A Week With Mary……. — Steve Chivers Photography

Regular readers will already know that the past 18 months have been life changing for Mrs. C and me.

Some of you will also know that we both reached one of life’s milestones. I became a “man of a certain age” and after being 39 for the past 20 years, Mrs. C also joined me in what we now call our “decade of discovery”.

You will no doubt be surprised to learn that even after 37 years of marriage (of course, Mrs. C was a child bride) we still have many firsts to celebrate together.

So without wasting a further minute we Carpe Diem’d and booked our first trans-Atlantic cruise. Having always been somewhat sceptical about being locked aboard a vessel with 2000 other “inmates” we decided to do it properly and booked our crossing from Southampton to New York on the flagship of the Cunard fleet, the wonderful Queen Mary 2.

Her Majesty awaits at Southampton's Mayflower Cruise Terminal.

Now as you all know, in another life Mrs. C would have been a military planner and set about the booking of our trip with a laser-like focus. “Stateroom” number 5139 was subsequently selected and reserved. This was located on deck 5; not too high, not too low and in the middle of our vessel so as to benefit from the smoothest of crossings possible. Also an enclosed balcony to allow us some fresh air with privacy (and also the quickest route over the side in the event of an emergency!).

Now these cruises are popular and indeed we booked ours over a year in advance so as to secure the time spot we required. Our logic was to go outside of the main holiday season but early enough to have the chance of some warm weather. Of course, we forgot that this was the North Atlantic, where the only constant is change and that September was the middle of the hurricane season! What could possibly go wrong with that plan?

Arrival at the Southampton Mayflower Cruise Terminal was courtesy of my brother Phil. In another life he had in fact worked aboard the Queen Elizabeth II as a chef and indeed, our dad had worked on both the original Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary. So for me this trip had some added emotion as I squared the family circle so to speak.

Being an old sea-farer, Phil said he would send us off with a seaman’s breakfast and earlier that morning had knocked up a light serving of egg, bacon, sausage, steak, mushroom, baked beans and tomato, on the basis that we would at least have something to throw up in the event of inclement weather!!

The boarding procedure was just like boarding an airplane. We left our luggage with a charming gentlemen whom we assumed worked for Cunard and about an hour later, having negotiated check-in, customs and security, we arrived at our stateroom, to find our luggage waiting for us. If only British Airways could provide a similar service!

A friendly smile and directions to our stateroom.

We quickly unpacked and spent our first afternoon exploring the ship, which I must say is vast. Some 6,000 steps later and goodness knows how many flights of stairs, we felt like we had found our bearings.

For our departure we went up to Deck 13 which gave us a panoramic view across Southampton, the town of my birth.

Some stormy clouds above looking ominous,,,fingers crossed for a smooth crossing.

Bon Voyage as we gently pull away from the quayside at Mayflower Terminal Southampton.

We were given a send off by this steamer as she passed between us and the quayside with Southampton in the background.

Our departure was planned for 5 pm but we were third in line as the Disney cruise ship was first to leave with the Freudian tones of “Under the Sea” from The Little Mermaid blaring out from her speakers.

Next up was the departure of what may only be described as a Norwegian party/cruise ship which we believe was called the S.S. Halfpissed: clearly named after a town in the far north of Norway where the days are short and they don’t have T.V. The sun had clearly passed over the yard-arm of their vessel at about 10.30 a.m. that morning and lets just say that some people looked to be at least half dressed and a quarter sober.

Disney in the distance as the S.S. Halfpissed crosses our starboard bow in a somewhat zig-zag fashion.

Then it was our turn. With a majesty and elegance that befits her name, our Mary deftly maneuvered away from the dockside and progressed along Southampton Water. It was all quite emotional for me. How many times had my dear dad undertaken this same voyage? We passed the Itchen bridge, over which I had driven to and from my first ever job, at the good old Midland Bank International Division in Castle Way Southampton, along Weston Shore, where as a kid we used to play as my nan and grandad lived just up the road in Barnfield Close, off Weston Lane. As we passed Netley beach, I had a video call from my oldest pal, Nick, who along with his wife Susanne had made the effort to wave us off on our maiden cruise. What absolute stars they are and expect a future cruise adventure with them.

Passing the end of the cruise terminal with the River Itchen and Itchen Bridge in the distance.

At this point and for those of a nautical persuasion, let me provide you with a few facts about QM2:

First Voyage: 12th January 2004

Length: 1,132 ft (345 metres)

Width: 131 ft (39.9 metres)

Draft: 32 ft (9.75 metres)

Height: 236 ft (71.9 metres)

Guest Capacity: 2,691

Guest Decks: 13

Ships Crew: 1,292

In summary, unlike the Norwegian Party Boat the QM2 is not a pleasure cruiser; she is truly an Ocean going liner and very much fit for purpose. With approximately 1 member of crew for every two passengers I sensed we were in for a luxury experience.

