At 0500 hrs, we sailed under the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge passing the Statue of Liberty c25 minutes later. I was briefly awake as we were drawing along the quayside at Brooklyn Cruise Terminal.  I went back into a peaceful contented sleep, slowly getting up from around 08.00hrs.  The buffet breakfast on Deck 7 would be open until 09.30.  Without rushing, I would enjoy my usual oatmeal and a small plate of grilled (?) sausage, bacon, beans, and saute potatoes.  Despite the unimpressive forecast of cloud, so far, it’s a lovely morning outside.  I have a table view of the Statue of Liberty. 

I owe it to myself to do something today, but, I’m not exactly sure what, yet.  Not all passengers have disembarked.  This has to happen before those in transit can leave the ship.  I’m aware that time is limited and intend to be back at the ship at the all aboard time for the crew, leaving an hour’s wiggle room. 

This voyage is rather like three separate cruises back to back, although I booked it as two back to back.  Today feels like part 3.  2,100 seem to be taking forever to leave the ship, although it’s only 09.43 hrs, roughly the time I expect to disembark at Southampton in seven days.

There are no more ports of call, no shore experiences to miss(!), just six glorious (hopefully) sea days, maybe encountering acquaintances of household names.  I do love name-dropping – tongue-in-cheek of course!  

Right now, the ship is eerily quiet.  It won’t be after lunch time as a couple of thousand embark, bewildered, and wandering around like lost sheep. 

Last night, I was suddenly aware that I had not seen Campell Simpson’s name among the musicians on board.  He has been (and probably still is) the ship’s resident pianist since before QM2 entrerd service in January 2004.   

I never anticipated this!   I disembarked QM2 sometime around 10.45 hrs, traipsed through the Terminal complex outside into a blazing sun.  I was immediately approached by the owner of a red S.U.V. who offered me a two hour tour of Brooklyn and Manhattan.  A reasonable deal was struck. The tour was closer to three hours and I had no problem paying a sensible amount extra. It was a brilliant brief look at Brooklyn and Manhattan.  What I never anticipated was stopping at Joe Junior’s on E16th and 3rd Avenue for a not very healthy lunch.  Joe Junior’s was the daily haunt of friend Richard Faber whose model of Queen Mary 2, has resided at my place since January 2014.

Being docked at Red Hook, perhaps not the most attractive of locations, a brief tour of Brooklyn, parts which were new to me spiked my interest. This area is no longer a cheap option with one bedroom apartments starting at a quarter of a million bucks.  Dan, my driver, wished to show me the new Barclay Stadium where we stopped for photos. 

I think it was the Manhattan Bridge we crossed from Brooklyn, ending up in Chinatown.

I particularly wanted to see again the Empire State Building and Ground Zero, and if possible,  pass by my old haunt, Joe Junior’s Diner, my go-to place for breakfast, lunch and sometimes dinner.  We actually stopped there for a burger and coffee.  My driver prefered a strawberry milk shake! 

I was happy merely to drive by the Empire State Building, but sadly stopping at Ground Zero was not really possible at the time.  However, I was more than happy to drive close by.

All too soon, but almost three hours later, we were heading back through Brooklyn having passed through the Brooklyn Battery (Hugh L. Carey) Tunnel, 1.7 miles in length.  I paid my driver as we drew into the harbour terminal.  To my amusement, he was hoping for further custom. This of course was unlikely as the ship was about to depart (in three hours).  His vehicle had gone by the time I finished taking more pictures of QM2 at Redhook.

A day well spent, methinks.

Many thanks for reading, David, now safely back on board, in the Grand Lobby (upper) as a stream of new passengers pass by, some obviously lost!