This is pretty neat. I saw this video on youtube today. A professional made a video of our arrival into New York. It's a little long but you can fast forward if you like. I kept looking for myself out on my balcony but I think I was at the front observation area for most of it. Too bad because it's high def and gets pretty good shots of the entire port side of the ship.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85agjhyEolE
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
A few more photos
I met a fellow on board, Jim, who is a frequent Cunard traveler. So much so that he got invited to be in the bridge with the Captain when we sailed into New York. Wow, that would be amazing. Luckily he caught some of the sights with his camera. He also took some great photos of the staff at the bars I also frequented, they were really nice people. Finally, I have to give Jim credit for informing me that Roger Daltrey was going to perform in the pub on the final night. I may have missed it otherwise.
https://picasaweb.google.com/jimcollins123/QM2May102011?authkey=Gv1sRgCMj41OCGv-imogE#
Jim's from the UK and was heading back home from New York. Pretty nice way to spend a couple of weeks. For me I could see doing something like this:
- Take the short flight to New York and spend two or three nights.
- Eastbound on the QM2 to London
- A week in London or English country side.
- QM2 back to New York
- Two or three nights in the New York.
- Then, and only then, fly home.
I think I need to make a lot more money and retire to be able to do it but it's nice to have goals!
https://picasaweb.google.com/jimcollins123/QM2May102011?authkey=Gv1sRgCMj41OCGv-imogE#
Jim's from the UK and was heading back home from New York. Pretty nice way to spend a couple of weeks. For me I could see doing something like this:
- Take the short flight to New York and spend two or three nights.
- Eastbound on the QM2 to London
- A week in London or English country side.
- QM2 back to New York
- Two or three nights in the New York.
- Then, and only then, fly home.
I think I need to make a lot more money and retire to be able to do it but it's nice to have goals!
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Some Videos!
Got the first batch of videos uploaded to youtube. Instead of putting them in the blog, it's better to go to my channel and watch them there. Would also recommend selecting 480p or 720p and go full screen. You get a better perspective that way. Feel free to leave comments there too!
http://www.youtube.com/user/menlo12000
I will be uploading more as I piece together the bits of video I took.
http://www.youtube.com/user/menlo12000
I will be uploading more as I piece together the bits of video I took.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Photo Album
Created an online photo album for those interested. Click on the link in the top right or at the bottom of this post. I'm may be doing some work on the photos over time to try to improve them, especially the ones that had some over exposure in the windows.
https://picasaweb.google.com/106300797497387605663/TransatlanticCrossingOnQueenMary2May2011?feat=directlink
Next I'm starting to sort through the video clips, that could take longer.
https://picasaweb.google.com/106300797497387605663/TransatlanticCrossingOnQueenMary2May2011?feat=directlink
Next I'm starting to sort through the video clips, that could take longer.
Friday, May 20, 2011
A Few Photos
Back on dry land and back at work this week. I hope to work on the photo album this weekend as well as getting a few videos posted. In the meantime, here are a couple of new photos that I haven't shrunk. A few shots of the exterior of the ship.
This one is interesting. Notice how the ship has cut a line through the fog, give you an idea as to the size of the Queen Mary 2.
These are actually propeller blades being used as art:
More later.
This one is interesting. Notice how the ship has cut a line through the fog, give you an idea as to the size of the Queen Mary 2.
These are actually propeller blades being used as art:
More later.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Arrival
The first rain of the trip was this morning for arrival into New York. Got up early to see us go under the Verazzano bridge and then watched this from my balcony:
Pretty cool. Have turned the blackberry back on for the first time in a week. It's been great but will be good to get home. I'll upload some videos over the next week or so.
Pretty cool. Have turned the blackberry back on for the first time in a week. It's been great but will be good to get home. I'll upload some videos over the next week or so.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Roger Daltrey in the Pub
Ran out of internet time on the ship last night. Wanted to upload this photo of Roger rockin in the little QM2 pub! I think this will be hard to beat!
Last Night
We are getting close. On the noon update, the captain said we were 150 miles southeast of Nantucket. Nearly 6pm, we are getting close. Very interesting that ships have a local pilot board the ship to guide them in to the NY harbour. The Captain also let us know that if we are up at that time (3:45 am) don't be surprised to see US sea marshalls also join the ship as this is standard procedure. Yikes!
Another sign we are getting close, saw some seagulls on my afternoon jog. The only birds I had seen until then were sea birds that fly very close to the water. And then this in the fog on the horizon:
We quickly passed it even though we have slowed considerably. The QM2 is apparently one of the fastest ships at sea.
We are getting into busy seas.
By the way, the sun decks were busy today despite occassional haze/fog. It was very pleasant out there.
Day 6 "Heading Home"
Started to receive paperwork reminding us that we are nearing the end of the trip. US immigration papers and then the details on process to disembark. While I'm looking forward to getting home, I will have a tough time shaking myself back into reality. It's a very different lifestyle on board, but then again, it's like any vacation isn't it?
