Pookie

Thank you for sharing all of your awesome pictures!  I vacationed in Cabo San Lucas twice back in the late 80's and stayed there almost 2 weeks. It was still somewhat of a sleepy little fishing town at that time...The only thing recognizable is the arch!  One of the activities I did while there was to catch a 95 lb sailfish. It took over 2 hours and I thought my arms were going to fall off! 

Day 8 - Sea Day
Ugh.  The cruise is half over!
Our progress as we sail off the coast of Nicaragua... 
 
Pretty great weather so far as we do some bird watching on this sea day.

It's pretty amazing to see them fishing.  They dive completely underwater to pursue a fish. 

When one of them catches one it's like a 2 for $20 t-shirt sale on the promenade.  

I forgot to mention the phone call the other day.   My cabin phone rang and a woman from guest services introduced herself.  
They had noticed I was booked on Empress out of Miami when this cruise ends.  They would be offering transportation from Vision in Ft. Lauderdale to Empress in Miami.  Details would be forthcoming as we get closer to Ft. Lauderdale.
This was unsolicited.  I didn't mention my plans to anyone. 
I was planning on using a rideshare figuring I could take my time debarking and making my way to Miami.  This is even better.  
#royalwow

It's a beautiful ship from twangster's photos, but I personally find it creepy.  Maybe because it reminds me of the titanic and that one didn't end so well.

Bucket list The Queen Mary ...That woodwork was amazing.....I would spend ages wandering around her soaking in the history...Thank you for the pics☺️

Day 1 - Los Angeles (San Pedro)
Finally on with the cruise!
The Lyft ride from the Queen Mary to the cruise terminal was $12.

I arrived later than normal because I wanted to take pictures of the QM in daylight.  As it turns out I was still early and it was prior to boarding.  This cruise terminal is a little different.  My expedited boarding worked well with a quick scan of my SetSail pass and passport but security occurs after check in as they call groups for boarding.


Finally boarding commenced closer to 12:40pm.  Apparently CBP was really slow processing the ship.  Talking with some B2B guests they were cleared just after noon time.    

The port area is industrial with numerous docks setup for container ships.

A Princess ship was also boarding today.

A special welcome aboard cake - Panama Canal edition was waiting for us in the Windjammer.

Time for muster.

Finally sail away.


The battleship Iowa is on display here in San Pedro.

Onward towards the Pacific!

Day 1
IT'S CRUISE DAY!!!
But first, more Queen Mary pictures in daylight.

The Queen Mary was a fast ship.  Faster than today's cruise ships of this size or larger.  She routinely cruised at over 28 knots and during sea trials she reached just over 32 knots.






This enclosed promenade deck would have been popular on those cold North Atlantic winter crossings.


The Verandah Grill towards the aft of the ship was an extra cost restaurant.  In other words the concept of specialty dining started decades before modern cruise lines embraced the idea.

During World War II the Queen Mary was put into service as a troop carrier bringing troops back and forth between the US. and Britain.   She was painted grey and earned the name the Grey Ghost.  Her top speeds allowed her to elude german u-boats. 
On one crossing she carried a staggering 15,740 service personnel with a crew of 943 for a total of 16,683 souls on board.  That remains the highest count ever carried by any vessel, a record that is unlikely to ever be broken.   

During this time they removed all the fine china and crystal and converted every square inch to the goal of maximizing space for the troops.  Gone were the cabin class 1st class accommodations, it was all about squeezing troops on board.  During the war when she was a troop carrier he was fitted with anti aircraft guns.

A lego model has been constructed and is on display in a room called the shipyard.


Sir Winston Churchill would routinely sail her during the war to coordinate efforts with the allies. In this photo he is sitting by this very fireplace.

How about these lifeboats?


The bridge:







The Captain's quarters have been preserved in their original condition.



She even had a fitness center back in the day with modern exercise equipment.



If you ever get the chance I highly recommend a stay on the Queen Mary.


