QM2 Nov 2013 RT Trans-Atlantic & Europe Travelogue

[Oahucruiser]

Thanks, Cats, for your reassuring reply. We have been to Germany many times and are familiar with their wonderful variety of entertainment and we have been on Cunard over 25 times so we are hoping this was a one-off. We will contact Cunard nearer to the voyage. The OP is a great sport and it's wonderful that he goes with the flow and continues his excellent reports that give us an idea of what we will be doing.

[PeaSea8ch]

After sailing our southward courses through the North Sea past the Troll oilfield and along the west coast of Denmark, we then entered the river Elbe, were our Hamburg pilot embarked, and sailed up the river and arrived at the port.

 

Since no tours were offered this visit, I decided to have a "sea day in port". I enjoyed having the ship to myself for a couple of hours before the new passengers began embarking. Went to the Golden Lion Pub and had the traditional fish and chips pub lunch with malt vinegar and it was delicious.

 

It was cold and Hamburg under partly cloudy skies with periods of bright sunshine. The cruise terminal is located near the container ship facilities. The shore side area were the cruise terminal is located is nice with modern buildings and recent & ongoing construction. Took advantage of the warmth provided by the sunshine and took some photos of the area. We departed Hamburg between 6:30 and 7:00 PM. Judging by the attendance in the Britannia Restaurant for dinner, it appears that quite a few passengers embarked in Hamburg as there were not that many empty tables.

 

In route to Southampton, we transited the various traffic separation protocols of the North Sea and the English Channel by following the coastlines of Germany, Holland, Belgium and France before reaching the Dover Strait, which the narrowest stretch of water between England and France.

 

Cold, windy & rainy at times under heavy overcast skies. Went to 2 lectures by the new lecturers for the westbound crossing: "Ocean Liner Twilight" by Historian Ted Scull who also writes articles for Cruise Travel Magazine and "Voyage To The Planets" by Royal Astronomical Society speakers Drs. Simon and Jacqueline Mitton.

 

After a wonderful dinner, I said goodbye to 2 of my tablemates as they are disembarking in Southampton. Food and service continue to be great!

 

Hamburg Second Visit Freeze Frames:

 

 

Hamburg Cruise Terminal Side 1 of 6

 

 

Hamburg Cruise Terminal Side 2 of 6

 

 

Hamburg Cruise Terminal Side 3 of 6

 

 

Hamburg Cruise Terminal Side 4 of 6

 

 

Hamburg Cruise Terminal Side 5 of 6 (continued in next post)

 

Oh those lazy, hazy & crazy crossing sea days! As Always, life aboard Queen Mary 2 is great

[PeaSea8ch]

 

Hamburg Cruise Terminal Side 6 of 6

 

 

Hamburg Harbor Side 1 of 2

 

 

Hamburg Harbor Side 2 of 2 (one of many sightseeing boats to gawk at QM2)

 

 

Hamburg Sunset

 

 

Moon Over Hamburg at Sunset

 

Oh those lazy, hazy & crazy crossing sea days! As Always, life aboard Queen Mary 2 is great.

[imacruizer]

We are still really enjoying your reports and fabulous photos. As I mentioned before we are doing a very similar trip to yours at the end of July but, after leaving Hamburg for the first time, we continue to Oslo and then ten days in Norway (not the fjords this time), and we are a bit concerned that we might have continuous German entertainment and tours all the way as well as a very relaxed dress code. I think we'll have to contact Cunard and find out if this will be the case as it's too late to do anything after the final payment is made. I'm so glad we read your latest post. We, too, traveled on the Vistafjord but it's been a long time and we favor and enjoy the present dress code on all Cunard ships.

 

Hi Patti,

I think the entertainment and dress code on this voyage are not the norm. This past June we did a very similar voyage to the one you will take in July. We did have a large number of German passengers on the Hamburg to Hamburg segment. However, the dress code was the traditional Cunard dress code. All tours were offered in both English and German. You need to read the tour description to make sure you are signing up for the language of your choice. The evening entertainment in the theater was in English. I think there was also German entertainment offered in other locations. As we received the English daily programme, the only options listed were those for English speaking guests. The German guests received their programme in German and it had the German entertainment options. I do not think the dress code, the entertainment or the tours will be a problem. Have a lovely voyage.

