many truckloads of provisons loaded today. I will know tomorrow.

There are several new staff members in the dining room, but ours remain. Service timing was good for a turnaround day.

What was not good, was that I was served the wrong meal. I couldn't tell by appearance and had just said to Lynn that I didn't know what it was, it didn't taste like anything I expected. Just then our waiter hurried to the table all apologetic. He swapped out my plate for what I ordered and the evening went on.

There are always a few things that don't go exactly as planned. For example the door knob fell off the inside of my cabin door the other morning. Quickly fixed after a call to the desk. 

One elevator has been out of service since boarding 3 weeks ago. The shower drains, but slowly. Several passengers complain of no hot water. HVAC control is poor. The cabin is often too hot or too cold. The hallways on deck 4 are extremly cold. But overall considering this ship is over 20 years old, she is in fairly good shape.

We have a new captain and a new entertainment director. Neither were announced , the change just happened.

The entertainment tonight is a violin player. Very talented even though it would not be my first choice in musical entertainment.

We forgo jazz, and give the bars a chance to restock. Tonight we set our clocks back, the second of many such adjustments we will make on our way back to New York.

 

Aug 15 - At Sea

Today is a sea day as we go from Hamburg, across the southern edge of the North Sea, through the Dover straights and head towards Southampton off the English Channel.

There is a fair amount of commercial ship traffic, mostly oil tankers. We pass numerous wind farms.

There just isn't much of interest going on today. Several runs of the show in the planetarium. No thanks. A repeat of "how to survive a trip to mars". It becomes just a very relaxing day.

The weather remains mixed. Some sun, some rain, mostly overcast and cloudy.

The seas probably peak at 12 to 15 feet midday, almost directly on our bow. The Queen takes the beating in stride keeping her decks perfectly stable for her passengers.

Many passengers are missing from the dining room tonight. I have no guess as to why, just the passenger dynamics of day to day cruise life. 

1400 passengers need to pack today and have luggage out by 5:00 pm in anticipation of disembarkation in Southampton tomorrow.

The show tonight is spectacular. A husband and wife team of extraodinary gymnastic skills. Strength, coordination, and skill are spectacular, with artistic painting thrown in to provide them with a rest fom the physical demands of performing.

The Chart Room is packed, the busiest I have seen it. Three pillows and my back almost touches the back of the chair. Our usual bar stools were all filled. 

Tonight we set our clocks back 1 hour during the night.

Tomorrow we are in Southampton where we refuel, reprovision, and change about half of our passenger manifest.

The weather is forecast to be sunny and reaching a high of the mid 70's.

Aug 14 -Hamburg, Germany

Roughly 1,000 passengers will be disembarking today and 1000 new ones will be taking their place. The plan was to take the shuttle bus to city center and browse the stores.

My son in law Steve had requested some specific legos that are not easy to find in the US.

The forecast for today varied from hot, sunny with extreme heat to severe storms with flash flooding depending on the forecast source. Unfortunately the later was more accurate. A band of storms moved over Hamburg from about 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM. Sorry Steve, considering the probability of walking in the rain we thought it most prudent to remain on the ship today and nurture our cold recovery.

Especially in the morning the ship was pretty void of passengers. I spend several hours in the library catching up with my blog. 

Normally we expect the buffet to be jamed on a boarding day. Not today. It is mostly empty. Probably a byproduct of all aboard being 7:00 PM.

What we have on board in abundance today is many special guests.

There is a contingency of government officials from the Hamburg mayor's office, several groups of what appear to be travel agents, a film crew from Holland, and a local TV news crew.

A cabin steward is asked by a manager to verify a cabin is "perfect". The Commodors lounge is reserved for a "private function". Tables are extra carefully arranged in Kings Court. 

Of course the guests are given no information in advance. Only by asking questions we learn that the QM2 is celebrating 20 years of service to Hamburg.

The group of travel agents being given a guided tour of the ship provided one of the funniest moments of the day. They were a group of about 15. On deck 12, they were headed to deck 3.  They start packing into elevator car 1. It goes into overload.  It takes a few minutes for them to realize what is happening. When they do, they start filing out of the car and filing into the adjacent car 2.

By the time they are all packed in, it too goes into overload. Experienced elevator passengers by now, it only takes 20 seconds this time for them to realize what is happening.

Of course car 1 is now empty, and the overload condition has automatically reset.

So what do you do? One by one they exit car 2 and all get into car 1. Yes, every one of them.

