Queen Victoria--Here I Come!!

In one week, I will fly to Venice to take a 16-day transatlantic crossing that will bring me back home to South Florida. After spending the night in Venice, onboard the ship, we will make ports of call in Gibraltar, Olympia (Greece), Funchal (Madeira), Bermuda, and Charleston, SC.

The ship is the elegant Queen Mary!

I look forward to spending time with fellow travelers from more than 50 countries.

Here is the itinerary:

Date Port Arrive Depart
Nov 20 Venice---overnight stay
Nov 21 Venice 9PM
Nov 22 At Sea
Nov 23 Olympia 8AM 5PM
Nov 24 At Sea
Nov 25 At Sea
Nov 26 Gibraltar 8AM 1:30PM
Nov 27 Funchal, Madeira 6PM arrive-overnight stay
Nov 28 Funchal, Madeira 6PM depart
Nov 29 At Sea
Nov 30 At Sea
Dec 1 At Sea
Dec 2 At Sea
Dec 3 Hamilton, Bermuda 8AM 4PM
Dec 4 At Sea
Dec 5 Charleston, SC 8AM 3PM
Dec 6 Ft Lauderdale, Fl. 11AM

I really look forward to exploring new ports of call, enjoying the elegant ship, relaxing on my balcony at sea, and meeting new friends over meals and excursions.

Queen Mary Features

Queen Mary 2 Canyon Ranch SpaClub®It is not surprising that one of the most luxurious ocean vessels ever built features a Canyon Ranch spa. This highly acclaimed health resort company has elevated the spa experience to an entirely new plane with life-changing programs from stress-relief classes to workshops on diet, healthy aging and disease prevention. Fifty-one Canyon Ranch health and wellness experts work in QM2's 20,000 square foot facility which includes 24 treatment rooms, a thalassotherapy pool with deluge waterfall, a whirlpool, thermal suite with both herbal and Finnish saunas, reflexology basins and an aromatic steam room.

QM2 Planetarium - Illuminations
Take a virtual ride into outer space, view the stars and other visual spectacles or take a course on celestial navigation in Illuminations, QM2's full-scale planetarium. It also functions as a grand cinema, a 500-seat lecture hall and even a broadcasting studio.

Queen Mary 2 - Cunard ConneXions
SM QM2's cultural enrichment program includes seven classrooms and a 500-seat auditorium where you can attend workshops, seminars and lectures presenting a fusion of perspectives from the world's premier cultural hotspots: New York and London. Classes range from fashion to foreign languages, watercolor techniques to period furniture. Try film making. Join a discussion of British comedy, or compare MoMA and the Tate.

QM 2 Culinary Advisor Daniel Boulud
Stunning French-American cuisine and dedication to quality have made Cunard's culinary advisor one of the most famous chefs in the world. He has been the recipient of numerous awards from Bon Appetit's "Chef of the Year" to Gourmet's "Top Tables." People often wait months for a reservation at Daniel, his famous New York City bistro, ranked Number One for "Top Food" by the 2002 Zagat Survey. Guests can enjoy his cuisine aboard QM2.

QM2 History & Art
Renowned international artists were commissioned to produce over 300 original works of art valued at over $5 million. For history buffs, the museum-quality Maritime Quest exhibit is a fascinating tour that takes you back to the golden era of transatlantic cruising.

QM2 Interactive TV
You can receive or send e-mails, choose from dozens of movies, review a seminar you might have missed or sign up for shore excursions - right from the comfort of your stateroom.

Internet on the QM2
Guests can surf the web, check e-mail or even transmit a video postcard to friends and family back home. They can take classes in the Computer Centre, or bring their own laptop; every stateroom has direct Internet access.

QM2 Play Zone/The Zone
QM2 was designed to accommodate all the ages. For guests who wish to take their children or grandchildren along, The Play Zone is like a well-run camp for children 2 - 7 years old. A separate facility, The Zone, provides hours of supervised entertainment and activities for children 8- 12 years old. The area includes the Minnows splash pool and real English nannies for the toddlers. And it's equipped with an array of toys and activities from board games to computer terminals with all kinds of learning adventures, so that while kids are doing their thing, adults have some quality time alone.

