Monday 24th August 2026.

Steps, 7,800

It’s 08.48 hrs.  I could have ⁶done with waking a little later this morning.  It looks like being a decent day.  And It’s hard to believe that tomorrow, normality resumes with the South coast of England becoming ever distant as Clive and I drive north to Buxton. I suppose it will be good to see my beloved car again.  But there are people I shall miss from this most pleasant of voyages.

Now it’s time to get up, and make the best use of this final day at sea.

10,20 hrs 

Outside, it’s breezy but far from cold. Some deck walkers, however, are dressed as if on Mt. Everest.  Perhaps the gradual approach to England is casting some kind of “gloomy psychological thing.”   I’m certainly the worse for a not brilliant night, but I really want to savour this last day aboard the still after all these years magnificent Queen Mary 2. 

It’s now 10.43, and I am in the hands of the Mareel Spa who are about to trim my toe nails. 

11.46. My feet feel all the better for a QM2 pedicure.  I tried a bit of a deck walk.  It’s incredibly windy out there, and white horses skim the ocean (or is it the English Channel by now) surface as far as the eye can see.  This has little effect on the ship.

I can’t wait to have a pair of normal glasses!  Writing and getting by with precription sun glasses, ‘though practical is becoming frustrating long term!  Of course, my insurance company will need to be contacted with. 

Fr. Michael and Emily joined me for what felt like a very special lunch, appropriately in Steakhouse at the Verandah.  I needed then to complete the packing, the latter part of which was much less straightforward than the initial bulk of the packing which I carried out into the early hours this morning.   I met up with Emily for one final look at the now heavy seas which had taken some of us by surprise.

This joy couldn’t be prolonged any further. Despite the gorgeous lunch, we decided to pay a farewell visit to Table 404.  I had a turkey main course.  The cuisine on this last day was as good as ever.  It has been this way all twenty-one days. Keith from Sweden, on his way to South Korea by train, Emily (Alaska) John (Milano) Paul (New York State) and I were joined for the first and only time by Jennie.  She soon left to attend a party in the Queens Room. 

Emily bid is all a warm fond farewell.  I stayed with John, Keith and Paul for a final blob of sugar free ice cream.  We then bade our inevitable farewells.  I looked in briefly on Amethyst who were giving their all in a jam-packed Golden Lion Pub.  They are brilliant. I hope that I see them again!  Simon and Liz from the U.S.A 250 voyage had scored 19/20 in a challenging Cunard Quiz, which I knew nothing about.  They were beaten by somebody who answered correctly each question.

My main suitcase is outside and I have packed as much as possible. I can do no more tonight.  So I shall hit the hay and be cleared out of stateroom 13023 by 08.30 hrs.

The next time I travel on Queen Mary 2, my favourite open space on Deck 13 will have new accommodation built on.

The Book Shop next to the Library will be repurposed as a Queens Grill Suite, and an area aft on Deck 6 will be reconfigured with further accommodation. And I understand that the concierge lounge on Deck 9 is bring discontinued.  This was for the exclusive use of Grill guests, those who had booked suites rather than staterooms for their accommodation.  I await with some eagerness the Second Remastering.

Many thanks to those who have followed my blogs.  These two voyages, June/July, and the Eclipse cruise have been an enormous privilege.

Many thanks for reading,

David, 23.38 hrs in his stateroom, still Day 21/21.