The Grand Finale

25^th Apr – Bon Voyage

We breakfasted at a café down the road, and then checked out of our hotel and once again crammed all five cases, bags, fishing rods and ourselves into a taxi to head for pier 90.

As we approached the pier we got our first glimpse of Cunard’s “Queen Victoria”. Out of the taxi we piled and purloined two trollies to transport our luggage to the check-in where we were assured it would all be delivered direct to our state room. After a short wait we boarded the ship and headed straight up to our state room where a bottle of Champagne awaited us. It was nicely chilled so it would have been a shame not to open it. Afterwards we went to explore the ship; but maybe we should have done that before opening the Champagne…… Oops.

At lunch in the self-service Lido restaurant we met Brian.  He flew over from UK yesterday, employed especially to act as dance partner for the dance classes during the week.  He did this on a variety of cruises as a full time job.  We met him several times during our voyage.

Upon returning to our state room some of our cases were missing.  We discovered we had been upgraded to a better room but we were now on the port side of the ship, and we had specifically booked the starboard side so that we could get some sun on the balcony which would be south-facing on our easterly voyage.  A trip down to the Pursers Office to sort things out also revealed our missing cases.  Another state room on deck eight would be made available for us but not until Monday afternoon.

When the ship was ready to depart we went up onto the top deck to wave farewell to the streets of Manhattan.

Many of the other passengers were also up on the top deck; bar staff were on hand for ordering cocktails. 

 

Two coast guard gun-boats escorted us out of the NYC harbour and then we followed the coast in a north-easterly direction.

Our evening meal was the late sitting at 8.30pm – which gave plenty of time to visit one of the many cocktail bars.

Alison always had the Cocktail of the Day as this was a good way to try a new drink each day.   

26^th Apr – The Queen Victoria

We had breakfast in the buffet Lido restaurant as the main restaurant hours did not suit our morning routine (ie we didn't get up in time). We then went to one of the presentations by Simon Dinsdale, a retired Detective Chief Inspector from Essex.  He gave a very interesting talk on “How to Catch a Murderer” – referring to a specific case he had worked on. 

In order to adjust to the time difference that we were heading towards, the ship put the clock forward by an hour at noon on 5 different days of the voyage. Today was one of the days.

We spent some more time familiarising ourselves with the ship; the spa facilities; the outdoor swimming pool and hot tub; the Queens room where the ballroom dances were held; the casino, shops, and art gallery.


Having entered service in 2007 the ship had undergone a refit in January 2015 so everything was ship-shape. 

We were not sure if the ship was carrying the full passenger capacity of 1997 (crew 981) but we did hear that 800 passengers got on at NYC.  There were also a number of people who had been on the ship since Sydney or LA and some were on board for the full 102 day voyage that began in January.
 

Although this evening was not a formal one, gentlemen still had to wear jackets for dinner; and denim, after 6pm, was “considered inappropriate”.  At the cocktail bar we chatted to some people from Guernsey (Alan/Chris/Stewart/Ann).  We also met Eric and Lyn at the table adjoining us in the

restaurant.

27^th Apr – Change of Room

After only 2 days on board we realised we were eating too much so today we just had coffee and cereal for breakfast.  To celebrate the Cunard 175^th Anniversary a variety of Cunard memorabilia were displayed in the Queens room in the morning. Then another talk by Simon Dinsdale about “Being a Body Guard” – a job he had done for Princess Anne.

We both attended the blackjack ‘teach-in’ in the casino.  To encourage further participation in the blackjack games we were given some “free chips”; so we spent some more of our time (and money) at the tables.  We managed to break-even after half an hour so left with chips in hand for another day.

By mid-day we were 750 miles from NYC and still had over 2500 miles to go before reaching the UK.  The clocks did not change today and as we had now been moved to a stateroom on deck 8 (the ship had 10 decks) we went to our room to unpack properly.  This was also an opportunity to catch up with some washing and use the free laundry.  This proved to be an ideal place to chat to fellow passengers.

Afternoon tea was delightful; small sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, plus cakes and a choice of tea.  It was a very relaxing and sociable way to pass the time.

We then joined in the “fun skittles” on deck 10; this included activities such as standing on one leg to throw the ball.  We were well into the middle of the Atlantic by now and deck 10 proved to be a pretty blustery place!

Afterwards Alison went for a stroll; 3 times around deck 3 = 1 mile.  The ship is nearly 1000ft long and 106 feet wide.  It was noticeable that the crew were either putting away the deck chairs or tying them down.  Were we heading for some ‘weather’?

Tonight was a formal evening and also the Commodore’s cocktail hour for those who had boarded at NYC.  However because we had moved cabins today our invitation was not delivered to our room; even though we had returned the invitation for the previous occupants of our new room. 