A couple of highlights yesterday: one was seeing some dolphins or porpoises jumping and feeding. I first saw them when I looked up from reading my book. One jumped directly in front of me, then another. Later in the evening when I was out taking the picture below, a few people were there and we spotted several spots where there had to be 50 to 100 feeding. They were a too far away to get a good picture unfortunately.
Also when to the musical session of Chris Difford. He told some stories about forming the band Squeeze and then played a few songs, mainly acoustic. Another nice way to spend an afternoon.
I went to the outdoor pool yesterday because I needed to say I did it! It was overcast at the time and a bit breezy so a little cold when I got out.
The main event is tonight, or early tomorrow morning as we sail into New York. I think I'll have to get up around 4 or 430 to see the whole thing. The captain yesterday said there could be fog which would be a shame. I'll have the video camera powered up anyway. Not sure if I'll have time for another update tomorrow morning.
A couple of highlights yesterday: one was seeing some dolphins or porpoises jumping and feeding. I first saw them when I looked up from reading my book. One jumped directly in front of me, then another. Later in the evening when I was out taking the picture below, a few people were there and we spotted several spots where there had to be 50 to 100 feeding. They were a too far away to get a good picture unfortunately.
Also when to the musical session of Chris Difford. He told some stories about forming the band Squeeze and then played a few songs, mainly acoustic. Another nice way to spend an afternoon.
I went to the outdoor pool yesterday because I needed to say I did it! It was overcast at the time and a bit breezy so a little cold when I got out.
The main event is tonight, or early tomorrow morning as we sail into New York. I think I'll have to get up around 4 or 430 to see the whole thing. The captain yesterday said there could be fog which would be a shame. I'll have the video camera powered up anyway. Not sure if I'll have time for another update tomorrow morning.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Sunday night in the Atlantic
A quick picture. The fog is gone (although they predict that it could be there for our NY arrival), it's warm and the wind has died down. They opened a few of the viewing areas previously closed. (Although I must admit I snuck out there despite the signs.). It's a gorgeous night. For those of you who asked me "what is there to see on a transatlantic crossing?" It's stunning. Oh, and I saw porpoises or dolphins jumping in the water...very cool!
Day 5 "Relax"
Up until yesterday, I had breakfast from the buffet. The food is fine but it's really not the nicest area of the ship. So yesterday I went to the Britannia dining room, where I have dinner. Service is great and the food is very good. I had a nice fritatta and fresh fruit. The dining room is one of the best rooms in the ship. It's two stories tall and really tries to capture the style of past ships. Here is a picture before dinner, the mural is quite impressive.
Decided I was going to just take it easy for the morning. I got a great seat in the Commodore club which is a bar at the very front of the ship on deck nine. I got a Perrier and read a good part of a book. The room started to fill up by 11 am or so. At noon, the Captain gave his regular update. We were getting close to the Grand Banks of Newfoundland and at 7:30 pm last night, we would pass over the Titanic, deep below us. There are no icebergs this far south this trip.
Weather yesterday was changing by the hour. Lots of fog but occasionally it would clear and we had some magnificent views. It's gotten warmed every day since Wednesday but very very windy. In the afternoon I decided to go for a run/walk out on the deck. This time, probably due to the wind and fog/mist, it wasn't too crowded so I did more running than walking. On one side it was windy, misty and the deck was wet. Going in front of the ship was like a wind tunnel and then the other side was warm, bright, and very little wind. There were a few people out on the deck chairs sleeping! Loved the run, especially getting some spray from the sea and the mist of the fog on my face. I felt great.
Interesting that you see people sleeping all over the ship. When I was reading my book, I saw more then one head bobbing to the gentle movement of the ship. It's very relaxing. I think I've slept 10 hours a night too!
A note about the music on board: it's fantastic. Whether it's in one of the bars, or in a theatre, you will hear all kinds of music and it's very good. I've gotten into the routine of going the the Chart Room for a drink before dinner and taking in the music. People are dressed up getting ready for dinner, having a drink and enjoying the music. With the sun coming in from the windows, it's a great spot to spend an hour.
Dinner last night was again, great. Two of my table mates didn't make it, don't know why. Perhaps they went to another restaurant or they may have ordered room service, who knows. It was very sunny outside so it made for very nice atmosphere, even though our table isn't at a window.
I was a little bit off in my estimation of the various nationalities on board. The daily program gave the breakdown.
total on board 2474:
UK: 902
Germany: 616
US: 611
Canada: 110
France: 60
Switzerland: 31
Autralia: 30
Austria: 16
Got a ticket to the planetarium show. The only thing on the agenda that looks interesting is a talk by Chris Difford of Squeeze.
