Ahoy sweet friends! Last fall I had the wonderful opportunity to take A Fascinating Voyage on the Queen Mary II.
A Fascinating Voyage on the Queen Mary II
The RMS Queen Mary 2 (also referred to as the QM2) is a British transatlantic ocean liner. She is the flagship of the Cunard Line. The ship regularly sails between Southampton, England, and New York City.
My friend, Tom Pecena, is the owner and operator of Ahoy Vintage Cruises. He often plans vintage themed cruises for groups as well as individuals. This particular transatlantic crossing featured bandleader Dandy Wellington and his band. The voyage was to be an immersive vintage travel experience for people who have a love for the fashions and music of the 1920s through early 1960s.
Now you may be wondering why the dickens it took me so long to write about this amazing experience. Upon my return in late October I had to prepare to teach a Georgian Gardening class. After that was complete it was the beginning of the holiday season. I think for most interior designers, myself included, this time period is basically a 6 week long Super Bowl.
I truly wanted to do this amazing experience justice. But also, in all honesty, the 3000 photos and 250 videos that I took were pretty overwhelming from an editing standpoint.
But then I decided to break down the experience into wonderful chapters.
Today’s post will cover the gorgeous interiors of the ship. The next post will feature the wonderful exterior views. Lastly, I will share the amazing antique, vintage and retro inspired fashions.
So hang on to your hats and let’s set sail!
The Cabin
I had an interior cabin (no view of the water). It was so comfortable, quiet and featured some lovely amenities. (You can see a video tour of the cabin further down in this post.)
The Grand Lobby and Staircase
There were several shops in the wings off of the Grand Lobby. The smell when walking past Godiva was just wonderful!
The Library
The Casino
The Gym
Entrance To The Spa
The Dining Room
There were numerous places to eat on board.
The food was amazing!
Afternoon Tea
I’m sure it’s no surprise to many of you but my favorite meal of the day was afternoon tea.
It was all so good I kept forgetting to take a photo of all the courses.
It was held everyday in the Queen’s Room.
That’s Entertainment
There were so many wonderful programs and classes available in the day.
As well as fabulous entertainment at night.
The Indoor Pool
Each day on the vintage cruise there was a theme. On the Land, Sea & Sky day the Ahoy group met at the indoor pool. In warmer months the glass ceiling can retract.
I loved seeing all the various interpretations of water themed attire.
Pajama Party
In the 1920s and 30s beach pajamas were all the rage. Several of us showed up to the pool party in this fun style.
The two Laura’s! I loved gorgeously statuesque Laura’s entire ensemble.
The stunning Julia was always fabulously fashionable.
My friend Lauren is a tremendous costumer. (You may know her as Madame Destroyer.) We also have a love of gardening in common.
Today’s Video
I hope you will enjoy this gorgeous ship!
If you wish to view the video in a larger format just click on the black box in the lower left hand corner that says Watch on YouTube.
I’ll be back soon with another post and video featuring the fabulous exteriors of this glorious vessel.
It truly was a bon voyage!
Laura
Looks like so much fun!
Wow, that looks like so much fun! I believe the high tea would have been my thing! Everything looked absolutely stunning! Thanks for sharing. Have a great week!
Teri
We travelled on her last month. We had a wonderful time, and it’s really relaxing if, like us, you make it an opportunity to disconnect from social media and work!
I can see why it took you a long while to write about this with all those photos! But boy, is it ever gorgeous. Is this the Queen Mary docked in Long Beach? If so, I was at a wedding brunch there about 30 years ago (Maybe more!). But you show things I’d never see! I loved the vintage clothes photos too. But I’m not surprised!