Our Westbound Transatlantic Voyage on Queen Mary 2

  “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”   H. Jackson Brown Jr. Queen Mary 2 Reflections  You can get off a ship, but you cannot get off the ocean.   A transatlantic crossing on Queen Mary 2 is a voyage of sea days – uninterrupted horizons, long walks on the promenade, quiet evenings and stunning Gala nights.   It is the type of journey that requires acceptance – both of what it is and what it is not.   It is not a port-hopping cruise. It is not an entertainment marathon. It is not an endless parade of spectacle.   Yet neither is it rigid, joyless or trapped in formality. The character of the voyages depends on the expectations passengers bring to it.    Do you arrive seeking distraction or depth?   The Atlantic crossing offers both ...

“Should you be fortunate enough to make a voyage on this magnificent ship you doubtless will, as others have done, regret its conclusion..” Cunard Publicity for the Queen Mary’s maiden voyage, 1936 Final Morning on Queen Mary 2 Sailing west across the Atlantic Ocean carries its own quiet anticipation. Somewhere beyond the shores of the UK, the curve of the Atlantic and coastlines of Newfoundland lies the silhouette of Manhattan - bridges, steel, and American-style ambition. Unlike Southampton’s subtle farewell, arrival in New York is theatrical. Even days out at sea, you begin to sense that crescendo forming. Morning Orientation Awake and out of bed at 4:30 AM, it was less than 2 hours after concluding our final night on board, chatting with others in the Commodore Club and Chart Room. Under our door was the last daily program for our last few hours on board QM2 . A quick glance at the onboard navigation channel, we learn that (blessedly) we had gained an hour at 2 AM – meaning th...