Thoughts passing by the sinking site on Queen Mary 2
I have been interested in Titanic since I was a teenager (mid-1990s). When I was younger and into it, my dream trip was the transatlantic voyage on the Queen Elizabeth 2. Flash forward to last week, and I completed that passage from Southampton to New York on the Queen Mary 2. I have to say, never having been to sea but having read nearly every book on Titanic, being on board really made aspects of the story very clear.
For one, we always see paintings of the bridge meeting the sea, but it wasn’t until I was at the bow of the QM2 that I appreciated how shocking of a sight that would be to see her so low in the water. One sees the paintings and sinking videos so often that one may not fully appreciate how shocking that sight must have been. I certainly didn’t until I was out on deck looking way up at the QM2’s bridge mid-ocean at night.
For two, it really makes one appreciate how many passengers were averse to evacuating the ship early on in the small, open wooden boats mid-ocean. The weather wasn’t nearly as cold as it was on the night Titanic sank, but even when I went on deck at night, I wanted to get inside to the warmth of the ship; I did not enjoy tarrying in the cold at all. It also helps put in perspective for me how perhaps those third class passengers didn’t emerge on the boat deck until the last few minutes.
Finally, on the day we passed by the Titanic site where I took this picture at 10:40 PM (ship’s time), it was the first where I could see all the stars reflecting off the sea. It was a sight to see and far darker than the three second exposure picture. It makes you realize how, unlike half the threads on here claiming everything was basically pitch black, an eye adjusted to the light could certainly have seen the silhouette of the ship going down, if not more.
It may well be that these things always stood out to others, but to me, the experience of being there on a large liner really gave missing perspective to the story that I never had despite reading all the books, watching films, and videos on the subject. For any true Titanic nerd or maritime enthusiast, the transatlantic crossing is a must do in my view, and I’d highly recommend it (though it can be quite expensive)