Dining on the Queen Mary
Dining has always been a memorable event on any Cunard voyage, a celebration where culinary creations are served by waiters trained in the fine art of Cunard service. Lavish dining is one of the centerpieces of the QM2 experience, as well - with vastly expanded menus and venues.
There are 10 restaurants in all, a team of chefs that includes culinary advisor Daniel Boulud, one of the world's most famous chefs, and the celebrated Mediterranean and TV culinary luminary Todd English. As with the custom of ocean liners in the past, each QM2 stateroom is matched with a reserved table at a sea-view restaurant, complemented by the largest wine selection afloat. Of course, you can always make reservations at one of the many optional dining alternatives. Or don't dine out - dine in! Room service is available 24 hours a day.

written by Linda Garrison at About.com

Overview of the Queen Mary 2 (QM2)-I embark New York for London Tomorrow

With a passenger capacity of 2,620, QM2's size allows a great variety of passenger amenities. Almost everything you could want on a cruise ship can be found on the QM2. For those who want to be pampered and rejuvenated, the ship features the Canyon Ranch SpaClub®. Athletes can play basketball or virtual reality golf, and a state-of-the-art gym includes a separate weight room. The Cunard ConneXionsSM is almost like a college at sea, taking into account, of course, that you're on vacation. The QM2 even has some features new to cruising such as a planetarium and a look at marine history in the Maritime Quest Exhibit. QM2 even lets you bring your dog along and board him in an onboard kennel.

Nighttime on the QM2 is elegant, and the ship plays host to formal gatherings in the evenings. After dinner entertainment includes dancing in the largest ballroom at sea, jazz in the Commodore Club, a casino, caberet singing in the Chart Room, and West End-caliber shows in the Royal Court Theatre.

Some of the traditional Cunard hallmarks are found throughout the Queen Mary 2 -- sweeping staircases, soaring public rooms, a grand ballroom, and a 360° promenade deck. A space ratio of 57.25 makes her one of the roomiest vessels anywhere, and the ship has 14 decks of sports facilities, shops, bars, lounges, 5 pools and no fewer than 10 restaurants. With one staff member per couple, a very high level of service can be expected. For those who love verandas as I do, three-quarters of the QM2 staterooms have balconies. Some of the lavish two-story duplexes even have their own private exercise equipment.

Since it is often difficult to picture the size of such a large vessel, here are some comparisons:
• QM2 is five times longer than Cunard's first ship, Britannia (230 ft.)
• QM2 is 113 feet longer than the original Queen Mary
• QM2 is more than twice as long as the Washington Monument is tall (550 ft.)
• QM2 is 147 feet longer than the Eiffel Tower is tall (984 ft.)
• QM2 is more than 3 ½ times as long as Westminster Tower (Big Ben) is high (310 ft.)
• QM2 is only 117 feet shorter than the Empire State Building is tall (1248 ft.)
• QM2 is more than three times as long as St. Paul's Cathedral is tall (366 ft.)
• QM2 is as long as 41 double-decker London buses (31 ½ ft. each)
• QM2's whistle is audible for 10 miles

written by Linda Garrison at About.com

Queen Mary 2 This Summer!

I will take two (back-to-back) cruises on the Queen Mary 2, the most elegant oceanliner of all, this summer.

1) 6-night transatlantic crossing that departs New York on July 6 and arrives Southampton, England on July 12. I will be in balcony stateroom 4038.

We will remain on the ship for:

2) 8-night, roundtrip from Southampton that departs July 12. I will be in balcony stateroom 6081.

It will make stops in Cherbourg, France, Lisbon, Portugal, Vigo, Spain, Bilbao, Spain, LaRochelle and Brest in France. We will disembark day #5 (July 17) in Bilbao to visit my brother, his wife, and 2 sons. They live in Bilbao. We will spend July 17-20 at the Sheraton Bilbao.

On July 20, I will return to Miami (from Bilbao) via Madrid on American Airlines.

I am so excited!