After it goes into overload, again, they finally figure out that maybe they shouldn't all pack into single car and should split into smaller groups.

I stand back and chuckle. I'll wait for a less crowded lift.

By 4:30 the rain has stopped. We go to the pub a little earlier today. Our first encounter with a couple of passengers that obvoiously "bought the package", drink package that is. Loud and obnoxious, residents of Miami they boarded today and are headed to New York. Unfortunately I am confident our paths will cross again.

The captain makes an announcement that during tonights sailaway the ship will go upriver past the center of Hamburg, turnaround and then head downriver to the North Sea in celebration of 20 years calling here. Now we officially know why all the special guests.

We decide we will skip tonights show and participate in the sailaway instead.

Anticipating the dining room will be a little more hectic tonight, we are seated right on time. Two ladies are seated next to us. From Germany, they are headed to New York. Only one of them speaks english. Both are in our age group. Neither have ever been on a cruise ship before. The first cruising question. Is it safe to drink the water?

The ship is untied at 8:00 PM.

Surrounded by many tourist boats, we head upriver. Many thousands of people line the shore to watch. People are everywhere to catch a glimpse of the queen. Private boats, and tour boats, building balconies and rooftops are crowded. Two tugs assist to make sure no paint is accidently scratched during this celebratory event. Trump would be jealous if he saw the crowds, and then he would proclaim they were all generated with AI.

The publicity detour takes about an hour and a half. The sun has set as we pass our original berth and head down the Elbe river.

We head to the chartroom for some Jazz. The band is waiting for us to arrive. No guests are here, all delayed by the sail away activites.

Our favorite bar tender is tickled to be filmed by the film crew, possibly to be in Cunards future marketing. Over the next 30 minutes the room fills with guests.

As the moon relects across the water we head northerly to the North Sea on our way to Southampton.

Aug 13 - North Sea

Today is a sea day as we head south towards Hamburg, Germany. The seas calm as we get further south. The weather is mixed - rain, thunderstorms, partly cloudy, fog, and almost some sun at various times during the day.

A presentation on the evidence supporting the existance of dark matter is presented in laymen's terms, but sparsley attended.

Today we get to see a presentation in the planetarium. There is no description, but we have 3:00 PM reservations. Seating is limited to about 150 or so for the reclining seats directly under the dome.

I must say probably the biggest disappointment in weeks. Not a "planetarium" presentation at all, but 30 minutes of loud nondescript music with crude computer generated graphics projected onto the planetarium dome analogous to what you would see in a $5 kids kalidescope.

After the show I was in an elevator with an English couple that were softly and discretly discussing how bad the show was with the expectation that I could not hear them. I couldn't resist saying "yes, it was terrible". They both laughed and said out loud "it was horrible".

We change for dinner and head to The Lion Pub as usual. Sometimes I just have a club soda or diet coke. Other nights I may have a gin and club soda.  Tonight it will be gin. A double to be more precise.

We have all experienced having a beverage spilled on us. Once on The Amsterdam I had a waitress spill a full glass of red wine on me while having dinner with the officers. Red wine in my hair and all of my clothing including my socks. Yes Holland dry cleaned my suit and everything else.

I seldom drink red wine, maybe this is why.

Our regular waiter  places our large glasses on the table. I pick mine up to take take a sip. Suddenly I am drenched as if someone threw a bucket of water on me. What happened? Did a waiter trip? Did a fire sprinkler activate? No. The bottom om my glass fell off just as I was ready to take a sip.

12 ounces of gin, club soda, and ice and I was soaked. The staff was dismayed as much as I was.

Fortunately a dripping walk back to the cabin is all it takes to get cleaned up with all fresh clothes including dry shoes. Returning to the pub I find a dry chair and a new beverage awaiting my arrival. Obviously the glass was broken, but was waiting to separate at the most opportune moment.

Was an offer made to have my clothes cleaned? Was a verbal apology offered? No! Nothing except the waiter saying he has never seen that happen before.

Probably I was charged for the replacement drink, but I wont know that for a few days.

We still make it to the dining room on time. Peking duck is my best choice. Despite getting our order in promptly, service is quite slow tonight. I guess it is just not my day.

Entertainment tonight is two brothers from Scotland that sing and play guitar and accordian. Very good. Most interesting when they speak, their accent is quite heavy, but when they sing songs by american artists they exhibit no accent because they had learned the material by listening to the original artist.