Beth

[PeaSea8ch]

In the wee hours of the morning we changed to a northwesterly course towards the Isle of Wight where the pilot was boarded and Queen Mary 2 arrived at the Ocean Terminal.

 

Last call for all disembarking passengers was made at 10 AM. After the luggage been offloaded and delivered to the terminal, the dock became a beehive of activity loading food, beverages and supplies for the westbound crossing to New York. Since Cunard is only offering the Titanic trail walking four that I did 8 days ago and the all day Stonehenge and Salisbury tour that I did in 2010, I decided to make this a sea day in port as well. Since this is the first time I have been berthed at the Ocean Terminal, I took photos of the area.

 

I went down to the Golden Lion Pub for another fish and chips pub lunch. I arrived there at about 12:15 PM and there were only three passengers in the pub. After I ordered, came the first of 5 or 6 groups of travel agents on tours of the ship, escorted by Cunard personnel. It was a bit distracting, but I heard one of the guides tell workgroup that the entire group would have lunch in the Britannia Restaurant. Hence, I was glad I had my lunch in the pub.

 

I am at thee same dinner table with the 2 other remaining passengers and a lady and another gentleman joined us tonight. There was 1 no-show at our table for six — we'll see what happens tomorrow night.

 

After disembarking our Southampton pilot yesterday evening, Queen Mary 2 sailed into the English Channel and set a West-Southwesterly course paralleling the Southern English coast. During the evening Queen Mary 2 passed 12 nautical miles south of the Bill of Portland and Start Point. By the early hours of this morning we will be to the south of Bishop rock, marking the traditional start of our transatlantic passage towards our destination of New York. This is my favorite part of any crossing, with nothing but ocean for days on end between the ship’s bow and my destination.

 

Southampton Freeze Frames

 

 

Looking South 1 of 4 Queen Elizabeth 2 Terminal

 

 

Looking South 2 of 4

 

 

Looking South 3 of 4

 

 

Looking South 4 of 4

 

 

Looking North 1 of 5 (continued next post)

 

Oh those lazy, hazy & crazy crossing sea days! As Always, life aboard Queen Mary 2 is great.

[turquoise 6]

Thank You for your travel Log on board the QM2. Pictures outstanding, I will read it over and over.

You captured the Voyage

[PeaSea8ch]

 

Looking North 2 of 5

 

[

 

Looking North 3 of 5

 

 

Looking North 4 of 5

 

 

Looking North 5 of 5

 

 

Royal Mail Flag

[zider]

 

Looking North 2 of 5

 

[

 

Looking North 3 of 5

 

 

Looking North 4 of 5

 

 

Looking North 5 of 5

 

 

Royal Mail Flag [/quote

 

That is not the Royal Mail Flag Its the RED ENSIGN the flag flown by British Merchant Navy ships which Cunard are allowed to fly.The Flag of Registration is very alike the RED Ensign as well.

Edited November 15, 2013 by zider

[PeaSea8ch]

It does not take long for Queen Mary 2 sailors to get into the rhythm and vibe of the ship and I am in my happy place of carefree bliss where the days and nights blend together seamlessly into a collage of wonderful experiences.

 

Sea Day 12: Cool with cloudy to overcast skies today. At the noon report the Commodore said there was a large storm system north of us and he was sailing a more southerly, longer route than the "Great Circle" which is in the midst of this storm. The sea started out as flat as the kitchen floor but later in the afternoon the wind picked up to about 25 knots and 15 foot swells. When the swell interval was longer (spaced further apart) here was more motion of the ocean, which I liked, but Queen Mary 2 cuts through this like a hot knife through butter.

 

I attended three lectures today. The first lecture by maritime historian and expert diver Martin Woodward MBE "Treasures Of the Deep: (Part 1) Pre BC To Circa 1800". After a long career salvaging numerous shipwrecks worldwide, recovering "sunken treasure" and valuable cargoes from the seabed, he shared his experiences along with color photos of what he had recovered. Because the sea is always moving, never static, the seabed changes as well and required high-tech metal detectors. Nearly everything he salvaged was buried about 6 feet down in the seabed. Gold, the precious metal, does not react with any other element and he showed pictures of gold coins and dablouns straight out of the water that sparkled like new and no evidence of abrasion after being in the seabed for hundreds of years. Silver coins and artifacts were either severely corroded with a concrete-like crust and/or significantly abraded. Silver, being less noble than gold, did not fare as well when in contact with the salt water and the elements and minerals in the seabed environment.

