Below is a daily blog that i wrote during my family 17 day trip that took in visits to Washington DC, Toronto, Niagara Falls and New York before 7 days relaxing back to the UK on board Cunard’s luxury QM2.
For those of you that didn’t get to see it on my Facebook posts to a couple of cruise groups, I hope you enjoy it and if you do have any questions about any of my experiences, then please let me know 😊
Day 1 of our US / QM2 Adventure
So i will try my best to write a daily blog of our trip !!
Day 1 : we woke up at 6.15 after another night of restless sleep due to the heat. Pretty much all the packing had been done over the weekend and the suitcases were in the dinning room awaiting the last minute bits and bobs.
After taking Lanson for his final walk, we all said our goodbyes to him and I took him to the lady who does such a wonderful job in looking after him when we travel abroad.
Getting home, I found that our Addison Lee taxi was already waiting for us nice and early so as we were ready we packed the car up and headed on the short journey to Heathrow Terminal 2 to meet my mum and catch our first flight to Reykjavik. This was my first trip from Terminal 2 since its rebuild and we were very impressed. Both checkin and security was a doddle and once through, we could have been in Westfield Shopping Centre !!
We purchased the obligatory duty free perfumes, make up (not for me !!) and aftershaves before settling ourselves down for an brunch at Heston’s Perfectionist Cafe. The food I have to say was top notch with excellent service and not overly expensive, I can highly recommend the strawberry milkshake !!
Time to board our Iceland Air Flight which we had been a little nervous of after reading some poor reviews about them on trip advisor. We were however pleasantly surprised with the friendliness of the cabin crew and although they don’t give any free food out we were provided each with a complimentary drink and according to Mum, Nicola and the Girls the entertainment was excellent. I choose to read my Milly Johnson book for the first part of the flight before starting to watch The Hateful Eight on my iPad.
Before we knew it 3 hours had passed and we were descending into Reykjavik. From above it looked quite barren and reminded me of Lanzarote with its volcanic features. As the plane door opened we immediately appreciated the coolness at 12 degrees compared to London it was lovely !
We had 90 mins at the airport and time for a quick coffee before our connecting flight to Washington Dulles was ready for take off. Again like the first flight the service on board was good and we had preordered some food which was served to us. I finished watching my movie and took in the amazing views of Greenland and the ice floating in the sea from above. As we moved over Canada we saw many beautiful lakes in areas that appeared to be pretty much uninhabited.
Shortly after flying over Halifax we were informed that due to a bad storm in and around Washington DC our flight was going to take a longer route that would add an hour to our 6 hour flight time.
As we started to descend we could see the storm and luckily we had no turbulence but we saw some fantastic fork lightning in the sky with us.
Soon we were down and off the plane and then the fun of US immigration began ! It was however interesting that in the immigration hall, no matter who you are or what class you travel, you all have to join the queue and wait your turn as we noticed Sir Andy Murray and the MP Michael Fallon in the queue just in front of us !!
With very few staff working the immigration posts it took us nearly 2 hours to clear immigration and at this point with it being 3am UK time we wanted our beds !!
We got the bus/train to our hotel in DC and it was so humid and before we knew it we were at our hotel. 2 lovely rooms with a connecting door but bed soon beckoned.
Today is a whistle stop tour of dc on the hop on hop off bus so will update later.
Have a Nice Day !!
The US / QM2 Adventure Day 2 - Washington DC
So after a late arrival yesterday and Sophie waking us up at 3am telling us it was 8am and time to get up (silly sod hadn’t adjusted her clock for the time difference !!), we got up to make the most of our full day in DC.
We went and had breakfast at a local coffee shop (me a egg, cheese, tomato and avocado ciabatta which was lovely washed down with some fresh OJ. Following this we took a short stroll in the already steering heat (Washington is giving London a run for its money weather wise !!) to see if Donald (Trump not Duck but it’s easy to confuse !!) was home for a coffee. Unfortunately some big men in big black cars with big guns and bullet proof vests wouldn’t let me ring his door bell and we had to try and get his attention instead at distance, firstly via his front door and then we sneaked around the back to see if he could see us waving from his office but we had no luck !!
We gave up on this idea and instead having already pre booked the hop on hop off bus tickets we went and got on the red route bus. The bus took us down to Union Station, then on to Capitol Hill, along to the Washington and Jefferson Memorials before we decide to get off at the Martin Luther King Memorial. Up until this point we had been really impressed with what we had seen and took loads of pictures.
After the MLK Memorial we stopped off for a spot of lunch (hot dog and chips), before being hugely impressed by the Korean War memorial and the many statues of soldiers in action. We then walked down to the Reflection Pool at the base of the Abraham Lincoln Memorial where I did my best impression of Forrest Gump calling out for Jenny !!! The Lincoln Memorial is just amazing and kept so clean, in fact the whole of DC is kept really clean.
As the heat was pretty intense we hopped back on the bus and were taken around past a number of fantastic looking museums (I wished we had time to go into some of them !) before going over the Potomac River to see the Pentagon. Out of all the sights we had seen today this was the most disappointing as you can’t tell it has its shape from ground level and it just looks so dull. We were amazed however as to how on 9/11 those bloody terrorists managed to fly a plane into the side of it as it sits in a bowl in the city.
The bus then took us onto the Arlington Cemetery and we spent some time here reading about the various wars the military personnel who are laid to rest here have served in. We walked around to pay our respects and take time to reflect before going to also see the graves of JFK and his family.
At this point I think that most of the family had had enough sun so we went back to the hotel for a bit of down time and freshen up.
For dinner, someone at work had recommended that we head down to the new Wharf development by the Potomac River and I am so glad that she did. It is a very vibrant new area of DC with lots of bars, restaurants and a concert venue. We had dinner outside at an Irish bar and the food and service was really good. I had a 50/50 which was half pint Guinness and half pint lager mixed together and I was pleasantly surprised at how nice it was.
Post down we walked around the Wharf and spent time sat on oversized swings just soaking up DC life.
All in all an amazing day and I can highly recommend making a visit to the Capital of the US !!
Right I’m off to bed now as no doubt a number of you are just getting up !! 😂😂
The US / QM2 Adventure Day 3- Washington DC and Toronto
After the crash course in sightseeing yesterday we decided to have a slow start to the day and woke up gone 9am before packing up ready to move on out of town later in the day.