QM2 is basically a floating hotel and restaurant where breakfast, lunch, dinner and even supper can be taken in numerous restaurants, along with 24 hour room service. In addition to the Britannia dining room there is a large buffet in the Kings Court, something less substantial in the Carinthia Lounge or if pub grub was to your fancy, the Golden Lion Pub.

Of course for those not travelling steerage and who have a more substantial wallet, there are the exclusive Princess & Queens Grills.

However for our dinner, we were assigned table number 457, a table for two in the Britannia Dining Room, a beautifully elegant dining room.

Not a bad view from our breakfast Table.

Our near-neighbors were an absolutely delightful American couple, John and Nancy Jenkins, who hailed from the Windy City (Chicago) and an American Diplomat and his wife, David and Connie Cummings, who were returning to the U.S. following a stint in Iraq, before taking up a new posting in Germany. With such company we were certainly in for many wonderful evenings.

Now, John and Nan had been visiting Devon and Cornwall for the very first time. They seemed to enjoy it, although they did enquire if it always rained so much!

So as the sun slowly disappeared across the horizon and darkness set in, we enjoyed our first dinner afloat, accompanied by a message and a welcome drink from our Captain, Andrew Hall.

Dinner was a nod to the 1970’s comprising a delicate beef consommé, followed by Steak Dianne accompanied by pommes dauphinoise and haricots verts, topped off with a dessert of apple strudel swimming in brandy custard, with coffee and petite fours to finish.

Given our first night’s dinner experience we quickly realized that 7 nights on the Queen Mary 2 was going to be a combined eat & drinkathon, so I decided that “pacing” was definitely in order. Oh yes I liked the idea of this kind of pacing and I was definitely in my happy place.

So with all the food and libations that are available it was clear that we would have to remain pretty active during the voyage. No need to hit the torture room (a.k.a. the gym) as you forget how large the QM2 actually is. Three times around deck 7, the promenade deck, is approx 1.1 miles and with 13 passenger decks and assuming you only take the stairs and avoid the lifts (which we did) you feel like you are climbing a mountain every day. By the end of our week we had averaged 9,944 steps per day and had climbed an average of 18 flights per day!

Passengers getting in their steps on the promenade deck.

Of course, the Promenade deck has other uses and there are plenty of steamer chairs laid out ready for that after dinner snooze.

The other question I had was whether I might get bored spending a week on a ship (remember once aboard you can’t get off). No chance of that. Each day we are presented with a schedule of choice for the day and there appeared to be something for everyone. There were classes to attend, guest speakers, matinée performances of evening shows and the worlds largest floating planetarium.

Mrs. C and I do enjoy any excuse to put on our glad rags and indeed we had two gala evenings to pack for. The first of these was a black and white evening. Mrs. C looked absolutely stunning and I did my best to rock the George Clooney / James Bond look. We decided on a pre-dinner sharpener at the Champagne Bar which certainly set the taste buds tingling.

The second was a nod to the 1920’s and as always Mrs. C looked wonderful as she accessorized in to a 1920’s look.

Generally during the daytime dress code is very informal and shorts and a t-shirt were the order of the day. However, after 6pm they do encourage guests to make a effort and smart casual (no denim) is the norm.

But what about the weather I hear you cry? Well we had a mixture of sun, cloud, light rain and mist. Although the one thing you could be assured of every day was a strong breeze or what golfers might describe as “a three club wind” so a fleece or light jacket is definitely advisable. We are used to this as our apartment in Plymouth looks out across Sutton Harbour and Plymouth Sound and the one thing that is constant by the sea is weather conditions changing at a moments notice.

The Angry Atlantic - Keeping everything crossed that things remain calm.

The sea-state was at times beautifully calm and at others a turmoil. Even though we had our travel wrist bands and took a travel sickness tablet every day, we experienced nothing more than a gentle motion of our trusty vessel, even though at its worst the wind speed reached Force 9 and the wave height 4 metres. This is all due to the design of QM2 with its four huge retractable stabilizers which really do limit the roll of the ship. This is what makes her a true ocean going cruise liner.

The aft decks of our ship were somewhat sheltered and often, despite the weather, people could be seen relaxing in the various hot-tubs whilst others on the promenade deck sat huddled on loungers in their coats and fleeces. Of course we had to have a go and on one of the particularly sunny days we were lightly poached in the outside hot tub and then took a cooling swim in the aft outdoor swimming pool.

The Aft Hot Tub - Temperature set to lightly poached!

Out of the breeze the aft deck is very pleasant to relax and enjoy the view.

Deck 12 was the activity deck. There was a fabulous indoor pool area with a heated pool, hot tubs and very comfortable loungers. A great place to while away an hour or so.

Deck thirteen is the observation deck although during many days this was closed due to the strong winds. However one sunny morning we found it open and armed with my Leica Type 246, 50mm Summarit, an orange filter and a half willing model, I was able to capture images of our glorious Mary from a different perspective.

Always good to know where the helicopter will collect you in the event of an emergency!.

Geometry and shadows - in my happy place.

