Horizon. Endless horizon. An eternal circle, constant and peaceful.
From a deck chair on the Queen Elizabeth 2, that is the view. A vast, deep-blue expanse of ocean, seemingly contained by that hypnotic, continuous border.
Only the previous afternoon, we had watched the Manhattan skyline recede out of mind. Our thoughts were on England-and everything in between.
– Day 1: The sun is playing brilliantly off the barely rippling North Atlantic. Overhead, stray wisps of cottony clouds are pushed along by the ocean breeze.
On board this luxury liner, we are enjoying a sense of being citizens of a town that has been set afloat. There is a movie theater, four restaurants, eight bars, a newspaper, kennels, a florist, laundermat and a bank. Even a jeweler and a casino.
When it comes to activities, the options are many. And how you choose to spend your time is entirely up to you.
A crossing on the QE2 is precisely what you want it to be.
You can sit in a deck chair, mesmerized by that distant horizon while drinking tea or sipping champagne. Maybe you`d rather curl up with a book in a deep-cushioned leather armchair in the ship`s 3,000-book library. You might want to exercise. You have a choice of four swimming pools.
You could win money playing bingo . . . then spend it at Harrods or in the shopping promenade. On the Helicopter Deck, at the base of a huge orange- and-black smokestack, the feeling is definitely top-of-the-world.
Within a glass-shielded area are blue-padded deck chairs, a coffee bar and a liquor bar. Toward the stern, plastic deck chairs overlook basketball and tennis courts, shuffleboard, and a putting course.
After dinner, you`ll want to take a slow stroll on deck. The horizon at night is slashed by the brilliant purples, reds and golds of the Atlantic sunset. The entire scene a spectacle of water, sky and sun.
– Day 2: In the morning public-address announcements, we hear about the ice fields, which are only 20 miles to the north. Then, after a pause, ”At 8 a.m., we passed over the Titanic.”
The mild ocean swells appear gray-a reflection of the somber cloud cover that has descended over us. It`s still smooth sailing. ”Like a duck pond,”
say the regulars.
A smooth crossing, however, is not necessarily the norm. Regulars recall even their stormiest ”pitch-and-roll” crossings with the greatest enthusiasm. On the QE2, there is an impressive number of ”regulars.” From conversing with them, it quickly becomes clear how cruising can get to be a habit. Easily.
We take a leisurely gourmet lunch in the Queens Grill. Then, elbows resting on the ship`s rail, we delight in a school of porpoises playing off the port bow.
Today, you might feel a little weary. The energy level has dropped from keyed-up to laid-back. In fact, you might even think you are very tired. You want only to sit-or nap.
But you are not really tired. You are actually-finally and totally-relaxed. Don`t try to fight it.
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Make an appointment at Steiner`s to get your hair and makeup done for the captain`s cocktail party.
Capt. Robin Woodall, a 6-foot-plus Liverpudlian, has always been ”keen on the sea . . . where every day is different.” Woodall says the first thing he`ll do when he starts vacation is to race his 20-foot sailboat. After retirement? He has decided to go on a cruise.
Among his daily duties are personal inspection of galleys, a 1 p.m. radio broadcast, two receptions, dinner at 9 and a walk on deck about midnight.
After catching the floor show, we heed the captain`s advice and take a midnight stroll. The night is very dark. From the deck, peering into total blackness gives an odd sensation of standing completely still. Only the throb of the engines confirms that we`re proceeding on course.
On QE2, you`ll sleep like a baby-quite literally-rocked to sleep every night by your 67,139-ton Mum.
– Day 3: The horizon has disappeared. A soft, thick fog has blended it in with the smooth, gray Atlantic.
Just as the night before we were suspended in darkness, today we are suspended in gauze. Every two minutes, the ship gives a four-second blast on her foghorn.
Still, it is no day to stay indoors.
From the Boat Deck, we see the broad back of a whale break the ocean`s surface, then disappear.
Another blast on the foghorn.
On a sunless day it can get a bit chilly, but there is an agreeable solution. A double-thickness navy and red blanket with black leather piping and ”Cunard Line” embroidered in gold thread is wrapped around our legs and tucked under our feet by a ship`s attendant. Then, on a tray, a cup of hot tea.
Later, taking shelter from a light drizzle, but keeping the daunting ocean in view, we take a window table in the Grand Lounge, and listen in on that afternoon`s activity-ballroom dance lessons.
As you might have guessed, QE2 is a rather large ship. At 13 stories high and three football fields long it is the fastest passenger ship in the world
(32.5 knots, or 36 mph).
Cruise director Peter Longley, who is personable and patient, says he has had some pretty unusual questions from passengers. ”At least three times a week,” he says, ”someone will ask if the crew sleep on board.” (Answer:
yes!) Also, ”Do these stairs go up or down?” (Which way would you like to go?) ”Is cash bingo played for money?” (Huh?)
Another afternoon, the lounge was featuring an informal interview with British actor Terence Stamp. He spoke of his childhood in wartime London`s East End, his devotion to his mother and his years of trying to break into show business.
Stamp recalled his former roommate, ”Mike” Caine, and their shared audition suit-they could never audition at the same time.
For a guy who has played so many nasty characters (”The Collector,”
”Alien Nation,” ”Wall Street” and General Zod in ”Superman 2,” to name a few), Stamp comes across as introspective.
With a full schedule of activities, there is plenty of fun to be had, yet QE2 is not what you would call a fun ship. She is a comfort ship. Even immigration is cleared on board so travelers can arrive refreshed.
And so, each day eases into the next, blending seamlessly until it`s hard to believe that time has passed so quickly.
– Day 4: The last full day. The fog has lifted and the ocean is a deep blue-and still calm. Again, the perfect circle of horizon surrounds us.
Tonight, we say goodbye to new friends.
– Day 5: Brilliant sunshine. We are approaching land-chalky cliffs loom in the distant haze. Fluffy banks of clouds stand out against the sky and white ruffles garnish the greenish blue sea. We are not as happy to see land as we thought we might be.
Capt. Woodall had predicted ”a fine day in Southampton.” And so it is.
In the channel, we`ve become the center of attention. Flotillas, tugs, sightseeing boats, tiny sailboats and large ones with colorful spinnakers surround Queen Elizabeth 2.
And so it is the end of this journey. But the beginning of others like it. –
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