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Humans have crossed oceans in search of new lives and new adventures for hundreds of years. Though the practice has fallen out of favor in the last century with the advent of air travel, one ocean liner—a ship designed specifically to ferry passengers across the seas— still remains, Cunard Lines’ Queen Mary 2, which ferries over 2,000 passengers per voyage between Southhampton, England, and New York via their Transatlantic Crossings. While many seem to embark on these crossings for the romantic value of a transatlantic crossing then immediately fly home, or return to their embarkation port on a return crossing, there are still quite a few that use the service in lieu of air travel, preferring the space and comfort the ship provides compared to the cramped but more expedient option of flying. 

My interest in making a transatlantic crossing was a mix of both romantic interest and wanting to get to Europe without flying. I was also keen to experience a mode of travel that has been used by millions over the course of the last few centuries. While I wanted to get a feel for traveling between Europe and America by sea, the most basic of accommodations has changed quite a deal from the advent of ocean liners until today. Today, Cunard’s iteration of the ocean liner places its emphasis on luxury meaning that despite sleeping in a twin bed in a windowless room, my “economy” accommodation was far from the steerage class used by thousands to cross the Atlantic as affordable as possible. I also felt that this voyage would be a fitting way to start a blog. A new beginning of sorts, a new adventure.

The Basics

The fare I managed to find for this crossing (April 21-28) was reasonable when considering it included a Britannia Class state room (Economy in Cunardese), unlimited food and room service (without alcohol & mini bar options), and endless amenities for an entire week. The downside is that despite being a solo traveler, I still had to pay for double occupancy. There seems to be a group of solo traveller cabins, Britannia Solo, aboard the QM2, but their mention—even amongst staff—is rare and fleeting; thus my luggage got to sleep on it’s own bed. Though I tried to keep myself within the “included in fare” parts of the voyage (I was sailing towards four months in Europe), I ended up becoming a regular at the bar about 100 meters from my stateroom (more on that later), and buying a good amount of wi-fi. which. is. so. expensive. I booked my ticket in January for the April eastbound crossing from New York to Southampton.

#Goals

Being at sea is far from a new experience for me, in fact, other than checking off “make a Transatlantic Crossing on an ocean liner,” off of my bucket list, the idea of being at sea for seven days—and out of the sight of land for about six of them—was the part of the crossing I looked forward to the most. What WAS a completely new experience was not working while onboard rather moving about the ship at my own speed, off a watch schedule, and without any more absolute commitments than, 1. Buy WiFi to FaceTime Mum from the deck at least once during at least moderate seas [I don’t know where my love of the ocean comes from, I swear!], 2.) Have fun! And 3.) Find inspiration//insight. 

Bon Voyage!  

At my first dinner, I was introduced to my table mates. I was sat at a table for 8, all of which were “Solo Travellers”. I am a pretty shy person so the idea of eating meals with so many strangers was kind of intimidating; when booking one can chose what size table you would like to sit at—I initially chose a table for two in an pseudo-agoraphobic hope to be sat alone but my mother persuaded me otherwise. Though I was younger than any other person at the table by about 30 years, I was glad I got to talk with so many different people with each a different experience with trans-Atlantic ocean travel; it also meant you could, and would come across a tablemate around the ship and spontaneously go for lunch, meet for pub trivia, or go to one of the Gala Balls. 

Cliffs CunardsNotes: Seven Days At Sea

Weather: First 2 and a half days=meh. The first full day at sea was windy and foggy. Outside decks were closed as we sailed through a low-pressure system and the ship.would.not.stop.rocking. By day three the weather was down to a Force 3-4 and loveeeely. I think strongest weather we experienced was about a Force 8. For April in the North Atlantic, it was overall wonderful.

Attire: https://www.cunard.com/en-us/the-cunard-experience/what-to-pack 

Food: SO MUCH FOOD. The food was really consistently good, with some meals a lot better than others. The buffet never disappointed. If you really evaluate your options, and give prior notice, there are options for those with special diets. I had room service for breakfast once and found that it is the same food at the buffet, but in much smaller quantity.  Food is also available  24 hours a day, so you can really never complain about hunger. Though British food seems to be the most dominate cuisine onboard, the buffet, at least, provides their interpretation of global dishes and foods associated with holidays onboard. There are restaurants and bars onboard that are available at an extra cost, including a Veuve Cliqout champagne bar. Which, as much as I wanted to go because I love Veuve, I chose to be prudent about spending. 

Laundry: Plan on doing laundry mid-week. Don’t wait until the last couple of days or you will literally walk to every deck with a self-laundry (free) a couple of times to hopefully find one machine available. And a couple out of order. I did. It was exhausting. Also: I purchased a load of detergent in the ship store (one onboard with sundries and Cunard-branded merchandise) but lo and behold, there was bulk washing powder in the laundry rooms, free of charge (and low waste!).

