We had a smooth ride to New York. A friend of mine travels
to NY twice a month and had given me her favorite route. We really appreciate
her suggestion. There was traffic, but it was always moving at a decent speed
all the way to Brooklyn, NY. The transaction with Enterprise Car Rentals also
was a great experience. Everything went without a hitch. We loaded our luggage
in front of our home and unloaded it right in front of the terminal onto
provided luggage carts. We arrived about 30 minutes early and proceeded through
the check-in line without delay. There were minimal waiting times and
everything seemed to be very organized and coordinated.
Once in our State Room, our luggage was delivered and we
were able to store some in the closet, and the big ones under the bed. By now
we were hungry and visited the buffet on the 7. floor. Delicious food and plenty variety. We now had
some time to do first exploration of the ship. It had turned very windy and we
needed 2 tug boats to keep the Queen at the pier. At 4:00 pm we gathered for
safety drill and instructions. It took place in the gym since it was too windy
and rainy outside.
We were supposed to leave at 5:30 pm and we decided to go
out on deck to watch. There was not much to see today. Lower Manhattan was hidden
in thick clouds and the financial district was not much better. Even the Statue
of Liberty was fogged in. The wind, the rain and the fog made the Captain skip
the Lady Liberty drive-by and finally, at about 6:15 pm, we headed out to see.
With the Ship picking up speed the wind and rain increased and we had to go put
some more clothes on, but came back outside just in time to pass under the Verrazano Bridge – with only a few feet to spare.
While sitting on deck we already met some people from
Hamburg, Germany on their way home. Now it was time to get ready for dinner.
The first night was an informal night. We were ready early and went for a walk
to see what all we can do in the next 10 days. The ship is beautiful!
Dinner was scheduled at 8:30 pm and we were assigned to a
table with a British couple and two gentlemen from Ohio. Both parties are
experienced cruisers. We were informed
that we are not on a cruise or on a cruise ship but on a crossing – to be
specific, on a transatlantic crossing. The Queen Mary is very different from other
cruise ships. The hull is V-shaped to cut deep into the water while cruise ships
have a somewhat flat bottom.
It was difficult to decide what to select from the dinner
menu. We decided for a Liver Pate with
honey glazed cranberry onions and bread as the appetizer. As the Entrée I chose
portabella mushroom with chicken and Tom had a seafood fettuccini. Caramel
Pecan pie with vanilla ice cream completed the meal for me.
Now we are rather tired and will not indulge in available
activities but get some sleep.