 

The second lecture was by art historian Christine Roussel "The Art Of Central Park". Central Park has been called "An American Masterpiece". it was the fir planned the public park in America and has remained an oasis in the middle of New York City for nearly 200 years The lecture included the park's history beginning with its same designers Olmsted and follow and then leads us on a tour the park by way of its sculptures. Some of the works are whimsical, some controversy over, others historical, a few are magnificent, and all attest to this civic and creative commitment of New Yorkers. These works honor writers, musicians, as well as, great statesman and war heroes — even a dog is celebrated.

 

The third lecture by Royal astronomical Society speakers Drs. Simon and Jacqueline Mitton "The Sun, Or Daytime Star". An interesting talk on how the sun affects our planet Earth, what keeps the sun shining, how the solar wind blows and the link between sunspots and climate. A lot of interesting information crammed into a 45-minute lecture.

 

Tonight was the first of three formal nights of this westbound crossing. The ladies were dressed to the nines, elegantly coiffed while the gents were their dapper best. Went to the after dinner show of multi-instrumentalist Mark Donoghue who played the violin, electric guitar, harmonica and piano. He was really good and I enjoyed the show.

 

Sea Day 13: The initial stages of our voyage across the Atlantic Ocean have taken us from the southern coast of England and out into the Celtic Sea. Additionally during this afternoon, we will be crossing over the Maxwell Fracture Zone, which is a large undersea mountain range forming part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Here, depths can shallow out to less than 1000 meters (3300 feet) before deepening again quickly to over 3,500 meters (approximately 1.9 miles) on the opposite side.

 

It was cold today under overcast skies with blustery winds generating gentle rocking and rolling intermittently during the day. Went to one lecture today by historian and destination speaker Ted Scull "Reinventing New York's Waterfront". This lecture dealt with America's premier seaport undergoing massive changes from the ocean liner trade to year-round cruising and recreational uses, while freight handling shifted to vast container ports in New Jersey. It was an interesting discussion.

 

Tonight was the debut performance by the new Royal Cunard Singers of the first show we saw on the eastbound crossing. They were great!

 

The winds outside are howling (okay that is a bit of embellishment; whistling may be better) and can be heard in my stateroom and the hallway outside with no appreciable vessel motion. As I tuned out the noise, I felt like I was really on King Neptune's Atlantic Ocean and that made me happy. I quickly drifted away to another restful journey to Cunard slumberland.

 

Even More Southampton Freeze Frames:

 

 

Local Car Ferry

 

 

Southampton Sunset 1 of 4

 

 

Southampton Sunset 2 of 4

 

 

Southampton Sunset 3 of 4 (I thought this sunset was done)

 

 

Southampton Sunset 4 of 4 (…until I happened to glance out my balcony 22 minutes later…All Right!)

 

Oh those lazy, hazy & crazy crossing sea days! As Always, life aboard Queen Mary 2 is great.

[fantasy51]

It's interesting how different your account is from that of CapnPugwash, on the same cruise! It shows that two people don't have the same cruising experiences; there's a huge variety of things to do.

[deck chair]

Hi

 

Great commentary and photographs. I am wondering what kind of camera you have....thanks...

 

Deck Chair

[PeaSea8ch]

Hi

 

Great commentary and photographs. I am wondering what kind of camera you have....thanks...

 

Deck Chair

 

Deck Chair — I have a Nikon D800.

[PeaSea8ch]

 

That is not the Royal Mail Flag Its the RED ENSIGN the flag flown by British Merchant Navy ships which Cunard are allowed to fly.The Flag of Registration is very alike the RED Ensign as well.

 

Zider — Thank you for the correction and explanation as I was not sure.

[PeaSea8ch]

Sea Day 14: We continued on our rhumb line (great circle) track towards a position south of the grand Banks of Newfoundland. Our track during the evening took us over some of the deepest sections of the Atlantic itself with soundings in this area of more than 4500 meters or 2.5 miles. Late in the evening we also passed south of the Flemish Cap with a shallow of about 102 meters in the otherwise 3500 m deep ocean floor.

