Good Morning From Past the Point of No Return

We actually passed that some time yesterday.    The days have been flying by.  It's Sunday morning and around noon we'll steam near to the spot where the Titanic rests, and by Tuesday morning we'll be at the pier in New York City.   The sea has been quite rough until yesterday afternoon, today she's flat calm and grey to match the sky.  Yesterday was a busy day, another lecture by the maritime historian Bill Miller, this time on the twilight of the great Atlantic liners.   There are five still in existence: the Queen Mary docked safely in Long Beach, the SS United States, stripped to the bone and waiting perhaps a rescue in Philadelphia, the SS Rotterdam, just recently restored and docked at her home port of Rotterdam, the QE2, docked in Dubai, fate unknown, and the Queen Mary 2, very much in her prime,  happily speeding across the Atlantic.  This ship runs at 98% occupancy, so I think her future is assured.

After the lecture I had to hurry to get ready for the Senior Officer's Cocktail Party (at 11:30 (am!).  Bloody marys, champagne, smoked salmon, great little sandwiches, white gloved waiters, and the affable senior officers.  Once you get to the gold level of Cunard's loyalty program you get invited to all these kind of events. Tonight there's another one.

Then at 3:30 the Cavalcade of Cabins.. that's an event organized by members of cruise critic. com, where people can exchange info, etc before a specific voyage, and get to know each other, and so on.  To participate in the cavalcade you just need to agree to open up yours and so there fore you get to see all grades.  Really cool yesterday because one of the participants is occupying the Windsor Suite, the grand 2,000 square foot duplex apartment overlooking the stern.  Quite fun to see!

By then I was ready for a good long nap.    Then dinner, prime rib last night.  Our table has been lots of fun, we all take turns with Irma, who is quite a character.  Enjoy the photos!   I'm off to a lecture in the planetarium on the formation of life on this planet and that possibility across the heavens!