My husband and I want to cross to England and back by ship, and the big, steady (we hope!) QM2 seems the best choice for that adventure.(Previous cruises: 8, all on the small ships of Silversea, which we love.) We live in NYC, so the 5-day "July 4th Getaway" was an easy way to give QM2 a quick test.

We used the reliable Skyline car service for a pleasant ride to the new Brooklyn Terminal (fare approx $50). The courteous Terminal staff supplied a boarding number (how civilized!), ID cards, and took a credit card impression for onboard charges, so there was no need to bother with that later. The waiting area is clean, well lit for reading, and filled with comfortable seats. Boarding was wonderfully quick--groups of 10-15 were called up by our assigned numbers and we were in our cabin minutes later. The room steward gave us a warm welcome (greeting us by name) and made sure we had everything we needed. We had a quick bite in the Kings Court and our bags were in the cabin when we returned an hour later to unpack, then explore. A lovely, easy start.

Most balcony staterooms in the AA,A,B categories are identical in interior layout and size. We chose a B2 midship cabin/in-hull balcony for its stability. These solid in-hull balconies are actually larger than the glass balconies higher up, but we hardly used ours. (I believe you don't really need a balcony on a ship that has plenty of outdoor options, but that seems to be a minority opinion these days!) Like many passengers, we spend little time in the cabin--just to dress and sleep--you may want to think about this when selecting your cabin. Read more