Afloat Again!

Friends Lance and Vanessa arrived on a cold Selsey Saturday morning for the start of a couple of weeks we’ll be spending together.

As none of us can sit for very long there’s nothing like a walk along the sea wall in Selsey in January to blow the cobwebs away!

Cobweb free, we took a trip to nearby Bosham for a few drinks in the warm and cosy Anchor Bleu before returning home to enjoy a Saturday night Chinese takeaway.

On Sunday a taxi arrived and took us, plus a considerable amount of luggage, to Southampton’s Ocean Terminal where we boarded the lovely Queen Mary 2 and our home for the next 10 days.

All three of Cunard’s fleet – “Queen Elizabeth”, “Queen Victoria” and “Queen Mary 2”, were in port and ready to start it’s 2016 World Voyage. We missed the departure of “Queen Elizabeth” and her firework display but we were out on deck to watch the beautiful “Victoria” pass by.

“Victoria’s” fireworks were splendid ……..

……… and, although perishingly cold on deck, it was a great treat as we watched such a splendid ship slide silently past and out into the big wide world.

It was well worth it but we got very cold as we stayed to watch the last of “Victoria’s” firework display and  …………….

……… being the last to leave port we didn’t see “Queen Mary’s” fireworks as a hot shower and dinner became the priority.

Day 1 was spent in a rather relaxed state but Day 2 of this trans-Atlantic crossing has been much more active. After attending a full house in the theatre listening to an interview with Celia Imrie followed by a spot of lunch in The Golden Lion it was time for a game of deck quoits. The North Atlantic in January generally is not the place to spend too long outdoors and so the plastic hoops were pilferred from the creche and we all had a bit of a laugh indoors instead.

We’ve already met up with many staff members who we know - most having recognised us first and tried to hide(!) and more American cruise friends from our previous QM2 Atlantic crossings than we’d ever hoped to meet. So, with Lance and Vanessa, and all the friendly faces so far (and with Captain Christopher Wells who’s trying to find the least bumpy route across the pond at the moment) the voyage promises to be a good one!