Days 5 & 6: Cabin Fever

As the first leg of the journey draws to a close, we are all beginning to feel the effects of shipboard confinement, as it seems no matter how big the ship, there is still no escaping the fact that we are in the middle of the ocean with no means of escape! Fortunately we are almost there, as our recent pastime of trying to annoy each other, brought on by boredom, threatens to make things rather interesting.

That's not to say that we haven’t enjoyed the experience, from the fantastic food to (some) genuinely enjoyable entertainment. I say some, as it really is just one or two gems among a larger number of decidedly ropey performances. One such gem we went to yesterday, which was a much abridged version of Hobson's Choice, a play about a Manchester shopkeeper and his three daughters who he attempts to marry off. Good quality acting by the professionally trained Queen Mary 2 actors.

Last night we once again saw our two new dinner companions, who are a couple of eccentric Americans in their late 70s, from Idaho. They were late to join us as for the past few days they had stayed in their cabin, their luggage having been lost by the airline prior to boarding. On a ship like this, where the minimum standard of dress is a jacket and shirt, and three nights out of six is black tie, no luggage is beyond a mere inconvenience! Anyway, we spoke to them for some time, although there were some communication issues as they were both a little hard of hearing and seeming a little vague as to what they had done for the last few days. They did eventually find some common ground with my Dad on who should win American Idol - and there was I thinking he had just been watching mindless TV, little did I realise he was researching for this trip!

Today, our main focus has been on preparing for our arrival in New York and subsequent journey to Boston. At one point this morning we were receiving post almost every hour, each with new instructions on disembarkation procedure. After a number of visits to the powers that be in the Purser's office, we seem to have now sorted it, and we can but hope that the plan all comes together smoothly! I don't think my Dad is convinced of this, particularly as he now has to drive through Manhattan, which isn't known for its quiet streets!

So all that remains is the final dinner, and a bright and early start if we want to see the sights as we sail into New York, which should begin at around 4:30am. I'm not known as an early morning person, so we'll have to wait and see whether I'm up in time! Of course, I might convince myself to wait until the journey back - after all, at the speed we’ll be going, it doesn't matter much whether we are coming or going, the sights will be the same! Yes, as you can see, my powers of self-persuasion and rationalisation remain intact!