Monthly Archives: September 2008

It’s 4:30 on the North Atlantic on Tuesday, and we’ve covered about 525 nautical miles, with about 2700 ahead of us. The ship is cruising at 25 knots through placid seas, the lowest calibration on the scale that can be called up on the television.

The suite is sumptuous, yet I’m already totally used to it. Our butler, Anil, served lunch on the balcony overlooking the pool. Some people stare. My wife has forbidden me to wave.

I’m reminded of the 1930s starlet who observed, “A private railroad car is not an acquired taste. One gets used to it instantly.”

We’re dining in Todd English tonight, the very upscale, very elite restaurant two decks below us. I hope my expectations aren’t too high.

The service on the ship, called “white star service,” is extraordinary. Every crew member greets you cordially. A remote bulb somewhere in the suite apparently burned out, was spotted by the maid, and two engineers fixed it today, then appeared on the balcony to inform us as to what they had done. The room seems to be freshened several times a day, because I seem to only use a towel once and magically there are new ones the next time. (The master bath has heated towel racks with a control system not unlike that of a small Cessna.)

I swam in the nearest heated pool, then shared one of the hot tubs with a Scandinavian couple who didn’t let me stop them from heating up the water still more. I demurely stared at the wake. Most of the time. Sometimes. Hardly at all.

A ship’s officer alerted everyone over the speakers that dolphin were off to starboard, our side, and there were more than 50 of them, skipping along as rocks that are tossed to skip on the waves. I believe he also said (picture a train station PS system) that we were entering the western most reaches of the Sargasso Sea, which makes sense, since you can easily see strange seaweed gliding by the ship.

I’ve decided to work out on this trip, and did so yesterday at the Ritz-Carlton. So tomorrow morning, I’m off to the ship’s club which is nestled in the bow and is enormous. Later in the day are our spa appointments.

I found a formal note on the dining table in the suite this morning, inviting us to meet with Commodore Barnard Warner tomorrow evening. I’m looking forward to that. It’s another formal night, but Maria will not let me where my Bentley hat or tee shirt to the meeting, even though they are appropriately black.

There is a captain on this ship, but the Commodore outranks him. I guess I’m seeing the economic buyer.

© Alan Weiss 2008. All rights reserved.

From the North Atlantic:

We watched the sun setting over the Verrazano Bridge. People stared up in terror and fascination as the ship’s funnels seemed to clear the underside of the bridge by 20 feet.

A police boat escorted us out as a pitch black chopper flew around and over us well out to sea. After passing the narrows, a small coast guard cutter with a very prominent gun on the deck took over escort duties.

As we watched the embarkation party on the aft deck pool area, Anil, our butler, brought Champagne and canapés out to our balcony (on which you could organize a volleyball game). It turns out there are only two suites like ours on the entire ship, one port, and us, to starboard.

This was a “casual elegant” night so I got away with a jacket and no tie as we were introduced to our table in the Queen’s Dining Room, on the window. However, there is a special restaurant for an extra charge that we’ll try tomorrow. I left Maria in the casino and had a cigar and brandy in the Churchill Room. It’s right below the bridge, and it’s eerie to watch your brandy gently sway in the glass. Walking the length of this ship clearly violates my three-block maximum walking rule, so I’ve had to waive it.

I couldn’t get my Internet service to work, so Anil found Mitch, who’s in charge of the ship’s Internet, off duty. He finished his dinner then visited the suite and gave me his own account to use while he researched the problem. How’s that for service?

He called later to tell me that my password was fine (Koufax) but that I had misspelled my last name on the sign-up process (Wiss). Could happen to anyone, right?

I’m sending this at 8 in the morning (you move the clock ahead an hour each sunrise) on the balcony, watching the wake stretch to the horizon on an incredibly calm ocean. Sort of like our opportunities, if we choose to look at them that way.

(Click on images to enlarge)

© Alan Wiss 2008. All rights reserved.

I don’t know how often I’ll be able to post, so let me at least tell you where I am. We’ve boarded the QM 2 through special priority boarding. Picture a cross between Disney, The Ritz, and and a Mediterranean resort. It’s Fred Astair meets Evelyn Waugh.

There are 2800 passengers, and a 1:2 crew ratio, one of them for every two of us. The concierge escorted us to our room, and our butler has been informed of our presence. There are only two suites like this at the aft of the ship, and we’re on the starboard side.

We’re sipping Moet, provided compliments of the Commodore, with some appropriate strawberries. Our travel agent has sent two bottles of wine. The room is stocked with fruit and drinks. There are three bathrooms, including two adjoining the master bedroom, with a jacuzzi.

I’ll try to report more, but we’re trying to absorb all this. Oh, yes: There is a unique stopper provided to keep the Moet fresh in case we don’t finish it immediately. I’m going to go work on that right now.

(Click on images to enlarge)

© Alan Weiss 2008. All rights reserved.

With web guru Chad Barr’s help, I’m going to attempt to record our Atlantic Crossing in print, by photo, and with video. And I’m going to attempt to do that using a minimum of my time, but also trying to provide a real flavor of the experience. So, photos and video should be accompanying this.

We are at the Ritz-Carlton Battery Park,which sits almost alongside the Statue of Liberty. We’ll spend the evening here, then a car will pick us up for the trip to the Brooklyn Piers for embarkation on the Queen Mary 2 tomorrow.

(Click on arrow to play video)

(Click on images to enlarge)

Woman I found in my room:

Statue of Liberty:

Battery Park:

Staten Island Ferry:

© Alan Weiss 2008. All rights reserved.