Queen Mary 2 - my Gallic getaway

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• Locations: Belgium, France, Netherlands
• Holiday Type: Cruises

• by: grantthomas
• on: Wed 23 May 2012

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As I sit here in the Library on Deck 8 on Queen Mary 2, looking at the people gathered dockside gazing at the ship and overlooking the old port of Cherbourg, France it appears modern living may have misplaced an important item, the ‘journey’.

Modern culture, with time and work pressures, often forces us to make compromises on a daily basis. Maybe lunch at the desk working rather than the traditional hour away from responsibilities, or the convenience meal hastily heated in the microwave rather than selecting and preparing ingredients then cooking a meal.

In our dash to be herded into cathedrals to travel, our airports, and the resultant propulsion to our destination, we have skipped or just tolerated the journey. Unpicking this realization takes a few days of removal from the routine and to be completely relaxed is to rediscover the journey.
Cunard has managed to deliver a solution that is so elegant and timeless yet cutting edge and revolutionary and with Queen Mary 2 they have delivered perfection with a sense of reassurance, relaxation and uniqueness on a vessel that can accommodate every class, genre and desire of her passengers.

As the self-cleaning windows wash with the daily task I am reminded at the effortless ease that this ships oozes in a 24-hour constant maintenance schedule that keeps her pristine and in the condition that she was launched. As you walk round the ship there is nearly always a small amount of cleaning, or painting or varnishing being undertaken, never big enough to impose and within an hour or two they have finished and moved onto the next task.

So what is the Cunard difference? Well as I sat in Britannia restaurant this morning with two perfectly shaped mounds of creamy scrambled egg with crisp white and gold crockery and a hive of waiting staff meaning neither the coffee cup or empty plate were left unattended for more than a few seconds, I could not help thinking that this is what a meal should be like.

Eating should not just be a necessity but an experience. And rather than the plethora of two-for-one meal price deals we are surrounded by in high street food chains, the experience should be bespoke, consistent and near military in precision. And the result is sumptuous in quality, luxurious in environment and decadent in consumption.

Cunard has been delivering this style and for over 150 years and have honed this entire operation to near perfection from tip to toe. This 155,000 tonne ship is magnificent in size, appearance and stature. I often find myself in discussions about ‘What’s the best cruise ship?’ or ‘But this one is bigger and has x and y’, but that dialogue misses the point. Cunard is a standard, it is a beacon of quality that others aspire to meet. For starters, Cunard don’t do 'cruises' as such, they are Ocean Liners and I can agree with the distinction. As I read the cruising press and the near monthly launch of new vessels and the increasing size and passenger numbers that others dazzle us with, I keep coming back to the point that is this, who else can have a passenger to staff ratio of 2:1?

On this short cruise, there are 2,500 passengers with over 1,200 staff on board. This allows an immense amount of space per passenger and the only get to realise this is the safety drill on day 1. From that moment I stepped on I have been able to walk up and order a drink, obtain a snack or drink from Kings Court on deck 7 or simply walk into the main dining room to be allocated a breakfast table. I have always been able to find a vacant lounger in a variety of locations, or be served within a minute of arriving at a bar.

Cutting edge? Take a look at the Bridge Viewing room on Deck 12 to see the vast instrument panel that ensures safety throughout, or wireless internet in every stateroom on board ($0.75 a minute pay as you go).

On this cruise I travelled alone, and from the moment I pulled up at Southampton was able to easily engage in dialogue with other passengers. Half of them were first timers on QM2 and I could relate to that slightly daunting experience boarding a vessel of this size and heritage, and was able to impart some pointers and recommendations that I would have benefited from before my first trip on the ship.

Now if some are reading this and feeling put off by the thought of formality, fear not. Like other ships there is a ‘freestlye’ dining experience on Deck 7 in the Kings Court. Four restaurants with different flavours deliver food 24 hours a day without a dress code. You can get tea, coffee, fruit juice or water here, or my favourite a nice warm hot chocolate before an evening circumference of the ship ahead of bed.

Whilst I used and welcome the convenience and sheer quality and selection of the food at Kings Court, to me it misses the point. I have dined each night at Brittania restaurant and I loved the early evening ritual of showering away the day’s adventure and dressing up in a timeless style to dine and not just eat. To enjoy a walk along the deck 7 prom from the bow (my cabin is one of the Oceanview C3 cabins right at the front) to the near stern (Stairway C for the elevator to the entrance to Britannia) and to get a few lungfuls of sea air ahead of an hour or two of decadent cuisine. That is the experience for me.  There were two Smart Casual nights and two Formal nights on this short cruise.

