Aboard the Queen Mary 2

Hello from the mid-Atlantic. Yes, for those who were worried that they may have to read Morse code in order to understand this post, you can thank modern technology that the internet can be reached from sea.

Our position as of posting this is 47deg 12.06' N, 26deg 2.60' W.

 

As you might be able to tell from the quick mobile post we got out before getting too far offshore, we left New York to a fine sunset, enjoying drinks on the aft decks as we made our way out to a calm Atlantic. Our course actually took us due east, rather than a more north-east great circle route, in order to skirt around the bottom of the remnants of another tropical storm.

A couple of improved shots of New York as we departed

The sea remained fairly calm throughout the first two full days at sea, but yesterday, Monday, was noticeably rougher with a moderate swell. Alas, neither of us have particularly good sea legs and we both felt very unsettled on and off throughout the day, as we navigated through the ship trying to find out where the best location was to avoid the worst of the motion. Ironically, the pub, located on deck 2, was probably the best place, though we figured it was best to stick to soda water and ginger ale. 

I am happy to report however that today is much calmer, with hardly any noticeable roll or pitch as the ship ploughs (or plows, if you prefer) through the water.

The end of another day as we continued on through calmer seas

The ship itself is exceptional. She is a massive 150,000 tons, with a similar waterline hull size to a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier (with a very different superstructure, of course). Built as a proper ocean liner, her structure is entirely of steel, with a higher freeboard and deeper draft than similarly sized cruise ships in order to survive a 40 year lifetime of North Atlantic crossings. The interior design takes a lot of influence from the liners of yesteryear, with design cues from such ships as the first Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth, the Normandie, the Rex, and of course the QE2. (Yes, I'be been reading a book on this stuff.)

The food is wonderful; four-course meals in the evenings, three courses at lunch, a variety of hot and cold breakfasts, all with perfectly sized portions. The service is great too, not only in the restaurants, but throughout the ship. There is essentially one crew member on board for every pair of passengers. Also, for a ship this size, there are only ~2500 passengers, so although we are running full, the ship never feels busy, even at meal times.

Our dining room. The middle opens out to a lower deck section below.

Mini-Mini joins us for dinner. Note that I have been given three forks. Oooh.

We have been keeping ourselves entertained, attending dancing classes before lunch, and going along to several of the lectures by guest speakers held onboard: Selina has been attending a daily art lecture, whereas I have been going along to a few lectures on submarines given by a naval historian. The ship’s library and bookshop also provides a quiet retreat. And there is always a promenade deck to take in some fresh air and gaze out at the grey sea (I even spotted a dolphin keeping pace with us yesterday).

From the promenade deck. I would say the angle of roll to the horizon was fairly accurate, or felt it at least, though I fully admit this is tame compared to what the Atlantic can throw at this ship on occasion. Only last week they had to go through a force 11 gale thanks to a hurricane. That would have been interesting.

In the evenings, there is live music in all the lounges, the balls have given us a chance to practice our newly learned dance moves, and the UK’s National Orchestra is onboard this voyage for a couple of concerts covering the First Night and the Last Night of the Proms.

Neither of us have been cruising before, so I can’t say how it compares to a Mediterranean or Caribbean cruise, but our understanding from fellow travellers we have spoken to is that it is a more relaxed pace, since you have 6 full days at sea with no stops and the hustle and bustle which can come with the shore excursions.

Age-wise, we are certainly in a minority, with the majority of guests being probably 60 and over (I guess you have more time for this sort of thing when you retire), but we have managed to gravitate towards a few other younger couples during the evening socializing, and frankly after all our travels over the past couple of weeks, the relaxed pace of everything suits us just fine.

Mini-Mini relaxes on the aft sun deck at sunset.

Stay tuned for another update later in the week. I think some deck quoits and shuffleboard might be in order.