2nd day at sea...

Saturday, April 18, 2009 – at sea – along the coast of Portugal
We are nearing the UK. It is cloudy and gray and damp. I would rather be heading south…It is the first full day at sea in the North Atlantic.

We enjoyed an informal chat with Captain Ian MacNaught (with about 700 others) on his career and life onboard the Queen Victoria. He has been sailing since the age of 4 and now is son is on another ship. Tugs charge $3000 per vessel and they charge more if they touch the ship. Sometimes they are mandatory and Egypt is known to charge more for the “mandatory” tugs and even more for them to “touch” the ship to pick up the “requisite” cigarettes to be passed from the cruise vessel to the tug.

We had a corner of the Lido buffet sectioned off for an informal group luncheon and they came and went as needed. It was a nice.

Many of our group were working at the 2009 Victorian World Cruise Charity Fair and Charity Auction. It was a colorful scene in the Queens Room. There were many booths and…For a $10 raffle ticket, you could win afternoon tea with the Captain. For $1 you could try to move the most peas from one plate to another using chop sticks (!! – YOU try it. I managed to move 127.) For $1 you had to whack a carrot with a butcher knife as it was being dropped from the 2nd floor through plumbing tubing! There was also a computer-generated golf game to try for the highest score. They had massages for $1 a minute and used books and 2nd Hand Rose clothing…where I found a pair of pajamas for $2! I know I certainly don’t need them but the nostalgia is certainly there for the purchase. Someone received them from Qantas Airlines in business or first class and no longer needed them. They are gray with a huge kangaroo on the front with the words “I wish you beautiful travels to Dreamland” by Morrissey. Dreamland is also an aboriginal word for where they meet the neverland spirits; otherwise we consider dreamland to be nighttime sleep. Very nice words, any way you read them, and it will be a memorable souvenir for me. There are art classes onboard also. I went to see the works of art by the students and they were incredible!! Several from my group exhibited and I bought one. This ship has such a nice variety of activities…to discover new talents and to improve on old ones.

Attempted to pack!!! I look around and just wonder how this was all accumulated. I certainly did not create this chaos, did I???? I would almost pay someone to do this job. For once, I really thought of those passengers who have a butler to pack for them. The idea really hit home…what a luxury.

Formal night! The very last one onboard the Queen Victoria for the World Cruise 2009. We met Captain Ian MacNaught at the “Captain’s party for the Full World Cruisers”. The tables were set up with food from several countries -- Dubai, Egypt, UK, France, Mexico, Japan and a dragon centerpiece…it was very creative and colorful. Wonderful production show called “Nations United” by the Royal Cunard Singers and Dancers.

Then it was time to work on the computer and to get serious about packing – attempting to pack some cases we will NOT have to open next week and then packing the others with items needed next week. There will be three formal nights. But I think I will also still have my box of papers and files. I had hoped to empty those but…at the moment, the task seems endless.

There was also a backstage tour.