Decided I was going to just take it easy for the morning. I got a great seat in the Commodore club which is a bar at the very front of the ship on deck nine. I got a Perrier and read a good part of a book. The room started to fill up by 11 am or so. At noon, the Captain gave his regular update. We were getting close to the Grand Banks of Newfoundland and at 7:30 pm last night, we would pass over the Titanic, deep below us. There are no icebergs this far south this trip.
Weather yesterday was changing by the hour. Lots of fog but occasionally it would clear and we had some magnificent views. It's gotten warmed every day since Wednesday but very very windy. In the afternoon I decided to go for a run/walk out on the deck. This time, probably due to the wind and fog/mist, it wasn't too crowded so I did more running than walking. On one side it was windy, misty and the deck was wet. Going in front of the ship was like a wind tunnel and then the other side was warm, bright, and very little wind. There were a few people out on the deck chairs sleeping! Loved the run, especially getting some spray from the sea and the mist of the fog on my face. I felt great.
Interesting that you see people sleeping all over the ship. When I was reading my book, I saw more then one head bobbing to the gentle movement of the ship. It's very relaxing. I think I've slept 10 hours a night too!
A note about the music on board: it's fantastic. Whether it's in one of the bars, or in a theatre, you will hear all kinds of music and it's very good. I've gotten into the routine of going the the Chart Room for a drink before dinner and taking in the music. People are dressed up getting ready for dinner, having a drink and enjoying the music. With the sun coming in from the windows, it's a great spot to spend an hour.
Dinner last night was again, great. Two of my table mates didn't make it, don't know why. Perhaps they went to another restaurant or they may have ordered room service, who knows. It was very sunny outside so it made for very nice atmosphere, even though our table isn't at a window.
I was a little bit off in my estimation of the various nationalities on board. The daily program gave the breakdown.
total on board 2474:
UK: 902
Germany: 616
US: 611
Canada: 110
France: 60
Switzerland: 31
Autralia: 30
Austria: 16
Got a ticket to the planetarium show. The only thing on the agenda that looks interesting is a talk by Chris Difford of Squeeze.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Day 4 "I Need a Break"
Been way too busy, today going to take some time to read. They put so much into the agenda, if you try to do any portion of it, you will have a very full day. The one thing that looks like fun is they are playing the FA Cup final today in the pub. Although it could be tough to get a seat: there are a lot of Brits on the ship. However, there is a real mix. I would say 40% from the UK, maybe another 30% are German (this voyage started in Hamburg), 15% from the US and the rest are from everywhere else.
Uploading a few pictures today. First is the only one that turned out of Roger Daltrey. That was a real highlight of the trip. BTW, he said he was one this to support Chris Difford who was doing a series of song writing workshops on the voyage. Anything to help promote music, he said.
Here's one from my cabin the third day. Sunny and check out the seas. Calm.
Here's on looking backward, I love this view.
I awoke to fog yesterday but it cleared up. Today we're back in the fog. Due to Maritime law, they have to sound their horn every few minutes. It's pretty ominous in the fog, especially when we are around the final resting spot of the Titanic!
Uploading a few pictures today. First is the only one that turned out of Roger Daltrey. That was a real highlight of the trip. BTW, he said he was one this to support Chris Difford who was doing a series of song writing workshops on the voyage. Anything to help promote music, he said.
Here's one from my cabin the third day. Sunny and check out the seas. Calm.
Here's on looking backward, I love this view.
I awoke to fog yesterday but it cleared up. Today we're back in the fog. Due to Maritime law, they have to sound their horn every few minutes. It's pretty ominous in the fog, especially when we are around the final resting spot of the Titanic!
Friday, May 13, 2011
Roger Daltrey
Just saw Roger Daltrey. He talked, took some questions and then performed. Acoustic mainly, he did some of his own songs, some Johnny Cash! and then a couple Who songs. Unbelievable. I'm in the middle of the Atlantic and getting an unplugged music session with a legend! Wow, I never expected that. What a treat!
Day 3 "I'm King of the World"
From feeling a little seasick on Wednesday to a fantastic day It helped that the ocean was like a mirror all day, you could have skipped stones on it. I never expected to see it like that in the middle of the ocean. Also the sun was shining for most of the morning, so when I took my pot of coffee on my balcony and sipped it with just wearing a t-shirt, paying a little extra for the balcony was worth it. After that, it was a tough day:
Lecture on the architecture of St. Petersburg given our professor at dinner. He was good with some great photography. Next,I went to the library which is an amazing room. At the front of the ship, it has chairs in front of windows providing an amazing view. I started to read my book but I just found myself staring straight ahead. It was mesmerizing.
Captain's update at noon everyday is about the only time they bother you with the intercom. He provides an update on position and weather forecast. He was predicting smooth seas but fog (which sure enough came today, Friday). He also said they were going to slow down as they were making good progress. Later in the day we went from 23 to 18 knts.