The worst of the cold I acquired a few days ago is behind me. But as to be expected Lynn's is getting worse.

Tommorrow we arrive in Hamburg. The weather forecast is for extreme heat and sunny all day. We do not have a tour, but plan to take the shuttle into the center of town. We have a Lego request from my son inlaw.

Aug 12 Bergen, Norway

Bergen is one of the largest ports in Europe. It is also the wetest city in Europe with rain 240 days a year on average. Fortunately I don't always go with average, and today the weather in Bergen is absolutely fabulous. Bright sun, 70 degrees with a light breeze. The nicest day they have had in Bergen in weeks.

The port is very busy with container ships and ferry boats docked right next to us.  There are 3 cruise ships in port, I think the only port in Norway that can accomodate more than 1 ship at a time.

Our tour today is a short city tour followed by a gondola ride to the top of a mountain for a view of the city and harbor.  Again we have many German passengers on the wrong bus, but today they are in luck. Our tour guide, from Italy, speaks german as well. After asking permission of the english speaking guests, she also does her thing in german.

Like everywhere else in Norway, the city is very clean. Despite tourists from three cruise ships, nothing is crowded. The views are spectacular, the included pastry delicious.

The ship is pretty empty when we return so we decide to do a little laundry. In the process a mising pair of sock is found in the laundry room.

One of the things I have learned about the dining room is that if we show up about 3 minutes early, we are the first served and the dinner process is much more prompt. Since Lynn has preordered her dinner, and I rarely have any more than the main entree, ordering quickly is easy, and appreciated by the waiter.

Tonights show is another production show by the singers and dancers. Being a formal night, everyone is properly dressed. If your not, you can't go to the dining room and many of the venues. So far, the singers and dancers have put on 2 shows each week without repeating a show. I'll be interested to see what happens during the passage to Southampton and New York.

Shortly after we return to the ship, the engines stop and all power shuts down unexpectedly. No panic, no announcements. After about 10 minutes the bridge acknowledges there has been a failure, and the crew is looking into it.  Within 15 minutes power is restored. No further explanation.

A server later tells  us that this is really a very common occurance on this ship.  Maybe the Queen is showing her age more than we realize. The only previous time I had experienced a total power failure on a ship is when it was done deliberately to test the backup systems. Are there backup systems here? I don't know.

Our evening routine has become very predictable. Dress for the evening, pre dinner cocktail in The Lion Pub, dinner, main show in the theater, Jazz set in the chart room.

The seas are moderate in the North Sea. Tomorrow will be  a sea day.

Aug 11 - Olden, Norway

During the night the winds picked up in the North Sea.The entrance to Nordfjord is treacherous and the captain was very concerned if we would be able to make a safe passage and make our way to Olden. 

He did a good job and we arrive safely. Olden is a very small town of 1000 residents. Walk off the ship and you are in the center of the town. The scenery is georgeous.

Our tour today is about an hour's bus ride and then a boat cruise on the Geriangerfjord, one of the most scenic in Norway. The road is very narrow but traffic is almost non existant. When we meet a bus from the other direction the driver must slow and run with half the bus on the shoulder.  The countryside is pretty, small farms, rugged terrain with many waterfalls.

Fuel is very expensive here, about 8 or 9 USD per gallon. Many vehicles are electric, and the country is on goal to be fossil fuel free by 2035. Much of the power is generated by small hydroelectric plants, most of which are totally concealed from view.

It rains on and off most of the way. Cunard has organized most tours into english speaking and german speaking. Unfortunately those instructions must have been in english as many non english speaking germans wind up on the english tour.

The fjord is picturesque. There are many waterfalls, with more than the usual amounts of water due to all the recent rain. The water originates from the melting glaciers and lakes in the mountains. The catermaran carries about 150 passengers, it is nearly full with just a few empty seats inside. We are all treated to a belgian waffle and a cup of coffee. The rain comes and goes.

Back on the bus we are the last of three busses to leave, but we are short one passenger. Anxious calls to the tour office and it is thought he may be on one of the other busses. We leave regardless.

Shortly at a photostop overlooking the fjord we are treated to a rainbow. The other busses are already there and it is confirmed the missing passenger is on the other bus. Of course the other busses leave long before ours, as three passengers consistantly can't seem to get back to the bus on time. 

