IT IS hard to believe, standing here in the stunning split-level Art Deco lobby of the Queen Mary 2, with its grand staircase and grand piano – and smiling bellhops grandly dressed in red and gold – that I am actually on board a modern ship. And not just any ship: the flagship of the Cunard fleet and only 'proper' ocean liner in the world.
That is not to say the Queen Mary 2 doesn't do leisurely cruising; she does – although, with pointy, longer bow designed to swiftly slice through rougher seas, this retro-styled Cunard queen, embodying all the romance and glamour of old-style cruising, was designed for transatlantic crossings rather than just bobbing merrily around the Med.
But not today: we have just a short (press) trip from Southampton to Hamburg ahead of us, a mere skim across the North Sea and glide down the River Elbe into one of the busiest ports in Europe, before being whisked off for a minibus tour around Germany's second-largest city.
Being a total cruise newbie, I was relieved to find the forecast was good for our short time at sea – notwithstanding the fact we were on the stable mothership of all cruise liners, with the QM2 weighing in at 149,215 gross tons and having capacity for 2,691 guests – not at all a behemoth like some of today's modern 'floating resorts'.
As a bonus, the sun was shining for the 5pm sail-away when we raced up on deck to hear the band playing by the pool and wave emotional goodbyes to the cheering crowds fluttering hankies from the quayside below... okay, that last bit didn't actually happen: there were no hankies and no Titanic-esque farewells, but my new friend, Julia, and I imagined there were as we excitedly found a viewpoint to witness the moment when, like a proud old movie queen, our ship slipped out of Southampton's Mayflower terminal and – soon – into the empty blackness of the North Sea.
Once settled in our spacious cabins – or staterooms as Cunard like to call them – it was time to have a wander. A relatively small press group, we were all booked into impressive Princess Grill Suites located on Deck 10, which are larger than Britannia Balcony and Balcony Club class and come with some extras including priority booking, access to the Princess Grill restaurant and dedicated concierge service.
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Yes, there is still a sort of class system in operation on Cunard ships – Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth and the new Queen Anne, due to take her maiden voyage next year – with the Queen's Grill providing the very top level of accommodation and service: add-ons here include marble bathroom and private butler, no less.
But it is a muted separation, with the variety and standard of cuisine and service excellent in all sections of the ship and a sense of grand occasion still to be had when dining in the main Britannia restaurant – as the majority of passengers happily do – with white-gloved waiters, dressed linen tables and sweeping staircase all a nod to the Golden Age of travel at sea.
You won't find a FlowRider surf simulator, nor flashy Vegas-style arcade on this ship: the Queen Mary 2, with her old fashioned deck games – shuffleboard is still a favourite – steamer-style deck chairs on wraparound teak promenade deck, Art Deco chandeliers and grand ballroom, is all about heritage, elegance and nostalgia for a maritime era lost and (obviously) much lamented.
The Royal Court theatre, which spans two decks, is full of traditional red velvet opulence, while the library, with its leather chairs and polished wood, is home to more than 8,000 books and is the largest library at sea. There is also a planetarium on board – another peculiarity to Queen Mary 2 – and kennels (with whimsical lamppost taken from the Cunard building in Liverpool) which are available for cats and dogs during transatlantic crossings.
In another reminder of the golden heyday of the ocean trip, Maritime Quest, a type of nautical heritage trail, boasts various paintings and ship models on display in public spaces throughout the ship, while an Insights enrichment programme offers talks and discussions by well-known historians, explorers and various experts: Bear Grylls was booked for an Alaska voyage with Cunard's Queen Elizabeth in June.
Speaking of history, there is an interesting Titanic link: the Carpathia, which rescued Titanic survivors in 1912, was built for the Cunard line first established by Samuel Cunard in 1840. Today, though, only the name survives, and Cunard is part of the Carnival group based at Carnival House, Southampton.
There wasn't enough time to explore everything this great ship, launched in 2004 and refitted in 2016, has to offer, but we managed to pack a lot into a tight schedule: a massage at the Mareel spa and dip in its hydrotherapy pool was a highlight, along with a special Champagne Afternoon Tea (dainty teapots and mini cake stands included) in the stylish surroundings of the Champagne Bar.
The Cunard team had also arranged a meet-up with the man at the helm, the personable Captain Hashmi, who escorted us to the bridge – painted green, he informed us, to help keep everyone alert – and generously shared tales of the high seas, of famous faces on board (corridors are lined with monochrome memories of high profile passengers from yesteryear, including a young Elizabeth Taylor with her poodle) and how he would soon be executing a tricky three-point turn on the crowded River Elbe.
As it happened, it was a 'gala' night – or formal night as they are known on other cruise lines – and we were dressed in our best for drinks with the captain in the elegant Commodore Club overlooking the bow, before some fine dining in the Princess Grills restaurant on deck seven.
A word about the reputedly strict Cunard dress code: yes, there is a dress code in operation for certain areas of the ship after 6pm, but it is less rigid than some would have you believe – and no-one is sent to the 'brig' for a fashion violation.
Next morning, more calm seas and sunshine awaited as we approached the busy port of Hamburg and got ready to disembark. There wasn't much time before our flight back to Heathrow, but the Cunard shore experiences team whizzed us around this historic city, permitting a stop-off to read the names on some pavement Stumbling Stones, part of a powerful Stolpersteine Art Project which honours the victims of Nazi oppression.
Various city landmarks were pointed out, including the shimmering Elbphilharmonie concert hall, the popular Miniatur Wunderland – with largest model railway in the world – and the street where the Beatles launched their career in 1960, before a stop-off in the charming Monckebergstrasse area and excellent Copenhagan Coffee lab for one last cup of coffee.
It really was a whirlwind trip, but a truly memorable one, and perfect as a 'taster' cruise for first-timers like myself. With 14 decks of lounges, bars and shops, and no fewer than 10 dining options, we all agreed the QM2, with her little quirks, her signature black and red funnel and two huge whistles – which can be heard 16 km away and often made us jump – is the ultimate destination, no matter where in the world she is headed.
:: For more information on all Cunard cruises, visit cunard.com