 

You're gonna have to bear with me because I am about to go overboard with Queen Mary pictures.  I just love this old ship.
Arriving later than expected once settled in my cabin I made my way to the Observation Bar for a drink and a bite to eat.

Walking around the ship you feel a deep sense of history.







Not a bad place to catch the end of game six of the World Series with the city lights of Long Beach across the bay.

I can't start into the actual cruise until I mention the Queen Mary.  As a cruise geek this is the ultimate way to kick off any cruise.  

The Queen Mary is an ocean liner that began service in 1936.  She was built with one mission in mind - sailing the North Atlantic between Southampton and New York.  Before the days of airplanes flying between the continents there was only one way to make the journey - by sea.  She isn't a cruise ship exactly, she just had two destinations repeated week after week.  However you can see where many of the things we have come to enjoy on modern cruise ships have evolved from the days of ocean liners. 
The Queen Mary ended service in 1967 and was sailed for the last time to the harbor in Long Beach California.  The City of Long Beach bought the Queen Mary outbidding a Chinese scrapyard and so the QM lives on now as a museum and hotel.  I've stayed here before since Carnival sails from Long Beach right next door, within walking distance of the QM.  


On this occasion I booked a Deluxe King room for $129 per night plus local taxes.  This is pretty competitive with local hotels so given the opportunity to stay on this historic old ship I'll do it every time.
The QM isn't a small ship.  In dimensions she approaches Voyager class and she was too big for the Panama Canal the day she was built.  

This cabin was considered first class in the day but the decor is more modern compared to what a guest in 1936 would have experienced.  While not a suite it was a large step up above third class.  In 1936 a one way first class fare was $1,074.  



As a means to conserve limited fresh water supplies, guests could choose hot salt water, cold salt water, hot fresh water or cold fresh water.  Those aren't functional today, the modern shower control above and to the left controls the water now.


Several vents that double as thermostats.  Want it warmer?  Slide to left.  Want cool air?  Slide to the right.  These are not operational today, modern thermostats are used but it's cool to see how guests would have warmed their cabins in the cold North Atlantic.

Working portholes!  No balconies on ships in those days, these portholes were a luxury.


The flat panel TV's were added during a renovation to meet modern expectations for a hotel room.

🎶 Panama! 🎶 
I can't get that song out of my head.  You know, the song by Van Halen? Even though it has nothing to do with the Panama Canal.  
I thought about titling this "The cruise that almost wasn't".  Let me explain.  
My plan was to fly in the day before and stay on the Queen Mary.  I was almost as excited about the Queen Mary (now a hotel in Long Beach, CA) as I was about the Panama Canal.  Good ole mother nature had a surprise for me.
Snow! Lots of it.

At 5am I opened Lyft and Uber to compare prices and... no cars available.  Rut Roh.  Let's try again.  Nope.  Hmmm.  A little bit of panic was starting to set it.  A 3rd time.  Ding!  A car is on the way.  I went out to my usual pick up spot in the falling snow.  I wasn't going to let the driver get cold feet and bolt.  By the time he arrived I had an inch of snow on my suitcase. 
It had snowed the day before but this is Denver so no shocker.  However at this early hour the snow on top of the black ice from yesterday's melt made for very treacherous driving conditions.  Cars were in ditches, accidents were seen all over.  It was early in the season so people new to snow were learning the hard way how not to drive in the snow.
It took almost 75 minutes for the normal 30 minute ride to the airport.  My driver kept asking "Do you want to go back?.  No flights leaving today".  Then a text from Southwest - "SWA Flight 750 is cancelled".  Odd, the inbound flight was on time, my plane was landing in Denver but the ongoing leg to California was cancelled.  
I wasn't about to miss my cruise, onward to the airport, even if I had to sleep there tonight I was determined to make it out of Denver on the first flight that I could.  
Southwest wanted to rebook me on the next flight out scheduled at noon that was delayed until 5pm.   By this time I was at the airport.  Delta had a 9:15am flight to Salt Lake.  I stopped by the Delta ticket counter and asked if the 9:15am was actually going.  Yep.  Book it.  On the spot I booked a one way to Long Beach on Delta.  I've played this game with Southwest before and they tend to eventually cancel everything so I put my faith in Delta and for $500 I was on my way.  Or so I thought.

