Final Days at Sea

With only two days at sea before the end of our journey, the pace of activity on the ship stepped up. Suddenly passengers, both on the world voyage and those who joined the ship in Dubai, scurried around the ship trying to see every part of it they hadn’t already seen and experience all the ship had to offer. With so little time left, passengers who really had intended to use the fitness center, exercise on the sports deck, or power walk on the promenade deck throughout their voyage worked out like crazy to make up for lost time.

We took advantage of our final days to walk about and enjoy the fabulous artwork. The ship is like an art gallery at sea. Touring the decks viewing the artwork was as good as going to a first-class art gallery or museum. Artwork of all types is everywhere—in the public rooms, corridors, stairways, and the cabins. Below are photos of only a few of the pieces that abound on the ship. We wish that we had taken more.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth

Ship Model of the Queen Elizabeth

Marquetry Image of the Queen Elizabeth Hull

Images of Ships--Square, Arched, and Round

The Marvelous QE2

Reminders of the U.K.

Some of our favorite pieces were the art deco works of Giancarlo Impiglia. Anyone who sailed on the QE2 will remember his large murals outside the Lido. I had the pleasure of meeting him when he was a guest speaker on the Queen Mary 2. I purchased a copy of one of his art books for my sister, and he came down to the bookstore to autograph it for me. When I asked him if he lived in Italy, he said he lived on Long Island. “You and Ina Garten,” I joked. Surprised, he replied, “Do you know Ina? I taught her to make spaghetti sauce.” He was so in earnest it made me laugh. Like I really know a famous TV chef! But I have had the pleasure of meeting Giancarlo Impiglia.

Paintings by Giancarlo Impiglia 

Edible Works of Art

Temporary Works of Art

Artwork in Our Cabin

In addition to the permanent artwork on the ship, a gallery displaying art for sale is located on Deck Three. 

Country Fayre

The Entertainment Staff put on a Country Fayre one afternoon for passengers to raise money for a number of charities. Over the past two months, passengers had been donating items they no longer wanted for the event. The fayre was a lot of fun with passenger volunteers helping with games, book and jumble sales, food, and auctions. The event raised $9,026. I didn’t win any of the games, but I came away with a book by a favorite author to read on the flight home. A good time was had by all.

Later that evening, our cabin attendant, Kenneth, showed up with our luggage, which had been stored during our journey. It was time to start packing. Somehow we had to squeeze everything we brought with us, along with what we accumulated over four months, into our cases—cases that had been full when we arrived. We were going to have to do some creative packing.