After a nice breakfast at a bakery just down the road from the hotel we took a stroll down towards Chinatown. Two things we have noticed about DC and that is firstly everywhere is very very clean, there is no litter around or dog dirt or funny smells like you see in a lot of city’s and secondly, the architecture of the buildings no matter whether they are old government buildings or churches or newer offices, apartment blocks etc is amazing. Every building we have seen looked really nice and as we strolled down to Chinatown it really noticed with both new and old buildings blending in so well together.
The heat was intense again today and humidity there with it too and mum at 75 years young was taking it all in her stride.
We walked around Chinatown and headed back to our hotel, which by the way we can highly recommend. It’s called the Kimpton Donovan Hotel, the rooms are nicely down out and the staff are very friendly and nothing is too much trouble for them. With our left luggage collected we said our final goodbyes to a wonderful Washington DC and boarded the metro back out to Dulles airport for our flight to Toronto.
Arriving at the airport, check in was smooth and security smoother, Completely the opposite to our arrival in DC. I went and plonked myself in the Taphouse Bar by our gate as I’m a lover of IPA’s and I’m into trying different ones wherever I go. I sat with some Americans at the bar and had a really good chat about the difference between the English and American IPAs but when I got the bill for my pint I nearly spat the beer back out across the bar !! £12 bloody pounds, I thought that was a rip off even for an airport bar (at London City Airport it’s £9 !!) and needless to say I didn’t have another.
We boarded our very small 50 seater United Express flight to Toronto and before we knew it we were in the air. It’s a relatively short flight up (about 50 mins in the air) but as we started our descent we had a fantastic view over Niagara Falls and then over the whole city of Toronto which were quite breathtaking.
Canadian immigration was much better than US immigration and we collected our cases within 40 minutes of landing before catching the UP Express Train to Toronto Union Station.
Upon arrival in downtown Toronto we were reminded of New York as Toronto has a large number of very tall skyscrapers and is full of lights. We walked up to our hotel and checked in, the girls were delighted as they had their own room, but I think mum was even more delighted as she had a suite !!
We all felt shattered but all felt the need to eat so we found an Italian restaurant for Pizza and for me a Canadian IPA.
Sorry tomorrow is a full day sightseeing in Toronto and will be interesting to see what it’s like. Thankfully it’s only going to be about 24 degrees so a bit cooler too !!
The US / QM2 Adventure Day 4 Toronto
A good nights sleep was had by all in very comfy beds as we woke to a cooler Toronto compared to Washington and back home. Having said that, it was still a comfy 24, if not a little breezy.
We went and had a late breakfast in a nearby Starbucks before taking a stroll down through the vibrant entertainment district towards the CN Tower which is the largest freestanding building in the world and is one of the 7 modern wonders of the world. We slowly made our way down towards the tower and joined a queue for about 20 minutes to buy tickets to got up firstly to the first level at 1100ft and then the second level at 1472ft.
Once the tickets were purchased we did what us Brit’s do best and joined another queue this time for the lift up to the first level. Along the queue we were provided information on how the tower was built in the 1970s, we were entertained by a children’s magician (for those who have cruised on P&O for long enough, he was just like Reg Webb, the Children’s entertaining who worked on the P&O ships for 40 odd years !!), and we got chatting to some of our fellow queuer’s who were mainly Canadian about where they and we had come from and about us going on the Queen Mary 2 next week.
Eventually after about a 90 mins queue we made it to the lift and we were whisked up the first 1100ft with our ears popping along the way. At the first viewing point we spent time walking around, taking photos and admiring the a,axing views afforded to us from here. We also had a drink in the cafe and just watched the world beneath us. Next we went up to the 1472ft level via a second lift and did much of the same as well as watching some people below us being dangled over the side of the tower at 1100ft (I would loved to have done that !!).
We came back down to the 1100ft level and spent some time standing on and lying down on the glass floor which was the only thing between us and the ground below !! What a great experience that was. Eventually we descended back down to ground level and spent time buying souvenirs and our official photo. I have to emphasise at this point, that going up the CN Tower is a must and certainly well worth doing when visiting this interesting city.
After a short lunch and Canadian IPA break we jumped into a cab which took us up to the Kensington Market and Chinatown districts. This part of the city is very different to where our hotel and the CN Tower is and it is full of second hand clothes shops, army surplus stores, Knick knacks shops etc etc and the odd one or two (ok lots of !!) legalised cannabis shops !! We offered to take mum into one so she could get stoned for probably only the first and last time in her life but she politely declined !! 😂😂
The Kensington market area reminded me very much of the Portobello Road market in London and is definitely worth a visit, with lots of different cultures coming together to give it a vibrant bohemian feel to it.
We walked back through Chinatown and a shopping district, picking up some more food along the way to keep us going before getting back to the hotel feeling tired but happy after another great day sightseeing. Toronto was very different to DC but we like DC really liked it and were pleased that we came.
Tomorrow we are up early for a 2 hour coach trip down to Niagara Falls and 24 hours of cramming the Niagara experience in !!
So it’s a goodnight from me !!
The US / QM2 Adventure Day 5 Niagara Falls
So Day 5 and we were up early with a quick breakfast in Starbucks before heading up to the Bus Terminal to catch the 10.30 Megabus down to Toronto. The coach was so easy and cheap, pre booked before we came away and when we got on board it, it was only half full. I sat and watched a bit of Netflix before feeling doozy (not that I am normally doozy before knob comments !!) and before I knew it I was safely off in the land of nod. The coach trip was meant to take 2.5 to 3 hours but I was woken up by the coach coming to a stop after only 100 mins and we had arrived at Niagara bus terminal (or a piece of barren wasteland depending on how you look at it).
We took a cab to take us to our hotel, The Sheraton On The Falls and we stung Can$30 for a trip lasting less than 5 minutes. Our hotel was right in front of the US Falls so we quickly checked in and dropped off our luggage and headed across the road to get our first proper glimpse of the Falls.
Oh wow is all I can say, they are just one amazing natural phenomenon, the water gushing over the side with no rest bite. The noise it made reminded me of being at the aft of a Cruise Ship and listening to the wash that the ship makes. We stood and watched the American Falls for a bit doing all the obligatory photos before then joining the queue to make our way down to board the Hornblower boat trip right up to the edge of the Horseshoe Falls.
At this point I must confess that I was a little naughty as the queue was apparently 2 hours long. I don’t know how it happened but I found us joining the queue at 20 minute wait point as there was a break in the queue !!! 😇😱😇😱
We found ourselves very quickly down in the lift and being handed our red complimentary red poncho for the trip. As we left we were given our muster drill but unlike on a cruise ship I don’t think a single person paid attention to it as they were all too busy taking selfies with the Falls in the background !!!
