Do your friends have any idea what goes on when you take one of your many cruise vacations? Probably not. They assume you stretch out on a deck chair by the pool for a week, then repack and head home. We write a travel journal, sending daily messages to our friends back home. We design it in an hour-by-hour format.
You might ask, why don’t you simply post to social media instead? Posting in real time to a wide readership announces you are away and your house is empty. What could possibly go wrong? We send daily writeups to 17 friends. Some write back, others don’t. The universal reaction is they enjoy them.
We sailed from New York to Southampton on Wednesday, June 17th. Here is a writeup of how each day went.
Wednesday, June 17th: We drove from home to JFK airport, parked the car and took a taxi to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. Once onboard, I snuck off to the Purser’s Office and ordered flowers for our inside cabin as a surprise for my wife. As the ship pulled away from the dock, we were seated by a window in the Commodore Club lounge.
High point: Sailing under the Verrazano Bridge.
Approaching Verrazano bridge in New York harbor credit Bryce SandersThursday, June 18th: Our first full day at sea. We check out books from the excellent library. We meet a nice couple from Wisconsin during lunch in the Britannia Dining Room. At 3:30 we attend afternoon tea in Queens Room. We arrive on time and the place is already filled. Afternoon tea is popular. We are seated with a young couple who are presenting sessions on etiquette and manners in the 21st century. They are speakers in the Cunard Insights lecture series.
High point: After joining a team for Progressive Trivia at 4:15 PM, I am thrilled to learn our team scored the highest. Another team member mentioned: “I assume you know you are now committed for the rest of the voyage!”
Friday, June 19th: We have had smooth seas so far. This continues through the rest of the voyage. The temperature is too cool to be out on deck. We spend our time indoors. The ship is a floating resort. We stretch out in Deck 12 the pool area, covered by a retractable glass room. We meet a fellow who travels about nine months each year. We attend the Cunard Insights lecture featuring Lord Simon Hart, formerly the Chief Whip under two Conservative Prime Ministers. I attend the first of five afternoon lectures, “Were You Raised by Wolves?”
High point: Friday was the first of two formal nights during the crossing. Chateaubriand is the featured entrée in the Britannia Dining Room. Pistachio soufflé is one of the desserts on offer. Dinner is followed by the Black and White Ball.
Saturday, June 20th: The second etiquette lecture takes place in Queens Room, where afternoon tea is served. The topic for this session is “protocols and behavior at afternoon tea.” I visit the Purser’s Office to get some computer help. Now the Blink app functions properly. We can check on what the two cats are up to back home.
High point: The wine and food pairing lunch! This lasts 2+ hours and features four courses paired with eight wines. I am seated at a table with three strangers. They are all fascinating. One is a school administrator in Alaska. Another is off to Lake Como, Italy for three months. You meet fascinating people onboard. Friendships form quickly.
Sunday, June 21st: The Interfaith Sunday service takes place in the Illuminations Theater. It is conducted by the captain. It follows the format of an Anglican church service. Everyone gets song sheets. The British sing very well. Every stanza is sung, regardless of the length of the song! I have been fitting in visits to the gym every day.
High point: Lunch in the Veranda Steakhouse. This is one of two alternative dining facilities. The meal is leisurely, the steaks excellent. We finish a bottle of 2018 Chateau Musar we ordered with dinner earlier in the voyage.
Monday, June 22nd: The weather is clearing. I head up to Deck 12 to check out the kennels. Dog owners can spend time with their pets. Their area has a Liverpool lamp post and a New York fire hydrant. I attend the second of Lord Hart’s lecture. It’s an insider’s view of British political life.
High point: This was the second formal night. Beef Wellington is the featured menu item. Baked Alaska is served, after the traditional parade of chefs. Dinner is followed by the Masquerade Ball.
Tuesday, June 23rd: My wife knows not to leave me unsupervised. At Saturday’s wine and food pairing lunch I booked Tuesday’s Champagne Tasting in the Laurent Perrier Champagne Lounge on Deck 3. The wines and canapes are fabulous! We skip lunch because we need to rush to the 2:00 PM walk around wine tasting on the upper level of the Britannia Dining Room. I need to read as much of my second book as I can because they are due back in the library today.
High point: Our team is tied for first place in progressive trivia. We fall into second with the tiebreaker question. We are each awarded collapsible umbrellas to bring home. One of our UK friends (receiving our writeups) remarked “aren’t all umbrellas collapsible?”
Wednesday, June 24th: This is our travel day. We are through Immigration, off the ship and on the transfer bus to Heathrow. The ride is about 90 minutes. The bus is comfortable. We board our 2:10 PM flight to New York. It arrives early. We collect the car at JFK and drive home.
High point: The after the trip discussion in the car about the high and low points of the trip.
In my opinion, the transatlantic crossing on Queen Mary 2 is Cunard’s best product. We have taken it several times before. We would do it again.
Photos courtesy Bryce Sanders
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