France/United States
D-Day to the Allied Victory: A Transatlantic Voyage on QM2
Program No. 24969RJ
Learn about the end of World War II from the D-Day landings up to the Allied Victory on the shores of Normandy and on a transatlantic voyage on Queen Mary 2.
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14 days
13 nights
33 meals
12B 10L 11D
1
In Transit to Program
In Flight
5
Versailles, Omaha Beach
Bayeux
8
Lecture, Free Time
At Sea
9
Lecture, Free Time
At Sea
10
Lecture, Free Time
At Sea
11
Lecture, Free Time
At Sea
12
Lecture, Free Time
At Sea
13
Lecture, Free Time
At Sea
14
Arrive New York, City, Disembark, Program Concludes
New York City
At a Glance
Calling all history buffs! This will be a look into World War II that you’ll never forget — join us on an epic learning adventure that pairs firsthand visits to sites like Omaha Beach and the Museum of the Liberation with a transatlantic voyage. Your journey begins in Paris, where you’ll explore museums including the Hôtel National des Invalides, a vast monument that houses the Army Museum and an interactive exhibit on Charles de Gaulle. After further exploration of Paris and Normandy, take your learning to the seas onboard the renowned Queen Mary 2, with in-depth lectures from a historian traveling with you. By the time you come into port in New York City, you will have deepened your knowledge and fascination of World War II history from the D-Day Landings to the end of the war.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking 2-3 miles daily on field trips; paved streets with some cobblestones, gravel paths, beaches and grass lawns. Extent of walking and other activities aboard ship according to personal preference.
What You'll Learn
- Explore D-Day landing sites in Normandy and learn about these battlefields with a historian.
- Marvel at the architectural wonder of Versailles and get a new perspective of Paris during a river cruise along the Seine.
- Learn from a history expert on board Queen Mary 2 as they share their insight into the political and military history of World War II.
Suggested Reading List
(12 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
D-Day to the Allied Victory: A Transatlantic Voyage on QM2
Program Number: 24969
The D-Day Atlas: Anatomy of the Normandy Campaign
Charles Messenger’s vivid study of the landings and subsequent campaign chronicles the gradual evolution of the invasion plan, encompassing the intelligence efforts, the Ango-US strategic debate over where the Allies should attack, and the elaborate deception put in place to fool the Germans about the true D-Day objective.
At the heart of this fascinating re-creation of the D-Day campaign are seventy-one maps in full color, which incorporate the latest computer technology. Many are in fact based on the very same maps used by the Allies in 1944. Specially commissioned reconstruction drawings and 82 contemporary photographs help bring the beaches of Normandy to life. 178 illustrations, including 71 color maps
Beyond the Beachhead: The 29th Infantry Division in Normandy
Beyond the Beachhead examines the experience of one infantry division-the 29th-during forty-five days of combat from Omaha Beach on D-Day to the liberation of St. Lô. Using interviews, official records, and unit histories and supplementing his narrative with meticulously detailed maps, Balkoski follows the 29th from the bloody landings at Omaha through the hedgerows of Normandy, illustrating the brutal realities of life on the front line.
Omaha Beach: D-Day, June 6, 1944
Balkoski is sometimes referred to as the finest living D-Day historian. In this unforgettable narrative of D-Day, Joseph Balkoski describes the minute-by-minute combat as it unfolded on Omaha Beach, allowing soldiers to speak for themselves as they recall their attempts to maneuver bombers through heavy cloud cover, the claustrophobic terror aboard transports, and the relentless fire that greeted them on the beach.
D-Day June 6, 1944, The Climactic Battle of World War II
Written by the best-selling historian Stephen Ambrose, this well researched book draws together interviews and government documents to tell the gripping tale of D-Day. This comprehensive account contains 32 pages of photos and eight maps.
Bletchley Park and D-Day: The Untold Story of How the Battle for Normandy Was Won
The untold story of Bletchley Park's key role in the success of the Normandy campaign. Using previously classified documents, David Kenyon casts the work of Bletchley Park in a new light, as not just a codebreaking establishment but as a fully developed intelligence agency.