We passed close to the American Falls and got some great photos for the memories but then we moved on closer to the Horseshoe Falls which is the really massive one and I realised why we had been given the ponchos. They take you in as close as they can get you to the actual falls and if you didn’t know better the water coming over the top was created by CGI !! It was absolutely amazing and that’s understating it. Seeing the blue water crash over the top and turn in to white is just out of this world, we were getting soaked but no one cared in fact they were loving it. We stayed up close to the Falls for about 5 minutes trying to get as many photos we could and literally soaking up the atmosphere of just being there. The boat trip lasted about 35 minutes and it was worth every cent, but all good things must come to an end.
We finished the boat trip and gradually walked down to the Horseshoe Falls. The gardens that surround Niagara have some beautiful flowers planted in them and we admired them along with the waterfalls along the way. When we got to the point where the water actually tips over the Falls we just stood mesmerised by it all along with the many other tourists. The power of water is just collosous and nothing can stop its momentum over the edge. It was also very clear and just before the Falls you can see that the water is actually quite shallow.
Next we started to walk back to our hotel and we looked at the various shops and to be honest there was very little that they didn’t sell with a Niagara logo on it and actually some of it was quite tasteful. We bought a few bits for friends and family back home and considering it’s a tourist hotspot it wasn’t overly expensive.
With our stomachs rumbling we decided to eat at the HardRock Cafe and mum decided to get herself the largest cocktail she could find !! The food was ok but expensive for what it was but we made the most of our time in there comparing all the different pics we had taken during the day.
Post dinner we got ourselves back to our hotel and got a prime position by the rooftop pool to watch the fireworks display which is put on nightly by the Falls. As dusk settles, the Falls are lit up in changing colours and at spot on 10pm we were entertained with 5 minutes of fantastic fireworks over the Falls to finish off a wonderful and very memorable day for all of us.
Tomorrow we are looking forward to a lay in followed by a journey down to New York by plane.
Enjoy your Monday’s at work !!
🤭😁🤭😁
The US / QM2 Adventure Day 6 Niagara Falls and New York
So after the excitement of the Falls yesterday, and in fact each of the previous 5 days we decided that today was going to be a relatively easy one. We awoke at 10.30 after a good nights sleep and packed up ready for our 4th and final flight of the trip before yet another leisurely breakfast at Starbucks (for the third day in a row !).
We sat in our hotel reception/ Starbucks killing time awaiting the arrival of our pre booked transfer back to Toronto Pearson Airport. We had decided to treat ourselves to a private transfer in a big black SUV car which made a Range Rover look small. Our driver from Pakistan was very friendly and provided us with complimentary water, soothing music and very pleasant company for the journey. We chatted for the whole 90 mins drive and before we knew it we were saying goodbye to him at the airport.
Our flight down to New York was on Air Canada and we were unable to use the electronic check in so had to queue up for the best part of 40 mins to get checked in. We then queued and went through security, before having to do the Canadian electronic immigration registration. At this point it really should be noted that me and electronic devices do not get on with each other especially in public places and for me, my mum and Sophie we could not get the bloody finger print scanner to work. For mum in particular it appeared to be a real problem and we moved from machine to machine and not one recognised her fingers. I started to swear at the machines in frustration as it was taking so long and no human being was around to lend a hand. Eventually I had to go off somewhat worked up to find a human who could help. Once we got that sorted we had to go to the US Immigration desk no more than 20 yards away to have our passports and finger prints checked by a US chap. That was our 5th boarding pass and passport check and we hadn’t even made it to duty free yet !! Don’t get me wrong I’m all for tough security measures to stop terrorists getting on planes but this was serious overkill.
It took us close on 2 hours to make it from arrival at the terminal to make it to duty frees. As this was our last flight we purchased 2 litre bottles of Bombay Sapphire for £15 a bottle (bargain !!) before boarding our flight. The flight was nice and smooth and before we knew it we were touching down at La Guardia Airport and I could breath again (the baby in the row in front of us whilst happy throughout the flight had soiled its nappy at just after take off and let’s just say the aroma wasn’t great !! 🤢🤢🤢
Suitcases collected and our transfer found within 90 mins of landing we found ourselves at our hotel a stones throw from Times Square. By this point we were starving so we took ourselves off to the Tick Tock Diner which is a restaurant down near Penn Station where we had had a fabulous meal on our last visit to New York. Yet again we weren’t disappointed and I can highly recommend eating there and also trying their Long Island Iced Tea !!
Post dinner we decided to walk it off with a stroll down past Maceys, taking in the illuminated Empire State Building before heading back to our hotel via Broadway and the South Side of Times Square.
So in the city that never sleeps it is now nearly 12.30 and I’m off to sleep ahead of a full on day of sightseeing tomorrow !!
Goodnight all (or good morning for many of you !!)
M
The US / QM2 Adventure Day 7 - New York
So we awoke and were ready to get out at 9am this morning and we avoided Starbucks for breakfast today and instead ate at a nice place on 42nd street having pancakes, granola fruit and yoghurt.
It was going to be a hot one in New York today so with sun lotion applied we collected our tickets for the hop on hop off tour bus and boarded the red route near Times Square. For those that haven’t been to Manhattan before, for a relatively small island it has a lot on it and an awful lot of traffic. The bus meandered down 5th Avenue initially but if you were minded to walk, you would’ve have done it quicker. However it was good to hear the guide telling us about the numerous buildings and who lived where etc etc.
Our route took us down past the Empire State Building, The Flatron Building (an amazing structure which as you approach it looks flat), the Justice Courts, Brooklyn Bridge, City Hall, Wall Street, and the Cunard Building before we alighted at Battery Park.
Alighting at Battery Park we then boarded the Staten Island Ferry which is a free ferry service and in my opinion the best way to get great photos of the Brooklyn Bridge, Governor’s Island, The Manhattan Skyline and most importantly The Statue of Liberty. We sat out in the sunshine on the ferry taking in the views on the crossing that lasts about 25 minutes. At the other end we simply disembarked, joined the queue and then returned to Manhattan on the same ferry.
Back on Manhattan Island, we took the short walk from the ferry terminal to Wall Street where we stopped off for a spot of lunch in a traditional deli. My baguette was lovely containing lots of delicious Italian ham. Post lunch we strolled up past the New York Stock Exchange and one of Donald Trump’s buildings before making our way over to the 9/11 Memorial Gardens.