 

Overcast and windy, the lowest Beaufort Scale Gale force winds were blowing sea mist and salt spray a least 60 feet above the waterline to my Deck 6 hull balcony and windows. The winds have died down with less motion of the ocean.

 

Went to 2 lectures today that were good. The first was by historian and destination speaker Ted Scull: "Icons of a Metropolis" — where he discussed of all the great skyscrapers, trains stations and mansions during the city of New York's history and showed pictures as well. The second lecture was by maritime historian Martin Woodward: "Commercial Deep Water Diving" — where he mainly talked about the evolution of professional deep water diving equipment over the years. This included compressed air tanks, experimentation with mixed breathing gases, evolution of submerged diving bells, deep diving suit technology which included recirculating warm water in the suit to keep the divers warm and very deep water is very cold and submersible submarine craft designed for shirtsleeve diving.

 

The main show featured David Copperfield “not the illusionist, but the unusualist”. This comedian / ventriloquist / singer / guitar player was only so-so. Later in the evening, I meandered aft to the Queens Room where the Big Band Night was in full swing so I popped in and listened for awhile. Then back upstairs to my stateroom for another restful journey to Cunard slumberland.

 

Sea Day 15: Today we passed to the south of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland where the water rapidly shallows from over 3000 meters to less than 60 meters in ports. The Grand Banks form part of the continental shelf extending from Newfoundland and North America into the Atlantic Ocean. Known for both its abundance of marine life as well as infamous fog patches, the Grand Banks are a rich natural resource.

 

I slept in, and upon waking I found the seas to be calm by slight breeze under overcast skies. I then got out on deck and walked 3 miles knowing I was having lunch at the Todd English restaurant.

 

I attended two lectures this morning. The first, by historian and destination speaker Ted Scull: "Brooklyn Is New York's Rising Star" were he takes us across the Brooklyn Bridge to the leafy streets of Brooklyn Heights, America's first suburb: brownstone Brooklyn and its ethnic and hipster neighborhoods; Prospect Park; Botanic Gardens and Coney Island. The second, by art historian Christine Roussel: "The Art of Rockefeller Center" — where she shared her personal views of the works of art that embellish this Art Deco indoor/outdoor urban complex.

 

When I emerged from the last morning lecture and went out on deck the skies were clear with bright sunshine and lased until late afternoon. The wind, although slight, was chilly.

 

Next was my third and final lunch at the taught English restaurant of this voyage. The moment I walked into the restaurant, the Maître d’Hôtel greeted me by name as well as the wait staff. From my window able looking onto the deck 8 Pavilion, I saw 4 passengers go for a dip in the pool; as soon as they got out of the pool, dripping wet and with the wind chill factor, they all immediately hopped it the hot tub to warm up. They stayed in the hot tub a long time. After they left, another group of passengers did the exact same thing. The meal was excellent as well as the service.

 

After lunch, I attended the third lecture by maritime historian Martin Woodward MBE "Treasures from the Deep", (Part 2) circa 1800 to the present day. Wrecks and treasures from underwater projects in the UK and other locations worldwide.

 

After a wonderful dinner, headlining the featured Royal Court Theater entertainment was soprano Celia Graham who sang Broadway, pop and classical standards. It was a wonderful performance that I really enjoyed. Then back to my stateroom for a restful journey in Cunard slumberland.

 

Sea Day 14 Freeze Frames:

 

 

Typical 15 Foot Sea Conditions 1 of 3 (The lens & digital sensor, or film for that matter, do see what the human eye sees — sea spray and swell height when photographed high on deck)

 

 

Typical 15 Foot Sea Conditions 2 of 3

 

 

Typical 15 Foot Sea Conditions 3 of 3

 

Oh those lazy, hazy & crazy crossing sea days! As Always, life aboard Queen Mary 2 is great.

[lannp]

Thank you for posting. Your pictures are great!

[Oahucruiser]

I am sorry to see this travelogue end. We have really enjoyed it and know you have had a wonderful time. Thanks for your descriptions and excellent photos!!

[alibabacruisers]

Thank you for your travelogue! I have enjoyed them a lot. Your pictures or freeze frames as you call them, are beautiful and interesting.

