Capnpugwash is on the QM2 to New York, May 10 2011

[capnpugwash]

Capn,

 

Just wondering if there are sugar-free desserts on the QM2??

 

I believe that given 24 hours notice, the Head Waiters will arrange for any dessert to be prepared without sugar.

 

Update No 20

 

I spent a little over 3 hours there and am now back in my cabin. The sea remains reasonably calm and the sun is shining brightly, oddly the foghorn is sounding because there are very low lying fog banks surrounding us. There is a strong wind which is causing the doors to the open decks to whistle and wail as it blows speedily across the small gaps surrounding them. This doesn’t or hasn’t stopped the perpetual stream of deck walkers and runners, although they are being buffeted and blown around a great deal and most of them are having a lot of trouble pulling them open.

There is quite a nasty toilet smell in the corridor on deck 6 and I have no idea what is causing it, but I certainly don’t like the result. If it doesn’t disappear soon I might call the Purser and see what is going on.

The CC meet is due to take place at 2.30 this afternoon; it will be interesting to see just how many people turn up.

Well, there were 9 of us at the meet and we chatted for about an hour and then afternoon tea raised its head and the party broke up as people made their way to the various things on offer. I came back to the cabin to do a little work and thought that I should bring you up to date on the weather. It is thick fog although it does have a bluish tinge to it in the upper levels as though the sun is struggling to burn through. The other news is that the smell has disappeared so I can leave the purser in peace. The plumbing system on board is so sensitive to foreign objects that it must be a nightmare to maintain, the bore of the pipework is tiny compared to domestic plumbing and the vacuum system that operates it is very complicated indeed, so it is no wonder that there are little problems every now and then.

Tonight is the first formal evening of this leg,and is the Big Band Ball.

More later.

[voyagerdreamer224]

Capn,

 

Just wondering if there are sugar-free desserts on the QM2??

---------------------------

 

While not an expert on the topic, I believe there is usually if not always a sugar free dessert option on the menu, both lunch and dinner. A friend of mine who took advantage of this option frequently told me they were delicious.

[LadyL1]

[

 

There is quite a nasty toilet smell in the corridor on deck 6 and I have no idea what is causing it, but I certainly don’t like the result. If it doesn’t disappear soon I might call the Purser and see what is going on.

 

 

 

[SIZE=3]Well, there were 9 of us at the meet and we chatted for about an hour and then afternoon tea raised its head and the party broke up as people made their way to the various things on offer. I came back to the cabin to do a little work and thought that I should bring you up to date on the weather. It is thick fog although it does have a bluish tinge to it in the upper levels as though the sun is struggling to burn through. The other news is that the smell has disappeared so I can leave the purser in peace. The plumbing system on board is so sensitive to foreign objects that it must be a nightmare to maintain, the bore of the pipework is tiny compared to domestic plumbing and the vacuum system that operates it is very complicated indeed, so it is no wonder that there are little problems every now and then

 

More later.

 

Perhaps someone has decided that their own toilet paper (carried on) is preferential to that supplied on board, without being aware of the consequences! Not too many are aware of the digestive abilities of the "vacuum system" I do hope you are not troubled again!

Enjoy your trip home.

[phoebecat]

---------------------------

 

While not an expert on the topic, I believe there is usually if not always a sugar free dessert option on the menu, both lunch and dinner. A friend of mine who took advantage of this option frequently told me they were delicious.

 

I can vouch for the deliciousness of them - I often have them as they are sometimes lighter or at least not as naughty, and they are always tasty and you'd be hard pressed to know they are made without sugar. One thing I would caution however ... if they use sorbitol - and they often do as a sweetener - it can have a laxative effect! Be warned!

[Cruise Liner Fan]

[

 

There is quite a nasty toilet smell in the corridor on deck 6 and I have no idea what is causing it, but I certainly don’t like the result. If it doesn’t disappear soon I might call the Purser and see what is going on.