This was my second visit to the gardens, my last being 5 years and I do think it is a really sobering experience just to go there and look at all of the names of those who were killed on that terrible day and to take a moment just to reflect on life and how lucky so many of us actually are. I was fortunate enough to have visited the Twin Towers on a few occasions when they stood, my last being only 5 months before 9/11 when Nicola and I had a meal in the Windows of the World Restaurant. To think those her served us that night possibly did not survive the attack makes me shudder.
What I did find disappointing was that many tourists now see it as nothing more than a tourists site and they are all jostling to get selfies of themselves in front of the waterfalls. To me this is so wrong on many fronts. Ok take a picture of the waterfalls, but to have a selfie and pout ? Cmon !!
Following our reflection time we boarded the subway up to Little Italy and had a good walk around there soaking up the amazing atmosphere that part of the city creates. This walk led us back onto Broadway and shops !! At this point there was no stopping mum, Nicola and the girls, and I just went along for the ride (and the credit card !!). In fairness though with things like Levi 501s at less than $50 it is worth it and a few bargains were had as we slowly made our way up Broadway. Eventually however with time running away from us we decided to jump into a yellow taxi which took us up through Greenwich village to the Flatron Building and dinner at Eataly.
Etaly is an Italian food store with a number of different restaurants inside all serving different types of Italian food. After some cocktails we had a table in the pizza and pasta restaurant and I had a very tasty lasagne which had no fewer than 9 sheets of pasta. Following this we had a wander around the store before ending up in the gelato bar where I washed my dinner down with a Tiramisu Ice Cream.
Shattered at this point we went in search of a cab to take us back to our hotel. Now usually cabs in New York are famously yellow however a guy in a black Lincoln pulled over and offered us a cab ride. As he wasn’t a yellow cab I asked him for ID which looked legitimate so we got in. It wasn’t until we got back to our hotel when he stung us $40 for the 5 minutes ride that I realised we had be had but we had no choice but to cough up.
So here I am, just before midnight back in my hotel room after a great first full day in Manhattan and 7 days into our trip. We are all having a great time and making wonderful memories and I look forward to what tomorrow brings !!
Night all
M
The US / QM2 Adventure - Day 8
So overnight rain in New York City didn’t cool things down it just heated it up and ramped up the humidity some more !!
We were up and out by 10.30 this morning and stopped off for some breakfast at a diner by the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Grub downed and coffee kicking in we jumped into a yellow cab up to Columbus Circle to catch the Green Hop on Hop Off bus. Our tour guide on this bus was excellent, the best one that we have had all holiday. He loved the fact that most of us on the bus were from England as he was a massive Miranda Hart fan which went down really well with Bethany as she loves her too (I personally can’t stand her !! That’s Miranda I mean and not my lovely daughter Bethany!!).
Anyway the tour took us up the West Side of Central Park, past the Dakota Building, where John Lennon lived and died and Yoko still lives, past the Natural History Museum where the movie ‘Night at the Museum’ is set and onward and upwards towards Morningside Heights and Harlem. On the way up our guide pointed out various buildings where movie stars and musicians lived along with places where a number of tv shows and films are shot.
If I am honest I was expecting Harlem to be a bit trashy and a bit rough but the further north we went up into Harlem, the tidier and cleaner it became. The buildings and churches up here were also impressive (did you know that the 5th largest church in the world is in Harlem !?!), and the parkland on the side of the Hudson was beautiful. We eventually alighted our bus on 125th Street or Martin Luther King Jnr Drive right in the heart of Harlem outside the Apollo Theatre. The Theatre has introduced and hosted many great acts of the years including Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald, Richard Pryor, The Jackson 5 and Michael Jackson on his own and finally Prince’s final performance before his death. We also learnt that on a Wednesday night they have an open mic night there and for $20 you can go up on stage and if the audience like you, you get to stay on and if they don’t you literally get hooked off. Infamous acts to have been hooked off include Macy Gray and Mariah Carey !!
We went for a short walk around and really loved the vibe of Harlem and is was so not what we expected. We did a bit of shopping and bagged a few bargains before the heavens started to open. For the first time in a few months we were witnessing proper rain and it was just great to see, so much so I felt like going out and dancing in the street, but the girls refused to let me move !!
The rain only lasted ten minutes and the as soon as the sun came out, the temperature and humidity ramped up even more and it was amazing how quickly the ground dried. After a couple of hours in Harlem we reboarded the bus back to Columbus Circle taking a different route back but unfortunately this time the tour guide was pretty dull.
Back at the Circle we wandered into Central Park for a stroll and a pretzel (as you do !!) which despite the heat I found quite relaxing as it is such a beautiful park. We came back out of the park at 5th Avenue which is shoppers heaven. Purchases were made in various shops including the Apple Store, Tiffany’s, Abercrombie & Fitch and Victoria’s Secret before we all felt it was time for some dinner.
We found the Rockefeller Cafe and Bar in the Square where they have the famous ice skating rink and Christmas Tree in the winter (also used for lots of movies !) and we sat down outside having the most amazing dinner (I highly recommend the peach sundae for dessert!) as nighttime feel over the Rockefeller Centre. Whilst humid, the setting was just beautiful and will be a night to remember.
Post dinner we decided we needed a walk so we headed back to our hotel via all the lights and glitz of Times Square and the Theatre District. Lots of people were outside theatres screaming as the stars of broadway were coming out post show to sign autographs. We didn’t recognise a single one of them so walked on as our beds beckoned.
So here I am back in my hotel room with one more full day of New York left before it’s time to join QM2. Having a fantastic holiday and so much more fun to come !!
Good night/morning all
M
The US / QM2 Adventure - Day 9
So we awoke to our last full day in Manhattan and today had already been designated as a shopping day before we came away (and despite our shopping efforts of yesterday!!).
We had a good hearty brekkie on 8th Avenue before walking down to 34th Street which is home to not only Penn Station but also to Macy’s. I felt it would be best to leave my mum, Nicola and the girls to go off and do a bit of girlie shopping whilst I took myself off to the various men’s departments on each floor to see if there was anything worthwhile treating myself too. Well about 2 hours later having found that Macy’s were having a pre sale sale I had purchased $540 worth of Tommy Hilfiger, Levi and Ryan Seagrave clothing for the princely sum of $180 !!
Happy as Larry and full of bags, I went off to find everyone else to find that they had only made it to the 4th floor so far and they we weighed down by purchases. Therefore I sat my bum down on a sofa and read my kindle until they were ready. Thankfully they were long enough for me to finish my book and start another one (reviews on my holiday books will appear on my blog ‘The Witterings of a Cruise Ship Reader’ when I get home !).
