April 6, 2025

7:20 am BST

Our final meal onboard Queen Mary 2—croissant with orange marmalade: smoked salmon with cream cheese, onion, and capers; toasted bagel, and a hash brown.

I will miss this dining room. Meals have been excellent, even better than what I recall from last year (which was superb as well).

Our waiter just referred to himself as our “walking bakery.” I will definitely miss my morning croissant that is served tableside from a silver tray.

It’s now 8:05 and we are in the Grand Lobby awaiting our call to disembark. I just saw passengers and their dogs leave. It was a cute parade. Pups looked happy to be reunited for good with their humans. Two of the dogs were so happy that they trotted along on hind legs only.

We are in the Grand Lobby as the bulk of the public rooms are roped off, having undergone a thorough cleaning for the next group of passengers.

Our estimated time of departure is 9:40, and we’re told the luggage was removed more quickly than anticipated, so we will be earlier. Still, I’m in no rush. Queen Mary 2 is one of my favorite places in the world.

10:34 pm

Disembarkation was indeed fast. By 9:05 we were off the ship, found our luggage, walked through the arrivals hall, and were queued up for a taxi. By 9:45 we were checked into our hotel, Moxy Southampton on Harbor Parade.

Some closing thoughts:

• The ship’s internet was vastly improved over last time. Starlink was easy to use, stayed connected, and had good clear user experience that outlined what was free and what would happen if you advanced to the next screen.
• Despite my initial assessment, an eastbound crossing is tougher than a westbound. It was also easy to oversleep and miss sunrise.
• Some new-to-me norovirus protection measures —mandatory handwashing at the buffet entrance, public restrooms’ doors propped open.
• I could live in Southampton.
• Next, I’d like to do 2 segments with, possibly, a turnaround day in Southampton. I’ll look into it.

There is nothing like a Cunard crossing.