The driver isn't quite sure where the tour is supposed to go, and the guide needs to keep directing him. A few more unscheduled stops. The ship starts calling us when we haven't arrived at our scheduled time. The tour guide cares less and says we are on the way and will be there in a few minutes. 25 would have been more accurate. Overall it was a good tour for a drizzly foggy day.

Back on the ship with 30 minutes to spare before sailaway.

Dining room food continues to be good. Service overall is excellent. 

Anna-Jane Cassey a very talented singer from London is half of our show today. Probably one of the most professional and talented perfomers I have encountered on a ship. She has be continuously employed in theater her entire career.

Tonight we depart for Bergen, our next port of call.

Aug 9 & 10 Alesund & Andalsnes, Norway

The weather in Aselund is just as forecast. Cloudy, foggy, and rainy most of the day. We stay on the ship as we have no excursion planned and just to go walk in the rain doesn't make much sense.

Overnight we cruise to Andalsnes. This is a tender port. Cunard uses at least 4 lifeboats as tenders. The weather is party sunny, little fog, and just a few showers. The best weather they have had here in quite awile. Originally I had booked a train excursion here, but it was cancelled by the Railroad due to high demand from local passengers as a major road through the valley has been closed by rock slides.

Our bus trip takes us along part of the route that the railroad would have. The scenery is spectacular. Snow still sits at some of the higher elevations. We stop at a local lodge for "coffee and cake"  Actually the "cake" was excellent apple pie and ice cream. Just what everyone should have at 9:30 AM.

Several stops to see old bridges and waterfalls. Very scenic and uncrowded. Of course the "trolls" are a big part of the tourist attraction.

Just about as the last tender returns to the ship, it begins to rain. 

I  have probably caught a cold from the hackers and the inconsistent heat and cold throughout the ship. I forgo the dining room and have dinner in the buffet to minimize me spreading anything to those around me.

Tonight will be TV in the cabin, a lot of rest, and hopefully I will feel better in time for our noontime tour tomorrow.

We head back out to the North Sea and head to Olden tomorrow.

No sunset to see tonight, the ship is shrouded in fog.

In the North Sea

We take two days to get from Hamburg Germany to Aselund Norway. The temperatures have dropped to 60. The seas have increased enough that the ship constantly creaks and moans. I don't quite understand why as the seas are less than 3 meters, a wave height that doesn't cause most cruise liners to creak.  Creaking can only be caused by a certain amount of flexing of the hull, not a comforting thought if you think too seriously about it.

The dynamics of the cruise have changed substantially. Dress is more casual, more families and more children. Probably 50% of our passengers are probably German.  A large contingency of the passengers are coughting and hacking. Programs are held just for the German passengers, a nice touch on Cunard's part.

Maintaining comfortable air temperatures in internal spaces are always a challenge on ships. I think this is probably one of the worst cruise ships I have seen in this regard.  The cabin temperature swings widely without adjusting the thermostat.

We are on deck 4, possibly the coldest hallway on the ship. One end of the buffet is uncomfortably hot, the other end uncomfortably cold. Well at least today. Yesterday it was just the opposite.

The entertainers that had their show cancelled the other night have not been seen. Probably sent off the ship in Hamburg.

We have a lovely couple next to us in the dining room now, Suzy from the Chec Republic and Carl from Hamburg.  Early in his first career Carl was on freghters that sailed the world including stops in Chicago and Milwaukee. Today he sails on Cunard frequently.

We are headed almost straight north along the coast of Norway. tomorrow we will be in Aselund. The weather is expected to be rainy with a high of about 60. We have no excursion scheduled.

Aug 7 Hamburg

We arrive in Hamburg about 6:00 AM. the ship is cleared and passengers begin to disembark by 7:30. I am surprised at the number of passengers that have just taken the 2 day cruise from Southampton to Hamburg. Think of the crew having turn around every other day.

Yesterday we, really Lynn, did laundry. There are laundry areas on each deck. Totally free! The machines are small, what I would do in one load at home takes 3 loads here. But much better than having the ship's laundry do it. Probably our worst choice of days as many passengers that are going on to other destinations from Hamburg, such as a river cruise, want to leave with all clean clothes.

Hamburg is a very large commercial port. Built on the delta of rivers that flow north to the north sea. The ground is very soft, muck as described by a tour guide. When there is a storm surge, gates are closed to protect the city from flooding. Hamburg, a city of 1.9 million has more bridges than any other city in the world. Many ships can only enter the Hamburg port during high tide.