 

 

 

[SIZE=3]Well, there were 9 of us at the meet and we chatted for about an hour and then afternoon tea raised its head and the party broke up as people made their way to the various things on offer. I came back to the cabin to do a little work and thought that I should bring you up to date on the weather. It is thick fog although it does have a bluish tinge to it in the upper levels as though the sun is struggling to burn through. The other news is that the smell has disappeared so I can leave the purser in peace. The plumbing system on board is so sensitive to foreign objects that it must be a nightmare to maintain, the bore of the pipework is tiny compared to domestic plumbing and the vacuum system that operates it is very complicated indeed, so it is no wonder that there are little problems every now and then

 

More later.

 

Perhaps someone has decided that their own toilet paper (carried on) is preferential to that supplied on board, without being aware of the consequences! Not too many are aware of the digestive abilities of the "vacuum system" I do hope you are not troubled again

Enjoy your trip home.

I don't understand why would anyone bring their own toilet paper aboard ship when the toilet paper supplied by the ship is good enough.Is it Mr. Whipple sneaking aboard ship with his own brand of toilet paper :D For our British friends, Mr. Whipple was a TV character in American TV commercials for Charmin brand toilet paper from about the 1970s through the 1980s and in each commercial another character would always say to Mr. Whipple,"Mr. Whipple please don't squeeze the charmin" and the actor who portrayed Mr. Whipple passed away a few years ago. Regards,Jerry

[jcruizer]

I am enjoying this topic so much, as I loved cruising on QM2 and it brings back lots of memories. Also we will be doing a cruise out of New York in the near future, so I am keen to hear about that too.

 

Lucky to be on the bridge. Its good when something extra happens to make the trip more memorable. I look forward to your next post Capn

 

Janice:)

[Cruise Liner Fan]

I hope that this is not going off topic but if anyone is interested here is a youtube video of one of the classic Charmin toilet paper TV commercials featuring Mr. Whipple

Regards,Jerry

[Cruise Liner Fan]

Cap'n I hope that you have an enjoyable crossing back to Southampton :) Regards,Jerry

[FoghornLeghorn]

Thanks everyone for the responses about the sugar-free desserts.

I am a diabetic, so I'm thrilled to know I can partake in the sweet part of the meals :)

[orleans54]

I'm smiling while reading your great posts, as my husband and I were also on the westbound QM2 which sadly ended last Tuesday. We were on deck 11 and loved being high up and up front. This was our first transatlantic voyage and are now back home on Cape Cod. On this voyage was the first song writing workshop headed by Squeeze's frontman, Chris Difford. There were about 20 passengers who signed up for the workshop and created their own songs. There were 3 or 4 songwriters and about the same number of musicians running this workshop. I didn't attend, however I attended the performance of these 'New songwriters" and they were quite good! I think Cunard will have a new commercial song in one of the songs - if Cunard were to have a commercial this song was professional enough to be it. When I heard that Roger Daltry was going to be interviewed the next day I lurked outside of the closed Royal Court theatre and peeked through the glass door and saw the rehearsal. He still is magic. The next day he was interviewed by Chris Difford and was quite funny and had lots of stories of his early life in London. He sang some Johnny Cash, Elvis and of course his CSI song, Who Are You. Later I spoke with him in the Chart Room and he told me that he is bringing Tommy back and will be touring it in the US during October and November. I got quite a kick out of meeting him.

I think the songwriting workshop was a hit and they will be repeated.

Captn, I'm sure I must have seen you in the Comadore Lounge as it was like my second home. You weren't the gentleman in full dress tails wearing a QM2 polo were you????;)

[Salacia]

Hi Salacia, We will not be on RCI until Nov 2012. Can you expand on your Princess cruise.

 

Catherine

 

Hi north east girl. Yes, thanks for asking. I'll expand on my Princess cruise; you've given me an idea for a new thread. Meanwhile...back to the exploits of Capn Pugwash :) Cheers, Salacia

[Salacia]

Ahoy Capn! Thanks for taking us on your voyage. Any word on what's causing the mini power outages? Regards, -Salacia

[capnpugwash]