At the gate I discovered our flight and cabin crew were missing.  They had overnighted in local hotels but they were stuck in the now worse traffic and accidents heading to the airport.  We were delayed.  Eventually they made it and we boarded.  With 3 inches of snow on the plane we had to de-ice.  Another delay.  Finally we took off 75 minutes late.  Late enough that I would miss my connection in Salt Lake.  So much for getting into Long Beach in the afternoon.  I was rebooked on a 5pm flight from Salt Lake to Long Beach.   Salt Lake also had light snowfall.  I heard the pilots talking as the plane boarded in Salt Lake - "We're de-icing".  Another delay.  
After a 14 hour travel day I made it to the Queen Mary in California.  Phew.  

Cell phones.
My travel agency, while waiting on hold to reprice a cruise offered this piece of advice.  
Change your screen saver or lock screen image to be your SetSail Pass or something the cruise line can use to identify you.  That super cool wallpaper that comes with your phone looks great but with a device locked no one from the ship can figure out who owns the most recent lost cell phone.
By using an image on your lock screen that the cruise line can reference if you lose your phone on board you stand a much better chance of getting it returned.   
Makes sense.
When you get home put it back to that super cool default lock screen image but while on board consider something that works to help you getting repatriated with your lost device.  

That's a genius tip!
I've never lost my phone, but I have lost my dignity on the FlowRider a couple of times.

Hey guys!
So I have some exciting news!
I found out last night that I'm going to be transferred to Oasis Of The Seas in 3 weeks time. This is a big step up for me, and a lot more responsibility is going to be put on me - but I'm excited for this challenge.
I'll be flying out to Spain to join the ship, and then crossing back to America for the beginning of the Caribbean season.
Let me know if any of you will be on Oasis! I look forward to meeting you!

Just isn't the same...

Not something you see every cruise

Humble room for this voyage, better photos are to come.
 

Few drinks enjoyed in The Bamboo Room.
Next stop the Suite Lounge, deck 14 port side.

 
Some nice seating



 
Small bar with some snacks. Bonus perk, starting at 12pm they offer lunch to Suite guests and Pinnacle members.

 
Also a nice outdoor seating area


 
Adding in the Suite Lunch menu

Priorities...

We all know the adage... good luck sleeping tonight...
One final thought, this is the best thing to see.

Nikola Tesla (for the conversations)

 
Lady Gaga (For the entertainment)

 
And Jake Gyllenhall (because he looks like a super fun dude)

I don’t know that I will have the opportunity to see any of the ATS but if I do, I will let you know.  I can certainly ask.

@WAAAYTOOO the one thing I am curious about is if they updated the rooms and furniture in the star class suites. If you could check on the ATS, it would be much appreciated. ?

@S0nny  Tesla was on my short list, but didn’t make the top 3.  My daughter however picked him, Elon Musk and Post Malone.  The hubster is still thinking about his.?  We are definitely nerds...LOL

The Yumster and I spend a lot of time laughing and being absurd.  I found a copy of the initial questionaire and typed it into a document to compile our answers at our leisure.  Added bonus, it draws out the excitement of the cruise, because as we all know, you board the ship and it seems like you blink your eyes and you are already disembarking.
To the question, "If you could invite 3 people-famous or infamous—throughout history for a dinner party, who would you invite?"
My answers (and I know they really don't mean anything, but it is fun to think about...):

Lucille Ball for laughs.

Leonardo DaVinci for intellectual thoughts.

Tom Selleck for eye candy. ?
 
What are some of your dinner guest picks?

Because you're highly competitive, and can't let @Matt or @Lovetocruise2002 hold onto the title of earliest blog start? ?