This morning we started the final leg of our journey. A car picked us up at 10:00 and we headed for Southampton and boarding the Queen Mary 2! We were looking forward to a relaxing crossing to New York.
We arrived at the allotted time for embarkation, 11:30. Boarding was about as complicated as any airport with baggage check and security before getting on board and trying to find our stateroom. While we had been on ships before, none as big as the QM2. Speaking of large, there was another boat in the terminal that was Gigantic. The Iona can accommodate over 5,000 passengers with a crew of 1,760.
We boarded our somewhat smaller ship on deck 3 and were told our stateroom would not be ready for a bit and we should first attend our muster station on deck 7 where we could also grab a bit of lunch.
We then found our stateroom, very nicely appointed. We decided to explore the ship and get familiar with the layout. Aside from other cabins, it seems everything goes from one bar or restaurant to another. We of course located where the dancing would be and where our dinner would be.
We returned to our cabin to relax with our “complimentary” bottle of champagne before dressing for dinner.
Day 26 & 27 – At Sea
The days seem to blend together as we look out the window of our stateroom, and the scene never changes.
There are many events throughout the day, lessons in bridge, dancing and others along with painting classes, trivia contests, darts and other games. We attended some lectures about Fabergé and about the architecture of the Gilded Age. This later, the lecturer often referred to the HBO series, noting that many of the characters are based on historic individuals or combinations of people. We also watched a 3-D movie about the sea and the interrelationships of species. And of course we did a wine tasting.
We had been concerned about being on a ship with over 2,000 passengers, but there are so many different venues and spaces for people to congregate that there is no feeling of being overwhelmed by the number of people.
The dress code, that we stressed about while packing was not always formal, though the evenings were always at least “smart attire”. Our evenings so far have been consistent, cocktails in one of the various bars, dinner in the Queen’s Grille, then dancing in the Queen’s Room.
The food is good, one night we had Dover Sole prepared table side, however, it is not always haute cuisine.
Monday, the 7th was a Gala evening (Red & Gold). Formal attire was suggested. Of course we were prepared.