By then they were knackered and I was hungry so we went and had lunch in the basement cafe at Macy’s giving us all a much needed chance to refill our batteries. Post lunch, I got dragged into Sephora (some kind of very popular make up shop I’m informed !!), where mum had a make over and all apart from me purchased products and got free gifts, me I sat and made headway into my new book on my kindle !!
Next it was some place called Forever 21 and guess what ? I sat and read my book whilst everyone else were off trying on and buying clothes. Thankfully after reading 15% of my book I was told it was time to go so we left and continued along 34th street where I found a Timberland shop where I decided to treat myself instead of reading much to the annoyance of everyone else !!
We worked out that what with all the purchases that we had made over the last few days an additional suitcase was required as there was no way we were going to be able to fit everything into the cases that we had between us (5 large cases and 3 carry on cases !!). We therefore hunted down a cheap and cheerful medium sized suitcase from one of the souvenir shops for only $40 after a bit of bartering.
All in, knackered and realising it was 6.30pm we decided to head back to the hotel so that the reorganisation of the suitcases ready for tomorrow could be done. Therefore with a bit of down time it gave me the opportunity to sit here and write my blog and reflect a bit on New York.
Personally I really like Manhattan and I have always said that it is the one city outside of the UK where I could happily work and live. Yes ok it’s not necessarily the cleanest of cities and yes there are a few weird people, lots of tourists and it’s just manic but there is something great about it. For a small island, Manhattan has so much on it and it is so varied. You can find stuff to do and yes you can find a peaceful place also if you need it. Every time I come here I find new things to do and see and I always finish off here thinking that there is so much more to do and see. I can’t wait to come back to the Big Apple again at some point in the next few years.
See I had better take a break now as it’s time to head out for something to eat and I’ll let you know a bit more about that shortly !!
Right so back from dinner at a bar/restaurant called Carraghers, named after Jamie Carragher, the former Liverpool footballer. The food menu had a good selection with each dish named after a famous Liverpool player. I had the chicken curry which was nicely washed down by a couple of upstate IPAs. The bar got busy whilst we were there and full of Americans who were all getting excited by a game of rounders on the big tv screens. I thought that rounders was a sport we only played at school and for a bit of fun on the beach to keep the kids entertained, but no they were watching fully grown men trying to hit this little soft ball and they didn’t seem very good at it !!
As we went to leave the clouds had a hissy fit and it was pissing it down but it was still 86 degrees with 90% humidity !! The hissy fit lasted 10 minutes and we walked back to the hotel taking in the New York skyline in darkness for one last time.
So it’s off to bed in a minute and then in the morning it will be part 2 of the holiday on QM2. I will look to upload my blogs as and when I can but I may not do the rest until I’m back home.
Goodnight/ Morning All
M
The US / QM2 Adventure - Day 10 New York and QM2
So our final morning in New York City arrived and we were up early to pack the last minute overnight things and to head out to breakfast once again at Applebee’s on 42nd Street as it had been our favourite place of the whole holiday so far for breakfast. Yet again it was another very hot day !!
We all had good hearty breakfasts involving pancakes, fruit , granola and yoghurt as we didn’t know how long we would be kept waiting at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal before being allowed to board QM2. After breakfast, Nicola, mum and the girls headed back to the hotel whilst I quickly nipped off to a tourist shop as I could not let mum leave New York without the obligatory New York t-shirt for good measure, and when I did I felt I had to do the same for me and Nicola to add to our collection !!
On my way back to the hotel, I felt the need to pass on the last of my US Dollars to a homeless person as we had seen a number of them in both Washington and New York. I believe you can always tell the difference between the real homeless people and the fakers who make it there job to go out begging every day only to return to their nice homes after making a fair few dollars or pounds. I therefore selected an older chap who appeared to have his small number of worldly belongings with him and looked in need of a really good shower. I gave him my last $10 and wished him well and told him to look after himself. I hope he uses the money wisely.
Back at the hotel I went and collected our 6 large cases and 3 small ones plus hand baggage from our 2 rooms using the big hotel carts and took it all down to reception to await for the transfer that I had ordered (I always use dial 777 limousine in New York as they have been very reliable and well priced every time I have visited over the years). When our driver arrived and I wheeled out our luggage I wished I had had a camera as his eyes nearly popped out at the sight of how much we had. However he didn’t panic and he expertly managed to get all of it and all of us in our minivan.
He was a very nice driver asking us if we wanted to go either over the Brooklyn Bridge or through a tunnel. We all opted for the Brooklyn Bridge so we could get some last minute pictures of the Manhattan skyline and our first of the QM2. The drive out to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal took about 40 minutes. Personally I think that it is a real shame that the Carnival UK ships no longer use the Manhattan Cruise Piers as it is a much nicer way to sail in and out of New York and a lot more convenient, but hey ho I guess it boils down to money and cheaper port fees over at Brooklyn.
We arrived at the Cruise Terminal and had our baggage taken from us immediately by a helpful porter and we went straight on to security for a scan. This quickly led us to the queue for our cruise cards and to fill out the health form (does anyone actually admit to having the shits before the pay board ?!?! 🤢💩🤢💩). It was amusing to note that the queue for the Diamond and Platinum Cunard Club World members priority check in was longer that for those who were gold members (us) or below. We therefore found ourselves very quickly checked in by a lovely lady (nothing like one of the many female hitlers you get at Southampton !!) and within 25 minutes of arriving at the busy cruise terminal we were on board. As we were in 3 staterooms (not cabins as this is Cunard don’t you know !!) On 3 different decks we started with the girls cabin first on deck 4 to drop off there hand baggage only to find their suitcases were already there. Next up to deck 5 and mums stateroom and again her cases were then before finally going up to deck 12 to our club stateroom again to find our luggage there before us. Needless to say we were impressed !!
One thing I had noted though from visiting the three staterooms was that as Nicola and I were in a club stateroom we had been put not only on a different table for dinner to the rest but in a completely different restaurant !?! I sent the others down to the Kings Court for lunch whilst I went off to see the Maitre D to discuss our dining problem. When I got to speak with him he told me that because we were in a better cabin grade we had to dine in a different restaurant and it could not be changed. However me being me disagreed with his assessment saying that as a family we should dine together and in fact at the time of booking our cabins were linked for this very purpose as we took the only cabin grades that were available. At this point he said he would see what he could do and that I should go back and see him at 8.30pm.
