Waltzing off to New York in high style
THROUGH a cloud of steam, I spied a small grey box on the horizon, where the grey sea met the grey sky.
We were halfway across the Atlantic and the distant container ship was the first vessel I’d seen. At that moment, I was the only person in a hot tub looking over the stern, enjoying a late-afternoon wallow.
It was then that the greatest difference between this voyage and a cruise struck me. I was on a ship full of people – 2,600 passengers and 1,240 crew – yet I felt quite alone.
It had been drilled into me that Queen Mary 2 is not a cruise ship. She is an ocean liner and the only one in the world to boot. But it was not until I experienced her classic transatlantic voyage from Southampton to New York that I was convinced this really wasn’t simply a cruise without sightseeing trips along the way.
It was with excitement and a little trepidation that I boarded the Cunard flagship. Christened by the Queen in 2004, Queen Mary 2 is the world’s longest and (at £500million) the most expensive ocean liner ever built.
My fear was getting seasick and having no chance to jump ashore, but after a rather choppy first day when the waves crashed against the windows of The Golden Lion pub, I found my sea legs. This vessel was designed for all sea conditions, so she cut a swathe through some impressive swells and high waves.
I soon got into the rhythm of sea life, starting with a brisk group walk round the promenade deck at 8am – three laps was more than a mile.
Never before had I spent so many consecutive days at sea and I was astonished to find the time flashing by. I didn’t take up bridge for beginners or attend an iPad seminar, but I did join the knitting circle every afternoon, and I enjoyed being steered around the ballroom by our kindly waltz teacher.
Many activities were the same as you would find on an ordinary cruise, but how about polished and imaginative adaptations of The Merchant Of Venice and Pride And Prejudice by a troupe from RADA? And there was always a rush for tickets for the Planetarium, the only one at sea.
For meals, Cunard assigns passengers to one of four dining rooms according to grade of cabin. The Britannia restaurant is the most magnificent, with two tiers, sweeping staircases and gleaming pillars. I was in the intimate Princess Grill, where the waiters were all terrifically attentive.
On our final day at sea the sun shone and the smart blue cushions for the steamer chairs on the promenade deck came out for the first time. The glorious weather had arrived.
What a shame it didn’t last. When the alarm went off the next morning to alert us to our arrival in New York, the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline were shrouded in fog.
Never mind – I had plenty of time to take in all the sights during a long weekend in the city. After we docked at the cruise terminal, a taxi whisked us to the Marriott Marquis hotel, neatly situated for Times Square and the Broadway theatres.