Now the reason we took a cruise rather than a plane across the Atlantic was (a) it would be one of our “firsts” and (b) as we were spending another 10 days in the States visiting our old Dubai neigbours, Rachel & Johnathan Ward, who now reside in Houston Texas. So we wanted to avoid feeling jet-lagged and knackered on arrival.

Interestingly, every day the ships clock is set back by one hour so that by the time we arrived in New York, we were already on New York time and ready for the adventures ahead (see my next blog, “Going Down South”).

As we continued our gentle cruise across “The Pond” we fell in to a leisurely routine. Normally the mornings were spent exploring the ship (there wasn’t a day when we didn’t get lost) and the afternoons attending a show or activity.

As I mentioned before the evening shows were top notch. Whether is was show tunes and contemporary favorites from The Barricade Boys, Comedy from Jon Courtney, a touch of Shakespeare from members of the Royal Shakespeare Company or dance and songs from the ships own entertainment company, there appeared to be something for everyone. We had chosen the 6.00p.m. Dinner slot so as to be able to attend the 8.15 p.m. shows, which normally lasted for an hour. Then it was time for a nightcap or perhaps a cocktail or three before retiring to our stateroom. This relaxing was becoming really hard work!

Cunard do mix a rather good Vodka Martini - Of course, shaken not stirred!

For me I also enjoyed some creativity of my own, looking to record the voyage with my Leica Type 246 Monochrom. I had brought two lenses, a 28mm Elmarit and 50mm Summarit. At F2.8 and F2.5 respectively, these lenses are both relatively slow in the world of Leica. However, the low level light capability of the Type 246 is superb so no worries on that front. I also had my little Fuji XF10 and for times when a physical camera was too obtrusive, my Iphone with the Leica Lux App.

Cunard Luxury and The Leica Type 246 Monochrom - a perfect match!

The key was portability and damage limitation in the event that I damaged or lost my Leica lenses in some of the sketchier destinations that I intended to visit whilst in the States. As both lenses take an E39 filter, I would share a four stop ND filter (essential to shoot wide open in bright conditions) and an orange filter between the two.

A rather splendid mid Atlantic full moon.

I can't help myself can I - Simply love all the geometry.

Our favourite morning location was the Commodore Club, a delightful lounge on deck 9 at the very front of the ship. We normally accessed this by using a little known glass elevator which also provided its own photo opportunities.

View from the Glass Lift en route to Deck 11. by Day

The Commodore Club was completely up my street. The discreet waiters were on hand to serve morning coffee, or for days when the sun reached over the proverbial yard arm a little early, a pre-lunch Martini. Another happy place for yours truly.

We were also visited each day by our Captain. He would collect his morning coffee and chat with the passengers. Then at 12.00 noon every day the ships horn would sound and he would provide us with an update on our progress, likely weather conditions and interesting facts about our cruise.

The Commodore Club - A great place to chill for an hour or so - Did I mention they serve Martinis as well.

Just a reminder that the weather can be changeable.

The bow displaying "The Commodore's Cufflinks.

You can see in the previous image what look like metal sculptures. These are nicknamed “The Commodore’s Cufflinks” and are in fact spare propeller blades.

Our arrival in to New York was around 6.00a.m. on the Sunday morning. We were determined not to miss it and along with everyone else on the ship we huddled together on deck 13 to celebrate our arrival.

To the resounding applause and cheers of the passengers we made it under the Verrazzano Bridge with a few feet to spare, after which we sailed past the beautiful Statue of Liberty with the lights of Manhattan twinkling in the background. It was pitch black and I had the Type 246 set to an ISO of 10,000 and the 50 Summarit wide-open.

Passing under the Verrazzano Bridge with only feet to spare.

Our first sight of the Statue of Liberty with Manhattan in the background.

Having got my images we headed back to the cabin for a quick shower and change, during which time our Mary had docked at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. As I pulled back our curtain and walked on to the balcony of our cabin I was presented with two beautiful shots of the Statue of Liberty and Downtown Manhattan! So we could have had an extra hour in bed! Truthfully, the arrival was breathtaking and I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

Disembarking at Brooklyn Cruise Terminal.

Au revoir Queen Mary 2 and onwards to Houston.

Some two hours later we had fought our way through U.S. Immigration, located our bags and were on a Cunard shuttle bus en-route to Newark Airport and our flight to Houston. Our week with Mary had been truly spectacular and we can’t wait to do it again…. what was that?…oh that was the sound of our bank manager just going in to anaphylactic shock :-)

Ah yes, you thought I had forgotten about The Bench of Contemplation. Well given that we have a nautical theme I decide to capture Mrs. C on the “Deck of Contemplation” as she had a quiet moment of reflection whilst gazing out to sea across the Grand Banks.

What a week. We shared so many happy moments but above all we shared them together. I count myself a very lucky man to have the opportunity to do these things and above all, to do them with the woman I love more than anything else in the world.

What adventures do we have in store as we head off to the Lone Star State. Look out for my next Blog, “Going Down South” as Mrs. C and I continue our decade of discovery.

See Y’all in Texas.