Westbound Crossing on the Queen Mary 2

Bonnie: I had best-laid plans of blogging every day of my recent transatlantic crossing on the Queen Mary 2. I did type up some notes, but was way too busy with all the on-board activities to report to you on a daily basis. Won’t promise that again. But let me share about this extraordinary 100th crossing of the QM2.

The Queen Mary 2: Grandeur reminiscent of the Titanic at the time it sailed.

After an impressively organized boarding procedure and civilized security (shoes allowed), we found our way to our stateroom, so much more spacious and luxurious than I anticipated. With about 380 square feet, it’s bigger than many NYC apartments.

A plate of canapés, a bowl of fresh fruit, a bottle of Champagne on ice, personalized stationary and a dozen long-stem red roses greeted us. Quite a welcome — one that continued, after we set sail, in the Grill Lounge, open only to “Grill guests” (aka First Class or those in upper-level suites. Yes, the QM2 has two classes). There we continued with cocktails, more canapés and our new compadres — Ted Scull, a maritime and NYC historian who was lecturing aboard, and Jean-Marie Zimmerman, the executive chef of Cunard Line, who would be our tour guide through the inner workings of the 25/7 culinary department.

No, that’s not a typo.

Each day – but the day we set sail – we “retarded” our clocks (British for putting our clocks back an hour). As a Type A+, I quickly got used to that extra hour each day. Note to self: Don’t take the voyage east as the days will be 23-hour ones!

I selected the day’s special, the citrus Bellini — a refreshing blend of Champagne, limoncello, Cointreau and orange juice — and thought I may try that at my next dinner party. Our first dinner in the Princess Grill included a simple but delicious Caesar salad served with Chablis Laroche and wild salmon with asparagus and carrots, served with Hogue Genesis Syrah.

Dining:
If you wished, you could eat all day long – bopping from one restaurant to another. Or, start your morning with breakfast delivered to the room, select a luncheon dining spot by what cuisine you desired and dinner at, perhaps, the Todd English restaurant. In learning about all the choices, I figured I’d need to sail around the world to experience every eating option. That, or gorge myself from the time I boarded until I disembarked.

I chose instead to squeeze in as many as was reasonable with just three meals a day and — on occasion — high tea.

I love the English civilized afternoon tea. Sure I’d experienced it before – at The Drake in Chicago and The Pierre in NYC, two of my favorites — but the Atlantic Ocean illuminated by the afternoon sun adds a level of elegance to the white-glove service. That, and the warm, tender scones served with jam and butter after the teas, sandwiches and petit fours.

Our small press group had a hands-on opportunity to prepare — and devour — two of the specialties served at the Todd English restaurant: Truffled Potato Love Letters – ravioli-shaped semolina pasta filled with a potato-mascarpone-truffle filling in both a butter sauce and Madeira glaze; and his Chocolate Fallen Cake – a molten cake oozing rich chocolate when cut into, served with vanilla ice cream and raspberries. These two dishes alone are worth the extra cost ($30 for dinner, $20 for lunch) to dine there during your voyage.

Provisions:
To make all these meals, the numbers are staggering. Before setting sail across the Atlantic, Jean-Marie’s staff loads 25 tons of fresh fruit, 45 tons of fresh veggies, 1,400 pounds of salmon, 1,000 pounds of lobster, 4,500 pounds of beef, 8,000 pounds of chicken, 12,000 pounds of flour and 18 pounds of caviar, just to name a few items, to create the 16,000 meals they serve each of the six days.

Daytime Activities
The problem with sailing on the QM2 is how to fit in all the activities offered. Each evening — as on most cruises — you receive a printed list of the next day’s happenings. There’s something for everyone including:

• lectures (on health, Shakespeare, history, gems, napkin folding, fitness);
• lessons (bridge, salsa dancing, painting)
• competitions (golf, bridge, black jack, trivia, table tennis, darts);
• wine tasting;
• a planetarium;
• a gym.

You could also stroll the deck (three laps is about a mile), enjoy a good book while sitting on a deck chair covered in a blanket or listen to an audio history of the ship – as you would in a museum – to accompany the displays around the ship.

My favorite (being a spa-aholic) or most frequented activity is the Canyon Ranch Spa where I experienced the second-best-ever hot-stone massage, a Canyon Ranch massage, as well as their Thermal Suite – an herbal sauna, Finnish Sauna, reflexology basins and an aromatic steam room. (The best hot-stone massage was at Rancho La Puerto in Tecate, Mexico!)

