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The sun was just beginning to set on the picturesque villages, green fields and old stone houses that grace the shoreline of southern England as Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2 sailed out of the Solent estuary past the headlands of historic Spithead on its way into the Atlantic Ocean.

My wife Gail and I were grateful for the warm weather that allowed us to stroll the outer decks and admire the beautiful scenery that flanked our ship between the pretty Isle of Wight and the verdant south coast of England. After all, this was the last bit of terra firma we would see for the next six days as we crossed the Atlantic Ocean from Southampton to New York City.

But without any ports of call, what would we do for the better part of a week? And what kind of people should we expect to meet on a ship that was designed for ocean crossings rather than cruising?

According to our Entertainment Director Paul O’Loughlin, most people who choose a trans-Atlantic crossing want to experience a truly classic and historic voyage, and/or prefer the simplicity of crossing the pond by ship rather than by air.

The latter, O’Laughlin points out, have grown tired of the many hassles, delays and line-ups involved with air travel, and have discovered that sea travel provides great value. For example, the cost of a six-day crossing on the QM2 starts as low as $900, compared to $650 for an economy ticket and more than $2,000 for a business class ticket on a trans-Atlantic flight between England and North America.

As for the former group, O’Laughlin says they want to experience what it’s like to cross the Atlantic in style on a grand ocean liner the way it was done during the Golden Era of sea travel. Other passengers simply want to relive the journey their ancestors made when they immigrated to the Americas in the 19^th and early 20th centuries, or returned home from the Second World War.

Whatever their reason for sailing, passengers will find the QM2 is a destination in her own right with a décor and ambience that pays tribute to the great luxury liners of the past including the Queen Mary, Normandie, and France. For example, the QM2 has more than 5,000 pieces of art ranging from sculptures and expansive murals to oil paintings, hand-woven tapestry, a sheet bronze relief panel that graces the ship’s main lobby, and the largest ballroom at sea.

So what’s there to do aboard a luxurious liner while it gracefully crosses the ocean?

During the day, most people prefer to crawl into a deck chair with a good book and enjoy the fresh air and outdoor pool. However, since we were sailing through a patch of thick fog and light rain, we decided to stay indoors for most of the voyage. Thankfully, the QM2 has plenty of interior space and amenities including a fully covered pool area, as well as an extraordinary enrichment program with lots of great speakers, events and activities.

For example, during one day at sea we were treated to a performance of ‘The Taming of the Shrew” by the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA). The troupe also ran a number of interactive sessions during the cruise where they ran games and exercises about acting.

In addition, we watched several World Cup football matches in the Golden Lion Pub, played a round of golf in the ship’s golf simulator, worked out in the Canyon Ranch gymnasium, listened to classical recitals by students from the Julliard School of Music, attended several presentations by faculty from the Cunard Insights program, and watched a show about our solar system in the Illuminations Planetarium (the only one at sea).

During the evening, which is a much dressier affair on Cunard ships than most cruise lines (we had three formal nights in six days), there was a wide range of classy entertainment. For example, in just about every lounge we were treated to live music that ranged from jazz ensembles to pianists.

In the Royal Court Theatre, we were able to attend a nightly production show by the ship’s singers and dancers, or a virtuoso performance by accomplished artists like London singing sensation Emma Sinclair. And we enjoyed a number of themed party events in the Queens Room, including the Red, White & Blue Big Band Ball, and the Grand Masked Ball.

However, while the QM2 and our voyage across the Atlantic were wonderful experiences, the best was still to come.

On our final morning at 5:00 am, we joined hundreds of fellow passengers on the deck of the QM2 as we sailed under the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge (with only 13 feet of space to spare from the top of our funnel to the bottom of the bridge) and into historic New York Harbor.

As the Statue of Liberty and skyline of Manhattan appeared over our bow, I felt a tingle go down my spine. I was looking at the same scene that had greeted millions of immigrants 100 years ago when they crossed the Atlantic in search of a new life. And more importantly to me, it was the same scene that my father had witnessed when he had sailed to New York aboard the Queen Mary at the end of the Second World War.

He had told me many stories about that crossing and how excited he was by the sight of New York when his ship finally arrived in the harbor. We had never had the opportunity to do this trip together before he passed away. But as I stood on the deck of the QM2 watching the skyline of Manhattan grow larger, I finally understood how he must have felt on that wonderful morning when he and 15,000 other soldiers were finally welcomed back home by Lady Liberty.

There’s something special about Mary – the Queen Mary 2 that is.