Having seen the queue of people waiting to go in for the cocktails we did not feel disappointed.  Of course that did not stop us from having our own cocktails where we met Wes & Sharon from North Carolina.

After our evening meal we went to the 10pm showing of the Song and Dance performance in the Theatre; a varied routine with some superb costumes.

28^th Apr – Moderate to Rough

We really noticed the difference of location in our new stateroom.  We were now higher up and near the front of the ship and had spent the night being rocked to sleep as it bobbed up and down and back and forth.  Apparently at around 5am we had passed within 35 miles of the location of where the Titanic disaster had occurred.

We had to get up early to have our passports checked by immigration in preparation of our landing in UK.  This would mean we did not have to go through passport control when we docked.  Then after breakfast we attended a lecture by Sir Terry Waite.  Part way through the presentation the Commodore made an announcement that the ship had to stop for some essential maintenance on the engine. Sir Terry talked of the lead up to his abduction in Lebanon in 1987, and time in solitary confinement.  He made us all smile when he described drawing penguins in an attempt to get one of his guards to obtain books for him to read.

At noon the clocks went forward again and announcements described the crossing as “Moderate to Rough”.  At afternoon tea we sat with co-diners Eric and Lyn.  Afterwards Alison battled the “bracing air” as she clocked up 2 miles around deck 3. 

A quick dip in the pool was more like swimming in a rough sea.  The water sloshed back and forth like a wave-making machine with such a strong force you needed to hang onto the railings to be safe, but it was fun.

Cocktails started in the Commodore bar, on the top deck at the front of the ship, and we looked out to sea as the sun set behind us.  One of the bar staff told of a time the waves reached the window.  As we are on deck 10 that is really rough weather! Then we went down to the Mid-ship bar where we were becoming ‘regulars’.  After dinner we saw Brian dancing with passengers in the Queens Room and then spent some time listening to the Jazz band in the Lions Bar.  Paul also checked out the casino but all the card tables were full.

29^th Apr – Still Sailing

We had ordered room service for early morning tea and coffee on two occasions.  Our only complaint with the impeccable service was that this was not hot enough.  On the way to the morning’s talk we paused to watched the ship’s chef’s doing fruit and vegetable carving demonstrations.  Aldon Ferguson was the presenter on the D-Day Landings for this morning.

We also attended a complimentary demonstration on massage; however Paul was still feeling the effects of the ‘moderate to rough’ crossing and had to leave half way through.

Another lecture in the afternoon was about the Titanic.  Is this the best subject whilst crossing the Atlantic?  Paul had to leave before the end; a motion sickness tablet and some fresh air on the balcony helped.  Although we were not sailing in ‘bad’ weather there was a lot of movement within the ship especially on the higher decks. Meanwhile Alison went out on deck 3 again but some of the areas were closed off so she made her way to the running machines in the gym.  Due to the ships movement walking (whilst holding the handles) was the only option on the machines.  This was followed by a dip in the hot tub as the swimming pool had been emptied.

 

Another formal evening and the official photographers were busy. Cocktails, dinner and then we headed up to the Commodore bar for the 007 quiz.  In the Hemispheres bar there was an Abba hour and Alan & Christine, who were celebrating their anniversary, joined Alison on the dance floor. Watching everyone sway to the music and then lurch in unison as the ship hit a wave was rather amusing.  Eventually we got to bed around 1am.

30^th Apr – Slightly Calmer Seas

Paul was feeling brighter today as he found his sea-legs.  We attended another lecture by Simon Dinsdale on “Hi-jacking”.  We gave the showing of the film The Theory of Everything a miss, and enjoyed afternoon tea again.  This was followed by a brisk 2 mile walk around deck 3 to work up an appetite for dinner. 

The ship seemed virtually empty when we went for pre-dinner cocktails.  The evening entertainment was specially programmed to be early for those of us at the late seating for dinner so we watched a clever magician for ¾ hour.  Strolling around the ship before dinner we spent time chatting to various passengers that we knew.  Then after dinner we joined Alan/Chris/Stewart/Ann for drinks in the Hemispheres Bar.  However it was too noisy for conversation as the band were playing so when Stewart and Ann went to watch the late film the rest of us headed for our rooms.

1^st May – The Penultimate Day

Breakfast was followed by another talk by Aldon Ferguson about the Berlin airlift; a subject Alison was particularly interested in.  As Aldon often gives the talk to Americans audience his information was primarily sourced from the USA contribution to the airlift efforts.

A second talk by Sir Terry Waite followed on.  It covered the period leading up to and following his release in 1991.

The sun was out today and the swimming pool had been refilled, so passengers were making the most of it and the outside decks were busy.  After our sushi lunch we finally got to spend some time on our balcony in the sun.  Then Paul attended a get-together organised by Mr Ferguson for serving and ex-service personnel.  The room was a little small as he had not expected so many people to turn up.  The eldest attendee was a 92-year old gentleman.