Went to lunch in the main Britania dining room. Met some interesting people including a fellow from Italy who didn't speak much English but could tell me he was going to his daughter's wedding in Vermont. He just didn't want to fly. Turns out many people on here take the ship simply because they hate to fly. Lunch again was fantastic and very relaxing.
But I guess I wasn't relaxed enough so went to the Canyon Ranch spa for a dip in their relaxation pool, followed by a steam in the hottest steam room I've ever been in. It started to get a bit noisy when these middle aged women came in and were very loud...time to go!
I needed some exercise, so with the seas calm, and feeling better, went for a run/walk around the deck. Ok, it was more walking than running but felt great. Many people run but I think it actually was getting quite busy and I think the running isn't terribly considerate of the walkers, some of which were elderly.
What? It's 5 pm? Not sure where the time went. Next stop was the Chart room for a glass of wine. The best part of the ship, by far, are the public rooms. The restaurants, bars, library are all spectacular. They give you great views of the ocean and for the bars, they have great live music. Classical, jazz, piano, and it's all very good. It was the classical quartet last night.
Then the captain's cocktail party. They force Purell on you before shaking his hand! A nice party with a big band playing.
Another nice dinner after that. This time, I offered wine to everyone at the table so that I wasn't the only one and all had some except for the woman from Paris! She is just quite nervous and didn't want to get sick. But even Joan, who has to be over 90, travelling by herself and very frail, had some. Well maybe just a sip but she did say it went to her head!
Too many choices after dinner. I started watching "Alice in Wonderland" in 3D but with the ship gently rolling, just as Alice falls down the rabbit hole, I thought that it might not be a good idea. Instead I listened in on great female opera singer. Amazing voice. I hope she performs again.
Went for a walk on deck around midnight. It was warmer and very little wind and just a really calm environment. I took some photos, hope they turn out.
Main event today: Roger Daltry is being interviewed by Chris Difford, I think it will be like Elvis Costello's TV show. It's at 3 so will likely need to get there early.
All for now!
Lecture on the architecture of St. Petersburg given our professor at dinner. He was good with some great photography. Next,I went to the library which is an amazing room. At the front of the ship, it has chairs in front of windows providing an amazing view. I started to read my book but I just found myself staring straight ahead. It was mesmerizing.
Captain's update at noon everyday is about the only time they bother you with the intercom. He provides an update on position and weather forecast. He was predicting smooth seas but fog (which sure enough came today, Friday). He also said they were going to slow down as they were making good progress. Later in the day we went from 23 to 18 knts.
Went to lunch in the main Britania dining room. Met some interesting people including a fellow from Italy who didn't speak much English but could tell me he was going to his daughter's wedding in Vermont. He just didn't want to fly. Turns out many people on here take the ship simply because they hate to fly. Lunch again was fantastic and very relaxing.
But I guess I wasn't relaxed enough so went to the Canyon Ranch spa for a dip in their relaxation pool, followed by a steam in the hottest steam room I've ever been in. It started to get a bit noisy when these middle aged women came in and were very loud...time to go!
I needed some exercise, so with the seas calm, and feeling better, went for a run/walk around the deck. Ok, it was more walking than running but felt great. Many people run but I think it actually was getting quite busy and I think the running isn't terribly considerate of the walkers, some of which were elderly.
What? It's 5 pm? Not sure where the time went. Next stop was the Chart room for a glass of wine. The best part of the ship, by far, are the public rooms. The restaurants, bars, library are all spectacular. They give you great views of the ocean and for the bars, they have great live music. Classical, jazz, piano, and it's all very good. It was the classical quartet last night.
Then the captain's cocktail party. They force Purell on you before shaking his hand! A nice party with a big band playing.
Another nice dinner after that. This time, I offered wine to everyone at the table so that I wasn't the only one and all had some except for the woman from Paris! She is just quite nervous and didn't want to get sick. But even Joan, who has to be over 90, travelling by herself and very frail, had some. Well maybe just a sip but she did say it went to her head!
Too many choices after dinner. I started watching "Alice in Wonderland" in 3D but with the ship gently rolling, just as Alice falls down the rabbit hole, I thought that it might not be a good idea. Instead I listened in on great female opera singer. Amazing voice. I hope she performs again.
Went for a walk on deck around midnight. It was warmer and very little wind and just a really calm environment. I took some photos, hope they turn out.
Main event today: Roger Daltry is being interviewed by Chris Difford, I think it will be like Elvis Costello's TV show. It's at 3 so will likely need to get there early.
All for now!
Day 2 "I think I'm going to be sick!"
Wednesday had it's ups and downs, both the ship and me! I know I'll get some ribbing for this but I did get a wee bit sea sick yesterday afternoon. I had been taking Gravol but it wasn't doing the trick. I went to the purser's office and they gave me the UK variety of motion sickness pills. Within an hour I was feeling better, that coupled with some smoother seas helped dramatically.
