My Golden Travels in Uzbekistan Along The Bygone Silk Road, Blog 46, nguptatravelscrapbook.blogspot.com 17/7/2024

 My seven-night Trans-Atlantic Voyage from the UK to Manhattan, New York.

"I WANTED FREEDOM, OPEN AIR, AND ADVENTURE. I FOUND IT ON THE SEA." - ALAINE GERBAULT

In my lifetime, I have been privileged to take a few voyages on world-renowned cruise ships, reaching far and distant places cruising the Mediterranean and Caribbean seas and the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. I had perceived that despite these travels, the Voyage of the Trans-Atlantic cruise remains the decisive benchmark of all luxury cruises and requires to be tick boxed in my bucket list to broaden my travel catalogue. The dullness of quarantines, lockdowns, travel bans, and sheer worry had been overwhelming in the past two years or more but now was the time to explore and plan a cruise. 

At this time, I portray the general savoir-faire of cruising holidays briefly, as some of my blog readers may be on the way to planning their first cruise. One can choose a cruise destination depending on the geography, weather and pricing involved, with the top attention-grabbing factors for cruising the same as any other holiday. One popular cruise is the World Cruise, taking many weeks or months to reach ports across the continents. In Europe, most ships depart in January for world cruising and head for warmer South America or the South Pacific climates. Then as the year progresses and the Southern hemisphere heads into winter, you'll sail back north, where spring and summer are gearing up. 

In other words: becoming the ultimate migratory snowbird! 

Most cruises run for seven to ten days, covering wide destinations from east to west and beyond.  Popular destinations include the Caribbean and Mediterranean sea, Alaska, the Far East, Antarctica, and Norway. You can cross international date lines, the Equator, transit both the Panama and Suez Canal, around Cape Horn, pass Gibraltar's rock, cross oceans and seas and set foot on six continents. 

Cruises offer great value for the vacation dollar because the fares include nearly everything you need for a far-fetched trip: food, accommodation, daytime and evening entertainment, and transportation between travel destinations. Some cruises include alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, gratuities, shore excursions, onboard spending credits, and even flights priced together. You unpack and pack only once, and your floating hotel takes you from city to city or different islands with no need for land connections or lugging your suitcases on the streets. Every morning you would wake up in a new location with delights to take shore excursions and explore the new place. The parents, grandparents and children could enjoy a luxurious family holiday together of a lifetime.

 Ships offer a variety of onboard activities to keep everyone comfy, pleased and involved. One can indulge at the spa, lounge in the sun, read a book, or go on an educational lecture, wine tasting, a computer class, a dance lesson, etc. One can attend workshops like cookery and pottery painting classes, learn how to fold table napkins ( I never thought of this skill before) and flower decorations, play bridge or do yoga on the deck. The choices are there to enjoy by all ages and all groups. Dining options include elaborate buffets, ala-carte, or speciality restaurants serving world-renowned cuisines or casual eat-outs at a sushi bar, pizza or burger outlet, tax-max food, salad bars or ice cream parlours etc. And that this is all-inclusive! 

The ship has live music performances, stage dance shows, or typically Broadway shows with primary attendances. Today's vessels are fitted with Wi-Fi, mobile phone services, and satellite TV so that you can stay in touch with the natural world. The onboard shops sell merchandise from fashion items to make-up products, toiletries, luxury clothing brands, watches, diamonds, jewellery and whatnot. Onboard medical services are available, too, if needed. Cruising provides tremendous opportunities to meet and make friends worldwide while dining or hanging out at the piano bar, lounging by the pool, or grouping together for an offshore excursion. So much so for the cruise vacations to begin with.

With the Que Sera Sera on me, I booked the Cunard Trans-Atlantic cruise, starting (with my husband Vinod and me) from Southampton, UK and concluding at the Brooklyn port in Manhattan, New York, for 13th November 2022. Hence coddling ourselves on a true venture of a lifetime!

On the Trans-Atlantic cruise, seven back-to-back sea days have no port to call on. Often, whilst promenading around the walking deck or gazing from within, you will see no sign of any other vessel on the horizon. The overpowering feeling of being in the middle of a vast ocean was daunting to us at first occurrence after boarding QM2. Most fellow voyagers were from the UK, USA, Canada or Australia, which we learned after a few days of voyaging. In these first two days, my apprehension that a cruise with no port stops for a whole week persisted. 

Then, I asked fellow travellers on board who had made this Voyage (and some several times), who insisted that there is a lot to adore about the TransAtlantic Voyage. I was encouraged to forget being bored, as it is one week of relaxation in the company of like-minded travellers, attending the cinema, theatre, exciting lectures, swimming pools, spa treatments, cocktail bars, restaurants, use of an excellent library, shops and the sea-going planetarium etc. Additionally, there was the cold and grey Atlantic Ocean, which I enjoyed observing with its high waves hitting the vessel's sides. Yes, there were unique seatings indoors occupied by people who were just watching the ups and downs of tall waves. I joined them in doing the same while Vinod stayed away from this activity as he felt sick looking at the waves. I was the brave side of us two!

