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Queen Mary 2's Canyon Ranch SpaClub: Pure Bliss on the Atlantic Ocean (with Video)

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas

Perhaps the most decadent, and most relaxing experience one could ever imagine, is time spent at the Canyon Ranch SpaClub while crossing the Atlantic Ocean on Cunard's Queen Mary 2 ocean liner.

The Queen Mary 2 is equipped with a 22,000 square foot spa, which is one of the largest ship-based spas in the world. The spa facilities include 24 treatment rooms, a luxurious aqua-therapy facility and a beauty and hair salon. For those seeking exercise, there's a fully-equipped circuit gym with free weights as well as a large cardio facility that is outfitted with state-of-the-art elliptical trainers, stationary and recumbent bicycles, a variety of treadmills and stepping machines. Much of the equipment is equipped with individual televisions and iPod docks. Fitness trainers are available for individual sessions.

While the Canyon Ranch SpaClub isn't quite as elaborate as visiting the world-renowned Canyon Ranch destination locations in Tucson, Ariz. or Lenox, Mass. (and a Luxist Awards' Nominee for Best Extended-Stay Spa), it is extremely impressive nonetheless. And in some ways, the Canyon Ranch SpaClub aboard the Queen Mary 2, which opened in 2004, is even better. Where else can you enjoy the historic and romantic experience of crossing the Atlantic on a beautiful ocean liner while experiencing the healthy lifestyle offered by Canyon Ranch?

Gallery: Canyon Ranch SpaClub on Cunard's Queen Mary 2

Canyon Ranch SpaClub on the Queen Mary 2

Tags: awards-main, canyon ranch, Canyon Ranch Cooking, canyon ranch spa, cruise, cruise ship, cruises, cunard, Cunard Cruise Line, CunardCruiseLine, luxist-awards, ocean liner, Queen Mary 2, spa, spa treatments, transatlantic, transatlantic crossing

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A Visit Onboard Cunard's Majestic Queen Mary 2

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Yachts & Sailing

A side view of Cunard's Queen Mary 2 ship while it was docked at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal on April 29, 2010.

Yesterday, Cunard hosted a group of bloggers to tour the magnificent Queen Mary 2 while it was briefly docked at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. The 1,132 feet long ship had arrived that same morning and was scheduled to leave for England at 5:00 pm. For those of us who were fortunate enough to experience this incredible vessal, it was both breathtaking and awesome--in terms of scope and scale. Cunard is the Luxist Awards' Readers' Choice Award winner for Best Caribbean Cruise Line.

We started off our visit with cocktails and appetizers with Commodore Bernard Warner, who joined Cunard in 2005. Commodore Warner's 43-year-long career began with the British Merchant Navy. He spends a total of seven months a year at sea on the Queen Mary 2 and the Queen Victoria. When asked what his most memorable experience has been to date, he explained it was watching the total eclipse of the sun in 2007 off Aruba. "It was raining and cloudy that day, but we were able to find a gap in the clouds, so we had a clear view," he said, pointing out that astronomers from all over the world had booked the cruise specifically to witness the event. "The totality lasted 3 1/2 minutes," he added.

Gallery: Cunard's Queen Mary 2

Tags: american museum of natural history, awards-main, Brooklyn, cruise, cunard, Cunard Cruise Line, CunardCruiseLine, Jean-Marie Zimmermann, luxist-awards, Queen Mary 2, Todd English, transatlantic

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Cunard Wins Readers' Choice Award for Best Caribbean Cruise Line

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels

Arguably the grandest, most magnificent ocean liner ever built, Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2 is the winner of the Luxist Awards' Readers' Choice Award for Best Caribbean Cruise. Queen Mary 2 is the flagship of Cunard, whose history dates back to 1839 when Her Majesty Queen Victoria awarded Sir Samuel Cunard of Halifax, Nova Scotia, the first ever license to deliver mail across the Atlantic Ocean.

While she is described as "timeless elegance", Queen Mary 2, which debuted in 2004, offers the latest luxury amenities, from the pampering services of the first Canyon Ranch SpaClub® at sea to a pool with a retractable roof, allowing it to be enjoyed in inclement weather. Queen Mary 2 also offers an award-winning intellectual and entertainment enrichment program led by prestigious experts in a variety of fields, including literature, the arts, politics, the sciences, culture, maritime history and academia.

The ship, which cost an estimated $800 million to build, is 1,132 feet long--113 feet longer than her predecessor Queen Mary, with space for 2,592 guests in lower berths and 3,056 total guest capacity, when including third and fourth berths. Her crew numbers 1,253.

Tags: awards-main, canyon ranch, canyon ranch spa, CanyonRanch, CanyonRanchSpa, Caribbean cruises, caribbean vacation, CaribbeanCruises, CaribbeanTravel, CaribbeanVacation, cunard, luxist-awards, queen elizabeth 2, Queen Mary 2, QueenElizabeth2, QueenMary2, transatlantic, winners-winter-travel, wintertravel-awards, wintertravel-main