[capnpugwash]

Yesterday was July 13 2010 and it was cool for this time of year in the southern United Kingdom. I couldn’t get myself moving and didn’t finish packing until 11am so I arrived at Southampton at a little after 1pm. Not the best time in my view as even with priority boarding there were 20 people ahead of me. I got on by 1.45 and went to my cabin; I believe that they are cabins and not staterooms, in the same way that I am a passenger and not a customer. I was delighted to find it ready and better yet, full of my luggage. I wonder if the porters concentrate on bags for forward cabins for 20 minutes before moving onto aft locations and then midships. I think that makes sense otherwise they would be tripping over each other. I will try to find someone on board who will know.

The Atlantic has been very well behaved today with barely a wave or swell and a beautiful blue sky with a smattering of light cloud and no wind to speak of. We gained the first of 5 hours last night so I am having a quiet day. I want to get to the spa and gym but we have the Commodore Club get together this afternoon so that looks doubtful after a cocktail or two. Tonight is the Captains Cocktail Party for us passengers in steerage so dress code is formal and dinner will be followed by the Black & White Ball. I don’t want to be accused of being a grumpy old man but these parties, dinners and balls are certainly losing their attraction for me as a solo traveller.
More later

The day passed without incident and it was very pleasant to be on board, as if I could imagine a day when it wouldn’t be pleasant to be on board. I missed the meet and greet in the Commodore Club today which is a pity. I hope to meet up with the passengers that I missed during the trip.
I am just getting changed for the evening although I don’t really feel like dinner so I may skip it and see what develops. This is exactly how I came to spend a very pleasant couple of hours in the Chart Room. This is a very pleasant and comfortable bar and the company was very fun and relaxed. While we were chatting at the bar, two Brits arrived and ordered two beers but they were wearing tee shirts and scruffy old trousers. Now the consensus at the bar was that they should have had the dress code for the evening explained and be nicely informed that they were inappropriately dressed. We did include the barman in this and I will preserve his anonymity. He told us that if he did enforce the code and if the guest were to complain, he would have to go through an enquiry run by the Purser’s office and probably ends up with an adverse comment on his record. More poor Cunard management, I think.

The weather on Day 3 looks beautiful, white horses across the water and a blue sky sprinkled with light clouds. Perfect.
More later

As the day progressed the sky cleared and the sea subsided, it is now 4.30pm and most people would think that the weather is perfect. I prefer a few yards of wave action but it is quite pleasant. I started to feel unwell as the afternoon progressed and ended up spending the evening in my cabin. I assure you that the TV is not great. I hate being unwell and I particularly hate it when I am travelling and more so when I am on my own.

So I took myself off to the Ship’s Doctor this morning at 9am when they opened and I was already 9th in line with 10 or so behind me. Very well equipped with medical kit but then I suppose it needs to be. There are two patients who are hospitalized for their journey to New York. I was there for 2 hours, which equates to $506 and I was glad to get out that soon, I always imagine the worst scenario and with no-one to discuss it with that seems to be a sensible position to take. As I left the surgery I met up with one of the barmen from the ship who having heard that I was on board berated me for not having visited them up in the Commodore Club, it is unusual that I haven’t been there and it is nice to be missed. I explained why I hadn’t made it and promised to try and get there. Another job to do and I am supposed to be on holiday. It was nice that he cared of course.

Today the sea is a little rough and a force 7 is blowing, there is not a touch of blue to be seen in the sky although if I really stare at the cloud there might be a bluish tinge, or maybe that is wishful thinking on my part. It sounds a bit like that. As the day progressed the afternoon came in with a bang, 15 foot seas and Force 8 to 9 winds, it feels like the North Atlantic again. I decided against going to dinner and had a toasted sandwich and a bowl of fruit from room service. The food was fine but rather than the 90 minutes that one might spend over dinner, chatting with your table mates it probably took less than 30 to consume it all. This leaves a lot of time during the evening to spend as you might imagine.