The big buzz around the ship is that Roger Daltry is on board and will be performing at some point with Chris Difford from Squeeze. I will have to keep an eye open for that.
Great dinner last night. I had a caprese salad with grilled asparagus followed by Polenta Lasagna. Both were very good. The wines by the glass were somewhat limited but I discovered that if you order a bottle, they will keep it for you for the next night, so did that. I ordered a French wine from Graves, it was very nice. We also had 2 more guests join at dinner, one of them being a guest speaker today. He's a professor of history at Cambridge and today's he's giving a talk about St Petersburg. We also had a older fellow from Florida. When we asked what he used to do he said " I don't want to go into that." So I guess he's trying to be the mystery man! After that I saw a play they were putting on. It was a musical and actually wasn't bad.
Woke up this morning to smooth seas and just a beautiful day. When out for a walk and lost track of the distance. 3 laps is a mile, so I think I did somewhere between 2 and 3 miles before I needed a coffee which I took on on the deck and enjoyed the view. I came back to my cabin and ordered room service breakfast and am updating the blog while I wait for it. The sun is on my balcony, I think I'll have my coffee out there.
Might get to the Canyon Ranch spa today for a steam/sauna/hydro-therapy pool. If not there, there is a small pool on the top deck with a retractable roof. Due mainly to the wind, the roof is still closed.
The big buzz around the ship is that Roger Daltry is on board and will be performing at some point with Chris Difford from Squeeze. I will have to keep an eye open for that.
Great dinner last night. I had a caprese salad with grilled asparagus followed by Polenta Lasagna. Both were very good. The wines by the glass were somewhat limited but I discovered that if you order a bottle, they will keep it for you for the next night, so did that. I ordered a French wine from Graves, it was very nice. We also had 2 more guests join at dinner, one of them being a guest speaker today. He's a professor of history at Cambridge and today's he's giving a talk about St Petersburg. We also had a older fellow from Florida. When we asked what he used to do he said " I don't want to go into that." So I guess he's trying to be the mystery man! After that I saw a play they were putting on. It was a musical and actually wasn't bad.
Woke up this morning to smooth seas and just a beautiful day. When out for a walk and lost track of the distance. 3 laps is a mile, so I think I did somewhere between 2 and 3 miles before I needed a coffee which I took on on the deck and enjoyed the view. I came back to my cabin and ordered room service breakfast and am updating the blog while I wait for it. The sun is on my balcony, I think I'll have my coffee out there.
Might get to the Canyon Ranch spa today for a steam/sauna/hydro-therapy pool. If not there, there is a small pool on the top deck with a retractable roof. Due mainly to the wind, the roof is still closed.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Day 1
Interesting day to say the least. Quick update:
- Internet charges are very expensive so worked out a process to write everything (emails, blog updates) in a word doc, log on and as quickly as possible cut and paste!
- Embarkation: I got to the terminal very early, but a porter was there to take my luggage and I didn’t see it again until it was in my room. Very nice. They hadn’t opened the check in yet but when they did, everything went quite smoothly. If I was to do it again, though, I would arrive later, avoid the early crowds and probably just waltz through the boarding. There was security but wow, they were nice! Airports could learn a thing.
- I unpacked and went for some lunch. There is the main restaurant and the buffet. I just had a light plate from the buffet. The salad options were quite nice.
- I explored the ship a little and then went to the gym for a brief workout before we did the safety drill where they go over the emergency procedures and then show you how to put on your life jacket. Ok, I admit that I felt a little nervous then. But it was nothing that the small bottle of complimentary champagne in the room couldn’t solve! Nice touch.
- There was a sailaway party as left Southampton. By the way, the weather was spectacular, 20 degrees and sunny. Could not have asked for better. Anyway, not really into the party scene, I walked around the top of the ship and took some pictures and videos.
- Next stop was the Chart Room, a nice bar mid-ship that had a very nice group of women playing their violins and cello. A glass of red wine, nice music and the scenery of the English coast passing was very relaxing.
- I had the late seating at dinner and a table for 6. There was only 4 of us there, all travelling by ourselves. A nice mix of people: A Canadian, a young American who is heading home on break from studying distilling (!), a Parisian woman going to visit her boyfriend in the New York and an elderly British woman going to visit her sister in New York. I think the vegetarian meal I had was better than the lamb the others had. I had a fresh salad followed by the spanikopita on some tomato coulis. I was the only one having wine which seemed a little odd. That might have thrown them off because it arrived late.
- Watched the show after which was a singing and dancing bit, very relaxing. I went back to my room after, set the clock back an hour and went to bed.
Ok, the main question: Could I feel the movement of the ship? Absolutely! I was very surprised. It’s usually quite subtle but when the ship turns, as it did coming out of Southampton, it was very noticeable. And sleeping, the room creaks a little as it rocks you to sleep! I must admit that I’m not used to it yet. I haven’t gotten sick..yet…but it does make me wonder how it would be if the seas were really rough.
