Almost live on way to New York City July 13 2010l

[EssexGary]

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.

 

Hey Capn, I'm one of the many (hundreds I expect) who love your reviews but do so voyeuristically (is that a word?). Anyway - felt obliged to tell you a story...

 

while we were crossing on QM2 last year Dr Ruth was onboard as a speaker. Whilst entering the Spa one day, I saw on the ground a great big (I mean huge) yellow and white diamond ring. To cut a long story short, I handed it in (my mum brought me up well) and later asked if it had been claimed "yes, the purser said, it was Dr Ruths! - she is over the moon and asked for your stateroom number". I gave it to her and received a note of thanks from the Dr herself. Later that voyage she was signing books in the library. I noticed that she was wearing the said ring so went over to introduce myself. She was so delighted to meet me and thanked me so much saying the ring had been bought for her by her husband etc. Then, she gave me a signed copy of her book - The Art of Arousal (a history of art book based on artwork of a provocative nature).

 

The copy sits on my coffee table to this day with a message reading -

 

"Dear Gary, thank you for finding my ring, Dr Ruth". Ironic. it makes me laugh every time I open it - I wonder if she realised what she wrote!?

 

so Capn check her out at the book signing and look at the famous ring - I'm sure she'll remember me if you mention the story.

 

Gary

ps - every word of this is true!

[conniedoug]

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.

 

Hi Capn' Really glad to hear that you are feeling so much better. You've brought up a query of mine that l am certain either you or another CC can answer. Apart from current passports & an ESTA Reference - is there anything else required to clear the USA Immigration? Enjoy the remainder of your voyage & l look forward to meeting you on 3 August. I am now off to look & see who the Guest Speakers will be! A

[conniedoug]

"Dear Gary, thank you for finding my ring, Dr Ruth". Ironic. it makes me laugh every time I open it - I wonder if she realised what she wrote!?

 

I almost choked on my sandwich when I read this & had to give the entire family a brief synopsis of what l now know about Dr Ruth, before reading your post aloud to them - I can still hear my father giggling in the kitchen! It has made my day - thanks!

[Ray66]

It's a bit foggy!

 

[DKNYC]

"Dear Gary, thank you for finding my ring, Dr Ruth". Ironic. it makes me laugh every time I open it - I wonder if she realised what she wrote!?

 

I almost choked on my sandwich when I read this & had to give the entire family a brief synopsis of what l now know about Dr Ruth, before reading your post aloud to them - I can still hear my father giggling in the kitchen! It has made my day - thanks!

 

Great story Gary! BTW Conniedoug, I think we've got the Master of Quirky Mind stuff- Dr Richard Wiseman .

 

Denise

[conniedoug]

 

Great story Gary! BTW Conniedoug, I think we've got the Master of Quirky Mind stuff- Dr Richard Wiseman .

 

Denise

 

He'll be in good company then, Denise!

[Bispham Boo]

Essex Gary - very cross with you - snorted my glass of wine all over the sofa!

 

Capn - pleased you are better, and now want to go to Brooklyn on my next trip.

[capnpugwash]

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?

[capnpugwash]

Is Eva still working in the bars? she was great too us last time we were on board.

 

Yes she is in the QG, lovely girl. Saw her yesterday and had nice kiss and cuddle

[Salacia]

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?

 

Hi Cap'n. Your description of the fog is very evocative :)

 

And thank you for that news regarding smoking. Would appreciate any additional info you might hear regarding changes to the smoking rule.

 

BTW, I too have been at sea when the seascape looked more like a landscape. I think W.J. Turner captured that effect well in several of his paintings.

 

Enjoy your evening.

 

Regards,

Salacia

[capnpugwash]

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.

[DKNYC]

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.

 

Well that would be something to get the heart beating. Maybe their plan is to get rescued by the world's most famous ocean liner.

 

Denise

[Ray66]

It's even foggier today. You can't see a thing!

 

[capnpugwash]

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.

[Salacia]

Thank you, sir, for sharing your journey. Safe home. -Regards, Salacia

[The Welsh Man]

Thanks for sharing your crossings.

 

You haven't mentioned if you've totally recovered from your illness, hope you are now well?

 

Safe journey home and I look forward to hearing from you on your next excursion around the world!

 

Take care

 

Carl

[Sauer-kraut]

Cap'n,

I just love your entertaining posts. Thanks for making my day! (and afternoons, and evenings....:D)

[heywood]

Cap'n,

I just love your entertaining posts. Thanks for making my day! (and afternoons, and evenings....:D)

 

Me too- thank you Cap'n and I do hope that you have fully recovered. :)

[north east girl]

Thanks Capn for the wonderful posts, I have enjoyed reading everyone. This board is amazing, It is helping my time pass as I wait to board in 55 days.

 

Live from posts are extra special because you can feel as though you are on board.

 

Keep up the good work and safe journey home.

 

Catherine

[Cat001]

We were on this back to back, got home yesterday at about 15:00.

 

I’ve now finished reading though all the comments so far and have an observation regarding the dress of passengers on formal nights :

 

I think it’s all down to timing and having two dinner sittings, so the whole idea goes to pot. If you are on the 18:00 sitting you will be “suited and booted” by say, 17:15 or so and may well then go to the bar. But if I’m already in the bar at that time, and I’m on the 20:30 sitting then there is no way I’m going to leave the bar and get changed at 18:00, 2 and a half hours before I’m eating. And when I say “I”, I’m sure a lot of people will think the same thing.

So, I was often in the chart room at around 19:45, fully dressed for dinner, but others were not, not because they were not going to, but because they were eating at 20:30 and had simply not yet dressed.

 

And another problem with 2 sittings ( especially on format nights ) is lack of space. At around 20:00 it was almost impossible to find and where to sit in the Chart Room or Commodore. Why ? Because it has both early and late diners at the same time : Those that had eaten and were then having an after-dinner drink, and also those who were having a pre-dinner drink; At that time there is simply not enough space on the ship ( just like you can’t get all the diners in the restaurant at the same time, you can’t get all the drinks in the bars at the same time ).

[TJPS]

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?

 

Glad to see you had a calmer trip back, we were on the westbound TA 13th July and our first trip on QM2, I too enjoyed the Spa each day and after flying back after a week in NY could have done with the relaxation of coming back on QM2, thoroughly enjoyed by myself with my family........the Commodore Club was very special and I will have many fabulous memories......til the next time.......

[Underwatr]

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.

There's a short writeup about this encounter in the latest Cunard Blog.

[Salacia]

Thanks Underwatr. That's about as close as being in a rowboat mid-Atlantic as I ever hope to get!

 

Three cheers for the crew of the Artemis!

 

Regards,

Salacia

[Salacia]

Unless something untoward happens tomorrow I will probably be back in touch upon my return to the UK on Monday. quote]

 

Hullo Cap'n. Been awaiting your post. Hope all is well. -Regards, Salacia

[heywood]

Thanks Underwatr. That's about as close as being in a rowboat mid-Atlantic as I ever hope to get!

 

Three cheers for the crew of the Artemis!

 

Regards,

Salacia

 

I was quite emotional watching the video-thanks for the link Underwatr and can't wait to show my husband who I guarantee will have a tear in his eye!

I would have loved to have been there.

When our son was a teenager he was an outdoor swimmer. On one occasion he was swimming Windermere lake -approx. 10miles with his father rowing the boat! I remember him saying that the pleasure steamer came alongside and announced the event to the passengers and they got a big cheer - not quite the same as this but it jogged the memory.;)

cheers

heywood