It could be her beautiful raked bow or rounded Constanzi stern. Or perhaps it’s her streamlined hull and sleek superstructure adorned with the famous black, white and red livery of the Cunard Line.

But whatever it is, it was obvious to us as soon as we arrived at the pier in Southampton, England to begin our six-day crossing to New York City that this was no ordinary vessel. In an era where too many ships resemble floating condominiums and handle like bloated barges, the QM2 could well be the most beautiful and steadiest passenger ship in the world.

The reason for all these superlatives is that the QM2 is an ocean liner, not a cruise ship. In fact, when launched in 2004 she was the first major ocean liner to be built since the Queen Elizabeth 2 in 1969. 

The difference between a cruise ship and an ocean liner is that the latter is designed, equipped and built for regular ocean crossings. In contrast, cruise ships are built to sail between ports of call in more protected waters, although they still do the occasional ocean crossing as part of a repositioning or world cruise.

As a result, ocean liners require heavier grade steel for their hulls, use higher quality materials in their fittings, need more powerful engines, and cost much more to build. For example, the QM2 is built with 40% more steel than a comparably sized cruise ship, and costs about US$300,000 per berth, about double the industry average. In addition, it has a top speed of nearly 30 knots and a cruising speed of 26 knots, which is much faster than the 18 to 22-knot average cruising speed of most cruise ships.

Since ocean liners spend most of their time at sea rather than in port, they also tend to have more public areas and grander interiors than cruise ships. In this regard, the QM2 is likely the most beautiful ship at sea, as we saw first-hand as we made our way past a number of elegantly appointed public rooms and staircases filled with more than 5,000 commissioned works of art on our way to our spacious balcony cabin on deck 11.

The QM2 boasts 13 passenger decks with 15 restaurants and bars, including the main Britannia Dining Room, a pair of posh restaurants for first-class grill passengers, and an alternative pay-as-you-go restaurant called Todd English ($20 for lunch, and $30 for dinner). The latter is by far the best alternative restaurant we’ve ever sampled at sea, with delicious entrees like porterhouse lamb, sea bass and beef tenderloin followed by desserts like fallen chocolate cake soufflé and crème brulee.

The main Britannia Dining Room, which like the rest of the vessel has been designed to reflect the elegance of great ocean liners from the golden era of trans-Atlantic travel, features several tiered levels cast over two decks. Her menu carries a wide variety of delicious and well presented choices, served by a talented and gracious wait staff.  In fact, the Britannia is among the top three or four dining rooms we’ve ever experienced at sea.

In terms of activity and entertainment, the QM2 has five swimming pools, a casino, a ballroom, a theatre, a spa and the first planetarium at sea. The latter doubles as a cinema and can even screen live sporting events such as the World Cup of Soccer, as it has been doing during our cruise along with the Golden Lion Pub. And there are a number of bars and lounges, including the cozy Commodore Club, the elegant Sir Samuel’s, the classical Winter Garden Lounge and the nautical-themed Chart Room.

The ship also features a kennel, which can house up to 12 cats and dogs that owners can visit throughout the cruise.

With the retirement of Queen Elizabeth 2 in 2008, the QM2 became the only ocean liner left in active passenger service. She offers regular crossings between America and England from April to November, with eastbound crossings taking seven days, and westbound trips lasting six days. The QM2 also offers a variety cruises in between crossings, as well as a world cruise from January and April of each year.

While the QM2 also offers a handful of mini-cruises each year to coincide with holiday weekends, these tend to be party cruises that attract a different clientele that give short shrift to the elegance and traditions of a longer cruise or crossing. In fact, we sailed on a four-day Labour Day cruise aboard the QM2 in 2007 and didn’t enjoy it.

However, we’re glad we gave the QM2 another chance by sailing with her on a trans-Atlantic voyage. After all, crossing the ocean is what this elegant ocean liner was designed and built for. And it’s what separates her from all the other cruise ships and makes this Mary truly special.

With air travel to and from most parts of Europe grounded for the past week by a cloud of volcanic ash from Iceland, thousands of stranded passengers have been wondering how they’ll get home. And in somewhat of a “Back to the Future” twist, some are discovering that a leisurely cruise across the Atlantic may once again be “the only way to cross.”

Of course, crossing the pond by boat was the only way to travel between Europe and North America for hundreds of years until commercial plane travel arrived in the 1940s. In addition, travel by cruise ship had been growing in popularity since 1867 when Mark Twain chronicled his six month-adventure at sea in his wonderful book Innocents Abroad.

