Sip Brandy at Observation BarThe Observation Bar is where Clark Gable once sipped Brandy as he made his way across Atlantic — and venue is still alive with fabulous sunsets and distinctive drinks. It is located near Chelsea restaurant.

For a fine dining enjoyment, Executive Chef Tom Tassone creates an epicurean excursion daily. Named 2001 Chef of Year by Southern California Restaurant Writers Association, Chef Tassone overseas culinary efforts on-board, including those at 4-star Sir Winston's (named after Churchill — and many of The Chelsea for Fine Diningsuites are also named after historical personages — Churchill, Eisenhower, The Windsors, etc.).

Sir Winston's is strictly a formal restaurant located on fantail, and it is signature dining spot on Queen Mary. I dined this evening at Chelsea, a less formal experience with wide harbor-side windows and still first class, most famous for its seafood. The gold-award winning nitery is open Wednesday through Sunday evenings. Reservations required for both Sir Winston's and Chelsea. But of course, Queen has a majestic wine list. Did you doubt? During day I dined at Promenade Café or coffee and bakery shop, or if you are here on a Sunday, partake famed Champagne Brunch featuring more than 50 food stations! Wow, Queen knows how to live! Long live Queen!

To know Queen you have to take tours — there are numerous guided tours, or you can take Self-Guided Shipwalk Tour. I really recommend Ghost and Legends Show highlighting haunted history of this stellar steel giant. The Treasures from Queen Mary Archives and Behind The Scenes Tour are a great prelude to World War II Guided Tour or exceptional tour of Cold War era "Scorpion" Russian Submarine floating alongside at Queen's guay.

Visit a Legendary Ghost I booked myself on Ghost and Legend Tour, and I am sipping a hot cup of joe (Gi joe moniker for coffee) from starboard bakery before tour begins, then I check out replica posters in Times Past antique poster shop on Promenade Deck. The entrance to Ghost and Legends tour is outside and you actually walk into lower decks from a doorway cut into Queen's bow. I look down curving graceful lines of her traditional colors of black and red stripes painted ship length, but aft is lost in curves and horizon. She is so huge! With over ten million rivets holding eight-foot-long hull plates together along her entire 1,019 foot length, Queen had plenty of muscle — 160,000 horsepower —to move 81,000 gross tons of steel.

There are still reported and recorded testimonials from people that see ghosts on Queen, so I had to check out veracity on $4 million exhibit taking up over 25,000-square-feet of space within bowels of ship's bow, where former boilers, now removed, were located. The most stunning aspect of tour is when ship slams into simulated Caracoa — boiler room fills with steam (fake, non-lethal variety), there is a dramatic change in temperature, ghostly images, special weathered ceilings and walls, electrostatic charges and a phenomenal water effect making me wonder if I will become one of dark denizens of ship's depths to later appear in a different time and a different era.

The first class swimming pool is no longer in use, but it is a familiar site for apparitions. Do you see footprints made with no earthly body? The Art Deco pool is a vortex for other side, according to clairvoyant paranormal experts. There are reports of women in vintage bathing suits, sound of splashing water, and children laughing near pool. I must admit I felt a tingler jump down my spine.

As a member of Allied Forces The Grey Ghost traveled 630,000 miles and transported over 880,000 personnel to help win war. In fact, ship was Sir Winston Churchill's command post at sea. Later, she brought back war brides from Europe.

The Ghost Ship In The Pacific TheaterThe new World War II Guided Tour is

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Kriss Hammond, Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent – Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com To book travel visit Jetstreams.com at www.jetstreams.com and for Beach Resorts visit Beach Booker at www.beachbooker.com

Butler trays once belonging to Sir Anthony Eden are still used in bar that once was "Morning Room" or breakfast room because it faces eastern sun; old wine cooler is in Nova Room. Terry O'Neill black-and-white portraits of Dean Martin, John Lennon, Marlene Deitrich, and Liz Taylor cozying up with David Bowie grace bar walls, center stone for nighttime aperitifs. My favorite photo is a shot of Lee Marvin wearing an Indiana Jones fedora (with a shot glass and whiskey bottle placed strategically in front of him) sitting at some bar somewhere, not unlike this one — you could tell Lee was out on a hell-raising night.