I'm smiling while reading your great posts, as my husband and I were also on the westbound QM2 which sadly ended last Tuesday. We were on deck 11 and loved being high up and up front. This was our first transatlantic voyage and are now back home on Cape Cod. On this voyage was the first song writing workshop headed by Squeeze's frontman, Chris Difford. There were about 20 passengers who signed up for the workshop and created their own songs. There were 3 or 4 songwriters and about the same number of musicians running this workshop. I didn't attend, however I attended the performance of these 'New songwriters" and they were quite good! I think Cunard will have a new commercial song in one of the songs - if Cunard were to have a commercial this song was professional enough to be it. When I heard that Roger Daltry was going to be interviewed the next day I lurked outside of the closed Royal Court theatre and peeked through the glass door and saw the rehearsal. He still is magic. The next day he was interviewed by Chris Difford and was quite funny and had lots of stories of his early life in London. He sang some Johnny Cash, Elvis and of course his CSI song, Who Are You. Later I spoke with him in the Chart Room and he told me that he is bringing Tommy back and will be touring it in the US during October and November. I got quite a kick out of meeting him.

I think the songwriting workshop was a hit and they will be repeated.

Captn, I'm sure I must have seen you in the Comadore Lounge as it was like my second home. You weren't the gentleman in full dress tails wearing a QM2 polo were you????;)

 

No, I wasn't but Roger Daltrey was truly a delight to listen and to talk to.

[capnpugwash]

Ahoy Capn! Thanks for taking us on your voyage. Any word on what's causing the mini power outages? Regards, -Salacia

 

No idea, sorry

 

Update No 21

 

It is 5.30 now and the fog is thicker than ever and it seems that we are totally cut off from the rest of the world by this grey blanket, it feels quite eerie and whilst it is not great for sightseeing, it does demonstrate yet another aspect of this mass of water that is the mysterious yet delightful North Atlantic. We have 7 foot waves, a 19 knot headwind and have covered 424 nautical miles leaving 2802 to go. The temperature is 56/13 degrees, the barometer is rising and our speed is 22 knots.

Dinner was an absolute delight and it was very nice to finally get to spend some time with John Duffy, the food, company and wine was great. The steak that I ordered was certainly one of the most tender that I have ever had. Dinner didn’t finish until after 11pm which shows the fun that we were having.

After dinner I went up to the Commodore Club and with the loss of 1 hour it is now 2.10am, but as I don’t have a really stressful day planned for tomorrow I think that I will survive. That is not a bad title for a song I think, but maybe it has been used before.

More later.

[Salacia]

Thanks Capn. Get a good rest. Looking forward to the sunrise and your next post. Cheers -Salacia

P.S. Hope you packed a flashlight :-)

[capnpugwash]

Update No 22

 

Today is Thursday May 19 and the fog has disappeared. Our speed is 22 knots; the sea is moderate with waves of about 4 feet. The air feels warm although it is only 64/18 degrees but the humidity is high at 80%. We have a force 4 headwind but it feels much stronger than that, I have just walked along the promenade deck coming back from breakfast and as I neared the bows of the ship it was difficult to take a breath because the wind was blowing so hard, I had to squint my eyes half shut with the force of it. It was not a very comfortable feeling but it was great to get some fresh air. We have sailed 736 miles since leaving Manhattan and 2490 remain.

 

As the saying goes, you learn something new every day. My lesson today was that King’s Court only opens for breakfast at 7.30am. I have always thought that it was a 24 hour facility but logically they need time to do the set up for the meal without interruption from hungry passengers.

 

There is a singer on board named Donny Ray Evins, who is a dead spit of Nat King Cole which is fortunate for him as he is a tribute artist for the same man. It is eerie how much alike they are. I am a fan of that style of music and Cole is one of my favourite singers so I may be tempted to go to the show tonight.

 

I have no special plans for today but I am currently assembling my bag of laundry to send out so that I am able to dress for the upcoming formal evenings later in the week. A housewife’s work is never done!

 

More later.

[thranite]

I'll expand on my Princess cruise;

Cheers, Salacia

 

I find that I expand on most cruises.

 

:D

[DKNYC]

Hi Jim

Sorry about the bad weather in NYC on tuesday. I am glad that you got to sail into the harbor standing on the bridge. Good to know that there is room enough for a 2 captains and a couple of pilots:D. It must have been quite memorable for you. You do meet the most interesting people...a female Tugboat captain, wow! I did watch QM2 sail down the hudson on the NYwired Cam...a rare treat.:) Hope there is some sunshine on the eastbound.

