At Sea - Saturday, 19 October, 2013

Today is one of 2 sea days, which means there are no ports of call. We left Sicily last evening and are headed for the Greek island of Santorini, which we will reach tomorrow. So, what to do when you can't leave the ship?

Sleep in.

The sea is calm.. Beautiful sunny day. 

I love sea days!

Susan is getting a massage at 9:30 this morning.

Bruce attended a lecture on the ports of Santorini and Rhodes... Very well done.Then a lecture on shipwrecks and the cargo on the bottom by a maritime historian and diver, Martin Woodward. did you know that gold is the only substance on earth that does not react chemically with any other substance? That means that a cold coin for example, that went to the bottom 2000 years ago, will be as new when it is brought to the surface. Not so with silver. Mr. Woodward also showed a slide of the cargo of a wreck from the 1st century BC - over 5000 amphora jars.

Now a few random observations. On land we have been in Europe, culturally. The Italian language, Euros, old buildings, traffic, Smart Cars. On the Queen Elizabeth, we are in a very different environment....  A combination of British and American culture. The Red ensign of the British merchant marine flies at the stern of the ship. But the US$ is the currency. And we can watch MSNBC, CNN and that other station. FOX on our flat screen TVs.

The ship is beautiful... Classic Art Deco decor.  Warm wood tones, comfortable furniture... Many places  in addition to our stateroom where one can relax and look out at the sea. Also plenty of bars.

The main dining room is the Britannia Restaurant... On two levels at the stern of the ship. So far, dinners and service have been excellent. Also, because we were not in a rush this morning, had a great breakfast this morning in the main dining room. On port days, we generally have both breakfast and lunch in the Lido Restaurant.

Saw 2 other cruise ships this morning in the sea lanes. Looking at an Oceania ship - I think it's an Oceania ship right now, and during breakfast, the Oasis of the Seas sailed by.

Susan had a good massage, but a high pressure, you need these products, from the masseuse. The spa is not owned by Cunard, but leases space on Cunard and Princess ships ( among others).

Now for some photos taken on deck last night.

Here's a photo of Susan at dinner last night.

Below - The Britannia Restaurant.

Also, some photos taken in the Royal Court Theater just before the show last night.