Former Otago Daily Times reporter Sharon Fowler favours comfort over time as she crosses the Atlantic Ocean.
For those with time or who don’t like flying, Queen Mary 2 is an excellent way to cross the Atlantic Ocean from England to the United States. Our boat trip took a week and was an experience unlike any other. From a well-stocked library to restaurants aplenty, the ship has all a traveller needs and much more.
If you book early enough, for a couple with bicycles, sailing on Queen Mary 2 is a comparable price to flying. We planned to cycle across the United States, so our bicycles needed to remain in good condition. We booked about 16 months before our departure date of May this year and turned up to Southampton, England, eager for our ocean crossing.
While we’d been told our bicycles would need to be in our cabin, a kind steward found a safe locker for them. Our cabin was the cheapest, but still luxurious, with its own bathroom, comfortable bed, writing desk, television and complimentary Champagne upon arrival. All meals and non-alcoholic drinks were included in the fare.
Both the departure and arrival processes were more pleasant and simpler than our many airport experiences. Staff were courteous and although the British boat terminal staff confiscated Kel’s pocket knife because it didn’t meet British requirements, they were communicative and respectful. Being on Queen Mary 2 certainly had advantages from the start!
We spent seven wonderful nights aboard the ship. It was the successor to RMS Queen Mary, which served Cunard Line between 1936 and 1967. Queen Elizabeth II christened the new ship in 2004 and it was refurbished last year. According to The Telegraph newspaper, the boat has 2000 bathrooms, 80,000 lighting points and 5000 fire detectors.
Also according to The Telegraph, because Queen Mary 2 is an Atlantic liner, it needed to be able to withstand rough seas, so required a taller, thicker hull and 40% more steel than conventional cruise ships.
Approximately 4000 passengers and staff are on board the massive vessel and last May, we were two of them! While our purpose was to cross the Atlantic with our bikes intact, this boat trip was so much more.
Our mornings would start with the choice of breakfast in bed or at a buffet-style cafe, lovely European cuisine-styled lounge or the table-service Britannia restaurant. We usually opted for the buffet, meaning we could serve ourselves and find a table overlooking the blue or, nearer the end, grey Atlantic. Food available included bacon (British and American styles), eggs (poached, scrambled, fried or boiled), a variety of sausages including vegetarian, beans, hash browns, mushrooms, tomatoes, pancakes, waffles, bagels, salmon, herrings, cream cheese, cereals, porridge and a selection of pastries, breads and muffins.
Then followed the choice of what to do with your day. I often escaped to the silence of the library, which had beautiful wooden shelves, plenty of books and comfortable armchairs, where you could sit watching the ship’s bow gently or, near the end, less gently roll across waves. This was one of the few places other than your cabin where you could hibernate from people.
People were one of the interesting aspects of ship life. Having lived in Baltic Europe for almost 15 years, we were almost overwhelmed by outgoing US citizens who wanted to know all about their fellow travellers.
Other passengers were mainly British with a smattering of continental Europeans and Asians. Staff were often from the Philippines, although again represented many nations.
The affable British Captain Christopher Wells was in charge of the 345m
ship. He led the church service during our Sunday at sea. About an hour later I was returning from a swim in one of the ship’s five pools. Wind had white-capped the waves, but we’d swum outside in the cold because the inside pool was closed.
I stepped into the lift wearing my posh white Cunard dressing gown, desperately hoping I wouldn’t see anyone. A familiar voice said ‘‘hello’’. It was that of the captain, his voice recognisable from midday announcements.
I blurted out, /are you the captain?"
He said,"just the driver".
Feeling embarrassed about my attire, I explained that I’d been at the lovely church service, then swimming in the rain. He repeated "swimming in the rain" rather graciously. I giggled all the way back to my cabin, as a few days earlier people had dressed up formally for the captain’s reception. I’d met him in my dressing gown!
Free options for whiling away days on the ocean included working out in a well-equipped gym, swimming outside or inside, playing in the golf simulator, watching live televised sport at the pub, walking 536m around the promenade deck, enjoying the art gallery or planetarium, and in the evening, watching films or live theatre and musical shows. Also come evening, musicians played and we particularly enjoyed a solo classical pianist and harpist, the Dixieland jazz band and the string quartet. The standard of musicianship was excellent, particularly for classical music.
The Queens Room was the venue for a big-band dance and dances most nights, and daily afternoon teasthat proffered good tea, finger sandwiches, fancy cakes and scones with jam and cream. Next door was a nightclub, where younger passengers tended to bop away the night. The majority of passengers on our crossing were older than 50 and most were wealthy. People with disabilities were welcome and wheelchairs or mobility scooters were able to access most areas.
For those with money, there are shops, art classes, wine-tastings, a casino, a chocolate cafe, a Champagne bar, spas and massages, the luxuriously furnished Churchill’s Cigar Lounge and expensive satellite internet.
Free lectures were another way to fill in an afternoon, and on our trip speakers included British politician and former Conservative Party leader Lord Michael Howard and British barrister and broadcaster Clive Coleman. Perhaps bizarrely, given the context and theme, another guest speaker was a former British prison governor.
One windy day, Kel and I had fun outside playing deck quoits and paddle tennis on a small court enclosed in netting. Queen Mary 2 has 13 decks and simply exploring took up our first afternoon. For those unwilling to be parted with their dogs, kennels are available and the play area has a British lamppost and New York City fire hydrant to help canine guests feel at home. Yes, really!
Many ate at the Britannia restaurant in the evening which has table service and offers three courses. For three nights we were required to wear formal dress: a suit and tie for men and a dress for women. Those not wanting to conform could eat at the buffet, the pub or the European-influenced Carinthia Lounge. Or order cabin service.
Another cute moment occurred over dinner. Our companions had probably discerned we weren’t usual Cunard clientele, particularly as three of these four couples had been on multiple cruises. Kel and my formal clothes were second-hand and some had been bought at op shops. Someone thought we were returning by boat after our trans-US bike ride and joked that we could always buy a suit at a second-hand shop. Been there, done that!
Our first few days at sea were smooth sailing and even the deep mid-Atlantic delivered blue seas and warm days. Sitting outside on deckchairs reading was one of our favourite pastimes. However, as we neared Newfoundland, the captain announced high seas and gale-force winds. This was the only time I felt a little seasick. Apparently this huge ship is built for greater storms, and this was a smooth ride compared with those on other vessels on less choppy seas.
The seventh day was disembarkation day and we arose at 4.15am for a first glimpse of New York. Spectacularly, Queen Mary 2 passed under the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge with not much to spare. Apparently, if the ship sailed under this bridge in high tide, its clearance would be only 3.96m. Arriving in New York was special and seeing the Statue of Liberty was extra meaningful, given its age-old message of refuge to immigrants.
For those wanting refuge from 21st-century life and to cross the Atlantic without jet lag or the hassles and discomfort that sometimes accompany modern long-distance air travel, Queen Mary 2 is a wonderful alternative. And for us, probably a once-in-a-lifetime option.