The weather is perfect, mostly sunny and reaching a high of 80,  with a light breeze. We take a city tour followed by a visit to Minatur Wunderland, the largest and most well known model railroad in the world.

Most of Hamburg is relatively new, the result of extensive bombing during WWII, but there are a few structures that date back centuries.

The famous red light district of hamburg is now mostly just a seedy tourist area of fast food restaurants and souvenir shops.

Minatur Wunderland is housed in old warehouse buildings. Just a few facts: 17,330 sq feet of layout, over 10 miles of HO track, 3,527 trunouts and 55 computers to run everything. Most trains are 8 to 12 cars in length, the longest I saw was 22. Much like our layout at the train club, some areas were excellent in detail and execution, while others were not as well done. A product of 20 years of construction consuming over a million hours by many workers. The construction cost has been over 42 million dollars, and they continue to expand the exhibit.

Our tour doesn't get us back to the ship until almost 7:00, an hour late for dinner, but we are accomodated, just not at our usual table. At 6:15 any unoccupied tables are used for "my time" dining guests if needed.

Dinner was excellent as usual. After a long day, we forgo any enterainment tonight. A long nights sleep sounds better.

The ship leaves Hamburg at about midnight, again to coincide with high tide.  The next two days will be sea days in the North Sea headed to Norway.

Aug 5 At Sea

We leave Southampton and are headed to Hamburg. Our course will take us through the dover straights and along the coastline of Belgium, Holland and Germany. A distance too great to do in one day, but very easy in two as we cruise along at less than 10 knots most of the time. The captain needs to time his arrival to coincide with high tide in order to have enough water depth to navigate to Hamburg

There is quite a bit of  commercial ship traffic, mostly oil tankers. The coastline is dotted with wind farms, a significant source of energy for this region of Europe. The  air temperatures remain in the upper 60's. Very nice in the sun.

We are joined by new speakers for the insights series. Elizabeth Cunningham speaking on Astronomy, Astrophysics and Nuclear Physics and Derek Tedder a retired TV news journalist talking about behind the scenes at the news anchor desk.

Elizabeth, probably yes, Derek probably not.

We have changed tables in the dining room. Not far, just two tables away, we now have the window table for the rest on the journey. All Lynn has to do is politely ask. The dining room continues to be good. I have not had a bad meal. Everything is served hot when it should be. Service is elegant, but not always prompt. It is more than infrequent that you need to remind the waiter of something, like ice water which they don't automatically serve.

The main entertainment tonight  is a different production from the ships singers and dancers. "Be our Guest". Again very good.

The Beat 45's were scheduled to play in the Queens Room tonight,  but were cancelled. I guess Cunard's opinion of them was no higher than mine. I give them credit for cancelling them at the last minute.

The venue where they play jazz every night is the only venue on the ship that only has very deep, very low, very uncomfortable seating (for me anyway). Tonight we find comfortable seating at the bar and enjoy a set of jazz. Not Blue Bamboo quality, but good never the less.

Tomorrow we arrive in Hamburg.

August 4, Southampton

This is just one of those cruise days that shouldn't be. I need to set our alarm at 6:00 am, and have breakfast in the cabin so that I can make our 8:30 departure time for our shore excursion. Setting an alarm on vacation just shouldn't happen.

Room service is prompt. I have my usual corn flakes and cranberry juice. 

We head to the theater about 8:00 and get our stickers for the tour. Bus # 3. In addition to several tours from the ship today, many pasengers are disembarking in Southampton, the end for thier vacation.

The shore excursion staff advise me and several other passengers that need extra time that it is time for us to leave, well ahead of the majority of passengers. Having an excursion sticker lets us in line right at the gangway ahead of many others.

I don't think it is possible to make the walk to the busses any longer. The pathway goes back and forth from one end of the terminal to the other,  but after being misdirected several times we are among the first to be seated on bus # 3.

As we leave the terminal area, we pass a P&O cruise ship and one from NCL. Southampton has space for as many as 6 or 8 cruise ships in addition to being a very large commercial port.

The weather today is perfect, and exceptional for the UK. Low 70's, sunny, light breeze and scattered clouds. On the way to Stonehenge we pass thru several small villages and drive thru a protected forest where there are lots af ponies, donkeys, sheep and other animals roaming free.

Stonehenge is packed. The line for the bus from the parking and visitor's center to the stone circle is almost an hour. Not that there weren't busses, it is just that there were so many visitors.

