New York

The day has arrived. All three ships are in port. I got up at 5:30 to see them arrive. I watched the QM2 glide into Brooklyn and then I waited and waited. I knew that the Liz and the Vic had encountered the storm and had slowed down to 7 knots. Rumors abounded that they would arrive late. The Port Authority still had them arriving at 7:30 and 7:45 respectively. Well, 7:00am rolled around and I became suspicious. Went on Cruise Critic and found posts that showed that they arrived at 5:48!!!! Now that is seriously early!!!!! So, I was bitterly disappointed...and cried in my coffee. (No I did not go to bed, get under the duvet and drink Glenfiddich!!!). C'est la vie...but that was not the "French" that I screamed to no one at the time!

Be that as it may, I've had a lovely 2-day stay here at the Ritz Carlton Battery Park - a little lagniappe! The bon voyage party last night- originally for 12, cut to 6 because of the storm - was lovely. The hotel was so helpful with the selection of hors d'oeuvres and the service was impeccable. We had such a good time. People who did not know each other found out how much they had in common. No such thing as 6 degrees of separation - it's 1. In attendance, Paul and Amy and Olga who are going on the cruise with me; Linda, my dear old friend; Christine, a Cunard lecturer whom I met last April, and a dear new friend! We missed the MandMs and Joisey Pat, from 2008, who could not make it in from Joisey and my dear old friends from Westchester days, Kathy and Chan, who were also snowbound.

Paul, Amy and Olga were on the 2008 World Cruise, so we are old hands!!

Here are some photos of the snow, the harbor and the QM2 at rest in Brooklyn. The views down here are just breathtaking. And that lovely lady, the Statue of Liberty, always gives me goose bumps. As long as she is still there, all will be right with the world.