A Busy Day At Sea

One of the fun aspects of a Transatlantic crossing with Cunard is that there is always something to do. Monday we were busy all day long without even a break for our customary midday nap. The seas are nowhere near as rough this trip as they were in December of 2013 when we did our last crossing. As a result, the promenade deck has remained open for walking and jogging, and the pools and hot tubs are in use. We started the day Monday with our usual sit down breakfast in the Britannia Restaurant at 8 AM. After breakfast we enjoyed a 2 mile walk outside on the deck. Dan then went to the library to read. He is reading a novel by Jojo Moyes, an English writer recommended by our friend Carole P. of Long Island. Jim attended a fascinating lecture given by an experienced airline pilot. The subject was the disappearance without a trace of the Malaysian aircraft a few years ago during a flight from Australia to China. Our pilot covered the plausible and implausible explanations for the disappearance of the aircraft. His conclusion, shared by other experts, is that the Captain of the airliner purposely crashed the plane because he was angry with Malaysian authorities. It seems that the Captain was good friends with a Malaysian official who was persecuted for being gay! These lectures by a wide range of experts are highlights of a Cunard Transatlantic crossing. For lunch we dined with our group at a specialty restaurant, The Verandah. After our leisurely lunch we attended another highly interesting lecture focusing on another of Cunard's glorious ships, The Queen Elizabeth 2. This ship, now sold and waiting to be turned into a hotel in Dubai, was what kept Cunard afloat during difficult financial times over several decades. Following this lecture and a short break we attended a show and lecture in the ship's planetarium, unique to the Cunard QM2. Finally, after the planetarium show it was time for a rest before dressing for dinner with our group. The dinner capped a full day of enjoyable activities. Photos: Unlike Titanic, there are ample lifeboats aboard the QM2. Each of these large, white canisters contains an inflatable lifeboat. The large, metal shapes installed on a forward deck are not sculptures, they are actually spare propellers. The entrance to the planetarium. The gallery of the stars and other notable individuals who have sailed with Cunard. Desserts at the luncheon in the Verandah specialty restaurant. An unusual display by Godiva Chocolates: A model of the Orient Express locomotive and passenger car made out of chocolate!