(MONEY Magazine) – Just about every other week from April to December, Cunard's famous luxury liner, the Queen Elizabeth 2, backs out of her berth at Pier 90 in Manhattan and, with a stomach-rumbling blast of her horn, slowly swings her bow toward open sea and her home port of Southampton, England. The majority of her passengers, waving amid squalls of confetti, are classic grand tour voyagers off to Europe with family and mountains of luggage. Others, a quieter group, are experienced travelers who have the time to get back and forth between continents in a manner they cherish. Another category of passenger -- whose number is growing -- is businesspeople who have discovered that by combining a weekend with a day or two of vacation they can work the five-day sail into their itineraries and also take advantage of Cunard's policy of letting business travelers take spouses along for free. That is a big saving when single, nondiscounted passages start at $1,675 and can climb as high as $7,000 if you want a suite with its own private veranda and a window seat for dinner in the renowned Queen's Grille. Other cruise ships make occasional transatlantic voyages. But as the last ocean liner to offer regular service between North America and Europe, the QE2 is living history enjoyed by an increasingly younger clientele. The average age of its transatlantic passengers is around 50. Like other cruise ships, the QE2 offers a range of packages and discounts. A return ticket on British Airways to any of 57 U.S. cities is free with a one- way package. (Return flights on the supersonic Concorde are offered at $925; the normal one-way fare is $2,700.) Currently, Cunard is promoting a $995 standby fare (flight home included). Although it is called standby, your passage will be confirmed 21 days in advance. You could fly round trip for less, but when you count the five days of deluxe vacationing aboard ship -- cheaper than a comparable hotel on the Continent -- the package seems right yare.