Despite the romantic image of sailing, facilities aboard passenger ships were pretty rudimentary until the early 20th century. However, with the growing need to transport immigrants to America and advancements in technology, shipyards were able to build bigger and better vessels that minimized the discomfort of an ocean voyage and provided more public space.

Not long after, cruise lines began to attract more wealthy tourists and businessmen by offering better accommodations, more elegant dining, and onboard activities at sea. As a result, passenger service grew dramatically and shipping companies from England, Germany, France, Holland, Italy and Sweden began to build better and grander ships to compete for this growing business. In fact, by the mid 1950s Cunard Line alone was operating up to 12 ships year-round on the trans-Atlantic route. 

However, when jet travel was introduced in 1958, it wasn’t long before passengers abandoned ships in favour of a much faster crossing by plane (eight hours versus five days). This situation led to the collapse of cruising as a means of transportation from point to point, and eventually its reinvention as a form of floating vacation to exotic destinations. 

Of course, that was before the cloud of volcanic ash arrived over Europe last Wednesday and began to shut down most of the continent’s airports. As a result, some stranded passengers looking for a way back home have rediscovered that cruise ships still cross the Atlantic, albeit in much smaller numbers than they once did during the Golden Age of Cruising.

For example, Cunard still offers regularly scheduled crossings, with weekly sailings between New York and Southampton on the Queen Mary 2 each week from April through November. And most major lines offer trans-Atlantic cruises each spring and fall as they reposition ships between European and American markets.

These trans-Atlantic cruises, which are sometimes difficult to sell, are suddenly filling up at with travelers seeking a reliable way home. In fact, the Queen Mary 2 sailing from Southampton to New York departing April 22 is already oversold with a waiting list of more than 500 people. And similar crossings from Florida with other cruise lines are also filling up quickly.

But while news of fully booked ships crossing the Atlantic may seem like we’ve gone back to the future, no one is expecting it to continue once air travel returns to normal. However, some of these reluctant cruisers may soon discover that in this age of long security lines at airports, unreliable schedules, and extra fees for checked luggage, a leisurely voyage across the Atlantic may still be the only way to cross.

While Cunard Line operates trans-Atlantic voyages on a regular basis from April to November, most cruise ships cross the pond just twice a year as they reposition between Europe in the summer to the Caribbean and South America for the winter. This seasonal migration results in a flood of trans-Atlantic cruise cabins spilling into the market for about 45 days each spring and fall.

These repositioning cruises offer some of the best values in the travel industry, and typically fetch far less in per diem fares than the average cruise. In fact, the price of a trans-Atlantic voyage can sink lower than C$50 per day depending upon the cruise line, itinerary, type of cabin, and date of departure.

The reason for these rock-bottom prices is that there is simply too much supply and too little demand for trans-Atlantic cruises in the spring and fall. Why?

First, there are too many ships with lots of capacity crossing the Atlantic at the same time. This creates a glut of inventory that is difficult to sell.

Second, most working people don’t have enough vacation time to spend 8 to 18 days crossing the Atlantic. And if they do have that much spare time, they’d rather spend it sightseeing on land than resting on at ship at sea for several days.

Third, most kids are in school during the peak repositioning seasons which typically take place in the spring from mid-April to late-May, and in the fall between late-September and mid-November. This timing is not very appealing to families.

And fourth, spending five or six days at sea crossing the North Atlantic is not everyone’s cup of tea. And while it’s true that most ships include several ports of call in Europe as part of their trans-Atlantic itinerary, some people just don’t like sea days.

However, for those who love combining great ports of call with restful days at sea, prefer cruise ships to airplanes, have enough leisure time, and love getting bargain-priced vacations, there’s nothing more rewarding than a repositioning cruise across the Atlantic Ocean. How rewarding? For price and itinerary, here are six of the best Trans-Atlantic cruises available this fall:

1. October 27th departure aboard the Carnival Dream: 16-night crossing from Rome, Italy to New York, NY with prices from US$1,639 for a balcony cabin ($102 per day). Ports include Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Malaga, the Canary Islands, and Bermuda.

2. October 31st departure aboard Holland America’s Rotterdam: 18-night crossing from Rome, Italy to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida with fares from C$1,363.45 for an inside cabin ($76 per day). Ports include Monaco, Barcelona, Malaga, Cadiz, Casablanca, the Canary Islands, and the Bahamas.

