What’s for lunch?
So now we’re on a ship. Or we were, since by the time I post this we’ll be back on dry land, because, have you seen how much they charge for Internet access on cruise ships? It’s pretty insane, and if there’s one thing I have a fairly good handle on, it’s insane. Our ship, the Queen Mary 2, is nicknamed, affectionately, by the crew as the ArgleBargle. Honestly, I can’t understand a word they say sometimes. This ship is so large that it takes forever to walk from one end to the other (forever in the average American’s terms, being further than the third parking space from the entrance of the Safeway), but fortunately, it being a modern ocean liner, you can stop along the way for a bit of provender. There’s a bunch of restaurants, cafes, cafeterias and the like scattered from bow to stern. More importantly, there are a total of thirteen bars on board the Queen Mary 2. It is conducive to what I like to call well lubricated voyaging.
The Queen Mary 2 has a class tiered dining system, much like that in the old days, though they no longer use the term, steerage for the lower class guests, preferring to refer to them as the rabble instead. We get to dine in the Queen’s Grill which is very nice, and isn’t as restrictive as it used to be back in the day. You only have to wear frock coats and top hats to breakfast for instance, while lunch can be almost anarchic with outfits ranging from tea dresses to mink stoles, and that’s just the men. Fortunately, decorum is restored for dinner with dinner jackets being required for the men and Princess Leia bikini costumes for the women. The other classes have their own dining rooms, and everyone can partake of the buffet dining, called Kings Court on the QM2, though Mary prefers to call it the Trough. Mary doesn’t like buffets, something I’ve touched upon before. On this issue we differ, because as far as I concerned, buffets are one of the shining accomplishments of this modern age.
So, it doesn’t look like I’ll be getting to try out the buffet while we’re on board. The rest of the dining venues are quite pleasant, and so for a week I will not have to cook, or think about cooking, or having to rustle up some leftovers and hope Mary doesn’t remember that she’s already had that stew three times this week. Stress free living.
One thing I was looking forward to was a properly prepared gin and tonic. And so far, every one I’ve had on board have been perfect. I still have a half dozen or so cocktail vending venues left to check out, of the thirteen on board, but, in my defense, we only boarded a couple of hours ago, so I think I’m proceeding at a fairly good clip.