Not having enough time we cut our walk around the circle short and return to the visitor's center. A bottle of water and a diet coke and it is back to the bus.  We are about 15 minutes late departing, but there is plenty of time to get to the port before the ship departs.

The tour guide apologizes for the delays caused by long lines. Knowing of this, they tried to get Cunard to give them more time for the tour, but Cunard refused.

Once back at the terminal it is through security and back on the ship. I always endure a patdown at every security check as I can not pass through most metal detectors with my pacemaker. All I will say it was the roughest patdown I have ever endured. I was hit, slapped, and yanked at. A man that definitely was angry with his job. I can easily see where a short tempered person would have struck back at him.

Overall the tour was good, but definitely 1 or 2 more hours were needed. Shame on Cunard.

We have taken on many new passengers today in Southampton. Many will only be here two nights, disembarking in Hamburg. I acknowledge I have a problem with 3 and 4 day cruises, but a two day cruise would be like a bad airplane flight.

This makes the passenger dynamics much different. The ship is in much more of a party atmosphere. Dress in the dining room is much more casual. The overall noise level has risen substantially.

The show tonight is "Beat 45", four young musicians. The lead  singer acknowledges his voice is weak. Overall the show is unremarkable. No, actually pretty bad as they exhibited no personality, zero enthusiasim, and no energy.

The english channnel is fairly calm. There are many commercial vessels anchored, awaiting either a contract or dock space. We cruise towards Hamburg at about 8 or 9 knots.

Aug 1-3 At Sea

We continue in the North Atlantic headed to Southampton. There is a low pressure are and storm to our North, and the resultant swells are imparting about a 1 degree roll to the ship. More significantly the ship creaks continuously as she cuts easily through the seas.  Probably most passengers are oblivious to the slight roll,  but I am sure a few are nervous.

Temperatures remain in the middle 60's the skies vary between overcast and foggy.

There are several guest speakers during this voyage, each doing 4 to 5 hour long presentations. Personally I have found the guest speakers on various voyages to be a refreshing break from the usual entertainment of trivia and belly flop contests.

Linda Sage is doing series on the phychology of prisoners, with a a focus on serial killers and psychopaths. Personally I find her british dialog difficult to understand, and when combined with the subject, I skip most of her presentations.

Armando Sanchez talks cover technology and the rapid speed of technological change.

Alan Hamilton is a neuro scientist from Arizona university. I find his talks the most interesting as it is focused on technology as it is impacting the medical field. AI has already had a major impact on the medical community, and it is clearly recognized that the impact has barely scratched the surface of what we will see in the next decade.

Douwe Blumberg is a world renowed sculptor that spends 4 to 6 hours each day working on a sculpture in the Carinthia lounge. Passengers can watch and ask questions at thier leisure.  The small, 18 inch, horse sculpture he is working on reminds me of Remington's works.

Commander Hugh Butterill tells about British Navy and its cooperation with the US Navy in southeast aisa naval operations in the last few years.

The dining room continues to be the place for breakfast. Most often the food is hot. I can not say the service is the most prompt, but most of us are not in a rush to go anywhere. The schedule is designed such that rushing is not an issue.

Lunch is usually in the buffet. There are at least 3 soft serve ice cream stations. this past week I have had Fried chicken, Turkey, pizza, a hot dog and a hamburg.  The hot dogs and hamburgs are made to order on request. For the most part everything in the buffet is kept at and served at the appropriate temperature, either hot or cold.

The evening menu often features fish and seafood. There is always one alternative of either pork or beef, and they generally are well prepared. The selection is much more limited than the cruise lines I often sail on.

The gala ball and Masked ball are well attended with appropriately dressed passengers.  There is no cruise director on the Queen Mary 2, just an entertainment director that introduces various entertainers.  Announcements are never made over the PA system to interupt your peaceful day.

Tomorrow we arrive in Southampton. This is the final destination for about 900 passengers. Earlier in the week we had to meet with a UK customs inspector that basically just verified possession of a valid passport. One step that does not need to be done at port. We have a tour to Stonehenge.

Temperatures are in the mid 60's and no rain is predicted. 

July 29 -31 At sea

First, I must acknowledge that probably I was a little tired when I wrote the last post. I titled it August 29 instead of July 29, and in spite of looking at it several times did not catch the error until it was too late. It is not easy to correct my blog once it has been posted, so the error is there for eternity for everyone to see.

