Timeless style aboard Queen Mary 2

GLAMMING it up with an aristocrat on his arm, Brad Crouch takes a trip back in time to the golden age of cruising with Cunard.

QM2

ENTERING the biggest ballroom at sea resplendent in a tuxedo, I had every right to feel like a royal consort after all, my date this evening was royalty, Queen Mary.

OK, maybe that is stretching things a little, but despite a dearth of blue blood, my wife's name is Mary.

On boarding the Cunard flagship Queen Mary 2 in Fremantle, staff very quickly followed my lead and referred, very respectfully, to my bride as Queen Mary.

Glamour oozes throughout the ship, from its $5 million art collection to its Maritime Quest exhibition tracing the rich history of the splendily British Cunard lineage.

As I gaze at posters of millionaires and military heroes who have cruised with Cunard through almost two centuries, and of the British aristocracy and Hollywood royalty living the good life at sea, it becomes apparent Cunard is selling more than a product it is selling a dream.

The Queen Mary 2's Art Deco design, the traditions and the focus on elegance and service are all designed to recreate the dream of the golden era of transatlantic crossings.

Following the release of the film Titanic, cruise sales soared in the US, despite the unhappy ending. People loved the glamour of a style of travel you just don't get with a plane trip.

Cunard took the hint from this to spend $800 million building a true ocean liner, which launched in 2004 as the biggest, longest, widest such ship afloat, awash with nostalgia rather than glitz. It is now on its first circumnavigation of Australia as part of a sold-out 28-day stay in Aussie waters, ending when it departs Sydney on March 7.

At each port a flotilla of watercraft and hordes of spectators greet the liner, adding to the sense of occasion.

The 345m-long, 151,400-tonne QM2 towers 62m above the waterline and is the biggest ship to visit Australia.

The facilities take a few days to explore over 14 decks there are 16 restaurants and bars, including the fine-dining Todd English and a 24-hour buffet; five pools; the largest library at sea; a six-storey grand lobby; boutiques selling designer brands such as Chanel, Hermes and Gucci; the 1100-seat Royal Court theatre (among the performers was flautist Sir James Galway); a spa; golf simulators; basketball court; and the ship even hasa planetarium.

This is not a ship for everyone. If you are a shorts-and-thongs type of person who does not want to dress up, it is probably not for you. And while there is a supervised children's club with loads of facilities and its own pool, the majority of guests tend to be in an older age bracket.

While shorts and T-shirts are fine by day, at night the strict dress code varies from formal (black tie) to semi-formal (jacket and tie for men) to elegant casual (jacket but no tie). No jeans, no shorts.

Passengers who love the Cunard experience obviously revel in dressing up at night and feeling classy it is all part of the experience.

My own Queen Mary, a PE teacher who usually gets around in tracksuits, loved getting dolled up in a ballgown on formal nights. The men in tuxedos looked debonair even if some, like me, were squeezed a little tightly into monkey suits purchased in bygone glory years.

The QM2 feels aristocratic but not snobbish. The warmth of staff is very much part of the appeal, and a ratio of one staff member to every two guests results in impeccable service.

Gentlemen Hosts with name tags are at the ready to trip the light fantastic with ladies at the packed evening dances.

The Australian circumnavigation is part of a 108-day world voyage; 280 people are doing the full trip. Paying more for a better cabin also gives access to exclusive lounges and either the Queens Grill, Princess Grill or Britannia Club restaurants for meals.

The two-storey Britannia Restaurant, where most passengers dine in two sittings each evening, was excellent.

Settle in with a pint at the Golden Lion pub and play darts and sing karaoke; listen to jazz in the Chart Room bar, a string quartet by the cosy Champagne Bar or a pianist in the Winter Garden.

On a ship this size the daily entertainment program is quite a read.

While evenings are dressy, the days are less formal, with trivia quizzes, dancing lessons, guest lectures, computer courses, the gym, cards, poolside bands, spa treatments, or just watching the ocean go by with anticipation of the next port stop.

While the ship's overall atmosphere harks back decades, there is in-room wi-fi, an internet cafe and other modern touches.

Afternoon high tea is a highlight. I stumbled upon it by investigating a hubbub which turned out to be the noise of a huge room of people tucking into scones and pastries and sipping tea. There is also a champagne high tea.

Afternoon tea is one of the few places it pays to arrive early even with 2600 passengers on board there are few queues and an overall feeling of spaciousness.

The captain, Commodore Christopher Rand, says being built as a true ocean liner means QM2 is sturdier than typical cruise ships and so is able to handle big seas.

Not all things go to plan. En route to Fremantle the huge ship briefly lost power but back-up systems quickly took over, although the event did startle passengers.

Drawbacks include the small size of the stateroom bathrooms, and the fact the liner is so large it can be a long walk back to your cabin if you forget something. It is a nautical town, far from an intimate yacht.

The size means that the very international mix of people on board soon find their own special spots, be it a place such as the Commodore Club overlooking the bow of the ship, the indoor pool area, Sir Samuel's coffee lounge or the G32 nightclub.

The Queens Room ballroom is used for events including themed balls and nights of big bands belting out tunes from Glenn Miller, the Dorseys, Frank Sinatra and even Van Morrison.

I waltzed here on a formal evening with my own Queen Mary, transported for a short time to a world far away from tracksuits and boardshorts and the mundane dramas of daily life.

The writer was a guest of Cunard.

Go2GUIDE QUEEN MARY 2

Queen Mary 2 is scheduled to call at Cairns, Darwin, Fremantle, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney before continuing its world voyage on March 7.

The liner returns to Australian waters in March next year, for voyages, including one departing Sydney for Queen Mary 2’s first circumnavigation of New Zealand. Prices start at $3329 a person for the 12-night round trip.

Ph 13 24 41 or see cunardline.com.au