QM2 November 18th 2006

[mlleach]

What is the charge for Todd English?

ML

[oldsilverfox]

May I introduce a small note of caution to the embarkation plans on the 18th. without being seen as a total Party Pooper.

It probably would be prudent to remember that the ship is coming straight from a mini refit in Hamburg.

So.

The good news is that if it all goes well, she shouldn't have to worry about disembarking 2000-odd passengers and getting the ship turned around and ready again so hopefully we can all get on board fairly quickly.

The bad news is that if the program work in the yard overruns she could be late arriving. . . . . . . .

The best suggestion that I can think of is to try the ship's webcams the day before, or webcams around the Hamburg port to confirm that she is on schedule. The Southampton port traffic forecast should also give a last minute update.

I truly hope that I am totally wrong on this but I also don't like unexpected suprises.

See you all on board in the Golden Lion, sometime after embarkation.

[mlleach]

What should we expect as far as weather?

ML

[sirdavid]

The charge for dinner is $30.00 and I think $20.00 for lunch, but not sure about lunch.

Here is the link to Cunards Menu's for all Dinning Rooms, click on Todd English to see the menu.

http://www.cunard.com/OurShips/default.asp?Ship=QM2&main=din&sub

See you next week!

David

[Spike_Spiegel]

Hello, everyone!

 

Here's hoping the Golden Lion is ready for us at 4:00 PM the 18th!

 

Donna, I'm sure you can find some encouragement (or at least commiserating!) from Maria for the gym! She hopes to make it there as well ... perhaps the two of you can manage a workout together. Sorry to hear your 'dry run' pack didn't go so well ... ours turned out alright. (Hope we didn't overlook anything important!)

 

We will have some warmer clothing along for the Caribbean leg of our trip, but doubt we will have to break it out on the QM2 (except perhaps the last day?).

 

Just over a week before we fly out!

 

See you all soon,

 

- Spike

[surprisedwifey]

Hello all!

I haven't posted for awhile, I figured "Spike" has been posting enough to cover the both of us! I can't believe the trip is almost here and we are getting so excited! We have luggage and shoes and formalwear everywhere. Packing is making me nuts trying to get it all together but hopefully we won't forget anything important.

Can't wait to be in the Golden Lion with you all. See you there!

Maria

[mlleach]

Just found out there is only one informal and 3 casual nights. Now to adjust my packing.

 

Does anyone know which nights are formal?

ML

[sirdavid]

I asked if anyone knew the schedue and got this reply;

From bronbeth

"Hi David,

This information came from Cunard:

Nov 18 - Casual

Nov 19 - Formal

Nov 20 - Formal

Nov 21 - Semi-formal

Nov 22 - Semi-formal

Nov 23 - Formal

Nov 24 - Casual

 

Hope this is helpful,

Beth."

 

I don't know if this information matches what you have.

Regards

David

[bronbeth]

Hi Everyone,

 

We are also on this crossing to Fort Lauderdale. I'm Beth and I'm travelling with my mother, Sandra. Not too much longer to wait! Looking forward to meeting you all.

 

The dress code information was sent to me by the Cunard UK office a few weeks ago. I asked specifically (mainly to figure out what we'd need to pack for the QE2 part of our trip) and this was the answer I received. Hope it hasn't changed - I'm having enough trouble packing as it is!:D

 

Spike - on my last crossing, the jacuzzi and pools were still open around 2am. They were closed at some point (for draining and cleaning) but I don't know at what time.

 

Could anyone recommend a good restaurant in Southampton?

 

Regards,

Beth.

[sirdavid]

Greetings to all,

I am just about to leave the house for Syracuse airport and JetBlue to New York's JFK and then the evening MaxJet flight to Stansted.

Both Baiba and I are looking forward to meeting you all on the Queen Mary 2.

See you in The Golden Lion pub on the 18th.

David:):):):):)

[cusyl]

Bon Voyage Sir David & All Of You Lucky Cunarders :d

[oldsilverfox]

Hi Beth,

This is a tricky one as it does depend on your tastes.

However if you go downtown to Oxford Street one block north of the Dock Gate 4 there is as fairly wide range of restaurants. I would describe it as being akin to the Gaslight area in many older US towns.

I have eaten in the Dock Gate restaurant in the corner of the old Southwestern Hotel building and it suited me very well.

BUT please remember it will be the (next!!!!) weekend and most good places are very busy.

Hope that this helps

David

aka The Oldsiverfox.

[bronbeth]

Hi David,

Thanks for the information - We'll probably just eat at the Devere (as usual) but it'd be nice to try somewhere else.

Less than a week to go!

Beth

[mlleach]

Anyone getting excited?