 

Denise

[capnpugwash]

Thanks Denise.

 

Update No 23

 

As is my custom I went to the Chart Room before dinner and things were progressing nicely until 7.45 when the Juilliard School Jazz Band started to play, they are immensely young, immensely skilled and immensely loud. I voted with my feet and fled to the Veuve Clicquot champagne bar where their volume was significantly reduced.

 

At 8.30 I headed into dinner, the table was hosted by the Chief Purser, he is a Dutch man who now lives in Cape Town, his name is Ruud and he is an absolutely nice man. We had some splendid South African wines with our meal and also had a lot of fun. I got to the show late and not only does this guy look like Nat King Cole but he sounds just like him as well. He sang some of the classics and then went over to the obscure ones for some unknown reason; I chose to leave at that stage and went to my usual haunt from where I have just returned.

 

Tomorrow is the Martini Mixology class which I will definitely avoid and in the evening Elizabeth Pitcairn is playing her famous Red Violin, if you don’t know her I suggest that you Google her name. This violin was made by Stradivarius and apparently he bled on it so it is called Red. Truth be told I am particularly uninspired by it all but she has two bodyguards walking with her when she is carrying this instrument because it has been valued at US$ 1.8M. I am not sure who is going to steal the thing on here or if anyone really cares about it. She obviously likes the theatre attached to owning it but I am sure that for that money she could have got a new one. 

 

I have just looked at my watch and see that it is 1.45am, but I realize with horror that I have not yet advanced it by the hour so it is past my bed time and I will say goodnight to you all.

 

More later.

[heywood]

Loving the posts as ever, Cap'n, not only for the asides which make it all so much more interesting but I am also full of admiration for your stamina :)

All good wishes

 

heywood

[fg_hb]

Also many thanks for your marvelous posting. It's like I'm aboard with you. Keep on crossing and posting.

 

Frank

[Pemcorgimum]

That's interesting about the Stradivarius- I've copied what you wrote and sent it to my sister in law who is a violinist and would no doubt not agree with you ...... but I found it funny.

[freeriderdave]

Am loving the on board blog Capn. It has really whetted my appetite and i am now even more eagerly counting down the days till our first TA on the 3rd June.

[capnpugwash]

Update No 24

 

Today is Friday May 20th and it is a little after 8am. During the night our route took us directly over the site where RMS Titanic lays, I don’t know if any ceremony took place to mark the moment as it happened at midnight. This morning I woke to grey skies and it is currently very difficult to distinguish the horizon as the sky and sea are almost the same shade of dark grey. The sea conditions are slight and there is a gentle force 3 breeze. The barometer is steady and the air temperature is 56/13 degrees, apparently the sea temperature is warmer at 64 degrees. We are 1266 nautical miles from New York and there are only 1959 left.

 

I am just back from the spa, as clean as a new pin and totally relaxed. The sun has just broken through and it feels great to see it again. The sea, wind and temperature are unchanged except that the sea is only 62/16 degrees now which I believe is due to the fact that it is getting deeper as we sail further away from land. That seems to make sense, I think.

 

Today, the big sell continues, diamonds, emeralds and tanzanite were being pushed this morning and that old favorite, the art auction is in the Winter Garden this afternoon. Even the lady with the red violin is hawking a DVD after her show tonight which she is willing to sign, how kind of her!

 

I am going for a TE lunch again today but am certainly not going to have all that champagne again or the fallen chocolate cake dessert. I had arranged to have lunch with a very nice girl who, like me, is on the back to back. It was so much nicer to eat with someone than to dine alone. I had the flat bread and chicken again and it was wonderful. I then tried a blueberry cobbler but it was just way too sweet for my tastes. A nice cup of coffee with a Courvoisier restored my taste buds and I think that it may time for a little nap.

 

More later.

[Salacia]

Update No 24

 

...the lady with the red violin is hawking a DVD after her show tonight which she is willing to sign, how kind of her!...

 

.

 

Wow, she's going to autograph her dvd - no strings attached?:D

 

Enjoy your nap Cap. Write soon :) Cheers, Salacia