Shopping: The only other cruise like ship I had been on was a Tallink-Silija Line ferry from Stockholm to Helsinki where there was so much shopping, it was kind of annoying. Not so here. There is the “general” shop, Cunard-branded merchandise, shops for make-up, liquor/sprits//tobacco, jewelry, art, and timepieces. This was more subtle to me than the glowing lights and entire decks of stuff to buy. Cunard does have special Transatlantic merchandise which was a fun surprise.

Events//Activities: SO MANY. I really wasn’t onboard for the activities so I ended up spending a lot of time on deck and reading. Many of the activities onboard felt like they were geared towards the many many retirees onboard. I did go to one Gala Ball for a bit before I decided to head to the much quieter bar on my deck; I also went to one showing of the film, “Arctic”. Because ANZAC Day is 25 April, there was a service held for guests—mostly Australian, New Zealander, and British—that were interested. In fact, I think I may have been the only American. I went as I had worked with the Royal Australian Navy in curating material about a shared American-Australian-Dutch shipwreck site from World War II, and felt like taking the opportunity to commemorate the sailors the Australian way. There were also lectures. And I usually forgot all about them because I was off doing something else. C’est la vie. 

Immigration: THE COOLEST ENTRY TO THE UNITED KINGDOM !!! As an American who can spend over an hour waiting in the immigration line at Heathrow Terminal 5, I LOVED the ease and efficiency of getting my passport stamped onboard. Cunard publishes a schedule of decks to present themselves to the immigration officer onboard in the main restaurant, when you get there it’s a painless, “How long are you here for?”, “Sounds fun! Welcome!”. In my case, I saw the immigration officer about an hour later at lunch and still, super-friendly, quickly chatted about me going to Scotland and how much they enjoy getting a transatlantic crossing assignment. In this case, they were able to bring a travel partner along, too. I still find it funny that although my tourist visa says I entered into Southampton on 28 April, it was stamped a couple days earlier literally in the middle of the Atlantic. 

Wi-Fi//Telephones: Wi-fi (and any communication) is seriously expensive. My recommendation is to save about $400 and buy the largest wi-fi package in one go, you save money because the 15-30min packages add up quick. TRUST ME. It’s also nice finding a fellow solo traveller that has a high Cunard World Traveler status (free wi-fi minutes) but doesn’t use the internet so donates some to the cause.  Overall, it was worth it to be able to FaceTime my mum from the middle of the Atlantic and let her watch the ocean while at work.

Highlights

Exhibits: Every level of the QM2 has exhibit panels narrating the story of Cunard, from its founding by Samuel Cunard to its modern status as a luxury liner. Each deck exhibit has a theme, from the staff and their life aboard, to the celebrities and dignitaries who stayed aboard their ships. The exhibit on the main deck (6) includes artifacts and iPads on which you can find audio//video clips from Cunard and partner cultural heritage institutions. There is also an audio guide one can check-out from the Purser’s Office. I was really disappointed that some of the panel numbers did not work with the audio guide, “invalid number”, so I pretty dejectedly returned my audio guide after a half an hour of frustration and replaying two panels. Side note: be ready to stand, the panels are wordy. I really really wish there was a take-home exhibit guide//panel reproduction of some sort, I would have loved to have it for future reference.  

Largest Library at Sea: Diverse Selection. Okay bookstore. Great Seating. Daily Crosswords. Maritime history books, and travel guides for pretty much all of their ports of call. You can check-out books that are due the day before you disembark. My book of choice was “The First Atlantic Liner: Brunel’s Great Western Steamship” by Helen Doe, a female maritime historian(!!!) who spent time on the QM2 as part of her research process. I didn’t finish but it was the perfect shipboard reading.  The library is a pretty happening place and many passengers can be sighted out on deck with their library books when the weather permits. 

The Commodores’ Club: Nice and quiet lounge I stumbled upon when I was restlessly roaming the first night; it was 100 meters from my room and takes its inspiration from the seven Cunard commodores— each of whom have their own monogrammed coaster and drink based on their life and work with Cunard. I ended up there all but maybe one night as I could read and sip on my new favorite whisky, The Dalmore Cigar Malt, and usually find myself in interesting conversations. Also, my usual bartender Agneskia, was pretty awesome. Booze  INSPIRED by history?! It’s like Arquiste fragrances but drinkable. I miss it. I would live there if I could. 

