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Part One – Transatlantic Crossing Onboard the Queen Mary 2  

 

After an uneventful flight (Delta 936) from McCarran International in Las Vegas, we arrived at JFK in New York and took a short shuttle ride to the Airport Holiday Inn Express. We always try to arrive at least a day ahead of the cruise to prevent “missing the boat” in the event of cancellations, delays or whatever unexpected situation might turn up. Of course in the event you miss the sailing on a transatlantic cruise, you’ve just lost out on your entire vacation as there is no next port to fly to. There are no restaurants near the Holiday Inn Express but there are lots of options for local delivery so we ordered Chinese, watched the news and called it a night.

After the hotel provided breakfast we packed up and took a forty-five minute private transfer ($60) to the ship. On the way to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal we got a quick glimpse of the New York skyline, Coney Island and the Statue of Liberty. Arriving at the Queen Mary 2 the excitement started to build as we went through an easy embarkation procedure and found ourselves onboard with a sparkling glass of champagne. It didn’t take long for us to find our upgraded balcony stateroom on deck 12 located just behind the bridge. As it turned out, our favorite bar, the Commodore Club, the gym, spa, theatre and even the covered pool were very close by and we didn’t have to go far for any of our favorite venues.

Our scheduled dining was at 6:00 pm each evening and we met some very nice British and Scottish couples whom we enjoyed dining with for the duration of the cruise. A special thank you to Phil, Trudy, John, Sandra, Ian and Chris for making the dinner conversation so lively and entertaining. Cunard is a little more formal than most cruise lines so I should mention that dinner jackets were required each evening and there were two formal nights where I got to break out the tux. Of course if you’re not into the formal thing you can always choose to dine at the buffet but Sue and I enjoy the formal nights and getting all decked out once in a while.

After dinner there was always some type of entertainment including comedians, musicians, singers, dancers and on this particular crossing, lots of jazz performances by Blue Note Jazz recording All Stars including Gregory Porter. Sue and I also attended a couple of cocktail parties where we met the captain and senior officers as well as participating in “meet and greets” with other travel professionals. It’s interesting to note that you can be as busy as you’d like onboard with classes, lectures, gaming, shows or simply find a quiet spot to chill and relax with a cocktail. Sue likes to take dance classes and shop while I tend to enjoy the gym, hot tubs and a book. With no ports of call on this voyage we had more than ample time to relax.

Phil and Trudy treated us like royalty at the Todd English restaurant on the last night of the cruise making it a very special occasion for us all. Before the night was through we enjoyed champagne, a beautiful bottle of Pinot Noir, steak and lobster tails, and after dessert a wonderful glass of Remy Martin XO Cognac. Looking forward to visiting them in England or them visiting us in the “Colonies” in the near future. Thanks again Phil and Trudy for a truly memorable experience onboard the Queen Mary 2.

Part Two – New York Experience
 

 

Although we loved our voyage onboard the regal Queen Mary 2, after seven days at sea we were ready for dry land or in this case, the wet English countryside, and the two hour bus transfer to London Gatwick International Airport for the flight back to New York City. Unfortunately, we had a five hour wait before we could board our Norwegian Air Flight 7015 but we made the best of it with lunch and a couple of beers at a pub style restaurant and walking through the dozens of duty free shops. The seven hour flight to New York went off without a hitch and we actually arrived early only to find we had to wait for our gate to open up. Once off the aircraft we took an airport shuttle to our hotel, the Millennium Times Square.

The hotel has an excellent location between 44th and 45th just off Broadway and just a few feet from the action in Times Square. After getting our bearings we found it easy to get to the subway and take the “R” downtown. Sue pre-ordered all of our tickets and tours so it was easy for us to take advantage of the guide’s insights and group entrances. Our first day consisted of a walking tour of the area around the World Trade Center, the financial district, Battery Park, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, dinner at famous Carmine’s Italian Restaurant and finally front row, center seats for the Broadway hit performance of Chicago. An exhausting day but lots to see, learn and of course excellent dining.

Day two was also a challenge for a couple of active grandparents with bad knees but we didn’t quit. We started with another subway ride to visit the Ground Zero Memorial and Museum followed by a visit to the Empire State Building and then beers and appetizers at the Heartland Brewery on the building’s first floor. A leisurely walk up 5th Avenue led us to Rockefeller Center for a great art history tour of the 19 building complex before taking the elevator up to the “Top of the Rock”. We finally concluded our New York adventure with dinner at Virgil’s Barbecue located directly across the street from the hotel. Well folks, that’s all we could squeeze into our two day New York adventure so a return trip in the not so distant future is definitely called for. That will wrap up our Grand Adventure of the Queen Mary Transatlantic Voyage and our New York City crash course. Please think of us next time you are considering an adventure and allow us to help you create sore feet that will heal and memories that will last a lifetime.
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