[PeaSea8ch]

Once we passed south of the Tail of the Bank, we then set a Rhumb Line course to a position south of Sable Island and then Nova Scotia. Sable Island is a narrow, crescent shaped, sandbar believed to have been formed from large quantities of sand and gravel deposited on the continental shelf near the end of the last Ice Age.

 

Sea Day 16: when I looked out from my balcony at 7:00 AM the Queen Mary 2 was completely fogged in. The fog had lifted to heavy overcast by a 8:30 to 9:00 AM. After that, I attended the two morning lectures. The first lecture "The Nature of the Universe" by Royal Astronomical Society speakers Drs. Simon and Jacqueline Mitton and discussed when did the universe begin? Will it go on forever? What was the Big Bang and what are black holes? Another interesting talk supplemented with astronomical photos.

 

The second lecture "New York's Glorious Grand Central At 100" presented by Historian and Destination Speaker Ted Scull. This was a celebration of the magnificent railway terminal's contemporary and the amazing story of how Grand Central Terminal created the heart of the metropolis while serving as the busy crossroads of 1 million private lives. The presentation was punctuated with many pictures of the Terminal from its early days up to and including the present.

 

After the lecture I went up on deck and was delighted that there was bright sunshine by noon and this lasted until sunset. During the noon report, Commodore Rynd stated it would be a lot warmer today, relative to other temperatures, of 63F (17C). Many passengers lined the deck were sitting in the deck chairs enjoying the warmth of the sun and sea views. No one was on the "shady side" of the ship because it was much colder and windy, with the exception of the walkers and joggers making their rounds. I too took advantage of the sun, and walked 2 miles before my final lunch in the Britannia Restaurant of the voyage.

 

Today's third lecture "The First Skyscrapers and the Ironworkers Who Built Them" presented by art historian Christine Roussel. This was a compelling presentation with many photos of the ironworkers either standing on an I-beam is being hoisted up several hundred feet to the top of the structure or 7 ironworkers casually sitting on a beam very high up and eating their lunch. After the lecture, I went back up on deck to walk more laps and enjoy the sun and sunset.

 

Tonight was the last formal night of the voyage. I enjoyed my dinner of escargot and Pork Oscar. After dinner, Entertainment Director Leon de St. Croix started the traditional "Parade of Chefs" as they paraded through both levels of the Britannia Restaurant. As after all the chefs were positioned on the stairway at the aft end of the restaurant, Leon introduced the principle Chefs to the appreciative passengers.

 

Tonight's featured entertainment in the Royal Court Theatre starring the Royal Cunard Singers & Dancers in the production show "Apassionata". This is the first time the new singers and dancers troop performed this show. This extravaganza of exciting styles of dance ranging from Glenn Miller Swing to the tantalizing Argentinian Tango and everything in between. It was a pleasure watching this well-executed, high-energy performance. It was interesting that most of the dancers were from the Ukraine.

 

Sea Day 17: this afternoon after reaching the Continental Shelf, we then sailed a Rhumb Line course to New York Southeast of Nantucket Island and then entered the westbound traffic lane leading to New York harbor.

 

Today revolved around the 4P's: procrastination, paperwork, packing and pen pals. This morning, upon gazing from my balcony, it was overcast and warmer than the prior mornings. During the Commodore's noon weather report, he stated the wind was 40 knots (46 statute mph) Beaufort Scale Force 8 Gale while the swells were a mere 8 feet high (2.5 meters). The outside temperature was 68F (20 C) due primarily to the warm Gulf Current but as soon as we enter the Continental Shelf, the temperatures will drop. It rained most of the afternoon, abated during the sunset, and continued into the night. The howling Gale Force winds continued well into the night.

 

Competing with the 4P's were the final lectures and meals on board Queen Mary 2. The first lecture "The Statue Of Liberty" was presented by art historian Christine Roussel. When the restoration of the Statue of Liberty was about to begin, Christine Roussel was asked to help solve some of the technical problems on the statue. Over the next two years her company worked on different aspects of this extensive restoration. This gave her a unique opportunity to examine and be part of the team that restored this American icon. Her talk began with the with the statues history beginning with its French designer Frederick-Auguste Bartoldi, its construction in both Paris and New York, its various uses, and the restoration itself. Both archival and contemporary photos were great addition to the talk. The knowledge and information gained from her unique perspective as an "insider" during the restoration made this a great presentation.

