A few times a year the Queen Mary 2 offers short cruise itineraries, ideal for both the first time cruiser and the more seasoned cruiser desiring a taste of a luxury liner. Although not unhappy with our past Princess, Celebrity and similar cruise line vacations, we had an itch to try a new experience. We booked a 4 day Memorial Day cruise, read up on what to expect, what to wear and then waited with great anticipation, and yes, high expectations.
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On this Friday morning New England was experiencing unusual and wonderful summertime temperatures, close to 90 degrees... What a wonderful day for a sail out of NY...... Exiting the highway, the loop around to the service road and pier entrance is tricky; we were lost for a bit but eventually found our way to the pier. (Plan on a good 30 minutes of get lost time) Once at the pier we see her, she stands high above the buildings, it is all so exciting. Parking is a breeze, the Cunard staff very well organized, and we were on board in about 20 minutes time. |
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THEN WE CROSS OVER...ENTER THE SHIP |
I am so excited that I am giddy. The officers are lined up on each side of the entrance to greet us and say welcome board...I barely have time to nod before my eyes catch a glimpse and I take it all in... The colors are in deep reds and blue, the lighting magnificent. The wood is high polished and it is all so tastefully elegant.... This is just what I pictured in my mind over the past year.... We pause, time stands still for us until an elevator attendants in white gloves holds the door open for us and a few fellow passengers.
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We chose a balcony cabin, glass enclosed, aft on the eighth floor. At 1:00 PM our cabin is ready for us, our suitcases arrive shortly thereafter. A porter inquires if we have all our luggage, a few missing pieces are found right away and he carries all bags into our cabin for us. Soon our cabin attendant drops by to introduce himself to us. Ronald tells us of the service he will provide during our cruise. Our mini frig was stocked with water, soft drinks and chilled glasses. The service he provided was just fine, never the least bit intrusive.
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For a four day cruise the cabin size was just fine. The queen size bed was comfortable, nice linens underneath the spread. The storage space included two full size closets with drawer space in the center plus a safe for our valuables. The bathroom is on the small side with only a stand up shower and not much counter space, still fine for a short stay. Daily the shampoos and the like were replaced when necessary. The balcony, glass enclosed had two loungers, a small table and still ample room to walk round....perfect! At night the quiet views from our balcony were so calming. There were a few simple touches that we liked... Chilled glasses in the min frig that were replaced twice a day, many outlets to charge our camera's, no need to bring along a strip of plugs or a convertor, and of course chilled champagne upon arrival. Silly, but I also appreciated a bed high enough to slide our luggage underneath....
I JUST CANNOT WAIT A MINUTE MORE..... Nick and I love to ballroom dance and one of the main reasons we chose this sailing was for the opportunity to dance in the Queen's Room. While most of the guests once on board and settled look for a bite to eat or a welcome aboard cocktail, we study the map and make a beeline to the Queens Room..... The next page is for all my dancing friends of which I promised a full report!!