So I went off and met the offers for lunch and I had a fab Cesar Salad and a plateful of fruit which was top notch Cunard food. During lunch the sun disappeared and the heavens opened, so much so, you couldn’t even see the Manhattan skyline of the Statue of Liberty. Post lunch with it still chucking it down, we did the unpacking before muster stations which was quite funny as it was done in both English (by the Captain) and German (by a strict sounding German lady), and Bethany decided to translate the German by remembering what the Captain had said !!
Post muster and shortly after 5pm with the sun now back out and the temperature once again up into the 90s, we were up on our balcony swigging a bottle of champagne for Sailaway. We found it amusing that 2 decks below us we watched a lady who had brought an extendable squidgy mop with her and was cleaning the outside of her balcony with it before using a t shirt to dry it !! 😂😂
Shortly after departure we left our stateroom and made our way via the bar to collect some more drinks to the very top of the ship to see us sail under the bridge that links Brooklyn with Staten Island. For the nerds amongst us, you may be interested to know that when QM2 was designed, her funnel and mast were deliberately put into a slightly squashed design simply so that she could fit under this specific bridge !!!
As we left New York behind we went to get ready for dinner and round 2 with the maitre d. When I arrived at the restaurant he again told me that as a family we would have to dine separately in different restaurants and I wasn’t having this telling him it was ridiculous. He kept us waiting for about 20 mins before eventually he said begrudgingly that he had found us a table for 5 just for tonight and we were shown to it.
Our waiters introduced themselves and made a fuss of the girls which was a great start. We had a lovely dinner washed down with a bottle of red and our main waiter was excellent and very friendly. Post dinner I went back to the maitre d to ask him to ensure we had the same table for the rest of the voyage as we really liked the waiter and thankfully he agreed.
Post dinner it was off to the pub to listen to the live duo and have a family game of bush (a card game !!). I got hammered and little Bethany won. So that brought about a close to our first day on board. I’m now laying here in my bed typing this blog up with that lovely vibration you only get on a ship and a very gentle roll. I look forward to tomorrow and a nice rest and some fun along the way.
Night night
M
The US / QM2 Adventure - Day 11 QM2
I always find when ever I go on a cruise that in the first few days the sea air completely takes me and all I really want to do is sleep and that’s what happened with me today. I didn’t really awaken until just gone 11am and remembering the time difference with the UK and the fact that today was the start of the new football season, this meant it was time for only one thing. That one thing was, was to turn the telly on in my stateroom and lay in bed watching Gillette Soccer Saturday with Jeff Sterling and co to watch the goals as they came in, the commentators getting excited/frustrated at near misses and to see how my beloved AFC Wimbledon were getting on against Fleetwood Town in league 1. With the score at 0-0 at halftime I was pleased as we had had a tough season last term but imagine my delight when after 60 minutes they scored and held onto that lead to win 1-0 !! Now that was well worth watching.
Post football I got up and went with Nicola to the Carinthia Lounge for a spot of lunch in the shape of a salad. After that we had a wander around the shops and went looking for mum and the girls without success. As it was a Gorgeous lovely sunny day with flat calm seas we decided to head back to put stateroom for a spot of reading and sunbathing on our balcony. It think that within less than 10 minutes I had fallen asleep, catching flies.
I think I awoke an hour or so later to the sound of a man in a stateroom close by being violently Sick 🤢so I hope he has not got norovirus ?!? Not to have my sleep disturbed any more and noticing that Nicola had left the cabin, I moved onto my bed and dozed off again only to be awoken again shortly later by my mum showing off her new hair do after a visit to the canyon ranch.
Mum woke me up properly and after sorting out her immigration we headed off to the Queens Room for a nice mother and son spot of afternoon tea. Cunard afternoon teas to me compare with the ritz what with the white glove service etc and we had a lovely time listening to the string quartet whilst eating finger sandwiches, cakes and scones whilst washing them down with tea.
Post afternoon tea I spent a bit of time with Nicola and the girls around the deck 12 pavilion pool trying to read my book but once again sleep started to take over and I headed back to the stateroom for a pre dinner snooze !!!
90 mins later Nicola woke me up and it was time to get ready for the Captains Welcome Aboard Party. Another great thing about Cunard is that the vast majority of passengers adhere to the formal dress code which was pleasing to see. We met Captain Philpott (he’s a small man don’t you know !!!), had the obligatory photo and then I played let’s see how many glasses of free champagne I can drink in 30 minutes. I managed 6 before the waiters disappeared and the Captain came out to make his usual speech about the weather and the different nationalities etc. Whilst also there we recognised some neighbours from home who lived 10 doors down from us and went and said hello to them which gave them a bit of a surprise.
At dinner our waiters were excellent and the food wasn’t too bad either which we washed down with a nice bottle of Chapel Down Flint Dry White Wine. Our waiter reminded us that at noon tomorrow the clocks were to be forwarded one hour and he suggested that we may wish to go into the gym at 11.59 and leave 1hour and 1 minute later so we could admit to having done an hour in the gym 😂😂😂.
Post dinner Nicola, mum and the girls went to watch the show but it wasn’t my cup of tea so I headed for the Golden Lion and Karoke. It was by far the best cruise karoke in years as the singers could actually sing. Added to that I bumped into a couple of ex colleagues from my days working at Carnival who were on board to do some work looking at how to improve the product for the new Cunard ship. It was great seeing them again and we shared a couple of drinks.
I eventually called it a night at just gone midnight before laying in bed and writing this for you all !!
Night night
M
The US / QM2 Adventure - Day 12 QM2
So after a decent nights sleep I awoke at 9.30am and left Nicola sleeping whilst I snuck down to the Carinthia Lounge for a light breakfast. This was followed by me walking three laps of the outside of deck 7. It was a lovely morning, nice and warm, sunny and once again very smooth seas. Walking around the open deck there was still no sign of any other shipping which is one thing I really like about trans Atlantic cruising.
All this walking (3 laps = 1.1miles) made me feel a bit sleepy so I laid on one of the cushioned loungers and tried to read some more of my book but found that very quickly my eyes had started rolling and I drifted back into the land of nod.
I think it must have been an hour or so later I stirred and whilst it was still warm the sun was hidden behind some cloud. I therefore decided to retire back to my stateroom and watch a movie on my iPad. I thought the urge to go back to sleep despite the temptation, this sea air really does have an impact on more, either that or it’s my young body telling me I need to recharge.
