Cunard
United Kingdom (UK)
Part of the giant Carnival Corporation, Cunard operates three elegant ‘Queens’ on transatlantic voyages, regular cruises and annual world voyages.
Travel bucket list idea:
Cruise the Atlantic on the Queen Mary 2
Multiple countries
|Bucket List Experience
Credit Shutterstock.com/Belikova Oksana
Last updated: 06 February, 2024
Crossing the Atlantic on Cunard’s grand ocean liner is an adventure that evokes the thrill and glamour of the golden age of travel.
You’ll have seven days to contemplate the majesty of 3,565 miles of open ocean, stepping up the gangway in either New York or Southampton into a refined world of elegant lounges, sweeping staircases and hatted bellboys in scarlet uniforms.
During the crossing, there’s all-day entertainment from drama classes to yoga, spinning and wine tasting. Or you could just lounge by the pool, try out the spa or stroll around the deck, taking in the sea air.
At night, the ship buzzes with everything from glittering black tie balls to big-name performers in the theatre and riotous quizzes and karaoke in the Golden Lion pub.
Logistics
Price from: £Varies
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 18+
When: All year around
Duration: 7 days one way
Getting there & doing it
Transatlantic crossings start in Southampton or New York and take seven nights. Look for packages that include the one-way flight and if you’re sailing eastbound, a night in a hotel in New York before embarkation.
Check for special themed voyages, too, which range from literature to fashion and classical music. With Cunard, the cabin grade you book dictates where you dine. Queens Grill and Princess Grill both have their own very smart restaurants. Britannia class guests dine in the vast, elegant Britannia Restaurant, with allocated sittings and tables.
Those in the know book Britannia Club grade; occupants of these balcony cabins get their own, open-seating section of the Britannia Restaurant.
When to do it
Queen May 2 sails eastbound and westbound crossings between May and January. Summer is best for weather and smooth seas, although many enjoy the thrill of the big winter swells.
Who to go with: tour operators
Our writer’s recommended tour operators to book with
Destination guides
Destination guides including or relevant to this experience
London
Greater London, United Kingdom (UK)
World-class culture, fashion, music, food and history – and a mind-boggling array of bucket list experiences – packed into one extraordinary, incomparable destination.
Website >
More details >New York City
New York, United States of America (USA)
The ‘city that never sleeps’ is a 24/7 thrill of soaring skyscrapers, jaw-dropping architecture, dynamic culture and world-class art, dining and performing arts scenes.
Website >
More details >Round-ups
Round-ups that include this experience
28 Best cruise routes and places to cruise
Multiple countries
The UK’s leading cruise expert, Sue Bryant, recommends the best river, sea and ocean cruise destinations from around the world; memorable voyages, and bucket list experiences, from the moment you step aboard.
Website >
More details >