When the lights come up, Joyce Ellis turns to me and says, "What was that all about?"
Good question, but the show's easy enough to shake off once you get outside the Royal Court Theatre. Elsewhere on the ship, cruisers find the requisite bingo games, art auctions, guest lectures, comedians and fitness classes. Bridge is big on the QM2, as are more mature-adult-friendly games like shuffleboard and darts.
Sitting on the deck of the Queen Mary 2 as it passes through the Eastern Caribbean.
(John Deiner - The Washington Post)
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A QM2 Hit Parade
You can spend a week on the Queen Mary 2 and do nothing but race from one activity to another. So how to choose? Here are nine sure-fire activities.
• Go to the library. With magazines, Internet-for-a-fee and more than 8,000 volumes ranging from travel guides to classics, the QM2' s library -- the largest afloat -- is not only beautifully appointed but functional.
• Have an afternoon drink at the Commodore Club. This intimate U-shape room tucked on Deck 9 toward the bow features a bar adorned with a giant model of the ship, but go for the amazing views.
• See both planetarium shows. Two starry extravaganzas are in repertory at the Deck 3 Illuminations theater, and both dazzle. You need a free ticket for a set time, so pick it up in the morning on days at sea or risk losing out.
• Have lunch at the Golden Lion Pub. The pub grub (fish and chips, bangers and mash, etc.) isn't widely publicized in ship literature, and it's only served from 11 .a.m. to 2 p.m., but the food -- fried up fresh and served piping hot -- is smashing.
• Sun at the Splash Pool. If you like your privacy, head to the top deck toward the bow, where you'll likely have this pool and its hot tubs to yourself.
• Buy a Spa Club Passport. Services at the Canyon Ranch spa range from expensive to stratospheric in price, but a one-day pass to its spectacular Aqua Therapy Centre (pools, spas, saunas) starts at $19. A better deal: the three-day pass for $49.
• Eat at Todd English. The Deck 8 view isn't great (pool chairs and a bar), but the service, food and plush decor make Todd's a QM2 highlight. It's $20 extra per person for lunch, $30 for dinner, but worth it. Book early; there's a reservations kiosk right before you get on the ship.
• Go to Big Band Night. Find out when the Queens Room Orchestra will be cranking out Tommy Dorsey and Co., then put on your dancing shoes. It's the ship's most elegant affair, and it's plumb wonderful.
• Buy a poster. Hermes and Veuve Clicquot champagne are duly represented aboard, but the top souvenirs are the vintage Cunard posters ($30) in the bookshop on Deck 8.
-- John Deiner
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It's in the Queens Room -- part ballroom, part band hall -- that we find our ultimate QM2 moment. We're frequently drawn to the cavernous outpost, lured by the kitschy Pirates Ball (sorry, grown men in wrinkled blazers shouldn't wear eye patches and run around grunting "Arrrrrrhhhh"), the passenger talent show or afternoon tea, which features familiar servers from dinner sheathed in white gloves and clutching teapots.
Maxine and Bill Hanrahan of Naples, Fla., are here to dance. It's 10:15 p.m. on Tuesday, and Big Band Night has finally arrived.
Soon after debonair Paul Ritchie, vocalist for the Queens Room Orchestra, takes to the stage, Maxine, 83, and Bill, 88, arrive in a walker and motorized scooter, respectively. "I have a slipped disk," Maxine volunteers. "Bill and I haven't been dancing in a while, but we're going to give it a try."
Ritchie launches into a wistful "I'll Be Seeing You" as spotlights envelop the dance floor in a sepia glow. Husbands grab wives, newlyweds jump out of their seats and the half-dozen men provided by Cunard to dance with solo women (or those with reluctant spouses) canvass the audience. We shuffle to the center of the dance floor, which is sparkling from the blizzard of spangles and glitter that have broken free from evening gowns.
I'll be seeing you in every lovely summer's day, in everything that's bright and gay, I'll always think of you that way . . .
A few feet away, Maxine and Bill have made it to the floor. Alone in the spotlight, they slowly step to the music, smiling broadly, eyes locked.
John Deiner will be online to discuss this story at 2 p.m. Monday during the Travel section's weekly online forum at www.washingtonpost.com.
Details: Queen Mary 2
QM2 IN THE CARIBBEAN: The Queen Mary 2's Caribbean season extends through April 10. The seven-day "Dreamer's Caribbean" cruises depart from Fort Lauderale through Feb. 19 and include stops in St. Thomas, St. Maarten and St. Kitts; rates start at $1,349 per person double. The 11-day "Adventurer's Caribbean" repositioning cruise departs from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Feb. 26 and ends in New York City; ports include Martinque, Barbados, Curacao and Bonaire. Rates start at $2,099 per person double. The eight-day "Mariner's Caribbean" cruises depart weekly from New York starting March 9 and stop in St. Thomas, St. Maarten and St. Kitts; rates start at $1,499 per person double. Check with Cunard (see Information below) for deals.
OTHER CRUISES: The QM2 offers a wide range of transatlantic cruises from April 10 through late November between New York and Southampton, England. Six-day one-way cruises start at $1,499 per person double; 12-day round-trip cruises begin at $2,439. Specialty cruises include the 11-day "Fjords and Capitals," which departs from Southampton and includes stops in Le Havre, France; Oslo and Bergen, Norway; and Hamburg, Germany. Cabins start at $2,499 per person double.
If you just want a taste of the QM2, the ship is sailing on a three-day "cruise to nowhere" from New York City over the Fourth of July weekend. Rates start at $845 per person double.
INFORMATION: Cunard, 800-728-6273, www.cunard.com. -- John Deiner