Woke up to more smooth seas, temperature of 13. Went for a walk on deck with a coffee. Very pleasant but windy. It didn’t keep the joggers inside though.
More to talk about but will save some for another update. Besides, there is a lecture on rocket science coming up and wouldn’t want to miss that!
- Internet charges are very expensive so worked out a process to write everything (emails, blog updates) in a word doc, log on and as quickly as possible cut and paste!
- Embarkation: I got to the terminal very early, but a porter was there to take my luggage and I didn’t see it again until it was in my room. Very nice. They hadn’t opened the check in yet but when they did, everything went quite smoothly. If I was to do it again, though, I would arrive later, avoid the early crowds and probably just waltz through the boarding. There was security but wow, they were nice! Airports could learn a thing.
- I unpacked and went for some lunch. There is the main restaurant and the buffet. I just had a light plate from the buffet. The salad options were quite nice.
- I explored the ship a little and then went to the gym for a brief workout before we did the safety drill where they go over the emergency procedures and then show you how to put on your life jacket. Ok, I admit that I felt a little nervous then. But it was nothing that the small bottle of complimentary champagne in the room couldn’t solve! Nice touch.
- There was a sailaway party as left Southampton. By the way, the weather was spectacular, 20 degrees and sunny. Could not have asked for better. Anyway, not really into the party scene, I walked around the top of the ship and took some pictures and videos.
- Next stop was the Chart Room, a nice bar mid-ship that had a very nice group of women playing their violins and cello. A glass of red wine, nice music and the scenery of the English coast passing was very relaxing.
- I had the late seating at dinner and a table for 6. There was only 4 of us there, all travelling by ourselves. A nice mix of people: A Canadian, a young American who is heading home on break from studying distilling (!), a Parisian woman going to visit her boyfriend in the New York and an elderly British woman going to visit her sister in New York. I think the vegetarian meal I had was better than the lamb the others had. I had a fresh salad followed by the spanikopita on some tomato coulis. I was the only one having wine which seemed a little odd. That might have thrown them off because it arrived late.
- Watched the show after which was a singing and dancing bit, very relaxing. I went back to my room after, set the clock back an hour and went to bed.
Ok, the main question: Could I feel the movement of the ship? Absolutely! I was very surprised. It’s usually quite subtle but when the ship turns, as it did coming out of Southampton, it was very noticeable. And sleeping, the room creaks a little as it rocks you to sleep! I must admit that I’m not used to it yet. I haven’t gotten sick..yet…but it does make me wonder how it would be if the seas were really rough.
Woke up to more smooth seas, temperature of 13. Went for a walk on deck with a coffee. Very pleasant but windy. It didn’t keep the joggers inside though.
More to talk about but will save some for another update. Besides, there is a lecture on rocket science coming up and wouldn’t want to miss that!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Embarkation
I was emailing with Rob this morning prior to sailing. He is pleased with his room, has already hung up all of his clothes and was admiring the bottle of champagne and truffles? canapes? as part of the welcoming. Here is a picture:
I then received a second email that he had already went to the gym, participated in the safety drill and after that was over, promptly cracked the bottle of champagne!
I think he is off to a pretty good start :).
I do think men have it harder packing then women do. All those suits and shoes, they take up a ton of room. Rob left with two suitcases, which was a pretty hard thing for him to do considering his dedication and continued commitment to carry on luggage only.
I'll provide updates as I receive them, and want to thank everyone that has signed up to support Rob for taking this spectacular trip.
Spring in London
I've traveled to London many times but Monday was one of the nicest days I have ever seen. It was approximately 20 degrees, sunny and perfect for sitting in the park or eating dinner outside, both of which I did. I stayed at the Washington Mayfair Hotel, which I chose because of it's location, close to Hyde Park and Green Park as well Sheperd Market. I have stayed there before but was pleased to see it had been renovated since the last visit. The rooms are no longer looking tired and are instead, nicely modernized and quite pleasant. The hotel is cheaper than the others in the area and represents very good value now.
Off to Southampton shortly. If the weather stays like this, I can't ask for anything better for the sail-away.
Off to Southampton shortly. If the weather stays like this, I can't ask for anything better for the sail-away.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Flying Tomorrow!
Last day of work yesterday before the trip, followed by a nice send off from a few friends. (You'd think I was going to climb Everest instead of being pampered for a week!) Thanks to Sandra for organizing the event, it was a fun night.
For those that don't know, Sandra is not coming with me on this trip, I'm flying, or rather, sailing, solo. Why is that? Well, she may be a guest blogger here so she can answer in her own words if she chooses, but I think it's safe to say that she didn't have the same level of enthusiasm for the trip as I do. So we decided that I'd do it as a sort of test drive. If I think she will like it, then we will do the next trip together. If I think she wouldn't like it, well, no harm done!
