Hello! I hope you will excuse me for not having posted in a while. There’s lots for me to write about, but to start, I’ll begin at the beginning. My husband and I took a trip, and what a wonderful trip it was! We had never taken a cruise before, and we decided that taking a voyage across the Atlantic Ocean was how we would start.

From the logistics side, we boarded Cunard’s Queen Mary II in Southampton, England and then traveled overnight to Le Havre, France. The next evening we left Le Havre and seven days later arrived in New York City, USA.

The Queen Mary II did not disappoint. It was designed with a nod to traditional, old world charm. It is quite majestic, while still being warm and welcoming. Importantly, there was something to do at all times! We danced, ate, played table tennis, watched live shows and interesting talks, listened to talented musicians, enjoyed the fresh air, relaxed in the hot tub while enjoying views of the Atlantic, and of course, we ate some more. There was never a dull moment, and thankfully, it was a smooth ride.

The Queen Mary II is an ocean liner, which is built and set up differently than a typical cruise ship. The main difference is that an ocean liner has more stability. Since we didn’t really know how we’d fare on the open sea, we booked our cabin lower down (on the fourth deck, of thirteen) and in the middle of the ship. At 250 square feet, it was a nice sized state room with a desk, couch and best of all, a sheltered balcony. We appreciated being able to step outside and see the vastness of the ocean and breathe in the fresh sea air. I was impressed with how beautiful the dark blue coloring of the ocean was. I’m very happy to say that neither of us had any issues with sea sickness. We enjoyed mostly a calm sea with only one day where the rain and choppy waters kept us from walking around the outside of the ship. On that day, the ship did seem to rock a bit more than usual. 🙂 There were also a few foggy days.

We enjoyed ourselves immensely! We were like two giddy kids, exploring every inch of the ship and trying so many of the activities on offer. The only disappointing aspect was that the formal afternoon tea in the Queen’s ballroom was a bit too crowded for our liking, but it certainly was an interesting experience. Given all of the delicious food we were enjoying, we took advantage of the gym on board, as well as walking around the outside of the ship (three times around was a mile!). We learned early on that there was a library onboard, which we visited on the first day. Of course I borrowed gardening books! 365 Days of Colour in your Garden by Nick Bailey and Great Garden Design by Ian Hodgson gave me loads of inspiration. But I also borrowed a book of short stories called Evening in Paradise by Lucia Berlin. It was very good, and perfect to relax with in between our activities.

Every day was a new adventure, despite being completely at sea! The week flew by and we were sad to see it end. (Did I mention that they also had a nightclub? This was fantastic as I love to dance, and for five nights the clocks were put back so we even gained an extra hour on those nights!)

There was quite a build up, too, to our coming into port in New York City on the final morning. In the captain’s report the day before – he gave us updates every day at noon – the captain had told us that we’d be passing under the Verrazzano Bridge at 3:30 AM and would pass the Statue of Liberty at 4:00 AM. Not wanting to miss the chance to see this, we set our alarm and joined quite a few other passengers on the top deck at 3:15 AM. Sure enough, we passed right under the bridge at (exactly!) 3:30 AM and then saw the Statue of Liberty at 4:00 AM. What I found truly amazing was how the ship could turn itself around in a very tight half-circle and then ‘back’ into the harbor! It was a marvel to experience on such a large ship. After enjoying the views and after the excitement died down, we then went back to bed for a few more hours before it was time to disembark in New York City.

I would highly recommend this trip. It was simply a wonderful way to cross the Atlantic! After this, we spent time visiting family and friends in the States, which was so lovely, too! We eventually flew home, quite happy and rather exhausted! And while we had so much fun being away, it is now quite nice to be home again.

In Peace,
Dana

Our Stateroom.

We enjoyed the entertainment every night, from Motown to Jazz to Classical and Pop.

The food was delicious, the service was wonderful and the experience was fantastic!

We had varying weather, but for the most part, the seas were calm. (Top right picture is of me on our sheltered balcony.)

There was always something to do! We enjoyed table tennis, relaxing in the hot tub, and of course, indulging in some very nice afternoon treats!

There were two formal gala nights, one of which included a masquerade ball. There was an especially festive atmosphere on the special occasion nights, and most people had good fun with it.

The main reception area.

It was quite an experience to pass under the Verrazzano bridge. There is just 13 feet from the very top of the ship to the bridge at high tide! Seeing the New York skyline at four in the morning from the ship was quite the experience, as well.

And that’s the end of our very enjoyable Trans-Atlantic voyage. Thanks so much for stopping by! 🙂