Life on this voyage has quickly fallen into a routine. Cunard is much more structured than the schedules on the party cruise lines line Royal or Celebrity. Breakfast is 8:00 to 9:30, Lunch 1:00 to 2:30, afternoon tea 3:00 to 5:00 and early dining 6:00 to 8:30.

The early main show (so far) is always at 8:15, the late show at 10:15.  A schedule that is easy and does not require rushing dinner to make a show. Other than the daily captain's announcement, there are no calls for bingo or belly flop contests, or spa specials. A much more refined approach, just as I expected.

The seas have been slight for the past 3 days, and the skies, until this morning, quite foggy.  The air temperature hasn't varied much from the upper 60's. and the sea temperature is just a few degrees cooler.

We intended to follow a great circle route across the North Atlantic, but Monday we deviated for 4 hours towards Lewisburg Newfoundland to evacuate a passenger that needed medical attention. Nearly no one had any idea this was happening as the navigation channel was turned off until the captain finally informed us during his noon time message that he  had changed course. All passengers were instructed to stay off all decks and balconies as a safety precaution for the rescue helicopters.  The weather was very foggy and visibility was a few hundred feet. The ship came to a stop and for nearly an hour I could hear helicopters flying nearby, but couldn't see them because of the foggy conditions. How they could see the helipad is beyond me.

We stayed motionless in the ocean just off shore for about an hour. Onced the transfer was complete we turned and began to move. With a total delay of about 6 hours, we resumed our course to Southampton. Initially cruising at about 20 knots, and with a top speed of 30 knots, the 6 hours will quickly be made up. No further information was ever shared.

The service has become much better. My waiter has learned I don't order appetizers or starters. Room service was right on time and interesting as there were probably 2 dishes for every item. A bowl for the cereal, a plate for the bowl, a pitcher for the milk, and a plate for the pitcher, etc. etc.

Another big difference with other cruise lines, so far all the food has been served hot. They even turn on the warming surfaces in the buffet where appropriate.  So far seating in places like the buffet has been available anytime I venture there.

A little surprise when you order a gin and tonic.  You are charged for the gin, and there is a separate charge for the tonic. Beverage servers scan your card and enter the beverage orders electronically, but bring a paper bill after serving you.

Just like the other lines, the onboard app leaves a lot to be desired. The only place menues are posted is outside the dinnig rooms a few hours before dining time. Not on the app or several days ahead so menu choice can be a factor in selecting alternative dining.

On the floors that are primarily cabins, the hallways run straight from one end of the ship to the other. Main dining is on decks 2 and 3 aft which is a common configuration. Many of the lounges etc are on deck 7 which is midship vertically. The main theater is forward of center but not at the bow of the ship like most cruise ships. On the lowest and upper decks there are many steps and sloped hallways. Finding some venues is a challenge to say the least. Of course the posted maps by the elevators don't always give you the information needed to find a venue. Even to enter the main dinig room you first go up about 6 steps then down 6 to enter.

Most of the staff is efficient now that the cruise is underway, but most are not very friendly. I can't think of any of the dining room staff have introduced themselves. You would like to think that this was because they are English, but servers are from many countries as on most cruise lines. The difference is in how they are taught to do thier jobs. Yes cunard sells a different product.

My online internet for ship information worked for the first day. It hasn't since, so today I seek help in resolving the issue.  The front desk has 6 clerks and no guests. My lucky day. The short answer: "It is a known problem in the software and there is no known way to fix it or work around it. Come to the front desk and we will print a statement of your charges whenever you wish."

Fortunately this is just an Android issue and Lynn has an IPhone. The Apple app works better and when it does fail it can be reset. I'm sure an Android guru could fix it, but no one at the front desk knows how.

We had a few hours with temperatures about 70. The sundeck is empty, a few passengers outside on the promenade deck and by the enclosed pool.

Tonight is NOT a formal night and my observation is that 80% of the men are wearing jackets to dinner. I am one of the other 20%. And no tee shirts or shorts are to be seen. I would conclude Cunard is much more successful in enforcing a dress code.

The time in England is 5 hours later than New York, so each day we make another hour adjustment to our watches. Not during the night as oftern done, but at noon time everone moves the time ahead one hour. Well most of the time changes are done that way, except for the first one which was done at 2:00 am. It is so confusing the time displayed on the ships channel is often wrong. It will be interesting to see what they do on the return crossing.