Queen Mary 2 transatlantic

I have recently returned from a trip to Europe by sea. I traveled over to the United Kingdom on the Queen Mary 2 and I returned on Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas. In between the two crossings, I did a cruise around the British Isles on Ocean Princess.

If you have the time, transatlantic crossings are a great way to get to and from Europe. Air travel has become notorious for its hassles and delays. In contrast, traveling by sea is a relaxing and memorable experience.

A transatlantic crossing, however, is different than a cruise. There are more sea days and the sea sometimes can be more turbulent than on a cruise. But most people find that there is more to do on a crossing than there is available time. Also, modern ships are good at handling the weather.

Like cruises, the guest experience on a crossing differs from ship to . A crossing on Queen Mary 2 is much different than a crossing on Brilliance of the Seas. Both are good experiences but they are different.

This week, we take a look at what it is like to cross on Queen Mary 2. In an article that will be published later, we will look at a crossing on Brilliance of the Seas.

I spoke with David Shepard, Hotel Manager on Queen Mary 2, about what a crossing on QM2 is all about. David has some 17 years experience in the cruise industry, primarily with P&O Cruises, and thus is in a good position to talk about what makes a crossing on QM2 different than the type of experience one has on a cruise ship.

I wanted this article to be a concise overview of the QM2 crossing experience. Therefore, I have included links to our more in-depth articles about various aspects of QM2 when those topics are discussed in the article.

The article is posted at: http://www.beyondships2.com/queen-mary-2-shepard.html

In addition, I have posted a review of the Coriander specialty restaurant on QM2. Coriander is one of three alternative dining experiences that Cunard has added to QM2. Unlike QM2's primary specialty restaurant, the Todd English Restaurant, these alternative dining experiences do not have their own permanent locations. Rather, they come to life on certain evenings in a section of the ship's buffet restaurant. It gives guests more choice but is it consistent with QM2's luxury image? http://www.beyondships2.com/queen-mary-2-coriander.html

Finally, we are adding two new FAQs. The first explains what a bulbous bow is and what it does for a cruise ship. http://www.beyondships2.com/faq-bulbous-bow.html

The second is about cruise ship itineraries. Recently, I heard a guest ask a cruise ship captain why the ship did not stop at some of the nice looking islands that we had passed earlier in the day. I think most people know that a cruise ship captain cannot decide to stop the ship at whatever island takes his fancy. But I thought it might be of interest to provide some information about how it is decided where a ship will go. That FAQ is at http://www.beyondships2.com/faq-cruise-itineraries.html