3. November 5th departure aboard the Celebrity Equinox: 14-night crossing from Rome to Ft. Lauderdale with prices starting at C$1,139 for an inside cabin ($81 per day). Ports include Marseilles, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Cartagena, and the Canary Islands.

4.  November 9th departure aboard Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas: 12-night crossing from Malaga, Spain to Miami, Florida with prices starting at C$599 for an inside cabin ($50 per day). Ports include the Canary Islands, Madeira, and the Bahamas.

5. November 18^th departure aboard the Costa Magica: 18-night crossing from Savona, Italy to Santos, Brazil with fares from US$1,279 for an inside cabin ($71 per day). Ports include Malaga, Casablanca, the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Fortaleza, Recife, Maceio, Salvador de Bahia, Ilheus, and Rio de Janeiro.

6. November 19^th departure aboard Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas: 14-night crossing from Lisbon, Portugal to Santos, Brazil with prices starting at C$609 for an inside cabin ($44 per day). Ports include Madeira, the Canary Islands, Recife, Salvador de Bahia, and Rio de Janeiro.

 (All prices are per person, double occupancy as of September 6. Airfare, port taxes and government fees are extra.)

During the golden era of cruising in the 1950s, there were more than 70 passenger ships plying trans-Atlantic routes, excluding the legendary SS France and Queen Elizabeth 2, both of which didn’t appear until the next decade. Back then, taking a luxury liner across the pond was literally the only way to cross from both a practical and social perspective.

But the growing popularity of airplanes began to take its toll, and for the first time ever more people crossed the Atlantic by air than by sea in 1958.  Over the next several years the passenger drain continued, and by 1965 most passenger lines had withdrawn from ocean-going transportation to focus on destination cruising.

However, over the past decade there has been a resurgence of interest in crossing the Atlantic by ship. And while the route will never return to its glory days of the 1950s, it is becoming an increasingly popular option for people who want to cross the Atlantic in style for a lot less hassle and money than anything approaching comparable comfort would cost on an aircraft.

The reason for the resurgence is five-fold.

First, Europe has become a more popular destination for North Americans over the last 10 years. In fact, the number of bed days available on cruise ships in the region has almost tripled over that period from just 10,000 in 2000 to more than 26,000 in 2009. And while these beds are not filled exclusively by North Americans, they do use the vast majority of cabins.

Second, all these North Americans have to get to and from Europe. They used to take airplanes without a second thought. But with limits on luggage, restrictions on carry-on items, long line-ups at airport security, cut-backs in flight frequency, grumpy check-in agents and escalating prices, flying is no longer the pleasure it used to be. And since cruise ships offer a variety of departure and arrival ports in both continents, it’s certainly a viable option, especially for a one-way trip.

Third, with so many North American-based ships spending summers in Europe, there is a tremendous amount of trans-Atlantic cabin inventory available each spring and fall as they cross the ocean to begin their next season. As a result, fares on these trans-Atlantic voyages offer fantastic value – sometimes starting as low as $900 for an 18-day cruise. Compare that price and comfort (a cabin with bed, meals, and entertainment) to the cost and amenities aboard an aircraft where you have to pay extra for food and earphones to hear the movie!

Fourth, the cruise lines have gotten a lot smarter about how to structure a more appealing trans-Atlantic itinerary. In the old days they would offer a seven to 10-day crossing that called at one or two ports. Now, many of them stretch the itinerary by another week and include half a dozen Mediterranean ports before the ship sails across the ocean.

And fifth, some cruise lines are now offering incredible incentives for people who book back to-back trans-Atlantic and European cruises. These incentives can include discounted pricing, onboard credits, and free airfare one way.

Of course, if you want to sail across the Atlantic outside of the main cruise ship repositioning seasons in the spring and fall, Cunard Line provides regular weekly service aboard the QM2 from April until November. Fares start at less than US$1,000 for a six-day voyage, and the ship sails between conveniently located ports in New York and Southampton.   

So the next time you decide to visit Europe and have the luxury of time, check what’s available in trans-Atlantic cruises before taking a cramped and crowded aircraft.  It may be one of the most economical and relaxing travel decisions you’ll ever make.

As the Emerald Princess slipped her mooring in Ponta Delgada harbour and set course for Fort Lauderdale, Florida, we began the final leg of our voyage across the Atlantic. For the next five days, there would be no ports of call – just endless blue water and lots of time to explore our ship, take in some events, and read a good book.

