The May Day scene at Southampton this year tugged at the heartstrings of those old enough to recall a day in Clydebank back in 1969 when Cunard Line took delivery of its new Atlantic greyhound, the Queen Elizabeth 2.

Last month, in a wave of euphoria, the ship celebrated her 35th birthday and retirement from the transatlantic run. Water jets spouted from fireboats as she sailed past RMS Queen Mary 2 — the new 151,400-ton flagship which was welcoming passengers bound for New York.

According to cruise industry experts, a successful modern ship needs oodles of balconied cabins, every conceivable dining option and enough diversions to suit all ages.

The QM2 has all of that and more. This hybrid of cruise ship and ocean-going liner is decked out with verandas, 10 restaurants and the first planetarium at sea, but she is also capable of cutting a swathe through the North Atlantic swell. More than twice the size of the QE2, this new city at sea offers a quintessential six-day alternative to being cooped up in an aeroplane.

Sea miles reach part of the psyche air miles never can. The voyage was an absorbing melodrama, with a supporting cast of socialites, fashionistas and eccentrics, set in a lavish seafaring enclave where 2,620 guests coexist in apparent harmony.

Heading out to sea with the setting sun spilling across the western horizon, socialising began in earnest. Being an old hand at the cruising game I headed for a convivial watering hole and indulged in some serious people-watching.

In the elegant Chart Room I expected to be surrounded by the flotsam and jetsam of God’s waiting room, or at least a few remnants of the F Scott Fitzgerald generation. Not a bit of it. On board the QM2, modernity and youth are not necessarily incompatible with opulence and style. This new-age liner draws a younger, sassier crowd and to reflect this the dress code only requires passengers to don their finery on two nights out of six.

There’s no denying that the fashion statement of an elegant gown comes into its own on board. At the captain’s welcome party I spotted a few clichéd members of the 1970s bourgeoisie: heavily upholstered dowagers with big hair and small clutch bags. But they were firmly in the minority — damsels in daring Footballers’ Wives dresses were the order of the night.

In the delightful Commodore Club overlooking the bow my fellow passengers became more loquacious with martinis shaken by the ship’s motion; the conversation stirred by acerbic observations. Diverse comments on politics, sport and religion followed, with none of the antagonism of many a bar-room argument on dry land.

The other great seaborne activity is, of course, eating. Soaring three decks skywards, the Britannia restaurant manages to be both grand and simple. Seating 1,347 diners, passengers’ whims and caprices are tended by waiters in this cathedral of indulgence. Menus are carefully crafted to suit both British and American tastes.

It is worth spoiling yourself just once in the Todd English restaurant. While some might decline to pay an additional £16 for the pleasure, others will feel the cuisine is worth it.

On my visit I savoured whipped ricotta and truffle love letters with a black truffle emulsion and Madeira jus, followed by pan-roasted turbot fillet on creamy artichoke polenta with a warm garlic shrimp and chanterelle vinaigrette, finished off with a Thai iced cream tiramisu.

Each day rolled into the next and a routine of sorts established itself: breakfast in bed followed by a stroll, lunch and an amble through the Mayfair shopping arcade, then afternoon tea in the Wintergarden. As for evening entertainment, there’s a theatre, the lure of the gambling tables or the pleasure of simply staring at the stars.

You come to associate curious things with certain voyages, bits of cerebral bric-a-brac that last longer than any other holiday memory. For me, it happened in the Golden Lion pub when the most unlikely candidate signed up for karaoke. A Chinese man who had otherwise kept himself to himself stepped forward with a wonderfully throaty rendition of Elvis’s The Wonder of You. It brought the house down.

The world’s largest cruise ship, is the apogee of contemporary nautical design. Her stately structure belongs in the realms of romance; her expansive interior is a compelling interpretation of updated vintage.

But for all its modernity the QM2 remains, in the same way as its predecessors, an experience that points to an age when, however briefly, luxury and comfort were treasured.

Details: The QM2 will be anchored at South Queensferry on July 13. The six-night transatlantic crossing to or from New York costs from £999 including all meals, transfers and return flight. Call Cunard on 0845 071 0300 or visit www.cunard.co.uk

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