Overnight the sea has quietened down to a moderate 5 feet and the wind has decreased to a Force 5, a fresh breeze. The sun is shining and it is a great Saturday morning with a temperature in the low sixties, not quiet warm enough to sit out but ok for 20 minutes on the balcony. I have to visit the Doctor again this morning for a follow up but I am feeling immensely better in myself.
More later

The weather today stayed on the calm side although the sunshine disappeared leaving another leaden sky, we are eating up the miles as we head west.

This trip is one of the “old fashioned” six day crossings which means that we do keep up a decent speed when compared to the vastly more pedestrian seven day crossings. On these shorter trips, given a little rough weather, it is quite normal to experience a sensation of raw power as the massive ship is cutting through the waves. On a seven day jaunt because of the reduced overall speed required this is totally missing and has been replaced by the thrust of the Staten Island Ferry, which to be fair does the required job but without any excitement. I still fail to understand the Cunard mindset to spoil this six day trip; it can’t be as simple as economics – can it? I don’t believe that passengers will be deterred from travelling as the new ones will know no better and the past passengers may not share my passion for the rougher seas and weather. Looking through 2010/11 Cunard brochure over 60% of the crossings are 7 days so I think that they believe the same.

It is almost 5pm now the sea is slight and the wind has lessened to Force 3. We are currently sailing over the Grand Banks area south of Newfoundland and east of Nova Scotia so the sea is shallow and thus warmer than it has been. This has encouraged Fog, which you may be aware is quite common here.
More later

It is now 3.30am on the penultimate day of the westbound trip and we have had 4 hours adjusted out of the 5 required, the last adjustment will be made tonight as we make the final run in to New York. We still have fog present but there has been no sounding of the foghorn. I imagine that this is because there is a certain amount of visibility. It is a shame really as I really like the haunting and evocative sound of the foghorn rolling across the ocean. As the sun rises and strengthens, it is battling with the fog, trying to burn it off. The temperature at 8.30am has already reached 70 degrees, so it seems pretty certain that it will be gone within the hour. The day has passed without event, flat sea and no wind. No comment! The suitcases are beginning to appear outside the cabins so it must be true that we arrive in the morning in Brooklyn. My cabin is on the portside so I will have a good view of Lady Liberty as we sail in under the bridge, I always get a lump in my throat whenever I see the statue and that is as a non immigrant, so it must be great for those whose families made the journey in the past or maybe they have made themselves. It is one of the truly great icons in the world.
More later.

The sea was quiet all night and we sailed under the Verrazano Bridge at a little after 5am, slightly early. The sun was just rising and there was a pink hue across the skyscrapers as though the scene had been painted by one of the French impressionist painters. Absolutely wonderful, I tried to take a photo but my little Sony isn’t up to it, not enough pixels or the wrong format. or perhaps lack of talent. As the youth of today say, Whatever!

We moored early and self help disembarkation commenced at 6.40am which is the earliest I have known. It is not hot yet but it is forecast to reach the high 80’s low 90’s but it is already humid. I am looking forward to meeting my friend and having a couple of beers and a chat. I feel much better now, possibly 75% which compared with where I was, is marvelous.
More later

It got hot during the day and local traffic was heavy, my friend turned up about an hour late due to the construction delays. We then went to Court Street in Brooklyn and found a restaurant that had been recommended. It was Italian and is called Queen at 84 Court Street. They serve fresh home made mozzarella cheese which was wonderful and then a full menu, we had Gnocchi which is potato pasta which was served in veal and pea sauce and I followed with a fruit sorbet. It beats anything that I have had in Manhattan I think. It is a definite place to revisit. A fixed price menu for lunch at $26 including coffee is unbeatable. Anyway back to the ship by 2.30pm and no delay in reboarding. It is a very polished operation in Red Hook, I must say.
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I did the sailaway in the cool of the Commodore Club and had a very pleasant time meeting the staff and friends not seen for a while. I was on second sitting for dinner so was able to visit the Chart Room for cocktails. Very nice it was too. My dinner companions are 5 ladies and two men and it was a very amusing evening. We didn’t leave the table until gone 11pm. Our table is hosted by the Chief Engineer who I imagine we will see tomorrow on the first formal night.