Meanwhile Alison went line-dancing.  As it was located up on the top deck the movement of the ship was accentuated.  At one point everyone stepped to the right just as the ship lurched to the right and one lady went sprawling across the floor.  Fortunately she was alright.

Rosario & Carlo

Our last formal evening and we have a special treat of lobster for dinner. However Alison chose the goose as she had never had that before. The waiters and chefs are applauded as they paraded around the room. 

 

Our waiters, Rosario and Carlo, had been most attentive during our stay and their service was impeccable.

Carlo had been working on cruise liners for 18 years and was about to retire.  Several of the staff we chatted to have worked for Cunard for a number of years; usually 9 months working and 3 months at home.  However the hours they work are not to be envied and they rarely get time in port.

After dinner we headed to the black jack tables in the casino.  Alison lost all her chips in the first 10 minutes so she left Paul to it and went to watch the late song and dance show which had a movie theme.  Afterwards she joined Allen/Chris/Stewart/Ann in the Karaoke bar (they were pretending to be backing singers).

After 2 hours at the tables Paul joined everyone for a last drink; having finished with a $10 profit! and gaining all Alison's losses back.

2^nd May – Final Day on Board

Paul was up early and fetched some croissants for breakfast as Alison was having a lie-in.  Paul attended the last talk by Simon Dinsdale on the “Ipswich Murders” – a case he worked on in 2006.  Meanwhile Alison had a Tango dance lesson with Dennis and also chatted with Brian again.

As this was our last full day at sea we made some preparations for our departure, such as packing and paying the bill.  We had qualified for on-board credit when we booked the cruise so the damage was not too painful.  The ship made announcements including the birth of the new Princess.  The ship had been collecting donations towards the Nepal Earthquake disaster and had reached over $3000 so far.  The Commodore also said this had been one of the smoothest crossings he had experienced over the Atlantic! Let’s hope we don’t cross again in rough weather.

The last talk on the cruise was by one of the Ship’s Navigators about the Bridge.  A choir had been formed by some of the ship’s passengers and they sang for half an hour in the Grand Lobby.

On our way out in the evening the corridors were full of suitcases ready for collection.  We kept a small case for our overnight things to take with us tomorrow.

Again there was an early showing of the entertainment, for the late seating dinners, so we listened to the comedian before cocktails and dinner.  We were given a booklet of all the menus we had been served as a memento of our 8 day cruise.

We visited some of the bars after our meal and met up with our Guernsey friends one last time.  The ship was surprisingly quiet; most people were having an early night in preparation of a long day tomorrow.  We knew we were sailing along the southern coast of UK by now but could not see anything in the darkness.

3^rd May – The Three Queens

By the time we woke at 6.30am the ship had passed the Isle of Wight and was cruising gently up the Solent.  We watched from our balcony as we drew near the docks but to be honest Southampton Docks are not picturesque.

So an early breakfast in the Lido restaurant for the final time.  Then we collected our carry-on luggage and waited in the Theatre until our due time to disembark was announced.  Without having to queue at any immigration desk we walked straight out, collected the remainder of our luggage and were looking for our car rental desk shortly after 9.30am. 

We eventually spotted the courtesy bus to the car rental office, but were a bit early for our noon booking.  So arrangements were changed, along with the car we had booked.  We then drove to friends, Carol & Brian, who were going to put us up for a couple of nights until we got ourselves sorted.  As we hadn’t seen them for a year we had a bit of catching up to do.

As part of the 175^th anniversary celebrations Cunard had all 3 of their “Queens” in Southampton today. The Queen Mary 2 (the biggest), and sister ships Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria sailed out of Southampton just after 6.30pm that evening. 

We went down to watch their departure. Through the binoculars from our vantage point we could see one of the Guards regimental Bands, in their Busby’s, serenading Queen Mary 2 from the dock. It was quite something to see the huge ships manoeuvre out of their moorings, turn around and follow each other out of the Solent in the evening sunshine.

 

And that as they say “The rest is history” Our long term travelling in the USA had come to an end.

After visiting 37 States, covering over 42,000 miles in three years of travelling, it was time for a rest. Only a short rest as next week we head for County Durham with a group of friends for our annual walking holiday.

 

Final Journey by road.

 New York

22^nd Apr – Travel to New York

Having spent the previous day visiting family friend Karen, in Mechanicsburg and going to the
cemetery to pay our respects to Karen’s mum "Jean", and playing with two of Karen’s granddaughters, we set off along I-78, toward the “Big Apple”.
 Somehow the iPads GPS came up with a different route into and through NYC than we had initially planned. 
 It took us through Holland Tunnel and all around the edge of Lower Manhattan on Route 9A.  This route cost us over $16 in tolls.  At least the iPad worked underground and we still had a map to read.
 

