As a Cynic Sees It: Home

I’ve been home over 48 hours now and it’s great to be here. As good as the trip was, Dorothy was right, “there’s no place like home.” But I gotta tell you, I liked it when someone else made the coffee and cooked the food and washed the dishes and cleaned the bedroom and left a Godiva chocolate on my pillow.

On the other hand, I went almost two weeks without a cold nose nuzzling my hand or a floppy tongue giving me kisses. I missed the dogs and I’m thinking they likely missed me. They certainly missed all the treats they get here as opposed to at the kennel.

To wrap up, Queen Mary 2 was a delight; she’s still the stateliest and most beautiful ship at sea and pampers her guests at a level few other lines match. I love Cunard; I just wish they could smooth out the few rough edges and upgrade their food. On the other hand, the afternoon tea dance was wonderful: a seven-piece band playing mostly 40s-60s songs I knew, with dozens of couples dancing, some of them very well – on the biggest dance floor at sea. And wonderful sandwiches and cakes! The lectures were stellar, as was most of the music, including a show by the Overtones, a five-guy “boy band” with great voices and choreography – didn’t hurt that every song they sang was an oldie I knew and loved. The big production stage show? Not so much, but that’s been true on every ship I’ve been on for years and years.

I attended three lectures on ocean liners and three on the Concorde, two on planets and stars, one planetarium show, two talks on comedy, a lecture on Frank Sinatra’s film career and another on Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. I went to afternoon tea twice, the gym six times, three classical guitar concerts (two with flute) and two performances by the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.

As in previous sailings I met people whom I hope to never forget. Primary among them, our tablemates, Colin and Dina from Bristol. They were an absolute delight and made me look forward to dinner each night, as I now look forward to seeing them again.

And there was my bridge partner Lloyd, the fastest study I’ve ever seen; he had never played before but took to it like a pro. Playing against us was Pam and Shirley, both fun. Shirley actually has a home on Branford, CT, so it’s very likely I’ll see her again.

And a shout-out and thank you to my travelmate, Malette. He made the whole trip more enjoyable and I was sorry to see him head home to North Carolina.

Cunard’s been at this for 175 years; they do it better than most; I wish they did it perfectly and I’ll keep sailing with them and reminding them what they need to do to make it better.

Rule, Britannia! Britannia, rule the waves.