Tonight the sea is slight with a Force 3 breeze, the temperature is still 86 degrees and it is 11.30pm, tomorrow’s forecast is for this to continue albeit cooling slightly. We lose an hour tonight and tomorrow night which I always find difficult, especially after 4 hours on consecutive nights.

The ship is functioning as usual on the first full day; exploration and food seem to be the main concerns of most passengers. The weather is calm and we are mooching along at 22 knots. Temperature is 75 degrees. This afternoon there is the meet and greet of CC website members up in the Commodore Club at 2.30pm then tonight it is the welcome aboard cocktail party.

The meet and greet was held but only 7 of us attended and I am certain that there are at least double that number on board. I didn’t go last week so it is probably not fair for me to comment. The afternoon weather was sunny and in the mid 70’s which could explain the absence. It is 7pm and the cocktail parties are halfway through, I think I will do what I normally do and visit the Chart Room rather than the party. It is not that I am unsociable, just that these functions are better enjoyed if you have a partner with you to share the experience.

I am looking forward to meeting the Chief Engineer at dinner, I may be able to ascertain some information about the Captain’s plans.

We had a delightful dinner, Martyn Elliot and his wife hosted the table and they were both charming people. We discussed a whole host of matters and he confirmed that Nick Bates is leaving in August, this is his last crossing. We also discussed the 7/6 day crossing and he confirmed that it is economically driven. Apparently to achieve 29 knots one needs to use the gas turbine motors which requires top grade fuel rather than the regular diesel fuel which runs the regular engines. It all makes sense now. He likes calm seas as it is easier to work and cheaper to run the engines. Nonetheless we got on ok over the meal.

I went to the Commodore Club after dinner and forgot that we lost another hour overnight so I got to bed at about 1.30am so 2.30am in real time. I slept very well only waking at 9.15 this morning. That is so unusual as I am normally awake very early. I got to King’s Court and had coffee and cereal. I felt underdressed as about 60% of the passengers are dressed in lycra or spandex, they are all young and beautiful and jog round the ship. After eating I went out onto the Promenade Deck and I had to shelter by the door until there was a brief respite in the foot traffic circling the deck. I swear there were at least 80 people on the Port Deck at one time so I imagine the same number would be on the Starboard side. It was reminiscent of the great cattle drives across the prairies in the old cowboy films. Next came the four odd people who were walking against the flow, being cursed and harangued by everyone they bumped into. You had to be here to believe it. Weird.

Officers from the UK Immigration Service are on board and will pre-immigrate all passengers to save the hassle at Southampton and they view your documents on a deck by deck basis over 3 or 4 days. Very smooth operation really.

The Cunard Enrichment Program as the on board lectures are titled is a very involved program that operates for several hours each day and a lot of the speakers are really interesting and the subjects that they deal with are quite remarkable. At least this true for about 25% of them, the remainder are all on board publicizing their latest DVD or book. Combine that with the street market on deck 3 and it becomes more of a machine to extract money from passengers. Last week there were 3 book signings one day, albeit by well known people but this is supposed to a luxury liner not a market stall. This week we are blessed with Dr Ruth, the small sex adviser and she has a whole raft of products from her published range, and they are all available at the back of the theatre. How very tawdry.

Tonight is the second formal night out of four that we have on this 7 day voyage. The sea has very slight white horses and the wind is perhaps Force 5 with a temperature approaching 80 degrees. We lose another hour tonight, so that is 3 down with 2 to go. Not too hectic then.

We had a great dinner with the Chief Electrician Ciaran who was a very gracious host. He believes that the Captain is being replaced temporarily by David Wright but of course with the upcoming changes due to the introduction of the Queen Elizabeth all plans must be fluid so nothing is written in stone. This is my take on the situation, not his.

After dinner I went to the Commodore Club for a nightcap and realized that the foghorn was sounding, what a wonderful sound. Vision must have improved overnight as this morning, whilst the visibility doesn’t seem good the foghorn is sadly silent. We are doing 21 knots with a Force 4 and a slight sea. The barometer is steady.

