When Queen Mary 2 returns from her scheduled refit in spring 2027, she will emerge as a noticeably different ship.

While Cunard has confirmed the addition of 30 new staterooms and enhancements across the vessel, recently released deck plans reveal a much bigger story. From an entirely new accommodation block on the top deck to additional Princess Grill Suites and changes to some of the ship's most recognisable open spaces, the refit represents the biggest redesign of QM2 since her landmark remastering in 2016.

For some passengers, the changes are an exciting investment in the future of the world's only purpose-built ocean liner. For others, they raise questions about preserving the spacious feel that has long made QM2 unique.

So, you’ve probably seen the films from the golden era of Hollywood, seen pictures of the stars arriving on transatlantic liners, perhaps your own family arrived in the New World aboard one of the Atlantic greyhounds and I’m certain you’ve watched Titanic and marveled at the elegance of shipboard life (we’ll ignore the bit about icebergs for the sake of this article) and you wish you’d got to travel just like the movie stars, but cruising just doesn’t seem to be that way anymore.

Well, you can! Cunard Line’s RMS Queen Mary 2 still regularly sails the line voyage between New York and Southampton, she is the last built true ocean liner, following in the wake of illustrious predecessors such as her namesake the Queen Mary (now permanently moored in Long Beach, California) and successor to the Queen Elizabeth 2 (now a hotel in Dubai). She carries on a tradition that has been some 181 years in the making.

Join me as I tell you the top five reason you should make a Transatlantic Crossing; to aficionados its always a crossing, never a cruise. (You can have that tip for free.)