I was seated on a table of eight, although only five of us showed up. And here’s the point, you meet people on a voyage that you would never normally have met. You get to  share your days’ experiences whilst consuming five-star food and impeccable service. I had two delightful couples on the table, both from different parts of the UK but each night we would discuss the trips ashore, compare on board experiences as well as discuss the journey from their home towns. It is a reminder that in a modern world where we rarely know are own neighbours, this is how we used to socialise.

Drama? On here? Well only by way of the outstanding shows put on each day in the Royal Court Theatre, or the amazing planetarium 3D show in the Illuminations Theatre, but we actually did have a real mini-drama. Whilst moored in Zeebrugge I had taken a walk into to town and returned early afternoon. After a swim and a BBC cocktail had returned to my cabin and was surprised to see a massive amount of wind and rain out of the porthole. The day had been sunny spells and clouds and this squall had occurred very suddenly. Waiting for the lift on deck 5 on my route to view the storm on the prom the ship suddenly juddered to the point of me nearly stumbling. Upon reaching deck 7 the ship had moved away from the quayside and four mooring ropes were frayed on the ground below.

A freak gust had hit the portside of the vessel and those ropes had snapped in the force and one gangway had fallen into the water and another was left suspended in mid air. The one remaining mooring rope had pulled the rear of the vessel into the quayside and that was the jolt experienced from the impact.

The insurance assessor was called to clear the ship before leaving port and complimented the strength of QM2 for holding the impact so well. A lesser cruise ship would not have taken this so well. She finally left five hours late. Divers on Wednesday inspected the damage whilst in port in Rotterdam and cleared her for onward transit.

Pure chance this morning that I met Captain Nick Bates in a lift on my route to deck 7.  He commented that the instruments on the bridge measured the wind gust from 0 to 65 knots in less than 3 seconds. This was not forecasted and passed as quickly as it came so no chance for reaction. I questioned the need for repair and he confirmed that the divers reported that the QM2 was still in fine shape for the Transatlantic New York trip.

There are so many outstanding spaces on Queen Mary 2 that I could wax lyrical about but favourite experiences would have to be;

The Library where I am typing this review from, row upon row of glass fronted dark wooden illuminated cases with thousands of books with sumptuous sofas and subdued lighting whilst the bowed windows to the front of the ship offer an amazing viewpoint;

The Pavilion – a pool, two Jacuzzis, a bar and a small band stand where a entertainment plays each lunchtime on sea days with a retractable glass roof looking at the iconic funnel whilst poolside is hugged by padded wooden sunloungers, never full, you must try a B.B.C. cocktail (Baileys, Banana and Pina Colada);

The Prom deck 7 – a full third of a mile of wooden decking wrapping round from the open backed multi-pool stern to the fully enclosed weatherproof bow of the ship. I even walked this circumference in the warm damp shower yesterday evening and the walk it is nearly all undercover due to the overhanging lifeboats above and the overhanging deck at the stern.

Afternoon Tea in the Queens Room; perfectly crustless triangle sandwiches, English tea, exquisite tiny cakes and of course homemade scones, cream and jam served by white gloved waiters in the largest ball room afloat whilst a four-piece string quartet or harpist simply defines the ambiance and heritage of Cunard, and the standard they created. Just be there 3.30pm sharp for a seat!

Service and excellence are what define Cunard. Rooms are made up twice a day with perfectly little Cunard mints each night. A waiter is there in seconds when dining, or a room steward is just a phone call and a there in a minute if you need anything. The constant fresh towels in your stateroom or poolside, the army of cleaners and maintenance staff ensuring the ship stays at the pinnacle of her condition. This is what makes a five-star ship so special and the ability for the passengers to easily differentiate this voyage to other cruise lines.

Above all, the most emotional experience has been leaving port. Last year I was on board QM2 as she navigated up then down the 8 hours transit along the river Elbe as she headed to Hamburg. There were people ALL along the banks during the journey despite it being midnight, bands played, fireworks exploded over head and then the indescribable blast from the ship's funnel-mounted horns. It is so deep and so loud it just makes you tingle with the experience.

This happened again last night departing Rotterdam and navigating the couple of hours down the Rhine, a line of people all along the banks, and at certain points a crowd just coming to see the spectacle that is Queen Mary 2. I stood there with glass of something sparkling in the tuxedo I had emerged from another calorie overloaded dinner from Britannia and got that same tingle as the QM2 blasted her farewell nod to the admiring crowds. I could not help but feel privileged once more to be afloat what is a unique triumph to travel. This is the Cunard difference that people in every port just have to come and see.

Cunard use this phrase, but it rings so true on Queen Mary 2: “Life is not about the destination, it’s about the journey”.

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