Oddly, I bumped into more interesting people in that steam room than I did elsewhere. That’s where I met Robert Jobson, author of many books on the Royals including, “Diana: Closely Guarded Secret” that he co-authored with Diana’s bodyguard, Ken Wharfe, with whom he was traveling and lecturing. We later had drinks with both of them in the Commodore Club.

Evenings:
In addition to dancing in the largest ballroom at sea, you could listen to a pianist, harpist, a jazz trio, watch a movie or see a show (We saw an abridged version of Noel Coward’s “Private Lives”). The choices were dizzying.

I often ended my evening with a Ginger Cosmo, my new favorite libation, served in the Commodore Club with a flaming flourish. The waitress squeezed a large piece of orange zest to release the oils and lit it just before serving.

Ginger Cosmo
2 ounces Absolute Citron
1/2 ounce Triple Sec
Splash of cranberry juice
Fresh squeezed juice from lime wedge
Muddled ginger (approx 1 thumbnail)

Shake, strain and flame with orange zest garnish.

After one or two of those and retarding my clock, I was lulled into sleep by the rhythm of the ship. I’d recommend this relaxing and elegant vacation to most anyone.

Bryan: I can only mutter to myself as I hear about Bonnie’s tales from the crossing of the QM2. It was one thing, when she got back, to hear her talk about the dining experiences she’d had; it is another thing entirely to actually have to read the line about “Truffled Potato Love Letters – ravioli-shaped semolina pasta filled with a potato-mascarpone-truffle filling in both a butter sauce and Madeira glaze.” You see, I made the unfortunate decision not to join her on the voyage, and reading this now has made that so much harder.

Cruises. The word can evoke a wide range of feelings among world travelers. Some swear by them as “the only way to travel,” while others scoff at the thought of relaxing aboard their vision of a floating spring break. I, especially as the purveyor of vacation rental properties, often make the argument that I’d rather be able to explore an island, destination or city on my own time. You can call me eccentric, but I am of the belief that most of the world is worth more than a “pop in.” That said, cruises can offer a truly different vacation with some rather distinct qualities.

While stereotypes of cruising vary dramatically, one thing that may surprise anybody for whom cruises carry a negative connotation is that they can have amazing food. Really. There is something truly sublime about having quality cuisine on demand 24/7. Couple this with beautiful surroundings and wide-ranging entertainment and you almost begin to feel like a sultan… not something easy to accomplish when taking in the full-destination tour.

Cruises also offer the opportunity to make “cruise friends,” quickly developed, deep friendships made during the unique experience of shared common space. Although I meet people on all my travels, there is something different about being isolated in the middle of the ocean that will forge a lifelong communication; you’ve been to battle together.

I am sorry I missed this trip. Trying to cram in a variety of trips while running a company means making trade-offs, but you just can’t do everything that comes across your plate. I loved hearing about Bonnie’s trip; the decadent dining, the environment of utter relaxation. I sometimes forget when I’m on the road to relax, enjoy. Cruises kind of force you to sit down, take a breath; there is nowhere to go. Now go eat some “Love Letters.”

Eric: Growing up, living and studying within the world of hospitality helped me to realize a few truths of the industry:

1. Reuse, Recycle, Reserve (ignorance is truly bliss)
2. In the kitchen, the “five-second” rule is really more like 20.
3. A smile is more powerful than you can imagine.
4. Never work on a cruise ship…

Every time I walk into a restaurant, check into a hotel or simply grab a beer at a bar, I’m watching. I’m watching every action of the people working, I’m pinpointing potential bottlenecks, comparing menu prices, analyzing logistics. Simply said, I take the mystery out of the “game.” Dining out is no longer an experience when you’ve worked in all the positions from steward to assistant manager. The trouble with studying in the hospitality industry presents itself when you try to enjoy the hospitality of others – always feeling as though you’re a mystery guest.

My advice if you find yourself on a cruise: find a good waiter the first night and tip him well – you can’t imagine how it is to work 16 hours a day, seven days a week. Bon voyage….

Addendum Oops. Here’s the actual photo of the Queen Mary 2. Astute JK pointed out we have the QV2 posted above.

The real photo of the Queen Mary 2