On October 10 the Queen Elizabeth 2 left Southampton with Cunard's flagship, Queen Mary 2, for a tandem crossing to New York.
Her return passage on October 16 will be the ship's 806th and final Atlantic crossing.
In mid 2007 my daughter Lulu and her hubby tried to book a passage on QE2's final voyage from New York but the demand for places as well as the cost was prohibitive but she did manage to book a passage on the new flag ship Queen Mary 2 which is also sailing along side QE2 on October 16th.
They arrived in New York three days ago amid great excitement, the plane was three hours late for departure but at least she had the pleasure of standing in the check-in queue behind Placido Domingo who was going to New York to perform a concert...she always seems to be hobnobbing with the rich and famous when she goes on holiday, remember when she sat on the next table to Prince William in an indian restaurant in Tenby?
In precisely three and a half hours time she will be on board the cruise ship waiting for the festivities to begin.
At 5 p.m.,(New York time) FDNY Fireboats and the U.S. Coast Guard -- along with a flotilla of pleasure craft --will escort QE2 and QM2 during sailaway.
At 5:30 p.m., FDNY Emerald Society Pipes and Drums will be on hand at the Battery Park City Promenade (State and Pearl Streets) to provide a royal send off for QE2.
QE2 and QM2 will rendezvous near The Statue of Liberty at 6:10 p.m. before heading across the Atlantic in tandem.
For a full schedule, as well as directions to the prime viewing locations check it out here
Lulu has had a stressful time of it this year what with one thing and another and this pre-booked trip of a lifetime couldn't have come at a better time as last month she heard that the hospital ward she is in charge of is closing in four months time so in reality she could even be out of a job.
Daughter no2 update.
Bella, as some of you may know, has for the past year been living and working in Hull and commuting to Manchester at the weekend where she is living with her boyfriend, well now she is firmly ensconced back in Manchester after being made redundant a few weeks ago.
She was interior designer for a luxury mobile home company which has been hit hard by the credit crunch and has laid off hundreds of employees.
The good news is that she got a job offer today from a company in a town near Manchester so she is a happy bunny today too!!
I do luv my girls 
