Days 21 and 22 at Sea

Saturday and Sunday 26th and 27th January 2018

Saturday.  Cruising across the Gulf of Panama, light winds, calm seas and lots of sun today.  Coast of Panama sometimes just visible in the distance.  The ship being followed by seabirds, Brown Boobies (these look like Gannets in disguise).  Spotted a few flying fish, which seem to be the target prey of the Boobies, and the occasional Turtle.  Still a dearth of Dolphins.

Sunday.  Continuing north(ish) just out of sight of the coasts of  Costa Rica, Nicaragua and El Salvador.  Another lovely day, still being followed by the Boobies.  Still in the Trade Winds, slightly stronger today and more whitecaps.

Today is “Sports Day” for the ships crew and staff.  All good fun  entertainment with a selection of slightly silly races and fancy dress competitions.  Just before the final race things rather interrupted by the appearance of a large pod of Dolphins leaping alongside the ship.  Our first proper sighting.  Meanwhile the team of the Singers and Dancers won the sports day prize.

Also today more turtles and what appeared to be rays leaping out of the sea.

This afternoon the NFL Pro-Bowl was on the TV.  So took a break form the deck to enjoy some American Football.

Dinner again tonight in the main restaurant followed by a trip to the theatre for the Cunard Singers with the full Cunard Orchestra, all 19 of them, with tonight’s show “Sing”, a mix of contemporary musical theatre, pop and classic songs.

Clocks back again tonight.

Day 20 Panama Canal Transit

Friday 26th January 2018

The 51 mile Panama canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans across the isthmus of Panama saving ships the long journey around Cape Horn.  The first attempt to construct a canal by the French in 1880 failed due to finance and disease.  The US later agreed with the now independent Panama  in 1904 to proceed with construction of the canal. The Panama Canal finally opened in 1914.  The expansion of the canal began in 2007 and was inaugurated in 2016.  Three locks allow ships to rise to the level of the artificial Lake Gatun, about 85ft above sea level and back down again.  The original locks are 110ft wide and 965ft long, the new locks are 160ft wide and 1400ft long, allowing for much larger ships to now pass than the old Panamax size.

A very early start today, up and awake 45mins before the alarm which I thought was set early enough.  Already approaching Gatun Locks.  Weather today was very hot, not a cloud in the sky all day.  Steady progress up through the locks across Gatun Lake, through the narrows on past Gamboa and the local prison (prisoners were out in the yards, waving and whistling to each passing ship) and on toward San Miguel and Mira Flores locks and the Pacific Ocean.

Our transit cost Cunard (or is that the passengers?) about half a million dollars, about 50,000 dollars an hour! for our 10 hour trip through.

Not much wildlife in the canal except a crocodile and lots of vultures looking out for a meal of anything else which was foolish enough to  have been out on the heat and had expired from the experience.

One way traffic through the narrows

Emerging from The Canal cruised by Panama City, looking very prosperous, and out into the Pacific, lots of cargo ships waiting for their passage.

Australia Day today, but no obvious celebration on board.

Day 19 at Sea

Thursday 25th January 2018

Today running parallel to the coast of South America, mainly Columbia, quite breezy with the Trade Winds and a white capped sea.

Hoping for some dolphin spotting, but not looking promising.  Not much going on today so just in and out of the sun squeezing in the occasional snack.

Dinner tonight in the main restaurant, Burns Night tonight, so its Haggis, Neeps and Tatties.  Tasted OK but I recon it would be a total embarrassment to any Scot onboard.

Haggis, Neeps and Tatties, just a starter!

Off to the theatre tonight for the Cunard Singers and Dancers production of “Palladium Nights”, a tribute to the TV programme.  A selection of numbers by featured artists such as Tom Jones.

Finished the evening off with watching the “Address to the Haggis” in the Queens Room.  A reading of the words of Robbie Burns in Scots with an English translation.  The haggis on display looked a bit more convincing!

Clocks back again tonight.

Day 18 Oranjestad, Aruba

Wednesday 24th January 2018

Aruba, the ‘A’ of the ABC islands off the coast of Venezuela, once a member of the Netherlands Antilles, now stands independently, having gained autonomy in 1986. Mother Nature has spread her charm, covering the island with a beautiful landscape, rocky deserts, blond beaches, gentle surf, colourful cacti and secluded coves.

Constant trade winds bring cool breezes and cause the divi-divi trees to slope southwesterly. European influence shows in architecture that features Dutch gables painted in tropical pastels. It’s also evident in language, with English, Dutch and Spanish spoken alongside the local tongue, Papiamento.

