Halifax, NS

July 6^th, 2025

They were working on one of the lifeboats in front of our stateroom this morning, so I got to get a peek at what was on the inside.

I was not impressed. If the ship sinks I am definitely hoping that I will be in one of the lifeboats that they use as tenders, this one looked most uncomfortable.

Through the gap between the lifeboats I could catch a glimpse of Halifax. The gathering rain clouds did not make it  look very exciting, but my heart was set on a lobster roll for lunch, so we decided to brave the weather.

We walked along the boardwalk, past the statue of Samuel Cunard to the Waterfront Warehouse.

We were aware that this was a touristy restaurant, but it was very convenient, and the drizzle had stopped so we sat outside and I had a delicious lobster roll. All was well with the world.

We planned to spend the afternoon walking in Point Pleasant Park with our niece.

As we walked to the park, we passed Queen Mary 2 which towered above the pier 22.

Brian gave his seal of approval to the funnel. Well I must admit I am very fond of this funnel as funnels go, but Brian’s appreciation is related to the fact that it is a very tidy funnel. Unlike Queen Anne there are no stacks or vents rising high above the funnel cladding. When Brian saw Queen Anne for the first time his initial comment wasn’t “what a beautiful Cunarder”, but instead he blurted out “what an untidy funnel”. Really? Maybe that makes it more functional, who knows. I don’t mind Queen Anne’s funnel, but Queen Mary 2’s is certainly very nice to look at.

Despite misleading directions on Apple Maps, we were able to make out way past the enormous silos of the P&H milling company and finally arrive in the upper parking lot of the park, and met up with our niece.

We spent the next 2 hours walking around the park, and sitting on benches admiring the view and chatting. It was a lovely way to spend an afternoon. I love that we have friends and family in so many ports around the world. It really enhances the cruising experience.

You can’t get back on board without walking through a collection of souvenirs shops. However, the shops are great, and we have many items from there that we have purchased on previous visits.

Back on board we were a bit tired out after our long walk so we headed to the hot tub on deck 6 at the back of the ship.

This is a great place to be during a sail away. The hot tubs on deck 8 are way too close to the band, and those by the Pavilion Pool are too far away from the action. No, this was perfect.

We could hear the band very well, and watch our progress as we turned around and headed out of the harbor followed by a small cargo ship.

This was a very different sail away from when we left Halifax in 2015

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGIuvoKhKcA

And there was no little tugboat in sight!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5mVqCurXoc

After we left Halifax far behind it was time to return to our stateroom and get ready for dinner. It was our second formal night, it is unusual to have a formal night on a port day, but I love formal nights, so it wasn’t a problem.

Our dinner table has slowly been adding new diners. Our first night there was just Enid and us, then we were joined by Sandra and Dick from Zurich and then Ian and Mary from Scotland.

Initially I was not happy that we weren’t at a table for 2, but our companions are so pleasant, I am really enjoying their company. Tonight there was a new face, Diane. Now we are 8. I couldn’t work out whether she was always meant to be at our table, or whether she didn’t like her table and was giving ours a trial run. Well the answer should be clear tomorrow night. Let’s see if she is with us or not.

The menu tonight was excellent – the pate I love, tenderloin, and a chocolate souffle. No lobster tails, but I had had my fill of lobster at lunch time!

There was a production show tonight – Let’s Dance. Parts of it seemed familiar, but parts were new to me. Had I slept through some of it the last time I saw it? It was billed as a new show, but not as an “all new” show. Maybe it was a rebirth of the original show, or maybe not. In any case it was very good, and I enjoyed it.

After the show we headed up to the Commodore Club for a nightcap. They have a new drinks menu, which doesn’t include milky way martinis or chocolate affairs. There is no PS I love you either. However, the barman was happy to make me a chocolate affair. I have almost given up on milky way martinis – maybe one day there will be a barman who can make them exactly like they used to be on QE2, complete with a Cadbury Flake.

We were joined by Sandra and Dick, and the 4 of us sat chatting until it became very clear that the staff would like to kick us out, but were too polite to ask. Turning the lights up bright and cleaning the floors was a dead giveaway that the party was over. We took the hint and headed back to our stateroom. Almost everyone else had already left…………

As we were getting ready for bed the sound of foghorn started up again. It really has been a very foggy voyage.