Queen Mary 2, here we come, dawg and all!

Ken and I (meaning I) have pretty much decided we are not going to put Roxy and Kirby in the cargo hold of an airplane when we make our big move to France in 2012.

We have discovered that the only other tragic option (NOT!) is to sail on the Queen Mary 2 for an iconic transatlantic adventure of epic proportions!  Whee!!  This is going to be sooo amazing!  you can read about the Queen Mary 2 on Wikipedia. My friend Kathie says it’s immigration in reverse.  That feels about right to me.  I have an image of my ancestors coming to Ellis Island from Ireland and Poland, sailing past Lady Liberty.  Though, uh, I don’t think they sailed under the Verrazano Bridge since it is only about as old as I am.

We were quite surprised to learn that this is the ONLY transatlantic ocean liner that offers what they call a “Kennel Programme.”

Check out the video below to see the posh accommodations our dear kidlets will be enjoying!  (They will be sharing a lower kennel.)  Too cute!

We won’t be able to bring them up to our cabin, but we can go visit them pretty much any time.  There is an indoor and outdoor area for the pets, complete with a 24/7 Kennel Master.

Luckily, there are some relatively affordable cabins in steerage.  And the fare for the kids is actually comparable to flying them. Just kidding about the steerage part. 

Though I have learned that Cunard is the only cruise line out there that still adheres to the class system – at least when it comes to dining anyway.  The folks who have the fanciest, most expensive cabins can dine in certain onboard restaurants.  I think there are three tiers of restaurants.  Riff-raff allowed only in the “lowest” tier.  Too funny.

Either way, I can feel the purchase of a ruffled parasol and bustle coming on!

Modern steerage accommodations shown below:

And here’s a cool image I found comparing the relative size of the Queen Mary 2 with the Titanic and a few other things like a bus and an Airbus 380.  The Queen Mary 2 is the light gray silhouette in the background.

Here are the unsuspecting royal passengers in a quiet moment.  Need I say more?

Oh, to live in a world where these sweeties can travel with greater ease!  I think there is a HUGE untapped market here!  Surely, I cannot be alone in my doting-ness! 

Yet another bonus point for the French, as their public transit system frowns not on canine companions.  To wit, even the fancy-schmancy, lightning-fast – 170 mph -- TGV (bullet train) allows pets.  Yay France!