"I like a good story and I also like staring at the sea ― do I have to choose between the two?" ― David Byrne, How Music Works
This weekend definitely had an ocean theme, and it kicked off with an invitation to tour and have lunch aboard Cunard's Queen Mary 2 while it was docked in Brooklyn. Once every passenger disembarked, our group of specially invited travel advisors were brought on board to experience the ship - before guests started embarking for the next sailing. We had it all to ourselves and got to see nearly all cabin categories including the chance to wander around two huge, aft-facing, duplex suites that are always booked. I was even impressed with the generous size of the interior cabins that are quite inviting.
I learned Queen Mary 2 isn't actually a cruise ship! It's an ocean liner built to make transatlantic voyages with ease. It also has the largest library of any ship, a planetarium (pictured above), large theater, spa with hydrotherapy, British pub, and a whole lot more - like a daily schedule full of enriching events.
Queen Mary 2 has many round-trip NYC itineraries and plenty of one-way voyages that either depart from or arrive in the city. Here's a list of upcoming favorites for easy travel to/from NYC! Contact me for more information, added amenities, and to be recognized as a VIP on board.
After a tasty lunch in the ship's main dining room, I disembarked and headed off to the less glamorous Port Authority station for a quick bus ride to our friend's family shore house in Tom's River, NJ for a weekend of friendship and hilarity with a group of dear friends from college. We visited Red Bank on this trip, took our annual stroll on the Seaside Heights boardwalk, put our toes in the sand, kept a tradition of watching silly (to us) movies and giggled through The Meg, and made lots of trips to Wawa.
I first joined a group gathering with them there 25 years ago, which seems so strange to say but feels important to acknowledge. I'd just returned from London having earned my MFA degree, and we'd all begun to scatter throughout the country. These annual trips bring us back close, in hugging distance.
I recommend celebrating your long-standing friendships and the passage of time - at least once a year. A cruise is actually a great way to take a friends group trip because everyone can choose their own adventure each day and meet up for meals and activities throughout the voyage. If you plan well in advance, you get the best chance of getting inked into everyone's calendars too.
What's your ideal friends group trip? If you think they're too much work to plan, I'm here to help!
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