The second lecture "Operational RNLI" By Maritime Historian Martin Woodward MBE. Martin Served Nearly 40 years With the RNLI and was Coxswain of the Bembridge lifeboat until reaching the age limit. During his talk he told gripping stories of wrecks and rescues, punctuated with photos.

 

After the lecture, I hightailed it up to the Chef's Galley for lunch and had my farewell cheeseburger, fries and salad. Since it was raining, I decided to go ahead and get my packing done, completed my Customs and cruise evaluation forms. After depositing my cruise evaluation form in the drop-box, I went to the purser's office and requested a printout of my shipboard account to make certain there would not be any surprises on disembarkation morning and everything was in order.

 

The farewell variety show for late seating was early at 7 PM before dinner, which I liked. The show featured headliners David Copperfield (the unusualist) and Mark Donaghue and was a fitting end to the entertainment program for this round-trip voyage.

 

"The Last Supper" in the Britannia Restaurant was good but the atmosphere was a bit subdued. After saying my goodbyes, I walked throughout the ship and replayed in my mind the wonderful memories of the last 22 days.

 

I will conclude my travelogue with an end-of-voyage summary in a few days.

 

Sea Day 16 Freeze Frames:

 

 

Where Is Everybody? …

 

 

… On The Sunny Side of The Ship

 

 

Leaving Clear Skies In Our Wake To Sunset

 

 

No Sunset Over Here

 

 

Sunset Worshipers Getting Ready

 

Oh those lazy, hazy & crazy crossing sea days! As always, life aboard Queen Mary 2 is great.

[PeaSea8ch]

 

Penultimate Sunset 1 of 4

 

 

Penultimate Sunset 2 of 4

 

 

Penultimate Sunset 3 of 4

 

 

Penultimate Sunset 4 of 4

 

 

Britannia Restaurant Chefs

 

Oh those lazy, hazy & crazy crossing sea days! As always, life aboard Queen Mary 2 is great.

[PeaSea8ch]

By the early hours of disembarkation morning, we entered the Sandy Hook pilot boarding area thereby marking the traditional end of the Atlantic Crossing. A local harbor pilot boarded at this position and assisted us through the Ambrose Channel and underneath the Verrazano Narrows Bridge which Queen Mary 2's funnel cleared by approximately 13 feet (4 meters).

 

I was up early for disembarkation and depression day. It was cold in New York and we were alongside pier 12 at 6:30 AM. I peered out from my balcony and the Statue of Liberty was in the same place as it was when I embarked 23 days ago. I then went up on deck and walked my final lap around Queen Mary 2 on Deck 6. After an early breakfast in the Britannia restaurant (service fast, efficient and appreciated by all), I was scanned off the ship for the last time at 8:35 AM and proceeded ashore to collect my luggage (both pieces were right next to each other), while passing through customs and immigration was a breeze. As I walk my way towards the exit, the lady overseeing the Cunard White Star luggage service, after seeing my FedEx airway bill was hermetically sealed & mechanically attached to my luggage handle, flagged me down and I left my bag there with her for collection by the Port agent and then FedEx (bag delivered to my home 2 days later). There were a lot of "meet and greet" personnel inside and outside the cruise terminal and getting the passengers on their way was handled very efficiently.

 

I was quickly directed to the waiting motor coaches for my transfer to JFK. The buses were parked in every other parking spot such that there was ample space to sort the luggage by airline for efficient loading into the coach cargo hold and also allow easy passenger access. Delta was the second bus stop and after checking in for my flight and clearing security, I was at their VIP lounge by 11 AM in plenty of time for my 3:30 PM flight home. After a smooth and uneventful flight, I arrived at my front door at 8:12 PM, thereby officially ending my wonderful holiday aboard Queen Mary 2.

 

I was looking forward to this RT crossing with much excitement and anticipation as it has been 3 years since I last sailed on Queen Mary 2 and the itinerary that included 17 sea days.

