I have always wanted to cross the USA by train, and since Covid, I have lost any appetite I had for flying. The QM2 gave me the opportunity to sail to the US, travel across the US by train both ways, stay a few nights on the West Coast, and pick up the QM2 from New York back to the UK.

The time gap between the outward voyage on 13th November and the homeward voyage on the 3rd December - 12 days - was just enough to do this.

It was the trip of a lifetime and though I had never been on a cruise ship or liner before and therefore couldn't compare the QM2 to any other ship, I had plenty of opportunity to compare it to the Amtrak Sleepers for accommodation, comfort, meals, service and cost. I'd give Amtrak for all its perceived faults - lateness, poor maintenance and tired rolling stock - a whopping 95 /100 for effort and delivering an unforgettable experience. I'd give Carnival / Cunard for the QM2 a rather more reserved 60 /100. Read more