SUMMARY Our usual coffee in bed while catching up on the news, breakfast in the “healthy” dining area, 3-mile walk around deck 7 (just 9 laps - this ship is BIG!) Lunch at the pub where, for possibly the first time in our 44 year history, we ordered the same thing - their excellent chicken tikka masala. - Karen
DETAIL Today’s our last full day shipboard. Tomorrow at this time we’ll be docked in New York City. Well, truthfully we’ll be docked in Queens (Red Hook). Ending up in Queens seems very “on brand” for the Queen Mary 2.
Today the gods of transatlantic voyages has once again blessed us with sunny skies and calm seas. From our fearless captain we get our daily briefing. We’re 71 miles from Nantucket and only 250 miles from Manhattan. “White whales” have been reported in the area, as such we’ll be motoring at a paltry 10 knots. We’d love to see a whale but don’t have high hopes about that.
Regarding tomorrow, we’ll be passing through the Varrazzano Narrows around 5:30 a.m. and the passing Lady Liberty herself around 6:00. We certainly plan to be up for that. The captain tells us how many passengers will be disembarking in New York (most) and thus how many will be staying on the ship to “continue on” (well over 100). Passengers continuing on are just immediately doing yet another transatlantic crossing back to from whence they just came. This is something around which we cannot wrap our brains!
For today we pack, walk the deck, exercise in the gym and finally head to The Golden Lion Pub on deck 2 for lunch. Liz (Queen Elizabeth II) watches us as we enjoy some delightfully spicy chicken tikka.
Back in our cabin we pack some more and the reward ourselves for our hard work with a visit to the hot tubs. These are the indoor hot tubs. They continually make us eat our words about how cruise ship hot tubs are never hot enough.
Later we clean up, dress up, and head to the Corinthia Lounge on deck 7 for a couple of Negroni cocktails. After that we enjoy our last dinner at the specialty Italian restaurant. What were we thinking scheduling so many of these??
Chatting with our server I inquire about any famous people she’s see on board (not counting Karen). We’re told the 2020 film “Let them talk” with Meryl Streep was filmed on this very ship! We’ll have to give it another viewing.
To burn off a couple of dinner calories we walk the deck. The weather is delightful, the seas are calm and the sunset is beautiful. It’s as if we’re being teased with “Are you sure you want to get off??” Staying on, by the way, would have us on the ship’s 400th crossing of “the pond”. Yet another big event.
One last time Karen chooses to head back to the cabin to curl up with a good e-book and I go to the theater for 45 more minutes of Roy Orbison and Hollies’ tunes. It’s great fun and we again close out the show all singing “He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother,” waving our smartphones over our heads with the flashlight on. A good end to an enjoyable crossing.
Photos
Another beautiful day. It seems everyone's on the promenade deck either walking or reclining on a deck chair.
Karen worked out and walked the deck.
A portrait of Queen Liz gazed down on us as we enjoyed our spicy tikka masala
Our GPS shows that we're not all that far from the coast. Could we swim? We wonder but do not walkt to find out.
Negronis at the Corintia Bar? That we'll willing to do.
Last dinner at the specialty restaurant. Today it's branded for Italian food.
A walk on the deck after dinner. Lot's of opportunities for doing couples selfies in the reflections.
Another pretty sunset. Much earlier that in upper Norway.
Oooh, look! Another reflection!
Being silly around the spare propeller blades.
One last visit to hear songs of the Hollies and Roy Orbison.
The luggage carriers, lined up in the hallways, underline that most of us are disembarking tomorrow. Whaaa.
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