The Queen Mary 2 sails past the statue of Liberty as she leaves New York to make a voyage to England.DON EMMERT
Out of sight of land for days, lounging on the deck of a ship crossing the ocean, you can feel blissfully suspended in time and space. Time expands, stress dissolves. The parties and laughter stretch toward dawn.
No matter - you can sleep until noon. Or watch the sunrise from your balcony before going for a jog.
That's why famed Italian mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli prefers to cross the Atlantic for a concert tour by ship when she can fit it into her schedule. She has never liked flying and explains that the pressurization and dry air on a plane leave her throat constricted; it can take her days to regain her voice for the coloratura arias that are her forte.
The week at sea provides a relaxing respite from her busy life to practise and experiment with new performances. On trips from the Continent to New York aboard Silversea Cruises, she has delighted her fellow passengers by performing new repertoire in the intimate theatre on board.
But you don't have to be a celebrity to savour a crossing. An increasing number of travellers are shunning the hassle and crowding of air travel to go the old-fashioned way. It was, after all, the ship line Cunard that coined the phrase "getting there is half the fun."
Torontonian Honor Nivin is a recent recruit after yet another frustrating air experience this summer. Returning from a trip to Norway with a connection at London's Heathrow Airport, the flight turned into a nightmare. "Delayed or cancelled flights due to poor weather caused a ripple effect and tempers were flaring." When she finally did get to Toronto, hours late, her baggage was nowhere to be found.
So she did some research and "found there are a lot of people out there who go by sea because they absolutely hate to climb on a plane."
For her most recent trip to Europe, she chose to take the Queen Mary 2 for the return portion.
"If time is not a problem, what you pay for a very good accommodation on a ship with all your meals and entertainment is equivalent to a business-class airfare," she says. "I like that."
So popular are the days at sea without the interruption of ports that liners now regularly extend their crossings to a full seven days from the four that an ocean liner is capable of doing.
And what days they are. Modern ships are floating cities, with gourmet restaurants, pampering spas, sports, theatres, casinos and a wide variety of active or relaxing options to amuse passengers. They are also as well-connected, with the latest Internet tools and cellular devices - but without the traffic and hassles.
"I could have been as busy as I wanted, but I didn't care to gamble or do many of the other things that were offered," Nivin says. "I wanted to just walk the decks and enjoy the sea. They were so organized. The food was wonderful." It's certainly a change from cramped quarters and reheated meals.
Rather than being stuffed into a tube beside other wracked souls, your evening tablemates will be on their best behaviour. Friendships flourish in a way long lost among the jet set. Gala evenings on regularly scheduled crossings such as Cunard's feature cocktail receptions and glittering formal dress that have all but disappeared from celebrations ashore. Smaller ships, including the Windstar sailing vessels, feature low-key casual crossings. Many globetrotting liners, including those of Holland America, Seabourn, Princess and Royal Caribbean, cross the pond twice a year, spring and fall, to move to Caribbean waters for the winter and Europe or Asia for the summer. These popular cruises sell out quickly.
However, there is more than nostalgia for the great age of crossing the pond that makes going by ship appealing; there are a growing number of practical reasons as well.
Take the ever-tightening restrictions on checked baggage and carry-ons. For business travellers such as interior decorators or art dealers on buying trips, as well as tourists who want to buy souvenirs overseas, a ship offers a respite from the overweight charges that airlines routinely place on anything more than 50 kilograms. As long as it will fit in the hold, it can go by ship.
Cunard's rule: "There is no restriction for reasonable amounts of luggage on board the ship." The line will even arrange to carry household furnishings for employees being transferred to or from North America.
And if you want to bring Rover along, a ship is also the way to go. Air Canada has banned pets on passenger planes - even in the cargo hold - and several foreign carriers are following suit. By contrast, Cunard Line has always had kennels on its ships and staff to feed and take the dogs for a walk on deck.
Indeed, there is a trade-off in terms of time. While a flight from New York to England takes about seven hours, a crossing by ship can take six or seven days.
But at least modern ships have all but neutralized one of the drawbacks of crossing by sea: weather. The motion of the ocean has been greatly reduced by the sheer size of newer vessels. They can cut through the waves rather than pitch around on top of them, and technologies such as stabilizers and counterbalancing systems keep modern ships generally riding as smoothly as any Airbus aircraft.
Whatever the itinerary, they all recall an elegant era of ocean liner travel and offer all the amenities and shipboard activities, including enrichment programs and top-quality entertainment, found on shorter voyages.
Nivin has already booked another crossing on the Queen Mary 2 out of New York to Southampton, England. "If you can afford to do six or even eight days at sea, this is a great way to go," the retired teacher says. "I still believe getting there is half the fun."