Stepping Into A Bygone Era

Wow, what a tremendous Atlantic crossing on the Queen Mary 2! We had decided to travel on the Queen Mary 2 after watching "Let Them All Talk," a movie featuring Meryl Streep and the Cunard flagship. Our ocean liner experience was indeed a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Our ocean journey started in Brooklyn on Sunday, 1 May.

After finding our stateroom and unpacking our luggage, we explored the ship. As we mentioned before, the Queen Mary 2 is the world's last active ocean liner. At the time of its construction, it was the largest passenger ship ever built, several hundred feet longer than the Titanic. Elegant and extravagant, the Queen Mary 2 exudes a bygone era.

Every night, the dinner was a five-course affair consisting of an appetizer, salad, soup, main course, and dessert. We ate most of our evening meals in the Brittania restaurant, the main restaurant on the ship. The food and service were impeccable and exceptional on every occasion. Whether it was breakfast-in-bed, lunch buffet, high tea, or dinner, the staff served all meals on Wedgwood fine china designed explicitly for the ship.

Our journey was a straight seven-day crossing to Southampton, England, without stopping at any other ports. There were plenty of activities onboard to partake in and experience. We visited the Planetarium, the first at sea. We also perused the library, the most extensive library at sea. We attended several concerts in the main theater and guest lectures on English history. Seemingly every hour, there was live music on the ship.

After dinner each night, we visited the Queens Room to see dozens of couples displaying their ballroom dancing skills. Afterward, we would meander to the G32 club to hear the ship's party band and drink a few mocktails.

Speaking of mocktails, we decided to purchase the premium non-alcohol package, including specialty coffees, teas, Godiva concoctions, and mocktails (non-alcoholic cocktails).

We also participated in high tea every afternoon. In addition to tea and live music, we indulged in sandwiches, desserts, and scones. The scones were served right from the oven with clotted cream (this was by far Matt's favorite part).

We arrived in Southampton on Sunday, 8 May. After collecting our luggage, we Uber'd to London. Disembarkation was seamless since British customs officers processed everyone during our 7-day voyage. We enjoyed our time on Queen Mary 2 and created many beautiful memories! We took many photographs on board, which we will upload soon.