Sailaway

April 16, 2008

The journey begins on a beautiful, sunny New York day. Joe drove us effortlessly to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal where we had our luggage taken, and we registered for our sail. It was all so efficiently executed that by the time we had registered, gone immediately aboard and found our room, our luggage was arriving. It is somehow comforting to get on a ship which you have been on before. We knew where stairways, elevators and access points were. We felt quite smug as we didn’t have that ’where am I’ look in the eyes. The age of our fellow travelers ranges from the smallest baby to the elderly with walkers with the average being in the late 50’s I would guess. The languages are primarily British English, German and American. This being the first Eastern c\Crossing of the season, the ship is pretty filled to capacity. Our cabin, 8071 has a little outer deck area, but our view is pretty much hidden by a large tender ship parked outside our windows, but the light and fresh air are there to enjoy and it makes our whole room feel bright and welcoming. John, our personal steward came to introduce himself. He will be the person who not only makes up our room, but he will do those little extras we may request. Awaiting us were three wonderful gift bottles of wine along with a bottle of champagne from Cunard. What a nice beginning. (If only we could have had Joe and the kids join us on board for a going away party, but 9-11 has taken care of that charming tradition, and now everyone is left at the entry to the terminal.).

Promptly at 4:30 we had our emergency drill, carrying our life jackets to specified points where we were given a demonstration of how to behave in case of the need to leave the ship rapidly. Now we are officially ready to sail and everyone went up on deck or was hanging off of their balcony with wine or champagne in hand to watch the sailaway. It is always an exciting moment as the ship casts off its lines and one is thrust away from the pier.. There’s the anticipation that has been built up as you start out on another new adventure. This is not an airplane where the goal is simply to get from point A to point B – in this case the Crossing IS the event and it has been chosen as something special. To have all this and to have a perfect setting for departure – it doesn’t get any better: Manhattan in the background, the Statue of Liberty standing proudly and 2500 passengers ready to enjoy the next six days as we cross the Atlantic. You have to be pretty cold and jaundiced not to get a special feeling for a sailaway. As we sailed out past The Lady, past the Intrepid, and out into lower New York Bay the weather got distinctly crisper, and after going under the Verrazano Bridge (always exciting since there is less than 36 feet of clearance between the top of our ship and the bottom of the bridge) we came in to rest, change and get ready for our first dining experience.

I kept wondering what it was like for Daddy and Walter in 1927. There was no Verrazano Bridge, the buildings around Coney Island were not as tall, and certainly the skyline of the city was different, but the sense of the experience was probably not that different – they were going home, and we’re just starting out – but both then and now it is being done with class.

We chose the late sitting for dinner at 8:30 so that we wouldn’t feel rushed at the end of the day. And…it gives us plenty of time to get elegant and to have a gracious cocktail at The Chart Room. One immediately feels elegant, mature and just a little bit special as you sit and watch very professional bar tenders whipping up all manner of drinks. Bob had his proverbial Manhattan – up, and I had scotch and soda (with the soda in a separate little pitcher, as is THE way to do things correctly). With drink in hand we proceeded to our dinner. We had scoped out the table earlier in the day, and were placed at the top level, at a table for eight by the windows which was quite delightful.

We always like having lots of companions because afterall, we have each other to talk to all the rest of our lives. This octet consists of two couples from Britain, one couple from Washington D.C., and a single woman from southern California. Those first conversations are always a little awkward as you try to sort out where the talking points are, and what people’s interests are, but we got along so well, that after much of the restaurant had emptied out, we were still chatting it up. But I was doing my fast fade, so we grabbed a last coffee latte at Sir Samuels, bought our QM 2 mugs and fell into our wonderfully comfortable bed complete with duvet and pillows enough to suffocate you. We’re on our way with the promise of lousy weather tomorrow, rain and choppy seas.