A British Royal Mail Ship, the Charing Cross is a newly-launched passenger liner with only three Atlantic crossings under her belt. It can take four thousand passengers and is almost as luxurious as the Mauratania was in its heyday. The captain is Captain Robert Doyle, who commanded a much smaller passenger vessel before the war, and during the war, was placed in command of a passenger liner converted to a troop transport ship. The Charing Cross was laid down in 1919 and launched in 1923. On its maiden voyage it steamed from England to New York in only five and a half days, a record for its class.

(From The Road) Joe took Alice's hand as they entered the hatchway from the first class gangplank.

Alice could not help but look around as they boarded the ship. She had never expected to see anything quite as magnificent as this.

A porter led Joe and Alice to their stateroom, which consisted of a bedroom with two beds, a bathroom, a closet and a sitting room. Joe tipped the porter two dollars, who in turn, left them with their baggage.

Alice walked through the room and looked out one of the windows. They were off on a cruise and would be traveling all over Europe on their honeymoon. It still felt a little odd to think that she was married, but she knew she was happy and that was what really mattered.

"What do you think of the stateroom?"

"It is very nice, larger than I had expected."

"Yes, the only thing it's missing is a television set."

"I can live without that."

"I can too, considering I've only seen them in the magazines."

"I wonder if you have to use a cat's whisker on a television set also."

"Oh, I don't know." Joe replied with a chuckle. "It seems just a bit too unreal for me. I can't understand the rate technology is moving along. I never thought I would be able to communicate with someone else across the country using a typewriter. But...that's how it is."