We drove over Queensboro Bridge and the final 2.5 miles took forever – soooo much traffic.  At the car rental drop-off point, in Queens, we loaded up a Yellow Cab with all our baggage; 5 suitcases, 3 back packs + fishing rods – we were packed in like sardines! 


 

Our Romanian taxi driver was very chatty as he took us back over to Manhattan and through Central Park to our hotel on 79^th Street, near the Natural History Museum.  After we had settled into our room we took a stroll through a section of Central Park as it was only a block away.  With a chilly wind and drizzle it was not the best of evenings. We walked around the Jacqueline Onassis Reservoir passing people walking dogs or jogging or cycling – certainly a well-used park for exercising.
 

After our stroll we had a nice meal in a nearby Italian Restaurant and then back to our hotel.  At around midnight we woke up absolutely boiling; the heating system seemed to have gone into over-drive.  The pipes clanked, gurgled, clunked and hissed.  We opened the window and traffic noise led to a disturbed night.

23^rd Apr – New York City

After hotel maintenance assured us the heating system would be turned off tonight we set off to explore the city.  We walked down through the southern half of Central Park. The Park is 2.5 miles long and half a mile wide and covers 843 acres. It was a lovely sunny day but the chilly wind meant it stayed below 10C all day – such a change from 28C in NC.

We visited Strawberry Fields – dedicated in 1985 to John Lennon.  From there we could see the Dakota building where he used to live and someone was playing a guitar singing a Beatles song. 

There were a variety of statues around the Park – Robbie Burns and Sir Walter Scott were two.  We wandered around the ponds and lakes bordered by flowering trees.  After the fountain at Bethesda Terrace we walked under the Mall with its painted ceiling.

As we walked down the Mall path a shout goes up and Alison turned to see a woman running towards Paul with arms open wide and embracing in a bear-hug. Who would believe we would meet a friend from UK in the middle of Central Park!  Sarah from the Wessex H3 was on holiday here for a week. 
 

Hugs all round and then we carried on in search of some breakfast. We considered a hot dog from one of the many vendors in the park with their mobile food trollies.  It can cost as much as $280,000 for a licence to sell food from these mobile trollies in Central Park.  However it was too cold to eat Al Fresco so we found a café.

We continued heading south towards Grand Central Terminal.  This huge building was more than a train station.  The ceiling was painted with signs of the zodiac.  There were tables displaying working examples of various IT gadgets.  We went down stairs to the Oyster Bar and then back up to the Food Hall where they were selling fresh produce.  However we never did understand a word announced on the tannoy system.

 

We wandered the streets and explored until the time came to join the queue for the Rockefeller Tower.  Fortunately we had pre-booked as the next available time would have been nearly 3 hours later. An elevator with a glass ceiling took us 70 floors up to The Top of The Rock where we enjoyed fantastic views of all the landmarks of NYC.

We got to Time Square around 4pm.  People were milling everywhere surrounded by enormous bill-boards advertising shows, and some costumed-characters posing for photos with tourists.

At the end of the day we walked back through Central Park to our hotel.


 

24^th Apr – NYC

We travelled south, by subway, to the World Trade Centre and Ground Zero 9/11 museum. Most of the museum is below ground and was darkly lit. It began with the history of the building of the Twin Towers and then continued with a time-line covering the events of 11 Sep 01 with personal narratives from survivors.  There were some films and also a section on the bombers and the global significance of the event.  It was a very respectful memorial to the 2997 people who lost their lives on 11Sept 2001 as well as the attack on 26 Feb 93.
 

Afterwards we walked through the Commons Historic District, watched street performers and then  
walked halfway over Brooklyn Bridge with the traffic below us.  There were numerous padlocks attached to the bridge with dates and peoples initials.

We visited Foley Square; saw the very grand buildings of NYPD HQ and Justice of the Peace.  We headed into China Town and browsed through Columbus Park where we watched elderly Chinese men playing board games in the sunshine and heard some Chinese music performed.  The food shops were fascinating and reasonably priced fresh fish compared to the Grand Central Station food hall yesterday.

We carried on to Washington Square Park in the neighbourhood of Greenwich Village.  Initially it was used as a military parade ground in the early 19^th century and is now a park with a fountain and bordered by a row of Greek Revival style houses on the north side. 

We then caught the subway up to Times Square and walked west along 43^rd Street
towards the harbour, stopping off for a meal of some New York Style steaks. We then boarded a boat for our Night Lights Harbour cruise.  This took us on the Hudson River around Lower Manhattan.  The river used to be very polluted but efforts to clean it up over the years have been 100% successful.  We saw many of the NYC landmarks including the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building all flood-lit.  It was a lovely finish to the day and we returned to our hotel via a yellow cab. 

We then set about packing for tomorrows departure.