Flight leaves tomorrow night to Ottawa to London. I'll have a day to walk around there and then Tuesday morning will take the train to Southampton. Quite interested to see how they board some 2500 people. You'd think it would be a nightmare but I'm told it's much more pleasant than flying, which really doesn't take much.
Interesting fact of the day: westbound transatlantic crossings have 25 hour days as you set your clock back an hour every night (except for first and last). Another reason I chose westbound over eastbound.
Made a couple of changes to the blog. Added a news feed and also crammed in a few more ads. (Gotta pay for the trip somehow!) Oh, and I found a way to allow anonymous comments, so you shouldn't have to use a google or yahoo ID to comment.
My next post will likely be from the ship!
For those that don't know, Sandra is not coming with me on this trip, I'm flying, or rather, sailing, solo. Why is that? Well, she may be a guest blogger here so she can answer in her own words if she chooses, but I think it's safe to say that she didn't have the same level of enthusiasm for the trip as I do. So we decided that I'd do it as a sort of test drive. If I think she will like it, then we will do the next trip together. If I think she wouldn't like it, well, no harm done!
Flight leaves tomorrow night to Ottawa to London. I'll have a day to walk around there and then Tuesday morning will take the train to Southampton. Quite interested to see how they board some 2500 people. You'd think it would be a nightmare but I'm told it's much more pleasant than flying, which really doesn't take much.
Interesting fact of the day: westbound transatlantic crossings have 25 hour days as you set your clock back an hour every night (except for first and last). Another reason I chose westbound over eastbound.
Made a couple of changes to the blog. Added a news feed and also crammed in a few more ads. (Gotta pay for the trip somehow!) Oh, and I found a way to allow anonymous comments, so you shouldn't have to use a google or yahoo ID to comment.
My next post will likely be from the ship!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Pre-voyage package
Got my pre-voyage package from Cunard yesterday. Wasn't expecting anything because everything is available online, e-ticket, voyage summary, even luggage tags. This was nice to get though. Simple, but a nice touch to have your name on it as well as your personalized luggage tags.
The photo would have looked better if it hadn't been folded in my mailbox. I took the photo with a new camera. It's a Panasonic Lumix. Just started playing with it today and looks like a nice upgrade from my old camera.
Haven't gotten many ideas for blog topics so hope I can find enough interesting things to write about. Until then...
The photo would have looked better if it hadn't been folded in my mailbox. I took the photo with a new camera. It's a Panasonic Lumix. Just started playing with it today and looks like a nice upgrade from my old camera.
Haven't gotten many ideas for blog topics so hope I can find enough interesting things to write about. Until then...
Monday, April 25, 2011
Another video and requests for blog topics
Seems like the video I added last week made a few people sick watching it. Wow I think the big waves are truly spectacular, I could watch them all day (as long as the ship isn't rolling too much!). I really don't know if I will get seasick but if I don't, those large waves are going to be pretty exciting. And if I do get seasick, I will be crawling to the medical center for a shot of whatever they are offering!
But here is the alternative, a calm sea with the QM2 cutting through it with ease. This looks incredibly relaxing to me.
So the poll results are coming in and I think the election desk is calling it a majority for the "this is an awesome trip". I guess there is still time to change the result but those that voted that I'm crazy, better start sending this blog to your land-locked friends! The poll closes the day the ship pulls out of Southampton.
I'm also looking for topics to cover in the blog so add suggests via the "comment" button here.
Rob
But here is the alternative, a calm sea with the QM2 cutting through it with ease. This looks incredibly relaxing to me.
So the poll results are coming in and I think the election desk is calling it a majority for the "this is an awesome trip". I guess there is still time to change the result but those that voted that I'm crazy, better start sending this blog to your land-locked friends! The poll closes the day the ship pulls out of Southampton.
I'm also looking for topics to cover in the blog so add suggests via the "comment" button here.
Rob
Friday, April 22, 2011
Tracking the voyage
The poll results are coming in but so far it isn't statistically significant. Still, a solid lead for those that think this is a great vacation idea. Good stuff!
As I'm sailing, you can view the web cam from the bridge of the Queen Mary 2 along with it's position at:
http://www.cunard.com/Ships/Queen-Mary-2/Bridge-Web-Cam/
Feel free to leave comments with suggestions for blog topics once I'm on board.
As I'm sailing, you can view the web cam from the bridge of the Queen Mary 2 along with it's position at:
http://www.cunard.com/Ships/Queen-Mary-2/Bridge-Web-Cam/
Feel free to leave comments with suggestions for blog topics once I'm on board.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Things to see on a crossing
Quick update. First, I've added a poll, top right of page to see what people think about crossing the Atlantic as a vacation idea. Second, thought I'd post a video of what can be seen on the crossing because the number one question I've gotten is "what is there to see?" This is from someone who did the crossing in 2008. It's a a part of nature that we rarely see. Check this out, from the 3rd deck, pretty amazing. If you don't want to watch the entire 10 minutes, the first 1:30 are pretty good.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Places for research
I have to give some credit to a few sources for my research on this trip. If you are thinking of a trip like this, and I probably any cruise, this may save you some time and effort.
