August 17, 2023

6:23 am GMT-3 (ADT)

I woke up on my own about 15 minutes ago. I believe the sun has come up already. I hear the fog horns, so I’ll go outside for some photos and audio.

6:55 am

I took the stairs to Deck 7, still in my pyjamas—as that’s what I call them now. There are certainly a few people milling about. Crew are cleaning the outer decks and windows. And the fog is thick, which made for some nice photographs, albeit no sunrise. I recall that it was difficult to catch the sunrise on QE2, also.

But I did capture the sound of the fog horn. Mary has such a lovely voice.

8:23 am

I’m having breakfast in the Carinthia Lounge. It’s a small buffet that offers a variety of freshly prepared food. I started with chilled Madagascan vanilla crème fraîche porridge with fresh berries—amazing. There are several hot dishes that get replenished as they run out. I had a poached egg with tomato and guacamole on sourdough toast with hollandaise sauce.

All that’s missing is tea and coffee. I gather we get these ourselves in the adjacent Kings Court buffet? [Note: I learned subsequently there is bar service here.]

Neil and Marty got their breakfasts at the buffet and brought them in here.

The ambiance is nice and the food is good but will be very limiting for most people. Still, there are items we can’t get anywhere else.

11:30 am

I’m in the Royal Court Theatre watching ballet class. They started at the bars with relevés and stretches. Circles with pointed toes. Second position. Ditto, in first position. Then fourth position, to fifth position. Repeat on other side.

My new routine.

How exciting this must be for these talented young adults!

4:59 pm

The highlight of our day so far was a visit with a lovely family from Italy that we had met briefly the night before. Today we met over tea and coffee in the Carinthia Lounge and easily chatted like old friends. Our sons talked up dinosaurs and basketball. And we shared stories about Boston’s North End, notably the salami that hangs from the front of the area’s fire truck (a reference for our new friends).

8:17 pm

We are down to the final 12 hours. This has been a marvelous trip and I’m sad that it’s coming to an end.

Something I thought of earlier. For the past 19 years, QUEEN MARY 2 has been a terrific sight as she pulled into Boston Harbor, a beautiful stately ocean liner with her proud lines and impressive presence. Yet now that I’ve spent a week on board for a transatlantic crossing, she has something she hadn’t before. She has a soul.

10:30 pm

I’m going to miss this bed. It’s a king, made up of two twins put together without a gap in the middle. We each have two king pillows and share a soft king comforter. Marty’s bed is a full size sofa bed. He has not complained about his back, so it must be comfortable. I have no clue where his blanket and pillows disappear to each day.

Closet space is more than sufficient for the three of us. There’s one single wardrobe where we stowed the one piece of luggage we use to collect laundry, and one double wardrobe that had more hangers than we needed to hold our outfits. Six drawers, four in the closet area and one in each nightstand, held T-shirts, socks, etc. There’s also a small desk with chair, and a flat screen TV hangs from the wall.

The bathroom is small yet functional. Water pressure in the shower was great, as was the temperature. I was able to unpack my entire toiletry bag. Plenty of counter space plus two corner shelves.

We are in cabin 8051, a Britannia class balcony with obstructed view. We didn’t get much of a chance to use the balcony, which holds two adjustable back chairs and a table. We’re located between lifeboats #7 and #9, starboard about one-quarter to one-third of the way back from the bow. We hear absolutely no noise from the public deck below, where the Carinthia Lounge is. The promenade is just below our balcony, jutting out.

I just realized that I forgot to post this morning’s coordinates! At 7:43 am: 41°16.9N 066°42.3W and traveling at 21.0 knots.

Currently, 11:02 pm, we are below the eastern tip of Long Island, New York, at 40°32.2N 072°4.1W and 16.1 knots. We are expected to take on the pilot at 3:45 am EDT and pass under the Verrazano Bridge at 5:00 am.

I will attempt to sleep now.

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