At the noon announcement we were advised on 2 things. Firstly at 7pm tonight we would be approximately 280 miles to the north of where the titanic sunk and secondly the clocks were now being advanced 1 hour so it was now 1pm. I do find that on a ship your day is often dictated by meal times so I took myself off down to the Golden Lion for a pint and a ploughman’s lunch whilst listening to the lunchtime singer who was very good. The ploughman’s as well was pretty tasty with a big lump of mature cheddar, succulent ham, pickled onions, lettuce, a baguette and some branston. That washed down with my pint was very enjoyable but again tiring work so after a quick walk past to the gym to say hello to the girls I wandered back to my bed for yet another 40 winks !!!
Not sure what time I actually woke but I had a note from Nicola letting me know where she was and I went and joined in the Carinthia Lounge for a challenging game of Skip Bo, which I eventually came out victorious 2-1. Whilst we were sat there a number of individuals arrived for some form of private function. They all had lanyards around their necks which we eventually worked out said Road Scholar but we had no idea what it meant and agreed that we would have to check that out when we got home. What interested us most however about this gathering was that one of its number was no other than the former politician Lord Norman Tebbitt. I used to love his character when he served in government as it was portrayed in Spitting Image. He was certainly looking well despite his aging years. I will have to keep an eye out for him doing a talk during the voyage as I bet he will have some funny stories.
I had a quick power nap before getting ready for dinner and Nicola and I went and had a couple of drinks in the Commodore Club (The equivalent of the Crows Nest On P&O). As they had Chapel Down Sparkling Wine and Sloe Gin, I had one of my all time favourite drinks which simply mixed the two together. We had been introduced to it in the Gary Rhodes Restaurant on Oriana many years ago and have often had it since. The drinks waiter had never heard of it so I let him try it and he agreed it was a lovely drink and should be put on there menu.
After a Hendricks and Fever tree tonic we went down to dinner and we had a really good evening chatting to our waiter who is from near Madras. He has a really great sense of humour and is full of jokes. We had a great conversation about food dislikes and likes and he was telling us that until he came to work onboard ships he had never tasted salmon but now he loved it so much he liked putting it in a wrap with peanut butter and Nutella !! 🤢🤢🤢
Post dinner we went to the Queens Room as it was party night in there and we sat listening to the band Purple Haze and laughing at the way some people were dancing. We spent an hour in there and it was a really good atmosphere but tiredness got the better of us so we headed back to our staterooms to finish off another day !!
Night Night
M
The US / QM2 Adventure - Day 13 QM2
I didn’t sleep well during the night as my back was killing me on and off. I contemplated getting up on a few occasions but couldn’t muster the energy to move but eventually at just after 9am I forced myself up and out leaving Nicola sleeping. I bumped into my mum in the Carinthia Lounge and had some breakfast with her before she went off to her flower arranging class.
I could hardly move in the chair that I was in because of my back so I moved to a more comfy sofa to try and sit back and read my book. Within about 10 minutes I found my eyes rolling and I had dozed off again awakening nearly an hour later.
I took myself off down to the Golden Lion to try and participate in Killer Darts as I like a game of darts. Despite the back I did ok and finished third out of ten. I then went for a wander and found mum and Nicola in the Carinthia Lounge and then Bethany came along so we sat and played cards for a bit. The clocks jumped forward an hour again at noon so as a result I ended up having a lateish lunch.
Determined not to fall asleep in the afternoon, I took myself off to the QM2 Planetarium for a presentation on asteroids. I wished that London still had a planetarium as I used to love going there as a kid. I was not disappointed by the show and it was made even better by the fact that your seats recline to give a more comfortable view. We were taken through a journey of how asteroids helped destroy the dinosaurs, where that can be found now in the solar system and what happens to them when their courses are changed (predominantly caused by the gravity of Jupiter !!). We then looked at how Earth now defends itself against asteroids hitting the planet and how much notice we need to keep us safe from them (about 10 years !!).
Post the great show in the planetarium Bethany and I had to make a quick visit to immigration to have our passports checked ready for arrival in Southampton. After this I decided to make a rare foray into the gym to see if going for a long walk/jog would warm my back muscles up enough to stop the pain. I spent the next 50 minutes doing 5.25km at varying paces and felt better for it, before going to spend some time by the covered pool writing up my book reviews for my blogs as the girls were having a swim.
As tonight was a formal night, we got ready and headed down to mums stateroom to drink the 2nd of our 3 bottles of sparking wine before heading down to dinner. The food and service again was very good and we had a good fun yet again chatting with our waiter. Post dinner we went to the theatre to watching singing quartet the Barricade Boys who apparently were all former stars of the West End Show Les Miserables. Nicola, the girls and mum all swooned other this 4 young men but I felt that they were distinctly average, even more so when one of them forgot his intro line on Bohemian Rhapsody. I was however outvoted by the rest of the family and just over 50% of the crowd who gave them a standing ovation before buying there CD after the show for $20 !! A rip off if you ask me !!
We had a short game of cards whilst listening to the duo in the Golden Lion before heading off to bed at 1am
Night night
M
The US / QM2 Adventure - Day 14 QM2
Wow 14 days into this trip, where has the time gone ??
I woke up at 9.20 to the knock on the door of room service from breakfast in bed. I had had a bad nights sleep as our neighbours had decided to watch sky sports news on their tv loudly until at least 4am !! I therefore ate my breakfast went out on the balcony to see it was another sunny day with smooth seas and promptly went back to bed again.
The next thing I knew it was noon and I was awoken by the Captain making his announcement. Therefore I guessed it was best to get up and out and I wandered down to deck 3 to find Nicola and my mum in the jewellers eyeing up a lovely diamond and emerald ring !! Mum decided she wanted something to go with her Tiffany bag and the ring was clearly putting itself in pole position so watch this space on that one. I tried on a few Tag watches whilst I was there considering whether I should add to my watch collection or not and left the shop having asked the retail assistant as to whether he could do me a deal.
Lunch was had in the Carinthia Lounge again and I just sat there and read for a while. I really didn’t feel like doing much today having had a poor nights sleep so after buying a shirt in the shop (10% off day today !!) I headed back to the Stateroom for a read before once again falling asleep. I guess all this sleep on board is good for me as it is my body telling me I need it.
I awoke at just before 7pm so again it was time to get ready for dinner and a pre dinner drink. The skies had clouded over for the first time properly and a bit of a swell had developed so for the first time the ship was pitching a little but I’m fine when it’s like that.
Yet again another superb dinner and great chatter with our waiter before an evening in the theatre watching comedian Jeff Stephenson who was very funny and managed to make all nationalities in the audience laugh a lot which im sure isn’t easy. His show lasted an hour so post show we decided to call it a night and time to write up another days blog !!
