Queen Mary 2 celebrates 450th voyage across the Atlantic

It's a historic day in the cruise industry, one of the world's most famous vessels. The Queen Mary II is embarking on its landmark 450th journey across the Atlantic. And who else would be there? But travel expert Dave Sablier, Gabe, thank you so much for joining us this morning. I saw the pictures you were posting recently with you and your family over there, getting some Nero coffee, which is a big coffee chain. I saw that and caught that with you. So, Gabe, where are you now? Are you on board the ship itself? So, great question, Andre. I've just disembarked. So this was a part of a little media cruise, basically me and the BBC covering this as a news item. So because this is a big story, not only for Q. Cunard, the company that operates the Queen Mary II, but I think for the cruise and the travel industries as a whole, because as you mentioned, there's only one transatlantic ocean liner on the planet, the Queen Mary II, and this is her 450th journey. So sort of a landmark moment. So I spent all morning here in Southampton, England. We're in the 5 p.m. hour now. She took off just about 45 minutes ago and will take seven days to do that. A classic crossing across those North Atlantic waters, she will arrive in one week in New York City. So historic, nostalgic, certainly a travel experience, and people were buzzing on board this morning. You know what's interesting here? This ship goes directly from Southampton, England to New York, seven days, no ports of call between. So it focuses entirely on the voyage itself, the sea itself, what can you tell us about that? So this is starting back in 1840, Andre, when Cunard put out the RMS Britannia. And they've only been about 20, 21 vessels in the history that have done this kind of thing that have been purpose built for these transatlantic crossings. And the Queen Mary II, which hit the seas back in 2004, remains the only one doing it. Today, so a bit of sort of an era driven situation here, and the captain, I got to meet him. He's a gentleman, he's a bit of a celebrity. You know how you walk around the newsroom there, Andre, and everybody turns their heads to see what's Andre wearing today? Well, there is a captain, his name is David Hudson, who's been with the brand for 20 years. And this is what he had to say just about watching the folks come on board and the sort of the buzz that was building as they did that earlier today. I see many guests come on board and who are enthusiasts, if you like, they know the history of the transatlantic route before they even step on board, so for them to come on board and to actually live that experience, they are over the moon. And then I got to check out Andre some of the practices by the, some of the actors who are gonna be bringing some nostalgic sort of golden era of seafaring to life. The GI wives meeting their hubbies after World War II. Some of these dances that were part of the 1930s, 1940s era of transatlantic crossings with some histories of some historic ships of old. But again, the Queen Mary II, also with this 450th sailing. Bringing some behind the scenes tours, historians will be doing lectures throughout the course of the ship. So people on this specific cruise certainly trying to tap that nostalgia, that historic aspect of sailing the Atlantic. By the way, the Queen Mary II, very cool ship, I hadn't been on her before this morning. She's the only ship I'd see with her own planetarium, a beautiful 150 seat intimate theater and The only ship with kennels. So if you must bring Fido along, they've got 24 different kennels that allow you to basically bring your dog or cat for the seven day crossing. You get to visit with them throughout the course of the day, but you still put a unique aspect of cruising and the type of travel that seeks out this kind of cruising experience. Yeah, so unlike some of the cruises that, you know, you know. You know, that we currently have where it's, you know, a Disney cruise, very family-friendly here. But my understanding is this one has that really classic feel to it. Speaking of that, they say that they still have black tie night galas on the ship, just like you had, you know, a couple hundred years ago when you did those transatlantic cruises. Well, I certainly have part of this particular cruise that arrives next Tuesday there in New York City. They do have some gala dinners and very bespoke types of meals in place. I call sort of the Cunard experience, cuz I have sailed the Queen Elizabeth. They have two other vessels, the Queen Anne and the Queen Victoria, sort of understated elegance. There's an approachability to this. I gotta tell you, the price point for an inside cabin, so the starting sort of rate for this particular cruise. It was $3.99 per person for an inside cabin. Now, it goes up, and all the suites were sold out, as you can imagine. But there is an approachability to this kind of elegance. And because this is a ship that was built for transatlantic cruises, you're not doing any ports of call, right? You're not doing any shore excursion. This is a build meant to be enjoyed during the entirety of this cruise. So a lot of extra activities, a lot of wonderful dining and wine experiences at the theater. Absolutely gorgeous, world-class entertainment. And of course, these historians who are basically telling the story of transatlantic cruising over the decades, also very, very special. Also, what's happening in the cruise industry now, Andre, which is driving this kind of cruising even more, is that cruisers Are getting younger. 35% of folks who cruised last year were under the age of 40. So all of a sudden, an experience that for a long time was for more seasoned or mature travelers is now finding a newer, younger, fresher audience. And that is just sort of elevating the demand that we're seeing for cruising. We're expecting 39 million people to cruise globally this year. That's a record and it speaks to the growing appeal of traveling in this way. Yeah, that price point, too, for those inner rooms doesn't sound too bad if you want to just get in the door there and experience what it's like, you know, just to be on a cruise, especially something as historic-looking as this one. Gabe Saglier, always getting those great assignments, man. I'll keep looking at your photos and just being jealous. All right, Gabe. Thank you so much, my friend. See you. Bye-bye.