We just returned four days ago from the Independence Day Getaway voyage aboard the Queen Mary 2, and already we miss her desperately. Though we were onboard for only 4 days, our experience aboard the grand QM2 provided a terrific introduction to cruising and has clearly shown what makes Cunard Line a step above the rest.

EMBARKATION: Getting onboard the ship was, well...an adventure in itself. Finding the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal required the strategy of a chess player and the patience of a saint. Now, stick five people in a minivan who can't play chess and have the patience of a New Yorker, and you're in for a very interesting ride. However, once parked and inside the cruise terminal, we met a speedy baggage inspection and check-in process. Following check-in, we were lead into one of several boarding lounges. Due to technical difficulties at the port, we had to wait in this lounge for over two hours, but this was clearly a rare situation and not the fault of Cunard. Finally, at a little before two o'clock, the gangway opened and we were among the first to board the QM2. In the Grand Lobby, members of the ship's staff were lined up on either side of the hallway, greeting passengers with sincere British welcomes and warm smiles-a real Titanic-style entrance.

THE SHIP: The Queen Mary 2 is, in a word, magnificent. Her exterior alone, painted in Cunard's signature black, white, and red color scheme, sets her apart from any other vessel afloat. The QM2 is an ocean liner - regal and majestic - not a lumbering, top-heavy "sea-bus" that many other ships have become. Every public room onboard the QM2 features contemporary elegance, not glitz, appointed with understated dEcor. Nothing is hosed down with neon. The Grand Lobby, a six-story affair, features crystal chandeliers and a sweeping grand staircase; not a towering inferno of glass and bad taste. The Britannia Restaurant has classical columns and an illuminated glass ceiling in a nod to liners like the Normandy. The Royal Court Theatre, accommodating over a third of the ship's passengers, has plush, comfortable seating and terrific sightlines throughout. High ceilings in all public areas provide a relaxed, airy atmosphere. Read more