Having Boarded The Queen Mary 2

Friday we left the interesting Marble Arch neighborhood in London checking out of our quaint B & B, The Sumner hotel. The hotel was adequate but in need of some work. The building consists of two structures combined that probably date from the mid to late 19th century. The interiors have been modernized and the hotel is clean, however there were a few problems such as a non-functioning lift on our side of the hotel. Staff provided assistance with our heavy bags. Our room was small and comfortable with a sleek, modern bathroom, however it did not have separate heating and we had to rely on a space heater provided by the management. The best feature of the hotel is the daily full English breakfast buffet included in the room rate. We liked the neighborhood, which is convenient to shopping and a short ride by tube to the many attractions in central London. However, we would not recommend the hotel since there are so many other options available. Our coach ride to Southampton where we were to board the Queen Mary 2 took longer this time due to heavy weekday traffic in London. We left London at around noon but we did not arrive at the ship until around three in the afternoon, with a comfort stop enroute being necessary. Then there was another hour or more delay in boarding the ship due to the check-in process. Eventually we made it on board and settled in to our lovely cabin port side amidships. After the obligatory emergency drill we rested up a bit, then joined our cruise party of about a dozen for cocktails followed by a delicious dinner in the beautiful Britannia dining room. Today, Saturday, we have plans to attend several lectures and we won't miss afternoon tea, a daily highlight on board this amazing ship. The ship is gently rocking now but perhaps it may still be possible to walk around the outside promenade deck, we shall have to see. Rougher seas may lie ahead, time will tell.