I think no matter how many crossing you did, You always had to be upon on deck early are the arrival in New York.
My very first time in June 1986 and the young thing that l was l found it so strange to be at sea and see no land, indeed even in the early morning when the land is still a bit away its pretty amazing to see the lights of America in the distance and when you actually consider the distance you have covered on a map at 28 knots and realise that its America your now looking at the whole concept is amazing.
The only trouble is doing the round trip crossing its does make for an exhasuting day if youve been up late the night before, then snatch a few hours sleep before your alarm goes of at some ungodly hour then to spend the whole day tramping over New York before re embarking for the return crossing, I never found any QE2 voyage relaxing, there never seemed enough hours in the day.
But to be on deck as you sail up the Hudson river with the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan ahead of you, really is the stuff dreams are made of
