was all but forgotten a few moments later. The diversity of dishes and menus
available is beyond a fully comprehensive description in these brief pages. However, the images do speak for themselves. So, a brief snapshot. On my visit to The Olive restaurant (with a $20 dollar surcharge at lunch, $30 for dinner), I tried the Maine Crab Cake with a whipped avocado and cucumber salad followed by a Ricotta Ravioli with Morel Mushrooms and Asparagus. I could fault neither dish. In fact, the Olive Tapenade and freshly baked onion bread were supreme in them- selves, accompanied by a glass of Pinot Noir, Sonoma Valley (at $13.50; wine and beverages are not included in your state- room price, as you would suspect). In the Princess Grill, I had Tamarind Glazed
Duck Breast Salad followed by Conchiglie Pasta Caponata with Little Neck Clams. I chose the Cunard house wine, in this instance a Cab- ernet Sauvignon, bottled at the Wente Estate in California. At $9.50 for a 250ml glass it was both pleasant and affordable. In the Britannia Restaurant – which
warrants a visit for its sheer scale, ambi- ance and design – there were Ham and Cheese Beignets with a Spicy Tomato sauce, followed by Pan Seared Red Snap-
per with Sweet Potato and Salsa Verde. Desserts throughout the ship’s menus are diverse and imaginative. On this occasion there was a delightful Florentine Basket with Fresh Berries and Orange Mouse. For air travellers, six days at sea with no stops, no ports of call and no escape (as they might term it), this voyage might feel like a long haul but, in fact, the days slip by quickly. It is just that – a voyage, undertaken at the appropriate speed. My ambition was simply to get from A to B, from Southampton to New York, with the least stress possible. For the fi nal 24 hours we were in dense fog, the horn sounding deeply and reassur- ingly every few minutes, day and night. In a rough sea, which we encountered once, the ship pitches and rolls slightly but feels – and is – unassailable.
T
he QM2 provides a solid, soothing environment – densely carpeted, acoustically friendly and beautifully
appointed; a truly Grand Hotel of the seas. The further up the ship you go, the fewer people you see. To quote Hotel Manager David Stephenson once more: “We prefer to speak of degrees of separa- tion rather than a class system.” But it’s an analogy that inevitably comes to mind. The old lines of demar- cation have not altogether disappeared, merely become a little blurred. For those in the grand suites and duplexes, there is little need to leave their environment and, if they do, private external spaces are just a few steps away. Yet, in fairness, there is a beautiful wrap-around promenade on deck seven, available to everyone. If one were to seek an addiction, this
would be the one to adopt. Travelling at a relaxed pace, in supreme luxury, having the experience of making a journey – rather than enduring one.
VINE AND DANDY
The QM2 has an impressive cellar to match her restaurants, and I was given a full conducted tour by Chief Sommelier FABRICE CUNE. The complete wine list is an evening’s reading in itself. But here are some ideas for those with modest budgets – as well as those who don’t need to think about budgets at all.
Among the top sellers is a Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc at $40. Alternatively, among the white Burgundies, there’s a Corton- Charlemagne Bonne de Martray 1994, a snip at $269.
Amongst the red brigade, there’s an Escudo Rojo, Baron Philippe de Rothschild, Maipo Valley (Chile) at $38.
If you wish to throw caution – your wallet and everything else – to the wind, look at the Echezeaux, Domaine de la Romanee Conte, 2001 at $1,175. But it doesn’t stop there. The most expensive wine in the cellar is a 1994 Petrus – just $2,050! Coming back down to earth, there are wines by the glass starting at $6.50 and going up to $20. In the Queen’s Grill Lounge, a quiet corner reserved for Queen’s and Princess Grill guests, I became fond of a Terre de Lumiere Viognier, which was more than fi ne at $9.50. Veuve Clicquot – very much the featured sparkler on Cunard – also has a strong presence, with their own champagne bar adjacent to the Chart Room.
Summer 2010 I WORLD OF CRUISING
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