Days 4 and 5 - At Sea

Monday

I spent another leisurely day on board.  I actually had breakfast (not much of a breakfast eater) in the Lido buffet and met a lovely couple from Grimsby and we chatted  for awhile.  Later, when I went to afternoon tea in the Queens Room, we shared a table and talked some more.  For anyone who is concerned about cruising solo, don't be.  It is so easy to meet people you only have to be alone when you want to be.

If you ever travel on Cunard, be sure to take afternoon tea in the Queens Room.  The tables are set elegantly and white gloved waiters come around with tea sandwiches (cucumber and egg mayonnaise are my favorites), sweets, scones with cream and jam, and of course, tea (coffee if you wish).  You can get the same food in the Lido in the afternoon if you are in a hurry but nothing beats the beautiful service in the Queens Room.

I was invited to a birthday party for one of my Cruise Critic friends in the Commodore Club before dinner.  A very nice event with champagne and appetizers.  Then to dinner (informal night).  Lost a few dollars in the casino after dinner and decided to call it a night.


Tuesday

The sea is still rolling but is supposed to calm down tonight.  I stopped in for a perfume demonstration (not much to it but one lady did win a basket of goodies) and then happened upon the end of the single travelers get together.  While sitting watching the waves after lunch another Cruise Critic friend came by and we sat and talked for quite a time.

The afternoon brought my first encounter with the launderette.  Stories are legendary of the "wars" taking place in there (probably "urban legends" of the seas).  I heard one in the Lido about two women who got into a fist-fight and were put off the ship at the next port.  The people I encountered were quite civilized.  I chose my stateroom based in part on its position relative to the lifts and the launderette, so, while my clothes were in the washer and dryer I went back to my stateroom ( the laundry room is about the size of a walk-in closet so there is not much space to wait).  The dryer was set for 40 minutes and I went back after 35 and someone had taken my clothes out and put them in a basket.  Not sure if the timer is incorrect or someone was in a hurry to get a dryer (one is out of service at the moment so there are three washers but only 2 dryers).

Evening dress was a formal/informal choice and the Elizabethan Ball took place.  There were still a number of smartly dressed people although I did see more casual wear than before.  Only a couple of people had on "Elizabethan" clothing.  Watched the dancers and had (what has become a habit in quick order) my nightly cocktail.  There were not nearly as many dancers as in previous nights.

I had promised lots of pictures but I am having trouble getting my pictures uploaded to attach to my blog.  It has taken 10 minutes to upload about 15% of one photo and I have quit each time I have tried (gets expensive at 35 cents a minute!).  The pictures on my iPad are too large to put on the blog.  I have accounts with flickr and Photobucket.  If anyone has any suggestions please, leave a comment. Otherwise, I will be uploading pictures at free wi-fi spots while we are in port.

Smooth sailing until next time!