QUEEN MARY 2
December 3–10, 2024 | 7-Night Eastbound Transatlantic Crossing – New York to Southampton
In December 2024, we traveled aboard Queen Mary 2 (Cunard Line) on a seven-night eastbound transatlantic crossing from New York to Southampton. Departing New York on December 3, the voyage spent six uninterrupted days at sea before arriving in Southampton on December 10. The crossing took place during Queen Mary 2's 20th year of service and continued Cunard's long tradition of scheduled passenger service across the North Atlantic.
Queen Mary 2 departed New York on December 3, 2024, beginning our seven-night eastbound transatlantic crossing to Southampton. The voyage followed the classic Cunard route across the North Atlantic, with six consecutive days at sea separating departure from New York and arrival in England on December 10. Unlike a port-intensive cruise, the crossing placed the ocean voyage itself at the center of the experience.
The December crossing came during an important year for Queen Mary 2. Twenty years had passed since the ship entered service in 2004, and during 2024 she completed her 400th transatlantic crossing. Built specifically for ocean-liner service, Queen Mary 2 continues Cunard's long-running passenger connection between Southampton and New York and remains the only ocean liner operating regularly scheduled transatlantic crossings.
For Ocean Liner Photography, this voyage also continued a personal connection with Queen Mary 2 extending back to her inaugural year. We first traveled aboard the ship during a Northern Europe cruise in July 2004. Returning aboard her for a traditional Atlantic crossing two decades later provided a very different experience of the ship and the type of service for which she was originally designed.
Information List
Name: Queen Mary 2
Operator: Cunard Line
Ship Type: Ocean liner
Builder: Chantiers de l'Atlantique, Saint-Nazaire, France
Yard Number: G32
Keel Laid: July 4, 2002
Launched: March 21, 2003
Delivered: December 26, 2003
Named: January 8, 2004
Godmother: Queen Elizabeth II
Maiden Voyage: January 12, 2004
Length: Approximately 1,132 feet / 345 meters
Beam: Approximately 131 feet / 40 meters at the waterline
Draft: Approximately 34 feet / 10.3 meters
Gross Tonnage: Approximately 149,000 GT
Passenger Capacity: Approximately 2,600 passengers at double occupancy
Crew: Approximately 1,200
Service Speed: Approximately 26 knots
Maximum Speed: Approximately 30 knots
Propulsion: Integrated electric propulsion with four podded propulsors
Registry: Hamilton, Bermuda
IMO: 9241061
Voyage: December 2024 Eastbound Transatlantic Crossing
Voyage Length: 7 nights / 8 calendar days
Departure: December 3, 2024 – New York
Sea Days: December 4–9, 2024
Arrival: December 10, 2024 – Southampton
Personal Voyage: Traveled aboard Queen Mary 2
History and Features
Built for the North Atlantic:
Queen Mary 2 was conceived as the successor to Queen Elizabeth 2 and designed specifically to continue Cunard's scheduled transatlantic passenger service.
Naval architect Stephen Payne led the design team responsible for creating a modern ship capable of operating regularly in North Atlantic conditions.
Her long bow, high freeboard, deep draft and substantial structural strength distinguish her from conventional cruise ships.
Lifeboats are positioned unusually high above the water to provide additional protection in heavy seas.
Her combination of speed, strength and seakeeping reflects the requirements of regular ocean-liner service rather than a ship designed only for destination-based cruising.
Entering Service in 2004:
Queen Mary 2 was built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique at Saint-Nazaire, France.
Her keel was laid on July 4, 2002, and she was launched on March 21, 2003.
Cunard took delivery of the ship in December 2003.
Queen Elizabeth II named Queen Mary 2 at Southampton on January 8, 2004.
The liner departed Southampton on her maiden voyage on January 12, 2004.
At completion, she was the largest passenger ship ever built and remains the largest ocean liner ever constructed.
Twenty Years of Queen Mary 2:
The December 2024 crossing took place during Queen Mary 2's 20th year in service.
Since entering service, she has combined scheduled transatlantic crossings with cruises and extended world voyages.
During 2024, Queen Mary 2 completed her 400th transatlantic crossing.
Two decades after entering service, the liner continued performing the role for which she had originally been designed: carrying passengers between Europe and North America by sea.
Our December 2024 Transatlantic Crossing:
We embarked aboard Queen Mary 2 in New York on December 3, 2024.
The eastbound crossing consisted of seven nights aboard the ship.
Day 1 began with embarkation and departure from New York.
Days 2 through 7 were spent entirely at sea while Queen Mary 2 crossed the North Atlantic.
Day 8 brought the voyage to Southampton on December 10.
There were no intermediate ports, making this a traditional point-to-point ocean crossing between North America and Europe.
