Floating luxury
Queen Mary 2: the world’s greatest ocean liner
written by Nancy Laforest

More than one month ago, the ultra-luxurious Queen Mary 2 set off on her first journey, a 14-day voyage from Southampton, England to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Combining experience gained from a rich maritime heritage with a contemporary touch, Cunard’s latest member of the royal fleet has attracted a great deal of public attention. The first trans-Atlantic built in 30 years, it is self-proclaimed to be "the greatest ocean liner of our time." What exactly is it about the QM2 that sets it apart from other five-star vessels?

Estimated to have cost more than USD 800 million, the Queen Mary 2 (QM2) is anything but mediocre. With services surpassing those of certain top-notch hotels, this ocean liner is indeed a floating phenomenon. From her grand ballroom with orchestra to her planetarium, the world's largest cruise ship represents the height of extravagance. Measuring 345 meters by 40 meters, this 150,000-gross-ton vessel is nearly three times the size of the Titanic. As tall as a 21-story building, the QM2 is spacious and offers 12 decks for passenger pleasure. It boasts a theater and casino, a vivid nightlife for disco or jazz fans, and even a kennel for dogs. This cruise ship is audacious, far from demure, and its whistle can be heard from 10 miles away. It was officially named by Queen Elizabeth II after her grandmother. This Queen Mary is the second in the Cunard Line legacy. The first, now retired, began operation in 1936. With Britain's royal family a persistent focal point of public interest, most of the tickets for the QM2's inaugural year have been sold out for months. This ocean liner is no weak member of the growing cruise industry. Run on 157,000 horsepower, the QM2's gas turbine and diesel electric plant are friends of the environment. Electricity produced by the ship's power plant is enough to light a medium-sized city with a population of 200,000. The vessel itself is the length of four city blocks, powered by a Rolls-Royce propulsion system that allows it to coast through the water at 30 knots, or 34.5mph.

The proposal for Cunard's latest described it like this: "Seen from the outside, she will look like what she is, a purpose built craft for sailing rapidly between points of the globe. Within her hull, however, QM2 will hide a multitude of delights as spectacular and pleasurable as they are innovative and ingenious." The ship's website also states that, "Clearly, lavish dining is the centerpiece of the QM2 experience." Cunard's grill restaurants - the Queen and the Princess - have long been a favorite of food critics. The two most luxurious of the 10 eateries on board, tables in grill dining rooms are reserved for guests occupying the most expensive accommodations. The grills’ culinary advisor, award-winning Daniel Boulud, star chef for over 10 years, has created an elaborate royal menu. Todd English, another of America’s leading chefs and recipient of the Robert Mondavi award for culinary excellence, also boasts a restaurant on board. The ship’s opulent main dining room, the three-story Britannia, allows guests to make a theatrical entrance down its sweeping stairway, yet for those wishing to avoid the spotlight, more casual options are also on deck. Dine in the intimate Asian or Italian restaurant, or in front of the TV in the typical British pub. Room service is also available around the clock. On QM2, however, food is hardly the only stimulant. Guest speakers including historians, artists and scientists offer lectures and daily workshops, with more specialized classes available for extra enrichment. There are seven different classrooms, where one can learn about fashion, furniture or foreign languages, to name a few. Even a simple stroll through the ship is an art lesson in itself, as artists from 128 countries were commissioned to provide over 300 original works – more than USD 5 million worth of art. For a different cup of tea, take part in stress-relief classes, or get tips on aging at the Canyon Ranch Spa.

Featuring a pool with a deluge waterfall, steam rooms and the works, this indulgent treatment, complete with the salt air and sunshine, will surely set your blood flowing. There are five swimming pools on board, as well as a basketball court. The most lavish staterooms even have their own gym equipment, along with marble whirlpools. The Queens special "Grill Accommodations" come with a personal butler who brings pre-dinner canapés and fresh flowers, range from 570 square feet suites to 2,220 square feet grand duplexes. There are a total 78 suites on Deck 10, referred to as the "Princess Grill Accommodations," measuring 381 square feet with ocean-side balconies. The most humble rooms are 194 square feet, with 80% claiming ocean views and of these, 94% with spacious balconies. All rooms on board include the usual luxuries of high-class hotels, with interactive TV, Internet access, a safe and slippers. Tastefully decorated and with great attention to detail (all cabin numbers are written in Braille as well), a journey on the QM2 makes for a deluxe getaway.

The Cunard Line, whose fleet also includes the Queen Elizabeth 2 and the Caronia, is based in Miami and has been a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation since 1998. Samuel Cunard, from Halifax, began his legacy in 1840, when he won a mail-delivery contract prompted by the government of Queen Victoria. The 63-meter-long Britannia, wooden and traveling at 9 knots, was the first to take passengers on regularly scheduled trans-Atlantic journeys. Up to 115 passengers at a time could take the two-week-long voyage from Halifax to Liverpool, whereas today, a total of 2,620 passengers can enjoy a ride on the QM2. Captain Ronald W. Warwick, a Cunard veteran for 33 years, will have a busy year, with voyages from Southampton to places like New York or Florida, as well as the Caribbean, to name a few. Southampton was also the departure point for the Mayflower and Titanic. Taking 22 months to build and 8 million working hours, approximately 4,000 craftsmen were involved in the construction of the QM2. An estimated 800 companies, mostly French, were called upon for help. Built in St. Nazaire, in Alstom Marine’s century-old shipyard, Chantiers de L’Atlantique, the vessel was assembled under the supervision of its naval architect, Stephen Payne.

England’s Queen Elizabeth II name the QM2 after her grandmother. The QM2 is the second in the Cunard Line legacy, after the first retired in 1936

Reservations for the QM2 cannot yet be made in Hungarian travel agencies, but Krisztina Gulácsi, an advisor at Tensi Travel, believes that although some of her customers do have the money to spend on a QM2 cruise, they would rather cut luxury and spend the money on a much longer voyage. "More and more people are choosing cruises as holidays," explains Gulácsi, who estimates that for the last few years, the Hungarian market has been growing by 20 to 25% each year. "Some of our clients are put off by the visa requirements for America," she said, "and so they opt for Mediterranean or greater European cruises."

The QM2 offers a vast choice for destinations as well, from the basic to the exotic. Enjoy a 4-day "Flavour of France" tour, setting sail mid-March, or a 17-day "Three Continents Trans-Atlantic" tour, porting in the Barbados, Dakar and Lisbon. Prices for the latter range from GBP 2,639-8,869. Although steep, costs for the QM2 don’t differ too much from those of other five-star cruise ships. For more information, call 08 70 112 1102, or check outwww.cruiseline.co.uk