The Berbice or planters' chairs have been in house for many years and they offer great relaxation just off reception area, with wings on armrests that fold out — you can place your feet up just like Royal Regimental officers!.

To west of drawing room there is a mahogany staircase leading to original bedrooms on second floor. A few bedrooms are still rented out in original part of home; Eden's bedroom has been converted to a library and guest computer room. The hotel's entrance hall is paved with blue and white marble tiles, a traditional soothing welcome to visitors in tropics.

The historic Villa Nova has 15 acres of walled tropical gardens for total resort privacy, but it is also an ideal venue for business retreats, conferences, receptions, and private dinner parties. For meetings Villa Nova offers private dining or use of music room or exclusive Salon Privé or Nova Room for smaller groups. For all-day conferences audio/video equipment is on hand as well as computers and secretarial services. The al fresco Gazebo overlooking cane plantations seats up to 50 for a buffet lunch or dinner or hosts 75 for cocktails and canapés.

One night only Bajan bird warbling was delightful tunes by local singing sensation Rose Mary Phillips, adding her clear vocal jazz impressions to an island tourism networking dinner party.

"Give us luxuries of life and we will disperse with its necessities." — J.L. Motley

You arrived for privacy and peace and calm and luxuries and Villa Nova delivers . . . with a personalized greeting card in your room.

There are only 28 Nina Campbell designed suites throughout property, mostly in newer addition grafted north of hotel's apse. Each suite has a garden terrace, en suite shower, and separate claw-foot tub that you don't see too often, with hottest water imaginable. Barbados is renowned for its clean water and air. A bidet is an added touch of luxury. The air-conditioned rooms were a little too cool for me and with a little adjustment natural atmosphere was imbued.

The suites have built-in voltage adapters for all your electronic necessities. I found VN slippers each morning on exiting bed. The thickest towels in world are here. There is a bumpershoot in huge hall closet and at hotel exit. A NewspapersDirect daily print-out of London Times is in Drawing Room, which I snuck to pool each afternoon.

Patterned gray dyed sisal rugs cover Guyana hardwood floors, giving my suite a tropical feel; spider monkeys are brocaded on day settee in front of Sony Trinitron TV. For an on-demand sampling of DVDs, just call front desk and they hook up movie. A turndown service magically appears in evening — they know when you are not in room — they don't want to annoy you.

The VN's Zen-like staff arranges golf outings on championship courses, deep-sea fishing, scuba diving, horseback riding, sailing or other water sports, or even horseracing, polo, or cricket matches; for in-house sports play tennis on resort's two floodlit courts or workout in air-conditioned fitness room. I preferred 23x8 meter freshwater swimming pool and trills of Birdman's birds.

In 1831, Barbados experienced one of worst hurricanes in its history, which destroyed many buildings and totally ruined island's sugar crops. By all historical accounts, this hurricane also destroyed Great House where Edmund Haynes lived and from where he managed his three sugar estates: Haynesfield (Wakefield), Belle Mount (Belmont), and Claybury, totaling over one thousand acres.

On July 10, 1834, new house, or Villa Nova, was blessed by John Gottlich Zippel, Minister of Mount Tabor Moravian Church, and this event is recorded in church journals now in Government Archives; Mount Tabor Church is situated half a mile east of Villa Nova, built circa 1825 on land given to Moravian Mission by Edmund Haynes.

Villa Nova was separated from these sugar lands in 1907 and sold to Barbados Government. For house and six and one-half acres of wooded gardens, government paid 800 pounds or US$1,900.

You can live at Villa Nova year around in

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Kriss Hammond , Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent – Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com To book travel visit Jetstreams.com at www.jetstreams.com and for Beach Resorts visit Beach Booker at www.beachbooker.com