Woke up at 4:30. Except with the time change it was actually 3:30.
Sigh.
Couldn't use the ship's internet (as per usual) to see where we were so turned the tv on in the end.
When we got close I went up on deck to watch us come in under the Verrazzano Narrows bridge which was pretty cool, and watch us drift past the Statue of Liberty and New York. Very very cool!
Queen Mary 2 about to pass under Verrazzano Narrows Bridge
Passing under the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge
New Jersey and New York from Queen Mary 2
Statue of Liberty from Queen Mary 2
New York from Queen Mary 2
The sweetie was ready when I got back, so downloaded all my photos that hadn't been downloaded, and downloaded and cleared the GPS.
Then we got some breakfast.
New York and Governors Island
Then left the ship around 8:00. Took around three quarters of an hour to get through immigration because of the queue.
Cunard wanted $47 per person for a transfer to midtown so we took a taxi to a station in Brooklyn and took the F train to 42nd Street. I was going to get single tickets on the train as we only needed the two trips, but the machine wouldn't give more than $9 change and I only had $20 notes, so went and talked to a human who sold us a single metrocard which has the equivalent of four trips on it, and we can share the card by swiping it twice in the machines, so that worked out well.
When we emerged from the subway we were next to Bryant Park which was setup with a Christmas market and ice rink, so that was nice.
Winter ice skating in Bryant Park
Then meandered past the library to Grand Central Station.
New York Public Library
New York Public Library
Lion outside New York Public Library
Chrysler Building
New York buildings and Chrysler Building
Grand Central Station
Grand Central Station
Grand Central Station
Grand Central Station
Then back 42nd street to Times Square. Had a coffee there (outside cause they don't have space for chairs inside).
Times Square
Nasdaq building in Times Square
Times Square Studios
Times Square
Times Square
Started to get cold though so went into the Disney Store to warm up, and have a look. But it was super crowded. They really need crowd control there.
Kept walking north through Times Square.
2018 ball in Times Square
Went into the M&Ms store because I thought it would be easy to get some orange or other interesting flavoured M&Ms, but instead it was three floors of merchandise and CHAOS. I thought I'd go to the toilet there but the queue was a hundred years long so didn't bother, just tried to escape. And didn't get any M&Ms.
M&Ms galore
Headed for Rockefeller Centre with thoughts of *maybe* going up the tower (it was pretty cloudy, although clear, so it was a bit of a dilemma). Decided not to (the queue most of the way down the block was also a bit of a put off), and instead tried to get a photo of the ice rink and Christmas tree and the gold sculpture, but PEOPLE. Argh. Couldn't move. Didn't really get all the photos I wanted, oh well.
Radio City Music Hall
Christmas decorations off 6th Ave
Golden Prometheus statue and Christmas tree in Rockefeller Plaza
Golden Prometheus statue in Rockefeller Plaza
Christmas decorations in the Channel Gardens
Also saw the front of Saks, which would have been really pretty at night.
At this point we started heading south. At one point we saw a sign that said pizza, so headed for it and had a couple of slices of New York Style pizza which was pretty cool.
Stu and pizza in Ambrosia Café
Kept walking to 34th, and cut across to Macy's to have a look at the Christmas windows, but they weren't that exciting, and PEOPLE.
Empire State Building
Macys Christmas store window
Macys Department Store
Macys Department Store
Jumped on a train back to Brooklyn, and got an Uber to the cruise terminal.
Hippopotomous Sculpture
Got a super epic awesome photo of the ship with New York in the background :)
Queen Mary 2 and New York skyline at Brooklyn Cruise Terminal
America needs to get rid of its penny coins. And they also need to do what Australia got right - include GST *before* the cash register. We literally have no idea how much we are going to pay for things to get out the right money. From Stu's last trip we had a *heap* of American coin, so I've been holding up traffic while I count exact coinage to get rid of it all. Also I've been breaking larger notes every time we spend money to get $1 bills, needed for tipping nonsense.
Room 10082 sign with Christmas decorations
Back on ship I froze my fingers off in the wind getting photos of New York from the ship.
Statue of Liberty from Queen Mary 2
Looking up the East River
New York from Queen Mary 2
New York and Governors Island from Queen Mary 2
New York Dock Co building
Norwegian Gem departing New York
Governors Island and New York from Queen Mary 2
Queen Mary 2 departure party and NewYork at night
New York at night
At departure time (left at 17:26) I went onto the Grills Terrace to document the departure. It was so much prettier departing New York in the evening when all the lights were actually on. And I got a super epic awesome video of us passing under the Verazzano Narrows bridge - we pass sooooo close to it! They said something like 14' but it looks a lot closer than that heh.
New York at night
Moon over Brooklyn
Verrazzano Narrows Bridge
Then got ready and went up to dinner. The table had been set for eight out of New York. Carolyn and Ray had disembarked and we now had Paul and Sue, and Ray and Helen from Kent. Then collapsed into bed.
Dressed for dinner
French onion soup with cheese crouton that I had for entrée
Medallions of pork fillet in bacon with sauteed wild mushrooms, dauphinoise potatoes, green beans and caramelised pearl onions served with a mustard sherry sauce, that I had for dinner
Poached pear, sable biscuits and a caramel ginger butter sauce that I had for dessert
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