Jim and I had talked about a trip to Germany for many, many years. He had been stationed there, in the Army, for two years when he was 18 and loved it. And since Jim doesn't particularly like flying, we thought booking the Queen Mary 2 for a 7-day adventure at sea would be a fun way to enjoy the ride over to Europe. And it was!! But let me back up to the beginning ....
.... First we had to get to New York!
We had taken Amtrak to New York before, and thought it'd be a fun way to go again. It's an overnight train. My sister and her boyfriend drove us to Jesup, GA, which has a train platform. The train stops for about 10 minutes for people to get on or off. There's no ticket sales there, or baggage assistance. You just hop on or off. We each had one suitcase and one carry bag, so it was pretty easy.
Jim had reserved one of the bedrooms on the train. It's pretty spacious as far as train accommodations go. There's a couch seat on one side, a single seat opposite it by the window, your own TINY private bathroom/shower with a door. I mean, tiny. I wouldn't dare try to shower in there either. And there's a small counter in the room with a tiny sink, mirror, lights, electricity, etc. A table can fold open in between the single seat and opposite seat by the window. The couch folds out into a single bed and there's a single bunk bed above that. So it's great for two people. And of course you have a privacy door to lock out anyone from the hallway. And free wifi! It's a great, stress-free way to travel ... BUT ...
The train is old, and it looks like it too. Unfortunately it feels like Amtrak just doesn't care much about improving things either. When we've taken the train in past years, you could go eat in the dining car and there were tablecloths, real silverware, glasses, etc. The food was good too! But the last few times that Jim has used the train, the dining car always seems to be unavailable. And once again, it wasn't open. They said the air conditioner was messed up. But it's always something that's broken it seems. And although the train is "clean", it also needs a deep cleaning desperately.
Dinner was included as part of our room package, but you couldn't eat in the dining car, and no one was going to deliver the food either. Everyone had to go to the dining car to pick it up, which for us was about two train cars away. And then you had to carry your drink and sack meal back to your room or seat. It's not too easy on a moving train ... especially for the older folks. And then the food was cold. Not even warm a bit. It tasted like cold Popeye's chicken. Cold potatoes. Cold rice & beans. I mean, it's not awful when you're hungry, but they could have at least TRIED to heat it up.
But this was the start of our BIG trip, so we were still excited, happy to have the room, happy for a cold picnic dinner, and looking forward to arriving in New York. Jim took the top bunk and we both slept a little bit. We rolled into the Big Apple the next morning and took a taxi to his Aunt Karen's apartment in Brooklyn. Karen and Brooke were also going with us on the Queen Mary 2! We were staying one night at their apartment before boarding the ship on Friday, May 8, 2026.
Brooklyn (Dumbo), New York
It was great to be back in New York, even if just for one night. It's always a fun city and Karen's apartment in the Dumbo area of Brooklyn is just fantastic! We were hungry when we got there, so we went to eat at a new restaurant just around the corner, Pura Vida Miami. It had fresh ingredient foods and I ordered a chicken wrap, which was delicious. All of our meals were great!
Then we walked along the waterfront, through the park area, and saw some new artwork that had been installed. I just LOVE all the art and culture in New York!
Back at the apartment, I opted for a nap. We just didn't get all that much sleep on the train, so laying down a bit was just what I needed. Later in the afternoon, Karen and Brooke's friends, Laurie and Roger, came over and we had drinks and appetizers up on the rooftop of the building. They have patio furniture up there, shade, and plants and it's a perfect shared space for the tenants of the building. We walked to another local restaurant for dinner.
And that next morning, we enjoyed my FAVORITE Brooklyn NY treat ... an almond croissant from the Almondine Bakery, right behind Karen's building. They have the absolute best croissants I've eaten from anywhere. Seriously. It never disappoints.
Laurie came to pick us up and drove us to the ship terminal. It wasn't too far away so she took Jim and I first and then went back for Karen & Brooke. "Thank you, Laurie!!"
Is this not THE cutest little passenger?! There's a kennel on board, so dogs are welcome to stay there and the owners can visit daily. :)
The Queen Mary 2
... or QM2 as she is known, is the world's only active passenger ocean liner. "Unlike modern cruise ships built for warm, calm waters, the QM2 features a heavily reinforced hull, sharp, flared bow, and immense speed, specifically engineered to withstand the punishing, year-round conditions of the North Atlantic."