Our first full day at sea began with sunny skies, 78 F (25 C) temperatures, and reasonably calm seas. In fact, it was so nice that people were already sitting by the pools and enjoying the hot tubs as we made our way to the Horizon Terrace for our 9:00 am buffet breakfast.

The first sign that our serene environment might be at risk came during the Captain’s noon-time message from the bridge. Captain Giorgio Pomata reported that Hurricane Omar was making its way from the Bahamas on a northeasterly track into the open Atlantic and was projected to pass precariously close to our planned course the next day.

However, in order to make our voyage as comfortable as possible, the Captain announced that he had changed our course so that we would pass no closer than 300 nautical miles to the storm and would therefore avoid almost all of its impact. In addition, the ship’s stabilizing fins and automated ballast control were deployed to keep rolling to a minimum. And at 113,000 tons, the Emerald Princess was not easy to toss around. As a result, we had one lumpy day of high winds, mild swells and light rain, but not nearly enough pitching or rolling to make either one of us seasick. And my wife Gail can get seasick just by taking a bath!

As each day passed and we got closer to Florida, the weather kept getting better and the temperatures warmer. In fact, it was almost like we had started a Caribbean cruise when we left the Azores so we could recover from all the sightseeing and touring that had tired us out in the Mediterranean. The great weather meant that people with balconies were still able to make good use of them as we crossed the Atlantic, a situation that caused us to regret our decision to go with a much cheaper inside cabin. Of course, the weather may not have been as nice had we been sailing to New York instead of Fort Lauderdale, or had we left the Med in late-November instead of mid-October.

The warm weather also meant that we could spend a lot of time outdoors – something we knew from experience would make five days at sea much more enjoyable. As a result, we were able to walk laps every morning around the Promenade Deck while staring into the horizon and listening to waves crash across our bow. And in the afternoon, we could relax by one of the ship’s four pools and seven hot tubs, taking the occasional dip to cool off.  

While most people chose one of the two mid-ship pools (one with its own outdoor movie screen and the other with live music), we preferred the quieter adult pool at the stern with its magnificent views of the ship’s frothy wake. The stern pool is conveniently located just steps away from the buffet cafeteria on Lido Deck, and is an ideal place for reading (I got through another Doc Ford novel by Randy Wayne White, while Gail finished a couple of Rebus books by Ian Rankin).

While it was tough to leave the pool area, there was plenty of action elsewhere that we didn’t want to miss including mini-golf tournaments, paddle tennis lessons, dance classes, special interest lectures, video arcade games, arts and craft sessions, movie matinees, bingo games, and gambling in the casino. In fact, there were so many activities to choose from that there wasn’t enough time to do even one-third of them — a pleasant dilemma!

Late in the afternoon, we would usually get cleaned up and go the atrium, the three-storey grand piazza in the centre of the ship that is  surrounded by boutiques, a coffee shop, a wine bar, an internet café and glass-enclosed elevators. In between the elevators facing the piazza, a quartet would play classical music while we sipped cappuccinos, enjoyed a glass of chardonnay, or browsed through the jewelry store.

Things were just as busy in the evening. Our nightly entertainment options ran the gamut from comedians, magicians, ventriloquists, jugglers, and singers in the main show lounges, to a full production show featuring a troupe of singers and dancers in the Princess Theatre. In addition, we had 12 bars to choose from where we could listen to piano music, make new friends, and try the latest concoctions including those from Yothin and Sheldon the friendly bartenders at Crooners Bar. Our favorite cocktail was “Dean’s Dirty Martini,” which is made with gin or vodka, and olive juice.

We met a lot of interesting people at Crooners, including Americans Ron and Mary. The couple told us that they had just completed a multi-year stint with the military near Venice and were returning to Colorado to resume a new career and life. Mary was feeling bad that she hadn’t posted a diary about the cruise for their relatives to read, so I offered up mine as a substitute. She accepted and had a martini!

There were also a number of special events during our days at sea, including the Captain’s Black Tie cocktail party, a wine tasting, a champagne waterfall party, and the Captain’s Circle elite frequent cruiser reception. We were fortunate enough to be invited to the latter, and had the opportunity to speak with Captain Pomata and several of his officers including Martin Ford, the Passenger Services Director.

With so much to do and such great weather to do it in, our five-day trans-Atlantic voyage had proven to be one of the highlights of our 18-day cruise. Not only had our crossing been relaxed, entertaining and great fun, it had been a classy and stylish way to cross the pond. Or as author John Maxtone-Graham aptly described it in his book of the same title, taking a cruise ship across the Atlantic may well be “The Only Way to Cross.”