See the line where the sky meets the sea? It calls me. And no one knows how far it goes.” – Disney’s Moana.

Indeed, the daily program of the ship was packed with entertainment and enrichment activities, and this is where Queen Mary 2 shines. I'll give you a rundown of how my weeklong Voyage played out here, with the highlights and lowlights.

First, a tad about the ship named QM2, Cunard

Queen Mary 2 is technically not a cruise ship but an Ocean Liner, the world's last and only ocean liner. More robust, sleeker, smoother and swifter than a cruise ship. What is the difference between the two? Ocean Liners are designed to undertake a linear voyage between two points across a large expanse of the ocean (such as the transatlantic crossing between North America and Europe). On the other hand, Cruise Ships are typically designed to undertake voyages closer to the coast, sailing between ports.

Queen Mary 2 cruise liner debuted in 2004, with a capacity of  2,700 passengers. And about 1600 crew. The ship is built differently than standard cruise ships to cross the Atlantic. Queen Mary 2 has a strengthened and thicker hull (almost twice as thick as most standard cruise vessels). It also can voyage much faster, reaching almost 30 knots per hour in open water, whereas most cruise ships sail at the speed of twenty Knots per hour. The bow and hull shape are also designed to cut through the water, even in rough seas, making the journey safer and more stable while taking the battering from the rough ocean during these voyages. You can also forget seasickness; the 150,000-ton QM2 is rock-steady in most weather amidships.

Why travel to cover approx 3500 miles of cruising and not just fly over?

Most voyagers are senior citizens with time to spare and a bit of disposable income, and I am more to favour the time in hand with a slow pace of life post-retirement encouraging us to take such a voyage. Take your time, no hurry, nowhere to reach, no time-bound daily routines with spare time to read books, play silly trivia with co-voyagers and then nothing to cook or wash or indulge in buying groceries etc. 

Trans-Atlantic is a voyage of discovery in the company of travellers from various orbs of life, one of the most iconic travel types. It is a regularly scheduled crossing, the only cruise liner that regularly sails back and forth across the Atlantic Ocean between Manhattan and Southampton (UK). Timewise, these cruises run between late April and early January and take about seven nights as the ship does not call on any ports enroute covering about 3500 miles in each direction. Travellers planning a transatlantic cruise vacation need to think about the pros and cons of what it's like to be out of sight of land for days at a time. Hence although Trans-Atlantic cruising is a unique sense of history and exploration, it could be overwhelming from the moment you board.

The Voyage starts from Southampton cruise terminal in the UK.

Southampton's historic Sailing Terminal: Cunard no longer uses the traditional and historic Ocean Terminal dock, from which the original Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth and even Titanic would have sailed. Indeed, the old 1950 terminal building now looks unremarkable, a freight dock with a couple of multi-storey car parks etc. A significant past marine history is lost that way! We had our documents checked for Covid pass; surprisingly, there was no requirement to use face masks on board at any time. Now that it is coming free of Covid!

There is no coastline or islands to see in the mid-Atlantic or any moving vessel usually, but I appreciated the brooding waters of the North Atlantic. The ocean changed daily from being smooth and glassy, sometimes choppy and sombre, sunny and foggy, when the Queen Mary 2's fog horn regularly blared throughout the journey. 

We crossed the famous Atlantic Ridge sea mark and passed within a few miles of the wreckage of the Titanic ship (within 38 nautical miles of my westbound crossing), being informed by the captain of the ship on the PA system of the ship. Westbound, the crossing is rounded off by an awe-inspiring early-morning arrival into New York City, the best way to arrive in the Big Apple...

New York awaited us on arrival at the port of Brooklyn at around 06:30. This was the highlight! Whether a natural early riser or not, we were up with fellow travellers and on viewing deck by 04:45 on the morning of arrival in New York, a spectacle we would remember all our life. The breathtaking views of the Manhattan skyline awash with the vibrant orange shades of the sunrise were truly magical. You'll see the lights of Long Island, Staten Island and the Verrazano suspension bridge dead ahead at the entrance to New York harbour. The Queen Mary 2 passes under the bridge with just a few precious feet of clearance above her funnel, and as she does so, the fabulous Manhattan skyline comes into view. The QM2 turns right opposite the statue of Liberty and heads into the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, berthing within sight of the famous Statue and Manhattan skyline. We reached New York on a sub-zero temperature and blistery yet very crisp and shining morning, all wrapped up in thick winter coats, hats, gloves and scarves with steam puffing out of our mouths. 

What is the daily life on the cruise? 

Cunard has been crossing the Atlantic for the last 180 years and recognises how to keep its voyagers busy with varying classic cruising activities like cookery classes, ballroom, Zumba and line dance classes, puzzles, quizzes and trivia sessions etc. Bridge activity kept many travellers busy and occupied. Cunard specialist talks on bio marine engineering, astronomy and naval expertise were much attended and appreciated. 