Voyage Day-by-Day:
Day 1 – December 3: New York – Embarkation and departure
Day 2 – December 4: At Sea
Day 3 – December 5: At Sea
Day 4 – December 6: At Sea
Day 5 – December 7: At Sea
Day 6 – December 8: At Sea
Day 7 – December 9: At Sea
Day 8 – December 10: Southampton – Arrival and disembarkation
The Eastbound Crossing:
Eastbound crossings carry passengers from New York toward Southampton, reversing the route followed by westbound voyages from England to the United States.
Six uninterrupted days at sea give the crossing a fundamentally different character from a conventional cruise built around daily port calls.
The ship itself, rather than a sequence of destinations, becomes central to the journey.
Changing weather, sea conditions and the ship's daily progress toward Europe become part of the experience.
The route continues a passenger tradition associated with Cunard for generations.
New York and Cunard:
Cunard's connection with New York extends back to the company's earliest transatlantic services.
Generations of Cunard liners carried passengers between Europe and New York throughout the development of regular North Atlantic passenger travel.
Queen Mary 2 continues this relationship through scheduled transatlantic departures and arrivals.
Sailing from New York aboard the modern Cunard flagship maintains a direct connection with that long maritime history.
Southampton and Cunard:
Southampton became increasingly important to Cunard during the 20th century and remains the company's principal British passenger port.
The port was closely associated with Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth during the great prewar and postwar liner era.
Queen Elizabeth 2 later maintained Cunard's transatlantic presence from Southampton for decades.
Queen Mary 2 continues that relationship in the 21st century.
The New York-to-Southampton route remains at the center of her identity as an ocean liner.
Designed for Ocean Service:
Queen Mary 2 was created for repeated operation on the North Atlantic rather than solely for warm-weather cruising.
Her high freeboard helps protect the forward portion of the ship from heavy seas.
A deep draft and substantial hull form contribute to stability in challenging ocean conditions.
Her length provides both passenger capacity and the long hull form associated with high-speed ocean passage.
Her design allows her to maintain demanding schedules while continuing to offer the amenities expected aboard a modern passenger ship.
Propulsion and Speed:
Queen Mary 2 uses integrated electric propulsion supplied by diesel engines and gas turbines.
Four podded propulsors provide propulsion and maneuverability.
Two of the pods are fixed while two are azimuthing units capable of rotating for steering and maneuvering.
Her approximately 30-knot maximum speed remains exceptional among modern passenger ships.
That additional speed provides operational flexibility for maintaining transatlantic schedules when weather or sea conditions affect a crossing.
The 2016 Remastering:
Queen Mary 2 underwent a major remastering in 2016.
The work refreshed many public spaces while preserving the established character of the ocean liner.
Kings Court was extensively reorganized and redesigned.
The Carinthia Lounge replaced the former Winter Garden.
Additional accommodation and kennel capacity were introduced.
Changes to the aft section and other areas modernized the ship after more than a decade in service without changing her fundamental identity.
Our Connection with Queen Mary 2:
Our history aboard Queen Mary 2 began during her inaugural year in 2004.
In July 2004, we traveled aboard the new liner on an 11-day Northern Europe cruise from Southampton.
That voyage documented Queen Mary 2 as a new ship visiting Scotland, Norway and other Northern European destinations.
Returning aboard her in December 2024 placed us on the same liner twenty years later for the type of voyage she had primarily been built to perform.
The two voyages represent very different chapters in our experience aboard Queen Mary 2: an inaugural-year cruise in 2004 and a traditional transatlantic crossing in 2024.
Ocean Liner Photography Voyage Series:
This gallery documents our December 2024 eastbound crossing aboard Queen Mary 2.
The photographs record the ship and life aboard during seven nights between New York and Southampton.
The collection complements our photographs from Queen Mary 2's inaugural year and later encounters with the liner in ports around the world.
Together, these galleries document more than two decades of our connection with Cunard's flagship.
Legacy:
Queen Mary 2 occupies a unique position in contemporary passenger shipping.
She was built specifically to continue a form of scheduled ocean travel that had largely disappeared by the beginning of the 21st century.
Her continuing New York–Southampton crossings maintain a direct connection with generations of Cunard liners that preceded her.
The December 2024 voyage demonstrated that role twenty years after she entered service.
For Ocean Liner Photography, the crossing links our inaugural-year experience aboard Queen Mary 2 in 2004 with the liner's continuing transatlantic service two decades later.
OLP Social: Six uninterrupted days at sea connected New York and Southampton on our seven-night eastbound crossing, continuing Cunard’s long tradition of scheduled North Atlantic passenger service during the liner’s 20th anniversary year.