Today berthed in Aruba.

No great rush today but no time to hang about either, our plan is for an independent trip to the beach.

So straight after breakfast off ashore.  A short walk and just across the road to the bus station.  Bought two return bus tickets and got onto the bus, route 10, luckily no wait at all.  The bus took us out of town and along the coast, Eagle Beach looked very nice, but we had chosen Palm Beach, so on for a few more minutes to our stop.  Just across the road found access the beach.  We had wondered about a day pass to one of the big hotels here but instead we chose just a couple of loungers under a thatched roof just nearby.  Five dollars each for the day with everything we needed.  Lots of bars and beach/water activities on offer, but who needs more than a fine sand beach, clear blue sea and more than enough sunshine?

View of our Loungers

Divi-Divi Tree

After enough sun and swimming we took the bus back to town.  A very quick look at the shops and then back on board our ship.  A very successful day, I do like it when a plan comes together.

View over the town from the ship

Just enjoyed the sun on our balcony until sailaway, then dinner in the buffet and then some time to relax.

Day 17 at Sea

Tuesday 23rd January 2018

Late start today, body clock all over the place.  Luckily nothing waiting for our attention.

Morning trivia and breakfast out of the way got slicked up with sun screen and went out on deck to enjoy our first proper sunny day.  Still rather windy but very warm, with just a light mist of salt spray rising from the ship’s bow. 

Trying to avoid any excess of rays moved in under cover for a late coffee and then went to the matinee performance by The McDonald Brothers, another excellent show, they certainly are a talented pair.  Just goes to show what can be achieved if you start your music lessons when you are 6 or 7 and start performing in public when aged 9, then with a bit of luck and getting on a televised talent show  you can create a career in music.

Dinner tonight in the main restaurant, the first time we have sat down to our dinner before sunset! 

Day 16 Ocho Rios, Jamaica

Monday 22nd January 2018

Jamaica, originally inhabited by the Arawak and Taino people, later colonised by the Spanish and then by the British, independent from 1962.  A Caribbean island nation with a lush topography of  blue mountains, green valleys, white water and reef-lined golden sand beaches. Jamaica is famed as the birthplace of reggae music and Bob Marley.

Ocho Rios (eight Rivers) is a port town on the north coast of Jamaica. A former fishing village, it’s now a resort with a cruise ship harbour and a busy bay lined with  beachfront hotels.

This morning just berthing in Ocho Rios, very warm today, some high cloud, but looks like a lovely day in prospect.

Our ship Queen Elizabeth

Letting the rush to go ashore clear, lots going on organised shore excursions.  When our turn came we strolled along the jetty to the shore, running the gauntlet of dozens of taxi drivers, all keen to sell us trips to see the sights of Jamaica, we didn’t take up any of the offers.  Having got through this we were assailed by all the shopkeepers hoping to sell us souvenirs and beachwear, they had no better luck.  We couldn’t actually find anything of note to do or see so looped our way round and wandered back to the ship.

Enjoyed some sun out on deck while late ‘lunching’ on a burger and chips, very healthy option.

As we were leaving Ocho Rios

After dinner this evening in the buffet went to the Royal Court Theatre for tonight’s show by The McDonald Brothers, an excellent pair of Scottish brothers playing many instruments and harmonising a fine selection of songs, real foot-tappers and singalongs.

Finished our evening with a music quiz in the pub, very poor score tonight, enough said.

Clocks forward tonight, so loose an hours sleep

Day 15 at Sea

Sunday 21st January 2018

A chance for recuperation as we sail south moving away from Florida and skirting around the dangerous reefs and shallows of the Bahamas.  Navigated our way down the Old Bahama Channel, a deep water route following the north coast of Cuba, in the evening passed between Cuba and Hispaniola and set course for Jamaica.

The day being warm but quite cloudy lent itself to taking advantage of a couple of insight lectures.

The morning lecture by civil engineer John Laverick about the seven wonders of the canal system of Great Britain as voted for in 1957 with a couple of additions added after a more recent vote changed just two of the original seven.

The afternoon lecture by Dr Elizabeth Cunningham on Dark Matter and Dark Energy.  These apparently make up 95% of the universe but no-one has any evidence of what they are.  Seems like they have been surmised by scientists to explain why things don’t work as they should by current theory and to enable hundreds of scientists to keep themselves in work trying to find these elusive particles.

