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.