It is always exciting to be boarding a cruise ship, let alone an Ocean Liner like the Cunard Queen Mary 2. The morning seems like forever waiting to be able to the port at our designated time. The morning is spent in the hotel in anticipation before we checkout and grab an Uber to the Brooklyn Redhook Cruise Port. The temperatures are still extremely hot so thankfully it did not take long to hand our suitcases over and manage the boarding process. It was quite nice to be a Diamond member on Cunard. Zip through the lines with no waiting.

Once on board, find your room, and then to the muster station to have your room card scanned. Our view is of the Manhattan Skyline. A bottle of champagne and some canapés are waiting compliments of the ship and our travel agent.

Next, off to explore the ship. I have not been on the QM2 since 2019. I forgot how big the ship is. A few things have changed like what The Golden Lion Pub looks like. Did not recognize it. Our table is in the Britannia Dining Room, level 2, a nice location.

The ship is not leaving port tonight, rather sometime around 6:00 am in the morning is what the Captain announces. Enjoying our first day exploring, unpacking, dining, and the evening’s show in the theatre.

One annoying thing is that the internet service will not allow sending of photos or text via your phone unless you use WhatsApp, which I never use. (This seems backward to me compared with Viking!) Fortunately, we are still in NY Harbor where I have cell service. Thus, the slight delay on this blog post and possibly others. Meanwhile, I’ll need cell service to post. Later, I’ll check with the internet experts on the ship to see if there is another way. 🤔

A storm came through while we were at dinner which we didn’t even hear! A quick peak at the night skyline. Spectacular!

It will be a busy day tomorrow on the 4th. The Tall Ships and Naval parade, the aerial flyover of 200 planes, lots of activity to watch on the Hudson River, and then fireworks. The Today show is broadcasting live from the ship from 7:00 AM – 10:00 AM. People are very excited to be on this ship. Some have never even cruised! If you are not on the ship, you can probably watch the spectacle of celebrations on TV. Lots of red, white, and blue too. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 Happy Birthday, USA!