The Iconic QM2
Imagine: an unobstructed 360-degree view of just ocean – no birds, no other ships, not even much chance of seeing marine animals. Just the water and the sky and the ship beneath you gliding on a fair day on its way from New York City to Southampton.
Crossing the Atlantic by ocean liner was how my grandfather “commuted” back and forth to his boyhood home in England. In the early 20th century, he was tasked with managing some North American investments and then occasionally reporting in person to his father in England.
That family lore no doubt fed my sense of adventure. The romance of traveling by ocean liner has always intrigued me. I’ve done plenty of sea kayaking, and considerable travel on small ships over big water in the Pacific and Southern oceans and the Far North. But even before the movie, Titanic, came along, I dreamed of doing a trans-Atlantic crossing (despite what happened to Titanic!). Last summer, a casual comment saying so at a fireside gathering at home led to an email from a like-minded friend who had the same dream. She had done some research and found that Cunard’s flagship, the Queen Mary 2 was scheduled for a crossing on December 3-10, 2024. What serendipity! My brother lives in England, and December 10 is his birthday. We went for it.
Since its founding in July, 1840, Cunard has ranked as the world’s premiere ocean-going company. The Queen Mary 2, who took to the water in 2003, is the largest, longest, and most expensive ocean liner ever built. Her style and elegance is legendary. Because of some special design features, she is the last of the truly authentic ocean liners, different from your run-of-the-mill cruise ship.
And giant she is! All 1,132 feet (long) and 148 feet (wide) and 204 feet (above waterline height) of her. What a moment, to exit our taxi at the wharf in Brooklyn and see her resting quietly while an army of people loaded supplies and luggage and fuel and the 2,695 passengers. That included food for 16,000 meals per day (and 6,000 cups of English tea!). It seemed as if she was waiting just for me, the way I was welcomed and made to feel special the moment I arrived. As I looked up at her from the wharf in anticipation of what might be my only passage (who knows?), I knew my part would be but a minor tiny footnote in her storied career. Rising 13 levels into the sky, obliterating the view of Manhattan on our brisk but sunny December day, I felt truly thrilled.
This ship seldom rests, plying her way about 365 days a year, not only on the Atlantic Crossing, but to other places worldwide. Early on December 3, our long-anticipated date for embarkation, she had arrived from the Caribbean. In eight days, we would disembark and she would fill up again and head that very afternoon for Rotterdam.
Then we boarded! Found our cabin, located almost exactly in the middle of the ship on the 11th level. It was complete with a balcony, a bouquet of flowers (that lasted the entire trip), and a complementary bottle of champagne. After unpacking, my travel companion and I set out to explore the ship. Three banks of elevators (forward, mid-ship, and aft) carried us to the fun to be had. In coming days, we would be fed, entertained, and pampered—kickstarting the spirit of the season with festive holiday-themed decor in all the public areas. Near the end of the crossing a rousing carol sing was well-attended at the two-story Christmas tree in the Grand Foyer.
The Queen Mary 2 was built to glide through the water. Our weather was kind, with just two middle days offering 10-15 foot seas but with flat-ish ocean otherwise. One of QM2's features is her deployable stabilizers, which can “trim” the ship’s swaying and rocking when it encounters unsettled water. They worked well.
One of my favorite parts of this thoroughly iconic experience was that it never felt stuffy or hoity-toity. The passengers were hail-fellow-well-met types. I sat with strangers daily at breakfast, and yet the conversation was interesting and enjoyable. Overall, people were polite, and a spontaneous comment on the elevator or in the hallway often led to a fun exchange.
And the crew! None her crew of 1,236 comes onboard QM2 without extensive experience in five-star settings elsewhere. I constantly got the sincere sense that to be of service is not just a job to them. They hailed largely from the Philippines, India, and Indonesia, plus several other countries. Even our captain, the very elegant and capable Aseem A. Hashmi, MNM, whose impeccable credentials were predictable, was quickly someone you’d like to know better.
This journey was unusual for me, an adventurous woman who tends more towards rigorous and offbeat quests. I was very much not after a cruise. I specifically wanted the trans-Atlantic experience. I (mostly) minded my manners and even followed the clear suggestion in the daily program to “dress smartly” for dinner. Doing so involved two suitcases (to my chagrin), but I took nice clothes and makeup and even shoes with heels. My mom would have been proud, and I know my daughter is.
Crossing the waters of the north Atlantic Ocean was, in a word, splendid. One can only do it for the first time once...but knowing now what I didn’t know before, I wouldn’t be surprised to find myself doing that trip again someday.
