Queen Mary 2 - Atlantic Isles Discovery

Queen Mary 2 - Atlantic Isles Discovery

We finally sailed at 9pm. David and Ali had seen the person taken off but word spread later there had been two, one dead, one sick despite being one ambulance. Our delay, apparently, was due to a judge they said. Mick Miller, who I had seen getting out of the lift in Madeira, was finally doing a show so we went to that. He was very funny and had several modern jokes. The Golden Lion to end the evening before heading to Kings Court for munchies. They had oodles of apples - wooo! Due to not replenishing stocks as they run out, I had been unable to scrump for my painkillers this cruise. But it was the same with all the fruit. One it went, no more was put there. Then bed as we sailed our fastest speed the entire cruise.

A glorious sea day, though I needed no excuse to stay in bed until late. Blame the Cunard pillows. Want some! Sea days are so lazy but this one had activities I was actually interested in which weren't lectures on Nelson or whatever or quizzes - wooo! Yes, at 2.15pm was something I had last seen and and enjoyed on Lizzie back in June 2008 - Sherlock Holmes Mystery of the Murdered Master Mariner at Midnight on a Misty Monday in the Mid Atlantic with a Mayan Machete! Although with the awful printing on the front of the Mary Daily Programme, the title was mainly obscured. I had persuaded Ann to go, as it was really good. It was her birthday so she was going to have a wonderful day. It was just as great as I remembered and I still couldn't remember the answers, even writing whodunit down wrong - oops! The rest of the day was lazy, enjoying the sunset despite the very strong wind. At dinner we all sang Happy Birthday after they had brought a cake. David, Ali and Maggie missed out but there was still mine to come if they hadn't booked the Lotus or something. After dinner, Ann and I went to the Golden Lion. Derek was singing Happy Birthday to someone so I told him afterwards it was Ann's too. She vowed to get me for that. I hope she enjoyed her birthday. The sheets had been changed that day and mine had holes in. The Daily Programme had a notice on the back about slamming doors, which I hadn't noticed before. Perhaps if they hadn't approved doors which need to be slammed to make sure they're closed properly, that wouldn't be an issue.

Lisboa! Due to our daylight sailing, I couldn't be bothered getting up for the arrival so enjoyed Cunard's fabulouso pillows again. Mary was docked facing the bridge - wooo! In 2011 it was her fat bum, but it still said Southampton so you can forgive her. A Senior Officers Party card had been left, which would take place on my birthday. I skip these things now due to too many members but as it was my first, I thought I'd go. It was quite mild for mid-December and I was overdressed a little but had been basing my clothing on the previous month. After lunch I went for photos.

Up for sailaway and a rude bitch shoved in saying, "I'm gonna stand here, aren't I?" When her husband appeared, trying to get her away, it was obvious the pair were pissed but great when she drunkenly followed him. Captain Oprey said the due to currents, we'd move to the centre of the bridge so in effect, the whole thing took about as long as when we had to turn in 2011. We got deafened a couple of times and it was fabulous. I LOVE going under bridges! Once I returned to the cabin, the pilot boat was approaching.

After a drink in the Chart Room it was time for something a bit different as the Queens Room Orchestra played jazz in the Winter Garden between sittings. It appeared to be slightly different to the one we'd caught a month prior but was still good, foot tapping stuff. I had a brief chat with Maurice, the trombonist, afterwards as my dad's sister emigrated to Louisiana in 1956 and my cousins are New Orleans Saints fans. He said he was and had been stationed there while in the marines. Then it was dinner. As I had to pre-order, fancying absolutely nothing on the menu made things difficult. So for the main course they gave me a piece of chicken my waiter said was dry, gravy and a couple of bit of vile veg. It really was no surprised I ended up eating a proper meal in the Kings Court after the Golden Lion. I'm meant to be getting no salt but Cunard do a very good job of making sure I bloody get it! My luggage tags were tucked between the pages of the Daily Programme and I was brown 1, which was 9.45am disembarkation. And then to bed.

Happy birthday to me, Happy birthday to me, Happy birthday on Fat Mary, Happy birthday to meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!! Yes this ship ages you overnight but you can forgive her because she is absolutely FANTASTIC! She had got to me the same way Lizzie had but Lizzie wouldn't be forgotten, oh no. I had brought my Queen Elizabeth 2 T-shirt to wear today. The closest I had come to celebrating my birthday on a Cunard ship in the past was her back in 2007. My birthday was the day before the rather short two night cruise, which had been a present, and they gave me a cake on the last night. No singing thankfully! A ship's life is of service, not launch since anything can happen between that and maiden including accident or rejection by the cruise line, and we made our mark on the world the same year so we'd have both been forty the year after she went to languish Dubai. Lizzie may no longer be here to party on but her gorgeous obese successor is. Well, no lie-in this day - bugger! I needed to get to the Planetarium for the Can't Cook, Won't Cook with Liz Dawn, better known as Vera Duckworth from the British soap, Coronation Street, until 2008 (I actually stopped watching during 2005 but I always liked her and her character). I had heard she was onboard but not seen her so I was thrilled to, and what a present! We had some bumpy seas but a force 8 was nothing. More! More! The lecture, when I arrived, was about British cinema but I had a feeling bugger all would vacate their seats afterwards and I can't stand long periods with my back so I found somewhere to sit. This Liz Dawn thing was scheduled to last from 11.15-11.45am but it went well after noon. Absolutely brilliant though. Liz's hubby, Don, just sat there silently. Afterwards there was a dash as people wanted her autograph or a photo, with Don obliging as photographer a few times. Having met many celebrities over the years (mainly at Doctor Who conventions even before it became cool to be a fan), I thought I couldn't be over-excited again. Wrong! But then Liz is a British TV legend. After calming down, I went for lunch in the Britannia since the Golden Lion was full as usual and Kings Court unappealing then went for a wander on deck and the observation deck was open - wooo! Pity about the wet stuff.

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