ML

[maryt2516]

Absolutely!!!! We leave for London Wednesday night and are swamped right up until an 1/2 hour before we need to leave for the airport. I started a trial packing yesterday and have become more of a realist as I imagined repeatedly dragging these bags around. I've done a giant shoe purge this morning. As excited as I am about going, I don't want it to be over!

 

Mary

[Spike_Spiegel]

Excited?

 

YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT!!!

 

Allow me to thank Donna for the thread ... and all of the rest of you for helping the time pass in such an entertaining way! (Special commendations to those of you CC-ers who aren't even on our crossing but spent time chatting with us anyway and sharing your knowledge & experiences!)

 

WE MADE IT!!! My preparations for this trip go back more than a year, and we have finally reached the week of departure. I expect this could be my last post before the crossing.

 

Our flight out leaves in almost exactly 60 hours! It will be a long day (and night) getting across the pond, but hopefully will arrive with energy to spare. Lord, I just hope I'm not forgetting anything important!

 

I can almost taste that first pint in the Golden Lion!

 

Thanks also to ALL of you for helping get this very special event off to a great start ... you have all been a wonderful "part of the surprise".

 

See you soon!

 

- Spike

aka Eric

[travel-to-go]

Spike!

(Okay, Eric, but just this once) and "surrprised wifey"

 

Have a marvelous time! We expect to hear ALL about it on your return.

 

Wish I were there tipping one to you!

 

Wifey,

(well, Maria)

He's a keeper, I think!

Have a great time, and keep him in line.

 

Full accounting when you return

 

Karie,

who is certainly jealous!

[jgsmuzzy]

I hope you guys have a great time! One is rather jealous having got off the ship on Saturday just gone.

 

One thing that is puzzling me though. Isn't your proposed meeting time when the boat drill will be held on 7 deck?

[legospice]

Have a good flight Spike and Maria, i dont leave until Saturday. Safe journeys to everyone else, see you all soon.

 

Hadnt thought of the lifeboat drill, but i will be in the Golden lion from about 3ish anyway, look out for me i have short dark hair with either blonde streaks or pink streaks (havent decided which yet) and will be with mother who is a bit shorter than me with short light brown hair and glasses.

 

Donna

[mlleach]

Finishing the packing, then off to work for half a day. We fly out of Orlando tonight. See you at the pub tomorrow.

ML

[daveoc]

I'm sat at home in front of my PC here in Southampton looking out at torrential rain, black sky and gale force winds!!:(

 

However, you will be please to know that the local forecast is for a clear overnight and sunshine tomorrow with a high of 11degrees.:)

 

Dave

[mlleach]

Thanks for the weather update.

ML

[mlleach]

Thanks for the weather update.

ML

[travel-to-go]

I don't know if anyone from this trip is checking the boards, but reports are you could have an incredible chance to see some spectacular showing of the Leonids meteor shower tonight into tomorrow morning (depending on the time zone you are in. For Zulu time (Greenwich Mean Time) it should be around 4:45 AM, For the Canadian Maritimes and Bermuda that would be around 12:45 AM tomorrow morning. (1:15 in Newfoundland) for the Eastern United States that would be fairly low on the ENE Horizon near the Sickle of Leo. In Western and Central Europe, that would be high in the Southeast sky, slightly before dawn (just before twilight). If the ship is closer to the US, there is a possibility that these might appear as low "earth-grazing" meteors which could skim a path parallel to the earth's surface and make specatcular long trails. I'm not sure what kind of path you are taking to FLL. Perhaps a word to the navigation staff or the Captain could result in him trying to position the ship to best advantage. after all, they are sure to know about this, as it is part of their duties to know how to sail by the stars.

The reason for this brief but spectacular show is that we may be nearing a dust trail from Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle. Ordinarily the Leonids would be relatively weak, about 10 meteors per hour becasue it has been so long since the comet passed. Because of the proximity to this dust trail, we could see meteors at an astounding rate of as many as two to four per minute. This show will only experience that sort of intensity around 20 minutes, but should be quite bright, as we are nearing a new moon.

For more info, see here:

http://www.space.com/spacewatch/061117_leonid_guide.html

 

Good luck. I plan to stay up and watch for this, since it isn't too late on the East Coast of the US. Unfortunately, since it will be low on the horizon here, and I live in a wooded area, I may not see much. But on the ship, you folks may get a fabulous show from mother nature, if there is no cloud cover!

 

Karie,

who loves living so far from light polluting civilization, as I get brilliant star shows, even without the meteor showers on clear nights.

[jgsmuzzy]

Well she is in the mouth of the Solent, so the people travelling on her will currently be drinking champagne in the Pavillion bar on the sailaway. Lucky buggers!:p