Night night
M
The US / QM2 Adventure - Day 15 QM2
Before I came away I had been having some problems with my shoulder, caused I think by my dog, Lanson over the years pulling on my lead. I had been to the doctors shortly before coming away and will be getting some x-ray results when I get home followed by an MRI scan. During the holiday it has been flaring up quite a bit and added to that when I was in Toronto my lower back started to feel uncomfortable. The back has been getting progressively worse and yesterday had started to restrict my movement somewhat.
Overnight it had got quite a bit worse and I struggled to get my backside out of bed no matter what way I turned. I’ve been taking anti inflammatory tablets for a few days now and they most definitely weren’t touching it today. Still I battled on and got myself some breakfast and settled down in a chair in discomfort in the Carinthia Lounge. After finishing breakfast I thought I would try and find my mum but it took me a few minutes to get myself upright and able to move. Eventually I toddled off and found my mum who was on her way to the ships jewellers to purchase an emerald ring that she had seen. I went with her and the chap she had chatted to yesterday was most helpful and gave her a good discount on the onboard price and gave her another $100 to spend in any of the ships shops.
Post getting her ring I stupidly sat down with mum in the Chart Room for a bit until deciding to move back to the Carinthia Lounge. Yet again I was looking like an elderly person trying to stand up, but still I muddled on. We met Nicola and the girls and over lunch we got talking about my back and how we would get the luggage home if I was going to be unable to lift anything. Nicola and mum as a result were most insistent that I went off for an initial free assessment with the onboard Chiropractor in the Canyon Ranch to see if she had any suggestions for my shoulder and back. I therefore trotted off to see this nice young lady from South Africa who had a feel of my shoulder region, tested my reflexes and felt my back.
She suggested that in relation to my shoulder I would probably need a number of sessions of acupuncture and physio on it and my back whilst not as serious probably would need acupuncture and chiropractic work done on it sooner rather than later. Mum and Nicola were insistent that despite the $113 cost I should have it done immediately on board so I reluctantly agreed.
Now I’m sure many of you have had acupuncture and chiropractic work done on you in the past by I haven’t so wasn’t quite sure what to expect. 35 minutes later I had had needles put in me in both by shoulder and lower back that made me say words I wouldn’t want to repeat on here and then I had my back, neck, shoulder and legs cracked that made me scream words very loudly that I wouldn’t want to repeat on here. The very nice petit South African lady in my view after that wasn’t so nice as I was in more pain but she was trying to tell me that this was good !!!!
She put this special tape on my lower back and around my shoulder and told me to try and keep the blood supply moving to the areas and to make use of their hydro pool for the afternoon to help relax it.
This I did for the next couple of hours and whilst the facilities looked lovely, I wished I was using them in better circumstances. After finishing all I felt was in a lot of pain, a little bit sick and difficult to move freely. I went back to my stateroom and felt so rough from it all I just went to sleep for a bit but upon waking I felt even worse.
I got myself ready for dinner as it was the last formal night and we went down to the girl’s stateroom for our final bottle of bubbly but I really didn’t feel like drinking which is so unlike me. At dinner I still felt sick and in a lot of pain so didn’t really drink and post dinner we all went to the show. Now I know I’m in a bit of a grumpy mood tonight because of the pain but I felt the show was just a lot of poor singing with no harmony and very similar dances to each song. There was no storyline to what they were doing so thankfully the pain of the back distracted me from wanting to watch it much.
After the show I had had it with my back and as much as I wanted to stay up and enjoy my last formal night down in the Queens Room and pub I really didn’t feel like it so left the others to head back to my stateroom, write this up and head off to sleep.
Here’s hoping it feels better tomorrow 😢
Night
M
The US / QM2 Adventure - Day 16 QM2
A really pants nights sleep with my back. On more than one occasion I found my body twitching in my sleep which really set it off, I awoke very early and was not a happy bunny but there was not much I could do apart from walk around like an old man !!
After some packing (not me unfortunately, the things I do to get out of it !!) Nicola and I had breakfast in the Kings Court before we went out for a walk on deck 7 as it was a lovely warm calm sunny day with no wind. In fact it was so calm we were even able to go and stand right up the front of the ship where it is eerily quiet and tranquil. Following that we headed up to Commodore Club for some peaceful reading time and a chance for me to finish off my book. Once Nicola left me to go and help the girls pack I seemed to nod off in my chair and the next thing I knew the Captain was making his final Noon announcement of the voyage and the clocks were adjusted for the final time to bring us back into sync with UK time.
Once awake I headed down to the Golden Lion to meet up with Nicola again for a Plougmans Lunch washed down with a couple of pints and a game of UNO. I really like the Golden Lion On QM2, it really is a good pub at sea with sports TVs, music, darts and a great selection of beer.
Post lunch we headed back to the stateroom so Nicola could finish the packing off before we met the girls for a game of Pictionary down on deck 2. Nicola and I beat them, it’s always great beating the kids at games because they are always so confident of winning. Post Pictionary I headed back to the stateroom for some downtime ahead of getting ready for dinner early as we all wanted to go and see the pre dinner show. Once again it was The Barricade Boys performing in the Theatre and although previously I had thought they were average, this evening they were excellent and actually showed a bit of star quality about them and on more than one occasion when they finished a song they received a standing ovation.
Post show and pre dinner we headed up to the Commodore Club for a Cocktail. From there we could clearly see the English Coast and upon checking google Maps, found that we were approximately 10 miles off of the Coast of Salcombe in Devon. So we headed down to our final dinner and we made sure that we had extra good banter with our 2 waiters, Rauisdeen and Leo. Both have been absolutely fantastic throughout the voyage and have kept us entertained and well fed and watered. It was sad to have to say goodbye to them both they were that good and I hope that some of you are lucky enough to get them in the future.
After dinner we went down to the Queens Room for the Homeward Bound Party Night. I couldn’t get up and dance and join in but led by the band Purple Haze (who had been excellent throughout the voyage btw), the room was buzzing and Cunard were showing their P&O cousins how to have a party and get the passengers involved (it put the great British sailaway to shame). To me it was a little bit like the old Island nights that we had on Canberra where we use to celebrate New Years Eve of some made up tropical island. For a last night before Southampton the room was packed with partying passengers of all ages and when the balloons were released people linked arms and danced.
Eventually however all good things come to end and we headed back to our stateroom one final time for some sleep and a blog write up before our arrival with the other two Queens (Elizabeth and Victoria) into Southampton early tomorrow morning.
Night Night
M
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