While it doesn't have all the waterslides and amusement items of today's typical cruise ships, it does have a luxurious interior, upgraded food offerings, plenty of space to relax, a large spa, theaters, ballroom, one of the largest libraries at sea, and wonderful speakers, shows, and entertainment. Plus proper English afternoon tea daily while at sea.
Jim had originally booked us a room with an "obstructed view balcony", which means our balcony view would be the side of a lifeboat. haha! That would have been fine, as we could have still gotten fresh air from that extra amenity, but in the days leading up to the trip, Cunard sometimes offers upgrades that guests can opt to bid on. So Jim put in a bid and we got a VERY NICE, gorgeous and spacious upgraded suite! It was part of the Queens Grill Suites, which came with extra perks including a dining room just for Queens Grill guests.
This suite had two large windows, one which was a door to the expanded balcony. Even though a trans-Atlantic crossing has just sea to look at, it's still so nice to have the larger balcony and extra light. We loved that room!
The room came with free drinks too, including two full bottles of alcohol (we opted for Bacardi and Grey Goose), and all the Diet Coke I could drink! haha! Each afternoon there'd be a little appetizer for us, and each evening a chocolate on the bed. I mean, what more could you need? Our room butler Jerome, and his assistant Teddy, were always ready to get us anything at all. I asked for a feather pillow because the ones they had were foam, and they brought the softest down feather pillows for us. I slept great! A couple of mornings we had breakfast in our room. And one night we opted to order in from the Queens Grill, and Karen and Brooke joined us, in our room, for dinner. Jerome served each course of the meal just perfectly, as if we were in our own private dining room! The whole week was pretty special, for sure!!
As we cruised away from New York, the four of us joined other guests on the outdoor terraces to wave goodbye to the city and enjoy the awesome views. We had about 10 drops of rain, but otherwise it was perfect out there ... a little cool and quite windy too. Everyone was so excited, friendly, and eager to get the trip started.
Everyone is always excited to watch the ship pass under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. Because the QM2 is so massive, she actually has limited clearance—only about 13 feet depending on the tide. This time it looked like plenty of space, but was still fun to watch.
The QM2, similar to typical cruise ships, has a daily newsletter filled with activities and special events that you can attend. It was a packed agenda, but we just picked a few things ... mostly the speakers or evening entertainment to enjoy.
There were also square game tables along two hallways near one of the theaters and by the second day, there was a note reserving three tables for Mahjong, so that quickly became a priority for me! I met up with about 7-9 other ladies and we played Mahjong every afternoon from 2-4. It was fantastic!
While everyone can attend Afternoon Tea in the ballroom at 3:30 pm daily, there's also a special "Champagne Afternoon Tea" which is an additional cost, but includes champagne obviously, and upgraded food items, in a more comfortable setting. Karen booked this one day for all of us as a birthday treat for Brooke and I, who both celebrate birthdays in June. It was a lot of fun, delicious, and I learned I liked hot tea (with sugar). Typically I've only been an "iced tea" type of gal! haha!
One afternoon I took part in a shuffleboard competition and actually came in second (in a three-way tie for second place). Later in the week, the four of us went up on the deck to play by ourselves. I had forgotten how much fun shuffleboard is! But it was SO windy up on that top deck in the middle of the ocean!!
Mostly this voyage was totally relaxing!! I think we all loved it. And it was Karen's first time on a large ship!! Brooke had actually done the crossing before, when he was much younger. And Jim and I have done other cruise ships, but this was the first time with Cunard and the QM2 was certainly a treat! I imagine we'll keep this itinerary for our list of future trips across the pond.
Although they look like an art installation, these are actually spare propellors, affectionately known as the 'Commodore's cuff links'
We ate in the dedicated dining rooms three nights I think, and in the King's Court buffet the other meals. Both food options were great, and while the formal dinners were nice, they were multi-course, which took a lot longer too.
We were lucky with wonderful weather, cool and windy, but not stormy. The ocean was mostly smooth, but some days we could feel the movement of the waves a bit more. But we loved the ship! And we loved the easy, carefree, do-what-you-want multiple days at sea. It was quite relaxing. And we docked right on time in Southampton, England, on Friday, May 15, ready to begin the next part of our trip ... three days in London!!
