We were attracted by Jetline's New York stay and QM2 transatlantic trip being offered over last New Year and had wanted to experience a cruise ship for some time. 

Needless to say New York over New Year was amazing (first time in the Big Apple as well) and apart from the famous attractions the shopping was "something else".

 After 4 nights in New York, in a fairly small but well run and conveniently located boutique hotel, we took a cab to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal to joint Queen Mary 2 for our 7 day trip back home.

 Firstly, as I have stated, this is also our first experience of a cruise ship. When the taxi approached the terminal we were expecting a ship on a fairly grand scale but nothing had prepared us for what greeted us. The nearer we got the more impressive the ship looked. The boarding process was like a well oiled machine and Cunard certainly know how to make you feel special.

 We had booked a Britannia balcony stateroom and were not disappointed. Our balcony faced away from the jetty with a superb view of lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty which proved even more spectacular when we set sail in darkness. We even had snow on our balcony which was quite surreal.

The 7 days and nights were as varied as we wanted them to be. The on board planetarium was incredible, the Royal Court Theatre offered a treat through Cunard's enlightenment program by day, and a variety of entertainment at night, and the cinema allowed us to catch up on some movies we had missed.

Then there was the dining (literally 24 hours of it) which catered for whatever mood guided our fancy, from formal evenings in the Britannia Restaurant, to more casual cuisine in the variety of other dining facilities on board. I feel that I am actually putting on weight writing this.

In conclusion we must applaud Cunard for delivering such a comprehensive package which has sold us on cruise ships as an alternative form of holiday, and thank Jetline for piecing together a memorable holiday experience which was also very good value for money.