Afternoon tea is a passion, a British tradition and a considerable experience on these cruises. The white-gloved men serve the most delicate and fresh cakes, finger sandwiches, and traditional scones wrapped in clotted cream and jam! The elaborate choice of delicate teas is enough to spoil you. Live music by pianists, harpists, guitarists, string trios, etc., prevails throughout the day. Cunard needs to be more assertive in theatre productions, with most stage production shows being very standard with predated themes and staging. In line with a formal outset throughout the ship, the themed ballroom dancing was the order of the day, which most of us looked forward to attending and participating in. One could indulge in watching the ocean from various viewpoints on the decks and maritime history displays, which could be better advertised.

My husband and I spent each day attending the Greatest Generations chats, the Commodore Club speciality Cocktails classes, quizzes, etc. Morning sessions included gym or yoga on the deck or lounging in the Charter room with friends who accompanied us on this Voyage while consuming hand-crafted coffees. We enjoyed our meals (trying all the restaurants and room service), going to a stage show in the main Royal Court Theatre, and heading to a lounge for a live music performance before getting up the next day to do it all over again next day. The thermal spa suite featured a large thalassotherapy pool, saunas, steam room and foot massage baths where one could easily spend two to three hours and was most enjoyed by us on a few days.

Ocean weather and associated sea sickness

North Atlantic is unpredictable with varied weather; the ocean is rough and concerning in November. On our Voyage, the weather worsened when high waves and bold showers hit the ship at all fronts for the first two days. As our cabin was at a higher floor level, we felt the ship unbalanced, wobbly and trembly.  We could not step out on the deck, and many outdoor key public areas on the ship were closed to use temporarily. 

How to avoid motion-sickness

I suggest booking your cabin at the lower deck level and mid-ship region. One can use motion sickness tablets prophylactically and wrist bands, a form of acupressure therapy.

The character of Queen Mary 2

The formal character of the ship endures around. At the same time, the ship did not appear spellbinding or alluring, with an unchanged Art Deco look. The interiors did not match the glorious days of transatlantic cruising as seen in various Hollywood films, including Titanic. The ship looked dated and rustic, and hull areas were battered and distressed. This twenty-year-old ship has taken a brutal battering voyaging the Atlantic Ocean twenty to twenty-five times a year. As the ship spends almost all its time on the sea, keeping the outside and inside crisp and pristine is challenging. Members of the Crew were constantly painting and touching on the rural areas of the deck, with visible maintenance staff sorting the issues interiors and exteriors of the ship. As described before, the ship has a traditional British aura with pleasantry and conventions imbibed. 

Here are a few helpful tips on crossing or choosing your Transatlantic Voyage. 

Cunard was much more formal than many other cruises we had embarked on. Most passengers were retired professionals and business tycoons and were very well-travelled. Several of them knew in and out of the norms of the ship and gave us tips about choosing the cabins in the future, preferred times to travel or how to go around in New York after the end of the Voyage.  It looked as if there was a glid community of these travellers with unrivalled experiences to share.

One tip as to decide which direction  to take the Voyage 

My advice for the first crossing is to travel westwards from Southampton to New York. That way, you will experience five 25 -hour days as the clock goes back one hour for five nights out of the seven-night journey. You would arrive in New York, recharged, refreshed with no jet lag, and ready to experience New York.

Dressing up attire and themed evenings 

QM2 has one of the most definite and formal dress codes at sea. This is a ship where passengers appreciate formality; even informal nights require jackets and dresses. Swim and leisurewear and flip flops are suitable around the pools only. On a seven-night transatlantic crossing, there are typically three formal themed nights, including a Black and white theme, a twenties theme and a Masquerade ball with a dinner jacket, tuxedos, evening or cocktail dresses etc. Passengers wishing to dress more informally in the evening are recommended to dine in the Kings Court buffet and use the Carinthia Lounge.

The foodology culture on QM2

The main restaurant, Brittania, had grandeur decor with a sweeping staircase and a balcony-style mezzanine bringing in the authentic sense of occasion. The atmosphere was further heightened on gala evenings as guests arrived in their finest evening wear. Our party of friends found the food rather unsuitable to their palate with a strong flare of British cuisine.  We were disappointed further as there was hardly any alternative choices of food offered. 

 

Is a Transatlantic Cruise for You?

Considering these pros and cons and your personality type, you can decide if a transatlantic cruise is a proper vacation. Since this cruise is often a good bargain, offering no-jet-lag travel and the opportunity to relax and rejuvenate, a crossing might be a perfect cruise vacation. Our transatlantic crossing sailed at capacity, yet the ship felt as spacious as ever. Remarkably, some areas often seemed quiet. For example, one evening in the brand-new Carinthia Lounge, we were amongst only a handful of passengers. In some ways -- from the row of wooden sun loungers bearing the ship's royal motif on the Promenade Deck to the Art Deco-style Britannia Restaurant and abysmally slow and expensive internet -- QM2 does a decent job of allowing its passengers to feel that they've stepped back in time. Apart from the ship's Art Deco ambience, stellar enrichment, afternoon tea offerings and sometimes confusing layout, the often-over-romanticized vessel offers only a surface-level taste of what a passenger would have experienced during the golden age of ocean liner travel.