Family vacations by sea: Cruising on the Queen Mary 2

The Queen Mary 2 sailing into New York Harbor. Credit: shinya.

By John George

Years ago, Cunard Lines promoted its transatlantic crossings with the slogan, “Getting there is half the fun.”  In our case, the opposite was true. As we topped off our recent trip to Europe with a cruise on the 9-year-old Queen Mary 2, getting home was truly half the fun.

After a week’s sojourn in France, we made our way to Southampton, UK, to board the flagship of Cunard’s fleet for the ultimate cruise and family vacation.  What can match the thrill of embarkation day?  Ours was beautifully sunny and cool for August.  The stately lines of the QM2 came into view over the busy Southampton docks as our taxi approached from our nearby hotel.  Before boarding the boat, though, we used the opportunity to replenish some depleted sundries and replace a couple worn-out clothing items for our son Zeke at the stores within a short cab ride of the docks.

We also took advantage of the Southampton Maritime Museum.  Housed in an old trading building near the docks, the attraction houses three floors of exhibits depicting the maritime history of one of the world’s busiest ports.  Ironically, just before we launched from the docks, we visited the in-house exhibit relating to doomed maiden voyage of the Titanic in 1912. Did it dampen our excitement for the trip? No way.

The ship

QM2’s classic lines exhibit much less of the “shoebox” effect found with some modern ships.  Among the many interesting technical aspects of her design: Dimensions were tailored to the average or typical size of the swells on the Atlantic.  At more than 1,100 fees, she was for a time the largest passenger ship at sea.  We found that our floating home had remarkable stability even when clipping along at almost 30 knots.

Accommodations

The cabins are standard for their category.  Our stateroom on Deck 5 was a good size for our family of three.  The third bed was a fold out couch; when the mattress was stowed, we had a nice sitting area with a coffee table.  The balcony was less functional, owing both to the design of the solid metal railing, and the cool weather we encountered on the North Atlantic.  One of the best features was the generous storage space – we had no trouble unpacking everything for our week at sea.

Programs

Six days at sea, no ports — what to do?  Plenty.  We two adults loved the options.  We balanced a watercolor class, several lectures, dance lessons and time for reading or quiet contemplation of the wonder of the vast Atlantic.  Jenny and I also can wholeheartedly recommend the children’s programming on QM2.  Zeke easily fell in with the other pre-teens in the group.  The morning-to-bedtime kid’s activities gave us anice balance of “together” and “apart” time.   The planetarium with star shows each day was a big hit with us all.  Tip:  The free tickets for this show are distributed each morning and go quickly.  Get there on time to be sure of seeing the show later in the day.

An unexpected plus to the west-bound crossing is that five of the days are 25 hours; the ship’s clock is retarded an hour at midnight to synchronize with the time zones crossed.

Dining

No commentary on life at sea would be complete without mentioning the dining.  So much time — so much food!  QM2 may be the only vessel in operation today with separate dining based on the class of cabin or suite booked.  Essentially, guests booking into Suite accommodations dine in one of the Grill rooms, and others enjoy meals in the Britannia Restaurant.   Our cabin had us in Britannia, and after a bit of confusion, we were seated with a delightful family from England on their way to America for their summer holiday.  Their daughter was the same age as our Zeke, and it was great to be able to share experiences with a family similar to ours.

As with all cruises, it is important to both make your preferences known when booking and to confirm with the dining staff the first day.

The ship also offers the now-standard alternate dining options, as well as a branded restaurant with a supplemental charge for reservations.  With the wealth of children’s options aboard, these present nice opportunities for mom and dad to enjoy a quiet dinner.

Among the many attractions of cruising is having a wonderful restaurant meal every day, with no check to pay!

Our fellow passengers

We enjoyed the company of many other families; there were some 700 children among the 2,900 guests  on our sailing.  There was a balance between Americans, British, and travelers from other lands.   Over dinner one night, we had a lively discussion on the relative merits of peanut butter, Marmite and Nutella.  The kids finally agreed that there’s no accounting for taste on this question.

America the Beautiful

Topping everything off was our glorious arrival into New York harbor.  The ship’s berth at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal gave us a nice view of Lady Liberty in the distance.  What a nice welcome home.

John George is a full-time working dad to his 11-year-old son. After visiting every continent, save Antarctica, he was domesticated by his wife Jenny. Their family enjoys cruising, beach vacations and getaways to the Big Apple.

Tagged: Cruise, Europe, Family time, New York