On January 3, 2023 I leave out of NYC on the Queen Mary 2 for a world voyage. I will be onboard for 117 days with stops at over 40 ports (see map for the ports). This trip will complete many of the bucket list items including riding a camel in the desert, sand surfing, ziplining in Dubai, and snorkeling the barrier reef.
The QM2 is the world’s only ocean liner!! It is the last of the great breed built to sail with speed and comfort across thousand of miles of open ocean. Its primary purpose is to transport passengers between New York and England. So, it is built differently than standard cruise ships. Queen Mary 2 has a strengthened and thicker hull (almost twice as thick as most standard cruise vessels). It also can travel much faster, reaching almost 30 knots in open water. The bow and hull shape also are designed to cut through the water even in rough seas, and this makes the journey much safer and more stable. A bit of trivia RMS that the British use in the namining of their ship refers to “Royal Mail Ship”
Queen Mary 2’s facilities include fifteen restaurants and bars, five swimming pools, a casino, a ballroom, a theatre, and the first planetarium at sea. More than 5,000 commissioned works of art are visible in Queen Mary 2’s public rooms, corridors, staterooms and lobbies, having been created by 128 artists from sixteen countries I can’t wait to explore the library that has over 10,000 books.
The QM2 is a throw back to the luxury that doesn’t exit on a cruise ship. When I saw pictures of the main dining room I thought of Titanic. Hopefully there are no icebergs waiting to hit the ship!! This adventure is pushing me outside of my comfort zone due to the formal dress code for the theme nights but I am all in to give it a try! Very excited to be a flapper girl in my 1920’s outfit! Never have I packed so much stuff for a trip. The normal carryon has been replaced with two giant bags stuffed with evening clothes and adventure gear, thankfully they pick the bags up at my house and deliver them to my cabin.
So awesome! Counting down the days until you embark!!