 

I experienced first class first class service in the Britannia restaurant during open seating breakfast & lunch and at my assigned table at late seating dinner. There was no bread “rationing” (a prior peeve of mine) during lunch and dinner as the waiters came by often offering bread. Cunard continues to master the people moving experience in the King's Court buffet area for breakfast, lunch, tea-time and late-night snack. Food was replenished quickly in the buffet lines and bread, fruit & dessert stations as required. The staff deftly walked the fine line between diligently / aggressively requesting to clear the tables. The wait-staff in the bars and lounges were also great. Even when I just wanted to sit and listen to the music and people watch there was never a problem in my not ordering a drink.

 

The only nit-picks, and this may sound petty, were: 1) many of the red reclining chairs in the Illuminations Planetarium need to have the locking mechanism for the seatback repaired or replaced. I sat in many of these chairs during the lectures and when sitting down and resting your back against the seat it falls to the most reclined position. 2) Cunard should start performing maintenance in the passenger balcony areas. In my case, there were several areas of corrosion on the inside surface of the hull shell plating welds on my hull balcony. There are areas of flaked off paint with exposed aluminum on the window frame and furniture. 3) I and another passenger I know did not receive a comment card for the Hamburg to Hamburg "Stars at Sea" segment. That could have been an oversight or maybe it was deliberate. I did give my comments regarding this segment on my Hamburg to New York City content card. About two weeks after returning home from my cruise, I received an email from Cunard which contained a link for an online review of the Hamburg to Hamburg segment. It was also identical to the cruise comment card format that we received on board except there were no text boxes to add comments, so I was glad I wrote my comments for the Hamburg to Hamburg segment on my Hamburg to New York cruise comment card.

 

Some wonderful changes have been made on Queen Mary 2 since my last sailing on her in 2010. Moving the Art Gallery and art auctions out of the Winter Garden, thereby making it an all day peaceful retreat. Repurposing the underused Chefs Galley from a nightly surcharged cooking demonstration and dinner to providing healthy breakfasts, made to order burgers, hot dogs & sandwiches for lunch and freshly made pizza for an alternate dinner option.

 

Aside form my nit-pick above, the QM2 public areas sparkled inside and out and a testament to the had working crew. Food, service and entertainment were great. I really appreciated Cunard having different guest entertainers for each of the three legs (EB crossing, 4 night “Stars at Sea” & WB crossing) I sailed for entertainment variety as well as the “in house” Royal Cunard Singers and Dancers, three different guest lecturers for the EB & WB crossings as well as entertainers at the bars and lounges before and after dinner. With so many options of things to do or not do all over the ship, no one can rightfully say that they were bored on the sea days for lack of activities. I also enjoyed my shore excursions Southampton Titanic Walking Trail and Snapshot of Hamburg. They were well run with excellent guides and drivers.

 

The crew, from many countries with the majority from India and The Philippines were all hard working, accommodating and always smiling. When the crew is happy I am happy too. The passengers were also very friendly and willing to share their travel and sailing experiences. I had new tablemates for each cruise segment. We all got along quire well and enjoyed each others company.

 

For me this 3-segment round trip crossing was a most wonderful vacation experience on QM2!

 

I will leave you with what I consider the best sunset of the voyage. Ironically, it was the final sunset before arriving in New York the following morning.

 

Best Crossing Sunset Freeze Frames:

 

 

Above The Horizon 1 of 5

 

 

Above The Horizon 2 of 5

 

 

Above The Horizon 3 of 5

 

 

Above The Horizon 4 of 5

 

 

Above The Horizon 5 of 5

 

Oh those lazy, hazy & crazy crossing sea days! As Always, life aboard Queen Mary 2 is great.

[PeaSea8ch]

 

Below The Horizon 1 of 5

 

 

Below The Horizon 2 of 5

 

 

Below The Horizon 3 of 5

 

 

Below The Horizon 4 of 5

 

 

Below The Horizon 5 of 5

 

Oh those lazy, hazy & crazy crossing sea days! As Always, life aboard Queen Mary 2 is great.

[Salacia]

Paul, thanks again for sharing your voyage; I enjoyed it very much.

 

Welcome home & Happy Holidays! -Regards, Salacia

[Oahucruiser]

Hurry up and go again so we can have the joy of reading your very positive reports and seeing your fabulous photos. Thanks!!