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Queen Mary 2
Fact File - Queen Mary 2
Cruise Line: Cunard Line
Star Rating: 4 + / 5 stars
Vessel: Queen Mary 2
Tonnage: 151,400 GRT
Max Passenger Capacity: 2,620
Total Crew: 1,254
Entered Service: 2004
Passenger Decks: 17
Facilities: a gym and Canyon Ranch spa; five swimming pools (two indoor), seven restaurants, casino/slot machines, children's facilities, library, cinema, planetarium, self-service launderettes, nightclub, pub, cigar lounge, numerous other bars and lounges, theatre, meeting rooms, 30 wheelchair-accessible cabins, kennel.
Queen Mary 2
There's something indefinably special about a transatlantic voyage. I found it incredibly liberating as the QM2 slid under New York's Verrazano Narrows suspension bridge and the mobile phone signal began to fade. It would not return until we passed Land's End, six days later. Six days of steely grey skies, big seas and nothing out there except a few gulls and a couple of container ships, shadowy forms in the almost constant mist.
Crossing the Atlantic the slow way is a humbling experience. Every day, Commodore Bernard Warner would deliver an address full of facts and figures about our voyage. He told us about the incredible drop offs along the Grand Banks, where the ocean floor falls away from 40 metres to several thousand; navigating the Great Circle routes; and the pods of whales and dolphins that chase the ship in summer. We sailed just 40 nautical miles from the wreck of the Titanic, 4000 metres down on the dark ocean floor. There's an incredible sensation of being alone on the ocean, despite the fact that you're in the company of 2000 other passengers in a glamorous, floating cocoon.
Anybody who's not been on a cruise would probably say, "Yes, but what do you do all day?" The answer is, plenty. I'd go to the gym first thing, then have fresh strawberries for breakfast in the Princess Grill, my designated dining room. Next, a couple of strong lattes in Sir Samuel's bar, snuggled up in a window seat with my book, or checking emails on my laptop. Okay, I confess, I didn't quite lose touch! There are WiFi hotspots all over the ship, as well as banks of computers in the ConneXions centre.
Some days, I'd attend lectures; one of the speakers on this voyage was former Lebanon hostage Terry Waite, whose story remains compelling more than 15 years after the event.
After lunch, people would scatter to watch movies, take a siesta (a transatlantic crossing is amazingly soporific and we all kept falling asleep) or see one of the planetarium shows. One of my party did a professionally-run acting workshop and arrived at dinner spouting Shakespeare in a newfound over-enunciated, actor-y voice.
At 5pm, we'd gather in the Golden Lion pub for the daily pub quiz, always a favourite with the Brits and Australians on board. We'd then meet for cocktails in the Queens Grill Lounge, followed by long, indulgent, incredibly civilised dinners. I can't stress enough how wonderful the food is on this ship. As well as the intricate daily menu, there's an la carte section featuring plain grilled steaks or chicken breasts with baked potatoes, most welcome after a few days of flambed lobster and roast venison.
One night we ate in Todd English, the plush restaurant bearing the name of one of America's most famous celebrity chefs, which serves such delicacies as an exquisite Maine crab cake with fiery tomato salsa, roast duck breast, or pan-seared swordfish with a coconut sauce, followed by Todd's famous fallen chocolate cake, or mandarin crme brle.
Evenings are action-packed on QM2. The production shows were rather weak but the karaoke nights in the Golden Lion were a riot, with a hilarious lack of talent and a great deal of laughter. I only made it to G32, the nightclub, once but a large Spanish crowd kept it going late into the night. Our evenings would usually end with brandies in the Commodore Club, a peaceful enclave with a great jazz pianist.
The lifestyle is undeniably elegant. Three out of the six nights were formal, which is a lot, but somehow it felt right to be dressed up, with designer gowns and plenty of huge, glittering rocks on display. One lady even turned up at lifeboat drill in a full-length mink.
And the weather? Well, in April it's risky. We sailed through some big seas, with the open decks often out of bounds because of high wind. I stood on my balcony to get some fresh air and got soaked by the spray from nine decks below.
But QM2 is completely stable, despite the fact that she's slicing through the waves at 26 knots. She is purpose-built for Atlantic crossings and personally, I would never cross on anything else. On the last night, I felt a real sense of loss, knowing that we were already in the English Channel and the prospect of re-entering life back on land was only hours away.
Written by Sue Bryant