We have another three book signings today, Dr Ruth, the marine historian John Maxtone-Graham and the author P D James, relentless marketing.

I spent a relaxing morning in the Spa with a great Thallassotherapy Pool, steam room and sauna. The pool is good as I was able to exercise without stressing anything. It is now approaching 2pm and I feel justified in having a couple of early cocktails. The foghorn has been in use a lot this morning but the fog seems to have lifted enough to make it superfluous to requirements. We are averaging 22 knots apparently, with the sea as calm as it is, it feels almost like we are parked!!

Tonight is a semi formal evening which means a jacket and tie basically but it also means that we won’t be hosted so we will need to buy our own wine. I heard a little news today which might be of interest to those who smoke. Apparently from October there will no longer be smoking in any cabin, not clear about balconies but certainly not within the actual cabin itself.

I am just changing for dinner and the sun is shining yet the fog is obscuring the horizon so it must just be a band of low cloud/fog, quite strange really, it is not something that I have witnessed. Dinner was fine and I narrowly escaped having to perform on the Karaoke stage. Regrettably I was there when the Commodore Club closed tonight but as we don’t lose an hour so it is only 1.30am; of course it could be worse!!

The fog and calm weather continues, it is like a totally white landscape looking off the ship, or should that more properly be seascape?

Last evening was fairly uneventful, the fog stayed and the sea was flat. Today is no change but we are due to meet up this morning with a team who are rowing either around the world or transatlantic, of course with visibility so limited we might just run them down, which would rather spoil the plan. Can you imagine sitting in a little boat in the mid-Atlantic when this behemoth QM2 appears from nowhere. Fantastic tinged with terror.

Nothing much happened today, the rowers came alongside and we exchanged greetings. We were not allowed to have physical contact with them as that would have made their record attempt ineligible, so we just spoke over the radio. They have been at sea for 44 days already and are heading to Falmouth in Cornwall to try for a new world record. It felt quite strange to leave them in their tiny 23 foot rowing boat in the middle of the Ocean.

We only have 1 whole day and 2 evenings left before we dock on Monday morning. Tonight is the last formal evening, with the parade of Chefs and Beef Wellington if my memory serves me well, all good fun. We make the final clock adjustment tonight which gives us a break tomorrow. It has been an eventful trip but it is a shame that the last 4 days have been shrouded in fog. Tomorrow is suitcase day


It is 2.30am allowing for the time change and whilst it is too late to be up, these things happen and this is a good place for them to happen. It is late but not the end of the world, a lay in tomorrow or a nap during the day will add to the sleep pool and bring the deficit back..

Unless something untoward happens tomorrow I will probably be back in touch upon my return to the UK on Monday. Thanks for listening and thanks for your kind support.

This post has been edited by capnpugwash: Jul 28 2010, 12:55 PM

[Piton1]

Thank you for posting.

Paul

[guernseyguy]

Dr Ruth, the small sex adviser and she has a whole raft of products

Batteries included?

Thanks for the review - were you truly laid low by mal de mer?

On the QM2?

There was a Bateman cartoon about that on the original Queen Mary (where legions were laid low....)

Peter

[capnpugwash]

Batteries included?

Thanks for the review - were you truly laid low by mal de mer?

On the QM2?

There was a Bateman cartoon about that on the original Queen Mary (where legions were laid low....)

Peter

No it was far more serious than that

[lexxity]

Now just look here, how was it we were all on the same ship and didn't meet up with each other?!

[capnpugwash]

Now just look here, how was it we were all on the same ship and didn't meet up with each other?!

Were you in the Chart Room before second sitting? Cos I was at the bar on the second week

[lexxity]

We didn't enter the chart room all week! We were in the Golden Lion, winning the Mr and Mrs competition again!

[Wadadli]

Puggy, you went again!!!???! You are something else. So why not come on over for the NE/Canada trip if you haven't got anything else planned?

[bcscot]

Thank you for your report Capt. It doesn't seem all that long ago that I was standing on the promenade deck of the QM2, chatting to you with QE2 in the background. There always seems to be something missing on those crossings now, with only open ocean out there!

