The novelty of travel has been ruined by haste. Racing to the airport, dashing through security, a flying visit to the lounge, sprinting to the boarding gate and praying that your flight leaves on time so that you can arrive at your destination, without delay. There’s a luxury to travelling at the sharp end of the plane, too, but even champagne and a lie-flat bed can’t disguise the fact that you’re penned in a pressurised metal tube and breathing the same air as 400 other souls for the next 11 hours.

The journey itself was once an experience, before the world was shrunk by speed and deadlines – and there are few more iconic journeys than a Transatlantic Crossing between the USA and the UK. Cunard Line has been operating crossings between New York and Southampton since 1847 and offer the only opportunity to do so in the modern age, aboard the world’s only true ocean liner: the Queen Mary 2.

With the retirement of the Queen Elizabeth 2 in 2008, the Queen Mary 2 remains the only true ocean liner in passenger service. An ocean liner is not a cruise ship – it’s more stately, built for the stability on the vast, open ocean and fitted for longer journeys. The Queen Mary 2 is an Art Deco tribute to the lost opulence of travel, with each stateroom – even at lower price brackets – accommodating travellers in comfort with queen-size beds, full bathrooms, minibar, complementary room service and multi-channel flat-screen TV’s.

The true Transatlantic experience is best-savoured in ‘The Grills’, the Queen Mary 2’s premium offering. Queens Grill staterooms are the most opulent on board, offering the best views across duplexes, penthouses and suites, butler service, King-size beds, separate sitting areas, luxury toiletries and fine dining in the Queens Grill restaurant. Grills guests also have exclusive access to an aft deck level, with dedicated bar service, loungers and pool.

On the eastbound crossing, canapés and a glass of champagne soften the blow of departing New York as dusk settles over southern Manhattan, a blast of the ship’s horn signalling an almost-imperceptible edging away from the dock. Night falls quickly as One World Trade Centre shrinks and the ship is guided out of the Brooklyn harbour, under the Verazzano-Narrows bridge and into the open water. The next land mass in sight will be the southern coast of England in 7 days’ time, as the liner slices through the Atlantic on a course that arcs north towards Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and south under Cork, before ducking into the English Channel between Plymouth and Brest, to arrive in Southampton.

Time becomes the true luxury over the course of those 6 nights, with its passage marked by the midday striking of the ship’s bell in the towering Grand Lobby, which sees clocks turned an hour forward on each of 5 of the days at sea. Participate in all of the activities – or none. The wood-panelled library is stocked with over 8 000 books, tutored tastings offer the chance to experience unusual wines and whiskies from around the world and Cunard Insights speakers present daily talks (streamed to stateroom TV’s) on topics as diverse as military history, film, art and astronomy. Indeed, the Queen Mary 2 even boasts the only planetarium at sea, with regular presentations about the skies above the vast ocean, projected onto a massive domed screen, suspended above plush, reclining seats.

Each day at 15:30, the maître d’hôtel in the Queens Room claps his hands once and the string quartet strike their first chord as a flotilla of white-gloved waiters pour from the wings in a ballet of service for classical afternoon silver-service tea. After dinner most evenings, the quartet swells to an orchestra and plays into the night as tuxedoed men and glamorously-gowned women waft across the largest wooden ballroom floor at sea.

With breakfast and lunch options fluid between the three restaurants and King’s Court buffet, depending on passengers’ class of travel, evening meals are more formal affairs. Assigned seatings and tables offer ever-shifting menus and choices from a canonical wine list with examples from America to New Zealand and a few classy South African offerings. Expert Sommelier Domino de Four and the sommelier team make sure that 30 000 bottles are stocked on board for each 14-day Transatlantic round trip.

A visit to The Verandah restaurant is worth the supplement. French-inspired fusion cooking delivers beautifully-plated and incredibly inventive dishes, with spot-on wine pairings from accomplished sommeliers. A section of the Kings Court buffet restaurant is closed off each evening and allows guests to experience a pop-up restaurant with classy, alternating Italian, Indian or Mexican dining options each evening.

Transatlantic Crossing prices vary, depending on the time of year, departure point and cabin class. For more, visit the White Star Cruise & Travel website at www.whitestar.co.za.

*A version of this story was published in Wanted in February 2018.