Queen Mary 2 perfect for sailing the Mediterranean

Bill and Bette Doremus

To celebrate our 55th wedding anniversary, our entire family chose to

mark the occasion with a cruise aboard the new Queen Mary 2.

We began our trip by joining our sons in New York City. The Queen

Mary 2 arrived in New York the very day we were scheduled to fly to

Paris, which gave us the opportunity to get a glimpse of the

spectacular ocean liner we would board for its inaugural cruise to

the Mediterranean.

We enjoyed a week’s worth of glorious weather in Paris, and our

usual restaurant haunts never disappointed us. We were delighted to

discover a handful of new restaurants that have taken the city by

storm. One restaurant in particular, Les Bouquinistes (Guy Savoy’s

newest restaurant), is where the food and especially his sublime

mashed potatoes linger on both our minds and waistlines. Between

lunching at L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, as well as his contemporary

“baby bistros” such as Alain Ducasse’s, and evening strolls along the

Seine, enjoying Bertillion’s infamous ice cream, we were grateful

that Paris is a city where such extravagant indulgences can be walked

off.

At week’s end, while we were sorry to say goodbye to Paris, we

boarded the Eurostar to begin our journey to Southampton, England,

via the “Chunnel,” with great anticipation to finally step on board

the world’s greatest ocean liner, which would be our home for the

next two weeks. Arriving at Waterloo three hours later, our favorite

driver was there to greet us and whisk us away to Southampton to

board the magnificent Queen Mary 2.

Having had the privilege to have previously sailed aboard her, we

knew that the new and larger Queen Mary would not disappoint. Despite

early criticism leveled by critics and jealous travel writers, we

found she lived up to our every expectation. The ship is designed and

built in the tradition of the great ocean liners. From our suites

(there are no cabins or staterooms) to the public spaces, one thing

is clear: No expense has been spared to provide the best there is.

Our first day at sea gave us ample time to investigate every nook

and cranny of the ship. Thank goodness for our sons. They definitely

know “what’s hot and what’s not” on both land and sea. Even before

departing Southampton, they took it upon themselves to check out

every one of the 13 decks, finding those “haunts” that only seasoned

travelers find, so we had those special places mostly to ourselves

with a few others in the know for most of the trip. And whatever

concerns we had about the passenger capacity of 2,600, we never once

felt crowded or had to stand in line.

On our second day at sea, the usually rough seas through the Key

of Biscay were calm, making our trip toward Spain and subsequently

the Mediterranean delightful rather than frightful. An invitation to

dine at the captain’s table that evening was the first of the formal

nights at sea. The commodore, the master of the ship, was as

charming. Dining at the captain’s table has become somewhat of a

custom, as our sons somehow magically arrange it, and each time it is

a rare privilege, an honor and a memory that lingers long after the

trip.

As luck would have it, certain ports of call had not completed the

necessary renovations to accommodate the oversized Queen Mary 2, so

Cunard surprised us by adding Rome to our cruise and another day at

sea. That extra day at sea was a much-appreciated gift of time. With

such a hectic itinerary, we took advantage to enjoy the amenities

on-board. Reclining on those comfortable teak deck chaises, visiting

the planetarium, the ship’s stunning paneled library and lazy

afternoons in the Canyon Ranch Spa filled the time.

This was the ship’s inaugural voyage to the Mediterranean, so our

arrival and departure from every port of call was an event. Our ports

of call in Spain included Vigo, Palma de Mallorca (which took us

completely by surprise at how beautiful it is) and Majorca, and a day

trip to the magnificent Alhambra was new to us all. Since one of our

sons had previously visited Barcelona, he served as our guide to this

gothic and exciting city.

Arriving in Marseille, France, on Sunday provided an excellent

opportunity to drive to Aix de Provence without the usual traffic and

to explore the delights of a part of France that many never get to

know. Departing Marseille later that day was an event in itself.

Hundreds of boats surrounded the Queen Mary 2, led by a fleet of

fireboats shooting geysers of water high into the air. This is

something that everyone should experience at least once in a

lifetime.

Lisbon, Portugal, was our final port of call before sailing back

to Southampton. However, the best was yet to come. Awaiting us upon

our return to our stateroom was a surprise invitation from the

commodore to join him on the bridge. Security concerns restrict

entrance to the bridge for obvious reasons. Although passengers can

see the bridge, viewing hours are restricted, and passengers are kept

more than an arm’s length behind the imposing bulletproof glass.

There is nothing like being up close and personal with the captain

and the harbor master who assumes the reins of the “joy stick” to

guide the world’s largest passenger ship out of the harbor. While the

captain’s invitation itself was thrilling, nothing could rival the

view from the bridge, as we traversed under one of the tallest

bridges in the world, barely clearing it by a few feet as we left the

harbor and sailed into the Atlantic. The sights of that late

afternoon are indelibly etched into our memories.

With the seas calm, as they were during our entire cruise, the

commodore set new records on our voyage back to Southampton. The

smile on our driver’s face welcomed us back to England. The weekend

traffic was light and within no time, he delivered us to the epitome

of art deco hotels, the Savoy.

While all good things must come to an end, our departure seemed

perfectly timed, as a heat wave struck the city the morning we flew

back for our home in Newport Beach.

* BILL and BETTE DOREMUS are Newport Beach residents.