Graham.

[lexxity]

The thing missing on this one was the open ocean. It was like sailing in a cloud.

[The Lowlander]

The thing missing on this one was the open ocean. It was like sailing in a cloud.

Why was that? Were all the smokers out on deck at the same time? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[The Lowlander]

Were you in the Chart Room before second sitting? Cos I was at the bar on the second week

A bar I have never really used. I must fix that omission soon and also try Sir Samuels for the first time. Then that just leaves me to try the Champagne Bar, the Winter Garden, the gym, bingo, an art auction and tea in the Queens Room...

Thanks again Capnpugwash as always a top drawer report.

[Piton1]

We were in the Golden Lion, winning the Mr and Mrs competition again!

You have to explain this. It sounds so Royal Caribbeanish. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

[bcscot]

Why was that? Were all the smokers out on deck at the same time? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

....... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) !!!

Graham.

[lexxity]

You have to explain this. It sounds so Royal Caribbeanish. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

Graham and Jennifer were there last time, IIRC! As were Mum & Dad. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/hahanosmiley.gif)

Basically it consists of four couples being asked a series of questions, some not so bad, some that make you want to crawl into a hole and die. The Men are asked to leave the room and the women have to answer questions such as "what is the first thing your Husband reaches for in the morning?", etc. After all the answers are in, the men come back in the room and get asked the same questions and the answers have to match. Then the Women leave the room and the same thing happens, but the questions get a bit naughtier. It's actually really funny, especially if some of the contestants are not exactly happy taking part or with the answers. We were signed up by the entertainment staff who remembered us from last time! Needless to say we won with a mighty 90/100! We got 11 golden tickets and a bottle of drain cleaner, but it was fun, the whole pub was in hysterics.

We also played giant scrabble this time and it damn near came to blows! That was great fun, even if we were robbed with the words "ed" and "de".

[bcscot]

Whether this is a royal Caribbeanish concept or not, it certainly drew the crowds in the Golden Lion, so presumably it is a Cunardish thing too! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Captain Pug. I note that you have sailed on Artemis & are booked to do so again. I was wondering about one of her Asian sailings for next year, but I have been reading some bad reports on 'another site'! I read that she has been having a lot of engine troubles with reduced speed & regular missed ports. There have also been reports of poor service & food, reported by previous Artemis & P&O cruisers. What do you think?

Graham.

[capnpugwash]

Whether this is a royal Caribbeanish concept or not, it certainly drew the crowds in the Golden Lion, so presumably it is a Cunardish thing too! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Captain Pug. I note that you have sailed on Artemis & are booked to do so again. I was wondering about one of her Asian sailings for next year, but I have been reading some bad reports on 'another site'! I read that she has been having a lot of engine troubles with reduced speed & regular missed ports. There have also been reports of poor service & food, reported by previous Artemis & P&O cruisers. What do you think?

Graham.

Graham
I haven't witnessed any of the problems that you mention, I think it is a great little ship, Aurora has dodgy engines and misses ports. P & O food is always ok for me, maybe the odd meal I didn't like but none that I recall. Service on board has always been OK to me. Hope this helps.

[cunarder534]

A bar I have never really used. I must fix that omission soon and also try Sir Samuels for the first time. Then that just leaves me to try the Champagne Bar, the Winter Garden, the gym, bingo, an art auction and tea in the Queens Room...

Thanks again Capnpugwash as always a top drawer report.

Hmm. . . That sounds like a challenge to conquer in September. As long as I skip the Mt Gay rum. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif)

[bcscot]

Graham
I haven't witnessed any of the problems that you mention, I think it is a great little ship, Aurora has dodgy engines and misses ports. P & O food is always ok for me, maybe the odd meal I didn't like but none that I recall. Service on board has always been OK to me. Hope this helps.

These reports were recent & I think there was a concern that she was getting a bit run down before leaving the fleet. Those reporting seemed to imply that things were not up to the usual standard for Artemis & P&O. I have certainly heard good reports about this ship before & was keen to sail on her, as well as trying P&O.

Graham.