As you can see, the weather is still bad as we begin our embarkation from New York. And we were reminded more than once that this day is Friday the 13th!! Yikes! These pictures are just a hazy glimpse of the Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty. The sail away party was rained out! But many stayed just to see this.....
When we went for breakfast the next morning, the weather had worsened.....we were very grateful that the Queen Mary is an ocean liner, not just a cruise ship. She is built to withstand bad weather....a deeper draft and stabilizers.... the rocking' and rollin' is diminished, no matter the weather.
It is raining, very windy and virtually no visibility. There was a captain's cocktail party scheduled for tonight, but the captain did not attend. He sent his next in command to do the pleasantries....the captain remained in the bridge during the low visibility to ensure our safe passage! Thank you, Cap'n!
The ship's bell is rung each day at noon, eight chimes, to signify the hour and the change of "watch"
This metallic masterpiece of the Queen Mary 2 dominates the central foyer. And the following four metallic murals line the main corridor to the central foyer. They represent the four seasons....
 |
| SUMMER |
 |
| FALL |
 |
| WINTER |
 |
| SPRING |
The casino was our most frequented part of the ship....seven days with no ports, bad weather.....happy to report that Tom and I tied for first place in one of the Hold 'Em tournaments!!! Rather than play it out, we agreed to split the pot, save a marriage and each won $100......the next day, the table broke and no more tournaments!!!! That is for sure "quitting while ahead" or "knowing when to fold them". Second to the casino, the library was our next favorite....wonderful hours in the library, surrounded by thousands of good books, avid readers, great views, and a sign which said: "Quiet Space"...and it was enforced!
Our next favorite spot was the Lion's Pub.....they serve lunch here, which includes fish n chips and cottage pie.....and in the evening it was the only spot where we could watch the World Cup....
we and hundreds of other passengers....as well as the crew, waiters, head waiters, bartenders!!!!
It was fascinating to watch the various cultures and nationalities cheer for their team. As you well know by now, the Brits took a beating.....a very unhappy group of some 700 passengers.
One day a young waiter stopped me and went on and on about how happy he was.....when i asked "Why?", he quickly responded.."Croatia won last night!!!" He was ebullient, ecstatic, jubilant and wanted to share it with everyone!! Each man pictured below is in his uniform and should be working, but they would sneak out to sneak a peak....almost more fun to watch them than the game. Did you know that the World Cup is viewed by more people than any other event on TV.....more than half of the entire WORLD's population!!
A signature icon of Cunard.....the bright red funnel!
A signature icon of life at Del Webb....the pickleball court! Onboard the Queen Mary 2, this is paddle ball with a few quirky changes.....but to us, 'tis pickleball.
Perhaps there are other vessels which allow dogs to travel with their owner, but I do not know of any. Queen Mary 2 has a kennel, air-conditioned of course, for the dogs. Owners are allowed to come visit, take them for a walk or just hang out. Cost: $500 for a small dog, $700 for a large dog...for the week. Bring your own food or they will provide it. Expensive, yes, but compared to putting them in the belly of a plane, alone, too cold or too hot, frightened.....restricted by the dictates of weather.....this is the way to go!! Or, you could just leave them at home with a pet sitter ;-)
A few more pleasant spots onboard....
Just a few samples of the original art work found in various stairways....and below are just a few samples of the many photos of well known passengers on the original Queen Mary...
Bing Crosby
Burt Lancaster
Gregory Peck
Clark Gable
Debbie Reynolds
Liz Taylor
Bob Hope
David Niven
Jacqueline Bouvier
Dwight and Mamie
Ella Fitzgerald
Helen Keller
Pearl Bailey
Louis Armstrong
Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis
This majestic mural greets guests as they enter the main dining room. It appears to be either needlepoint or tufted as a carpet. Our dinner table is at the bottom right.....