Another formal night tonight, so dinner in the main restaurant, but no cocktail party, new world cruisers who joined us in New York are still waiting for their Welcome!

Day 14 Fort Lauderdale

Saturday 20th January 2018

Fort Lauderdale lies in the south eastern part of Florida, the third largest state population in the US just behind California, 1st and Texas 2nd.  Fort Lauderdale is a maze of waterways, boatyards, and waterfront properties, many with their own jetty provided to park the owners very expensive watercraft.  Downtown is The Strip, a  promenade running along oceanside highway A1A lined with upscale outdoor restaurants, bars, boutiques and luxury hotels.  The port is the gateway to the Everglades National Park with it’s unique eco-system and array of wildlife.  Quite near to Fort Lauderdale is the colourful city of Miami notable for the fabulous art deco architecture.

Awoke this morning to find six other cruise ships in port, that’s Port Everglades, the port for Fort Lauderdale.  This makes for a very busy port, though apparently the port can handle many more ships than this and holds the record for cruise passenger numbers processed on a single day.

We had decided that we would take advantage of the shuttle bus to the Galleria Mall.  Some delay in getting there as the US government employees have shutdown due to a budget dispute, this includes port security.  The mall, mainly consisting of prestige brand shops, held little interest, not too bothered by the logo on our stuff, function much more important!  We had already found that just across the road was a Publix supermarket, a visit here was much more productive, allowing the purchase of some of those mundane essentials for keeping us going.  However the mall did have one great feature, a food court where we could enjoy a lunch from the oriental food counter, Bourbon Chicken and Sticky Orange Chicken with rice or noodles on offer, yummy!  There being not much else about took the shuttle back to the ship, enjoyed the journey each way which gave us quite a good tour of the rest of what Fort Lauderdale had on offer.

Sailaway 

This evenings sailaway was quite entertaining, each of the ships leaving the port with a great deal of fog horn blowing, music from all the sailaway parties plus extra horn blowing when passing the tower blocks at the port exit.  The residents, as each ship passed, replying with a cacophony of car horns, air horns, trumpets and calls and shouts with lights flashing on and off.  Must be great fun for those residents joining in and absolute hell for the rest, and pretty much every day of the year!!!

Days 12 and 13 at Sea

Thursday and Friday 18th and 19th January 2018

Heading south now hopefully leaving winter behind.

Second Sector - New York to San Francisco

17th Jan - New York, USA

20th Jan - Fort Lauderdale, USA

22nd Jan - Ocho Rios, Jamaica

24th Jan - Oranjestad, Aruba

26th Jan - Panama Canal Transit

29th Jan - Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala

1st Feb - Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

4th Feb - San Francisco, USA

Thursday 18th January

Woke this morning to a very strange weather phenomenon, “sea smoke”, now I know what Deep Purple were singing about in “Smoke on the Water”!  Apparently the reason is that the sea is at 18 centigrade and the air at just 0.5.  Looks just like a hot cup of tea on a cold day.

This morning an insights lecture by Dr Elizabeth Cunningham on the Life Cycle of Stars, looks like the human race has only got five billion years to make a new home somewhere else in the universe before the Earth becomes engulfed by the death throes of our Sun.  We had better get on with it, judging by progress so far.

I expect you are all fed up with our routine stops at trivia, quizzes and food breaks, so take them as read, we can just about fit them in to our busy schedule.

This evening off to the Royal Court Theatre for the Cunard Singers and Dancers with their “Hollywood Nights” show.  An excellent production which just emphasised that they are singers and dancers and are not actors.  Made up for the failings of their previous show.

Friday 19th January

Weather gladly is actually warming up and the sea flattening out nicely.  We must be doing something right.

A second lecture by Dr Cunningham this morning, this time on the dangers of radiation in space and particularly on future missions to Mars.  History has shown it was more by luck than science that  the Apollo astronauts didn’t die of radiation on their moon missions.

Before we go to Mars some froward thinking will needed more akin to science fiction and “Star Trek” than science will be needed for a successful outcome, luckily there are ideas being looked into.

Actually managed to make proper use of our balcony to sit out and enjoy a cup of tea while reading.  Not much sun but warm enough.

This evenings entertainment in the theatre was “Duo Gold Art”, just a little strange, a couple who served up a mixed performance of a cross between a magic act and an acrobatic act.  Some quite entertaining bits and some impressive strength and balance.

After the show spent some time in the atrium working on a Jan Van Hasteren jigsaw and listening to the resident pianist playing requests., very pleasant.

