OMGA 5: The RMS Queen Mary 2

Today, our cruise on the Queen Mary 2 from Southampton to New York City, actually, Brooklyn.  A few things about Cunard.

• Has been sailing for 184 years.  

• Founded by Sir Samuel Cunard to provide transatlantic service in 1840 with the Britannia
• He was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1787.  His father fled the American Revolution because he was a Loyalist to the British Crown.
• By 1900, Cunard advertised their ships as floating palaces, and shared design features similar to The Ritz.
• 
  Lusitania and Mauretania had revolutionary steam engines, where the first ship to shore by Marconi wireless transmission was made on them.
• The Lusitania was sunk by a German-U-boat killing 1195 people in 1915, leading to the U.S. joining World War I.

• 
  When the Titanic sank in 1912, Cunard's Carpathia arrived to rescue the survivors.
• In the late 20's/30's, Cunard got loan guarantees from the British government, merged with its rival White Star Line and launched the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth.
• 
  The Queen Elizabeth was used as a troopship in World War II, became transatlantic in 1946 and sailed over 5 million miles in 39 years of service.
• In the 1950's, Hollywood starts regularly were passengers, like Rita Hayworth, Judy Garland (pictured) and Walt Disney.
• 
  The Queen Elizabeth II was christened in 1967 by Queen Elizabeth II.  At the end of the 70's, a travel package was made with the British Airways Concorde as the ultimate way to travel. Became a troopship in the 1982 Falklands war.

• 
  Carnival bought out Cunard in 1998.  Also owns Costa Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, Aida Cruises and Princess Cruises.

• 
  And, by the way, Royal Caribbean owns Celebrity and Silversea.  Also the largest seven cruise ships, with the newest Icon of the Seas (right).  Five times larger than the Titanic, cost $2 billion to build and can hold 7600 passengers. Watch a tour.

• 
  Queen Mary 2 is 1132 feet long, and the Icon of the Seas is 1188 feet.  But the Icon of the Seas weighs 250,800 gross tons, with the Queen Mary 2 at 148,528 GT.

• 
  Oil tankers and other industrial ships are larger.
• Seawise Giant (retired) is 1504 feet long, with a GT of 260,851.
• Batilus Class, 1359 ft, 275,000 GT.
• Pioneering Spirit, a crane vessel, 1253 feet, but 403,342 GT.
• The retired aircraft carrier Enterprise, 1122 feet.
• According to Wikipedia, though, the Knock Nevis was the lengthiest ship at 1503 feet.

There are now four ships cruising for Cunard:  Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Victoria and Queen Anne.

The RMS Queen Mary II, launched in 2004, remains as the Cunard flagship.

• Is 1132 feet long, with 148,528 GT.
• The brand new MS Queen Anne is 1058 feet long, with 113,000 GT.  Watch her maiden voyage.

So on to the Queen Mary 2.  Because there are no tours, we had a night life and slept in till late in the morning, skipping breakfast.  Lunch was perhaps the best part of the day.  You could dress comfortably, with a fabulous buffet.

There was a special station of sushi and sashimi at every lunch buffet.

English tea did not necessarily mean english tea, scones and clotted cream.  I had a flight of ports.

Dinner was also fine.

Had an excellent steak dinner.

At night, shows, dancing and at the end we usually went to the Commodore Lounge to have a final cognac or scotch, with piano entertainment.

As there was no limit to drinks/day, every one not drank was money wasted.

The ship was well appointed.

You are encouraged to dress up for dinner.

I celebrated the Kentucky Derby with two Mint Juleps.  The difference was the official bourbon, Woodward Reserve, and a Japanese whisky.

But all good things transition to something else, and the good life continued in Manhattan.

Tomorrow, OMGA 6, New York, New York.

The Preakness Stakes ran today

• Read Steve Kornacki's guide.  He picked Just Steel at 15-1.
• 8 horses, with Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan favored at 5/2.  
• The race is a tad shorter than the Kentucky Derby.

• 
  The Black-Eyed Susan is the official cocktail of the Preakness Stakes:  equal parts bourbon and vodka, peach schnapps, orange juice and sour mix.  
• Got the bourbon and vodka.  
• Orange is not a problem.  
• Sour  mix?  Just sugar, water, lemons and limes, which I have.
• Peach schnapps?  Hmmm...
• Actually, Diageo is now the official sponsor of the Preakness Stakes, so the bourbon is Bulleit and vodka is Ketel One.

So I enjoyed a Portuguese Bean Soup and sashimi meal with my Black-Eyed Susan.

The winner was Seize the Grey.

Bob Baffert congratulates 88-year old trainer of Seize the Grey, D. Wayne Lucas.

The winner, appropriately gray.

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