April 15^th, 2023

At Sea

The sea remains very calm.

We spent most of the day in the Commodore Club,

accessing the internet and reading.

Sometimes, that really is the best way to do it. We thought it would be standing room only in Illuminations for the talks we wanted to go to (Stephen Payne and  Diane Janes), so we will watch them in the comfort of our stateroom. I feel bad doing that if I think that there will only be a few people in the audience, it must be horrid giving a talk when so few people are actually physically present, even if you know that the rest will be watching in their staterooms later on in the day. Empty spaces have not been a problem with the talks that we have attended – the lectures have all been so interesting, and we are clearly not the only guests who think that.

One of the problems with cruising is that there is always food available. I try to forget about this, but this afternoon I suddenly had an impulse to eat a chocolate éclair, so I left the Commodore Club and headed for the Kings Court in search of one. I was out of luck. Apparently they don’t always have chocolate eclairs for tea. Well, that’s the first time I knew that, it was very disappointing. However, they did have very tasty apple slices instead, so that almost made up for it.

I noticed that one of the strange chocolate Easter bunnies was still hanging around and had not been eaten yet, unlike our chocolate Easter bunnies that were our gift from Cunard.

I keep on checking the gift shop in case by some miracle new merchandise has arrived. Low and behold, there were new T shirts, but they weren’t very nice, and there were sort of tea towels. Well, they are more like tray cloths, and are a very flimsy cotton material, not nice sturdy Irish linen.

Still, I finally have my souvenir from the cruise. I’m not sure how I am going to use it. Maybe it’s a scarf. Whatever it is meant to be, it is very nice, and I am pleased with my $12 well spent. There is a beautiful $350 scarf that I have my eye on in the Liberty shop. So far I have not been able to justify buying it, but I am working on it.

Quite out of the blue, 3 medium sized envelopes and some writing paper appeared outside our door – I’m not quite sure whether we should save them, or use them now.

Today was the day for me to go in search of Ellen Frazer-Jameson. I wanted to tell her how much I have been enjoying her blog. The problem is, I have no idea where to find her. I mean I am easy to find – if I’m not at the pool, or eating, I will be in the Commodore Club. My good friend, and favorite blogger, Roscoe is also easy to find on Queen Victoria, but where can Ellen be? I stare at people who I think look like her, but I have not had a definite sighting as yet. Well we still have several days to go, and my most pressing mission is to finally say something to Stephen Payne.

The other thing that I have not seen is the world-famous Cruise Critic log book. It went missing, like many things, during the COVID shut down, and although there have been rumors of sightings, and the librarians have been very obliging, it does not seem to be anywhere to be found at the moment alas. It is a true gem, a record of our past, with entries from folks who are no longer with us. Maybe it will turn up again someday.

I took my Cunard log book to dinner with me, convinced that tonight was the night to make contact with Stephen Payne. Horrors, when I sat down he was nowhere in sight. No doubt he had asked to change tables, or else decided to dine in another venue tonight. Just as I had found the courage to make contact. David and Rosa who sit on the other side of us were not there either. I thought this was going to be a lonely dinner.

Then David and Rosa arrived, together with the Paynes. They had had drinks together in the Commodore Club, and apparently had a great time. We had not gone to the CC this evening – clearly an opportunity missed. Anyway, I did ask him to sign my book, and we chatted for a while, focused more on our favorite captains rather than his ships. However, I had made contact, and was a happy camper. I just wish he had designed Queen Anne. Yoyo, the future voyage sales lady,  gave a talk about the accommodations and public spaces on the Cunard ships, and Queen Anne sounds nice, but not particularly grand or unique. I suppose it would be way too expensive to build an updated Queen Mary 2, with beautiful expansive teak decks, but wouldn’t it be wonderful if they could do that, instead of a Holland America semi clone.

It was silent disco time in G32 after dinner, but it was clear that silent or not silent, disco dancing was not in my future tonight. Maybe another time.

So we sailed on silently into the calm dark night. For once I was happy with my craft project, a lavender filled heart. Perfect to look at at the end of another perfect day.