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(CNN) -- Getting away from work and taking a break in today's connected world is almost impossible, most holiday destinations are now wired up so you can logon 24/7.
Yet one location, out of mobile phone, fax and PDA range with no interruptions and calls from the office, represents the ultimate escape --- its the cruise liner.
And one unique ship embodies the essence of modern cruising, the Queen Mary 2. It is the longest, largest, tallest, widest and most expensive liner ever built.
"Crossing the oceans on the Queen Mary 2 is more than just getting from a to b," one traveler on a six-day voyage from Southampton to New York told CNN.
"It is part of a tradition. It takes us back to the past and creates a link to the grand old liners of the last century."
What sets the Queen Mary 2 -- or QM2 -- apart from her counterparts is the sheer size. It is as high as a 23-storey building, and nearly as long as the Empire State Building is high.
At 345 meters (1,132 feet) in length the boat is over three and a half times as long as London's Big Ben, or 45 metres longer than the Eiffel tower.
In total there are 1,300 suites and staterooms, accommodating nearly 2,600 passengers and 1,300 crewmembers. In total 200 people are needed just to prepare up to 14,000 daily meals a day.
The QM2, still in its inaugural year, weighs 151,400 tons and cost $800 million to build, according to its owner, Cunard Lines.
The liner formally assumed the U.S.-U.K. route that Queen Elizabeth 2 had run for 35 years, yet the new liner marries maritime heritage with many more modern touches.
There is a classic teak promenade deck and sweeping staircases, yet there is also a planetarium and karaoke. And if you really have to stay in touch with the outside world, the ship has Internet access.
"It is extremely difficult to (switch off). What I finally learned is that things go on in the outside world. There is nothing you can change from out here," says American businessman and QM2 guest Phil Atcop.
"You can just deal with it when you get back. (This trip) makes your life much more enjoyable and makes you more productive when you get back."
Passengers are also able to take pleasure in black-tie dinners, exercise classes, lectures at sea and spa treatments -- especially for the stressed out executives.
"Business professionals are beginning to realize just how vital it is to take time out and just manage that stress," says Kevin Ferreria, Director of the Canyon Ranch Spa.
And by the time you have unwound, the Queen Mary 2 has docked in either New York or Southampton.
