August 18, 2023
5:09 am GMT-4 (EDT)
We are approaching New York. It is raining and the sun has not yet risen, and I’m loving the mist that shrouds the glorious view. We went under the Verrazano Bridge at 4:54 am and we’re now approaching the northern tip of Staten Island to the west and Brooklyn to the east.
I’m enjoying tea in the Kings Court on Deck 7, port side. I’m monitoring the MarineTraffic app for our location. Yes! I can finally use my cellular data!
7:23 am
It was wonderful to be on an ocean liner again. Our previous liners did cruise itineraries, yet had many remnants of their liner pasts. There was SEABREEZE in 1993 and 2000, OCEANBREEZE in 1996, REGAL EMPRESS in 2001, and the grandest of them all—SS NORWAY—also 2001. (One might include QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 in 2003, yet she was built mainly as a cruise ship.)
Mary, at 19 years old, is not yet historic, but she will be. And that appreciation is already there. History every way we turn, enough writing to fill a book. Stories of Cunard’s history and evolution, and career highlights of dozens of ships. And, of course, the Boston Cup and other gifts.
How I adore her.
8:33 am
When we departed from Southampton one week ago, Mary’s deck band played What a Wonderful World. And it was.
This was a very civilized way to travel. Even as far as shipboard life goes, it was exceptional. I put together a brief list of what I did not miss vis à vis cruising: incessant photography, bar waiters that swoop in like vultures, seat savers, and announcements.
There is something I did miss, kind of: motion on the ocean! Even in high seas our liner was steady.
8:55 am
Our disembarkation time is drawing closer and we will soon make our way to Deck 2 to walk the gangway to the Red Hook terminal in Brooklyn.
I’ll miss you, Mary!
11:04 am
We are at JFK all checked in for our 1:30 pm flight to Boston, which is now delayed to 3:04 pm due to storms in southeastern Massachusetts.
We left QM2 at 9:05 and found our luggage easily. After flagging down a porter and waiting at immigration/customs, we were outside to find our car service at 9:30. We got to the airport around 10:15.
6:59 pm
After several more delays, our plane finally took off at 6:54. And at 6:56 I looked out my window and there was my new friend QUEEN MARY 2 starting out on her next transatlantic.
I miss her already. She’s back in Boston this year on October 11 and I will be on the beach waving her in.
NauticalNotebook 