The best place, by far, for information from those that have been on the cruises before is on the boards at cruisecritic.com. Go to boards.cruisecritic.com and look for the boards for your cruise line, for my trip, I clicked on Cunard. There are all kinds of topics and you can search for what the info you are looking for and likely find it. If you can't find what you want, create a new thread and you will likely get responses...and quickly too.
You can also find reviews of the various ships. I found a good range of member reviews of the Queen Mary 2 that helped me understand what it would be like.
I'd also recommend going to youtube and looking for videos that people have uploaded. I used this to see the various grades of staterooms. For me, I saw some pretty good videos the the sheltered, in hull balconies and the glass balconies. It helped me choose between the two. Youtube also helped me get an understanding of how busy the ship is. Compared to videos of the more traditional Caribbean cruises, the QM2 seems to be less crowded, which appealed to me.
Of course, my opinion could change when I'm actually on the ship. Will let you know if these sources have lead me astray!
The best place, by far, for information from those that have been on the cruises before is on the boards at cruisecritic.com. Go to boards.cruisecritic.com and look for the boards for your cruise line, for my trip, I clicked on Cunard. There are all kinds of topics and you can search for what the info you are looking for and likely find it. If you can't find what you want, create a new thread and you will likely get responses...and quickly too.
You can also find reviews of the various ships. I found a good range of member reviews of the Queen Mary 2 that helped me understand what it would be like.
I'd also recommend going to youtube and looking for videos that people have uploaded. I used this to see the various grades of staterooms. For me, I saw some pretty good videos the the sheltered, in hull balconies and the glass balconies. It helped me choose between the two. Youtube also helped me get an understanding of how busy the ship is. Compared to videos of the more traditional Caribbean cruises, the QM2 seems to be less crowded, which appealed to me.
Of course, my opinion could change when I'm actually on the ship. Will let you know if these sources have lead me astray!
Monday, April 11, 2011
Preparing for the Adventure
Last year I had a bit of a health issue that meant I couldn't fly for several months. I was doing some business in Europe at the time and it made me wonder if you could actually use a boat as transatlantic transport these days. Turns out you can. Unlike air travel, there is only one cruise line that does the transatlantic crossing regularly and they have turned it into a luxury cruise experience. I'm speaking of Cunard and the Queen Mary 2. So long story short, I became well enough to fly, but I definitely got the urge to try this long lost mode of transportation. So last week I booked it! And I've never had such varied responses to any vacation. Some think it's an interesting adventure while others think I'm absolutely nuts. For me, finding out what it's like is part of the adventure.
I'm setting up this blog so that I can capture some of the thoughts and, hopefully, photos as the trip progresses. I will leave Ottawa for London on May 8 and board the QM2 in Southampton around noon on May 10. The departure time is 4:30, so we should be sailing into the sunset that night. (Yes, I completely expect sunny weather the entire trip!).
For those interested, I picked a cabin on the port side (sunny on the westbound crossing) on the 11th deck, approximately in the red circle in the photo.
It has a glass balcony which should let in a lot of light (or rain if my weather prediction is wrong). What I have read in my research is that the hull balconies (the little holes cut out of the white hull) are a bit better for the crossing as they are more sheltered making it a bit more usable. But they seemed too dark for me so I decided to go up to the higher decks.
They also say that the best place to be to avoid the motion of the ship is lower and toward the middle. I'm close enough to the middle but the height might cause some problems. I will come loaded with gravol!
Today I got the final confirmation of my payment, so there's no turning back. Will write more as the date approaches.
I'm setting up this blog so that I can capture some of the thoughts and, hopefully, photos as the trip progresses. I will leave Ottawa for London on May 8 and board the QM2 in Southampton around noon on May 10. The departure time is 4:30, so we should be sailing into the sunset that night. (Yes, I completely expect sunny weather the entire trip!).
For those interested, I picked a cabin on the port side (sunny on the westbound crossing) on the 11th deck, approximately in the red circle in the photo.
It has a glass balcony which should let in a lot of light (or rain if my weather prediction is wrong). What I have read in my research is that the hull balconies (the little holes cut out of the white hull) are a bit better for the crossing as they are more sheltered making it a bit more usable. But they seemed too dark for me so I decided to go up to the higher decks.
They also say that the best place to be to avoid the motion of the ship is lower and toward the middle. I'm close enough to the middle but the height might cause some problems. I will come loaded with gravol!
Today I got the final confirmation of my payment, so there's no turning back. Will write more as the date approaches.
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