D-Day Through German Eyes: The Hidden Story of June 6, 1944
Almost all accounts of D Day are told from the Allied perspective. But what was it like to be a German soldier in the bunkers of the Normandy coast, facing the onslaught of the mightiest invasion in history? What motivated the German defenders, what were their thought processes - and how did they fight from one strong point to another, among the dunes and fields, on that first cataclysmic day? This book sheds fascinating light on these questions, bringing together statements made by German survivors after the war, when time had allowed them to reflect on their state of mind, their actions and their choices of June 6th.
Every Man a Hero: A Memoir of D-Day, the First Wave at Omaha Beach and a World at War
Omaha Beach legend Ray Lambert's unforgettable firsthand account of D-Day. Seventy-five years ago, he hit Omaha Beach with the first wave. Now Ray Lambert, ninety-eight years old, delivers one of the most remarkable memoirs of our time, a tour-de-force of remembrance evoking his role as a decorated World War II medic who risked his life to save the heroes of D-Day.
Everything We Have; D-Day 6.6."44
June 6, 1944—D-Day—is a date that will live forever in history. More than 150,000 troops landed on five beaches, with over 20,000 reported casualties on both sides. Rather than looking at the big picture, recounted so often, Everything We Have: D-Day 6.6.'44 tells the personal stories of the people involved, in their own words. Rare documents, artifacts, and firsthand accounts from The National WWII Museum’s official archives provide rare and poignant insight into the thoughts and feelings of those soldiers who fought on the beaches of Normandy.
D-Day Through French Eyes: Normandy 1944
Mary Louise Roberts turns the usual stories of D-Day around, taking readers across the Channel to view the invasion anew. Roberts builds her history from an impressive range of gripping first-person accounts of the invasion as seen by French citizens throughout the region.
180 Years of Cunard
Cunard’s first ship, Britannia, set sail across the Atlantic on 4 July 1840, inaugurating a service that has endured for 175 years. Cunard’s success is in part due to its continuous technological advances; from the early years of wooden paddle steamers to steel-hulled leviathans, electric lighting to steam turbine engines. But it is the ships themselves, the shipbuilders, managers, crew and guests that have had the greatest impact on the success of the line, creating unique environments full of personality. This book uses stunning photographs and personal stories to explore the history of these magnificent ships.
From Beachhead to Brittany: The 29th Infantry Division at Brest, August-September 1944
In this highly anticipated sequel to Beyond the Beachhead, historian Joseph Balkoski follows the U.S. 29th Infantry Division out of Normandy and into Brittany in the northwest corner of France, where the division was tasked with seizing the port of Brest. The German defenders, including elite paratroopers, fought fiercely for every inch of ground and inflicted heavy casualties on the Americans during bloody house-to-house fighting.
A Traveler's Guide to D-Day and the Battle for Normandy
A compact guide to Normandy's WWII battlefields, memorials, sites and cemeteries.
Meals
33 Meals
12 Breakfasts
10 Lunches
11 Dinners
The following choices may be available when requested in advance:
Lodging
Lodgings may differ by date. Select a date to see the lodgings specific to that date.
Display
- Apr 22, 2025 - May 05, 2025
- Apr 22, 2025 - May 05, 2025
3 nights
Paris
An elegant central Paris hotel, right on the Place de la République and close to the vibrant Marais district.
2 nights
Port en Bessin
Situated in the heart of the D-Day region, ideal for visits to the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, Pointe du Hoc and the artificial port of Arromanches-les-Bains. Enjoy a visit to Bayeux, the medieval town home to the tapestry listed on the UNESCO Memory of the World register. Savor Normandy cuisine, ciders, caramels and apples
7 nights
Valencia
Queen Mary 2 is the most magnificent ocean liner ever built. She was retrofitted in 2016. Her every detail harkens to the Golden Age of Ocean Travel, while providing one of the most modern travel experiences on earth. From bow to stern, discover 14 spacious decks on which to relax and unwind; to indulge in pleasures and pursuits you never normally have time for. Opulent public areas, extravagant dining rooms, ballrooms, theatres, lounges...even the only planetarium at sea.
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