Arrived in Fort Lauderdale very late tonight.  Captain had announced that we would speed up to allow for the evacuation of a medical emergency case.  No one else allowed ashore till our scheduled arrival time tomorrow, so that’s it for today.

Day 11 New York, New York, USA

Wednesday 17th January 2018

New York City previously called New Amsterdam, the ‘Big Apple’ is the most highly populated city in the US, comprises 5 boroughs (Manhattan, Staten Island, Queens, the Bronx and Brooklyn) sits where the Hudson River meets the Atlantic Ocean. 

At its core is Manhattan which is among the world’s major commercial, financial and cultural centres. Its ‘must see’ sights include The Empire State Building, The One World Trade Centre, Memorial Pools and 9/11 Museum, Times Square, Central Park, and of course the Statue of Liberty. 

Broadway theatre is staged in neon-lit Times Square.  New York is a shoppers’ paradise with its fabulous department stores and quirky boutiques, it is also a culinary delight with areas such as Little Italy and Chinatown.  And for those seeking culture, there are excellent museums including the MET and the Guggenheim.

In New York Harbour are Ellis Island, the gateway for over 12 million immigrants to the United States from 1892 until 1954.  Nearby on Liberty Island is The Statue of Liberty a colossal neoclassical sculpture a gift of friendship from the people of France to the United States dedicated 1886.

After an overnight here in New York awoke this morning to a snowy scene.  Not totally unexpected but still a bit of a surprise.

Not too much rush this morning in the hopes it would clear up quickly, but no, so got out the winter gear and set off ashore.  Thought it best not to be too ambitious and so just a short walk through the slush to the nearby Intrepid, a permanently moored Aircraft Carrier housing the Sea, Air and Space Museum.  Intrepid came into service in 1943 and remained in service until 1974, seeing action notably in World War Two and the Vietnam War, she was also used as the recovery ship for early space missions including the Gemini program.

The Museum consists basically of the Aircraft Carrier Intrepid with a collection of aircraft, interactive and interpretive exhibits and the Space Shuttle Enterprise.  Also a 22ft long, 4 ft wide, 4.5 ft high 1/40th scale Lego model of the Intrepid - 250,000 bricks - more bricks for everyone next Christmas to top this!

Back to our ship in time for afternoon tea and to prepare for the start of the next sector of our voyage.

Lots of new faces have joined us for the continuation of the voyage,  many additions going all the way to Southampton, some with onward pals for Queen Mary 2 to get them back to New York.  Feels like a new cruise, the vibe of the ship all disrupted, strange, I’m sure it will very soon settle down again.

Sailaway from New York after a lovely sunset, still jolly chilly on deck, ice underfoot.  Great views of the lights of the Manhattan skyscrapers.  Passed close to the Statue of Liberty as we sailed off down New York Harbour heading off to warmer climes.

and so to dinner in the main restaurant.

Day 10 New York, New York, USA

Tuesday 16th January 2018

This morning sailed into New York, before dawn, and berthed at Pier 88 in Manhattan.

Everybody up early this morning as all of the passengers and crew have to go through US Immigration, everybody off the ship before anyone is allowed back on even if not planning a visit to the city.   US Health Authority also needed and a full crew drill to prove to the US Coast Guard that the ship’s procedures are safe.

We decided to start our day, once ashore, to walk across to Time Square, 

the big attraction being the M&M shop!

We were the first customers into the shop this morning, at a couple of minutes after 9am,  I guess early starts have some advantage, no queue here.  Photo stops in Times Square and then a much appreciated morning coffee.  Certainly jolly chilly this morning, ice on deck of QE and quite a bit floating on the Hudson River.

Looped round and walked back to the river to check out the Circle Line Boat Tours, as suspected the round trip which we fancied is off today because of the ice, the alternative routes were not too our liking so headed back to the ship.  

As we arrived back at the terminal those folk who had got off the ship to wait to get back on were just starting to do so.  Time for a warm up and a spot of lunch.

Took part in a quiz about musicals, luckily not too many participants, so managed our first win, got a couple of stamps on our prize card, perhaps now we’re off our duck we might get a few more.

Dinner tonight in the buffet, seemed much too much trouble to go to the main restaurant.

Off to the Royal Court Theatre this evening for a one time show by a star of New York Stage Shows, his name escapes me at present but more info to follow tomorrow, just using up some of the last of my internet allowance before our next cruise segment.
Quick update, for your information his name is Bobby Conte Thornton, he is notably the lead in A Bronx Tale, apparently a cross between West Side Story and The Jersey Boys.