DAY ONE

9.00 am

On the street in front of the pier in New York harbour the taxi cabs began delivering passengers and their luggage to the Cunard Terminal buildings. The luggage was taken away for stowing as the passengers entered the huge ship by the gangways and, by 11 am, most of them were aboard with friends who were saying goodbye and taking the opportunity to look around the great liner.

11.30am

The "all-ashore" gongs began to sound and in the wheelhouse the officers were assembling for the undocking. There were three pilots also on the bridge, waiting for the Moran Company's tugs, which arrived shortly and when all lines were free the huge liner was put astern and slowly edged out into the Hudson river, starboard props lying idle as the port propellers churned the water swinging her out and away from the pier.

12.00 Noon

Ten minutes later she was clear of the pier and standing out into the river as the first tug came up to her bows and began pushing hard on the starboard bow. At the same time a second tug was stationed astern acting as a pivot and, with port engines now stopped, she was swung around to face downstream and set off under her own steam using the ebbing tide to glide down the river.

The harbour pilot left the bridge to go down to the shell door low on the liner's die where he boarded the waiting pilot boat leaving the second pilot to take over and guide the huge ship down the crowded Hudson river and towards the open sea.

Meanwhile the customary search for stowaways was being carried out by the Master at Arms, searching every part of the ship. Next came the essential boat drill for passengers, who were then free to enjoy the promenade decks and bars as they began their voyage from the new world to the old.

At the Ambrose Light, the traditional Start/Finish line for Transatlantic racers the second pilot handed over control to the Captain and "Full Ahead" was rung up on the engine room telegraphs.

It takes four hours for a large ocean liner to reach top speed and by that time she was well out into the Atlantic, turning slightly northwards to follow the Great Circle route to Europe. After determining the course to be followed the Captain left the bridge and retired to his cabin leaving two officers on watch.

9.00 pm

As the first night fell the Captain returned to the bridge to check on the ship's progress before heading down to the First Class dining room to meet his guests at the Captain's table. After the customary welcoming chats and story telling he rechecked the course with his officers before turning in for the night, during which ship's clocks would be advanced by one hour.

DAY TWO

7.00 am

Early in the morning the Captain returned to the bridge to take charge of the vessel. The wind had increased during the night and the ship was now ploughing into huge waves hitting her bows-on. Tons of spray were thrown into the air and over the bridge each time the huge bows rose over a wave and hung in the air for a second before crashing down into the next. Every joint and rivet along her length took the strain as she 'bent' along with the waves, her staterooms and cabins rose, fell and shook with the ocean as she pressed on.

The Captain consulted his charts to see how he could best find his way out of the present weather. Across the Atlantic there are six invisible but strictly defined lanes or tracks, which ensure eastbound and westbound ships are kept a safe distance apart. The liner was currently on Track B, the most southerly of the eastward lanes and the Captain had decided to change to another track in the hope of missing the centre of the storm ahead. The liner turned north towards Track F, the Canadian route and headed for Cape race and Newfoundland.

12.00 Noon

By now the sea had become steadily worse and the order had been given for grab lines to be strung out across the public rooms for passengers to hold as they struggled across them. The sea remained rough as night came on and snow began to cover the decks, but around midnight the storm had been left behind and shortly before dawn the Atlantic was calm again.

DAY THREE

6.30 am

As Cape Race was sighted the officers on the bridge duly entered it into the log, this would be the last sight of terra firma until they saw Land's End and European shores. During this day she steamed on across the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, where the Titanic had met her fate, encountering, more frequently, patches of mist as she went until eventually speed had to be reduced as a fog descended.

12 Noon

By now the liner was at the memorable position of latitude 47*, longitude 47*, on a course for Bishop's Rock and increasing speed as the fog began to lift and visibility increased.

DAY FOUR

7.00 am

Next dawn found her at the northernmost point of her voyage, turning south-east and, as the sun broke through the clouds for the first time, the passengers crowded onto the promenade decks to enjoy the fresh sea air. Half the voyage was over and as fuel and water supplies were now depleted, sea water was being pumped into her ballast tanks to maintain the trim of the ship.

DAY FIVE

12 Noon

By now she was sailing directly south of Iceland and heading down the west of Ireland making for the Channel, and at noon she was west of the southernmost point of Ireland.

10.00 pm

That evening brought her to the Bishop Rock and the lights of increasing numbers of small ships became visible all around as speed was reduced at the entrance to the English Channel.

DAY SIX

6.00 am

Eight hours later she was slowing for the entrance to Cherbourg and the pilot boat came alongside carrying the pilot who was to take her on into the port.

12.00 Noon

She slowly passed the breakwater at the harbour entrance and the tugs were clustering round to guide her onto the pier. Using blasts on his whistle the pilot directed the tugs around her hull and brought her slowly forward alongside the pier and, as lines were thrown ashore, she was slowly pulled to the pier and tied up securely. everything had to be done strictly to the pilot's orders, if a liner this size had any headway at all she could easily demolish the pier by the pure weight of momentum as she moved into it.

3.00 pm

The majority of passengers disembarked here and shortly after 3pm that afternoon she was ready for the short trip across the Channel to Southampton. Slowly she was pulled stern first into the harbour and then turned around by the four tugs in attendance until she was facing the entrance. Then , under her own steam, she left through the breakwater and headed across the outer harbour. The pilot was dropped and course set for Southampton where just 64 miles away another pilot was waiting off the Isle of Wight.

With her speed reduced to 10 knots the pilot came aboard and she proceeded up the Channel towards the port and the tight 'U' turn which leads into the harbour. Slowly she came around to starboard and then to port in a long backward 'S' manoeuvre before, now barely moving, she straightened up for the run up through the docks to Southampton's Ocean Terminal.

Southampton Water, like New York, is very shallow and can barely accommodate these giant liners and so only by entering on a flood tide can adequate depth be ensured and the current can also be used to help swing the liner round to the pier.

8.00 pm

As darkness fell the lights of six tugs could be seen coming alongside and slowly they turned the liner around and towards the pier and with screws barely turning she drew alongside and was tied up.

Most of the passengers left that night but some stayed aboard to leave in the morning on the first train tom London, and so, nearly seven days later she has completed just one more crossing of the thousands she will eventually make.