There are His holidays and Hers holidays and this was definitely His. My husband loves ships. I don’t. Worse, I get seasick. So why did we sign up for an Atlantic crossing (always call it a crossing, never a cruise) from Southampton to New York on Cunard’s imperious Queen Mary 2? Let’s just say, it wasn’t my idea.

The first inkling that I might actually enjoy it came at the “Sail Away” party. We took our places side by side at the deck rail, glass of champagne in hand, peering over at murky churning water below. Then I turned and looked backwards at the ship.