RELIVE ROMANCE OF LINERS
A diamond tiara that survived the sinking of the Lusitania, and a Dior suit worn by Marlene Dietrich in 1950 as she arrived in New York aboard the Queen Mary. These are just a couple of the pieces on show at an exhibition called Ocean Liners: Speed & Style at London’s V&A from next month. During a sneak peek, curator Ghislaine Wood showed me the beaded flapper dress designed by Lanvin and worn by American socialite Emilie Grigsby on several transatlantic voyages on Aquitania in the 1920s, and examples of the shipping lines’ artistic advertising posters that will feature in the show. The exhibition runs from February 3 until June 10 – visit vam.ac.uk/ oceanliners, and see Ryanair.com for flights to London. Although the great age of ocean liners has passed, you can recreate the glamour of crossing the Atlantic aboard some of today’s stylish ships. Here’s my pick of the best…
Queen Mary 2 is built for speed and style. Enjoy seven nights crossing from Southampton to New York, then spend three nights at the Marmara Park Avenue Hotel. The trip from Imagine Cruising (imaginecruising.co.uk) starts at £2,999pp (€3,385pp), including tickets for a Broadway show and a flight back to the UK. Departures are from next May to November. Get return Dublin-Southampton flights from €84 with Flybe.
Luxury all-inclusive ship Crystal Serenity recreates the glamour of the 1930s and 1940s with a Big Band and Ballroom themed cruise. The voyage starts in Lisbon on November 10, 2018, and sails for 11 nights to Port Everglades in Florida, stopping at St Thomas. Cruise-only fares start at £3,484pp (€3,927pp). See crystalcruises.co.uk.
Afternoon tea in the Winter Garden to the sound of a string quartet will be your daily ritual on a 12-day mid-Atlantic crossing with Viking Cruises (vikingcruises.co.uk) from Lisbon to Miami. Visit the Azores and Bermuda en route. Departure is on December 16, 2018, and fares start at £3,040pp (€3,426pp). The price includes flights, wi-fi and two excursions.