Passing the site of the RMS Titanic: Passing the wreck site of the Titanic was the most surreal nights I’ve had the opportunity to experience. Around midnight on the 23rd, we passed about 30 nautical miles south of the site, avoiding the iceberg boundaries and shallower waters between us and the ship. To sit out on the deck at midnight with only my thoughts was an incredible experience that added so much to my understanding of the 14/15 April 1912. Despite the 107 year time difference, staring out into a pitch black abyss from the only light source for miles with no ability to pick out the water from the horizon and only hearing the howling winds and moderate seas hitting the ship really drove home the intensity of what Titanic passengers would have experienced. If anything, the only signs of life being a sinking ship and the sounds of terrified persons in and out of lifeboats fading further from what light was still visible would have amplified the isolation and feeling of the unknown that waited for them. For us, the night passed quietly and pensively. Only a few of us bundled up and ventured on deck to ruminate on arguably the most famous shipwreck in history. While giving his midday updates, the Captain informed the ship when we would be passing the Titanic, though more elaborate commemorations were held the passage before, the week of the disaster. This story is held close to Cunard’s heart, as the RMS Carpathia, the liner that answered the mayday calls while passing 58 or so nautical miles south en route to the Mediterranean and took survivors to New York was a Cunard vessel. It was serendipitous and fitting, that before I left The Commodores’ Club that night, I had the closet approximation of the cocktail thought to be the last served onboard the Titanic, and one of the seven signature drinks—this one created in honor of Commodore Sir Arthur Rostron, the captain of the Carpathia in April 1912. 

Was it Worth it?

Yes. I really enjoyed my time despite the fact I was paying for double occupancy. Had I known what it all entailed, I would have probably tried to see if a friend wanted to come. If there were [not pseudo-mythical] fares for solo travellers, I would definitely go back again and again. I definitely think it would be super cool to be an onboard lecturer or something. For 7 days at sea with food, entertainment, private accommodations, etc., my fare wasn’t much more than a week long stay at a hotel. However, when I was shown rates for a potential return trip at the end of the summer, the rates were realllly expensive, and what one person said I could get in onboard credit was not consistent with the next Cunard booking agent’s assertions. Felling as though I was being given the run around, I ended up coming home on Icelandair. 

Downsides:

-The hold on my credit card— and later another because the first didn’t work with the system took longer than usual (compared to extended hotel stays) to be released. It was kind of frustrating especially as I was already in the UK and was constantly on the move and couldn’t look into it further. 

-The audio guide for the exhibits had minimum functionality. 

-I was really young compared to my fellow solo-travelers. The company was great but it would have been nice to have spent time with some people my age. 

-Activities for Millennials. We’re not the biggest demographic by far, but I think a Millennials social hour, trivia, or whatever would be nice.

-The public areas could be really humid. The ballroom during Gala Nights felt like a sweat factory with all of us in there with our gowns and tuxes and many dancing. Full disclosure: I really dislike humidity.

-Wanting to see a movie on Gala Night. The theatre is in the public area where one has to wear formal wear after 5pm. Wearing formal wear at dinner and mingling? Wearing it to watch a movie? Eh. The one Gala Night I skipped to do laundry and order room service I really wanted to watch a movie… so I had to settle for what was on TV.

-Fruit juices and bottled waters are Nestlè. I tend to avoid their products due to their business practices regarding water and labor. 

Upsides:

-Cunard shows the previous night’s moving screening on the in-room TVs. Great for when you just don’t feel like dressing up but want to watch something other than the news and home decorating shows.

-Everything is Wedgewood. All the dishes. Minimal single-use. I love it. 

-Serious Art Deco vibes. 

-Very, very comfortable beds. 

-Didn’t get enough at Afternoon Tea? There’s back up in your room.

-Attentive staff. After two days, my bartender in The Commodores’ Club would see me walk in and just know what I was going to ask for and her coworkers greeted me by name. I felt like Norm on “Cheers”. It was cool. Everyone I saw on a daily basis was the same. 

-Affordable sundries. I had an AWFUL sinus headache early on and went to the shops to find a Tylenol-like medicine. I found a box of Nuprofen for $2. I was really afraid I would have to pay dearly for it. 

-History everywhere. 

-Quiet. I don’t think anywhere I went on the ship was overly loud. Even in the buffet at noon with a million kids around or in the nightclub. It was just sensibly and respectfully calm. 

All #goals accomplished…

It was pretty expensive, but worth doing at least once. For first //future crossings, have a well-padded contingency line in the travel budget. Throughout the week, I had a lot of time to reflect on the act of taking to the sea for a new adventure and how we remember the thousands who came before us; partly through my hours in the library and on deck and partly assisted by Cunard exhibits and chats with fellow travelers. The ship hosts a Solo Traveller Coffee Hour every morning allowing those of us sharing a room with only our luggage to mingle much like we do at dinner (there were many more than eight solo passengers). It was cool to see how many of us (me included) professed “an alternative to flying” as a primary motivation to taking to sea. Though we all admitted to a bit of a romantised fascination with the golden age of ocean liners, many of the solo travelers were simply onboard in order to reach another continent, continuing nearly 200 years of maritime tradition. I hope to give this mode of transportation another try soon, especially with these lessons learned in mind. I hope this also gives someone else the curiosity to take part in a such an (synonym for iconic) part of human travel.

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