Queen Mary 2

Built in Saint-Nazaire by Chantiers de l'Atlantique, the Queen Mary 2 first set sail in 2003 and remains the only active, purpose-built ocean liner in service. Despite her many years at sea, I have only seen her on two occasions: once in Stavanger in 2013 and again in Dubai a few years later.

At the time of her launch, she was the world’s longest passenger ship, measuring an impressive 345 metres, a title since overtaken by Royal Caribbean’s “Icon”-class ships. With her deep draft and reinforced hull, she is uniquely equipped to handle the rigours of the North Atlantic. In a typical year, the Queen Mary 2 completes between 20 and 25 transatlantic crossings, covering the 3,000 nautical miles between Southampton and New York in seven days.

Between crossings, she often embarks on shorter excursions to the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, or the Norwegian fjords. Having just returned from eight such days in Norway, with English-French celebrity chef Michel Roux aboard, she will call in Hamburg on the 25th of August. That is where my dad and I will board at lunchtime, joining her for the first leg of her westward journey. We will then spend two nights on board before disembarking in Southampton.