CGTNORMANDIE

Maybe we should set up a contest to see who can build a BLT? LOL!

North Atlantic crossings can be dicey in April and October-November but the Queen Mary 2 can really handle the North Atlantic in all its’ guises. It is the best ship to sail on North Atlantic crossings bar none.

We have had many other bad weather experiences but the good thing is that it only lasts one day or one night most of the time. We did run into a storm on the SS France while headed home. That storm lasted two days. I have pictures of me in the pool and the waves crashing ten feet in the air. They had to close the pool right after that…lol. I remember sailing on the Gallilao out of Newport RI to Bermuda. The waves were hitting the ship broadside. We both got sick and took A pill that knocked us out. When we woke up all was well but we had missed breakfast…lol. We loved every cruise we were ever on and would not trade it for the world.

It was an adventure to be sure…lol. I never had a bad cruise thanks to Bonine. The first time on the Bremen on my honeymoon I had my arms wrapped around the toilet bowl. A kind stewardess came with a pill. It knocked me out and the next morning I was starving so we went to breakfast. The funny thing was I had sailed on a ship and my wife had not. It was her first time. My bride kept saying that she really loved being all snug in her bunk and being rocked to sleep lol. I knew then that I had a cruise mate for life. 51 years later we are ready to sail again…just as soon as I have my kidney transplant!

Book a sailing on a smaller ship like Windstar if you want to go to interesting ports. The MSC ships are too big and too fuel hungry to do much else. We have resigned ourselves to just enjoy the ship and no longer seek tours or excursions to the islands…seen it, done that and been there. When I first went to Nassau in 1971 it was quaint and interesting. Paradise Island was still referred to as Hog Island…the original name. Landing in Nassau today consists of making the 300 yard dash through the throngs of people and jumping on the Atlantis shuttle so I can make my deposit at the casino and return to ship.😳

Go to your dry cleaner and get the clothing bags they put over the finished dry cleaning. Then when you pack your clothing do so with the pressed clothing in the bags and on your own hangars. When you unpack onboard ship you will have perfectly pressed clothing wrinkle free already on hangars.

13 is my lucky number! They told me to beware of Friday the 13th. I told them it was the other 363 days I had to worry about😂

On our honeymoon in 1971 we were onboard TS Bremen we ran into the tail end of a hurricane off Cape Hatteras. We were hitting 50’ waves for one night. In 1975 were were returning home on a transatlantic onboard QE2 and had head winds over 100 mph. That night we hit a trench wave…at least 50’. The ship dropped so fast it emptied out both closets in our cabin. I actually saw two ladies in mid air in the casino. We were onboard RCI Jewel Of The Seas in 2009 sailing just south of Bermuda and ran into a freak storm one night. The bridge reported winds of 135 mph. We were pitching at least 45 degrees…quite exciting. Three aft cabins broke of their steel stanchion supports.

You will be taking a more southern route so you should see smooth seas and moderate temperatures…well at least an 80% possibility…lol.

Thanks Redge, I made my first Atlantic crossing when I was 16 years old and I never got over the feeling of being far out in the Atlantic with no land in sight. When I’m mid ocean I am at peace.

“A little anxious about being so isolated “? The best part about taking a transatlantic cruise is the feeling of being as one with the sea…totally unhooked from land. Sure the Wi-Fi might be spotty…so what. Cut your shore lines and revel in that rare feeling of being totally out of sight from any land. The feeling is like climbing to the top of a mountain and communing with God.

What do you do when you are on a cruise and become fooded out? Go for a burger of course! I have had some great burgers on Celebrity, RCI and MSC. A good burger is made from at least two ground meats, like chuck and rib meat, and cooked to a perfect medium and topped with cheddar cheese. I like my burgers straight up…no tomato and lettuce…maybe a thin slice of onion. I will usually have a touch of ketchup but sometimes I like my burger on white bread with salt and pepper and nothing else.

That’s very generous. I’ll wager you get great service too!

At least two stanchions snapped in two. Each of the three cabins is a metal module so yes they broke away from the stanchions and were out of alignment with a lot of banging and grinding. Things settled down after the storm passed. There were three engineers from Meyer Werft, the shipbuilders, that met the ship at our first port.

We were on the RCL Jewel Of The Seas in 2008. We were somewhere between Bermuda and North Carolina when we hit a nighttime storm with winds that were clocked on the bridge at 130 mph. Three of the aft facing cabins broke away when the stanchions they were welded to snapped. The banging and grinding were really loud. I suspect something similar happened on Edge. Cabins that are welded to stanchions can break loose.

I love lobster bisque but have not found a good one out at sea. You need to cook the lobster shells and pound them. Most kitchens are just using the pre made lobster soup base.

And that premium ship would be???

Thank you AM…now I have a good idea.

Thanks Sam…I’m starting to get a better picture now.

Thank you Pete. What are the drinks in the fridge?

I do not see any box that says SEARCH on the top right??

Thanking all of you for your comments but my question was/is What are the benefits? I understand there might be snacks…what type? Do they serve breakfast snacks in the AM? Are there hors d’ouvres available in the evening? Are there any beverages besides coffee…if so…what type? Can you get access 24 hours a day?

Mama Mia!! Never had a Rubin?? How is that possible?? You take two slices of rye bread…good Jewish deli bread…light rye, marble rye or dark rye. You smear a good Russian dressing on both sides then heap on the hand cut corned beef and sauerkraut topped with Swiss cheese. Then you grill the sandwich on both sides. You really have to try this. There is nothing like a great Rubin made with real corned beef…not the garbage you get sliced at the supermarket deli counter! This sandwich also needs a good half sour pickle served alongside.

Great to hear that Lois. I always freeze my bread and it tastes like it just came from the bakery. If I were not near any good bakeries I would not hesitate to pay $20. What’s a great Rubin without great rye bread??

Freeze the bread Lois. It will stay nice and fresh. $20 for the right bread…you have to do what you have to do!